Moon Astronaut Jim Lovell (R) Joins As Member Of Golden Spike Company Board Of Advisors; Having Flown To Moon Twice, Trained For Lunar Landing & Being 1 Of Only 24 People To Have Flown To Moon, ‘Unique Perspective & Advice Will Be Invaluable’ Says Gerry Griffin (L) Former Apollo Director & Chairman Of GSC BoD; Has Already Consulted On Designs For Crew Module, Other Issues
Image Credit: GSC, Perdue
China Chang’e-3 Moon Lander / Rover Being Prepared For 40 Days Of Thermal Testing; Will Be Tested Together, Then Separately & Exposed To Moon-Like Temperatures Of About -200°C To 150°C In Vacuum Thermal Simulation Tester At China Aerospace Science & Technology Corp. In Beijing; CNSA States Launch To Moon Sinus Iridum “Bay of Rainbows” Still Set For Q3-4 2013
Image Credit: China Space News
Space Entrepreneur Rex Ridenoure (R) Tells All In His Recent Account Of The Salvage Of AsiaSat 3 / HGS-1 Utilizing 2 Lunar Flybys; Ridenoure Brought Together Trajectory Theorist Ed Belbruno (L) With Hughes Space’s Cesar Ocampo & Jerry Salvatore; Team Nominated By Aviation Week For 1998 Best Achievement In Space Award; Ridenoure Points To Enterprise Opportunities In GEO Where About 2/3 Of US$300B Global Space Economy Resides
Image Credit: Space Review, Rex Ridenoure, Orbitalhub.com
Morpheus 1.5 Bravo Moon Robotic Lander With Engine Capable Of 22,000 Newtons Of Thrust Is Now Ready For Flight Test Program At JSC; Completed 50-Second Static Hot Fire Of Main Engine With Thrust Vector Control Demonstration; Will Perform Dynamic Tethered Flights Soon In Preparation For Summer 2013 Return To KSC; 70 Vehicle Upgrades Include Advanced Engine Performance Capabilities, Increased Structural Margins, Mitigated Launch Vibroacoustic Environments
Image Credit: Kris Kehea, NASA
Northrop Grumman Confirms GSC Human Moon Lander Concepts; Evaluated 180 Lander Cases, Established Propulsion Requirements For Lunar Orbit Loiter, Descent / Ascent, Rendezvous; Also Proposes New Concept Called ‘Pumpkin’ Consisting Of Low-Mass Ascent Stage, Minimalistic Pressurized Ascent Pod With Surface Habitat & Storable Propellants Packaged In 5-m Diameter Payload Launch Envelope
Image Credit: Northrop Grumman, GSC, NASA
B-2 Stand At NASA Stennis Space Center Being Renovated In Preparation For 2016 SLS Engine Propellant Fill / Drain Tests & Hot Fire Tests; Site Was Previously Used To Validate Saturn Engines Before They Were Used For Apollo Human Moon Missions; First Test Flight Of SLS Will Send Orion MPCV On Uncrewed Trip Around Moon In 2017, First Crewed Flight Slated For 2021
Image Credit: NASA
Peter Kokh, In April 2013 Edition Of Moon Miners’ Manifesto, Notes PISCES Efforts To Develop Sustainable Basalt Concrete On Hawai`i Island As Example Of “Spin Up” Technology Development: Identifying Profitable Terrestrial Applications For Technologies Needed In Space / Moon To Spur Advancement Of Human Off-World Capabilities; MMM Seeking Ideas For Similar Technology Matches That Could Be Advanced By Private Enterprise
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Society, PISCES
Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Being Developed / Tested At NASA KSC; Team Estimates Robot Would Need To Work For 5 Years, 16 Hours Per Day To Mine Enough Regolith To Produce Useable Water / Oxygen From Extraction Device On The RASSOR Mission Lander; Current Prototype Is .75m Tall With Mining Drums Extended Above Body; Prototype Version 2 To Begin Testing 2014; Final Version Expected To Weigh About 45kg
Image Credit: NASA
David Weaver (L), NASA Associate Administrator, Says Agency To Conduct Unfunded ‘Initial Planning Phase’ Study With Bigelow Aerospace To Develop Moon Outpost Design, But Has No Human Moon Mission Plans; Bigelow (R) Says Company Has Been Developing Rudimentary Moon Base Plans For Years, Initial Study Will Take 100 Days, Already Planning For 2nd Phase 120-Day Study, Possibly With NASA Funding
Image Credit: NASA, Isaac Hernandez
2013 Meeting Of The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Will Be Held 14-16 Oct 2013 At The Johns Hopkins University / APL In Laurel, MD; The Scientific Questions, Measurement Techniques & Options For Exploring The Moon With Discovery-Class Missions Or With Payloads Flown On International Or Commercial Missions Will Be Discussed And Evaluated At The Meeting; Abstract Deadline 31 July
Image Credit: LEAG, LPI, usra.edu