Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 November 2014

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Hawai`i Island Hosting ‘The Next Giant Leap’ Moon Conference

NGLC Hawaii

Hawaii Conference On Leveraging Lunar Assets For Sustainable Pathways To Space 9-13 November At Waikoloa Marriott Will Highlight Benefits / Opportunities / Technologies For Making Use Of Cislunar Space & Moon Resources, Multinational Private-Public Missions & Goals, Extending Human Presence Throughout Solar System; Featured Guests Include (L-R, T-B) Buzz Aldrin, Louis Friedman, Bob Richards, Bruce Pittman, Jim Keravala, Jim Crisafulli, Senator Will Espero

Image Credit: PISCES, UH Hilo, SFF, Telegraph, ME, NSS, et al

Thursday / 6 November 2014

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Bootstrapping A Moon Base

Metzger1114

In 3-Part Interview, Former NASA KSC Research Physicist Philip Metzger Outlines How NASA / Global Private / Public Community Could Begin Today To Develop Sustainable Lunar Base With Fraction Of Current Budget; Plan Relies On Robotic Manufacturing / Extracting Of Resources In Space To Reduce Launch Mass, Advance Immediate Payback Opportunities, Spread Cost & Development Over Extended Period Of Time; Progressive Robotic Technological Development In Cislunar Space Could Bring Benefits To Life On Earth While Facilitating Settlement Of Solar System & Beyond

Image Credit: NASA, PhilipMetzger.com

Wednesday / 5 November 2014

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USA Advancing Moon Resource Prospecting Missions

NASARPMflashlight

2 Separate NASA Moon Missions Seek To Advance Human Capacity To Live Off-World; Lunar Flashlight PI Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC Says Solar Sail Orbiter Mission, With The Goal Of Obtaining Data Of Purity & Accessibility Of Lunar Volatiles, May Launch On Debut SLS Flight In Late 2017; Resource Prospector Mission Project Scientist Tony Colaprete Of NASA Ames Says Rover Mission Will Map & Collect Samples Of Surface / Subsurface Hydrogen At 2 Yet-To-Be-Determined Polar Sites; Demonstration Of ISRU Could Facilitate Human Moon Settlement

Image Credit: NASA

 

Tuesday / 4 November 2014

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China Becomes 3rd Nation To Conduct
Round Trip Moon Mission

Xiaofei

Continuing Its Methodical Approach To Lunar Development, China Successfully Recovers Chang’e-5 Test Probe ‘Xiaofei’ After Its 840,000-km Journey & Landing In Inner Mongolia; Probe Was Intact, Though Charred From Reentry Heat; Host Platform Dodged Earth And Headed Back Out Into Space To Continue Operations After Releasing Reentry Test Probe; Next Mission, Chang’e-4 Lander May Become First Craft To Soft Land On Lunar South Pole, Will Help Prove Systems Required For More Ambitious Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, NET 2017

Image Credit: Xinhua

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 October – 3 November 2014

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LRO Advancing Observation Plan For 2nd
2-Year Extended Mission

LRO10-1114

Search & Discovery Of LADEE Impact Crater (R) Allowed LROC Team To Test Recently Developed Computer Tool To Search Narrow Angle Camera Before & After Images For New Craters; Technique Will Facilitate One Of The Objectives For 2nd LRO Extended Mission: Determine How Many Small Meteorites Hitting Moon & Their Effects; LRO Has Collected Over 528.75 TB Of Data Since 2009 Arrival In Lunar Orbit; Orbiter Now Set To Take Oblique Image Of Euler Crater (L) After Preparatory -58 Degree Roll; Instrument PIs Planning Next Observations

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 31 October 2014

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India Public, Private Moon Missions 2015-2016

ISRO, Indus Moon Missions

India ISRO Satellite Centre Director S. Shiva Kumar Says Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Launching To Moon 2016 Will Enable Spacecraft Development For Proposed 2nd Mars Mission In 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Rocket, Expected To Launch Again First Half Of Dec, Vital For High-Mass Moon, Mars, Deep Space & Human Missions; Privately-Funded GLXP Team Indus Aiming For Moon 2015, Integrating Engineering Model Of Lander & Prototype Of Rover, Needs To Secure PSLV Launch & US$35M

Image Credit: ISRO, Team Indus

Tuesday / 28 October 2014

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LRO CRaTER Highlighting Dangers Of Space Environment

CRaTER1014

Data From CRaTER Instrument Aboard LRO Orbiter Demonstrating Impact Of Abnormal & Extended Lack Of Solar Activity; Since 2006 – Longest Solar Minimum / Weakest Solar Activity Is Bringing About Highest Intensities Of Galactic Cosmic Rays Witnessed Since Beginning Of Space Age Says CRaTER PI Nathan Schwadron Of UNH; Trend Reducing Allowable Days For Human Deep Space Exploration By 20%; Lunar Exploration – Short Transit & Possibilities For Underground Habitation – More Feasible Than Deep Space / Mars Exploration With Current Technology

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 October 2014

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China Moon Missions Opening Path To Human Exploration Of Lunar South Pole

ChinaSouthPoleMoon1014

Chang’e-5-T1 Mission Successfully Enters Circumlunar Course, Set To Obtain Experimental Data, Validate ‘Skip-Reentry’ Technique & Technologies In Preparation For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, Land In Inner Mongolia Around 1 Nov; China Officials Report Next Moon Lander Chang’e-4 Also Set To Advance Technologies For Sample Return Mission While Accomplishing New Feat – South Pole Landing Would Achieve Both Of These Objectives While Helping To Open Up Promising New Frontier To Eventual Human Settlement

Image Credit: Xinhua, NASA

 

Friday / 24 October 2014

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Stanford On The Moon:
2014 Homecoming Reunion Conference

SOM 2014 Reuninon Conference

SOM 2014 Conference With The Themes “Sustaining & Realizing The Vision: The Next 50-75 Years” And “Who Owns The Moon?” Will Feature Dr. Bob Richards Of Moon Express Inc. & Steve Durst Of SOM, SPC / ILOA On Friday 24 Oct From 15:00-17:00 PDT; SOM Focuses On Significant Lunar Presence & Center For Stanford University In The 21st Century

Image Credit: ILOA, NASA, Moon Express, Stanford University

Wednesday / 22 October 2014

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MIT Centennial Symposium: Future Directions / Past Achievements In Space Exploration

MIT100

Innovators Advancing Next Giant Leaps Into Solar System Will Join With Heroes Of Past Space Missions Today To Celebrate 100 Years Of MIT Aero / Astronautics Contributions; Panel Of Apollo Astronauts – Featuring MIT Alumnus Buzz Aldrin – To Discuss Experiences On Moon; Northrup Grumman CEO Wes Bush & MIT Professor Maria Zuber Will Speak On The Autonomous / Intelligent Systems That Will Enable  Long-Duration, Cost-Effective Robotic Planetary Missions; Event To Conclude On Friday After Panel Of MIT Alumni Shuttle / ISS Astronauts Including Jeff Hoffman (L) Speak About Future Of Human Spaceflight

Image Credit: MIT