Category Archives: Lunar Volatiles

Friday / 17 June 2016

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13th International Planetary Probe Workshop Highlighting Innovative Ideas For Lunar Exploration

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The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA Meeting In Laurel, Maryland June 13-17 Features Talks By Alan Stern PI Of New Horizons & Ellen Stofan NASA Chief Scientist; Includes Presentations By Robert Buchwald (TR) Of Airbus On ‘Prospecting And Returning Lunar Surface Samples With Volatiles’ And By Balaji Soundararajan, Masters Student (Space Engineering) at Technical University Berlin On ‘Autonomous UAV for Lunar Inspection’ & ‘Lunar Ballistic Robot Exploration’

Credit: JHU/APL, GSFC, NASA,R. Buchwald, B. Soundararajan,

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 June 2016

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SSR / PTMSS In Golden CO To Advance In Situ Resource Utilization

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Space Resources Roundtable (SRR), Planetary & Terrestrial Mining Science Symposium (PTMSS) In Collaboration With Colorado School Of Mines (CSM) And Lunar & Planetary Institute (LPI) Will Convene The 7th Joint Meeting On June 7-9 In Golden, Colorado; There Is Renewed Interest Worldwide In ISRU Activities And The Program Will Cover Related Issues With Regards To Moon, Mars And Asteroids Over 9 Technical Sessions; SRR Is Led By Angel Abbud-Madrid (T) Of CSM And The Program Speakers Includes John Hamilton (B) Of PISCES (Hawaii), Byung Chul Chang Of ISERI, Hanyang University (South Korea), Numerous NASA Representatives, And Others

Credit: SRR / PTMSS, CSM, PISCES

Wednesday / 4 May 2016

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Discussions Continue With Renewed Energy At ‘New Views Of The Moon 2’ Lunar Workshops 24-26 May

USRA LPI Wrokshop

Workshop In Houston Texas Held By USRA / LPI Soliciting Lunar Community Support, Proposing New Ideas, Collaborating & Developing Writing Teams; Clive Neal (L) & Charles “Chip” Shearer (R) To Host Welcome Reception / Opening Remarks; Goal Of Updating The 2006 (New Views Of The Moon 1) Publication Is Instrumental In Providing Current / Relevant Data From Lunar Missions & Up-To-Date Earth-Based Observations; Paul Spudis To Speak On “Development Of The Moon”; Plenary & Oral Presentations, Workshop Sessions, Extensive Poster Session Part Of Event Covering Topics Including: Volatiles, Magmatic Evolution, Future Lunar Exploration & Commerce

Credit: LPI, USRA, University of Notre Dame, University of New Mexico

Friday / 29 April 2016

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Value Of The Moon Considered by Paul Spudis in New Book

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Planetary Geologist Dr. Paul D. Spudis At Lunar And Planetary Institute (LPI) Continues Leading Advocacy For Moon Exploration, Development; The 272-Page Illustrated Hardcover Highlights Moon Enabling Science, Commerce, Security, Human Solar System Expansion; Plan Outlines Base At Lunar Pole, In Situ Water-Ice Utilization, Regions Of Near-Continuous Sunlight, Teleoperated-Robtic Infrastructure Development Prior To Crew Missions; US$88B Cost Estimate For Human Lunar Outpost Capability

Credit: LPI, Smithsonian Books.

Friday / 22 January 2016

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Rocket Reusability Significant For Cislunar Space Development

Moon Rocket, Mining

Paul Spudis Article In Air & Space Notes Advancement Of Reusable Craft Capable Of Soft Landing, As Demonstrated By SpaceX & Blue Origin, Directly Relevant For Permanent Return To Moon & Supporting Missions To Mars / Solar System; Would Require Automated Landers & Reusable Propulsion Systems Utilizing Propellants Manufactured On Moon (Cryogenic Liquid O2, H, Methane); Inevitable Frequent Moon Missions & Cheaper Access To Space Bolsters Need To Define Lunar Property Rights

Credit: P. Spudis, NASA, EADS Astrium

Wednesday / 9 December 2015

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GLXP Confirms Moon Express, Rocket Lab 2017 Launch Contract; Possible ‘Test Flight’ In 2015

1292015Two 2017 Launches Scheduled For Moon Express (ME) Aboard The Electron Small Launch Vehicle (Still Under Development) By Rocket Lab; GLXP Senior Director Chanda Gonzalez Announced “We Are Extremely Proud To Officially Confirm Receipt And Verification Of Moon Express’ Launch Contract”; Rocket Lab Readying New Zealand Launch Complex After Which Test Flight Of Electron Vehicle Will Occur (Originally Planned For Dec 2015); ME CEO Bob Richards States “We Are Thrilled To Have Our Contract In Place With Rocket Lab” ME Chairman Naveen Jain Adds “Moon Express Is Building Disruptive Technologies…Like 3D Printing And Inexpensive Sensors To Collapse The Capital Needed To Access The Moon”

Pictured: Moon Express Inc Founders: Naveen Jain, Co-founder & Chairman, Bob Richards, Co-founder & CEO, Barney Pell, Co-founder & Vice Chairman

Credit: Moon Express, XPrize Foundation

Friday / 4 December 2015

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SSERVI-Hosted Lunar Workshop Discusses Permanently Shadowed Regions Regolith, Effects On Rovers & Volatiles

Lunar Volatiles

Six-Hour Virtual Workshop Held Yesterday, Featuring Dr. David Kring (R) PI At Center For Lunar Science & Exploration And Brad Bailey (L) Staff Scientist SSERVI, Sought To Collect Data On Potential Trafficability Issues Rovers Can Face In PSRs; Proposed Resource Prospector With RESOLVE Payload Would Map Polar Surface & Subsurface Hydrogen, Extract O2 From Regolith & Process With Hydrogen To Make H2O For Life Support Or Propellant – Could Launch 2018 & Involve Canada Or Japan Collaboration; Lunar Flashlight CubeSat To Locate Volatiles May Launch Dec 2017 On SLS EM-1

Credit: NASA, SSERVI, LPI, Center for Lunar Science & Exploration, GSFC, SVS

Wednesday / 2 December 2015

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Delivering Four Billion Measurements And Counting

1222015In Year 7, LRO Continues To Provide Information Useful For Decades Of Future Human Exploration; LRO Deputy PI Benjamin Greenhagen Comments “We Honor The Moon As A Global Scientific Legacy”; Data Reveals 5 Key Lessons According To B. Dorminey (Forbes Article): Recent Volcanic Activity Confirmed By Interior Temperature & Cooling Implies Moon Is Likely Still Tectonically Active; Lunar Surface Shows Extreme Temperature Variations Of –247 °C In Permanently Shadowed Regions To +123 °C In Areas Exposed To Up To 243 Consecutive Days Of Sunlight; Moon May Hold Water / Other Volatiles Useful For Life-Support As Well As Other Resource Utilization Potentials; Moon South Pole Aitken Basin Offers Potential Samples Of Lunar Rock Originating From Interior Mantle; LRO Radiation Measurements Could Help Minimize Future Human Moon & Deep Space Exploration Hazards

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, LRO, LPI

Tuesday / 24 November 2015

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Lunar & Planetary Exploration Advance With Mining Potential Under U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (CSLCA)

11242015H.R. 2262 Bill To Allow American Enterprises To Own / Sell Materials Mined From Other Celestial Bodies May Spur New Off-Planet Economy; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R) States “This Bill Will Unite Law With Innovation Allowing The Next Generation Of Pioneers To Experiment”; Honeybee Robotics Beginning Field Testing Of Drill For Hard Surfaces On Mars / Other Planetary Bodies & Has Several Lunar Technologies Addressing Lunar ISRU With Robotic Percussive Digger & Pneumatic Miner; Shackleton Energy Co. Working On Solutions To Mine Lunar Ice For Conversion Into Rocket Fuel; Moon Express CEO Bob Richards (L) Also Praises CSLCA Stating “Our Goal Is To Unlock The Resources Of The Moon For The Benefit Of Humanity”

Credit: Honeybee Robotics, Shackleton Energy Company, Moon Express, Congress.gov

Tuesday / 17 November 2015

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Virtual Workshop To Identify Preeminent Scientific Instruments For Lunar Polar Volatile Deposits

11172015The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) Holding First Virtual Workshop 18 Nov As Part 1 Of Related On-Going Series; Goal Of Workshop “Establish An Internationally-Coordinated Effort To Address Scientific Knowledge Gaps And Exploration Capability Gaps Related To Lunar Water Ice And Other Polar Volatiles”; Discussion To Be Moderated By Dr. James Carpenter (ESA) With Panelists Including Dr. Mahesh Anand (Open University), Dr. Ko Hashizume (Osaka University), Dr. Paul Hayne (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Dr. Paul Lucey (University of Hawaii), Dr. Igor Mitrofanov (Space Research Institute Of The Russian Academy Of Sciences) & Dr. Paul Spudis Of Lunar And Planetary Institute; Follow-Up Workshops To Be Held 16 Dec & 20 Jan

Credit: ISECG, ESA, LPI, University of Hawaii, NASA JPL