Category Archives: NewSpace

Wednesday / 27 May 2015

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Lunar Initiatives Newsletter LunarCube Mission Opportunities, Upcoming Events

LunarInitiatives

Deep Space CubeSat Missions – Including LunarCubes – Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Elements In Space Exploration, The Lunar Initiatives / Workshops Continue To Organize Events To Support The Growth Of This Field; Its Latest Newsletter Includes Updates Of Upcoming LunarCubes Workshop On 6-9 Oct In San Jose CA, The 2nd International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space On 8 Nov, & News From Recent LSA 5 Workshop

Image Credit: lunar-cubes.com, Flexure Engineering

Thursday / 14 May 2015

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Space Law Issues Raised As Asteroid & Lunar Mining Initiatives Advance

AsteroidMoon0515

Planetary Resources Launches 1st Of 2 Planned 2015 Asteroid Mining Demonstration Spacecraft Missions; Space Mining Experts Meeting In Canada Note Upcoming NASA Resource Prospecting Missions To Lunar Poles, Existing Canada & ESA Rovers That Could Be Used For Lunar Missions In Search Of Water-Ice; Experts Posit That Commercial Space Mining Is Likely Decades Away, Though Many Assert That A Mechanism For Regulating Space Mining / Addressing Property Rights Claims Needs To Be Established ASAP Before Commercial Asteroid & Lunar Missions Commence

Image Credit: Planetary Resources, NASA

Tuesday / 12 May 2015

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Canada Event Explores Extraction, Utilization, Commercialization Of Lunar Resources

PTMSS0515

6th Annual Planetary & Terrestrial Mining Sciences Symposium / Space Resources Roundtable Continues Through Wednesday 13 May In Montreal, Canada; Event Intended To Promote Closer Relationship Between Space & Mining Sectors; Featured Speakers Today Include (L-R) NASA JSC ISRU Chief Engineer Jerry Sanders, John Hamilton Of PISCES; John Gruener Of NASA JSC Will Outline An International Lunar Polar Volatiles Strategy; Alex Ellery Of Carleton University Will Detail How ISRU & 3D Printing Can Facilitate A Self-Replicating Infrastructure On Moon

Image Credit: NASA, PISCES, Carleton University

Friday / 8 May 2015

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Moon Express Advances Moon Mission At Kennedy Space Center

Moon Express 2015

Moon Express Testing Lunar Lander Test Vehicle MTV-1X At Shuttle Landing Facility / Company’s New Home At KSC In Florida; Bob Richards States KSC Has Communications, Safety & Hazard-Field Infrastructure, Talent / People, Room To Expand For Moon Mission Development; Company Seeks To Win Google Lunar XPrize, Build New Propulsion System, New Vehicles, Series Of Private Robots To Bring Resources Of Moon To Earth & Solve Current Earth-Moon Transportation Challenges

Image Credit: NASA/Lunar CATALYST Initiative, Ben Smegelsky, Moon Express Inc.

Wednesday / 29 April 2015

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Bigelow Developing Expandable Technology With Eye Towards Lunar Operations

BigelowCarswell

Expandable Habitats Pioneered By Bigelow Aerospace Could Facilitate Lunar Settlement More Quickly & Affordably Than Generally Believed; Bigelow Set To Launch BEAM Module – With 16 Cubic Meter Volume – To ISS Sep 2015; Larger BA 330 Modules To Follow Before Company Begins Enabling Individuals, Companies & Countries To Extend Human Activity To Moon Utilizing Its Habitat Systems; Basic Lunar Habitat Could Consist Of 3 BA 330s, 4 Propulsion Buses & 4 Docking Nodes

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Space Age Publishing Company

Tuesday / 28 April 2015

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Astrobotic Advancing Navigation Technology For Lunar Landing

AstroGE

GLXP Contender Selected By NASA Flight Opportunities Program To Test Navigation Technology; Astrobotic Will Demonstrate Reliability Of Soft Landing System Aboard Masten Space Systems’ Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle; Developed With Nvidia & General Electric, 4kg Avionics System Supposedly Capable Of Pinpoint Lunar Landing With Hazard Avoidance Down To 20cm, Touchdown Accuracy To 3m; GLXP Teams Must Declare Registered / Scheduled Launch By End 2015

Image Credit: Astrobotic, GE, Nvidia

Thursday / 9 April 2015

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Buzz Aldrin & John Travolta To Host ShareSpace Launch Gala

TravoltaBuzz0415

John Travolta To Headline Gala Event To Launch MoonWorker Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation 18 July At NASA KSC Under Last Surviving Saturn 5 Rocket; Other Astronauts & Apollo Veterans Expected To Join Event; US$1,200-Tickets Limited To 150 People, Extra $1,000 Will Get 25 People VIP Experience Of After Party, Etc, With Actor And MoonWorker; Proceeds Will Benefit ShareSpace Foundation Devoted To Promoting Space Tourism For The Masses

Image Credit: ShareSpace, KSCVC

Wednesday / 8 April 2015

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Lunar Workshop Highlights Opportunities Of Upcoming Surface Missions

IWLSA5

5th International Workshop On Lunar Surface Applications 14-17 April In Cocoa Beach Florida Will Provide Overview Of Lunar Surface Missions That Are In Development & Opportunities They Present For Scientists & Space Entrepreneurs; Representatives From NASA Lunar Catalyst Program Participants Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten Will Present; Workshop Will Also Feature In Depth Look At Engineering & Science Of Lunar Polar ISRU & NASA Lunar Resource Prospector Mission

Image Credit: Flexure Engineering, NASA, Moon Express, Masten

Tuesday / 31 March 2015

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Japan & India GLXP Teams Advancing

StabMoon0315

Japan-Based Team Hakuto Working With Anime Show Evangelion In Crowdfunding Campaign To Recreate Scene From The Show During Lunar Mission; Campaign Quickly Became Fastest Growing Japanese Crowdfunding Initiative  Ever, Has Raised US$338K Of $832K-Goal, Deadline For Campaign Is 5 April; India-Based Team Indus Set To Close US$1.5-M Pre-Series A Funding Round After Significant Investments From Infosys Co-Founder Nandan Nilekani (Inset) & Others; Indus Goal To Raise $30M For Mission, Including $20-25M For ISRO Launch

Pictured: (R) Japan Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, (L) Celebrity Natsuki Katou

Image Credit: Team Hakuto, Pradeep Guar

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 March 2015

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Golden Spike Company Progressing Towards Commercial Human Lunar Missions

GSC0315

GSC Optimisitic 2015 Will See Advancement Of Business Plan / Lunar Mission Development; Board Of Directors Newly Reconfigured – With New Members (L-R) NASA Astronaut Terence Henricks & Dylan Taylor Of Space Angels Network – To Reflect Increased Focus On Fundraising For Human Moon Missions; Gerald Griffin, Doug Griffith, Alan Stern, Taber MacCallum Continue In Director Positions; Additional Meetings With Potential Asian Customers Likely In 2015; Company Working To Implement Human Space Transportation Systems To The Moon At Commercially Successful Price Points

Image Credit: GSC, LinkedIn, NASA, Paragon