Category Archives: Lunar Science

Friday / 4 October 2013

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GSC: Enabled Opportunities & Robotic Mission Synergies

GSC Conference 3-4 Oct

Golden Spike Company Lunar Workshop 2nd Day Includes Talks (L – R) On Lunar Exploration Orbiter To Study Environment & Mobile Payload Element To Assist Lander Missions (Ralf Jaumann), Lunar Lander Capabilities (Diego De Rosa), Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (Steven Chappell), Modular Heat Flow Probes To Understand Moon Interior, Origin & Structure (Seiichi Nagihara), Lunar Drills (Kris Zacny), Next Steps (Alan Stern)

Image Credit: GSC, TTU, DLR, ESA

Thursday / 3 October 2013

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Golden Spike Co Presents Its Human Lunar Mission Capabilities / Opportunities

GSCevent1013

3-4 Oct Golden Spike Company Workshop At LPI In Houston TX To Provide Overview Of Plans / Projected Capabilities For Human Lunar Missions, Seek Input Re: Science / Exploration Priorities, Desired Future Capabilities For More Advanced Missions – South Pole Destination, Long-Duration Missions; Day 1: Clive Neal (L) Explains Rationale For Human Lunar Missions, Alan Stern (R) Overviews Golden Spike Missions, Landing Site Priorities, Panel Discussion

Image Credit: GSC, LPI

Wednesday / 2 October 2013

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LADEE In Final Phase Of Moon Trek

LADEElunarInsertion1013

US$280M Probe Completes 2nd Burn Perfectly, No Longer Needs Additional Burn To Reach Desired High Elliptical Orbit; When LADEE Reaches Moon Gravitational Field On 6 Oct It Will Make 197-Second Retrograde Burn Reducing Velocity To 267 Meters Per Second For Lunar Orbit Capture; Craft Will Then Perform 40 Days Of High-Altitude Science Checkouts & LLCD Operations Before Dropping To 50-Km Altitude To Begin 100-Day Science Operations

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 20 September 2013

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LADEE Update, Moon Regolith Research

LADEE & Moon Regolith

LADEE In 2nd Phasing Loop Orbit Around Earth, Continues Instrument Checkout & Calibration Activities; Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometer In Bake-Out To Boil Off Any Contaminants; After 3rd Orbital Loop Will Fire Thrusters To Achieve Moon Orbit, Study Moon Atmosphere & Dust; NASA MSFC & USGS Creating Simulated Lunar Regolith From Stillwater Mine Rocks In Nye, Montana To Support Future Lunar Exploration

Image Credit: NASA / GSFC, A. Reinhold

Tuesday / 17 September 2013

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LRO Continuing To Produce Valuable Data

LROdata15

Release #15 Of LRO Data Now Available At Planetary Data System Archive; New Data Was Acquired Between 15 Mar & 14 Jun 2013, From CRaTER, Diviner, LAMP, LEND, LOLA, LROC & SPICE Instruments; 6 More LRO Data Releases Scheduled, Final Release In Mar 2015; LROC WAC Data Used To Create Time-Lapse Video Of Full Rotation Of Moon

 Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 11 September 2013

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GLXP Teams Negotiating Launches, Garnering Support

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Team Indus Drawing Up Launch Contract With ISRO To Buy PSLV Launch For US$15M, Estimating Total Cost Of Mission ~US$30M; Several GLXP Team Members Present At European Planetary Science Congress In London To Raise Awareness Of NewSpace Lunar Missions Value / Credibility; Even Missions With No Scientific Payloads Could Provide Valuable Data: Action Of Dust During Landing, Surface Properties, Degradation Of Solar Panels By Dust & Radiation

Image Credit: GLXP, ISRO, EPSC2013

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 6-9 Sep 2013

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Launch Of Last Scheduled NASA Moon Mission As Lunar Experts Flock To NewSpace Companies

LADEEme0913

LADEE Launch — 6 Sep, 23:27 EDT, Wallops Island VA, Via Minotaur 5 Rocket — Promises To Provide Spectacular Show To East Coast USA Viewers; US$248M-Mission Will Test New System For Ultra-Fast Optical Data Transmission — 600 Mbit/s, Unravel Mysteries Of Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment, Premiere Common Spacecraft Bus; Next Flight Of The Bus Likely On Moon Express (ME) GLXP Mission NET 2015; ME Announces Paul Spudis New Chief Scientist, Jack Burns Added To Science Advisory Board

Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express

Wednesday / 4 September 2013

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LADEE Mission Creates Excitement / Questions

LADEEquestions0913

1000 VIPs Expected To Attend LADEE Launch This Fri, 6 Sep 23:27 EDT From Wallops VA; Scientists Enthusiastic To Learn More About Lunar Atmosphere, 1 / 100,000th The Density Of Earth’s, & How Atmosphere / Dust Will Affect Future Human & Robotic Explorers; Whether / When Any Of Those Explorers Will Be American Remains Unclear However As NASA Lacking Any Follow-Up Moon Missions On Current Schedule

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 28 August 2013

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Magmatic Water Detected On Moon

MagmaticWater813

Scientists Use Moon Mineralogy Mapper Data From Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Orbiter (R) To Make 1st Remote Detection Of Magmatic Water On Moon Surface; Significant Amounts Of Hydroxyl Discovered In 60-Km  Wide Lunar Impact Crater Bullialdus (L) Near Equator Indicates Presence Of Water Which Originated Deep Within Lunar Surface; Data Provides Clues About Volcanic Processes & Internal Composition Of Moon

Image Credit: NASA, ISRO

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 23-26 August 2013

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LADEE Launch To Achieve Multiple Firsts

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Launch Of US$280M Mission, Scheduled For 23:27 EDT On 6 Sep, Will Be Visible To Tens Of Millions Of People Along America East Coast; First Lunar / Planetary Launch From Wallops Island Spaceport, VA; Inaugural Launch Of Minotaur 5 Rocket, 3 Of 5 Stages Made From Converted Cold War Ballistic Missiles; Debut Of Modular Common Spacecraft Bus Developed At NASA Ames, Smaller Version Of Which Will Be Used For Moon Express GLXP Mission

Image Credit: NASA