Incoming ESA Director General Johann-Dietrich Wörner Wants To See Establishment Of Base On Far Side Of Moon To Enable Radio Astronomy; Current DLR Chairman Wörner Will Assume ESA Leadership On 1 Jul; China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Design Consultant Ye Peijian Says He Is Confident Country Will Accomplish Human Lunar Landings, Envisions Human Expedition To Far Side Of Moon
Image Credit: ESA, china.org.cn, NASA
Final Day Of LSA5 In Cocoa Beach FL Will Feature Russell Cox (L) Of Flexure Engineering On ‘The Lunar Initiatives’, David Dunlop (R) Of NSS On ‘International Lunar Decade’, & Presentations On The Business Of Being An Astropreneur; Other Lunar Leaders Include Bob Richards (Moon Express), Dan Hendrickson (Astrobotic), Jim Keravala (Shackleton Energy); Conference Advancing Collaborations, Ideas For Robotic Science / Resource Prospecting & Human Exploration / Settlement Missions; 5th LunarCubes Workshop To Be Held Oct 6-9 In San Jose CA; LSA5 Speech By Astronaut Cady Coleman & Panel Discussion Available
Image Credit: Flexure Engineering, NSS, Bigelow, Isaac Brekken/The New York Times/Redux/Eyevine
2nd Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum To Be Held At Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA On 21-23 Jul; Tomorrow Is Last Day To Submit Abstracts; Forum Will Feature Scientific Discussions Of Human Exploration Of Moon & Other Destinations Of Interest; Event To Be Followed By Resource Prospector Mission Meeting, Will Provide Introduction To Parameters & Capabilities Of Mission & Current Status Of Landing Site Analysis; Follow Up RPM Meeting In Conjunction With LEAG Meeting This Fall
Image Credit: NASA
Initiative Of ILEWG, NSS & University Of Latvia Seeks To Build Foundations For Permanent Human Presence Beyond LEO Through Detailed Framework Of International & Public-Private Partnerships, Legal / Property Rights Resolutions; ILD Working Group Seeking UN General Assembly Sanctioning As Global Activity, 1st Step Is COPUOS Approval, Possibly In 10-19 June 58th COPUOS Session; ILD To Be Discussed / Advanced At Upcoming Conferences In Florida USA, Frascati Italy, Toronto Canada
Image Credit: NASA, ILEWG, UN
US$504-Million LRO Mission, Costing US$12.4M To Operate Annually, Will Achieve 6 Years In Lunar Orbit This Jun; Extension Of Operations Into 2016 Still In Question; Data Set 22 – With Data Collected From Dec 2014 To Mar 2015 – Expected In Jun 2015; Slides From Recent LRO Data Users Workshop Now Available; Registration For Jul 2015 Lunar Workshops For Educators Still Open
Image Credit: NASA
GLXP Team Omega Envoy Reveals New Look For Rover “Sagan” With 3D-Printed Parts & Prepares For Testing; Lunar Lion Working To 3D Print Thruster Model For Prototype; Moon Express Developing KSC Space Launch Complex 36 For MTV-1X Lander Testing; Hakuto & Astrobotic Plan For Rideshare To Moon Late 2016 Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9; Remaining 18 Teams Work To Achieve Moon Landing Before Dec 31, 2016; Discovery Channel & Science Chanel To Air ‘Lunar XPrize’ Documentary Miniseries In 2015-16
Image Credit: GLXP, Astrobotic, Google, SpaceFlorida, Omega Envoy, Penn State Lunar Lion
5th International Workshop On Lunar Surface Applications 14-17 April In Cocoa Beach Florida Will Provide Overview Of Lunar Surface Missions That Are In Development & Opportunities They Present For Scientists & Space Entrepreneurs; Representatives From NASA Lunar Catalyst Program Participants Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten Will Present; Workshop Will Also Feature In Depth Look At Engineering & Science Of Lunar Polar ISRU & NASA Lunar Resource Prospector Mission
Image Credit: Flexure Engineering, NASA, Moon Express, Masten
Reports Surfacing That NASA Is Shifting Plans To Incorporate More Cislunar / Lunar Surface Elements Into Its “Evolvable Mars Campaign”; Chief Of NASA Human Exploration Admits Current 900-Day Direct Mars Mission Plan Not Achievable, Harnessing Reservoirs Of Ice At Lunar Poles For Rocket Fuel & Testing ISRU Technologies At Moon Is Under Consideration; NASA Officials Still Deny Lunar Surface Plans / Any Changes To Current Human Space Exploration Plan; NASA Advisory Council Human Exploration & Operations Committee Meeting In Washington DC 7-8 April
Image Credit: NASA
LADEE Results Indicate Tail Of Nanoscale Particles Trailing Moon, Likely Expelled By Asteroid Impact, <0.001g / Square Meter; LADEE Spectrometer PI Says Phenomenon Could Offer New Way To Study Surface Of Airless Planetary Bodies, “Collect Their Tails Rather Than Landing On Them”; Moon RIDERS Educational Project Testing System To Remove Lunar Dust From Moon Lander Equipment Using High Voltage Square Waves Being Tested At NASA Ames; Project Is Collaboration Of Hawai`i High Schools, NASA, GLXP Teams, PISCES
Image Credit: NASA, kealakeherobotics.org
Space Agency Leaders Of NASA & Roscosmos Confirm Intention To Work Together On Exploration Of Moon & Mars; Roscosmos Chief Igor Komarov Acknowledges More Tasks Can Be Solved & Expenses Saved By Acting Together, Says Deep Space Exploration & Protection Of Earth From Space Threats Must Be Solved By ‘Entire Humanity’; The 2 Countries Will Collaborate On ISS Until 2024, Will Not Build Another Station In NEO, Discussing Potential Cooperation On New Space Station In Lunar Orbit
Image Credit: gaetanomarano.it, Roscosmos, NASA