Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Friday / 23 Mar 2018

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Japan Funds Space Start-Ups And Considers Lunar Land Ownership Laws, India Researching Lunar Habitats

Japan Government To Offer US$940M (100B Yen) To Space Start-Ups To Double The Scale Of $11B Space Industry In Japan By 2030s; Planning To Give Commercial Companies Up To $100,000 Each, Japan Also Considering Drafting Laws Similar To USA And Luxembourg For Ownership Of Space Materials & Property; India In Talks With Japan For Lunar Polar Exploration Through 2018 Meetings, Hopes For Mission Proposal By March 2019; India Junior Minister For Space Jitendra Singh Confirms ISRO R&D On Lunar ‘Igloo’ Habitats

Pictured (L-R): Japan Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India Junior Minister Jitendra Singh, ispace Founder Takeshi Hakamada; Credits: ISRO, JAXA, NASA

Wednesday / 21 Mar 2018

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Apollo 11 Columbia Spacecraft Moves On In ‘Destination Moon’ Tour Across USA Toward Its 50th Anniversary

Columbia Command Module That Took Apollo 11 Astronauts To Moon & Back In 1969 Is Now Making Its Way From Space Center Houston To St Louis Science Center – On Special Tour From National Air & Space Museum In DC, Celebrating 50th Anniversary Of One Of The Greatest Achievements Of Human History; Traveling Exhibit Includes Aldrin’s Spacesuit Helmet & Gloves And Lunar Sample Return Container; After St Louis 14 Apr – 3 Sep, Columbia Goes To Pittsburgh Until Feb 2019 And To Seattle Museum Of Flight Through Sep 2019

Credits: Smithsonian Institution, Space Center Houston, Saint Louis Science Center

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Mar 2018

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Brown-Vernadsky Microsymposium 59 In Texas Focuses On China Lunar Success And Plans

China Lunar And Deep Space Exploration Program Overview Set To Take Place 17-18 March In Woodlands, TX On The Eve Of 49 LPSC; Cosponsored By Brown University, Russian Academy Of Sciences, Vernadsky And Space Research Institute; Will Highlight University Research, Analysis, Results Across China; With Open Discussion, 25 Presenters Including James Head Of Brown University, NAOC Deputy Director ChunLai Li, Will Focus On Future Lunar Missions, Activities, Particularly Chang’e 1-3 Data, Chang’e-4 Landing Studies, Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission

Credits: Brown University, Planetary Society, Vernadsky, NAOC

Wednesday / 14 Mar 2018

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Astrobotic Receives NASA Funding To Develop CubeRover For Moon Missions

NASA Awards Astrobotic 2-Year Contract Up To US$750,000 To Develop 2-kg CubeRover – To Be The Smallest Rover Ever On Lunar Surface – Able To Traverse 0.5 km Or More; For Various Applications Including Testing Dust Mitigation, Establishing Communication Infrastructure, Repairing Surface Assets; Intending To Be A Standard For Moon Industry As CubeSats Are For Orbit; Led By Principal Investigator Dr. Andrew Horchler (B) In Partnership With Carnegie Mellon University; Astrobotic Hopes To Fly 1st CubeRover On Its Peregrine Lunar Lander In 2020.

Credits: Astrobotic, CMU; Pictured: Astrobotic Chairman Red Whittaker

Wednesday / 7 Mar 2018

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Vodafone Germany And Nokia Plan To Create Lunar 4G Communications Network

Vodafone And Nokia Partner With Commercial Space Company PTScientists To Deliver 4G Network, Two Quattro Rovers To Apollo 17 Landing Site In Taurus-Littrow Valley 20.0° N, 31.0° E; Expected Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 In 2019; Networking Gear Weighing Less Than 1-Kg Will Use 1800 MHz, Anticipated Data Rate 100 Megabits To 1 Gigabit Per Second; Will Send HD Video To Autonomous Landing And Navigation Module, Connecting To Berlin; PTScientists Chief Executive, Robert Böhme, States Off-World Infrastructure Is Crucial First Step For Sustainable Human Interplanetary Exploration And Settlement

Credits: PTScientists, Nokia, Vodafone

Friday / 2 Mar 2018

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Japan Hosting 3 International Space Exploration Forums And Legal Policy Strategies For Moon Base Event

The 2nd International Space Exploration Forum, Industries ISEF & Young Professionals ISEF Are Ongoing 28 Feb – 3 Mar In Tokyo; Workshops And Panelists Will Include (Counter Clockwise TL-TR) Jan Wörner (ESA), Mohammed Al Ahbabi (UAE), Pascale Ehrenfreund (DLR), Robert Lightfoot (NASA), Takeshi Hakamada (ispace), Giuseppe Reibaldi (Moon Village); On 4 Mar University Of Toyko Will Hold “Legal Policy Strategy For The Construction Of Moon Base & Utilization Of Space Resources” Featuring UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, ESPI Director Jean-Jacques Tortora, American Space Council Sec. Gen. Scott Pace; There Is Also A Women In Space Session Led By Simonetta Di Pippo And Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki

Credits: JAXA, MEXT, WPSP, NASA, UNOOSA, ESPI

Wednesday / 28 Feb 2018

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ISRO Developing Technologies For Building Igloos On Moon For Future Human Habitat

Indian Space Research Organization Starts Science Program On Building Lunar Habitat With Robots & 3D Printers Using Lunar Soil; Project Led By I Venugopal Has Manufactured 60 Tonnes Of Lunar Soil Simulant At US$15,000 – Properties Match Apollo Samples 99.6%; Currently 5 Proposed Habitat Designs, Similar To Those At India Antarctic Outpost; ISRO Satellite Centre Director Mylswamy Annadurai (Right) Says Many Countries Are Considering Building Permanent Structures On Moon India Wants To Contribute

Credits: TOI, ISRO, Behnaz Farahi / NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 Feb 2018

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International Deep Space Gateway Further Support, Funding, Call For Research Ideas, Workshops

Proposed DSG / Lunar Orbital Platform To Establish Permanent Human Presence In Cislunar Space And Enable Moon Village, Missions To Many Worlds Beyond – Could See US$2.7B In NASA Funding From FY19 Allocations Through 2023 When SLS EM-2 Crew Plan To Arrive; Cislunar DSG Would Develop Essential Commercial & International Partners, Technology Advances In Power, Propulsion & Life Support, And Build Toward Multi World Civilization; Latest DSG Workshop Being Held 27 Feb – 1 Mar In Denver CO; ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA, CSA Express DSG Common Interest; China, India, S Korea, SEA, UAE, Other Nations Could Be Important Collaborators

Credits: Boeing, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Feb 2018

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NASA FY19 Proposal And Human / International Moon Missions

U.S. Space Policy Directive 1 Goal To Lead Sustainable Program Of Exploration With Commercial & International Partners Is Prioritized In US$19.892B NASA FY19 Budget Proposal Including $10.5B Campaign To Return Humans To Moon; Potential $200M May Be Allotted To Develop Commercial Robotic Landers 2020, Leading To Human-Rated Landers 2023; SLS / Orion To Be Fully Funded, Planning 2020 Uncrewed Launch, 2023 Crewed Lunar Flyby; SpaceX Falcon Heavy May Also Contribute To Commercial Lunar Launches, Deliver Humans To Moon & Mars; International Lunar Orbital Platform – Gateway In Cislunar Space Could Accelerate Human Moon Landings & First Women On The Moon

Credits: NASA, SPC, ILOA

Friday / 9 Feb 2018

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Deep Space Gateway To The Moon South Pole:
5 Landing Sites Being Explored

International Space Exploration Coordination Group Developing Navigation Routes For 5-Year Campaign Of 5 Human Moon Landing Missions From Envisioned Deep Space Gateway Starting 2028 At Malapert Massif, Shackleton Crater, Schrödinger Basin, Antoniadi Crater, South Pole-Aitken Basin; NASA NexGen ELA Study In 2015 Indicates Human Lunar Return 5-7 Years For US$10B Thru Public-Private Collaboration; Commercial Space At National Space Council Meeting 2017 Confirms Statement Adding Committed Funding & Political Support Necessary – Next Meeting 21 Feb; Reusable Moon Lander For Crew & Robots Would Be Most Essential For Moon, Deep Space Exploration States Clive Neal (R)

Credits: Leonard David, Scientific American; Image Credit: NASA, ISECG, Notre Dame