Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 March 2015

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Golden Spike Company Progressing Towards Commercial Human Lunar Missions

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GSC Optimisitic 2015 Will See Advancement Of Business Plan / Lunar Mission Development; Board Of Directors Newly Reconfigured – With New Members (L-R) NASA Astronaut Terence Henricks & Dylan Taylor Of Space Angels Network – To Reflect Increased Focus On Fundraising For Human Moon Missions; Gerald Griffin, Doug Griffith, Alan Stern, Taber MacCallum Continue In Director Positions; Additional Meetings With Potential Asian Customers Likely In 2015; Company Working To Implement Human Space Transportation Systems To The Moon At Commercially Successful Price Points

Image Credit: GSC, LinkedIn, NASA, Paragon

Friday / 27 March 2015

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ARM Project To Revive NASA Human Missions To Cislunar SpaceARM

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Under Development By NASA To Launch Humans To Moon Orbit, While Private Companies Such As Golden Spike Aim For Moon Surface 2018-2020s; US$1.25B Robotic Mission To Launch Dec 2020, Travel 2 Years To Asteroid (Potentially 2008 EV5), Spend 400 Days Searching For 4-Meter Diameter Boulder, Bring Selected Boulder To Moon Orbit; Astronauts Will Then Launch 2025 To Moon Orbit, Dock With & Study Rock Via SLS / Orion; Additional Cislunar / Moon Surface Missions Under Consideration

Image Credit: NASA, Boeing Co., New Scientist

Thursday / 26 March 2015

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New Russia Cosmodrome Key For Lunar Plans

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With Over US$5B Investment, Russia Leaders Making Every Effort To Complete New Vostochny Spaceport & Begin Initial Steps Of New Moon Program; 885-Square Km Facility Will Have 7 Launch Pads & 25,000-Person ‘Satellite City’ For Rocket Scientists; Delays & Corruption Threatening Timeline For 1st Soyuz Launch, Projected Dec 2015; Site Will Be Critical For Russia Goal Of Creating Permanent Base On Moon By 2035, Likely At North Pole; Russia Leaders Foresee International Competition For The Limited Amount Of Locations Ideal For Moon Base Development

Pictured: (R) Russia President Vladimir Putin, (L) Deputy Premier Dmitry Rogozin

Image Credit: Siberian Times

Wednesday / 25 March 2015

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Mojave Volatiles Prospector Preparing For
Lunar Polar Mission

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MVP Project Using 3 Instruments – Near Infrared & Visible Spectrometer, Neutron Spectrometer Subsystem, And Downward Facing GroundCam – On KREX-2 Rover To Advance Robotic Volatile Prospecting Methods For Use At Lunar Poles; Tests Conducted In Mojave Desert Lunar Analog Site; Small Field Team In Mojave & Operational Team At NASA Ames Simulating Real-Time Analysis & Decision Making Needed For Moon Mission; Project Driven By Likelihood Of Water Ice Deposits In Permanently Shadowed Craters At Lunar Poles Colder Than 40K

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 19 March 2015

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LRO Revealing Changing Surface Features On Moon

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Continues To Provide Valuable Data From Lunar Orbit; Probe Has Acquired 10,000 Before & After Image Pairs Of Lunar Surface Since It Began Mapping Moon In Summer 2009; 225 New Impact Craters Ranging From 1.5m – 43m Identified; Recent Discovery Of 18.8m Crater From March 17, 2013 Impact Provided Valuable Opportunity To Test Impact Models & Study Top Meter Of Regolith

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 18 March 2015

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China Initiating Commercial Space Industry Through Chang’e-4 Opportunities

 ChinaCommercial

Private Enterprises Encouraged To Participate In China Chang’e-4 Lunar Probe / Lander Mission; China Officials Hope This Initial Step To Stimulate Commercial Space Industry Will Accelerate Technological Innovation, Improve Efficiency, Reduce Government Monopoly / Investment In Space Field, & Garner More Popular Support / Involvement; Private Companies Encouraged To Begin With Optical Instruments Before Moving To More Complex Remote-Control & Power Supply Equipment

Image Credit:CCTV, CLEP

Tuesday / 17 March 2015

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Africa2Moon Issues Call For Mission Concepts

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Africa2Moon Organizers Seeking To Identify Future Scientific Mission Objectives, Garner Increased Attention & Participation In Moon Mission Through Call For Proposals; Call Is Open To Individuals & Entities Worldwide, Though At Least Half Of Each Teams’ Members Must Be Based In Africa; Proposals Can Address Any Question Of Space Or Lunar Science, Achievable With Current Skills, Capabilities, Resources In Africa; Submissions Due By 30 Jun; Pictured: Africa2Moon Mission Administrator Peter Martinez

Image Credit: Africa2Moon, NASA

Friday / 13 March 2015

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The Moon: It Keeps Coming Around

Bolden Talk

Our Moon Luna – Greatest Advance For American Human Enterprise, And Source Of Vast Power / Material / Inspiration Resources For Future Generations – Remains Missing In NASA Prospectus; Current Administration Continues To Preside Over Greatest Retreat In U.S. National History, As India, China, And American Pioneers Commit To Seeing Humanity Again A Multi World Species, Asap

Image Credit: NASA, GDFC, B.Hrybyk, Kahilu Theater

Wednesday / 11 March 2015

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India Space Budget Indicates GSLV & Chandrayaan-2 Remain Top Priorities

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ISRO Allocated US$1.2B For Space Activities In 2015-2016 Fiscal Year (Begins 1 Apr); Budget Includes $50M For Continued Development / Operation Of GSLV Mk-3 Which Is Capable Of Lifting 4 Metric Tons To GTO, Critical For Next Steps Of Moon Program & Carrying Out India Human Space Missions According To Former ISRO Director Suresh Naik; $47M For Space Science, Including $6.3M For Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Rover / Orbiter Should Land At Moon South Pole 2017 / 2018; India Is Garnering A Reputation For Accomplishing Challenging Space Missions With Efficient / Frugal Budget

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA

Tuesday / 10 March 2015

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New NASA Moon Rocket Advancing

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ATK Is Set To Conduct First Full-Scale Qualification Static Motor Test For NASA Heavy-Lift Space Launch System Wednesday 11 March In Promontory UT; 2-Minute Test Will Burn 628,225kg Of Solid Propellant In The Two 54-Meter-Long Engines, Producing 1.6 Million Kg Of Force; Rocket – Along With Orion Crew Capsule – Will Be Critical For New Era Of USA Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration; First 2 Test Flights (2018 & 2021) Likely To Include Circumlunar Voyage

Image Credit: NASA, ATK