Category Archives: Lunar Science

Friday / 28 Aug 2020

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Lunar Ice Deposits May Be In Jeopardy Of Contamination From Lander Exhaust

Ancient Lunar Ice, Possibly Trapped In Permanently Shadowed Craters For Billions Of Years, May Offer Insight Into Origin Of Water In Solar System; Johns Hopkins / UT-Austin Study Warns Computer Simulations Show Exhaust From 1,200-kg Lunar Lander, Approximately The Size Of CLPS Vessels Peregrine (Astrobotic) And Nova-C (Intuitive Machines) Set To Launch In Second Half Of 2021, Would Cause 30-40% Of Lander Vapor To Remain 2 Months Later, Creating Anthropogenic Atmosphere, With 20% Eventually Solidifying Around Poles

Pictured: Study Authors (T-B) Parvathy Prem, Dana Hurley, Philip Varghese
Credits: JHU, UT-Austin, NASA, Masten, IM, Astrobotic

Tuesday / 25 Aug 2020

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2-Crew Artemis III South Pole Mission Lunar Science Ideas Solicited 

NASA Science Mission Directorate Planetary Science Division, Led By (L) Lori Glaze, Forming Science Definition Team To Prioritize Lunar Science To Be Conducted By Artemis III Crew At Undetermined Site Within 6 Degrees Of Moon South Pole; RFP For 2-Page White Paper For Human Moon Surface Science Ideas To Be Integrated With Aggregated Recommendations From Lunar Exploration Analysis Group / Decadal Survey Publications; NASA Planetary Scientist Sarah Noble Is Lead On Vetting Submissions Via USRA Portal, Due 17:00 CDT 8 September

Credits: NASA, Twitter

Friday / 17 July 2020

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NASA JPL Miniaturized Payload Concept Contest Advances Lunar Exploration Technology

Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative Awards US$160K Through ‘Honey I Shrunk The Payload’ Competition; Design Parameters Constrain Surface Probes To Mass Of 0.4kg, Physical Dimensions Of 100mm x 100mm x 50mm; 14 International Teams And Individuals Selected From 132 Entries; Team Sun Slicers Led By Phil Jobson Takes Lunar Environment Category 1st Place ($30K) For XRAY Spectrometer, Puli Space Technologies Led By (L-R) David Lucsanyi And Tibor Pacher Wins 1st In Resource Potential Category For Lunar Water Snooper ($30K); Crowdsourcing Platform HeroX, Created By Peter Diamandis, Utilized Throughout Contest

Credits: NASA, Puli Space Technologies, Team Sun Slicers, HeroX, Team Stardust, Monash Nova Rover Team

Thursday / 28 May 2020

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Lunar Surface Science Workshop Carries On Virtually With Artemis Brainstorming

Interdisciplinary Science Exchange On Crew Conducted Moon Science Moves Online May 28-29, Originally Planned For April 28–30 In Denver; Sponsored By NASA Science Mission, Human Exploration And Operations Mission, And Space Technology Mission Directorates; Conference Seeks To Integrate Science Prerogatives Within Artemis Human Landings Starting In 2024; Primary Theme Of EVA Instrument Deployment Concepts Of Operation With Secondary Focus On EVA-Compatible Scientific Instrument Development; International Presenters Include James Carpenter Of ESA, (L-R) Masaki Fujimoto Of JAXA, Caroline-Emmanuelle Morisset Of CSA And Niki Werkheiser Of NASA

Credits: NASA, LPI, USRA, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 Feb 2020

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USA, PRC Lunar Probes Break Records Operating From Orbit And On Surface

Chang’e-4 Yutu-2 Operates During 15th Lunar Day In South Pole-Aitken Basin, Longest Duration Of Any Rover In Moon History; Completes Over 367 Meters Travel And Discovers Younger Rocks In 3.6-Billion Year Old Von Karman Crater On Far Side; Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer Operates Aboard Queqiao Orbiter, Gathering Astronomy Data In 21 Cm Range; Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, In Orbit Since September 2009, Scouting Landing Sites For Artemis Human Lunar Landings

Credits: NASA, CLEP, CNSA

Tuesday / 11 February 2020

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Lunar Dust Grains Are Analyzed Atom-By-Atom To Find Water And Helium

Precious Lunar Samples May Be Analyzed From A Single Grain Of Dust; University Of Chicago Graduate Student Jennika Greer And Colleagues At Field Museum Use Atom Probe Tomography, Which Allows Grains To Be Measured Atom-By-Atom For 3-Dimensional Data From Sample; APT Is Used On Small Grain From Apollo 17 Sample 71501, Separated For Particles 150-200 μm In Diameter; Technique Sees Effects Of Space Weathering And Identifies Water And Helium, Valuable Resources For Future Lunar Settlements

Credits: NASA, University of Chicago

Friday / 24 January 2020

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Commercial Lunar Services Providers To Carry Payloads Aiding Astronomy And Lunar Science

NASA Finalizes 16 Experiments And Technology Demonstrations To Fly With Commercial Lunar Services Providers; Astrobotic Peregrine Lander (L) Will Carry 11 Payloads Using ULA Vulcan Launcher Including PROSPECT Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (C); Intuitive Machines Will Launch Nova-C Lander (R) With 5 Payloads On SpaceX Falcon 9; Radio Observations Lunar Surface (ROLSES) Low-Frequency Experiment On Nova-C Will Test Feasibility Of Large Radio Telescopes On Lunar Surface; Both Landers Will Carry Laser Retro-Reflector Arrays To Aid Navigation

Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 3 December 2019

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Korea Lunar Mission Modified Orbit Plan Raises Questions With NASA

South Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, In Planning Since 2016, Adds Mission Weight And Changes Orbit; Ministry Of Science Plan For US$150M KPLO Changes Dec 2020 Launch To July 2022, From 100-Km Circular Orbit To 100 x 300-Km Ellipse; NASA, Which Plans To Contribute ShadowCam Instrument To Survey South Pole, Prefers Circular Orbit To Maximize Science Returns; Korea Aerospace Research Institute Will Hold Further Discussions At NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, To Continue Lunar Orbit Mission

Credits: KARI, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 Nov 2019

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Campaign Aims To Preserve Lunar Far Side Pristine Quality For Astronomy Enterprises

Claudio Maccone (L), Astrophysicist And Chair Of International Astronautical Association SETI Committee, Wants Regulations To Protect Lunar Far Side Stellar Advantages From Radio Interference; Joseph Silk Of Paris Institute Of Astrophysics Advocates Far Side Astronomy; Jack Burns (R) Of University Of Colorado Plans Dark Ages Polarimetry Pathfinder (DAPPER) Spacecraft For Lunar Orbit, Proposes Larger ‘Farside’ Radio Telescope To Be Emplaced By Robots

Credits: University of Colorado, NASA

Friday / 25 Oct 2019

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International Space Agencies And Private Enterprises Sign Agreements To Land On Moon

Heads Of Space Agencies Meet At 70th International Astronautical Congress In Washington DC; NASA Unveils New Woman-Focused Logo For Artemis; Scientists Report First Results From Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer Aboard Queqiao Orbiter; Japan Formally Commits To Artemis And Partners With India For 2023 Moon Landing; Blue Origin Teams With Lockheed Martin And Northrop Grumman For Artemis Lunar Lander; Israel Renews Commitment To Land On Moon And Tours World With Moon-Themed Escape Room

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL