Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 August 2014

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Lunar Plant Growth Experiment Small Step Toward Human Moon Habitation

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Small Containers Of Seeds Will Be Sent By NASA On 2015 GLXP Team Moon Lander To Evaluate If Plants Can Germinate In Low-Gravity / High Radiation Lunar Environment; ~1-kg Payload Will Contain Arabidopsis Seeds, Cameras, Sensors, Communications Equipment, 5-10 Days Of Air; Duplicate Canisters Will Be Sent To USA Schools For Comparison; If Initial Experiment Successful NASA Plans To Put Garden On Lunar Surface To See If Plants Can Survive Frigid Lunar Night & If Multiple Generations Can Continue 

Image Credit: NASA

 

Friday / 1 August 2014

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Potential Landing Sites & Tests For
China Chang’e-4 Mission

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China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Prof Ziyuan Ouyang Previews Possible Challenging & Pioneering Objectives For Chang’e-4 Moon Lander / Rover Mission: Could Land At Moon South Pole Region And / Or Mountain Top Peak Of Eternal Light Offering ~90% Illumination Year Round, Stable ~213K (-60°C) Temperatures, Plethora Of Science Benefits; Could Also Launch From Moon Surface To Different Moon Region – Or Directly To Mars, Reminiscent Of Chang’e-2 Orbiter Exploring L2, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis & Deep Space After Moon Mission

Image Credit: NASA, news.cn, CNSA

Thursday / 31 July 2014

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SLS Maiden Voyage To Deliver Cubesats To Moon

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11 Cubesats Will Be Delivered To Cislunar Space On First Uncrewed Mission Of SLS Rocket / Orion Capsule In Late 2017; 3 Missions Have Already Been Selected Including Lunar Flashlight; Led By Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC; Mission Will Utilize 80m² Solar Sail To Navigate Into A Highly Elliptical Lunar Polar Orbit That Passes Near Moon South Pole, Solar Sail Will Then Be Redirected To Shine 50kW Of Sunlight Into Shaded Craters While On-Board Spectrometer Measures Surface Reflection & Composition; Data Will Identify Sites With Ample Volatiles Near Surface Ideal For More Expansive Lander / Rover / Human Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Rob Staehle

Wednesday / 30 July 2014

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China Chang’e-5 On Schedule For 2017

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Development Of Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission “Progressing Smoothly” Says China State Administration Of Science & Technology Industry Spokesperson Zhijian Wu (L); Mission Will Be 1st Of China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) Phase 3 (Return) Missions; Probe Will Collect Regolith From Lunar Surface & Scoop Samples From Depth Of 2m, Launch And Rendezvous With Orbiter For Earth Return; Plans For Chang’e-4 Still To Be Confirmed, South Pole Landing Possible Says Ziyuan Ouyang; CLEP Educational Exhibit Opens National Tour At Hong Kong Science Museum, Features ~20 Replicas, Models & Interactive Exhibits

Image Credit: CLEP, Hong Kong Science Museum

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 July 2014

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Entrepreneurs Look To Advance Commercial Lunar Development At NewSpace 2014

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NewSpace 2014 Ongoing In Silicon Valley As Space Week / Month Continues To Provide Inspiration & Direction; Property Rights Panel With James Muncy (L) & Berin Szoka To Examine Legal Steps In-Progress / On Horizon And How They Will Help Facilitate Space Enterprise; Andy Aldrin (R) Speaks On Using Existing Technologies To Make Order Of Magnitude Improvements For Space / Lunar Access; Moon Express – Of Which Aldrin Is President – To Sponsor Panel On Commercial Development As Catalyst For Lunar Exploration

Image Credit: NewSpace 2014, Space Frontier Foundation, Moon Express

Thursday / 24 July 2014

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White House Commemorates First Moon Landing

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President Obama Received Apollo 11 Crew, Including Widow Of Neil Armstrong, At White House; Media Upset At Being Shut Out Of Meeting, Speculation That Administration Wanted To Avoid Coverage Of Armstrong Family Critique Of Obama Space Policy & Lack Of Moon Vision / Plan; Space Advocates & Policy Experts Note That USA Is Only Space Power Ignoring The Value Of Human Moon Exploration & Development; Next Wave Of Lunar Explorers Will Be Doing More Than Attaining Bragging Rights, They Will Tap Moon Resources, Establish Political / Social Paradigm Of Moon

Image Credit: Whitehouse.gov

Wednesday / 23 July 2014

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SSERVI Maintaining Strong Lunar Focus

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Day 3 At SSERVI NASA Exploration Science Forum To Feature Presentations On Human Exploration & Destination Drivers; (Pictured: L-R) Anthony Colaprete Will Preview Resource Prospector Mission To Lunar Pole; Paul Spudis To Discuss The Moon As An Enabling Asset For Spaceflight; Mark Robinson Demonstrates How LRO Data Could Support Human Lunar Exploration; Ben Bussey Overviews Illumination Conditions On Moon North Pole; Clive Neal Explains Why Lunar Exploration Should Not Be Ignored

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 22 July 2014

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SSERVI Exploration Science Forum 2014 Kicks Off Space Week

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Around 250 Experts In Planetary Science & Engineering Meeting At NASA Ames To Advance Scientific & Human Exploration Of Solar System; SSERVI Currently Composed Of 9 Teams From 7 States, Along With 7 International Partners, Totaling 243 Investigators / Collaborators Addressing Important Questions And Engineering Challenges For Upcoming Deep Space Missions; Day 1 Focus On Mission Updates, Day 2: Volatiles & Geology, Day 3: Human Exploration / Destination Drivers & Regolith / Dust; Pictured: SSERVI Director Yvonne Pendleton

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 July 2014

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Apollo 11 Moonworker Urges USA Space Program To Confront The Future

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Upon 45th Commemoration Of Historic Mission, Buzz Aldrin – Member Of First Crew To Visit Lunar Surface – Says Space Enthusiasts Need To Look Forward Rather Than Simply Reveling In “Taking Rear-View Mirror Looks At Apollo 11”; Sees Permanent Human Settlement On Mars As Kennedyesque Goal To Pursue, Acknowledges Importance Of Advancing Human & Robotic Moon Missions Through International Partnerships With China & Other Space Powers, Along With Commercial Enterprise Lunar Development; South Pole Moon Promising New Frontier For Human Exploration & Settlement

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 18 July 2014

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GLXP & NASA Focus On Moon Education, Exploration Initiatives

GLXP & NASA Education, Exploration

“Exploring Apollo Now” Google Lunar XPrize Team Hangout Q+A Hosted 22 July By Astronomer Pamela Gay Will Feature Team Stellar & GLXP Competition Judge Derek Webber; 20 July NASA ARC “Lunar and Small Bodies Graduate Conference” To Be Followed By “Next Generation Lunar Scientists & Engineers Workshop”; Morpheus Lander Planning Meetings Continue, May Fly Again Pending FY15 Funding; Astrobotic, Moon Express, Masten Working With NASA Under Lunar CATALYST Partnership Opportunity

Image Credit: GLXP, Team Stellar, NASA