Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Thursday / 27 March 2014

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Meteorite Impact Risk On Moon Greater Than Formerly Known

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Future Moon Settlements / Human Operations Should Be Underground, Rely On Robots For Majority Of Surface Activity To Protect From Meteorite Impacts Says Russia Astronomer Vladimir Surdin (R); Over 300 Impacts Recorded On Moon Since 2005; At LPSC, LROC PI Mark Robinson Details Data Of Secondary Impacts From Recent Lunar Impact, 248 Small Debris Impacts Found Up To 30km From Fresh 18m-Wide Crater, These Secondaries Could Pose More Threat To Surface Assets Than Primary Craters

Image Credit: NASA, Moscow State University

Wednesday / 26 March 2014

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LRO 2-Year Extension Hinges On Senior Review, US Congress

LROshowmethe$

US$504M Moon-Mapping Orbiter Is 1 Of 7 Planetary Science Missions NASA Is Reviewing For Potential Mission Extension; LRO Extended Mission Not Included In US$17.5B Budget Proposal NASA Sent To Congress; Mission Will Require Approval Of Both Independent Biannual Senior Review Of Operating Missions – To Conclude In June – & Congress; LRO Mission Extension Would Cost ~US$8M Annually, Would Be Only NASA Spacecraft Exploring Moon Over Next 2 Years; Funding Currently Set To Expire Sep 2014

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 20 March 2014

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LRO Data Produces Interactive Mosaic Of Lunar North Pole

LRONpoleMoonMap

Largest High-Resolution Map Of Moon Ever Made Released By NASA; 10,581 Pictures From LRO Narrow-Angle Cameras Were Stitched Together To Create North Pole Map; Entire Image Measures 931,070 Pixels Square, Nearly 867B Pixels Total; Complete Printout Would Be ~100 Square Meters; Creation Of Mosaic Took 4 Years, Huge Team Effort Across LRO Project; Map Will Be Useful Identifying Landing Sites / Planning Robotic & Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 7 March 2014

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Japan Diverse Interests In Moon Missions

Japan Moon

Japan Scientists Preparing For 2nd SELenological and ENgineering Explorer (SELENE-2) Moon Mission Consisting Of Orbiter, Lander, Rover To Launch NET 2018; SELENE-3 Sample Return To Follow, Eventually Human Moon Missions & Outpost; Japan Team Hakuto Strong Contender For GLXP / Selected To Compete For Terrestrial Milestone Prizes; Commercial Interest & Advertising From Moon Highlighted By Japan Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Planning To Send ‘Pocari Sweat’ Sports Drink To Moon Surface On Astrobotic Lunar Lander

Image Credit: JAXA, GLXP, Hakuto

Wednesday / 5 March 2014

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Russia Preparing For Robotic Moon Missions

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Roscosmos Head Oleg Ostapenko Says Agency Boosting Efforts In Space Probe Development In Preparation For 3  Upcoming Moon Missions; 2016 Luna-25 Lander Destined For Moon South Pole, 2018 Orbiter, 2019 Polar Mission To Prospect For Water; Subsequent Missions Planned To Return Samples To Earth, Deploy Robotic Base On Moon

Image Credit: Roscosmos

Friday / 28 February 2014

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GRAIL, LADEE Enhancing Lunar Science

GRAIL & LADEE

LPI Seminar 28 Feb By Jeff Andrews-Hanna From Colorado School Of Mines ‘The Early Magmatic & Tectonic History Of The Moon As Revealed By GRAIL’ Highlights Linear Gravity Anomalies Caused By Ancient Igneous Intrusions, Later Formations Of Circular & Arcuate Dikes; Largest Magmatic-Tectonic Structure Revealed Is ~2500 km In Diameter, Encompasses Procellarum Region On Nearside; LADEE With ~100 Science Days Complete, Providing Data On Dust & Atmosphere Variations, Images Of Moon & Stars

Image Credit: NASA, Colorado School of Mines, Science/AAAS

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 February 2014

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LRO Going Strong, Potential To Observe
LADEE Impact In April LRO Update

LRO In 30 x 200km Orbit With Periapsis Over Moon South Pole, Traveling At 1.6km/s; Captures Precise Images Of Icarus & Hayn Craters (TL & BL), Chang’e-3 Landing Site (TR), LADEE (BR); Operating Nominally 4 Years 8 Months Into Mission With 16 Data Sets Released; Mission Data Intended To Enable A Human Return To Moon; May Observe LADEE Lunar Impact Scheduled 21 April; LRO 2014 Lunar Workshop For Educators Will Be Held 14-18 July In Greenbelt MD

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 February 2014

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LADEE Sends Back First Lunar Images, Continues Analysis Of Dust Environment

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LADEE Star Tracker Instrument Captures Images Of Northwestern Hemisphere Of Moon (L) While Traveling At 96kpm; US$280-Million Mission Attempting To Answer Long-Standing Mystery Of Pre-Sunrise Glow Above Lunar Horizon Observed By Apollo Moonworkers; LADEE Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration Deemed Great Success By NASA & MIT Engineers; Probe Scheduled To Crash Into Lunar Surface On 21 Apr, Will Analyze Dust Samples Right Until Impact

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 11 February 2014

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4th International Workshop On Lunar Science Applications In Florida This April

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8-11 April Event In Cocoa Beach, FL, USA Will Provide Overview Of Current Lunar Mission Data, Planned USA, Russia, GLXP Missions & Opportunities They May Provide For Secondary Payloads To Lunar Surface / Cislunar Space; LSA 4 Designed To Foster Collaboration Among Scientists, Engineers & Entrepreneurs To Solve Challenges Involved With Going To Moon & Beyond; Abstracts Due 28 Feb

Image Credit: lunarinitiatives.com, NASA, Moon Express

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 7-10 February 2014

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Chandrayaan-2 Rover Mission
Details Emerging

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India Moon Rover Preparing For 2016 / 2017 Launch Via 3-Stage GSLV Will Employ Semi-Autonomous Navigation & Hazard Avoidance On Lunar Surface; Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) & Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) Payloads On Board 6-Wheeled Rover Will Perform Element Analysis Of Surface Near Landing Site; Rover Will Be Capable Of Using Both Lander & Orbiter Communications Relays; IIT-Kanpur Reports It Completed Rover Development In 2010, Still Awaiting ISRO Inspection / Payment

Image Credit: ISRO, IIT-Kanpur