Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 12-15 April 2013

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USA Congress Advocating Moon Base

PoseyMoon0413

US Rep Bill Posey (R-FL) Reintroduces 2011 Bill Called RE-Asserting American Leadership (REAL) In Space Act Which Tasks NASA To Send Astronauts To Moon By 2022 With Goal Of Establishing Long-Term Settlement; Bill Co-Sponsored By 8 Other Republican & Democrat House Members; Proponents Claim That Clear / Attainable Lunar Goal Will Give Renewed Direction To NASA, Allow For Testing Of Technologies To Master Extraterrestrial Surface Operations

Image Credit: NASA, poseyhouse.gov

Friday / 12 April 2013

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Bigelow-NASA Agreement To Build Moon Base

Bigelow-NASA

Bigelow Aerospace Lunar Base Project Expected To Receive NASA Contract / Funding To “Extend & Sustain Human Activities Across The Solar System;” 3 BA-330 Inflatable Habitats With Propulsion Tanks & Power Units Would Be Joined In Space & Piloted To Moon Surface, Offer 990m3 Of Room, House Up To 18 Astronauts; Robert Bigelow Confident Habitats Could Accommodate Uneven Surface, Says Moon Great Practice For Mars & Beyond

Image Credit: Bigelow, Samuel Coniglio

Thursday / 11 April 2013

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Russia Moon Plans Setting Up Long-Awaited Human Mission

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Plans For Robotic Moon Missions Demonstrate Russia Space Exploration Priorities; Further Evaluation Of Russia Space Activities / Plans Indicates Russia Intention To Finish What They Started — Land Human On Moon; Igor Mitrofanov Of IKI Says Renewed Robotic Lunar Program Will Enable Human Outpost On Moon; US$25-30B Launch Facility Development Proposal Submitted To Russia Federation Government Would Facilitate Human Moon Mission By 2028  

Image Credit: Eisenhower Institute, IKI

Wednesday / 10 April 2013

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NASA Lunar Science Forum Goes Virtual

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No ‘In-Person’ Component For LSF2013 Due To Government Travel Restrictions; Presentations Will Be Delivered Via Adobe Connect, Allowing For 500 Combined International & Domestic Logins; Format Change Influencing Other Related Events Such As ILOA 2013 Silicon Valley Board Meeting Now Reset For 24 July — 44th Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Mission End, Eve Of NewSpace 2013 Conference

Image Credit: NASA, Space Frontier Foundation, NASA

Tuesday / 9 April 2013

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Astrobotic Advancing Autonomous Landing Systems

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Series Of Tests Underway In Astrobotic Contract With NASA To Demonstrate Autonomous Landing System For Moon / Asteroids / Planets; Astrobotic Successfully Flew Sensor Package On Uncrewed Helicopter Operated By Pilot On Ground; Next Step Is To Land Helicopter Autonomously – Without GPS, Then Test System On Astrobotic Griffin Lander; Landing Sensor Uses 2 Cameras, Inertial Measurement Unit, & Scanning Laser

Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology, Inc.

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 5-8 April 2013

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Lunar Aspirations

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2 Successful Americans Of India Origin Inspired By Dreams Of Going To Moon; US Astronaut Sunita Williams Says Her 1 Dream Yet To Come True Is To Go To Moon; Moon Express (ME) Chairman Naveen Jain Says Moon Will Play Vital Role In Future Of Earth’s Planetary Protection, Ideal Place To Study / Harvest Asteroids; First Task Of ME Is To Explore Moon Resource Hotspots With Robotic Explorers, Leading Way For 1st Permanent Human Outpost

Image Credit: NASA, Intelius

Friday / 5 April 2013

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Russia Solidifies Moon Exploration Plans

Russia Moon 5 Missions

Igor Mitrofanov Of IKI Reveals Russia Moon Exploration Missions: 2015 Luna-Glob South Pole Lander To Analyze Regolith / Exosphere & Test Volatiles; 2016 Luna-Glob 100-km Altitude Polar Orbiter To Map Surface / Landing Sites; 2017 Luna-Resurs-1 South Pole Lander To Test Drilling System For Cryogenic Sampling; 2019 Luna-Resurs-2 Polar Sample Return Mission; 2020 Luna-Resurs-3 Rover To Study Surface & Store Subsurface Samples; Human Missions Could Follow

Image Credit: IKI, NASA, RSA

Tuesday / 2 April 2013

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Asteroid To The Moon

AsteroidTowing0413

Human Asteroid Landing Mission Proposed By USA President Obama May Take Place In Lunar Orbit; NASA Expected To Request US$100M In Next Budget To Begin Preparations For 10-Year (~2015-2025) US$2.65B-Robotic Mission To Capture 7-m Diameter, 500,000-kg Asteroid & Tow It To High Lunar Orbit; Spacecraft Would Employ Ion Thrusters, Deploy Massive Inflatable Bag To Envelop Asteroid

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 29 Mar-1 Apr 2013

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GLXP Team Summit In Chile

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23 Teams Remaining In The Google Lunar X PRIZE Will Meet In Santiago, Chile For 4-Day Team Summit Beginning 2 April; Several Major Announcements Are Expected Involving Financing, Launch Agreements, Team Mergers, Etc.; Meeting Should Help Distinguish Contenders From Pretenders As Teams Need To Have Financing And Launch Agreements In Place To Complete Mission By End 2015 Deadline 

Image Credit: GLXP

Friday / 29 March 2013

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India-USA Aim For Moon, Mars Together

ISRO-NASA

Joint Moon, Mars, Deep Space Missions & Increased Commercial Space Cooperation Agreement Reached By India Ambassador Nirupama Rao & NASA Administrator Bolden; NASA Joins ISRO For Oct 2013 Mangalyaan Mars Mission; Will Continue To Discuss Planetary Science, Policy Issues, New Opportunities For Collaboration; Annual Science & Tech Endowment Fund ~US$2-3M & National Defense Authorization Act Expected To Expedite Space Tech Trade, Promote Innovations

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA, theindiaexpert.com