Category Archives: NASA

Tuesday / 4 March 2014

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Moon Exploration Advocates Look For Clear Vision In White House Budget Proposal

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White House To Release Proposed USA Budget For Fiscal Year 2015 Today, Should Indicate Specific Space Initiatives To Be Pursued; Space Policy Institute Director Scott Pace Says There Is International Consensus Behind Human Space Operations In Cislunar Space As Next Step Beyond ISS; House Science Committee Chair Lamar Smith (Inset) Says NASA Asteroid Retrieval Mission Inspires Little Public & Scientific Support; Human Moon Missions Could Inspire Nation, Facilitate International Cooperation & Exploration Of Mars, Beyond

Image Credit: NASA, slate.com

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 February 2014

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LRO Going Strong, Potential To Observe
LADEE Impact In April LRO Update

LRO In 30 x 200km Orbit With Periapsis Over Moon South Pole, Traveling At 1.6km/s; Captures Precise Images Of Icarus & Hayn Craters (TL & BL), Chang’e-3 Landing Site (TR), LADEE (BR); Operating Nominally 4 Years 8 Months Into Mission With 16 Data Sets Released; Mission Data Intended To Enable A Human Return To Moon; May Observe LADEE Lunar Impact Scheduled 21 April; LRO 2014 Lunar Workshop For Educators Will Be Held 14-18 July In Greenbelt MD

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Friday / 21 February 2014

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Canada In Space, And On The Moon?

Canada on Moon

New Canada Space Policy Framework 7 February Details Government Commitments To Space Exploration, Commercialization, R&D, International Partnerships; Canada Invited To Provide Rover & Drill For NASA 2018 Lunar Resource Prospector Mission; Moon Exploration & Mining Offer Potential Of Billion Dollar Industry / Technology Development / Inspiration; New Promising Canada Enterprise Advancing Canada Space Interests

Image Credit: CSA, NASA

Wednesday / 19 February 2014

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Bigelow Trailblazing Path For Commercial Lunar Development

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Bigelow Aerospace Request To FAA Office Of Commercial Space Transportation Is Attempt To Start Discussion On Space / Lunar Property Rights Says Director Of DC Operations Mike Gold; Company Seeking Organic Zone Of Operation Around Future Lunar Habitat In Which No Other USA Entities Would Be Able To Enter; Robert Bigelow Says Moon Mining More Sensible Than Asteroid Harvesting; Commends NASA For Moving From COTS Model To SAA / BAA Customer Model To Support Commercial Space

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 February 2014

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LADEE Sends Back First Lunar Images, Continues Analysis Of Dust Environment

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LADEE Star Tracker Instrument Captures Images Of Northwestern Hemisphere Of Moon (L) While Traveling At 96kpm; US$280-Million Mission Attempting To Answer Long-Standing Mystery Of Pre-Sunrise Glow Above Lunar Horizon Observed By Apollo Moonworkers; LADEE Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration Deemed Great Success By NASA & MIT Engineers; Probe Scheduled To Crash Into Lunar Surface On 21 Apr, Will Analyze Dust Samples Right Until Impact

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 7 February 2014

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Centennial Challenges Announces 1st
Competition To Lunar Orbit & Beyond

Centennial Challenges 2014

Proposed 2014 Centennial Challenges For USA Teams Would Allow CubeSats To Launch Aboard NASA Flight, Potentially SLS EM-1 Flight Around Moon 17 Dec 2017; Prizes For 2 Challenges Awarded For Successful Ground Demonstration Of Communications & Propulsion Subsystems, Highest Data Volume Transmitted From
> 356,700 km, Transmission From Farthest Distance Beyond Moon, Achieving Lunar Orbit(s); Request For Information Due 31 Mar

Image Credit: NASA, Flexure Engineering

Thursday / 6 February 2014

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Lunar CATALYST Program Inspiring GLXP, Property Rights Debates

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Moon Express & Other USA-Based GLXP Teams Enthusiastic About NASA Lunar CATALYST Program While Barcelona Moon & International Teams Concerned It Unbalances The Competition; Mike Gold (TR) Of Bigelow Aerospace Applauds NASA Initiative, Yet Warns That Private Moon Mission Investment Not Likely Until Rights To Extracted Minerals Clearly Defined; Bigelow Awaiting FAA Response To Recent Moon Mission Licensing Request

Image Credit: Barcelona Moon Team, Moon Express, NASA, Bigelow Aerospace

Tuesday / 4 February 2014

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LADEE Mission Extended, SSERVI Exploration Science Forum Set For July

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Moon Orbiter, Already With Over 1000 Lunar Orbits Completed, Surprises Mission Team By Having Enough Fuel Remaining For 1-Month Extended Mission; 383-kg Craft Will Be Lowered To 5-Km Orbit Where It Should Find Denser Atmosphere / Dust Environment; Richard Elphic (BR) & LADEE Team Still Investigating Data From Chang’e-3 Landing; NASA / SSERVI Announce 1st Annual Exploration Science Forum At Ames RC, CA, On 21-23 July 2014

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 31 January 2014

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Europe / World Interest In Moon Exploration Featured At ELS 2014

ELS 2014

European Lunar Symposium To Be Held 15-16 May In London, United Kingdom, Hosted By European Nodes Of NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI); Science Committee Includes (L-R) James Carpenter (ESA), Mahesh Anand (Open University), Ralf Jaumann (DLR); Will Focus On Moon Astronomical, Astrophysical, Commercial, Geological, Resource Utilization, Human Outpost Considerations; 4 Broad Themes Cover: Science Of / On / From Moon, Future Lunar Missions

Image Credit: SSERVI, ESA, Open Univ.

Thursday / 30 January 2014

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Moon Mining – A Rising Priority

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Private Companies & Government Agencies See Moon Mining As Critical Step Towards Future Sustainability, Expansion Of Humans Through Solar System; China Eyeing Lunar Helium-3; Russia Planning Prospecting & Sample Return Missions By 2020; USA Likely To Collaborate With Japan, Korea, Canada, Private Companies To Achieve US$250M Resource Prospector Mission At Moon South Pole ~2018 To Advance ISRU Capabilities; Moon Mining Plans Lead Inevitably To Property Rights Considerations

Image Credit: NASA, Roscosmos