Category Archives: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 August 2014

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LRO / CRaTER Continue To Uncover Mysteries Of Lunar Poles

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Solar Storms May Cause ‘Sparking’ In Permanently Shadowed Craters On Moon Poles Says Team Of Researchers From UNH & NASA Led By Andrew Jordan; Data From CRaTER Instrument Aboard LRO Indicates Solar Energetic Particles Build Up Electric Charges In Lunar Surface That Likely Disintegrate Regolith Into Distinct Minerals; Polar Craters Maintain Temperatures ~Minus 240 Degrees C, Known To Contain Water Ice; Team Now Investigating If Other LRO Instruments Can Detect Sparking

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Tuesday / 19 August 2014

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Stimulating Lunar Enterprise With Earth-Orbital Launch Platform

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Revisiting 1996 Proposal To Utilize Space Shuttle Columbia, With Its Extended-Duration Orbiter Modifications, As A Joint NASA / Private Sector Launch Platform For Rocket Stages Bearing Small Lunar Landers Which Would Then Deliver Teleoperated Micro-Robots; Current / Future Orbiter Vehicles Could Potentially Be Used For Such Purposes Helping To “Ignite A Billion Dollar, Sustained Enterprise On Moon” As Proposal Author Carey McCleskey Of NASA JSC Vehicle Engineering Directorate Originally Suggested

Image Credit: NASA, Eberhard Marx

Friday / 15 August 2014

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Moon / Small Body Spacecraft Initiatives Supported By NASA

NASA Mooncraft Intiatives

Scarab Lunar Rover Being Developed By Robotics Institute Of Carnegie Mellon University To Explore Dark Polar Craters At Moon South Pole; Powered By 100-Watt Fuel Cell Created Under NASA Game Changing Development Program, Rover Can Collect 1m Core Samples For Water & Gas Analysis; Marco Pavone Of Stanford University Awarded US$500K Through NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program To Continue Developing Hopping / Tumbling Craft With 3 Internal Flywheels Capable Of Exploring Small Bodies – Similar Technologies Could Be Applied To Future Mooncraft

Image Credit: NASA, Carnegie Mellon University

Thursday / 14 August 2014

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University Students Advancing Moon Lander Rocket Design

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Purdue University Student Team Designing & Testing Components Of New Rocket Engine For NASA Project Morpheus; Students Of Professor William Anderson (BR) Focused On Engine Thrust Chamber Design & Developed System To Liquefy Methane From Gas, Both Essential Elements To Facilitating High-Performance / Lightweight  Rocket Engine Needed For Moon Landings; Team Now Working To Optimize Cooling Approach For Chamber Walls, Temperatures Inside Chamber Can Reach 2600°C

Image Credit: Purdue University, NASA

Wednesday / 13 August 2014

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Shuttle Astronauts Advocate For Human Moon Missions

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Moon Is Ideal Location To Train & Develop Equipment / Procedures For Mars / Deep Space Missions Says Former Shuttle Astronauts Frank Culbertson (C) & Daniel Brandenstein (R); Astronaut Robert Crippen (CR) Says More Focus On International Cooperation Needed, Especially With China Moon Program; Acknowledged NASA Current Trend Of Risk Aversion, Urged Support For Orion Development: “This Is Our System To Get To The Moon”; Remarks Were Made During AIAA Space 2014 Forum In San Diego CA

Image Credit: AIAA, NASA, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 August 2014

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Decision On LRO Fate May Be Released Next Week

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Set To Complete First Extended Mission In Sep 2014, No Funding For Second Extended Mission Has Yet Been Granted, Will Likely Depend On Results Of Senior Review Of NASA Planetary Science Missions; Reports Indicate Senior Review Is Complete & Results Should Be Released Next Week; LRO Competing Against Other Missions Such As Cassini & Mars Opportunity Rover; Many Argue Using Existing Assets Such As LRO To Achieve New Discovery-Class Science Objectives Represents Highest Possible Return; The Lunar Orbiter Would Require Only US$8.1M For 2015 Operations

Pictured: LRO Project Scientist Richard Vondrak

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 August 2014

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Lunar Plant Growth Experiment Small Step Toward Human Moon Habitation

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Small Containers Of Seeds Will Be Sent By NASA On 2015 GLXP Team Moon Lander To Evaluate If Plants Can Germinate In Low-Gravity / High Radiation Lunar Environment; ~1-kg Payload Will Contain Arabidopsis Seeds, Cameras, Sensors, Communications Equipment, 5-10 Days Of Air; Duplicate Canisters Will Be Sent To USA Schools For Comparison; If Initial Experiment Successful NASA Plans To Put Garden On Lunar Surface To See If Plants Can Survive Frigid Lunar Night & If Multiple Generations Can Continue 

Image Credit: NASA

 

Thursday / 31 July 2014

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SLS Maiden Voyage To Deliver Cubesats To Moon

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11 Cubesats Will Be Delivered To Cislunar Space On First Uncrewed Mission Of SLS Rocket / Orion Capsule In Late 2017; 3 Missions Have Already Been Selected Including Lunar Flashlight; Led By Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC; Mission Will Utilize 80m² Solar Sail To Navigate Into A Highly Elliptical Lunar Polar Orbit That Passes Near Moon South Pole, Solar Sail Will Then Be Redirected To Shine 50kW Of Sunlight Into Shaded Craters While On-Board Spectrometer Measures Surface Reflection & Composition; Data Will Identify Sites With Ample Volatiles Near Surface Ideal For More Expansive Lander / Rover / Human Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Rob Staehle

Friday / 25 July 2014

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ILOA July Meeting Marks Mid-Point For SpaceWeek 2014 In Silicon Valley

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The International Lunar Observatory Association, Based In Hawai`i, Held Its 3rd Board Of Directors Meeting Of 2014 In Mountain View CA, 23 July The Day Before The Space Frontier Foundation NewSpace 2014 Conference & Immediately Following The NASA Solar System Exploration Science Forum; Anticipating A New Lunar / Culture Renaissance In The N Cal / San Francisco Bay Area Similar To That Of The 1960s & ‘70s, ILOA Expects Its 2015 Silicon Valley Board Meeting Again To Overview & Advance Its 4 Moon Missions & Its Galaxy Forum Program For 21st Century Education & Fundraising

Image Credit: ILOA, Canadesys Aerospace Corp., Moon Express Inc., Charles O’Rear

Thursday / 24 July 2014

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White House Commemorates First Moon Landing

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President Obama Received Apollo 11 Crew, Including Widow Of Neil Armstrong, At White House; Media Upset At Being Shut Out Of Meeting, Speculation That Administration Wanted To Avoid Coverage Of Armstrong Family Critique Of Obama Space Policy & Lack Of Moon Vision / Plan; Space Advocates & Policy Experts Note That USA Is Only Space Power Ignoring The Value Of Human Moon Exploration & Development; Next Wave Of Lunar Explorers Will Be Doing More Than Attaining Bragging Rights, They Will Tap Moon Resources, Establish Political / Social Paradigm Of Moon

Image Credit: Whitehouse.gov