Category Archives: South Pole Moon

Thursday / 9 July 2015

Posted on by

Moon South Pole & Lunar Cave
Research Being Funded

792015Research Continues For Moon South Pole Shackleton Crater Terraforming For Future Robotic & Human Habitat / Exploration; Crater ~209 Square Kilometers With Peaks Over 4,267 Meters In Which Water Potential Has Been Identified; Technological Trans-Former Will Operate In Darkness / Low Temperatures, Reflect Sunlight & Convert Into Energy For Rover / Astronauts; NIAC Also Awarding Funds For PERISCOPE Orbiter To Shine Laser Pulses Into Crater / Caves & Gather Data

Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 June 2015

Posted on by

Moon Missions Discussed At 2015 International Paris Air Show

6192015Russia Luna-25 Performing “Earth Trials” For Projected 2019 Landing At Moon South Pole To Study Moon Structure, Cosmic Ray Impact, Electromagnetic Radiation; Incoming ESA Director General (1 July), Johann-Dietrich Wörner (TR) Discussing  International Partnerships & States “One Of My Ideas Is To Go To The Moon, To The Far Side Of The Moon. To Have Robots And Humans Really Be Present There, On A Permanent Station…”

Credit: NASA, Roscosmos Press Service, EuroNews, International Paris Air Show

Thursday / 18 June 2015

Posted on by

Lunar Mission One Continues To Gain

United Nations Attention

6182015Privately Funded Lunar Mission One (LMO) Gaining International Space Mission Support For Moon South Pole 2024 Exploration; David Iron (B), Founder of Lunar Missions Trust & Lunar Missions Ltd Proposes Partnership Allowing Individual & Government Collaboration; Iron Recently Addressed Committee On The Peaceful Uses Of Outer Space (COPUOS) Administered By United Nations Office For Outer Space Affairs; Supported By Former Conservative Science Minister Ian Taylor (TR), & Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees (TL), LMO To Deepen Understandings Of Moon & Earth Origins

Credit: Lunar Mission One, David Iron, Ian Taylor, Martin Rees

Tuesday / 9 June 2015

Posted on by

ESA To Collaborate On
China Chang’e-4 Mission

ESACNSA0615

China National Space Administration Officials Confirm That ESA Will Participate In Chang’e-4 Mission, Collaborating On Mission Science & Payload Development; Agreement Came Out Of Beijing Meetings With CNSA Administrator Wu Yanhua & ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain; Chang’e-4 May Launch 2020, Be 1st Craft To Land On Lunar Far Side, Likely In South Pole-Aitken Basin; Final Decisions Regarding Chang’e-4 Plan Expected Sep 2015

Image Credit: ESA, CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 2 June 2015

Posted on by

China Showcasing Lunar Exploration Program Successes, Eyeing Next Steps

CLEPexhibits0615

China Lunar Exploration Exhibit Open At Museum On Hainan – Site Of Wenchang Launch Center / Future Moon Program Launches Including Chang’e-5 Sample Return In 2017; Additional Exhibit To Be Featured In Kunming, Yunnan Province 12-16 June; Exhibits Feature Objects From CLEP, Models Of Chang’e-3 Lander / Yutu Rover, Presentations By Lunar Experts; Chief Lunar Exploration Engineer Wu Weiren Says Chang’e-4 Mission May Be Destined For Far Side Of Moon, Likely South Pole-Aitken Basin Region

Image Credit: CLEP, Huang Benqiang, Li Peng

Wednesday / 13 May 2015

Posted on by

India Advancing Historic Mission To Lunar Pole

AnilChandrayaan

ISRO Officials Inform India Parliament That Chandrayaan-2 Mission Is On Schedule For 2017 Launch; Space Physics Laboratory Director Anil Bhardwaj Notes Mission Will Be 1st-Ever India Soft Landing On Planetary Body & 1st Attempt By Any Nation To Land At Lunar Pole; Mission Will Be Entirely Indigenous & Include Orbiter, Lander & Rover; Will Be Launched By GSLV Rocket; Orbiter Expected To Include 5 Scientific Payloads, & 2 More On Rover, Still Possible Lander Could Host Astronomical Observatory Payload Similar To Successful LUT Of China Chang’e-3 Lander

Image Credit: K. Ragesh, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, ISRO

Tuesday / 12 May 2015

Posted on by

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

Thursday / 7 May 2015

Posted on by

Radiation Environment May Alter Lunar Regolith

UNHcrater0515

Researchers From UNH & NASA Goddard Publish Study Detailing How ‘Sparking’ May Affect Lunar Regolith In Permanently Shadowed Craters; High-Energy Particles From Large Solar Storms Or Cosmic Rays Buildup Electric Charges Faster Than Regolith Can Dissipate Them, Particularly In -240°C Permanently Shadowed Polar Craters, Regolith Then Disintegrates Into Smaller Particles Of Distinct Materials; Researchers Used LRO CRaTER Instrument & Custom Computer Model; Team Will Now Utilize LRO Instruments At New Lower Orbit To Find Evidence For Sparking

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Wednesday / 6 May 2015

Posted on by

LRO Taking Closer Look At Moon South Pole

LROsouthPoleorbit0515

Orbit Of NASA Lunar Orbiter Lowered To Within 20km Of Lunar South Pole, Closest The Craft Has Been To Moon; New Orbit Enables Improved  Measurements Of South Pole Areas With Unique Illumination Conditions – Permanently Shadowed Craters (e.g. Cabeus), Peaks Of Eternal Light (e.g. Malapert); LOLA & Diviner Instruments Will Now Produce Better Signal / Higher Resolution Data; Maneuver Indicates Continued Interest In Moon South Pole Exploration Within NASA

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 5 May 2015

Posted on by

Astrobotic Gains 3 More Contract Awards From NASA

AstroboticSTTR0515

GLXP Contender Announces US$375,000 In Contract Awards Through NASA Small Business Technology Transfer Program; Astrobotic, In Partnership With Carnegie Mellon University, Will Advance 3 Proposals For Resource Exploration On & Under Surface Of Moon / Other Planetary Bodies: Develop Sensors To Precisely Detect Minerals In Lunar Regolith, Develop Imaging Technology To Map Lunar Robot Surroundings While In Shadowed Polar Craters, Create Navigation / Perception Technology For Flying Robots To Explore Lunar Caves Without Communication To Earth

Image Credit: Astrobotic, NASA