London Economic Market Study Commissioned By GLXP Projects US$Billions Of Profit From Commercial Opportunities On Moon In Next Decades; $1.9B Over Next Decade Mainly From Government Customers, 25-Year Projection Is $6.9B In Profits Predominantly From Private Sector Customers; Moon Express CEO Naveen Jain Says $150M Robotic Moon Mission Could Return $Billions Worth Of Material To Earth
Image Credit: Wired, NASA, Dreamstime
Italia (Italy) Contractors Working On Final Refinement Of Lunar Lander Design With Special Attention On Propulsion Subsystem; AngelicvM (Chile) Planning Research Center In Curacavi, Will Sponsor 2014 Global Aerospace Summit In Abu Dhabi; Puli (Hungary) Hosting 2nd Campaign To Raise Funds To Test 1 of 2 Rovers On Slopes Of Mauna Kea, Hawai`i
Image Credit: Italia, AngelicvM, Puli
ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan Says Agency Is Awaiting Government Approval / Funds To Develop Lander For Chandrayaan-2 Mission; India To Proceed Independently On Mission, After Russia Delays / Plan Changes; Hopes Lander Could Be Developed By 2016, Acknowledges Lander More Complex Than Rover; Need 2 Successful GSLV Launches Before Attempting Moon Mission, Next Launch Set For 15 Dec 2013
Image Credit: ISRO, PTI
Changcheng 3B / Long March 3B Rocket En Route From Beijing To Xichang Space Center – Chang’e-3 Launch Site, Expected To Arrive 1 Nov; Carrier Rocket Equipped With A Number Of New Technologies To Further Its Reliability; Tests On Chang’e-3 Moon Probe Proceeding Smoothly As China Prepares To Conduct The 1st Soft Landing On Moon In 37 Years; Country Considering Human Moon Mission Between 2020-2025
Image Size: EPA / NG Hong, cntv.cn
Golden Spike Company Discussing Advanced Mission Concepts Including Landing Sites Of Interest (South Pole Moon) & Sample Return Missions After Integrating Input Gathered At Recent Workshop With International Lunar Scientists; Robotic-Human Missions Would Involve A Nation Sending Own Rover & GSC Astronauts Retrieving / Returning Rover Samples; GSC Will Host Another Forum In March 2014
Image Credit: NASA, GSC
Workshop On Science & Challenges Of Lunar Sample Return In ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands On 18-19 Feb 2014; Event Co-Organized By NASA SSERVI & Russia IKI; Objectives: Discuss How Sample Return Missions Can Support Future Exploration, Scientific Priorities, Mission Requirements / Technical Challenges; ESA Intends To Cooperate With Russia On Moon Lander & Sample Return Missions, & With NASA On Human Missions
Image Credit: ESA, IKI, NASA
SOM 2013 Reunion Conference: Human Moon Missions – A Center For 21st Century Leadership, Friday 18 Oct; Talks Given By Visionary Entrepreneurs Advancing Cislunar Travel & Commerce, Moon South Pole As Destination Of Importance / Discovery; (L To R) SOM Alumni Club & ILOA Steve Durst, Golden Spike Co Alan Stern, Moon Express Adrian Adamson, Shackleton Energy Co Jim Keravala, Interorbital Systems Randa Milliron; Over 100 Stanford Alumni To Participate
Image Credit: SOM, ILOA, GSC, Shackleton, NASA
Evidence Of Origin Of Life (Volatile Compounds From Ancient Comets) May Be Found In Permanently Shadowed Craters At Lunar Poles; Russian Academy Of Sciences Space Research Institute Laboratory Head Igor Mitrofanov Says Studying Regolith From Moon Poles Will Provide Valuable Data About Both Moon & Comets; 2200-Kg Russia Luna-27 / Luna-Resurs South Pole Moon Lander (2017~2019) Will Feature Drill Capable Of Penetrating Up To 2 Meters Deep
Image Credit: Russian Academy of Sciences Space Research Institute
Imaging Of Historic Hardware / Landers On Moon Remains Important Area Of Study For LRO; Photometric Modeling Of Exhaust Plume Effects On Regolith Environment Using LROC-NAC Images Taken With Different Illumination Geometries Help Define Safe Operational Practices For Future Landing Sites; LROC Investigators Hope To Advance This Study With Before & After Images Of Chang’e-3 Landing Site
Image Credit: NASA, CNSA
Astrobotic Conducts Full Deployment Field Test Of Moon Cave Exploration Robot ‘Tyrobot’, Producing 3D Model Of A Pit In PA; Barcelona Moon Provides Info About Their Launcher / Lander / Rover & Budget (US$73M); Omega Envoy Set To Debut Student-Designed ‘Artemis’ Rover At Mini Maker Faire In FL, 5 Oct; Futron Says Potential For Lunar Markets From 2011-2019 Is ~US$1.56B
Image Credit: GLXP, Futron