Category Archives: NASA

Friday / 13 December 2013

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LADEE Gathers Data As Chang’e-3 Prepares For Landing

LADEE & Chang'e-3

LADEE In Science Operations Orbit Skimming Moon Surface Between 20-50km & 75-150km; NMS Instrument Detecting Argon-40, Helium & Neon, LDEX Observing Occasional Bursts Of Dust Particles (Ranging From Few Per Minute To Several Hundred In Under 30 Seconds) Suspected Cause Is Meteoroids Impacting Surface, UVS Measuring Potassium & Sodium Levels; Chang’e-3 Landing Expected 14 Dec Will Add Dust, Gases To Atmosphere – LADEE May Be Able To Measure Distribution / Evolution

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Thursday / 5 December 2013

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Human Exploration Rover Challenge: Name Change Reflects Evolving NASA Priorities

RoverChallenge1213

10-12 Apr 2014 Student Competition Held In Huntsville AL, Now Dubbed ‘NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge’; Rules / Format Of 20-Year Old Moonbuggy Race Remain Relatively Unchanged; New Name & Updated Course Are Consistent With Growing Solar System-Wide Focus Of NASA: Moon As 1st Enabling Step For Human Deep Space Exploration, Then On To Asteroids, Mars, Jupiter System & Beyond

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 4 December 2013

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Preserving Historic Lunar Sites From Rising Tide Of Moon Exploration

PreserveMoonSites1213

With China Moon Landing Fast Approaching & Commercial  Missions Soon To Follow, US Legislators Propose Bill To Qualify Apollo Sites As National Park; Space Law Experts Henry Hertzfeld (R) & Scott Pace Say This Action May Violate UN Outer Space Treaty, Suggest Government Officials Open Dialogue To Establish Ground Rules For Respecting Mission Sites / Equipment / Artifacts; May Also Help Ease Strained International Relations

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Tuesday / 3 December 2013

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Robotic Precursor Missions May Get USA Lunar Program Back On Track

MoonInsitu1213

Aggressive Lunar Exploration Plan With USA Rovers / Landers On Moon To ID Resources, Advance ISRU Technologies, Construct Power Infrastructure Is Currently Feasible With Limited NASA Budget, & Needed To Reassert Leadership In Moon Exploration, Prepare For Human Moon Outposts – Says Nelson Bridwell In Aviation Week

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 22 November 2013

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Launching Life To The Moon In 2015

Plants On Moon

Lunar Plant Growth Habitat Team Of NASA Ames Research Center Will Try To Grow Arabidopsis, Basil, Sunflowers, Turnips In Coffee-Can-Sized Aluminum Cylinders On Moon; NASA Expects To Build / Launch For Under US$2M By Buying Space On Commercial Launch Of GLXP Team; Chief Biologist Dr. Robert Bowman (Center) Points Out Need To Understand Plant Ability To Overcome Stress Of Space Radiation, Moon Partial Gravity, Small / Controlled Environment For Use In Human Solar System Buildout

Image Credit: NASA, Hemil Modi

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 15-18 Nov 2013

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Moon Express Mission Advancing

moonXtest1113

Silicon Valley-Based GLXP Team Analyzing Data From Successful Tethered Hover Flight Test Of Its Guidance, Navigation & Control Software Aboard NASA Mighty Eagle Prototype Lander; Team Will Determine If It Is Ready To Proceed With Closed Loop Free Flight Test; Philanthropist Klee Irwin (L) Announces 6-Figure Investment In Moon Express; Pictured (R): ME Principal GNC Engineer Jim Kaidy 

Image Credit: Moon Express

Friday / 15 November 2013

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South Korea Commits To
2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020 Moon Mission

Prime National Objective Announced By S Korea President Park Geun-Hye To Send Lunar Lander, 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals & Orbiter To Moon In 2020 Aboard Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 Rockets; 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI To Begin Collaborating In 2014, Hope To Overcome Challenges With NASA Support; May Need ~$655M To Complete Project By 2020; Also Potential For KARI Associate Membership In SSERVI

Image Credit: KARI, K. Dietsch/UPI/Newscom

Thursday / 14 November 2013

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Bigelow Report: COTS Model & Property Rights Can Facilitate Lunar Base

BigelowNASAReport1113

Report Prepared By Robert Bigelow Under NASA Space Act Agreement Recommends That NASA Pursue A Partnership With Industry To Develop Beyond LEO / Cislunar Space; Permanent, Semi-Commercial Lunar Base Achievable & Affordable In Next 10 Years; Private Companies / Individuals Would Need To Acquire Property Rights On Moon / Other Bodies If Plan Is To Be Viable; Bigelow Already Applying To FAA / AST For Review Of Lunar Property Rights Policy

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, NASA

Wednesday / 13 November 2013

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9 Research Teams Selected For NASA SSERVI

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William Bottke – Southwest Research Institute, Boulder CO; Daniel Britt – University Of Central FL, Orlando FL; Ben Bussey – Johns Hopkins University APL, Laurel MD; William Farrell – NASA Goddard SFC, Greenbelt MD; Timothy Glotch – Stony Brook University, NY NY; Jennifer Heldmann – NASA Ames, Moffett Field CA; Mihaly Horanyi – University Of Colorado, Boulder CO; David Kring – Lunar & Planetary Institute, Houston TX; Carle Pieters – Brown University, Providence RI

Image Credit: SwRI, UCF, APL, NASA, Stony Brook U, CU, LPI, Brown University

Friday / 8 November 2013

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Universities Partner With NASA,
Open Science Centers

SSERVI, Universities

University Of Cincinnati To Open Neil Armstrong Space Science Institute To Promote Space-Based Research & Engineering In Partnership With Ames Research Center; University Of Central Florida Daniel Britt (L) Awarded US$6M Grant To Establish Center For Lunar & Asteroid Surface Science; Will Aid NASA In Planning Exploration Missions To The Moon, Asteroids, Mars Moons; Chosen As 1 of 9 Organizations Under SSERVI Program

Image Credit: UCF, UC, SSERVI, NASA