With Crash Landing Of Twin GRAIL Craft Into Side Of Mountain Near Lunar North Pole, USA / NASA Now Has 3 Probes Orbiting Moon (LRO & Artemis); Next Orbital Mission – Lunar Atmosphere & Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) – Set For Launch May 2013; Since Ending Apollo NASA Has Conducted 6 Crash Landings (4 Missions) On Moon Surface, 0 Soft Landings
Image Credit: NASA
Earthrise Space Inc. (ESI) Obtains US State Department Approval For Technical Assistance Agreement With Chile-Based GLXP Team Angelicum; Angelicum ‘Dandelion’ Rover (BL) Will Travel Aboard ESI / Team Omega Envoy Lunar Descent Vehicle (LDV) To Moon Surface With Omega ‘Sagan’ Rover; Teams Will Share Data Allowing Rovers To Communicate With Each Other & With LDV; Mission Scheduled For Late 2014
Image Credit: Earthrise Space Inc, Team Angelicum
Chang’e-2 Lunar Exploration Satellite Conducts Successful Rendezvous With Toutatis 4179 Asteroid On 13 Dec; While Passing Within 3.2 Km Of Toutatis At Relative Velocity Of 11km / Second, Probe Collected Data / Images Of Size, Shape, Constitution & Orbit Of Potentially Earth-Threatening Asteroid; Results Help China Prepare For Future Asteroid Exploration
Image Credit: CNSA
Rand Simberg Outlines The Valuable Resources Moon / Space Have To Offer, Reviews NewSpace Companies Such As Planetary Resources, Moon Express, Shackleton Energy Company, SpaceX That Are Seeking To Take Advantage Of Said Resources: Argues That New International Treaty Is Needed To Encourage / Regulate Extra-Terrestrial Property Rights Thereby Facilitating Settlement Of Space / Moon By Commercial Enterprises
Image Credit: Whiskey Sierra Graphics, twitter.com
Commander John Young Awarded ILOA ‘Astronaut Of The Century’; Veteran Of 7 Space Flights On 4 Different Crafts: Gemini, Apollo Command / Service Module, Lunar Ascent Module, Space Shuttle; Deployed First ‘Telescope’ On Moon; Lifelong Efforts To Help Humanity Achieve Multi-World Species Status: “Single Planet Species Don’t Last”
Image Credit: NASA, johnyoung.org
India On Track To Launch GSLV Space Mission With Indigenously Built Cryogenic Engine In April 2013 Says Vikram Sarabhai Space Center Director PS Veeraraghavan (TL); Rocket Is Essential For Planned Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Mission, Which Will Include Lunar Orbiter & Rover Made By ISRO, & Russia-Built Lander; India-Russia Cooperation In Space Expected To Increase With Upcoming India Visit Of President Putin (BL)
Image Credit: ISRO, Reuters
New Model Of Human Solar System Exploration Emerges As World Commemorates 40th Anniversary Of Last Human Moon Mission; Private Corporation Golden Spike Company Intends To Sell US$1.5B 2-Person Missions To Lunar Surface By 2020; Company Foresees 15-20 Nations As Potential Customers; Apollo 17 Astronaut Cernan Affirms He “Would Like To Shake The Hand” Of Person Who Replaces Him As Last Human On Moon
Image Credit: Golden Spike, NASA
New Golden Spike Company (GSC) Should Energize Multi-World Property Rights Advocates & Ventures; Independent, Scientific & Commercial Lunar Interests Such As ILOA, GLXP Teams & Other Lunar Enterprises Likely To Advance Reality Of Lunar Acreage Ownership & Utilization Well Before 2020 GSC Astronauts On Luna Firma; Opening Of 8th Continent Vast Resources & Opportunities Enabled, Accelerated By GSC Cislunar Superhighway; Pictured: (TR) Alan Stern, (BR) Gerry Griffin Of GSC
Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, NASA
Peter Kokh Speculates On Plausibility Of Telepresence Tours Of Moon In Moon Miners’ Manifesto Nov 2012 Issue #260; Predicts Telepresence Technology Could Advance Through Private Enterprise Investment; By 2019 ‘Moon Telepresence Booths’ Could Allow Public To Experience Working On Moon; Would Increase Interest / Support Of Lunar Exploration, Technology Could Also Be Used In Science / Exploration
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Society, howstuffworks.com
KSC Physicist John Lane Working On Project To Track Lunar Dust / Protect Apollo Sites From Future Moon Landers; Lane Used Terrestrial Rain Drops As Analog To Calibrate Laser Sensor, Consequently Discovered System Could Improve Rainfall Measurements / Weather Forecasting; NASA Considering Placing Laser Sensor On GLXP Team Lander To Help Formulate Restrictions For Future Landers Concerning Safe Distance From Apollo Sites
Image Credit: NASA, Popular Mechanics