Category Archives: NASA

Thursday / 23 May 2013

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

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‘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

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

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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

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SLS To Utilize Apollo Test Stand In Preparation For Moon Flight

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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

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Lunar Mining Robot Prototype Advancing

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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

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More Details On NASA-Bigelow Moon Base Study

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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

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LEAG Annual Meeting Set For October

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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

Tuesday / 30 April 2013

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2013 Moonbuggy Race Winners

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Puerto Rico Reigns ‘Supremo’ At 20th NASA Great Moonbuggy Race As Team 1 From Teodoro Aguilar Mora Vocational High School Of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico Wins 1st Place In High School Division, Finishing The 0.8-Km Course In 3 Minutes, 24 Seconds; University Of Puerto Rico At Humacao Team Wins College-Division With Time Of 3 Minutes, 32 Seconds; Winning Teams Receive Trophies & US$3, 000 Cash Rewards

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 26 April 2013

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International & National Support For Human Moon Mission

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US Congress Rep. Lamar Smith (R) States Human Moon Mission Has More Support Than Proposed NASA Asteroid Retrieval Mission; Can Learn More From Moon & Is Better Precursor For Deep Space Exploration; NASA Chief Bolden (L) Says Going To Moon Would Cost 3 Times More Than Asteroid & With US$17.7B 2014 Budget It Is All NASA Can Afford; Solidifying China, Russia, Commercial USA Moon Plans May Induce Another ‘Sputnik Effect’ On NASA In Near Future

Image Credit: house.gov, NASA

Wednesday / 24 April 2013

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20th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race

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Nearly 100 College & High School Teams Will Compete In The NASA Great Moonbuggy Race On 26-27 April In Huntsville, AL, USA; 6-Person Teams Build Their Own Engineering Test Model Of A Moon Rover, Carry Rover To Starting Line Where It Is Assembled Before Taking Course; 1 Female & 1 Male Team Member Then Power Buggy Over Half-Mile Simulated Lunar Course With Time Clock Running

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 18 April 2013

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LRO CRaTER Instrument Helping In Development Of Future Spacecraft

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CRaTER Instrument Precisely Measures Potentially Dangerous Radiation In Space & Its Effects On Human Tissue / Electronics; Data Shows High-Mass / High-Energy Cosmic Rays (HZE Particles) Make Up Only 1% Of Radiation Detected, Yet Account For 50% Of Energy Deposited By Radiation; Researchers Also Able To Determine Effects Of Different Types Of Radiation; Findings Helping Researchers Optimize Spacecraft Shielding Without Making Them Too Heavy

Image Credit: NASA