Moon Express & Other GLXP Favorites Await Announcement Of Terrestrial Milestone Prizes Finalists, Expected Later This Week, Should Help Reveal Real Contenders; Contest Now Down To 18 Teams From Original Field Of 30; Astrobotic Receives Contract To Deliver ASTROSCALE Lunar Dream Time Capsule To Moon Surface On Its Oct 2015 Mission; 1 Week Left For Lunar Lion Crowdfunding Campaign
Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology, Moon Express
New Generation Takes Over At SFF: NewSpace Entrepreneur Jeff Feige (R) To Be Chairman, Co-Founder Bob Werb Retires; Next Phase Of Development Should Revisit Past / Fundamental Vision = Open Space Frontier To Human Settlement As Rapidly As Possible With Return To The Moon; Space Settlement & Return To The Moon Projects Still Incomplete; Momentum Of Return To The Moon Conferences (1999-2005) Needs To Be Reestablished
Image Credit: SFF
Chang’e-3 LUT Operating Nominally, According To Jianyan Wei Of NAOC/CAS, After 2 Productive Lunar Days In Which It Observed 23 Stars Of Draco Constellation, Conducted Long-Duration Observation Of Variable Stars & Produced Mosaic Sky Survey; This Historic Precedent Of Viability Of & Opportunity For Astronomy From Lunar Surface Should Give Encouragement & Confidence To Global Astronomy, Space Exploration & NewSpace Communities Seeking To Advance Humanity As Multi World Species
Image Credit: NAOC/CAS, ILOA
Draper To Examine GSC Lunar Lander Concepts / Enhancements, Landing Sites, And Recommend Guidance System Architecture; Study Lead John West Notes Draper Has Provided GNC & Flight Computers For All Crewed Lunar Landings; Moon South Pole Near-Eternal Peaks Of Illumination With Temperature Constant -50° ± 10°C Should Be Considered For Simplifying Thermal Design / Reducing Energy Required, Gathering Unique Science & Volatile Data; Ben Bussey Study Shows Peak Near Shackleton Crater Would Be Illuminated 86% Over Lunar Year In 2020
Image Size: GSC, NASA
Lunar Cargo Transportation And Landing By Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) Initiative Announced By NASA Calls For Proposals From USA Private Sector, Will Lead To 1 Or More No-Funds Exchanged Space Act Agreements; NASA Will Offer Technical Expertise, Access To Test Facilities / Equipment & Software For Lander Development / Testing; Pre-Proposal Teleconference 27 Jan, Proposals Due 17 Mar, Selections Made In Apr
Image Credit: NASA
Penn State Lunar Lion Team Becomes 4th Team To Announce Launch Contract – Q4 2015 Via Team Phoenicia LLC, Lion Now Listed 3rd On Unofficial Contest Leaderboard; Team SpaceIL Of Israel Announces Successful Development Of Probe Propulsion System, Produced By Israel Aircraft Industries; Team Puli Of Hungary Completes Successful Simulation Of Lunar Rover Mission Including ‘Maunacast’ At PISCES Center In Hawaii
Image Credit: GLXP
Multi Nation Science And Commerce Human Lunar Expeditions 2019-2020 Preceded By Moon South Pole International Traffic Jam 2015-2016 With Robotic Landings From USA, PRC, Japan, India, Russia, as well as Moon Express / ILOA, Golden Spike, Shackleton Energy, Astrobotic, Lunar Lions, Others; NEOs, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Next
Ad Astra — Happy New Year / Holidays To All
Image Credit: NASA, ILOA, ME, Penn State Lunar Lions, Astrobotic Technology
Use Of Abundant Resources On Moon ‘Will Change Humanity’s Future’ Says Bob Richards Of Moon Express; Iron, Nickel, Titanium, Platinum For Fuel Cell & Clean Tech Development, Lithium For Batteries, Helium-3 Fuel For Future Nuclear Fusion Plants, Water For Life Support / Propellant; May Find Undiscovered Resources As Well; Depots On Moon & In Orbit Can Fuel Robotic & Human Missions, Lunar & Mars Habitats; Kg-Sized Samples Of Lunar Material May Be Valued At US$1B
Image Credit: Popular Mechanics, Shackleton Energy Co.
MX-1 Lander Lacks Legs & Typical ‘Bus’ Structure, Instead Using Fuel Tanks For Structural Integrity And Landing Stability; Craft Weighs 600kg When Fully Fueled (75% Of Mass = Fuel), Capable Of Delivering 60kg To Lunar Surface; Moon Express Co-Founder & CEO Bob Richards Says Engineering Prototype May Be Ready For Testing By May 2014; 2015 Mission Will Deliver International Lunar Observatory Precursor Instrument (ILO-X) To Moon, Compete For GLXP
Image Credit: Moon Express
Image Credit: NASA, CNSA