Category Archives: NASA

Tuesday / 8 April 2014

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LADEE Preparing For Final Descent

LADEEimpact0414

Ground Controllers From NASA Ames Will Command LADEE To Perform Final Orbital Maintenance Maneuver On Friday 11 Apr, To Put Probe On Course For Far Side Impact On Or Before 21 Apr, Travelling At 1.6 km/sec; Total Lunar Eclipse On 15 Apr Will Expose Craft To 4 Hours Of Extreme Conditions; Exact Date / Time Of Impact Depends On Variables Such As Mascons / Lumpy Gravity, Topographic Features; Public Can Guess Impact Time In NASA ‘Take The Plunge’ Contest

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 3 April 2014

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LADEE Media Teleconference Today

LADEEteleconference0414

Media Teleconference Hosted By NASA Today At 11:00 PDT To Discuss LADEE Extended Mission Operations, Additional Science Gathering, Planned 21 Apr Impact Into Lunar Surface; US$263M-Probe Successfully Completed 100-Day Primary Mission In March; Spacecraft Will Continue To Gather Data At Progressively Lower Altitudes Until Impact; Teleconference Participants: LADEE Project Executive Joan Salute (T), Project Manager Butler Hine (B), Project Scientist Richard Elphic

Image Credit:  NASA

Wednesday / 2 April 2014

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Future Of Human Spaceflight Debate Rolls On

3AstronautsPS0414

Former Astronauts (Clockwise T-B) Rusty Schweickart, Tom Jones, Garrett Reisman – To Discuss Future Of Human Spaceflight At Caltech On 8 April, Event Co-Sponsored By Planetary Society, Former Director Lou Friedman Believes Asteroid Redirection Mission Is Only Way To Advance USA Human Spaceflight Within Budgetary Constraints; Paul Spudis Points Out National Security Implications Of USA Retreat From Space, Notes Cislunar Space Is The ‘Space Theater’ Of Future, Warns Commercial Space Enterprises Unable To Open Up New Frontier Without Strong Space Presence / Capability Of Government

Image Credit: Popular Mechanics, NASA, Planetary Society, Spudis Lunar Resources Blog

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 March 2014

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Moon South Pole 2016 Missions
An Emerging Priority For Space Powers

SouthPoleMoon2016

Japan / JAXA & Russia / Roscosmos Both Considering 2016 South Pole Lander; China May Be Evaluating South Pole Landing Of Chang’e-4; India Chandrayaan-2 South Pole Lander Could Be Ready For 2016 If GSLV 2nd Test Launch Successful; Europe Advancing South Pole Mission Concept; NASA Recognizes South Pole As Ideal Lunar Destination For Resource Prospecting / Utilization & Human Moon Base, USA Might Advance Lunar Lander Mission Development To Avoid Being Left Behind  

Image Credit: JAXA, ISRO, ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA

Wednesday / 26 March 2014

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LRO 2-Year Extension Hinges On Senior Review, US Congress

LROshowmethe$

US$504M Moon-Mapping Orbiter Is 1 Of 7 Planetary Science Missions NASA Is Reviewing For Potential Mission Extension; LRO Extended Mission Not Included In US$17.5B Budget Proposal NASA Sent To Congress; Mission Will Require Approval Of Both Independent Biannual Senior Review Of Operating Missions – To Conclude In June – & Congress; LRO Mission Extension Would Cost ~US$8M Annually, Would Be Only NASA Spacecraft Exploring Moon Over Next 2 Years; Funding Currently Set To Expire Sep 2014

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 21 March 2014

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Hawai`i Student Lander Experiment Aims To Fly To Moon On 2015 GLXP Mission

Hawaii Student Moon GLXP

Hawaii STEM Initiative Headed By Rob Kelso Of PISCES (Hilo HI) To Send High School-Built Laser-Based Imaging System To Moon On Undisclosed GLXP Team And / Or Moon Express Lander In 2015; Instrument To Collect Data On Engine & Regolith Interaction; NASA KSC To Provide Mentoring, Engineering Assistance, Equipment Testing; Hawaii Schools Raising ~US$300K To Develop Hardware / Software, Conduct Analog Field Testing; NanoRacks Providing Final Flight Fabrication, Testing & Certification Of Flight Hardware

Image Credit: NASA, PISCES, ME, NanoRacks

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 March 2014

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45th LPSC This Week In Texas

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Future Moon Missions & Exciting Results Of Current Missions Will Be Examined By Nearly 2000 Planetary Scientists At 45th Lunar Planetary Science Conference At The Woodlands TX On 17-21 Mar; Moon South Pole Will Be Featured As Ideal Site For Future Robotic / Human Missions In Presentations By Brad Jolliff, Debra Hurwitz (BL), Others; Importance Of This Annual Event Would Be Significantly Boosted With Clear Imminent Plan For USA Presence On Moon; Pictured (BR) Conference Co-Chairs: Steve Mackwell, Eileen Stansbery

Image Credit: NASA, LPI

Friday / 14 March 2014

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Lunar CATALYST Proposals Due On Monday

LunarCatalystDdLn0314

Monday 17 March Is Deadline To Submit Business Plans For NASA Lunar CATALYST Program; Resulting Unfunded 3-Year NASA Space Act Agreements Will Provide Free Technical Expertise, Equipment & Facilities For Lunar Lander Development; Major Aerospace Firms Such As Boeing & Alliant Techsystems Have Indicated Interest; GLXP Teams Like Moon Express (ME) May Benefit From Program, ME Has Been Paying For Use Of Mighty Eagle Lander (L) & Has Paid ~US$550,000 To Study / Adapt NASA Common Spacecraft Bus At Ames

Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express

Thursday / 13 March 2014

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Apollo Marketing Success: Lessons For Modern Human Space Endeavors

MarketingTheMoon

New Book By David Meerman Scott (L) & Richard Jurek (R) Examines How NASA Successfully Marketed Apollo Program; Authors Then Evaluate Applicable Lessons For 21st Century Space Exploration: NASA Needs Unified Theme / Powerful Story To Focus Highly Fractured Global Audience, Work With Contractors Such As SpaceX On Human Mission Marketing, Allow Contractors To Take PR Lead; Challenge For Commercial Space Entrepreneurs Is Identifying Demand, Not Marketing Strategy

Image Credit: marketingthemoon.com

Thursday / 6 March 2014

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China Moon Program Might Benefit From
Mid-Course Correction To South Pole

ChinaMoonSouthPole0314Ideal Time For Leaders Of China Lunar Exploration Program To Reconsider Future Chang’e Missions To Moon South Pole; Future Problems Similar To Yutu Rover Control Circuit Malfunction Might Be Mitigated By More Thermally Stable Polar Environment; Chang’e Chief Scientist Ye Peijian Says Chang’e-4 Mission Should Be “More Innovative And Meaningful,” Achieving 1st-Ever Polar Landing Would Be Just That; Russia, India, USA, Private Enterprises All Advancing South Pole Missions

Image Credit: NASA, cnsphoto