Release #15 Of LRO Data Now Available At Planetary Data System Archive; New Data Was Acquired Between 15 Mar & 14 Jun 2013, From CRaTER, Diviner, LAMP, LEND, LOLA, LROC & SPICE Instruments; 6 More LRO Data Releases Scheduled, Final Release In Mar 2015; LROC WAC Data Used To Create Time-Lapse Video Of Full Rotation Of Moon
Image Credit: NASA
383-Kg Spacecraft Now Making 30-Day Journey To Moon Through Series Of Phasing Orbits That Will Allow It To Arrive At Proper Time / Phase; Flawless Night Launch Provided Spectacular Viewing For East Coast USA; Slight Glitch With Craft Reactor Wheels Corrected By NASA Engineers; Upon 6 Oct Arrival At Moon LADEE Will Go Through 30-Day Checkout Phase & Then 100-Day Science Phase In Which It Will Orbit Moon Between 20-60-Km
Image Credit: NASA, Ben Cooper
LADEE Launch — 6 Sep, 23:27 EDT, Wallops Island VA, Via Minotaur 5 Rocket — Promises To Provide Spectacular Show To East Coast USA Viewers; US$248M-Mission Will Test New System For Ultra-Fast Optical Data Transmission — 600 Mbit/s, Unravel Mysteries Of Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment, Premiere Common Spacecraft Bus; Next Flight Of The Bus Likely On Moon Express (ME) GLXP Mission NET 2015; ME Announces Paul Spudis New Chief Scientist, Jack Burns Added To Science Advisory Board
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express
Chang’e-3 Now Scheduled For Launch Dec 2013; While Confirming Mission Shifting From Design To Launch Phase, CNSA / Lunar Program Chief Commander Ma Xingrui Acknowledges 1st China Attempt To Land On Planetary Body Is “An Extremely Difficult Mission That Carries Great Risk;” Crewed Lunar Missions Could Follow If China Decides To Combine Human Spaceflight & Lunar Exploration Programs
Image Credit: CNSA
Scientists Use Moon Mineralogy Mapper Data From Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Orbiter (R) To Make 1st Remote Detection Of Magmatic Water On Moon Surface; Significant Amounts Of Hydroxyl Discovered In 60-Km Wide Lunar Impact Crater Bullialdus (L) Near Equator Indicates Presence Of Water Which Originated Deep Within Lunar Surface; Data Provides Clues About Volcanic Processes & Internal Composition Of Moon
Image Credit: NASA, ISRO
Launch Of US$280M Mission, Scheduled For 23:27 EDT On 6 Sep, Will Be Visible To Tens Of Millions Of People Along America East Coast; First Lunar / Planetary Launch From Wallops Island Spaceport, VA; Inaugural Launch Of Minotaur 5 Rocket, 3 Of 5 Stages Made From Converted Cold War Ballistic Missiles; Debut Of Modular Common Spacecraft Bus Developed At NASA Ames, Smaller Version Of Which Will Be Used For Moon Express GLXP Mission
Image Credit: NASA
After Unexpected Passing Of Long-Time NASA Lunar Scientist Mike Wargo, NASA Officials Petitioning IAU To Name Crater On Moon In His Honor; Initiative Sets Precedent For Those Seeking / Deserving A Lunar Presence In Some Form, Advances ‘Put Your Name On Moon’ Campaigns Of LRO, ILOA Lunar Missions To Another Level; High-Def Images Captured By Lunar Probes Reveal Millions Of Craters On Moon, Many Yet Unnamed
Image Credit: NASA, IAU
Innovative NASA Moon Orbiter Completes 3 Years Of Its Extended Science Mission, Additional Extension Likely As Probe Has Delivered Unprecedented Amount Of Data / Images; LRO Has Orbited Moon Over 18,000 Times, Traveling Over 200M Km, Produced Over 434 Terabytes Of Data, Laser Altimeter Conducted Over 6B Topographic Measurements; LRO Expected To Continue To Send Back Data Until Oct 2014, Though Additional 2 Years Possible
Image Credit: NASA
LADEE Teaming Up With ALPO Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search Program In Call To Watch For Impacts On Moon; Dedicated Amateurs Require Telescope With Minimum 20cm Aperture, Video Recording Equipment, LunarScan Program, Ability To Continually Monitor Moon During Lunar Night; Micro-Meteoroid Issues Of Crucial Importance For Long-Duration Human Habitation Of Moon; LADEE To Launch 5 Sep, 1st Mission From Wallops Island VA To Venture Beyond LEO
Image Credit: NASA
Scientists Using LROC To Identify / Image Lost Moon Probes Notes Leonard David Of Space.com; LROC PI Mark Robinson & Johns Hopkins APL Professor Jeff Plescia (Inset) Searching For Soviet & NASA Luna Probes; Detection Could Help Determine Fate Of Failed Spacecraft Such As Luna 23 & Surveyor 4, Aid In Design Of Heritage Protection Plan
Image Credit: NASA