Wednesday / 6 May 2015

Posted on May 5, 2015 by LED Editor

LRO Taking Closer Look At Moon South Pole

Orbit Of NASA Lunar Orbiter Lowered To Within 20km Of Lunar South Pole, Closest The Craft Has Been To Moon; New Orbit Enables Improved Measurements Of South Pole Areas With Unique Illumination Conditions – Permanently Shadowed Craters (e.g. Cabeus), Peaks Of Eternal Light (e.g. Malapert); LOLA & Diviner Instruments Will Now Produce Better Signal / Higher Resolution Data; Maneuver Indicates Continued Interest In Moon South Pole Exploration Within NASA

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 5 May 2015

Posted on May 4, 2015 by LED Editor

Astrobotic Gains 3 More Contract Awards From NASA

GLXP Contender Announces US$375,000 In Contract Awards Through NASA Small Business Technology Transfer Program; Astrobotic, In Partnership With Carnegie Mellon University, Will Advance 3 Proposals For Resource Exploration On & Under Surface Of Moon / Other Planetary Bodies: Develop Sensors To Precisely Detect Minerals In Lunar Regolith, Develop Imaging Technology To Map Lunar Robot Surroundings While In Shadowed Polar Craters, Create Navigation / Perception Technology For Flying Robots To Explore Lunar Caves Without Communication To Earth

Image Credit: Astrobotic, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 May 2015

Posted on May 1, 2015 by LED Editor

International Space Powers Advancing Plans For Lunar Exploration

Russia Invites China To Collaborate On Scientific Space Station In Lunar Orbit, Both Countries Have Stated Plans To Continue Robotic Exploration Of Moon Over Next Decade, Conduct Human Surface Missions By 2030; New ESA Leader Johann-Dietrich Wörner (L) Sees International Permanent Moon Station – Likely At Far Side – As Next Step After ISS; Japan Plan For ~2018 Lunar Lander Garnering Significant Attention From International Space Community

Pictured (R): Roscosmos Leader Igor Komarov, China Vice Premier Wang Yang

Image Credit: Russianspaceweb.com, RIA Novosti

Thursday / 30 April 2015

Posted on April 29, 2015 by LED Editor

Chang’e-3 Telescope Demonstrating Value / Feasibility Of Lunar-Based Astronomy

Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) Successfully Operates For Entire 4.28 Hours Of Recent (4 Apr) Lunar Eclipse, Capturing 246 Images During Its 1st Operation Without Sunlight; Imaging Was Part Of Extended Experiments To Test Power Supply & Thermal Control Support For Payload Equipment During Lunar Eclipse; NAO Astronomers Publish Data Gathered From LUT That Indicate Concentration Of OH / H2O Molecules In Lunar Exosphere ~100 Times Less Than Previous Value Reported By Hubble & Chandrayaan-1

Image Credit: NAOC, CNSA, NASA

Wednesday / 29 April 2015

Posted on April 28, 2015 by LED Editor

Bigelow Developing Expandable Technology With Eye Towards Lunar Operations

Expandable Habitats Pioneered By Bigelow Aerospace Could Facilitate Lunar Settlement More Quickly & Affordably Than Generally Believed; Bigelow Set To Launch BEAM Module – With 16 Cubic Meter Volume – To ISS Sep 2015; Larger BA 330 Modules To Follow Before Company Begins Enabling Individuals, Companies & Countries To Extend Human Activity To Moon Utilizing Its Habitat Systems; Basic Lunar Habitat Could Consist Of 3 BA 330s, 4 Propulsion Buses & 4 Docking Nodes

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Space Age Publishing Company

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 April 2015

Posted on April 24, 2015 by LED Editor

Moon May Be Critical Stepping Stone To NASA Mars Ambitions

Moon Mission Advocate Paul Spudis Outlines How Human Mars Mission Is Unfeasible Without Use Of Lunar-Produced Propellant; Propellant Would Comprise >80% Of The ~900,000 Kg Of Equipment Needed For Mars Journey; Harvesting Volatiles At Lunar Poles, Creating Working Fueling Depot Close To Deep Space Staging Areas Where Mars Spacecraft Can Be Assembled; NASA Resource Prospector Mission Could Confirm Feasibility Of Using Volatile Deposits On Moon As Fuel / Consumables For Long Duration Spaceflight

Image Credit: NASA, aaas.org

Friday / 24 April 2015

Posted on April 23, 2015 by LED Editor

Russia 2016-2025 Space Program Draft Outlines Human Moon Landing By 2029

Russia Space Program Submission For 2016-2025 Due June 1, To Consist Of ~US$38B Proposal Including Human Circumlunar Flight 2025, Human Moon Landing 2029, Construction Of Super-Heavy Rocket (Modified Angara-A5 To Increase Payload Capacity By 12,000 Kg, First Test Launch 2021 & Launch To ISS 2024); Construction Of ~1,000 Sq Km Vostochny Cosmodrome First Launch Planned Dec 2015

Pictured L-R: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Russia President Vladimir Putin, Roscosmos Head Igor Komarov

Image Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence, Dmitry Rogozin, NASA, kremlin.ru

Thursday / 23 April 2015

Posted on April 22, 2015 by LED Editor

Japan Moon Plans Stimulated By Ambitions & Successes Of Asian Neighbors

JAXA Moon Program Proposal – Which Includes Announcement Of Plan To Send Robotic Lander Mission To Moon In 2018 – Cites Increased Competition For Resources On Moon, Risk Of Power Imbalance As Russia, China, India Advance Lunar Surface Development Plans; Proposal Includes Initial Phase Of Robotic Missions, Possibility Of Human Lunar Visits – Facilitated By International Cooperation – In Post-2025 2nd Phase

Image Credit: JAXA, CNSA, ISRO

Wednesday / 22 April 2015

Posted on April 21, 2015 by LED Editor

India Advancing Chandrayaan-2

Vikram Sarabhai Space Center Director M Chandra Dathan Says Chandrayaan-2 Preparations Are In Full Swing At Various ISRO Centers, Still Planning On 2017-2018 Launch; 2nd India Moon Mission Will Place Lander & Rover Near South Pole To Test New Technologies & New Experiments; Ranked 6th In Global Space Positioning – India Becoming A Role Model For Other Countries Due To Self-Reliance & Cost Effectiveness; India Spends US$3 / Per Capita On Space Technology, Compared To $7.5 For China & $123 For USA

Image Credit: ISRO, K. Murali Kumar

Tuesday / 21 April 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by LED Editor

Japan Planning Moon Landing In 2018

JAXA Reveals Plans To Become 4th Nation To Achieve Soft Moon Landing With Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) Mission ~2018; Mission Expected To Cost Between US$84-125M, Use Epsilon Solid-Fueled Rocket; Funding / Development To Begin FY 2016; Goal Is To Achieve Landing Within ~100m Of Intended Landing Site; Japan Considering SLIM Stepping Stone To Human Moon Mission & Mars Landings; India Also Planning Moon Lander In 2017 / 2018

Image Credit: JAXA

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