Category Archives: Lunar Landers

Thursday / 7 February 2013

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Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program

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Application Deadline 1 March For LPI Summer Intern Program At NASA JSC; Interns Will Evaluate The Study Generated By Previous Student Teams – ‘Global Landing Site Study To Provide Context For Exploration Of The Moon’ – Then Conduct Detailed Assessment Of 1 Or 2 High-Priority Landing Sites Identified In That Report; Will Utilize Latest Lunar Data, Explore Potential Traverse Routes / Stations, ID Challenges; Program: 28 May- 2 Aug 2013

Image Credit: NASA, LPI

Thursday / 31 January 2013

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Moon Mining Robot Development Advancing

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Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Designed By NASA To Extract Water, Ice, For Fuel & Life Support From Regolith On Moon Or Other Dusty Bodies; 45kg, 0.75m-Tall Device Designed As Feeder For Lunar Resource Processing Plant; Current Design Likely To Evolve With Roll Out Of RASSOR-2 In Early 2014 For Testing

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 30 January 2013

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Destination Moon

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International Lunar Activity Gaining Momentum In 2010s As China Prepares For Chang’e-3,4,5 Lunar Lander Missions In 2013, 2015, 2017; Russia Luna-Glob Orbiter In 2015, Luna-Glob / Luna-Resurs Polar Landers in 2016, 2017; USA LADEE Orbiter In 2013; India Chandrayaan-2 Lander ~2015; Japan SELENE-2 Lander ~2018; Private Enterprise GLXP Landers 2014-2015, ILO-1 Lander 2015-2016, Golden Spike Company Human Mission ~2019

Credit: Dwayne Day – The Space Review

Image Credit: Corby Waste, fourth-millennium.net

Tuesday / 29 January 2013

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Consistent, Achievable Lunar Exploration Plan Emerging In Russia?

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After Years Of Grandiose Announcements / Contradictions & Mission Failures / Delays, Russia Seeking To Improve Space Industry Organizations, Reestablish Leading Space Power Status; Recently Announced Lunar Exploration Strategy Appears Realistic / Rational: 2015 Luna-Glob Orbiter, 2016 Scaled-Down Luna-Glob South Pole Lunar Lander, Luna-Resurs Research Rover With India ~2017, Human Moon Missions With New Russia Spacecraft By 2030

Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 25-28 Jan 2013

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Golden Spike Company Business Plan

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GSC CEO Alan Stern Provides More Clarity About Business Plan Of Ambitious Company In Recent AmericaSpace Interview; Corrects Misperception That GSC Focus Is Lunar Tourism: Primary Focus Of Business Is Flying Lunar Expeditions For Foreign Science & Space Agencies, Secondary Focus Is Corporations; Elaborates On How Company Will Achieve Relatively Affordable Missions By 2019-2020 

Image Credit: GSC, NASA, Planetary Society

Friday / 25 January 2013

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India-Russia Moon Mission Tentative

India-Russia

ISRO Physical Research Laboratory Director JN Goswami (T) Says India Is Working Toward Nov 2013 Mangalyaan Mars Mission, Chandrayaan-2 Is Still India-Russia Project – Only Delayed; Russia Wants To Test Lunar Lander / Rover System In 2015 Before Offering It To India; India Needs To Successfully Test GSLV Rocket At Least 2 Times; ISRO Chief K Radhakrishnan (B) Says Tests To Begin May 2013, Moon Will Be Station For Moving To Mars By 2030-2040

Image Credit: ISRO, AP/Aijaz Rahi, NASA, Scoutek Ltd

Thursday / 24 January 2013

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NASA Lunar Science Institute Seminar: Space Science From The Moon

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Brown University Professor Carle Pieters Will Join ‘The Moon As A Cornerstone To The Terrestrial Planets’ Team Of NLSI On 29 Jan To Overview Implications Of New Lunar Data & Discuss How It Is Leading To New Strategies For Human & Robotic Exploration; David Kring Of LPI Will Recap Successes Of NLSI In Achieving Research Goals, Assisting In NASA Robotic & Human Mission Scenario Development

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 16 January 2013

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Russia 2015 Moon Lander

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Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin Says Russia Planning Luna-Glob Moon Lander Mission In 2015; Mission Will Be 1st From New US$1B Vostochny Cosmodrome In Far East Amur Region Of Russia; 1400-kg Spacecraft Will Place 500-kg Landing Module On South Pole Of Moon; Craft Will Carry Up To 25kg Of Scientific Equipment To Search For Water / Take Soil Samples, Yet Main Objective Of Mission Is To Achieve Landing On Another World / Moon

Image Credit: Roscosmos

Tuesday / 15 January 2013

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GLXP Teams Leading Way For Commercial Moon Settlement

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First Private Moon Rovers Could Spur Era Of Lunar Mining, Construction & Tourism; Lunar Lion Team Leader Michael Paul Says NASA Must Harness Strength Of Private Industry To Advance Solar System Exploration, Seeking To Establish Penn State As “Go-To University” For Growing Commercial Space Industry

Image Credit: Penn State, GLXP

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 11-14 Jan 2013

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USA Preparing To Delve Deeper Into Lunar Exploration

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As GRAIL Mission Data, Including Imagery Of Spacecraft Surface Approach, Continues To Flow Through Scientific Community, NASA Invests In Technology Development To Search For Water Deposits Inside Permanently Shadowed Moon Craters; US$300K Contract Awarded To Xylem Inc. To Develop Specialized Mass Spectrometer For RESOLVE Mission Lunar Rover; With Sufficient Authorization & Funding USA / Canada Mission Could Land On Moon In 2017

Image Credit: NASA, Xylem Inc.