Category Archives: Lunar Science

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 Aug – 3 Sep 2018

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Roscosmos, ESA Collaborate On Luna 27 Payload For Moon South Pole Resource Investigation

ESA Developing In-Situ Drill / Sample-Analysis Payload ‘PROSPECT’ To Reach Moon South Pole-Aitken Basin 2022-23 Aboard Roscosmos Luna 27 Lander; Design Phase Scheduled Early 2019; ProSEED Drill To Probe Lunar Ice Where Subsurface Temperatures Could Reach -200° C; ProSPA Onboard Laboratory To Heat Ice Sample To 1,000° C For Volatile Extraction; ESA May Participate On Luna 25 Lander Aiming For Boguslavsky Crater Near South Pole NET 2019-20

Credits: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, L. David

Friday / 31 Aug 2018

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Ad Astra — Paul Spudis Vision Of The Moon
“It’s Close, It’s Interesting & It’s Useful”

Dedicated Scientist And Lunar Visionary Paul Spudis Passes On, Leaving Decades Of Vital Moon Research And Inspiring Advocacy For A Human Lunar Return; Spudis Emphasis On Value Of Moon, Human Spaceflight, Solar System Exploration Speaks To Latest USA National Space Program Goals To Create Permanent & Sustainable American-International Human Lunar Presence, Explore South / North Poles & Far Side, Utilize Resources, Conduct Varied Science Experiments; Lunar Community Sends Their Ad Luna, Ad Astra, And Aloha To Spudis

Credits: LPI, NASA, LRO

Tuesday / 28 Aug 2018

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First Woman On Moon Aspirant Works With Lunar Dust Simulant, Advocates For Sample Returns

ESA “Spaceship EAC” Initiative Focuses On Creating Bricks From Moon Dust Simulants, Dubbed EAC-1, Made Of Similar Basaltic Silicates To Allow Astronauts To Build Permanent Habitats On Lunar Surface Through ISRU; Unlike EAC-1, Lunar Dust Has Electrical Charge Due To Constant Radiation, Therefore Lunar Dust Topical Team Member Erin Tranfield, Who Dreams Of Becoming First Woman On Moon, Mentions Value Of Obtaining Pristine Lunar Dust To Further Science

Credits: ESA, NASA, Foster & Partners, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 Aug 2018

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IAU 30th General Assembly Spotlights Lunar,
Space Observatory Research

IAU To Host 30th General Assembly In Vienna 20-31 August With Special Focus On Lunar Contributions; Noah Brosch, Who Works On Lunar Ultraviolet Cosmic Imager, To Present UV Astronomy After Hubble, Possibly From Moon; Poster Presentations Include Steve Durst On ILOA Astronomy From The Moon, Xuelei Chen On Low Frequency Imaging From Lunar Orbit Interferometer, Yan Su On China CE-4 Lunar Lander Radio Spectrometer, Weimin Zheng On VLBI Applications In Tracking Lunar Probes, Among Others  

Credits: IAU, ESO, NASA, Planetary Society, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CAST

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 Aug 2018

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Commercial Lunar, Space Enterprises Could See US$44M Through NASA Tech Partnerships

Third “Tipping Point” Solicitation By NASA – Focusing On Expanding Utilization Of Space, Enabling Efficient & Safe Space Transportation, And Increasing Planetary Surface Access – To Award $44M To 6 Companies: Blue Origin, SSL, ULA, Frontier Aerospace, Paragon SDC, Astrobotic; 10 Selected Technology Proposals Include Blue Origin Lunar Lander Cryogenic Liquid-Propulsion Systems Advancement And Precision Systems For Landing Anywhere On The Moon, Frontier Aerospace Deep Space Engine Flight Qualification As Part Of Astrobotic 2020 Peregrine Lunar Lander Mission, SSL In-Space Satellite Servicing

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 July 2018

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Chang’e-4 Far Side Moon Lander On Track For Dec Launch; Beijing Big Moon Expo Continues

China Long March 3B Set To Launch Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover Dec 2018 To Lunar Far Side South Pole Aitken Basin; Lander To Carry High-Res Cameras, Low Frequency Spectrometer, “Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry”; Rover Equipped With Panoramic Camera, Lunar Penetrating Radar, Visible / Infrared Spectrometer, “Advanced Small Analyser For Neutrals”; Queqiao Relay Satellite At L2 Orbit; Longjiang-2 Operates In Elliptical Lunar Orbit Transmitting Images From Moon; Lunar Exploration Technology Exhibition Featuring 10-meter Moon Continues To 9 Oct At Beijing National Aquatic Center “Water Cube”

Credits: CNSA, CASC, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Aquatic Center, NASA

Friday / 27 July 2018

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 Observers, Spacecraft Prepare For Longest Total Lunar Eclipse Of 21st Century

Total Lunar Eclipse Lasting ~103 Minutes On 27 July 19:30:15 – 21:13:12 UTC, Longest Of Next 105 Years / Occurring Near Apogee, Presents Science Opportunities For Moon Craft LRO, Artemis, Chang’e-3, Chang’e-5-T1, Longjiang-2, And Earth & Space-Based Telescopes; Noah Petro Discusses LRO Thermal Instrument Collecting Data To Infer Properties Of Regolith During Partial Eclipse With Support From Earth-Based Measurements; Chang’e-3 Lander In Lunar Day 58 Expected To Take Hundreds Of Images With Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope; Live Streaming Of Eclipse Available

Credits: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio, GSFC, CNSA, CAS / NAOC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 July 2018

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“First Women On The Moon” To Be Announced By NASA?
Apollo 11 Observances Upcoming

July 20 This Year Will Mark 49 Years Since The Apollo 11 Touchdown And The Start Of 50th-Year Observances Of The Signature Event Of The 20th Century; What Could Be A Grander Expression Of Equality, Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness Than NASA’s Public Announcement And Commitment To See Women On The Moon As Soon As Reasonably Possible? As One Female Astronaut Recently Remarked, “50% Of Us Haven’t Been There”; Will It Be The USA Which Commits And Enables Humanity To Become A Multi World Civilization? 

Credits: NASA (Pictured: Buzz Aldrin, Sally Ride)

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 June – 2 July 2018

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Chandrayaan-2 Lunar South Pole Mission To Target Water, Possibly He-3

GSLV Mk II Launch NET Oct / Nov Of 3,290-kg Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, 6-Wheel Rover, Will Research Topography, Mineralogy, Exosphere, Prospects For Ice-Water Utilization, Consider Future Helium-3 Extraction; Rover To Operate In Semi-Autonomous Mode For 2 Weeks; ISRO Chairman K. Sivan States India Plans To Be A Leader In Space Resource Utilization, Aims To Put India Crew On Moon

Credits: ISRO, NASA

Wednesday / 27 June 2018

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Astrophysics Enabled At The Moon Being Discussed During NASA Exploration Science Forum At NASA Ames

Fifth Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum Is Being Held 26-28 June, Organized By Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, Featuring Discussions About Moon, Near-Earth Asteroids, And Moons Of Mars, Etc; Dr. Jordan Mirocha (Top) From UCLA Chairs Wednesday Afternoon Session On “Astrophysics Enabled At The Moon”: Prof. Jack Burns (L) Presents Science On Lunar Far Side Facilitated By Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway Including Low Frequency Radio Array, And Alexander Hegedus (R) From University Of Michigan Talks On Radio Interferometers On Lunar Surface

Credits: NASA, UCLA, University of Colorado, University of Michigan