Category Archives: Lunar Science

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 19-22 April 2013

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Increasing Collaboration For Moon Exploration, Development

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Bigelow Aerospace Signs Space Act Agreement With NASA To Develop Systems For Human Habitation Beyond LEO; Includes Bigelow Plans For Lunar Base: Integrated Inflatable Modules Capable Of Propulsive Lunar-Landing & Life Support; Official Alumni Club Stanford On The Moon Considers Expanding Stanford’s Bing Overseas Studies To Antarctica & Moon In 21st Century; Golden Spike Company Panning Commerical Human Moon Mission 2018-2020

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Anna Cobb, GSC

Thursday / 18 April 2013

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LRO CRaTER Instrument Helping In Development Of Future Spacecraft

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CRaTER Instrument Precisely Measures Potentially Dangerous Radiation In Space & Its Effects On Human Tissue / Electronics; Data Shows High-Mass / High-Energy Cosmic Rays (HZE Particles) Make Up Only 1% Of Radiation Detected, Yet Account For 50% Of Energy Deposited By Radiation; Researchers Also Able To Determine Effects Of Different Types Of Radiation; Findings Helping Researchers Optimize Spacecraft Shielding Without Making Them Too Heavy

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 16 April 2013

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RESOLVE: Ambitious Mission On Tight Budget / Timeline

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With US$250M Budget Cap 2017 RESOLVE Mission Needs To Achieve Ambitious Goals Within Challenging Timeline; Unable To Afford Nuclear Power, Solar-Powered RESOLVE Will Be Limited To 5 Active Days On Lunar Pole To Accomplish Mission Goals: Search For Hydrogen, Drill 1 Meter, Analyze Sample, Heat To Extract Liquid Water, Demonstrate How Oxygen Can Be Pulled From Regolith & Mixed With Hydrogen To Produce Water, Help Determine Origin Of Lunar Water

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 10 April 2013

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NASA Lunar Science Forum Goes Virtual

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No ‘In-Person’ Component For LSF2013 Due To Government Travel Restrictions; Presentations Will Be Delivered Via Adobe Connect, Allowing For 500 Combined International & Domestic Logins; Format Change Influencing Other Related Events Such As ILOA 2013 Silicon Valley Board Meeting Now Reset For 24 July — 44th Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Mission End, Eve Of NewSpace 2013 Conference

Image Credit: NASA, Space Frontier Foundation, NASA

Friday / 5 April 2013

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Russia Solidifies Moon Exploration Plans

Russia Moon 5 Missions

Igor Mitrofanov Of IKI Reveals Russia Moon Exploration Missions: 2015 Luna-Glob South Pole Lander To Analyze Regolith / Exosphere & Test Volatiles; 2016 Luna-Glob 100-km Altitude Polar Orbiter To Map Surface / Landing Sites; 2017 Luna-Resurs-1 South Pole Lander To Test Drilling System For Cryogenic Sampling; 2019 Luna-Resurs-2 Polar Sample Return Mission; 2020 Luna-Resurs-3 Rover To Study Surface & Store Subsurface Samples; Human Missions Could Follow

Image Credit: IKI, NASA, RSA

Thursday / 4 April 2013

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Lunar Geology: New Data, New Questions

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3 Years Of Ground-Based Monitoring Show Potential Volcanic Activity On Moon; Arlin Crotts (Inset) Of Columbia University Says Lunar Monitors In New York City & Chile Observed Instances Of Brightening On Lunar Surface In Aristarchus Plateau (R) & Other Areas Where Previous Lunar Orbiters Recorded Radon Outgassing; Research Led By Brown University Grad Student Deepak Dhingra Shows Lunar Impact Melt Not Always As Homogeneous As Previously Assumed

Image Credit: NASA, Columbia University, Brown University

Wednesday / 27 March 2013

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Moon & Vesta Commonalities Reveal Solar System History

LED Moon & Vesta

Scientists From NLSI Discover That Same Projectiles That Hit Moon 4B Years Ago Also Hit Vesta & Other Large Asteroids; Data Linked From Apollo Moon Rocks, Howardite / Eucrite / Diogenite (HED) Meteorites On Earth, Dawn Spacecraft Vesta Images & Computer Models; Supports Theory / Provides Details About Start & Duration Of Lunar Cataclysm – Jupiter / Saturn Were Repositioned Causing Destabilized Asteroid Belt & Solar System Wide Bombardment

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/ASU/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 22-25 Mar 2013

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How To Illuminate A Permanent Shadow

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New NASA Goddard Video Shows How LRO Instruments Have Mapped Moon Polar Craters, Which Have Not Seen Sun For Over 2B Years Due To 1.6-Degree Lunar Tilt; LOLA Uses Lasers To Compose Topographic Maps; LAMP Measures Faint Light Of Other Stars; Diviner Measures Extreme Cold Temperatures; LEND Measures Speed Of Neutrons To Detect Elements Such As Hydrogen

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 21 March 2013

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LRO Helps Enhance GRAIL Legacy

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GRAIL Impact Craters Imaged By LROC; Twin 200-kg Orbiters Crashed Near North Pole On 17 Dec 2012 At Speed Of 6,070 km/h; Coordination Between 2 Mission Teams Allowed LRO LAMP Instrument To Analyze Ejecta Plume From Crash; Instrument Detected Mercury, Surprising For Sunlit Area; Results Added To Growing Understanding Of Nature Of Volatiles At Lunar Poles & How They Are Transported Around Moon

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 20 March 2013

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Characterizing The Lunar Poles: Ben Bussey Seminar

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Ben Bussey Of John Hopkins University APL Presenting Data – Acquired By Recent Fleet Of International Lunar Spacecraft – Characterizing Moon Poles, 27 Mar At NASA Lunar Science Institute In CA, USA; Results Useful For Planning Future Robotic & Human Missions; Geology Of Poles, Surface & Subsurface Properties, Possibilities For Surface Operations / Regolith Excavation / Drilling & Potential Instrumentation Needed For Science From / On Moon

Image Credit: NASA