Category Archives: NASA

Friday / 2 May 2014

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Lunar CATALYST Partnerships Begin

Lunar CATALYST

Astrobotic, Moon Express & Masten Negotiating No-Funds-Exchanged Space Act Agreements With NASA For Lunar Cargo Transportation And Landing By Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) Initiative To Advance Lunar Lander Capabilities; NASA To Provide Technical Expertise, Equipment / Software Loans, Access To Test Facilities For 3 Years; Astrobotic (Griffin Lander) & Moon Express (MX-1) Plan To Launch To Moon 2015 / Win GLXP; Masten Refining / Testing Xombie & Xaero, Designing Xeus

Image Credit: ME, Astrobotic, Masten, NASA

Thursday / 1 May 2014

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Exploration Science Forum Special Session Focuses On Exploration Destination Objectives

LED050114SSERVI Announces 1st Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF) 21-23 July At NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA; 3rd Day Special Session Examines Objectives / Benefits Of Human Activities At Various Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) Destinations; Topics Include ‘Lunar Surface Presence: Outpost Or Sorties?’ And ‘The Role Of The Moon In Further Exploration Destinations’; Destinations Include Moon / Cis-lunar Space, NEAs & Mars; Abstract Deadline Extended Until 2 May

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 April 2014

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Friends Of The Moon Campaign: USA Scientists Call For Human Moon Exploration

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Clive Neal Urging Scientific Community To Write Letters To Congress & Obama Administration Stating Priority / Importance Of USA Human Moon Missions; Campaign Is In Response To Recent NASA Blunt Anti-Moon Exploration Statements; Neal Notes Administration Consistently Claims That It Listens To & Integrates Advice O f Scientists In Policy Making; GLXP Teams Using Lunar Exploration Opportunities To Inspire Next Generation Of Scientists

Image Credit: NASA, GLXP, nd.edu

Thursday / 24 April 2014

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Morpheus / ALHAT Tests May Revolutionize Lunar / Planetary Exploration

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Free Test Flight Today At NASA JSC Of 3-m Diameter, 1090-Kg Morpheus Lander With 2404-Kg-Thrust, Methane & Oxygen-Fueled Engine Will Allow ALHAT Sensor System To Prove Its Capabilities; ALHAT System Will Have 10 Seconds To Map & Choose Landing Site After Craft Flies To ~150m; ALHAT Project Manager Chirold Epp Says Team Is Shooting For System That Can Land Within 3m Of Given Spot, Current Best For Landing Precision Is ~80m

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 23 April 2014

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International Space Powers Advance Moon Missions As NASA Looks Elsewhere

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China, Russia, India & Others Valuing Moon Exploration Priority With Current And Near-Future Lander Missions; Moon Seen As ‘Training Ground’ Providing Opportunity To Learn To Live & Work On Another Celestial Body, Solve Deep Space Exploration Challenges, Test New Technologies, Facilitate Exploration Of  Mars & Beyond; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden However Asserts That Going Back To Moon Is ‘Antiquated Idea’

Image Credit: Roscosmos, hannity.com

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 April 2014

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LADEE Spacecraft Meets End,
Science Data Analysis Continues

LADEE Spacecraft End

LADEE Orbiting At ~5,793kph Collected Valuable Science Data & Mimicked Surveyor / Apollo ‘Twilight Ray’ Observations With Star Tracker At ~91-Meter Altitude Prior To Far-Side Impact 17 Apr Between 21:30-22:22 PDT, Possibly Smashing Into Lunar Crater Or Mountain Ridge; Will Take More Than 1 Year To Analyze Successful US$280M Mission Data Including LDEX Characterization Of Ejecta Cloud & Perturbations From Chang’e-3 Landing; Completion Of 5th USA Moon Orbiter Mission Since Apollo Era, No Controlled Landings Achieved After 1972

Pictured: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden & part of the LADEE Team

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 18 April 2014

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Lunar Orbiters Survive Eclipse With Flying Colors

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LRO Survives 2 Consecutive Orbits Going Straight From Moon Shadow To Earth Shadow; LRO Twitter Account Reports Probe Instruments Dropped To 15° C; Engineers Were Less Confident That LADEE Would Survive Cold, In Normal Orbit Probe Is Deprived Of Sunlight For 1 Hour, During Eclipse It Survived 4 Hours Of Shadow; Mission Team Received Yellow Then Red Alarms As Power / Temperatures Dropped, Once Sunlight Returned All Returned To Normal, Allowing Spacecraft To Continue Collecting Valuable Data While Gradually Reducing Altitude

Image Credit: NASA, Astro Bob

Thursday / 17 April 2014

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50-Year Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Merits Advanced Planning

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Start Planning Now For 50th Observation Of Moon Landing Says Peter Swan Of International Space Elevator Consortium; Celebrations & Memorials Should Be Well Funded & Organized, Yet Truly Honoring The Memory Of This Historic Event Will Require Concerted Effort / Consistent Investment To Return Humans To Moon For Good, Ensuring Multi World Species Status; NASA Planning Crewed Flight To Lunar Orbit ~2019, Golden Spike Company Advancing ~2020 Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Golden Spike Company, ISEC

Tuesday / 15 April 2014

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Lunar Eclipse Provides Challenges / Opportunities For Moon Craft

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Total Lunar Eclipse Visible In Western Hemisphere 15 Apr Between 07:06-08:24 UT, First Of Series Of 4 (Tetrad) In Next 18 Months; Celestial Geometry Will Challenge LRO Systems As Craft Will Pass Through Earth Shadow In 2 Consecutive Orbits; Eclipse Could Cause LADEE Propulsion Systems To Freeze, Yet Should Not Affect Scheduled ~21 Apr Impact; Chang’e-3 Lander Will Have Unique View Of Earth (TL) During Eclipse, Potential Opportunity To Study How Moon Cools While In Earth Shadow

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 11 April 2014

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Moon First, Then Mars And Beyond

US Moon First

Scientists, Policy Makers, Astronauts Urge U.S. Gov To Support Return To Moon As Discussions Continue At NASA Global Exploration Roadmap Workshop 10-11 Apr; Don Brunell (TL) Points Out Moon Program Would Solidify USA Space Leadership, Facilitate Testing / Development Of Technologies For Living / Working / Transporting In Deep Space, Help Keep Pace With China; David Criswell (TC) Believes Moon Could Supply Clean Renewable Energy For Entire Planet; Harrison “Jack” Schmitt (B) Says Helium 3 Is Key To 2nd Generation Fusion Reactors

Image Credit: eoearth, D. Brunell, ISECG, NASA