Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Tuesday / 30 July 2013

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Sustained Presence On Moon Suggested By US Space Agency Leader

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 Lori Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator, Seems To Flip Flop On Previous Comments Re Moon Plans; Speaking At NewSpace 2013 Garver Says Asteroid & Moon Complimentary, Not Competitive Target Destinations; NASA Has “Increased Focus On Sustainable Lunar Activity”; Contrasted With Recent Comment That Agency Has No Funds For Lunar Activity; Likely Influenced By US House Republicans Calling For Sustained Human Presence On Both Moon & Mars

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 26-29 July 2013

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Zero Point Frontiers Aids Golden Spike Moon Mission Design

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Golden Spike Company Human Lunar Missions Plan Advanced Through Zero Point Frontiers Corp Architecture Analysis; Company Identified Several Combinations Of Vehicles That Can Support Golden Spike Mission, Using Beyond LEO Architecture Sizing Tool (BLAST) Software It Developed For NASA; Report Provided GSC With Confidence In Technical Approach / Business Model; GSC Will Soon Issue Request For Proposal To Select Launch / Space Vehicle Providers

Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, Zero Point Frontiers Corp

Friday / 26 July 2013

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GLXP Proposes New Achievement-Based Cash Prizes

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23 Remaining Google Lunar X Prize Teams May Be Able To Receive Additional Cash Prizes Totaling US$14M; Current GLXP Prizes Total $30M; Proposing $7M Split Between 1st Teams To Successfully Launch, $1M For 1st Team To Reach 500-Km Moon Altitude & Eight $750K Prizes Available Prior To Launch – 4 For Complete Designs With Power, Navigation, Hardware Plans, 4 For Complete Camera Subsystem Designs

Image Credit: GLXP, NASA, Xinhua/Y. Yan, SpaceX, Teams: Indus, Penn State, Selenokhod, ARCA

Thursday / 25 July 2013

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Successful GSLV Launch Essential To Put India Lunar Program Back On Track

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 ISRO Confirms Next Flight Test Of GSLV Rocket For 19 Aug 2013, After Team Of Experts Including UR Rao Gave Go-Ahead; Agency Conducted 35 Ground Tests Since The Indigenous Cryogenic Stage Failed In 2 Previous 2010 Flight Tests; Rocket Can Place 2200 Kg Into 18° GTO; Functional GSLV Required For India To Continue Chandrayaan Moon Program; India Recently Decided To Conduct NET 2015 Moon Lander Mission Alone, Was Originally Proposed As India-Russia Venture 

Image Credit: ISRO

Tuesday / 23 July 2013

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Moon Express Opens Huntsville AL Propulsion Development Facility

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New Moon Express (ME) Facility In Huntsville AL Now Operational Says Chief Propulsion Engineer Tim Pickens; Several Propulsion Milestones Already Achieved Including Test Firing Green 1780-Newton Demo Rocket Engine, Developing Mono-Prop & Bi-Prop Propulsion In 0.44-4450-Newton Thrust Class For ME Lander; ME Seeking To Land 1st Commercial Spacecraft On Moon In 2015

Image Credit: Moon Express

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 19-22 July 2013

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Golden Spike To Lunar South Pole?

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To Be True Leaders / Pioneers In 21st Century Lunar Exploration Golden Spike Company May Focus On Ideal Destination For Enabling 1st Permanent Off-World Settlement: Moon South Pole; Plentiful Ice Water / Resources For ISRU In Permanently Shadowed Craters / Aitken Basin, Relatively Stable Temperature, Access To Near-Continuous Sunlight To Power Long-Duration Missions & Permanent Settlements; GSC Working To Achieve Commercial Human Moon Missions By End Of Decade

Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, NASA

Friday / 19 July 2013

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Commemorating Space Exploration Day

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Frontiers Of Flight Museum In Dallas TX Hosting 5th Annual Moon Day Event On Sat 20 July, Celebrating 1st Lunar Landing While Exciting Youth About Current Space Activities & Inspiring Them To Shape Future Of Space Exploration; Utah NSS Chapter Organizing Petition To Establish 20 July – Space Exploration Day – As Legal Non-Paid USA Holiday, Requesting Presidential Executive Order With Accompanying Vision For Human Return To Moon / Future In Space

Image Credit: NASA, Frontiers of Flight Museum, NSS

Thursday / 18 July 2013

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ILO Mission Demonstrates Rising Importance Of Moon South Pole Destination

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South Pole Destination Of NET 2016 ILO-Moon Express Lunar Mission Selected To Ensure Long-Duration Nature Of Mission – Thermal Environment (~-50°C) / Solar Power Access On Malapert Mountain / PEL, Continuous Line Of Sight To Earth For Commercial Communications, Ability To Image Milky Way Galaxy Center; ILO Also To Observe & Report Human Lunar Buildout, Private & Public Parties Pointing To South Pole / Aitken Basin – With Prevalent Water Ice / Mineral Deposits – As Ideal Location For Development 

Image Credit: ILOA, Moon Express, NASA

Wednesday / 17 July 2013

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Pioneering A New Frontier: ILOA Teaming With Moon Express For South Pole Moon Mission

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Moon Express Agrees To Deliver The International Lunar Observatory To Malapert Mountain, Near Moon South Pole, NET 2016; ILO Will Consist Of A 2-Meter Dish To Conduct Radio Astronomy / Astrophysics, Galaxy 1st Light Imaging & Commercial Communications Including Broadcasting Space Calendar Weekly; Moon Express Intends To Conduct Prospecting Of Local Area To Identify Mineral Resources & Water For Future Mining Missions 

Image Credit: ILOA, Moon Express

Friday / 12 July 2013

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Astrobotic Reduces Moon Payload Delivery Cost

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GLXP Team Astrobotic Technologies Inc. Offers 30% Price Reduction For Payload Delivery To Moon Aboard Its Lunar Lander / Rover With Launch Set Oct 2015 Via SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket; US$99K/kg For Trans-Lunar Injection, $1.2M/kg For Lunar Surface Delivery On Lander, $2M/kg On Rover; Lander & Rover Will Power & Support Payload Operations For 10 Days, Then Hibernate For 14-Day Lunar Night & Recover After Sunrise, Continue Operations

Image Credit: Astrobotic