Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Friday / 26 July 2013

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GLXP Proposes New Achievement-Based Cash Prizes

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23 Remaining Google Lunar X Prize Teams May Be Able To Receive Additional Cash Prizes Totaling US$14M; Current GLXP Prizes Total $30M; Proposing $7M Split Between 1st Teams To Successfully Launch, $1M For 1st Team To Reach 500-Km Moon Altitude & Eight $750K Prizes Available Prior To Launch – 4 For Complete Designs With Power, Navigation, Hardware Plans, 4 For Complete Camera Subsystem Designs

Image Credit: GLXP, NASA, Xinhua/Y. Yan, SpaceX, Teams: Indus, Penn State, Selenokhod, ARCA

Thursday / 25 July 2013

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Successful GSLV Launch Essential To Put India Lunar Program Back On Track

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 ISRO Confirms Next Flight Test Of GSLV Rocket For 19 Aug 2013, After Team Of Experts Including UR Rao Gave Go-Ahead; Agency Conducted 35 Ground Tests Since The Indigenous Cryogenic Stage Failed In 2 Previous 2010 Flight Tests; Rocket Can Place 2200 Kg Into 18° GTO; Functional GSLV Required For India To Continue Chandrayaan Moon Program; India Recently Decided To Conduct NET 2015 Moon Lander Mission Alone, Was Originally Proposed As India-Russia Venture 

Image Credit: ISRO

Tuesday / 23 July 2013

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Moon Express Opens Huntsville AL Propulsion Development Facility

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New Moon Express (ME) Facility In Huntsville AL Now Operational Says Chief Propulsion Engineer Tim Pickens; Several Propulsion Milestones Already Achieved Including Test Firing Green 1780-Newton Demo Rocket Engine, Developing Mono-Prop & Bi-Prop Propulsion In 0.44-4450-Newton Thrust Class For ME Lander; ME Seeking To Land 1st Commercial Spacecraft On Moon In 2015

Image Credit: Moon Express

Thursday / 18 July 2013

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ILO Mission Demonstrates Rising Importance Of Moon South Pole Destination

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South Pole Destination Of NET 2016 ILO-Moon Express Lunar Mission Selected To Ensure Long-Duration Nature Of Mission – Thermal Environment (~-50°C) / Solar Power Access On Malapert Mountain / PEL, Continuous Line Of Sight To Earth For Commercial Communications, Ability To Image Milky Way Galaxy Center; ILO Also To Observe & Report Human Lunar Buildout, Private & Public Parties Pointing To South Pole / Aitken Basin – With Prevalent Water Ice / Mineral Deposits – As Ideal Location For Development 

Image Credit: ILOA, Moon Express, NASA

Wednesday / 17 July 2013

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Pioneering A New Frontier: ILOA Teaming With Moon Express For South Pole Moon Mission

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Moon Express Agrees To Deliver The International Lunar Observatory To Malapert Mountain, Near Moon South Pole, NET 2016; ILO Will Consist Of A 2-Meter Dish To Conduct Radio Astronomy / Astrophysics, Galaxy 1st Light Imaging & Commercial Communications Including Broadcasting Space Calendar Weekly; Moon Express Intends To Conduct Prospecting Of Local Area To Identify Mineral Resources & Water For Future Mining Missions 

Image Credit: ILOA, Moon Express

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 12-15 July 2013

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Golden Spike Company Being Courted By Florida & Texas

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Colorado-Based Company Seeking To Deliver 2-Person Crews To Lunar Surface For US$1.5B Is Garnering Attention From Aerospace-Minded States Florida & Texas, Which See Economic Potential In Hosting Start-up Company; CEO Alan Stern Notes Current Host Colorado Has Not Offered Support Nor Incentive To Company; GSC Rapidly Advancing Business Plan Through Recent Technical Breakthroughs With Research Partners Northrop Grumman, ULA, Etc.

Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, Space Florida, governor.state.tx.us

Friday / 12 July 2013

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Astrobotic Reduces Moon Payload Delivery Cost

Astrobotic

GLXP Team Astrobotic Technologies Inc. Offers 30% Price Reduction For Payload Delivery To Moon Aboard Its Lunar Lander / Rover With Launch Set Oct 2015 Via SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket; US$99K/kg For Trans-Lunar Injection, $1.2M/kg For Lunar Surface Delivery On Lander, $2M/kg On Rover; Lander & Rover Will Power & Support Payload Operations For 10 Days, Then Hibernate For 14-Day Lunar Night & Recover After Sunrise, Continue Operations

Image Credit: Astrobotic

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 5-8 July 2013

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Lunar Lander Development Through US National / Independent Partnerships

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US Space Agency Seeks Concepts For Industry-Developed Robotic Lander To Support Independent And / Or NASA Lunar Surface Missions As Early As 2018; NASA Not Offering Funds, Solely Technical Expertise, Use Of Test Facilities, Hardware / Software; Interested In Landers Capable Of Delivering Payloads Of 30-100kg & 250-450kg Range; Missions Of Interest Include Prospecting Volatiles At Lunar Poles, Sample Return; 2018 Mission Still Well After China Chang’e-3, 4, 5 (Inset) & Possibly Chang’e-6 Moon Landers.

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Thurs-Fri / 4-5 July 2013

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Lunar Dust Poses Challenges For Moon Rovers

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New Computer Simulations Show How Dust Can Wreak Havoc For Machinery & Humans On Moon, Especially At Terminator; Farideh Honary Of University Of Lancaster Presents Findings To RAS In Scotland, Shows How Moon Dust Becomes Electrically Charged & Rises Above Height Of Most Rovers During Sunrise & Sunset; Apollo Missions Found Moon Dust To Be Abrasive, Wearing Down Equipment In Days; Honary Suggests Using Dome-Shaped Rover

Image Credit: NASA, lancs.ac.uk

Wednesday / 3 July 2013

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Lunar Telerobotic Mission Demonstrated By ISS Astronaut

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Astronaut Chris Cassidy Pilots NASA Rover For 3 Hours Across Mock Lunar Surface At Ames Research Center; Remotely Directed Robot Unfurled ‘Antenna Film’ Developed By Jack Burns / University Of Colorado Boulder Scientists For Lunar Farside Radio Telescope Mission Concept; Burns & Team Hope To See Rover / Radio Telescope Deployed By Similar Telerobotic Technique Via Orion Mission To Earth-Moon L2

Image Credit: NASA, lunar.colorado.edu