Category Archives: Moon Exploration

Friday / 8 March 2013

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Russia IKI Head “Human Moon Base Is Priority For Next Space Race”

Russia Scientists Developing 3 Probes To Analyze Surface Of Moon In Preparation For Building Human Moon Base; Planning To Send 120-kg Luna-Glob 1 To Polar Orbit 2015, Luna-Glob 2 By 2016, Landing Module & Rover 2017; Then Build Robotic Base & Human Base; Igor Mitrofanov Head Of Lunar Program At Space Research Institute (IKI) Says Moon Is Important Part Of Future Of Civilization; Goal Is To Use Moon To Access Mars, Solar System, Universe

Image Credit: NASA, Eisenhower Institute

Thursday / 7 March 2013

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Moon Crater Rover System Development In Germany

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German Research Centers ZARM & DFKI Robotics Innovation Center Developing Robotic System For Lunar Crater Exploration; RIMRES (Reconfigurable Integrated Multi-Robot Exploration System) Project Consists Of 2.4-m / 200-kg SHERPA Rover (R) Which Uses Hybrid Wheel-Leg System To Transport 1-m / 27-kg CREX Hexapod Robot (L) Capable Of Descending 80⁰ Crater Slopes, Conduct Science Investigations; All Modules Connected Via Electromechanical Interface

Image Credit: DFKI, ZARM

Wednesday / 6 March 2013

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Lunar Conferences Upcoming In Houston, Texas

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Microsymposium 54, 16-17 Mar, To Feature Summary Of New Lunar Exploration Discoveries, Implications For Future Robotic & Human Missions To Lunar Poles & Far Side; 1,945 Oral / Poster Presentations On Latest Research In Planetary Science Expected At 18-22 Mar LPI / USRA Lunar & Planetary Science Conference, Features Special Session On GRAIL Mission Results; Both Events At The Woodlands, TX

Image Credit: LPI, NASA, Brown University

Tuesday / 5 March 2013

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LOIRP Crowdfunding For Technoarchaeology

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Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project Crowd Funding To Continue Work Restoring Imagery From 1960s Moon Missions; Team Led By Dennis Wingo Has Created Over 600 Images & Processed Over 20 Terabytes Of Data, Still Have Over 700 Remaining Tape Drives / 850 Images To Process; Donations Received Will Be Used To Purchase 5 New Tape Drive Heads, Pay Engineering Team

Image Credit: LOIRP, Rockethub.com

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 1-4 Mar 2013

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China Rising As Space Power Through Clear Vision, Lunar Aspirations

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China Progressing Steadily On Clearly Defined / Consistently Executed Space Plan; Chang’e-2 Arrival In Outer Space 20M km From Earth Is Breakthrough For China Deep Space Exploration; 5th China Human Spaceflight Set For Jun~Aug 2013; China Upgrades Long March-3B Rocket For Late 2013 Chang’e-3 Lunar Lander Mission, Increasing Carrying Capacity By 30 kg & Allowing For Additional Launch Windows

Image Credit: CNSA, 33rdsquare.com, news.xinhuanet.com

Thursday / 28 February 2013

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Interplanetary Cubesat Missions Could Open Lunar Opportunities

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INSPIRE Mission Among 24 Small Satellites Selected By NASA To Fly As Auxiliary Payloads In 2014-2016; Dual 3U INSPIRE CubeSats Will Be 1st To Travel Beyond Earth Orbit, Demonstrating Functionality In Interplanetary Space; Relatively Affordable (~US$3M) Moon Missions By Universities & Private Organizations Likely To Follow; LunarCubes Missions Briefing 11 April 2013 At NASA KSC

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 27 February 2013

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GLXP Teams Gearing Up For Team Summit

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April 2013 GLXP Team Summit In Chile Will Provide Opportunity For Teams To Showcase Their Progress; Penn State Lunar Lions, Only University-Led Team, Prototype Propeller-Driven Model Rover In Final Stages; White Label Space Now With Full Operations In Japan; Tim Pickens Advancing Moon Express Propulsion Engineering At New ME Headquarters In Huntsville, AL; Team Stellar Says GLXP Will Lead To Better Meteor Protection

Image Credit: White Label Space, GLXP

Tuesday / 26 February 2013

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Susmita Mohanty Envisions Private Astronaut Taxis To Moon

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India Commercial Space Company Earth2Orbit Founder Susmita Mohanty Discusses India’s Part In NewSpace Movement & Her Thoughts On How To Accelerate Human Spaceflight Development; Aerospace Companies Over-Engineer / Under-Design Crew Craft With Exorbitant Costs; International Consortium Of Companies Such As Apple, Samsung, SpaceX Could Design Spaceships That Think; Private Astronaut Taxis To LEO & Moon Would Follow

Image Credit: Abhijit Bhatlekar, Earth2Orbit

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 22-25 Feb 2013

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China On The Moon

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First China Lunar Rover Mission Set For Late 2013; Vehicle, Named ‘Zhonghua’ (China), Will Weigh 120kg, 20kg Of Payload, Able To Travel Up To 10km On Lunar Surface; 2 Solar Panels & Nuclear Fuel Cells Will Power Rover For 3-Month Life Span; Radar On Bottom Will Explore 100m Beneath Surface; Mechanical Arm Will Take Samples; Preliminary Research Underway For Human Mission In 2025-2030

Image Credit: Xinhuanet, theepochtimes.com

Friday / 22 February 2013

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Moon Valuable To Study / Mine Asteroids & Protect Earth

Moon Asteroids

Naveen Jain Of Moon Express Says Over 4B Years Of Well-Preserved Asteroid Impacts On Moon Provide Resources For Asteroid Research & Solar System Exploration; Stable Environment Is Beneficial For Astronomical Observatories & Asteroid Detection; Can Create Fuel Depots, Lunar Bases & Earth Space Port; Private-Public Partnerships For Moon Exploration Will Safeguard Future Of Humankind

Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express