LADEE Passes Series Of Qualification Tests Conducted By National Technical Systems Inc At NASA Ames In CA; Spacecraft Subjected To High Levels Of Acoustics, Vibration & Shock Mimicking Launch / Space Travel, Is Now One Step Closer To 5 Sep 2013 Launch; Mission Will Utilize 3 Science Instruments To Gather Data On Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment From 50-Km Retrograde Equatorial Orbit
Image Credit: NASA, NTS
LRO LEND Instrument Provides Definitive Map Of Water Ice Deposits Across Moon Surface, Including South Pole (L) – Likely Destination Of Future Missions / Human Lunar Build-Out; Data From GRAIL Probes Explain Cause Of Lunar Mascons: Ancient Asteroid Impacts Melted Mantle, Caused It To Collapse Inward Creating Denser More Concentrated Areas, Subsequently Causing Gravitational Anomalies
Image Credit: NASA, FIAAA
Chandrayaan-2, Slated For 2014-15 Launch Aboard GSLV Rocket, Will Include Seismometer To Study Causes Of Shallow Moonquakes & Regions Of Their Occurrence; Seismometer Sensors Currently Undergoing Calibration At The National Geophysical Research Institute In Hyderabad, India By Research Team Headed By H V S Satyanarayana; Chandrayaan-2 To Include Orbiter, Lander & Solar-Powered Rover
Image Credit: ISRO, NASA
2020-2025 Lunar Orbiter & Return Mission Among South Korea Goals For Next Phase Of Space Program Development; KARI President Seung-Jo Kim Presents ‘South Korea 2040 Space Prospect’ To Congress; Plan Also Calls For Advancement Of Indigenous Rocket Technology, Development Of 10-Tonne Crewed Spacecraft, Robotic Mars (2026) & Asteroid (2032) Missions; Country Considering Sea Launch Technology For Equatorial Launches
Image Credit: KARI, JAXA
Space Entrepreneur Rex Ridenoure (R) Tells All In His Recent Account Of The Salvage Of AsiaSat 3 / HGS-1 Utilizing 2 Lunar Flybys; Ridenoure Brought Together Trajectory Theorist Ed Belbruno (L) With Hughes Space’s Cesar Ocampo & Jerry Salvatore; Team Nominated By Aviation Week For 1998 Best Achievement In Space Award; Ridenoure Points To Enterprise Opportunities In GEO Where About 2/3 Of US$300B Global Space Economy Resides
Image Credit: Space Review, Rex Ridenoure, Orbitalhub.com
2013 Meeting Of The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Will Be Held 14-16 Oct 2013 At The Johns Hopkins University / APL In Laurel, MD; The Scientific Questions, Measurement Techniques & Options For Exploring The Moon With Discovery-Class Missions Or With Payloads Flown On International Or Commercial Missions Will Be Discussed And Evaluated At The Meeting; Abstract Deadline 31 July
Image Credit: LEAG, LPI, usra.edu
Oct 2013 Launch Of Chang’e-3 Now Unlikely Despite History & Mission Goals; Service Module, Lander Vehicle & Rover, With Total Mass Of 3,800kg, To Launch Aboard Upgraded CZ-3B Rocket; Landing Vehicle Is First Nuclear-Powered China Spacecraft, Designed For Operational Life Of 12 Lunar Months; Solar-Powered Rover Designed For 90 Lunar Days
Image Credit: CLEP, CNSA
CRaTER Instrument Precisely Measures Potentially Dangerous Radiation In Space & Its Effects On Human Tissue / Electronics; Data Shows High-Mass / High-Energy Cosmic Rays (HZE Particles) Make Up Only 1% Of Radiation Detected, Yet Account For 50% Of Energy Deposited By Radiation; Researchers Also Able To Determine Effects Of Different Types Of Radiation; Findings Helping Researchers Optimize Spacecraft Shielding Without Making Them Too Heavy
Image Credit: NASA
Igor Mitrofanov Of IKI Reveals Russia Moon Exploration Missions: 2015 Luna-Glob South Pole Lander To Analyze Regolith / Exosphere & Test Volatiles; 2016 Luna-Glob 100-km Altitude Polar Orbiter To Map Surface / Landing Sites; 2017 Luna-Resurs-1 South Pole Lander To Test Drilling System For Cryogenic Sampling; 2019 Luna-Resurs-2 Polar Sample Return Mission; 2020 Luna-Resurs-3 Rover To Study Surface & Store Subsurface Samples; Human Missions Could Follow
Image Credit: IKI, NASA, RSA
3 Years Of Ground-Based Monitoring Show Potential Volcanic Activity On Moon; Arlin Crotts (Inset) Of Columbia University Says Lunar Monitors In New York City & Chile Observed Instances Of Brightening On Lunar Surface In Aristarchus Plateau (R) & Other Areas Where Previous Lunar Orbiters Recorded Radon Outgassing; Research Led By Brown University Grad Student Deepak Dhingra Shows Lunar Impact Melt Not Always As Homogeneous As Previously Assumed
Image Credit: NASA, Columbia University, Brown University