Category Archives: Moon Exploration

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 March 2015

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China Chang’e-3, -4, -5 Aligning To Realize Full Potential Of Moon Program

Chang'e-3 - 5

Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover With Reconfigured Instruments To Follow Successful Chang’e-1, -2, -3 & 5-T1 Missions (2007-Present), Perhaps To Unexplored Destination Such As Moon South Pole; Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission On Track For 2017 Launch From Developing Hainan Spaceport On Long March 5 Rocket According To Chang’e Chief Cmdr / Designer Ye Peijian; Chang’e-5-T1 In Moon Orbit Testing Technologies For Chang’e-5; Chang’e-3 At 44.12°N 19.51°W May Study Lunar Terminator / Dust Dynamics, Make Other Observations During Lunar Eclipse 4 Apr & 28 Sep

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA, CCTV, Chinese Academy of Sciences, D. Davis, Chinanews.com, K. Kremer, M. Di Lorenzo, Xinhuanet.com

Friday / 6 March 2015

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Chang’e-3 Lander & Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope Still Functioning / Providing Data

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LUT Payload On China Chang’e-3 Moon Lander Sending Back Unique Stellar Images, Fully Funded For Rest Of 2015, Likely More Years Of Operation To Come; CNSA / NAOC Officials Considering Observations During Upcoming Lunar Eclipses On 4 Apr, 28 Sep, May Be Opportune Time To Acquire Milky Way Galaxy Imagery Sought By ILOA; Chang’e-3 Now In Lunar Day 16

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA

Thursday / 5 March 2015

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Team Indus Confirms Communications Partner

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Sole India GLXP Team Partners With Tata Communications; Team Indus Will Use Company’s Low-Latency Network For Final Mission Interconnection Between Deep Space & Network Stations, Also Will Handle Communications Between USA-Based Earth Stations & Command Center In India; New Delhi-Based Team Intends To Launch Mission From Sriharikota In 2016, Land 2 Rovers On Moon Surface; Team Indus Is Among Front Runners Of Competition After Winning US$1M Landing Milestone Prize

Image Credit: Team Indus, GLXP, Tata Communications

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

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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

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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

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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