Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 14-17 June 2013

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Google Lunar X PRIZE Update: Barcelona Moon, Summit 2014

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Barcelona Moon Team Developing Baseline Plan For Mission Build, Integration, Launch Logistics; Lander Module Structure To Be Built In Spain, Sent To China For Propulsion System Integration, Back to Spain For Electronics Integration & AIT Campaign, Again To China For Assembly On Top Of Long March 2C-CTS2 For Launch NET June 2014; Penn State Lunar Lion Team Bid To Host 2014 Summit At University Park, Pennsylvania, USA Bolstered By Support From Senator Pat Toomey

Image Credit: BMT, Penn State Lunar Lion

Thursday / 13 June 2013

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ILOA – China Collaborate On Moon Telescope Observations

ILOA, China NAOC

ILO-X 180 X 70mm Telescope Built For ILOA Of Hawaii USA By Moon Express Launching To Moon 2015; Will Observe Galaxies, Stars, Planets, Moon, Earth; ILOA MoU With National Astronomical Observatories of China Enables Exchange Of ILO-X Observing Time With Lunar Telescope On Chang’e-3 Launching Late 2013; Also Collaborating With Golden Spike Co For Human Moon Missions (2018-2020); Learn More At Galaxy Forum China 22 Sep ‘Human Moon Missions: Giant Steps Into The Galaxy’

Image Credit: ILOA, NAOC

Wednesday / 12 June 2013

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CRaTER Reveals Plastics Provide Lightweight Radiation Shielding

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Researchers At University of New Hampshire & SwRI Report That Data From LRO’s CRaTER Validates Computer Models Which Indicate Lightweight Materials Offer Superior Shielding From Radiation; Lead Author Cary Zeitlin Of SwRI Calls Plastics “Pound-For-Pound More Effective For Shielding Against Cosmic Radiation Than Aluminum”; These Lower Mass Alternatives Open The Door To Deep Space Missions & A Permanent Human Presence On The Surface Of The Moon

Image Credit: NASA, SwRI, UNH

Tuesday / 11 June 2013

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USA Moon Missions: Discussions Continue

Lunar Support

Cis-Lunar Development & Human Moon Mission Support Heard At Recent USA House Science, Space & Technology’s Subcommittee Meeting; (Pictured From Left To Right) Lamar Smith (R-TX) & Donna Edwards (D-MD) Say Moon Missions Prepare Us For Mars; Paul Spudis (LPI) Claims Human Moon Missions Can Provide Valuable Research On Space Objects, Material & Energy Resources; Steven Squyres (Cornell) Says Cis-Lunar Space Should Be Developed Next, Regardless Of Asteroid Retrieval Mission Feasibility

Image Credit: NASA, P. Spudis

Friday / 7 June 2013

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Russia Ramping Up Space Spending, Reasserting Lunar Direction

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Roscosmos Director Vladimir Popovkin Announces Decision To Increase Russia Space Budget To Surpass That Of China, Equal ESA; Russia Traditionally Spends 40% Of ROSCOSMOS Budget On Human Spaceflight, Now Seeking To Revamp Applications Satellite Investment; Lunar Exploration Remains High Priority As Country Seeks To Get Back On Track / Finish What They Started By Landing Humans On Moon

Image Credit: Roscosmos

Thursday / 6 June 2013

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Bolden: US Open To Contribute To Human Moon Mission

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Administrator Charles Bolden Clarifies NASA Stance On Human Moon Missions: US Unable To Orchestrate Lunar Surface Mission With Current Budget / Priorities, Yet Is Willing To Provide Engineering Expertise To Existing Moon Mission In Exchange For Sending American Astronaut As Part Of Crew; Comments Made To Institute Of Medicine Panel Which Is Developing Ethics / Health Guidelines For Future Long-Duration Human Spaceflights

Image Credit: NASA, ESA

Wednesday / 5 Jun 2013

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Next USA Moon Orbiter Passes Tests In Preparation For Launch

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LADEE Passes Series Of Qualification Tests Conducted By National Technical Systems Inc At NASA Ames In CA; Spacecraft Subjected To High Levels Of Acoustics, Vibration & Shock Mimicking Launch / Space Travel, Is Now One Step Closer To 5 Sep 2013 Launch; Mission Will Utilize 3 Science Instruments To Gather Data On Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment From 50-Km Retrograde Equatorial Orbit

Image Credit: NASA, NTS

Tuesday / 4 June 2013

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Moon Orbiters Guiding Future Exploration / Solving Long-Standing Mysteries

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LRO LEND Instrument Provides Definitive Map Of Water Ice Deposits Across Moon Surface, Including South Pole (L) – Likely Destination Of Future Missions / Human Lunar Build-Out; Data From GRAIL Probes Explain Cause Of Lunar Mascons: Ancient Asteroid Impacts Melted Mantle, Caused It To Collapse Inward Creating Denser More Concentrated Areas, Subsequently Causing Gravitational Anomalies

Image Credit: NASA, FIAAA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 31 May – 3 June 2013

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Japan Lunar Aspirations Highlighted At International Space Symposium

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29th International Symposium On Space Technology & Science In Nagoya Japan 2-9 June; Features 3 Sessions On ‘Missions To The Moon’; Sho Sasaki (Inset) Of NAOJ To Present ‘Sciences Of Human Exploration Of Lunar Polar Regions’; Mitsubishi Electric Corp To Present On Lunar Transfer Vehicle Proposal; JAXA Planing Selene-2 Lunar Lander NET 2018 As A Precursor / Technology Demonstrator For Human Moon Exploration

Image Credit: JAXA, ISTS, NAOJ

Friday / 31 May 2013

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Golden Spike Moon Lander Design Concepts Advancing

GSC SP Lunar Lander

Golden Spike Company Conducts Design Reviews In Denver CO With ULA, Paragon, Masten, ILOA, SwRI, Zero Point Frontiers & SpaceX For Human Lunar Lander Systems Studies; Team Considering Benefits Of Human South Pole Landing; Follow Up Lander Study Expected Later This Year, Aug-Sep

Image Credit: GSC, B. Campbell