Friday / 19 July 2013

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

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

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

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

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 5-8 July 2013

Lunar Lander Development Through US National / Independent Partnerships

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US Space Agency Seeks Concepts For Industry-Developed Robotic Lander To Support Independent And / Or NASA Lunar Surface Missions As Early As 2018; NASA Not Offering Funds, Solely Technical Expertise, Use Of Test Facilities, Hardware / Software; Interested In Landers Capable Of Delivering Payloads Of 30-100kg & 250-450kg Range; Missions Of Interest Include Prospecting Volatiles At Lunar Poles, Sample Return; 2018 Mission Still Well After China Chang’e-3, 4, 5 (Inset) & Possibly Chang’e-6 Moon Landers.

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Tuesday / 2 July 2013

LADEE Mission Seeks Help From Amateur Astronomers

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LADEE Teaming Up With ALPO Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search Program In Call To Watch For Impacts On Moon; Dedicated Amateurs Require Telescope With Minimum 20cm Aperture, Video Recording Equipment, LunarScan Program, Ability To Continually Monitor Moon During Lunar Night; Micro-Meteoroid Issues Of Crucial Importance For Long-Duration Human Habitation Of Moon; LADEE To Launch 5 Sep, 1st Mission From Wallops Island VA To Venture Beyond LEO

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 28 Jun-1 Jul 2013

Space Month July 2013

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USA Historic Accomplishments On 20 July Make This Month Opportune Time To Advance Next Giant Leaps Into Galaxy; 1st Humans On Moon (Apollo 11 – 1969), 1st Spacecraft To Land On Another Planet (Viking 1 – 1976); To Reassert USA Leadership In Lunar / Solar System Exploration NASA Can Use Inspiration Of Space Month 2013 To Complement Bold Activities / Plans Of NewSpace Companies

 Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 28 June 2013

Funding Trips To Moon – 1st Giant Step Into Galaxy

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Universal Space Payment Initiative ‘PayPal Galactic’ Headed By PayPal, Apollo Moonworker Buzz Aldrin, Space Tourism Society, SETI Institute To Address Multi-World, Multi-Star Species; As Space & Moon Tourism Becomes Reality With GSC, SpaceX, VG, XCOR, Humans Will Need Interplanetary Payment System For Flights, E-Books, Moon-Rock Souvenirs, Pizza Deliveries In Space; Moon Travel 1st Step Toward Asteroids, Mars, Jupiter, Deep Space, Galaxy Stars

Image Credit: STS, K. Belew/CNN

Thursday / 27 June 2013

LRO Revealing History Of Lunar Exploration

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Scientists Using LROC To Identify / Image Lost Moon Probes Notes Leonard David Of Space.com; LROC PI Mark Robinson & Johns Hopkins APL Professor Jeff Plescia (Inset) Searching For Soviet & NASA Luna Probes; Detection Could Help Determine Fate Of Failed Spacecraft Such As Luna 23 & Surveyor 4, Aid In Design Of Heritage Protection Plan

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 26 June 2013

Lunar Science Conference Goes Virtual

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15-19 July 2013 NASA Lunar Science Forum To Be Broadcast Via Adobe Connect & Telecom Line; Updates On Current & Future NASA Moon Missions, Lunar Geology, Volatiles, Dust, Astrophysics From The Moon; Ben Bussey To Speak On Potential Benefits Of Human Exploration Of Poles; NLSI Will Transition To Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Later In 2013 

Image Credit: NASA, JAXA