Category Archives: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 7-10 June 2013

Posted on by

Morpheus & Mighty Eagle Moon Landers Undergo Advanced Testing

Mighty Eagle, Morpheus

Morpheus Vertical Takeoff & Landing Vehicle Performs Successful 74-Second Tethered Test Flight At JSC In Houston, TX; Next Test Within 1 Week; Mighty Eagle Moon Lander Prototype Undergoing Heat Shield Inspections & System Leak Checks At MSFC In Huntsville, AL; Flight Tests Planned For July To Include Optical Hazard Avoidance – About 200 Tons Of Dirt Will Simulate Lunar Landing Situation, Vehicle To Demonstrate Ability To Detect Hazards

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 6 June 2013

Posted on by

Bolden: US Open To Contribute To Human Moon Mission

BoldenHitchiker0613

Administrator Charles Bolden Clarifies NASA Stance On Human Moon Missions: US Unable To Orchestrate Lunar Surface Mission With Current Budget / Priorities, Yet Is Willing To Provide Engineering Expertise To Existing Moon Mission In Exchange For Sending American Astronaut As Part Of Crew; Comments Made To Institute Of Medicine Panel Which Is Developing Ethics / Health Guidelines For Future Long-Duration Human Spaceflights

Image Credit: NASA, ESA

Wednesday / 5 Jun 2013

Posted on by

Next USA Moon Orbiter Passes Tests In Preparation For Launch

LADEEnts0613

LADEE Passes Series Of Qualification Tests Conducted By National Technical Systems Inc At NASA Ames In CA; Spacecraft Subjected To High Levels Of Acoustics, Vibration & Shock Mimicking Launch / Space Travel, Is Now One Step Closer To 5 Sep 2013 Launch; Mission Will Utilize 3 Science Instruments To Gather Data On Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment From 50-Km Retrograde Equatorial Orbit

Image Credit: NASA, NTS

Tuesday / 4 June 2013

Posted on by

Moon Orbiters Guiding Future Exploration / Solving Long-Standing Mysteries

LROGRAIL0613

LRO LEND Instrument Provides Definitive Map Of Water Ice Deposits Across Moon Surface, Including South Pole (L) – Likely Destination Of Future Missions / Human Lunar Build-Out; Data From GRAIL Probes Explain Cause Of Lunar Mascons: Ancient Asteroid Impacts Melted Mantle, Caused It To Collapse Inward Creating Denser More Concentrated Areas, Subsequently Causing Gravitational Anomalies

Image Credit: NASA, FIAAA

Thursday / 23 May 2013

Posted on by

Space Act Agreement May Help Extend Commercial Activity To Cis-Lunar Space

Bigelunar513

‘Media Availability’ Event Today At 13:30 EDT, NASA Associate Administrator Bill Gerstenmaier & Robert Bigelow Discuss Recent Space Act Agreement; Unfunded Study Identifying Common Objectives Between NASA & Private Sector, Companies & Their Potential Contributions To Extend Commercial Activity To All Cis-Lunar Space; If Commercial Interests Demonstrate Capability To Reach / Operate On Moon May Help Cure NASA / Obama Selenophobia

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 17-20 May 2013

Posted on by

Harrison Schmitt Headlines Lunar Events At Washington University In St. Louis

WUSTL0513_2

Apollo 17 Moonworker Will Give Seminar On 20 May At WUSTL Entitled ‘Field Geology On Another World’; Schmitt (R) Will Then Participate In ‘Exploratory Forum’ With Students To Discuss Ideas For Future Human Moon Missions; Forum Will Allow WUSTL RASC-AL Team To Refine Presentation Of Their Proposed Investigation Of Potential Landing Sites For Outpost At Lunar South Pole; Tue-Thu Schmitt Will Participate In LROC Science Team Meeting Hosted By Brad Joliff (L)

Image Credit: NASA, WUSTL

Wednesday / 8 May 2013

Posted on by

SLS To Utilize Apollo Test Stand In Preparation For Moon Flight

SLSlaunchPrep0513

B-2 Stand At NASA Stennis Space Center Being Renovated In Preparation For 2016 SLS Engine Propellant Fill / Drain Tests & Hot Fire Tests; Site Was Previously Used To Validate Saturn Engines Before They Were Used For Apollo Human Moon Missions; First Test Flight Of SLS Will Send Orion MPCV On Uncrewed Trip Around Moon In 2017, First Crewed Flight Slated For 2021

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 3-6 May 2013

Posted on by

Lunar Mining Robot Prototype Advancing

RASSOR0513

Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Being Developed / Tested At NASA KSC; Team Estimates Robot Would Need To Work For 5 Years, 16 Hours Per Day To Mine Enough Regolith To Produce Useable Water / Oxygen From Extraction Device On The RASSOR Mission Lander; Current Prototype Is .75m Tall With Mining Drums Extended Above Body; Prototype Version 2 To Begin Testing 2014; Final Version Expected To Weigh About 45kg

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 3 May 2013

Posted on by

More Details On NASA-Bigelow Moon Base Study

NASA-Bigelow
David Weaver (L), NASA Associate Administrator, Says Agency To Conduct Unfunded ‘Initial Planning Phase’ Study With Bigelow Aerospace To Develop Moon Outpost Design, But Has No Human Moon Mission Plans; Bigelow (R) Says Company Has Been Developing Rudimentary Moon Base Plans For Years, Initial Study Will Take 100 Days, Already Planning For 2nd Phase 120-Day Study, Possibly With NASA Funding

Image Credit: NASA, Isaac Hernandez

Thursday / 2 May 2013

Posted on by

LEAG Annual Meeting Set For October

LEAG2013_0513

2013 Meeting Of The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Will Be Held 14-16 Oct 2013 At The Johns Hopkins University / APL In Laurel, MD; The Scientific Questions, Measurement Techniques & Options For Exploring The Moon With Discovery-Class Missions Or With Payloads Flown On International Or Commercial Missions Will Be Discussed And Evaluated At The Meeting; Abstract Deadline 31 July

Image Credit: LEAG, LPI, usra.edu