Category Archives: Lunar Science

Friday / 6 December 2013

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Chang’e-3 To Enter Moon Orbit Today

Chang'e-3 LOI

China Spacecraft To Enter 100Km Circumlunar Orbit 09:30 UT After 112-Hour Cruise & Prepare For 14 Dec Landing At Sinus Iridum 44°N, 31°W Between 08:00-12:00; Chief Designer Sun Zezhou (L) States Mission Success Based On Safe Landing, Rover Functionality, Imaging Of Rover & Lander, Reception Of Data By Ground Control; Greg Kulacki (R) UCS China Project Manager Says China May Prefer International Collaboration On Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: CCTV, NASA GSFC, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, CNS

Friday / 22 November 2013

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Launching Life To The Moon In 2015

Plants On Moon

Lunar Plant Growth Habitat Team Of NASA Ames Research Center Will Try To Grow Arabidopsis, Basil, Sunflowers, Turnips In Coffee-Can-Sized Aluminum Cylinders On Moon; NASA Expects To Build / Launch For Under US$2M By Buying Space On Commercial Launch Of GLXP Team; Chief Biologist Dr. Robert Bowman (Center) Points Out Need To Understand Plant Ability To Overcome Stress Of Space Radiation, Moon Partial Gravity, Small / Controlled Environment For Use In Human Solar System Buildout

Image Credit: NASA, Hemil Modi

Wednesday / 20 November 2013

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45th LPSC Seeking Suggestions For Special Sessions

LPSC1113

21 Nov Is Deadline To Submit Suggestions For Special  Sessions For 45th Lunar & Planetary Science Conference At The Woodlands TX On 17-21 Mar 2014; Conference Brings Together International Specialists In Petrology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geology & Astronomy To Present Latest Results In Planetary Science; Abstract Submission Deadline 7 Jan 2014

Image Credit: NASA, USRA

Friday / 15 November 2013

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South Korea Commits To
2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020 Moon Mission

Prime National Objective Announced By S Korea President Park Geun-Hye To Send Lunar Lander, 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals & Orbiter To Moon In 2020 Aboard Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 Rockets; 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI To Begin Collaborating In 2014, Hope To Overcome Challenges With NASA Support; May Need ~$655M To Complete Project By 2020; Also Potential For KARI Associate Membership In SSERVI

Image Credit: KARI, K. Dietsch/UPI/Newscom

Wednesday / 13 November 2013

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9 Research Teams Selected For NASA SSERVI

SSERVIteams1113

William Bottke – Southwest Research Institute, Boulder CO; Daniel Britt – University Of Central FL, Orlando FL; Ben Bussey – Johns Hopkins University APL, Laurel MD; William Farrell – NASA Goddard SFC, Greenbelt MD; Timothy Glotch – Stony Brook University, NY NY; Jennifer Heldmann – NASA Ames, Moffett Field CA; Mihaly Horanyi – University Of Colorado, Boulder CO; David Kring – Lunar & Planetary Institute, Houston TX; Carle Pieters – Brown University, Providence RI

Image Credit: SwRI, UCF, APL, NASA, Stony Brook U, CU, LPI, Brown University

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 8-11 Nov 2013

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LADEE / Chang’e-3 Conjunction: Opportunity For International Cooperation

MissionConjunction1113

Dec Moon Landing Of China Chang’e-3 Could Provide NASA LADEE Orbital Mission Unique Opportunity To Collect Data On Ejected Dust From Descent Engines; Valuable For Planning Future Missions, Heritage Site Preservation, Lunar Base Development; Current USA Policy Impeding NASA From Arranging Such Collaboration With China; Apollo Moonwalkers Advocate For NASA To Begin Cooperation With China On Human Moon Return

Image Credit: NASA, CLEP, CNSA

Wednesday / 23 October 2013

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LunarSail Project Completes First Round Of Funding

LunarSail1013

ARES Institute Raises Over US$15K Via Kickstarter Campaign; Mission To Demonstrate Ability Of Spacecraft To Navigate Itself Into Lunar Trajectory & Lunar Orbit With Solar Sail; Spacecraft Will Utilize CubeSat Design, Volume ~1000 Cubic Cm; Applying For Low-Cost / No-Cost Launch Under NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative, Due Date For CLI Proposals 26 Nov 2013; Project Leader Matthew Travis Says Mission Achievable For Under $100K

Image Credit: lunarsail.com

Wednesday / 16 October 2013

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Russia Scientists Look To Uncover
The Origin Of Life At Lunar Poles

RussiaLifePoles

Evidence Of Origin Of Life (Volatile Compounds From Ancient Comets) May Be Found In Permanently Shadowed Craters At Lunar Poles; Russian Academy Of Sciences Space Research Institute Laboratory Head Igor Mitrofanov Says Studying Regolith From Moon Poles Will Provide Valuable Data About Both Moon & Comets; 2200-Kg Russia Luna-27 / Luna-Resurs South Pole Moon Lander (2017~2019) Will Feature Drill Capable Of Penetrating Up To 2 Meters Deep

Image Credit: Russian Academy of Sciences Space Research Institute

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 11-14 Oct 2013

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 LRO Preparing For Future
By Studying Past Missions

LROlanders1013

Imaging Of Historic Hardware / Landers On Moon Remains Important Area Of Study For LRO;  Photometric Modeling Of Exhaust Plume Effects On Regolith Environment Using LROC-NAC Images Taken With Different Illumination Geometries Help Define Safe Operational Practices For Future Landing Sites; LROC Investigators Hope To Advance This Study With Before & After Images Of Chang’e-3 Landing Site

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 4-7 October 2013

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GLXP Teams Poised To Make Valuable Contributions To Lunar Exploration

GLXPupdate1013

Astrobotic Conducts Full Deployment Field Test Of Moon Cave Exploration Robot ‘Tyrobot’, Producing 3D Model Of A Pit In PA; Barcelona Moon Provides Info About Their Launcher / Lander / Rover & Budget (US$73M); Omega Envoy Set To Debut Student-Designed ‘Artemis’ Rover At Mini Maker Faire In FL, 5 Oct; Futron Says Potential For Lunar Markets From 2011-2019 Is ~US$1.56B 

Image Credit: GLXP, Futron