Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Thursday / 30 July 2015

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China Chang’e Fleet, Hainan Moon Port & Long March V Rocket Steadily Advancing

7302015 Change-5 Vehicles Undergoing Plume Deflector Comprehensive Validation Testing; Chang’e-5 T1 Service Module In Orbit Around Moon Collecting Data For Sample Return / Future Landing Missions; Chang’e-4 Team Experts At CNSA & ESA Discussing Objectives, Tasks & Payloads For 2018 Mission; Chang’e-3 & Yutu In Lunar Day 21 Are The Only Spacecraft Operating On Moon Surface; Chang’e-2 Heading Into Deep Space Toward 300M-km Apogee

Credit: NASA, CNSA, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering

Tuesday / 21 July 2015

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Chang’e-4 Lunar Mission To Launch In 2018?

7212015 Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) Announces Plan For Chang’e-4 Lunar Lander / Rover / Orbiter To Moon Far Side Late 2018; Launch From Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) Via Long March 3B Rocket; First Soft-Landing & Surface Examination Of Far Side; Discussions With European Space Agency (ESA) For Potential Cooperation Ongoing; Crewed Lunar Landing Is Ultimate Objective Of Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP)

Credit: NASA, CNSA, ESA, CLEP

Wednesday / 15 July 2015

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USA NASA / India ISRO
Partnerships Strengthen

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Richard Verma, U.S. Ambassador To India States Positive Relationship Of ISRO & NASA For Chandrayaan Mission / Moon Surface Exploration “From Outer Space To Cyberspace, We’re In It Together”; ISRO Charting Other Planetary Opportunities For Mars, Venus & Return To Moon With Chandrayaan-II Expected NET 2016; Recurring Successful ISRO PSLV Program Bolsters Future Launches Including GSLV-MKII

Credit: NASA, ISRO, United States Dept. of State

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 July 2015

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Cislunar Communication Making Advances

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NASA Successful Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) Paving Way For Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) 2017 Launch As Payload On Space Systems Loral (SSL) Commercial Satellite; LLCD Which Utilizes Laser vs. Radio Frequency (RF) Has Many Benefits Including: Quick Data Transmission 10-100x Faster Than RF, High Bandwidths & Less Mass / Power

Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 June 2015

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)
Enters Year 7

6262015Mapping Lunar Surface & Collecting Information About Moon Environment, LRO Entering Year 7, Flying In Elliptical Orbit 20km Over South Pole / 165km North Pole, With An Orbital Period Of ~115 Mins; US$19M Highlighted In NASA Budget Request For FY2016 Per The House Of Representatives Commerce Justice Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2578) On 3 June 2015

Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 23 June 2015

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Chandrayaan-II Orbital Craft Module Structure Delivered By Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

6232015India Moon Mission & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chandrayaan-II, Two Module Configuration Spacecraft (Orbiter & Lander) Orbital Bus Delivered To The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO); HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju States “The Orbiter Craft Module Structure Is A Three-Tonne Category Bus”; Chandrayaan-II Planning For Moon Launch In 2017 By Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII)

Credit: ISRO, HAL

Wednesday / 10 June 2015

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USA Advancing ‘NextSTEP’
Lunar Mission Concepts

CislunarNextSTEP0615

Cislunar Space To Be Center Of NASA Activity In 2020s As Country / Agency Develop Technologies / Experience To Conduct Long-Duration, Deep Space Missions; Companies Such As Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Advancing Cislunar Habitat Concepts Under NASA NextSTEP Awards; Plans Incorporating Likelihood Of Cooperation From International & Commercial Partners Which May Lead To Lunar Surface Missions / Lunar Base Buildout; Sense Of Urgency To Define / Plan These Missions Growing As SLS / Orion Era Fast Approaching

Image Credit: Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 5-8 June 2015

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International Lunar Scientists Meet In Kazan, Russia At IAPS 2015

IAPSKazan0615

International Association Of Planetary Sciences Forum Underway In Kazan, Russia; Leading Scientists From Russia, China, Japan, USA, Europe & Australia Are Discussing Timely Topics In Lunar & Planetary Science While Reviewing / Previewing Recent / Planned Missions Including Chang’e (3,4,5,6), Luna Glob, Luna Resource, GRAIL, LRO, European Lunar Lander, Selene-2; Event Also Includes 2nd International Chang’e Lunar Dynamics Workshop & 9th Russia-Japan Space Workshop

Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA, kpfu.ru

Friday / 29 May 2015

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India SRM University Preparing For
2018 Moon Satellite Mission

India Moon Satellite

Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) University Of Chennai, India To Develop 10-20kg Nanosatellite To Study Moon Rocks & Chemistry Of Surface; Craft Will Contain Onboard Ignition System, Take 3 Months To Achieve Lunar Orbit From Earth Polar Orbit After Piggybacking On ISRO Rocket Launch; 1st SRM Satellite “SRMSat” Continues Operating In LEO, Team Also Participating In University Rover Challenge 28-30 May In Utah, USA

Image Credit: SRM University, SRMSat, ISRO, NASA

Wednesday / 27 May 2015

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Lunar Initiatives Newsletter LunarCube Mission Opportunities, Upcoming Events

LunarInitiatives

Deep Space CubeSat Missions – Including LunarCubes – Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Elements In Space Exploration, The Lunar Initiatives / Workshops Continue To Organize Events To Support The Growth Of This Field; Its Latest Newsletter Includes Updates Of Upcoming LunarCubes Workshop On 6-9 Oct In San Jose CA, The 2nd International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space On 8 Nov, & News From Recent LSA 5 Workshop

Image Credit: lunar-cubes.com, Flexure Engineering