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
Chang’e-3 Lander Now Into Lunar Day 3 After Apparent Yutu Rover Loss; In Completing ~50% Expected Mission Duration Rover Successfully Used Its Panoramic & Navigational Cameras, Alpha-Proton X-Ray Spectrometer & Underbelly Radar System, Providing Valuable Data; Paul Spudis Says China Accomplished All Of Its Major Mission Objectives; Chang’e-4, -5, -6 Will Be Upgraded & Possibly Delayed, As Mission Engineers Evaluate / Integrate Experience Gained From Yutu
Image Credit: CNSA
Private Companies & Government Agencies See Moon Mining As Critical Step Towards Future Sustainability, Expansion Of Humans Through Solar System; China Eyeing Lunar Helium-3; Russia Planning Prospecting & Sample Return Missions By 2020; USA Likely To Collaborate With Japan, Korea, Canada, Private Companies To Achieve US$250M Resource Prospector Mission At Moon South Pole ~2018 To Advance ISRU Capabilities; Moon Mining Plans Lead Inevitably To Property Rights Considerations
Image Credit: NASA, Roscosmos
European Space Agency Leaders Advancing Collaboration With Russia On Luna-27 / Luna- Resurs 1 Mission ~2019 To Research Frozen Volatiles Near Moon South Pole & ROSCOSMOS Lunar Polar Sample Return Mission Envisaged In Early 2020s; Meetings On 17-19 Feb 2014 At ESA ESTEC Will Explore Collaboration Possibilities, Evaluate Sample Return Science Proposals
Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, ESA
London Economic Market Study Commissioned By GLXP Projects US$Billions Of Profit From Commercial Opportunities On Moon In Next Decades; $1.9B Over Next Decade Mainly From Government Customers, 25-Year Projection Is $6.9B In Profits Predominantly From Private Sector Customers; Moon Express CEO Naveen Jain Says $150M Robotic Moon Mission Could Return $Billions Worth Of Material To Earth
Image Credit: Wired, NASA, Dreamstime
Workshop On Science & Challenges Of Lunar Sample Return In ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands On 18-19 Feb 2014; Event Co-Organized By NASA SSERVI & Russia IKI; Objectives: Discuss How Sample Return Missions Can Support Future Exploration, Scientific Priorities, Mission Requirements / Technical Challenges; ESA Intends To Cooperate With Russia On Moon Lander & Sample Return Missions, & With NASA On Human Missions
Image Credit: ESA, IKI, NASA