Category Archives: NASA

Friday / 20 April 2012

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Lunar Coldtrap Volatiles Presentation At Johns Hopkins University

Image Credit: NASA, JHU APL, m.pinterest.com

Dana Hurley, Planetary Scientist & Co-I On LRO LAMP, Will Present Research On Distribution & Composition Of Volatiles In Lunar Polar Regions At JHU APL On 24 Apr; Combining Data From Neutron Spectroscopy, Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Radar & Impact Ejecta Analysis, Provides A Multi-Dimensional View Of Permanently-Shadowed Regions Of Moon; Surface Frost Becomes Homogenized Within 20 Myr

Friday / 13 April 2012

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Great Moonbuggy Race 2012

Image Credit: NASA

More Than 500 High School & University Students From 20 US States & 6 Countries Will Participate In The 19th Annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race, April 13-14, In Huntsville AL; Teams Of 6 Students Will Assemble / Race Human-Powered, Collapsible “Proof-Of-Concept” Rovers They Designed, Over 0.8km Lunar-Simulated Course; 3 Teams In Each Division With Fastest Times Win Prizes

Tuesday / 10 April 2012

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Historical & Potential Future Significance Of Gemini Program

Image Credit: NASA, SpaceDev

Gemini Program May Be More Efficient  Model For Human Lunar Return Than Apollo; Many People In NASA Including Captain Pete Conrad & Lunar Orbit Rendezvous Inventor John Houbolt Argued For Lunar Gemini Program Over Apollo; SpaceX Dragon Capsule Has Been Compared To Gemini; Small Lunar Lander Design For Lunar Gemini (TL) Similar To ALOHA Chair (BL) Conceived By SpaceDev / Benson Space Company For ILO Human Service Mission  

Friday / 6 April 2012

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Astrobotic Unveils New Prospecting Robot

Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology Inc

New Polaris Lunar Rover Will Prospect For Water Ice, Methane & Other Resources At Moon North Pole; Solar Powered Astrobotic Robot Will Launch Aboard Falcon 9 Rocket NET 2015, Spend 12 Days Exploring, Carry 80kg Of Payload Including Drill, Instruments To Analyze Samples, Neutron Spectrometer & Infrared Spectrometer To Search For Signs Of Ice; Design Adapted From Lunar Excavation Machine Astrobotic Prototyping Under 2010 NASA Contract

Thursday / 5 April 2012

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Bolden: Private Enterprise Will Develop Moon

Image Credit: scoopit.com, disinfo.com, nypost.com

“NASA Has No Vision Of Establishing Colony On Moon”, But Countless Commercial Enterprises Do, Says NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; Proposal Of Rand Simberg (BR) For US Courts & Agencies To Recognize Private Claims On Moon, Mars & Asteroids Could Be Effective Motivator For Private Investment In Space Development; Simberg Presenting His White Paper Today On Capitol Hill, Washington DC   

Weekend Edition / 24-26 March 2012

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USA Lunar Orbiters Imaging Future / Past Landing Sites

Image Credit: NASA

2 4-Camera Color Video Systems Of GRAIL MoonKAM Begin Generating Video Views Of Moon Surface From Low Lunar Orbit; Thousands Of Students Have Opportunity To Capture Video / Images, Study Lunar Features & Learn About Past / Future Landing Sites; LRO Recently Provided Clearest View Yet Of Famous Apollo 11 Landing Site; Image (R) Snapped From 24-Km Altitude Displays Footprints, Lunar Module, Seismic Experiment, Lunar Ranging Reflector

Thursday / 22 March 2012

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GRAIL Mission Extended To December

Image Credit: NASA

US$496M Mission Extended 6 Months Allowing Scientists To Complete More Definitive Map Of Lunar Gravity Field From Lower Orbit; Twin Crafts Will Orbit Average Of 22.5km Above Moon During 2nd 3-Month Mapping Cycle, Sep-Dec; Mission Was Intended To End In June Before Lunar Eclipse, Mission Planners Now Hope To Crash Probes Into Lunar Surface In December, Ideally In LRO Field Of View 

Wednesday / 21 March 2012

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USA Human Moon Mission Plans

Image Credit: NASA, AP

Exploration Roadmap Documentation Indicates NASA Still Has Plans To Send Astronauts To Lunar Surface; Latest Con Ops Document Refers To Lunar Surface Sortie (LSS) Mission, Crew Of 4, 19-Day Mission With 7 Days On Moon; Viable In Early 2020s With Renewed Development Of Lander Vehicle (L), Political Support; Neil DeGrasse Tyson Continues Call For Increased NASA Funding, #Penny4NASA Campaign 

Weekend Edition / 10-12 March 2012

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 Inspiring Next-Gen Female Lunar Explorers

Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Veronica Osorio, internationalwomensday.com

Maria Zuber Tells 250 Female Students To “Shoot For The Moon” During International Women’s Day Event At NASA Jet Propulsion Lab; Zuber Is Chair Of Planetary & Atmospheric Studies At MIT, Principal Investigator Of GRAIL Mission Currently Studying The Gravity Field Of The Moon; To Date 55 Women Have Traveled To Space & 0 Have Traveled To The Moon

Thursday / 8 March 2012

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USA Lunar Orbiters GRAIL & LRO

Image Credit: NASA

Twin GRAIL Probes ‘Ebb & Flow’ Begin Science Mission, Will Spend Next 3 Months Orbiting 56km Above Lunar Surface While Scientists Monitor Slight Variations In Distance To Map Gravitational Field; US$496M Mission May Support Or Debunk Various Theories Of Moon Origin; New Goddard Visualization Studio Applet Uses LRO Images To Show Phase & Libration Of Moon For Every Hour Of 2012