Category Archives: Lunar Science

Thursday / 3 April 2014

Posted on by

LADEE Media Teleconference Today

LADEEteleconference0414

Media Teleconference Hosted By NASA Today At 11:00 PDT To Discuss LADEE Extended Mission Operations, Additional Science Gathering, Planned 21 Apr Impact Into Lunar Surface; US$263M-Probe Successfully Completed 100-Day Primary Mission In March; Spacecraft Will Continue To Gather Data At Progressively Lower Altitudes Until Impact; Teleconference Participants: LADEE Project Executive Joan Salute (T), Project Manager Butler Hine (B), Project Scientist Richard Elphic

Image Credit:  NASA

Thursday / 27 March 2014

Posted on by

Meteorite Impact Risk On Moon Greater Than Formerly Known

MoonMeteorites0314

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

Tuesday / 18 March 2014

Posted on by

Citizen Science Contributing To Moon Mapping

CosmoQuest

CosmoQuest Crowdsourced Moon Crater Counting Project Demonstrates Value Of Citizen Science; Study By Stuart Robbins Of CU Boulder Shows Aggregated Volunteer Results Equally Reliable As That Of Expert Crater Counters; CosmoQuest Citizen Scientists Using LRO Data To Map Craters 11m In Diameter And Larger; Relative Ages Of Planetary Surfaces Can Be Determined By Crater Count; Over 500M Craters Estimated Visible On Lunar Surface

Image Credit: CosmoQuest, NASA, CU Boulder

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 March 2014

Posted on by

45th LPSC This Week In Texas

LPSCled0314

Future Moon Missions & Exciting Results Of Current Missions Will Be Examined By Nearly 2000 Planetary Scientists At 45th Lunar Planetary Science Conference At The Woodlands TX On 17-21 Mar; Moon South Pole Will Be Featured As Ideal Site For Future Robotic / Human Missions In Presentations By Brad Jolliff, Debra Hurwitz (BL), Others; Importance Of This Annual Event Would Be Significantly Boosted With Clear Imminent Plan For USA Presence On Moon; Pictured (BR) Conference Co-Chairs: Steve Mackwell, Eileen Stansbery

Image Credit: NASA, LPI

Friday / 28 February 2014

Posted on by

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

Wednesday / 26 February 2014

Posted on by

Lunar Laser Reflector Deterioration Explained

ApacheAPOLLO

Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-Ranging Operation (APOLLO) Research Team Led By Thomas Murphy Of UCSD Working To Identify Why Scientists Receiving Only 1 Tenth Of Expected Data From Apollo & Lunokhod Reflectors; Each Laser Shot Sends 100 Quadrillion Photons Toward Moon, Currently Researchers Detect ~1 Return Photon Per Shot; Original Hypothesis Was Dust Layer On Reflectors; Research Shows Cause Of Problem Is Distortion Of Optics Due To Solar Heat; Additional Laser Reflectors Would Be Valuable Payloads On Future Moon Landers

Image Credit: NASA, UCSD, Apache Point Observatory

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 February 2014

Posted on by

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

LADEE0214

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

Wednesday / 12 February 2014

Posted on by

Scientists Investigate Origin Of Organic Compounds On Moon

OrganicsOnMoon0214

Cosmic Rays From Outside Galaxy May Turn Simple Molecules In Lunar Ice Into More Complex Organics; Sarah Crites Of University Of Hawaii At Manoa Models Ice Chemistry; Simulation Suggests Up To 6% Of Simpler Molecules In Moon Polar Ice Could Be Converted Into Organic Compounds Such As Methane After 1 Billion Years Of Cosmic Ray Bombardment; David Lawrence Of Johns Hopkins APL Says Data Provides Incentive For Moon Pole Prospecting Missions

Image Credit: NASA, jhuapl.edu, Facebook

Tuesday / 11 February 2014

Posted on by

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

LSA40214

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

Posted on by

Chandrayaan-2 Rover Mission
Details Emerging

ISROlander214

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