Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Wednesday / 4 March 2015

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China New Spaceport Critical To Safeguard China Lunar Rights

HainanPlaque

Wenchang Launch Center In Hainan China Will Be Used For Robotic & Human Missions To Moon; China Officials Expect Human Moon Mission Around 2025; Country Leaders See The Launch Center & Moon Program As Critical For “Safeguarding China’s Lunar Rights” According To Plaque In Hainan; Center Is Designed To Handle 10-12 Rocket Launches Per Year, 19-Degree Latitude Allows For Heavier Launches Such As Heavy-Lift Booster Long March-5 Later This Year

Image Credit: CNSA, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27 Feb – 2 Mar 2015

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Hawai`i High Schools To Develop, Test & Fly New Technology To Moon Surface

MoonRIDERS0215

Hawaii High Schools Kealakehe & `Iolani Selected For Moon RIDERS (Research Investigating Dust Expulsion Removal Systems) Student Lunar Flight Experiment; Schools Will Build & Test A Technology Called Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS), System That Generates Electric Current To Remove Corrosive Dust Particles From Spacesuits And Spacecraft; Students Will Test Mock-up Spacecraft Equipped With EDS At PISCES Analog Test Site On Mauna Kea, Hawaii Island Beginning 16 Mar

Image Credit: PISCES, NASA

Friday / 27 February 2015

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Russia Asserts Plans To Land Humans On
Moon By 2030

Russia Moon 2030

 Roscosmos Announces That It Expects To Begin Landing Humans On Moon By 2030, Continued Missions May Set Up Lunar Base Infrastructures; Plans To Launch Luna-26 Polar Orbiter 2018, Luna-27 Lander To Moon South Pole 2019, Luna-28 Sample Return Mission To Moon South Pole 2020, Luna-29 Lander 2021; Russia Independent Space Station May Serve As Transport Point For Moon Missions

Image Credit: Roscosmos, IKI, NASA

Wednesday / 25 February 2015

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Lunar Science Talk Demonstrates
Value Of Moon Exploration

UAscience

Principal Investigator Of GRAIL Mission, Maria Zuber, Will Give Presentation On Recent Discoveries Concerning The Interior Of The Moon, Thurs 26 Feb At University Of Arizona; Host Of International Lunar Orbiters / Landers Continuing To Advance Understanding Of The History & Potential Future Significance Of Earth’s Closest Neighbor; Currently NASA Has 3 Spacecraft Orbiting Moon (LRO, ARTEMIS), China Currently Has An Orbiter (Chang’e-5 T1), Lander & Rover (Chang’e-3 / Yutu) At Moon

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Tuesday / 24 February 2015

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Independent Moon Missions Advancing

Independent Moon MissionsTeam Hakuto Of Japan Announces It Is Teaming Up With Astrobotic To Land Rovers On Moon; Astrobotic Hopes To Carry Rovers From Several Teams On Its Griffin Lander, Setting Up An Actual 500-M Race To Win The US$20M GLXP; More Teams In Talks With Astrobotic About Ride-Share Possibilities; Team Hakuto Intends To Explore Lunar Skylights With Rovers Moonraker & Tetris; ILOA Also Advancing Mission To Land Observation / Communication Payload Near Moon South Pole Through Southeast Asia Meetings Including Galaxy Forum In Thailand Today

Image Credit: Astrobotic, Hakuto, NARIT, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 February 2015

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Moon South Pole Mission Opportunities Draw Southeast Asia Leaders To Series Of Events

GFSEA15_0215

Galaxy Forum Southeast Asia Events In Bandung, Indonesia On Sat 21 Feb & In Bangkok, Thailand On Tues 24 Feb Bring Together Leaders In Astronomy & Space Exploration To Evaluate How Southeast Asia Countries Can Advance Their Space / Astronomy Initiatives And Bring More Of The Subsequent Benefits To The People; ILOA, Co-sponsor Of The Events, Will Be Presenting Opportunities For These Countries To Potentially Participate In Its Missions To The Moon South Pole To Conduct Observations & Communications; A Special ILOA Southeast Asia Executive Meeting Will Follow On Thurs 26 Feb In Singapore

Image Credit: ILOA, galaxyforum.org, ITB, NARIT

Friday / 20 February 2015

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India May Boost Space Spending
For Fiscal Year 2015-16 India ISRO

Increase In India Space Budget 2015-16, Similar To 50% Increase Of 2014-15, Could Help Program Continue Its Momentum, Build Upon Successes Of 2014; Planning & Budget Allocation Underway For India Fiscal Year Beginning 1 Apr; ISRO Developing Indigenously Built GSLV-Mk 3 – Key To Reducing Launch Cost & Launching Heavy Spacecraft Such As Lander & Rover Chandrayaan-2 To Moon In 2016-17 & Human CARE Capsule; Working On Astronomical Laboratory (Astrosat), Venus & Solar Missions, Potential 2nd Mars Mission, & Infrastructure / Construction At Sriharikota Launch Site

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA

Thursday / 19 February 2015

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South Korea Unveils Moon Rover

SKoreaRover0215

Korea Institute Of Science & Technology Displays Moon Rover Destined For Lunar Landing In 2020; Rover Is 50cm Wide, 70cm Long, 25cm High, Weighs 20kg (China Yutu Moon Rover Is 120kg); Project Elevated As National Objective By President Park Geun-Hye; Mission – Which Also Includes A Moon Orbiter – Expected To Cost ~US$630M; 2 Separate Launches Of Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 Will Boost The Orbiter & Lander

Image Credit: Korea Institute Of Science & Technology, Korea.net

Wednesday / 18 February 2015

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McMurdo On Moon Conference:
Analog For Moon Settlement

McMurdoMoon0215

Space Horizons 2015: McMurdo On The Moon Conference On 18-19 February At Brown University, Providence RI; Experts In Planetary Science & Antarctica Research Come Together To Examine How Antarctica Facilities Can Be Utilized As A Fully Operational Model For Sustainable Human Exploration Of Moon & Mars; Speakers Include (L-R) Pete Worden Of NASA Ames, Marco Lisi Of ESA, David Marchant Of Boston University & James Head Of Brown University; Event Will Feature 3D CAVE Tour Of Moon; Between 1,000-4,500 Researchers Live & Work In Antarctica At Any Given Time

Image Credit: Space Horizons, NASA, ESA, Boston University, Brown University

 

 

Tuesday / 17 February 2015

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China Advancing Preparations For Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission

Chang'eLM5

Next Generation Heavy-Lift Rocket, Long March-5, Engines Pass Successful Ground Test According To SASTIND; First Test Flight Planned For 2016; Booster Able To Lift 25 Metric Tons To LEO, 14 To GTO, Key Element For Lunar Sample Return Mission Chang’e-5; Service Module Of Chang’e-5 T1 Mission Currently In Orbit Around Moon, Still Providing China Lunar Exploration Program With Opportunities To Prepare For Sample Return Including Recent Experiment To Test Orbital Operational Capabilities

Image Credit: CNSA, CCTV