Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Friday / 29 July 2016

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PISCES And NASA Conducting Lunar Simulations, Technologies Testing At Mauna Kea Hawai`i

PISCES 2016

Pacific International Space Center For Exploration Systems (PISCES) Executive Director Rob Kelso & Students Developing, Upgrading, Testing Moon / Mars Rover, Equipment & Communications Software; From Remote Location, Students Use Google Earth Images Of Mauna Kea To Move Rover & Study Geology Mimicking Real Life Lunar Robotic Mission; NASA Ames Also Testing The Rover Stereoscopic Imaging System, Data Capture & Data Processing Remotely From Florida, Taking Advantage Of Moon, Mars Analog 3,000-meter Altitude Sites At Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa

Credit: PISCES, NASA

Wednesday / 27 July 2016

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GLXP Team PTS Lands In UAE To Scout Rover Test Sites

LED-7-26-16

CEO Robert Boehme Of Part-Time Scientists Is In United Arab Emirates To Search For Extreme Environmental Conditions & Soft Sand Inclines To Test 35kg Rover; Rub’ al Khali (The Empty Quarter) Is Largest Contiguous Sand Desert On Earth, Hyper-Arid With Typical Annual Rainfall <3cm And Temperatures Up To 51°C (124°F); With 35 Fixed Staff In Berlin, Germany & 70 Contributing Members Across 3 Continents Team PTS Has Won US$750K In Milestone Prizes So Far & Is Building Significant Industrial And Academic Partnerships; Total Venture Cost About US$35M

Credit: PTS, D. Johnson / The National, D. Yoder, National Geographic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 July 2016

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Women On The Moon:
Expanding American / Global Enterprise

2017 Women on the Moon LED

Whichever Political Party Advances The New 2017 USA Administration Could Recognize A Prime Imperative & Plan To Reclaim A Great Accomplishment — Human Presence On The Moon; Many Willing And Able Women Would Eagerly Step Up To The Challenges Of Breaking This Very High Glass Ceiling; Recent Remarks By Eileen Collins Urge Policy Makers To Facilitate America Regaining Leadership In Space Exploration, Especially By Returning To Luna-First Priorities; Suni Williams Is Helping Lead Progress Toward US Commercial Crew Capabilities; Jessica Meir Is Emerging From The ESA CAVES Mission, Looking For The Next Challenge

Credit: SPC / ILOA, RNC webcast, NASA, LRO

Wednesday / 20 July 2016

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Full Moon Rising Again As World Observes 47th Anniversary Of Apollo 11

LED-7-19-2016

Space Community, Scientists Gather In Silicon Valley At Ames Research Center, NASA For The Exploration Science Forum (ESF 2016) Bolstered By Renewed Global Momentum Toward Lunar Landings & Crewed Habitats; An International Moon Surface Station With Commercial Services Integration Would Be A Major 1st Step Toward Reclaiming, Sustaining And Surpassing The Greatest Advance In Human History To Date; GOP Platform Supportive Of Space Exploration, Former Astronaut Eileen Collins To Speak At Republican National Convention; Louise Prockter Named As New Director Of Lunar & Planetary Institute

Credit: NASA, LPI, ESA

Tuesday / 19 July 2016

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Women On The Moon & USA 21st Century Leadership

LED-7-18-16

Eileen Collins, Former NASA Astronaut & 1st Female Space Shuttle Commander, Set To Make 3-Minute Apolitical Speech On 20 July At Republican National Convention, Cleveland OH; The Auspicious Day Marks Apollo 11 47th Observation; Collins Previewed Focus Of Speech “We Landed On The Moon ‘In Peace, For All Mankind’ And I Know That Is A Message We Can All Get Behind”; She Also Openly Criticized, As Did Many Others Of All Sides, The Obama Administration Decision To Scrap The Constellation Program Launched By George Bush; Newt Gingrich And Ted Cruz, Active In Space Exploration Policy, Are Also Set To Speak

Credit: NASA, GOP, SYU / S. Sartori

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 July 2016

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Waypaver Foundation Launching Grant Initiative For Sustainable Lunar Settlement

LED-7-15-16

Non-Profit Research-Guided Grant Making Institution Based In Chattanooga TN Seeks To Address Humanity’s Greatest Global Challenges By Advancing Key Technologies To Open Lunar Frontier; Led By CEO Nick Arnett, COO Patrick Gray & VP Sara Jennings; Board Of Directors Includes Esther Dyson (Chairman Of Edventure Holdings), Chad Anderson (Managing Director, Space Angels Network), Chris Frangione (VP At XPrize Foundation); More Details Expected At Announcement Event Spaceday 2016 July 20, 09:45, Palo Alto CA

Credit: Waypaver

Thursday / 14 July 2016

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GLXP: Moon Express Expanding To LC 17 & 18 At Cape Canaveral; SpaceIL Testing Engine

LED-7-13-16

Moon Express Announces Agreement To License Historic Launch Complexes (LC) For Lunar Lander Development, Test Operations From USAF 45th Wing; State Of Florida Has Approved Up To US$1.85M In Matching Funds Toward Improving Facilities; Press Release Projects 25-50 New Jobs Enabled Immediately, 100s More Direct & Indirect Jobs Possible Over Next 5 Years; LC 17 Dormant Since Sep 2011 GRAIL Moon Launch; Israel Team SpaceIL Recently Tested Lunar Lander Main Engine At Facilities In England; Successfully Met Durability Requirements During Multiple Operation Modes, Shutdown Cycles Without Overheating

Credit: ME, SpaceIL, GLXP, USAF

Wednesday / 13 July 2016

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Surrey Satellite & Goonhilly Earth Station Team Up For Lunar Pathfinder Mission By 2019-2020

LED-7-12-16

UK Space Age Heavyweights Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) & Goonhilly Earth Station (GES) Announce Partnership To Provide Low Cost, High Value System To Transport Payloads To Moon Orbit (£0.8-1.5M/kg), Provide Communications Links Back To Earth (Via Mothership X-band Link To 32-meter GHY-6 Dish In Cornwall, UK); Pilot Phase Activity Underway With ESA; Ultimate Aim To Support Solar System Network; SSTL Executive Chairman Sir Martin Sweeting Wants To Help Lunar Explorers Be Able To “Focus On The Science And Business Aspects Of Their Missions”

Credit: SSTL, GES

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 July 2016

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LRO Mission Receives NASA Extension Through March 2018

LED-7-8-16

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Shedding Light On Origin And Evolution Of The Solar System Through A Multitude Of Science Investigations At The Moon; NASA Planning US$20M / Year To Operate Flagship Lunar Mission Through FY2018 (Subject To Appropriation & Annual Budget Process); Latest Results Include SwRI Team Led By Kathleen Mandt Identifying 2 Geologically Young Craters Near South Pole Using Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) Detector Which Observes With Help Of Ultraviolet Light Coming From Distant Stars & From The Lyman-Alpha Skyglow Scattering Of Hydrogen Atoms In Solar System

Credit: LRO, NASA, SwRI

Thursday / 7 July 2016

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LPI Seminar 8 July: Micro Cold Traps On The Moon Presented By Paul Hayne

LED-7-6-16

Lunar And Planetary Institute Seminar Series Hosts Paul Hayne, Geophysics & Planetary Geosciences, JPL On Fri 8 July; Recent Observations Of Moon, Mercury Confirm Predictions Of Water Ice In High-Latitude Permanent-Shadow Craters; Some Discrepancies Exist As To Concentrations / Locations Of Volatiles, Presence Of Super-Volatiles (CH4, CO2, Methanol), Heterogeneous Thermal Environments; Hayne Presents New Theory To Explain These Based On Evidence Of Micro Cold Traps, Discusses Importance For Future Robotic / Human Exploration

Credit: LPI, JPL, UCLA/NASA/JPL/Goddard