Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Friday / 12 December 2014

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China Chang’e-4 Mission To
Moon South Pole?

Chang'e-4 MSP

Building Upon Success Of Chang’e-3 Mission, Backup Craft Chang’e-4 Could Be Launched 2015-2016 To Potentially Ignite The Race To New Frontier Of Exploration – Moon South Pole; With Other Nations / Private & Public Ventures Considering South Pole For Scientific Research, Resources Mapping & Mining, And Human Base Build Out, Chang’e-4 Could Provide Valuable Data As 1st Mission To Lunar Pole For Landing, Communications & Solar Power Technologies

Image Credit: CNSA, CCTV, NASA

Thursday / 11 December 2014

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China Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope Continues To Prove Value Of Astronomy From Moon

LUT1214

Now In Lunar Day 13, Approaching 1    Year Of Operations On Moon, Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) On Chang’e-3 Lander Still Providing Unprecedented Opportunities For Astronomical Observations; 150-mm Telescope Is First Long-Term Observatory To Take Advantage Of Thin Atmosphere, Slow Rotation Of Moon Which Allows Long-Duration Uninterrupted Observations Of Variable Stars, Galaxies, etc.; Attempting To Image Galaxy M101 As Part Of Collaboration / MOU With ILOA, ILOA Will Subsequently Provide Observation Time To NAOC / CNSA On Its Upcoming ILO-X Precursor & ILO-1 Polar Missions

Image Credit: NAOC, CNSA, ILOA

Wednesday / 10 December 2014

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Astronaut Hadfield: We Are Going To The Moon Next, “Because It Just Makes Sense”

HadfieldMoon

Canada Astronaut Chris Hadfield Says Moon Is Logical Next Stop For Human Space Explorers; Just 3 Days Away Moon Provides Ideal Environment To Develop & Test Technologies That Will Be Needed To Explore Mars & Beyond; Hadfield Praises NASA Work On Orion, Says Next Big Step Should Be To Construct Permanent Lunar Base; Criticizes Mars One Mission, Comparing It To 1845 Northwest Passage Expedition: “If We Started Going To Mars Any Time Soon Everybody Would Die”; Comments Made To Royal Geographical Society In London

Image Credit: NASA, futuretimeline.net

Tuesday / 9 December 2014

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China Super-Heavy Launch Vehicle Will Enhance Human Moon Mission Capability

LongMarch9-Moon

China Academy Of Launch Vehicle Technology Head Li Tongyu Confirms Work Is Underway To Define Technological Feasibility & Requirements Of Long March-9 (LM-9) Super-Heavy Rocket; New Rocket Will Facilitate Human Moon Missions & Deep Space Exploration; Projected To Have 8-10-m Diameter, Launch Weight Of 3,000 Metric Tons, Max Payload Capacity Of 130 Metric Tons (Equal To NASA SLS); 1st Launch Of Long March-9 Expected In 2028; Currrent Rocket – LM-5 Can Facilitate Human Moon Mission Now, Yet Would Require 4 Launches As Opposed To 1 LM-9 Launch

Image Credit: CALT, CNSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 December 2014

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International Space University LM1 Participation Inspires Students

ISUlm1

ISU Participation In Lunar Mission One (LM1) Exemplifies Potential Of Inspirational Education; 47 ISU MSc Students From Around World Carrying Out Preliminary Mission Design For Near-Term Lunar Orbiting Cubesat To Photograph Moon Surface – Specifically Including LM1 South Pole Landing Site; Satellite Will Send Pictures Back To Earth For Space Education / Outreach, & To Raise Global Awareness Of LM1 – Which Is Planned To Land & Drill To At Least 20m, Analyze 4.5B Year Old Rocks, & Analyze Viability Of Permanent Human Base At Moon South Pole

Image Credit: ISU, Lunar Mission One

Thursday / 4 December 2014

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ESA Affirms Moon Is A Key Exploration Destination

ESAMinisters1214

In 1-Day Council Meeting At Ministerial Level In Luxembourg, Ministers Of 20 ESA Member States Adopted 3 Resolutions: Development Of Ariane 6 & Vega C Rockets, Confirmation Of Vision For ESA Through 2030, & Resolution On 3 Destinations For Exploration – LEO, Moon & Mars; All 3 Destinations Viewed As Part Of Single Process by Maximizing Technology / System Synergies & Maximizing Benefits Of Robotic & Human Exploration; ESA Also Looking To Participate In International Human-Tended Space Infrastructure Development Beyond 2020

Image Credit: ESA

Wednesday / 3 December 2014

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Demand For Moon Mining On The Rise

FuelDepots1214

Moon Mining Beneficial For Future Exploration & Economic Development Of Moon Through ISRU, Advancing Cislunar Space / Solar System Exploration With Fuel Depots, Satisfying Terrestrial Demand For Rare Resources; Ian Crawford, Science Advisor Of UK Lunar Mission One Project, Argues That Providing Products For Cislunar Infrastructure Is Most Compelling / Economically Viable Application In Near Future; Russia Indicates Importing Rare Earth Elements To Earth Is A Primary Goal Of Its Moon Mining Plans, Backed By US$2.5B In Private / State Funding

Image Credit: NASA, Birkbeck University

Tuesday / 2 December 2014

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China Places Lunar Orbiter Service Module At L2

ChinaServiceL2

Service Module Of Chang’e-5 Test Probe Successfully Arrives At The Earth-Moon 2nd Lagrange Point, 421,000 Km From Earth & 63,000 Km From Moon; Based On Design Of Chang’e-2 & 3, The Service Module Will Eventually Be Moved To Lunar Orbit To Verify Chang’e-5 Tasks Related To Flight Control Technology; State Administration Of Science, Technology & Industry For National Defense Reports That All Experiments Are Going Well

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 27 Nov – 1 Dec 2014

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CubeQuest Challenge To Advance Lunar Exploration

CubeQuest1114

With New Centennial Challenge NASA Offers 1st In-Space Competition & Largest Prize Ever; CubeQuest Challenge Offers 3 Separate Prizes: 4 (US$500K) Ground Tournaments To Qualify For Flight On First SLS Launch, Deep Space Derby $1.5M Prize To Demonstrate Communication / Durability At >400,000,000 Km From Earth, Lunar Derby $3M For Placing CubeSat In Stable Lunar Orbit & Demonstrating Communications / Durability; Program Manager Eric Eberly Says Contest Could Dramatically Improve Affordability Of Space Missions & Increase Research Possibilities

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 26 November 2014

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First Africa Moon Mission Seeks To Inspire / Stimulate Growth In Continent

Africa2Moon1114

South Africa-Based Foundation For Space Development Announces First Africa Moon Mission; Africa2Moon Mission Will Be Crowdfunded Campaign To Send Lander Or Orbiter To Moon; Group Hopes To Raise US$150K For Phase 1 Mission Concept / Feasibility Study (Jan-Nov 2015); Team To Include Experts From Africa Universities / Industries, & International Space Experts; Mission Administrators Peter Martinez & Jonathan Weltman Hope Mission Can Highlight & Nurture Often Overlooked Positive Africa Aspects: Quickly Growing Economy, Young Enterprising Population

Image Credit: Foundation For Space Development, Africa2Moon