Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin Says Russia Planning Luna-Glob Moon Lander Mission In 2015; Mission Will Be 1st From New US$1B Vostochny Cosmodrome In Far East Amur Region Of Russia; 1400-kg Spacecraft Will Place 500-kg Landing Module On South Pole Of Moon; Craft Will Carry Up To 25kg Of Scientific Equipment To Search For Water / Take Soil Samples, Yet Main Objective Of Mission Is To Achieve Landing On Another World / Moon
Image Credit: Roscosmos
First Private Moon Rovers Could Spur Era Of Lunar Mining, Construction & Tourism; Lunar Lion Team Leader Michael Paul Says NASA Must Harness Strength Of Private Industry To Advance Solar System Exploration, Seeking To Establish Penn State As “Go-To University” For Growing Commercial Space Industry
Image Credit: Penn State, GLXP
As GRAIL Mission Data, Including Imagery Of Spacecraft Surface Approach, Continues To Flow Through Scientific Community, NASA Invests In Technology Development To Search For Water Deposits Inside Permanently Shadowed Moon Craters; US$300K Contract Awarded To Xylem Inc. To Develop Specialized Mass Spectrometer For RESOLVE Mission Lunar Rover; With Sufficient Authorization & Funding USA / Canada Mission Could Land On Moon In 2017
Image Credit: NASA, Xylem Inc.
ISRO Chief K. Radhakrishnan Announces Plans To Launch US$82M Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Mission 26-27 Nov 2013 While Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission May Be Further Delayed To 2016; India Strong Commitment To Lunar Program Should Remain In Focus As 2008 Chandrayaan-1 Proved Important Scientific & International Success; Chandrayaan-2 Progress Is Underway With GSLV Testing Scheduled April 2013 & Russia Working On Technical Issues
Image Credit: ISRO, DHNS
Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Will Succeed Current NLSI; NASA Soliciting Multi-Institutional Proposals For Research As Participating Members Of New Institute; Scope Of Research Is Fields Of Lunar, NEA, Martian Moon Sciences; Preference Given To Research Involving Both Planetary Science & Human Exploration Of Target Bodies; Approximately 7 New Teams Will Be Selected
Image Credit: NASA
With NASA Avoiding Lander Development By Contemplating Lassoing Asteroids And L2 ‘Waypoint Activities’, Golden Spike Company Advancing Human Lunar Surface Missions With Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Design Contract, Only Company With Proven Record Building Human-Rated Moon Landers Will Explore Wide Variety Of Small Lunar Lander Concept Options Capable Of Launching On Existing Rockets By 2020
Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, Northrop Grumman
Valuable Update Of Major Lunar Research & Development Resources Being Provided By Long-Time Professional Space / Lunar Project Information Expert Larry Kellogg Via ‘To The Moon, Mars And Beyond’ Blog: Energy / Power Issues In Lunar Settlement, China 2013 Lunar Lander / Rover, Chang’e-3 Implications For GLXP, South Pole Moon As Ideal Destination For Exploration / Development
Image Credit: CNSA, NASA, Pat Rawlings
Impending 2013 China Moon Lander Should Inspire USA To Renew National Robustness In Lunar Surface Exploration; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Working On Mini Lunar Landers, Original 2013 Launch Date Delayed To ~2018 Due To Inconsistent Funding / Support / Incentive; With US Government Commitment Of ~US$200-300M NASA Could Achieve Robotic Lander / Power Station On Lunar South Pole ‘Peak Of Eternal Light’ Within 2 Years
Image Credit: NASA, ESA
LADEE Spacecraft Scheduled For Launch Via 5-Stage Minotaur 5 Rocket On 12 August From Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport On Wallops Island, VA; 3 Main Science Instruments Recently Integrated On Craft: Ultraviolet & Visible Light Spectrometer, Neutral Mass Spectrometer, Lunar Dust Experiment; Mission Will Pioneer NASA Modular Common Bus Architecture, Also Set For Use By Moon Express GLXP Mission
Image Credit: NASA
US House Of Representatives Passes Bill To Rename NASA Facility For Neil Armstrong; Hugh L Dryden Flight Research Center In Edwards CA To Be Named After First Human To Walk On Moon; Future Space Explorers Gain Treasure Trove Of Inspiration Through Publication Of Long-Awaited John Young Memoir Forever Young: A Life Of Adventure In Air & Space
Image Credit: NASA, University Press Of Florida