Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Friday / 31 July 2015

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Moon Express & Astrobotic Testing Landers / Developing Flight Software

ME & Astrobotic 2015 Jul

Moon Express (ME) Continuing Flight Testing Of MTV-1A Lunar Lander (Successor Of MTV-1X) At Kennedy Space Center ‘Moonscape’ Test Range, Final Version Will Land On Moon & Hop 500 Meters, ME GNC Software Was Also Tested On NASA Mighty Eagle Lander; Through Lunar CATALYST Agreement, Astrobotic Developing Lunar Guidance Systems / Flight Trajectory Plan Using NASA Core Flight Software & LRO Data To Land In Lacus Mortis Region At 44.96°N 25.62°E, Explore Lunar Cave

Credit: ME, Astrobotic, NASA, GLXP

Wednesday / 29 July 2015

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Further Details Of ESA Director’s Lunar Vision

7292015Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Director General Of  European Space Agency Clarifies His Vision “To Establish An Infrastructure On The Moon… To Do First-Class Fundamental Research”; International Research Station On Lunar Surface NET 2024 Should Serve As Next Foothold Of Human Expansion Into Solar System After ISS; Moon Focus Increasing ESA Collaboration With China, Russia, Japan & U.S. On Moon / Mars / Space Missions

Credit:  ESA, Foster + Partners

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 July 2015

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New Moon Plan For “Evolvable Lunar Architecture” & Campaign 2016 Considerations

7242015Paul Spudis (TR) Of LPI Supports Refining Lunar Water Into Rocket Fuel To Assist Deep Space Exploration; Spudis Raises Concerns On Projected Cost & Quasi-Commercial Lunar Authority Proposing NASA Base To Protect American Interest; Charles Miller (TL) NexGen President & Study’s Principal Investigator Outlines Feasibility Of Returning To Moon By Leveraging Commercial Partnerships; Paper Opens Discussions & Considerations With Upcoming Presidential Elections

Credit: NASA, National Press Club, Lunar and Planetary Institute

Friday / 24 July 2015

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16 GLXP Teams Have <6 Months To Confirm Launch, Extend Competition

GLXP July 2015

 One Firm Launch Provider Contract, Designating Launch Window / Date, Required By 31 Dec 2015 To Continue US$20M Moon Challenge; Rideshare Contract Between Astrobotic & Hakuto Confirmed For TBD SpaceX Launch Mid-2016, Team Indus Looking Toward ISRO For Subsidized Launch, Synergy Moon Counting On Interorbital Neptune Rocket, SpaceMETA Has MoU With Alcantor Cyclone Space, Barcelona Moon Working With China Great Wall Industry, Penn State Lunar Lion Launch Reservation Fee Given To Spaceflight Inc / Sherpa Craft

Credit: GLXP, SpaceX, GLXP Teams

Wednesday / 22 July 2015

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Public-Private Partnerships To Return Humans To The Moon

7222015Preparations For Crewed Moon Missions / Lunar Base In Near Term (~5-7 Years) Possible With Innovative Cost Reducing Strategies Using Partnership Methods & Competing Commercial Service Providers; Benefits Of Lunar Structures / Commercial Mining To Export Propellant To Lunar Orbit As Economic Development For Extended Space Travel & Deep Space Exploration

Credit: NASA

Friday / 17 July 2015

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Space Week, Moon Landing Celebrations Highlight This Weekend

Space Week Kick Off

Moonworker Buzz Aldrin ShareSpace Foundation Launch Gala To Be Hosted By John Travolta 18 July At Kennedy Space Center FL – Launch Site Of Human Moon Missions; Moon Day 2015 Sponsored By Frontiers Of Flight Museum, Moon Society, NSS Of North Texas Will Feature Space Traveler Anousheh Ansari, Moon Academy Classes, Lunar Lectures; USS Hornet Museum In Alameda CA Holding Apollo Splashdown Anniversary Celebration; National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force Commemorating Apollo Missions In Dayton OH 

Credit: NASA, ShareSpace Foundation, Frontiers of Flight Museum, Moon Society, NSS of North Texas, USS Hornet Museum

Thursday / 16 July 2015

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ESA Envisions Lunar Village

7162015New Director General Of European Space Agency (ESA) Johann-Dietrich Woerner (TL) Proposes “Moon Village On The Far Side Of The Moon”; Collaborative Efforts Would Incorporate World Participation; Far Side Of Moon Long Supported By Dr. Jack Burns (TR) Of University Of Colorado Boulder; Motivation For Village Includes Telescopes For Deep Space Observation, Stepping Stone For Mars Missions / Training, 3D Printing Trials & Multi-Nation Astronaut Settlement / Expanded International Involvement

Credit: NASA, ESA, Foster + Partners

Wednesday / 15 July 2015

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USA NASA / India ISRO
Partnerships Strengthen

7152015

Richard Verma, U.S. Ambassador To India States Positive Relationship Of ISRO & NASA For Chandrayaan Mission / Moon Surface Exploration “From Outer Space To Cyberspace, We’re In It Together”; ISRO Charting Other Planetary Opportunities For Mars, Venus & Return To Moon With Chandrayaan-II Expected NET 2016; Recurring Successful ISRO PSLV Program Bolsters Future Launches Including GSLV-MKII

Credit: NASA, ISRO, United States Dept. of State

Thursday / 9 July 2015

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Moon South Pole & Lunar Cave
Research Being Funded

792015Research Continues For Moon South Pole Shackleton Crater Terraforming For Future Robotic & Human Habitat / Exploration; Crater ~209 Square Kilometers With Peaks Over 4,267 Meters In Which Water Potential Has Been Identified; Technological Trans-Former Will Operate In Darkness / Low Temperatures, Reflect Sunlight & Convert Into Energy For Rover / Astronauts; NIAC Also Awarding Funds For PERISCOPE Orbiter To Shine Laser Pulses Into Crater / Caves & Gather Data

Credit: NASA

Weekend Holiday Edition
Friday-Monday / 3-6 July 2015

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Moon South Pole Landers 2017-19
Point To 2020s Human Lunar Decade

July 4 Edition, Moon South Pole

International Fleet Of South Pole Lunar Landers Developing From India (Chandrayaan-2, 2017), China (Chang’e-4 & -5, 2017), Japan (SLIM, 2019), Russia (Luna-25, 2019), Korea (2020), As Well As Independent Enterprises Moon Express, ILOA, Canadensys, Golden Spike Company & Shackleton Energy Company; American Flags On Moon Commemorated 4 July As Pioneering Individuals Look Forward To Earth / International Flags & Multi World Species Endeavors

Credit: NASA, JAXA, CNSA, IIT-Kanpur, ISRO, ILOA, ME