Category Archives: NASA

Tuesday / 11 June 2019

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Orbit Beyond Is 1st Projected USA Lunar Lander In 48 Years 

Orbit Beyond Of Edison, New Jersey, Selected By NASA As One Of Three Companies To Land Scientific Payloads On Moon In About 2 Years; Z-01 Lander Has Earliest Planned Date Of September 2020 With Up To 4 NASA Payloads; International Partnership With Team Indus Allows Orbit Beyond Lander To Be Engineered In India; Other Partners Include Honeybee Robotics Advanced Space, Ceres Robotics And Apollo Fusion; Chief Science Officer Jon Morse, Former NASA Director Of Astrophysics, Points To Annegrit Crater Near Mare Imbrium And Apollo 15 Landing Site

Credits: Orbit Beyond, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 June 2019

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New Form Of Public / Private Collaboration Key To Realization Of Artemis Program?

Wealthiest Individual Jeff Bezos Says ‘Civilization Needs Moon’ And Space Habitation Critical To ‘Save Earth’, Hours Before NASA Administrator Bridenstine Declares 2024 Lunar Landing ‘Off The Table’ If Additional US$1.6B Congressional Funding Fails To Materialize; Given Existential Motivation For Humanization Of Space, New Form Of Public / Private Partnership Could Realize Artemis Moon Mission If Political Will Falters

Credits: NASA, Twitter

Friday / 7 June 2019

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Artemis Program Gains Bipartisan Supporters For First Woman On The Moon

Artemis Program For Human Lunar Landings Seeking Extra Investment Of US$1.6B; NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (L) States That Campaign For Artemis Funding Only Beginning, Enlists Democrat Former Senator And Space Shuttle Traveler Bill Nelson (TR) To Join NASA Advisory Council; Nelson Emphasizes That NASA Is Not Only Bipartisan But A Nonpartisan Agency; Jerry Moran (LR), Chair Of Key Senate Subcommittee, Vows To “Make Certain NASA Has The Resources To Land The First Woman On The Moon”

Credits: NASA, US Senate

Friday / 24 May 2019

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Funding Moon, Mars & Beyond: 0.1% Annual Increase Of USA National Budget Through 2024

NASA Budget Remains <1% Since 1993; Agency Is Tasked With Landing The First Woman On The Moon In 2024 & Developing Sustainable Return To Moon Architecture; Request Of ‘Additional’ US$1.6B Dubbed As ‘Down Payment’ For Artemis Program By Administrator Bridenstine; Current Allotment Of ~0.5% Federal Budget Gaining 0.1% Per Year Would Give NASA 1% By 2024 – Which Would Align Visionary Ambitions With True Commitment, Real Support

Credits: Office of Management and Budget, Chart by Andrew Witherspoon / Axios with additions by SPC, NASA

Tuesday / 14 May 2019

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European Lunar Symposium Draws NASA And International Scientists 

The 7th European Lunar Symposium Opens 21-23 May At Museum Of Science And Industry In Manchester UK; On Opening Day NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green (L) Will Talk About The Importance Of The Moon; Astronomer Tim O’Brien (R) Will Describe The 76-m Lovell Radio Telescope At Jodrell Bank And Its Historic Role Tracking Lunar Missions; On 23 May Emily Law Will Talk About Lunar Laser Retroreflectors; The Symposium Is Sponsored By ESA And The NASA-Created Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, A Worldwide Collaboration

Credits: NASA, Earth Science Information Partners, BBC

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 May 2019

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NASA Working On Increased Investment In Moon And Beyond

Following Jeff Bezos Announcement Of Blue Moon Lander, USA Administration Working On Plan And Budget For Human Lunar Return; NASA Facing Planetary Defense Challenge Of Asteroid Apophis Approaching Earth In 2029; Human Mars Landing Proposed For 2030s In Addition To Lunar Missions; Doubling NASA Investment To 1% Of Federal Budget Is Unimplemented Proposal From First Bush Administration; Increasing NASA Budget Would Fund Renaissance Of Moon, Mars And Asteroid Missions

Credits: NASA, Blue Origin

Thursday / 9 May 2019

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Korea Space Agency And NASA To Cooperate On Lunar Payloads And Science

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) And NASA Agree To Jointly Develop Lunar Payloads And Launch Exploration Science Working Group; Stephen Clarke Of NASA Signs Agreement In Gwacheon With Choi Won-Ho And Choi Young-Jun Of KASI; Korea Scientists Will Develop Three Types Of Payload For Nine Privately Developed NASA Lunar Landers Starting In 2020; Soyeon Yi (L) Is Only Korea National Astronaut So Far; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Planned For Dec 2020 Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9

Credits: NASA, Ministry of Science, Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 May 2019

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Apollo 10 ‘Snoopy’ Ascent Stage May Be Future Target Of Rendezvous

50th Observation Of Apollo 10 Launch Is 18 May; UK Astronomers Assisted By Former Apollo Flight Controllers Find Lunar Module ‘Snoopy’ In Space; Ascent Stage Named For ‘Peanuts’ Beagle Remains In Orbit After Descending To 14.4 km From Surface And Returning In 1969; Surviving Mission Commander Tom Stafford Recalls Having No Idea Where Module Went; Nick Howes Of Royal Astronomical Society Thinks The Unique Historic Crewed Spacecraft Is Future Target For Rendezvous Mission

Credits: NASA, Charles Schulz Museum

Friday / 3 May 2019

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50th Observation Of Apollo 11 Launch To Be Celebrated At Kennedy Space Center And In Worldwide Webex

Apollo 11 Launch 16 July Will Be Observed Worldwide And Online; City Of Cocoa Beach Is Site Of Astronaut Parade 13 July And Women In Space Panel 14 July; Official Apollo 50th Gala Begins 16 July At Kennedy Space Center; Guests Will Include Andrew Aldrin, Rick Armstrong, Rusty Schweickart (L), Jim Lovell (R) And Other Astronauts; Cisco Webex At Gala Will Connect Some Of The 400,000 Workers In The Apollo Program

Credits: Northrop Grumman, Aldrin Family Foundation, NASA

Tuesday / 30 Apr 2019

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NASA Plans South Pole Lunar Base In Parallel With Blue Origin 

USA National Space Council Leader Scott Pace (L) Says Lunar Base Is Part Of Sustainable Exploration Plan; Space Launch System May Undergo 4-Engine Static Test At Stennis Space Center, Potentially Delaying First Uncrewed EM-1 Flight To 2021; Exploration Chief Bill Gerstenmaier Calculates That SLS Crewed EM-2 May Still Occur In 2022 And Human Lunar Landing In 2024; Blue Origin Signs Contract For Unused Apollo-Era Test Stands, Hints At 9 May Announcement About ‘Endurance’ And Shackleton Crater At South Pole

Credits: NASA