Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Friday / 15 August 2014

Posted on by

Moon / Small Body Spacecraft Initiatives Supported By NASA

NASA Mooncraft Intiatives

Scarab Lunar Rover Being Developed By Robotics Institute Of Carnegie Mellon University To Explore Dark Polar Craters At Moon South Pole; Powered By 100-Watt Fuel Cell Created Under NASA Game Changing Development Program, Rover Can Collect 1m Core Samples For Water & Gas Analysis; Marco Pavone Of Stanford University Awarded US$500K Through NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program To Continue Developing Hopping / Tumbling Craft With 3 Internal Flywheels Capable Of Exploring Small Bodies – Similar Technologies Could Be Applied To Future Mooncraft

Image Credit: NASA, Carnegie Mellon University

Thursday / 14 August 2014

Posted on by

University Students Advancing Moon Lander Rocket Design

PurdueMorpheus0814

Purdue University Student Team Designing & Testing Components Of New Rocket Engine For NASA Project Morpheus; Students Of Professor William Anderson (BR) Focused On Engine Thrust Chamber Design & Developed System To Liquefy Methane From Gas, Both Essential Elements To Facilitating High-Performance / Lightweight  Rocket Engine Needed For Moon Landings; Team Now Working To Optimize Cooling Approach For Chamber Walls, Temperatures Inside Chamber Can Reach 2600°C

Image Credit: Purdue University, NASA

Tuesday / 12 August 2014

Posted on by

Team Indus Partners With Lockheed Martin

TeamIndus0814

Bangalore India-Based GLXP Team Indus Contracts Lockheed Martin Space Systems Division To Aid Moon Mission Trajectory, Descent & Landing; 30-Member Team Will Launch Its Compact HHK1 Lander – With At Least 3 Rovers – Aboard India PSLV Rocket From Satish Dhawan Space Center In 2015; Mission Cost Expected To Be ~US$40M; Team Indus Collaborating With Indian Institute Of Astrophysics On Prototype Development; Team Expected To Receive US$1.25M Milestone Prize In Sep

Image Credit: GLXP, Lockheed Martin, IIA

Wednesday / 6 August 2014

Posted on by

Russia Lunar Aspirations Persist
Though Missions Likely Delayed

RussiaMoonPlan0814

Director Of Space Research Institute IKI Lev Zeleny Confirms All Approved Lunar Missions Remain On Table; Domino Effect Of Mission Delays Pushes Luna-Glob / Luna-25 Mission To Test Landing Techniques From 2016 To 2019, Luna-Glob 2 / Lunar-26 Orbiter Mission Now Expected 2021, Luna-Resurs / Luna-27 Lander Mission With Drilling System & Scientific Payloads Pushed Back To 2023; Russia Also Working On ~US$2.8B-Project To Put Humans On Moon By 2031

Image Credit: Russiaspaceweb.com, RIA Novosti

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 August 2014

Posted on by

Lunar Plant Growth Experiment Small Step Toward Human Moon Habitation

MoonGarden0814

Small Containers Of Seeds Will Be Sent By NASA On 2015 GLXP Team Moon Lander To Evaluate If Plants Can Germinate In Low-Gravity / High Radiation Lunar Environment; ~1-kg Payload Will Contain Arabidopsis Seeds, Cameras, Sensors, Communications Equipment, 5-10 Days Of Air; Duplicate Canisters Will Be Sent To USA Schools For Comparison; If Initial Experiment Successful NASA Plans To Put Garden On Lunar Surface To See If Plants Can Survive Frigid Lunar Night & If Multiple Generations Can Continue 

Image Credit: NASA

 

Friday / 1 August 2014

Posted on by

Potential Landing Sites & Tests For
China Chang’e-4 Mission

Chang'e-4

China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Prof Ziyuan Ouyang Previews Possible Challenging & Pioneering Objectives For Chang’e-4 Moon Lander / Rover Mission: Could Land At Moon South Pole Region And / Or Mountain Top Peak Of Eternal Light Offering ~90% Illumination Year Round, Stable ~213K (-60°C) Temperatures, Plethora Of Science Benefits; Could Also Launch From Moon Surface To Different Moon Region – Or Directly To Mars, Reminiscent Of Chang’e-2 Orbiter Exploring L2, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis & Deep Space After Moon Mission

Image Credit: NASA, news.cn, CNSA

Wednesday / 30 July 2014

Posted on by

China Chang’e-5 On Schedule For 2017

Chang'e-5Wu0714

Development Of Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission “Progressing Smoothly” Says China State Administration Of Science & Technology Industry Spokesperson Zhijian Wu (L); Mission Will Be 1st Of China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) Phase 3 (Return) Missions; Probe Will Collect Regolith From Lunar Surface & Scoop Samples From Depth Of 2m, Launch And Rendezvous With Orbiter For Earth Return; Plans For Chang’e-4 Still To Be Confirmed, South Pole Landing Possible Says Ziyuan Ouyang; CLEP Educational Exhibit Opens National Tour At Hong Kong Science Museum, Features ~20 Replicas, Models & Interactive Exhibits

Image Credit: CLEP, Hong Kong Science Museum

Friday / 18 July 2014

Posted on by

GLXP & NASA Focus On Moon Education, Exploration Initiatives

GLXP & NASA Education, Exploration

“Exploring Apollo Now” Google Lunar XPrize Team Hangout Q+A Hosted 22 July By Astronomer Pamela Gay Will Feature Team Stellar & GLXP Competition Judge Derek Webber; 20 July NASA ARC “Lunar and Small Bodies Graduate Conference” To Be Followed By “Next Generation Lunar Scientists & Engineers Workshop”; Morpheus Lander Planning Meetings Continue, May Fly Again Pending FY15 Funding; Astrobotic, Moon Express, Masten Working With NASA Under Lunar CATALYST Partnership Opportunity

Image Credit: GLXP, Team Stellar, NASA

Thursday / 17 July 2014

Posted on by

Japan Advancing Plans For Moon Missions

JapanRobotMoon0714

JAXA Unveils Plans For Robotic Missions To Lunar Surface Commencing In 2019; Missions Will Conduct Research On Inner Structure Of Moon, Recover / Analyze Samples & Exploit Resources, While Establishing Technical Platform Capable Of Landing On Moon & Returning To Earth With Potential Applications For Other Celestial Bodies; Prominent Hi-Tech Industry & Impressive Space Exploration Resumé Could Position Japan As A Valuable Contributor In Collaborative International Strategy To Expand Human Presence Throughout Solar System

Image Credit: JAXA

Thursday / 10 July 2014

Posted on by

Golden Spike Company & Honeybee Robotics Complete Moon Rover Study

GoldenHoneybeeRobot0714

Golden Spike Company Continues To Advance Plans For Commercial Human Moon Missions With Honeybee Robotics Design Study; Builds On Mission Concept To Precede Human Mission With Robotic Lander Which Could Collect Several Kg Of Rock & Regolith From A 10-100km Range; Human Mission Would Retrieve Samples & Return Them To Earth, Enhancing Scientific Value Of Mission; Honeybee-Designed Rover Weighs 77kg, Includes Stereo Camera, Capacity To Accommodate Additional Payloads Such As Honeybee NanoDrill

Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, Honeybee Robotics