Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Friday / 14 November 2014

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S Korea Advancing Toward 2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020

S Korea Indigenous Lunar Orbiter & Module / Launch Vehicle-2 Feasibility Study Conducted By Ministry Of Strategy & Finance States Project May Create ~US$296M Added Value & 4,800 Jobs, Potential Value From Lunar Exploration Is ~US$3.5B (5.17 Times Budget Allotted – $677M); Hopes To Launch Orbiter In 2020 With Help From NASA Joint Research Agreement, 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI; Also Planning To Develop 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals

Pictured: S Korea President Park Geun-Hye (L) & KARI President Seung Jo Kim

Image Credit: KARI

Wednesday / 12 November 2014

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China: Space Dominance Or Key International Partner?

ChinaDominantCooperate

Noting Ambitious Series Of Lunar Missions – Chang’e-2 Elaborate Post-Moon Trajectory, Chang’e-3 Expansive Payload Capacity, Chang’e-5 Plans For Lunar Orbit Rendezvous – Paul Spudis Speculates That China Is Moving Ahead With Cislunar Space Dominance / Permanence / Control; Xu Dazhe, Head Of CNSA & China State Administration Of Science Technology & Industry For National Defense Says Country Welcomes International Colleagues To Join China Lunar Exploration Program; Buzz Aldrin Declares Cooperation With China Is Most Important Priority To Ensure USA Success In Space

Image Credit: Xinhua / Gin Ying, spudislunarresources.com, ama2007.com

Wednesday / 5 November 2014

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USA Advancing Moon Resource Prospecting Missions

NASARPMflashlight

2 Separate NASA Moon Missions Seek To Advance Human Capacity To Live Off-World; Lunar Flashlight PI Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC Says Solar Sail Orbiter Mission, With The Goal Of Obtaining Data Of Purity & Accessibility Of Lunar Volatiles, May Launch On Debut SLS Flight In Late 2017; Resource Prospector Mission Project Scientist Tony Colaprete Of NASA Ames Says Rover Mission Will Map & Collect Samples Of Surface / Subsurface Hydrogen At 2 Yet-To-Be-Determined Polar Sites; Demonstration Of ISRU Could Facilitate Human Moon Settlement

Image Credit: NASA

 

Tuesday / 4 November 2014

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China Becomes 3rd Nation To Conduct
Round Trip Moon Mission

Xiaofei

Continuing Its Methodical Approach To Lunar Development, China Successfully Recovers Chang’e-5 Test Probe ‘Xiaofei’ After Its 840,000-km Journey & Landing In Inner Mongolia; Probe Was Intact, Though Charred From Reentry Heat; Host Platform Dodged Earth And Headed Back Out Into Space To Continue Operations After Releasing Reentry Test Probe; Next Mission, Chang’e-4 Lander May Become First Craft To Soft Land On Lunar South Pole, Will Help Prove Systems Required For More Ambitious Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, NET 2017

Image Credit: Xinhua

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 October – 3 November 2014

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LRO Advancing Observation Plan For 2nd
2-Year Extended Mission

LRO10-1114

Search & Discovery Of LADEE Impact Crater (R) Allowed LROC Team To Test Recently Developed Computer Tool To Search Narrow Angle Camera Before & After Images For New Craters; Technique Will Facilitate One Of The Objectives For 2nd LRO Extended Mission: Determine How Many Small Meteorites Hitting Moon & Their Effects; LRO Has Collected Over 528.75 TB Of Data Since 2009 Arrival In Lunar Orbit; Orbiter Now Set To Take Oblique Image Of Euler Crater (L) After Preparatory -58 Degree Roll; Instrument PIs Planning Next Observations

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 31 October 2014

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India Public, Private Moon Missions 2015-2016

ISRO, Indus Moon Missions

India ISRO Satellite Centre Director S. Shiva Kumar Says Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Launching To Moon 2016 Will Enable Spacecraft Development For Proposed 2nd Mars Mission In 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Rocket, Expected To Launch Again First Half Of Dec, Vital For High-Mass Moon, Mars, Deep Space & Human Missions; Privately-Funded GLXP Team Indus Aiming For Moon 2015, Integrating Engineering Model Of Lander & Prototype Of Rover, Needs To Secure PSLV Launch & US$35M

Image Credit: ISRO, Team Indus

Wednesday / 29 October 2014

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China Test Moon Mission Returning To Earth

Chang'e5T1cominghome

Chang’e-5 T1 Probe Departing Gravitational Sphere Of Moon, After Briefly Orbitting Moon At ~60,000 Km Altitude, Craft Makes Adjustments For Transfer Back To Terrestrial Orbit; Four-Day Trip Back To Earth Will Set Up Earth Reentry Demonstration On 31 October, Will Then Maneuver To Skip Off Edge Of Earth Atmosphere To Slow From 11.2 Km/sec Before Landing In Inner Mongolia With Parachute Assist; Lunar Rendezvous Allowed For Stunning Photo Of Moon And Earth

Image Credit: CNSA

Tuesday / 28 October 2014

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LRO CRaTER Highlighting Dangers Of Space Environment

CRaTER1014

Data From CRaTER Instrument Aboard LRO Orbiter Demonstrating Impact Of Abnormal & Extended Lack Of Solar Activity; Since 2006 – Longest Solar Minimum / Weakest Solar Activity Is Bringing About Highest Intensities Of Galactic Cosmic Rays Witnessed Since Beginning Of Space Age Says CRaTER PI Nathan Schwadron Of UNH; Trend Reducing Allowable Days For Human Deep Space Exploration By 20%; Lunar Exploration – Short Transit & Possibilities For Underground Habitation – More Feasible Than Deep Space / Mars Exploration With Current Technology

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 October 2014

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China Moon Missions Opening Path To Human Exploration Of Lunar South Pole

ChinaSouthPoleMoon1014

Chang’e-5-T1 Mission Successfully Enters Circumlunar Course, Set To Obtain Experimental Data, Validate ‘Skip-Reentry’ Technique & Technologies In Preparation For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, Land In Inner Mongolia Around 1 Nov; China Officials Report Next Moon Lander Chang’e-4 Also Set To Advance Technologies For Sample Return Mission While Accomplishing New Feat – South Pole Landing Would Achieve Both Of These Objectives While Helping To Open Up Promising New Frontier To Eventual Human Settlement

Image Credit: Xinhua, NASA

 

Thursday / 23 October 2014

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China Preparing To Launch Chang’e-5 Test Mission

Chang'e5TestP

1st Launch Of A Long March-3C/E Rocket Is Set To Boost The Next China Mission From Xichang Satellite Launch Center Sometime Between 24-26 Oct; Probe Will Test Earth Reentry Technologies / Capabilities Needed To Complete 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission (L); Based On Modified Chang’e-2 Probe Design, Carrying A Re-entry Capsule, The Probe Will Travel Around The Moon And Return To Earth At >40,230 km/hr Before Parachuting For Earth Landing; 8-Day Mission Will Also Carry Payload Developed By LuxSpace Of Luxembourg

Image Credit: CNSA, CLEP