Category Archives: Russia

Wednesday / 11 June 2014

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Russia Moon Ambitions: New Rocket, Cooperation With China

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Federal Space Agency Chief Oleg Ostapenko Says Russia Intends To Develop Super-Heavy Booster Capable Of Lifting 80-85 Tonnes To LEO To Support Aspirations For Human Moon Missions In 2020s, Current Soyuz Launch Vehicle Can Only Launch 7 Tonnes To LEO; Russia In Talks With China About Stepping Up Space Collaborations Including Orbital Space Station, Moonbase; Talks Come As Russia Pulls Away From Space Cooperation With USA & EU In Response To Sanctions

Image Credit: Moon Base Alpha, Russian Federation Ministry Of Defense

Wednesday / 4 June 2014

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Next Humans At Moon Likely Space Tourists

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Russia Aerospace Company RSC Energia CEO Vitaly Lopota (BR) Confirms Plan To Send 2 Space Tourists To Circle The Moon In 2017 Or 2018 Via Modified Soyuz, “We Can Do This”; Virginia-Based Partner Space Adventures (SA) Describes Mission As Bold Return To Deep Space Exploration, SA President Tom Shelley Confirms That 2 People Have Already Committed To Purchase The US$150M Seats, Company Has Yet To Disclose Identity Of The First Lunar Tourists

Image Credit: RSC Energia, Space Adventures

Wednesday / 23 April 2014

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International Space Powers Advance Moon Missions As NASA Looks Elsewhere

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China, Russia, India & Others Valuing Moon Exploration Priority With Current And Near-Future Lander Missions; Moon Seen As ‘Training Ground’ Providing Opportunity To Learn To Live & Work On Another Celestial Body, Solve Deep Space Exploration Challenges, Test New Technologies, Facilitate Exploration Of  Mars & Beyond; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden However Asserts That Going Back To Moon Is ‘Antiquated Idea’

Image Credit: Roscosmos, hannity.com

Wednesday / 16 April 2014

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Russia Leaders Use Cosmonautics Day To Catalyze Moon Exploration Plans

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Russia Defense & Space Industry Deputy Minister Dmitry Rogozin Affirms Country’s Determination To Establish Permanent Operations On Moon; “Moon Is Not Intermediate Point In The [Space] Race, It Is A Separate, Even Self-Contained Goal;” Roscosmos Announces It Has Launched Project To Design Spacecraft Suitable For Human Moon Missions & Super-Heavy Carrier Rocket To Deliver It There; 3 Moon Missions Scheduled Later This Decade Beginning With Luna-25 To Moon South Pole In 2016

Image Credit: Phil Smith, Roscosmos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 March 2014

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Moon South Pole 2016 Missions
An Emerging Priority For Space Powers

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Japan / JAXA & Russia / Roscosmos Both Considering 2016 South Pole Lander; China May Be Evaluating South Pole Landing Of Chang’e-4; India Chandrayaan-2 South Pole Lander Could Be Ready For 2016 If GSLV 2nd Test Launch Successful; Europe Advancing South Pole Mission Concept; NASA Recognizes South Pole As Ideal Lunar Destination For Resource Prospecting / Utilization & Human Moon Base, USA Might Advance Lunar Lander Mission Development To Avoid Being Left Behind  

Image Credit: JAXA, ISRO, ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA

Thursday / 27 March 2014

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Meteorite Impact Risk On Moon Greater Than Formerly Known

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Future Moon Settlements / Human Operations Should Be Underground, Rely On Robots For Majority Of Surface Activity To Protect From Meteorite Impacts Says Russia Astronomer Vladimir Surdin (R); Over 300 Impacts Recorded On Moon Since 2005; At LPSC, LROC PI Mark Robinson Details Data Of Secondary Impacts From Recent Lunar Impact, 248 Small Debris Impacts Found Up To 30km From Fresh 18m-Wide Crater, These Secondaries Could Pose More Threat To Surface Assets Than Primary Craters

Image Credit: NASA, Moscow State University

Thursday / 6 March 2014

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China Moon Program Might Benefit From
Mid-Course Correction To South Pole

ChinaMoonSouthPole0314Ideal Time For Leaders Of China Lunar Exploration Program To Reconsider Future Chang’e Missions To Moon South Pole; Future Problems Similar To Yutu Rover Control Circuit Malfunction Might Be Mitigated By More Thermally Stable Polar Environment; Chang’e Chief Scientist Ye Peijian Says Chang’e-4 Mission Should Be “More Innovative And Meaningful,” Achieving 1st-Ever Polar Landing Would Be Just That; Russia, India, USA, Private Enterprises All Advancing South Pole Missions

Image Credit: NASA, cnsphoto

Wednesday / 5 March 2014

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Russia Preparing For Robotic Moon Missions

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Roscosmos Head Oleg Ostapenko Says Agency Boosting Efforts In Space Probe Development In Preparation For 3  Upcoming Moon Missions; 2016 Luna-25 Lander Destined For Moon South Pole, 2018 Orbiter, 2019 Polar Mission To Prospect For Water; Subsequent Missions Planned To Return Samples To Earth, Deploy Robotic Base On Moon

Image Credit: Roscosmos

Wednesday / 22 January 2014

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ESA Looking To Collaborate With Russia On Lunar Exploration

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European Space Agency Leaders Advancing Collaboration With Russia On Luna-27 / Luna- Resurs 1 Mission ~2019 To Research Frozen Volatiles Near Moon South Pole & ROSCOSMOS Lunar Polar Sample Return Mission Envisaged In Early 2020s; Meetings On 17-19 Feb 2014 At ESA ESTEC Will Explore Collaboration Possibilities, Evaluate Sample Return Science Proposals

Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, ESA

New Year / Holiday Edition
Wed 25 Dec 2013 – Fri 3 Jan 2014

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2020 Vision: Humanity A Multi World Species

LED-12-12-13Multi 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