Category Archives: NewSpace

Tuesday / 3 February 2015

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Shackleton Energy Company Seeks To Fuel
Human Solar System Exploration

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1.6B Tonnes Of Water At Moon Poles Is Likely Prize That Will Stimulate New Lunar Gold Rush; USA Texas-Based Shackleton Energy Company Advancing Plan To Mine Moon Water With Robotic & Human Missions, Convert It To Rocket Propellant (Hydrogen & Oxygen), & Sell It At Orbital Fuel Depots; Company Continues To Advance Business Plan After Pursuing Crowdfunding Campaign & Lobbying For NASA Support

Image Credit: Shackleton Energy Company, Popular Mechanics

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 January 2015

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Google Lunar XPRIZE To Announce Milestone Prize Winners

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On Monday 26 Jan, Up To US$6M In Milestone Prizes Will Be Awarded To Qualified Teams At A Private Event At California Academy Of Sciences In San Francisco; Max 3 Teams Can Win US$1M Landing Prize, 4 Teams Can Win $500K Mobility Prize & $250K Imaging Prize; Previous Announcement Confirmed That Astrobotic Won Mobility & Imaging Prizes; Other Teams Competing For Prizes Include: Hakuto, Moon Express, Indus, Part Time Scientists

Image Credit: GLXP

Friday / 23 January 2015

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Moon Express, Space Florida, NASA
Advancing Florida Moon Missions Legacy

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ME Testing & Developing MTV-1X Lunar Lander At KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, Will Begin Operations By End Of Q2 2015 At Space Launch Complex 36, Which Was Used To Launch Surveyors To Moon, Mariners To Mars, Pioneers To Jupiter / Saturn / Beyond; Bob Richards (CEO) Says Agreement With Space Florida, & ME Initial Investment Of US$500K Will Allow For “Immediate” Infrastructure Improvements To Make Site Operational; Likely To Build Own “Moonscape”; Block House & Engineering Building To Be Dubbed “Moon Mountain” 

Image Credit: ME, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 January 2015

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Moon South Pole
Drawing New Lunar Pioneers

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New Moon South Pole Ventures Including UK-Based Lunar Mission One & Russia-Based Lin Industrial Join Established Declarations Of Interest In Moon South Pole Missions By USA (RPM), American Enterprises Such As Shackleton Energy Corporation, Japan (SELENE-2), India (Chandrayaan-2), Russia (Luna-Glob), ESA, ILOA; Moon South Pole – Replete With Valuable Resources & Providing A Relatively Stable Thermal Environment – Is Generally Considered Optimal Location For Human Lunar Exploration / Settlement

Image Credit: JAXA, Lunar Mission One, Lin Industrial

Friday / 16 January 2015

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Moon Express Steadily Advancing
Moon Lander Technologies

ME 2015

Moon Express Preparing For Phase 2 Test Flight Campaign Of Hydrogen Peroxide Fueled MTV-1X Lander After Successful Dec 2014 Test Flights At Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility “Moonscape” In Florida; Testing Is Being Conducted In Partnership With NASA Lunar CATALYST Program & In Pursuit Of GLXP Lander & Mobility Terrestrial Milestones Prizes; MTV-2X Vehicle Scheduled To Be Built & Tested In Q1 2015

Image Credit: Moon Express, NASA

Tuesday / 6 January 2015

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Astrobotic Seeking To Make Pittsburgh A Space-Faring City

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Red Whittaker Hopes Astrobotic Will Soon Have Hundreds Or Thousands Of Employees Working On Multiple Moon Missions, Says Pittsburgh – With Its History Of Building Industry – Is Ideal Location To Create Strong Commercial Space / Moon Industry; Company Now Has 20 Employees Working On GLXP Mission, Confident There Is Large Market For Flying Payloads To Moon, Company Leaders Report They Are Now Getting More Interest From Funding Sources

Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology

Wednesday / 3 December 2014

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Demand For Moon Mining On The Rise

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Moon Mining Beneficial For Future Exploration & Economic Development Of Moon Through ISRU, Advancing Cislunar Space / Solar System Exploration With Fuel Depots, Satisfying Terrestrial Demand For Rare Resources; Ian Crawford, Science Advisor Of UK Lunar Mission One Project, Argues That Providing Products For Cislunar Infrastructure Is Most Compelling / Economically Viable Application In Near Future; Russia Indicates Importing Rare Earth Elements To Earth Is A Primary Goal Of Its Moon Mining Plans, Backed By US$2.5B In Private / State Funding

Image Credit: NASA, Birkbeck University

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 27 Nov – 1 Dec 2014

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CubeQuest Challenge To Advance Lunar Exploration

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With New Centennial Challenge NASA Offers 1st In-Space Competition & Largest Prize Ever; CubeQuest Challenge Offers 3 Separate Prizes: 4 (US$500K) Ground Tournaments To Qualify For Flight On First SLS Launch, Deep Space Derby $1.5M Prize To Demonstrate Communication / Durability At >400,000,000 Km From Earth, Lunar Derby $3M For Placing CubeSat In Stable Lunar Orbit & Demonstrating Communications / Durability; Program Manager Eric Eberly Says Contest Could Dramatically Improve Affordability Of Space Missions & Increase Research Possibilities

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 26 November 2014

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First Africa Moon Mission Seeks To Inspire / Stimulate Growth In Continent

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South Africa-Based Foundation For Space Development Announces First Africa Moon Mission; Africa2Moon Mission Will Be Crowdfunded Campaign To Send Lander Or Orbiter To Moon; Group Hopes To Raise US$150K For Phase 1 Mission Concept / Feasibility Study (Jan-Nov 2015); Team To Include Experts From Africa Universities / Industries, & International Space Experts; Mission Administrators Peter Martinez & Jonathan Weltman Hope Mission Can Highlight & Nurture Often Overlooked Positive Africa Aspects: Quickly Growing Economy, Young Enterprising Population

Image Credit: Foundation For Space Development, Africa2Moon

Tuesday / 25 November 2014

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Commercial Moon Mission Plans Raise Issues Of Moon Litter

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UK Commercial Mission To Leave Time Capsule On Moon South Pole Has Space Environmentalists Questioning Ethics Of Littering Moon With Human ‘Artifacts’; Outer Space Treaty Says Nothing About Regulating Moon Trash & No Central Authority Enforces Laws On Moon; Currently Over 70 Spacecraft On Moon & ~180,000 Kg Of Human-Made Materials On Moon; UK Mission Currently Crowdfunding For Projected 2024 US$1B-Mission, Initial Campaign Already Raised Over Half Of US$941K-Goal With 23 Days Remaining

Image Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd, NASA