Category Archives: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 6-9 Sep 2013

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Launch Of Last Scheduled NASA Moon Mission As Lunar Experts Flock To NewSpace Companies

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LADEE Launch — 6 Sep, 23:27 EDT, Wallops Island VA, Via Minotaur 5 Rocket — Promises To Provide Spectacular Show To East Coast USA Viewers; US$248M-Mission Will Test New System For Ultra-Fast Optical Data Transmission — 600 Mbit/s, Unravel Mysteries Of Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment, Premiere Common Spacecraft Bus; Next Flight Of The Bus Likely On Moon Express (ME) GLXP Mission NET 2015; ME Announces Paul Spudis New Chief Scientist, Jack Burns Added To Science Advisory Board

Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express

Friday / 6 September 2013

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China Chang’e-3 Publicists Fail On Eve Of USA LADEE Launch

LADEE launch Chang'e-3

America Pioneering Lunar Atmosphere And Dust Environment Explorer, With Revolutionary Modular Spacecraft Bus And Ultrafast Laser Optical Communications, Counts Down To Dramatic 23:27 Virginia Coast Night Launch; Equally Innovative PRC Chang’e-3 Moon Lander Mission Suffers Public Relations, Lunar Progress Setbacks With Grave Translation Errors Of UV-Telescope, UV-Camera, Advanced Radar Instruments

Image Credit: NASA, Wallops/P. Black, Dragon in Space

Thursday / 5 September 2013

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Current NASA Plan Derided By Apollo Legend

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Chris Kraft, 1st NASA Flight Director, Says Many NASA Management Prefer Return To Moon As Next Step For USA / ISS Nations, Reluctant To Speak Up Due To Restrictions From Current Administrations; Congress, Astronauts & Partner Nations Also Prefer Moon Plan; Kraft Also Notes Great Possibilities For Science / Commerce On Moon; Lack Of Motivation / Inspiration Of Next Generation Of NASA Astronauts & Engineers Caused By Unrealistic & Unclear Exploration Plan

Image Credit: NASA, mit.edu

Wednesday / 4 September 2013

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LADEE Mission Creates Excitement / Questions

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1000 VIPs Expected To Attend LADEE Launch This Fri, 6 Sep 23:27 EDT From Wallops VA; Scientists Enthusiastic To Learn More About Lunar Atmosphere, 1 / 100,000th The Density Of Earth’s, & How Atmosphere / Dust Will Affect Future Human & Robotic Explorers; Whether / When Any Of Those Explorers Will Be American Remains Unclear However As NASA Lacking Any Follow-Up Moon Missions On Current Schedule

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Tues 30 Aug-3 Sep 2013

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Neil deGrasse Tyson A Likely Advocate For Lunar Commerce

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Tyson States It Is “Scandal That Private Enterprise Did Not Take Off Sooner;” Feels Space Shuttle Program Should Have Been Undertaken By Independent Business Leaving NASA Free To Conduct Deep Space Exploration; Believes Increased Government Investment In Space Is Needed To Facilitate Establishment Of Successful Lunar / Space Enterprise; Tyson Has Assisted Golden Spike Company In Advisory Role 

Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, brainpickings.org

Wednesday / 28 August 2013

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Magmatic Water Detected On Moon

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Scientists Use Moon Mineralogy Mapper Data From Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Orbiter (R) To Make 1st Remote Detection Of Magmatic Water On Moon Surface; Significant Amounts Of Hydroxyl Discovered In 60-Km  Wide Lunar Impact Crater Bullialdus (L) Near Equator Indicates Presence Of Water Which Originated Deep Within Lunar Surface; Data Provides Clues About Volcanic Processes & Internal Composition Of Moon

Image Credit: NASA, ISRO

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 23-26 August 2013

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LADEE Launch To Achieve Multiple Firsts

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Launch Of US$280M Mission, Scheduled For 23:27 EDT On 6 Sep, Will Be Visible To Tens Of Millions Of People Along America East Coast; First Lunar / Planetary Launch From Wallops Island Spaceport, VA; Inaugural Launch Of Minotaur 5 Rocket, 3 Of 5 Stages Made From Converted Cold War Ballistic Missiles; Debut Of Modular Common Spacecraft Bus Developed At NASA Ames, Smaller Version Of Which Will Be Used For Moon Express GLXP Mission

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 22 August 2013

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Global Community Working Together On Moon / Solar System Exploration

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12 ISECG Member Agencies Including NASA, ESA, Roscosmos Release Update Of 2011 Global Explorations Roadmap; New Plan Confirms Intention To Include Both Moon & Asteroid Missions Instead Of Either / Or Approach; Human Moon Missions Seen As Preparatory To Mars Missions In 2030s; NASA Administrator Bolden Says Agency Willing To Contribute Expertise / Resources To Multinational Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: ISECG, NASA

Wednesday / 21 August 2013

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Students Getting Involved In LADEE Mission

StudentLADEE

LADEE Partnering With Lewis Center For Educational Research & NASA JPL To Provide Students Opportunity To Help Track & Monitor Status Of Spacecraft In Flight; Students Will Remotely Control 34-M Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope From Their Classrooms To Determine Status & Position Of Craft; University Of Hawaii-Hilo Raising Funds To Send Intern Krystal Schlechter To Witness 6 Sep LADEE Launch From Wallops Flight Facility In VA

Image Credit: NASA, lewiscenter.org/gavrt/, imiloahawaii.org

 

 

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 16-19 Aug 2013

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: 4 Years & Counting

LRO4Years

Innovative NASA Moon Orbiter Completes 3 Years Of Its Extended Science Mission, Additional Extension Likely As Probe Has Delivered Unprecedented Amount Of Data / Images; LRO Has Orbited Moon Over 18,000 Times, Traveling Over 200M Km, Produced Over 434 Terabytes Of Data, Laser Altimeter Conducted Over 6B Topographic Measurements; LRO Expected To Continue To Send Back Data Until Oct 2014, Though Additional 2 Years Possible

Image Credit: NASA