Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Designed By NASA To Extract Water, Ice, For Fuel & Life Support From Regolith On Moon Or Other Dusty Bodies; 45kg, 0.75m-Tall Device Designed As Feeder For Lunar Resource Processing Plant; Current Design Likely To Evolve With Roll Out Of RASSOR-2 In Early 2014 For Testing
Image Credit: NASA
International Lunar Activity Gaining Momentum In 2010s As China Prepares For Chang’e-3,4,5 Lunar Lander Missions In 2013, 2015, 2017; Russia Luna-Glob Orbiter In 2015, Luna-Glob / Luna-Resurs Polar Landers in 2016, 2017; USA LADEE Orbiter In 2013; India Chandrayaan-2 Lander ~2015; Japan SELENE-2 Lander ~2018; Private Enterprise GLXP Landers 2014-2015, ILO-1 Lander 2015-2016, Golden Spike Company Human Mission ~2019
Credit: Dwayne Day – The Space Review
Image Credit: Corby Waste, fourth-millennium.net
After Years Of Grandiose Announcements / Contradictions & Mission Failures / Delays, Russia Seeking To Improve Space Industry Organizations, Reestablish Leading Space Power Status; Recently Announced Lunar Exploration Strategy Appears Realistic / Rational: 2015 Luna-Glob Orbiter, 2016 Scaled-Down Luna-Glob South Pole Lunar Lander, Luna-Resurs Research Rover With India ~2017, Human Moon Missions With New Russia Spacecraft By 2030
Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, NASA
GSC CEO Alan Stern Provides More Clarity About Business Plan Of Ambitious Company In Recent AmericaSpace Interview; Corrects Misperception That GSC Focus Is Lunar Tourism: Primary Focus Of Business Is Flying Lunar Expeditions For Foreign Science & Space Agencies, Secondary Focus Is Corporations; Elaborates On How Company Will Achieve Relatively Affordable Missions By 2019-2020
Image Credit: GSC, NASA, Planetary Society
ISRO Physical Research Laboratory Director JN Goswami (T) Says India Is Working Toward Nov 2013 Mangalyaan Mars Mission, Chandrayaan-2 Is Still India-Russia Project – Only Delayed; Russia Wants To Test Lunar Lander / Rover System In 2015 Before Offering It To India; India Needs To Successfully Test GSLV Rocket At Least 2 Times; ISRO Chief K Radhakrishnan (B) Says Tests To Begin May 2013, Moon Will Be Station For Moving To Mars By 2030-2040
Image Credit: ISRO, AP/Aijaz Rahi, NASA, Scoutek Ltd
Brown University Professor Carle Pieters Will Join ‘The Moon As A Cornerstone To The Terrestrial Planets’ Team Of NLSI On 29 Jan To Overview Implications Of New Lunar Data & Discuss How It Is Leading To New Strategies For Human & Robotic Exploration; David Kring Of LPI Will Recap Successes Of NLSI In Achieving Research Goals, Assisting In NASA Robotic & Human Mission Scenario Development
Image Credit: NASA
Ottawa Citizen Editorial Commends Recent ESA – NASA Partnership Agreement For Orion / MPCV Lunar Exploration Missions, Elaborates On Importance & Benefits Of Human Solar System Exploration: Technology Advances, Potential For Poverty Eradication, Innate Human Need To Explore; Canada, With Expertise In Mining & Robotics, Is Set To Be Important Contributor To USA / Europe Exploration Goals
Image Credit: CSA, NASA, NORCAT, Ottawa Citizen
Leonardo da Vinci Masterpiece Used For First-Ever One-Way Laser Communication At Planetary Distance; Black & White 152 X 200 Pixel Image, Beamed From NASA Goddard SFC To LRO LOLA Instrument 386,000km Away At Slow Rate Of 300 Bits / Second; Experiment Allowed For Calibration Of Atmospheric Distortion In Preparation For LLCD Experiment On LADEE; Laser Communication Holds Promise Of Bringing Live, HD Video Feeds From Jupiter & Beyond
Image Credit: NASA
Europe ATV Propulsion Hardware And Solar Arrays Will Make Up Large Part Of NASA Orion Service Module For EM-1 (NET 2017) 7-Day, Uncrewed Circumlunar Cruise & EM-2 (~2021); Agreement May Also Entail Participation Of ESA Astronaut In EM-2; Current Plan For EM-2 Is To Send 4 Crew Members To Orbit Moon For 3-4 Days; Academics, Engineers, Industry Arguing For More Ambitious Mission, Possibly To L2, 65,000km Beyond Lunar Far Side
Image Credit: NASA, ESA
Columbus New World Expedition, With Use Of Private Financing & Federally Granted Trade Patent, Used As Model By Jonathan Goff To Demonstrate A Means To Stimulate Private Lunar Development; Goff Suggests Granting Of Lunar Patents May Be As Effective, And Less Complicated, As / Than Recognizing Lunar Property Rights; Private Company Could Get 10-15-Year Rights To Percentage Of All Commercial Lunar Ventures, Including ISRU, Tourism, Etc
Image Credit: nss.org, agefotostock.com