Category Archives: Space Settlement

Friday / 27 May 2016

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Russia Lunar Reports: Nuclear-Powered Moon Base, Mission Cost Estimates, Moon Shuttle Service

Russia Moon 2016

Russia Overarching Plan To Put Humans On Moon By 2029 / Set Up Lunar Base 2030-2035 May Involve Inflatable Modules & Nuclear-Power According To Russian Academy Of Cosmonautics President Igor Barmin; Deputy President Of Energia Aleksandr Derechin States Mission To Moon Will Cost 10x More Than LEO With Mars Being 50x More; Energia Rep. Yuri Makushenko Details Reusable 4-Person Ryvok Craft (Launched By Angara A5 From Vostochny) Which Could Dock At ISS & Transport Crew, Cargo To Moon Surface

Credit: NASA, ROSCOSMOS, Architecture and Vision / A. Vittori, A. Vogler, D. Martini, R. Tchakerian

Wednesday / 18 May 2016

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Dutch Study Tests Vegetable Growth With Moon, Mars Soil Simulants

LED-5-17-16

Lunar Soil Simulant Being Tested As Grow Medium For Tomatoes, Peas, Rye, Radishes, Cress, Arugula By Agricultural Researchers At Wageningen University, Netherlands; Ecologist Dr. Wieger Wamelink Notes 1st Attempt Most Plants Died In Moon Dirt Due To Low Water Absorption, Adding Fresh Cut Grass Allowed Plants To Thrive; Risk Of Heavy Metal Contamination Could Be Mitigated By Growing Violets, Other Species That Take In Toxins; Soil Analogs Sourced From Arizona Desert (Moon) And Hawaii Volcano (Mars) Via NASA At Cost Of US$3,080 Per 100kg

Credit: Wageningen UR, NASA

Friday / 25 March 2016

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New Space Journal Offers 4 Moon Articles From Prominent Lunar Scientists, Advocates

New Space Journal

New Space Vo. 4 No. 1 Free Online Access Through April 7 Presents ‘What Do We Do With The Moon?’ By Editor-In-Chief Scott Hubbard, ‘Toward A Low-Cost Lunar Settlement’ By Alexandra Hall, Chris McKay, John Cumbers, ‘Lunar Station: The Next Logical Step In Space Development’ By Bruce Pittman, Lynn Harper, et al, ‘Site Selection For Lunar Industrialization, Economic Development, And Settlement’ By Dennis Wingo; Team Outlines Potential Human Moon Settlement Perhaps In 5-7 Years For US$10B

Credit: New Space, Mary Ann Liebert Inc. Publisher, NASA, GLXP

Friday / 15 January 2016

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Russia Continues 10-Year Commitment To Human Moon Missions, Perhaps Including 1st Woman To Moon

Russia Moon Plans

Russia Asserts It Plans To Realize A Human Moon Mission By 2027, Touch Surface By 2029 & Begin Establishing Habitable Moon Base; Will Use Angara Boosters, Develop Reusable Capsule; Seeking International Collaboration; Luna-25 Lander Aims To Launch 2018 (Picking Up From Luna-24 Successful Sample Return Mission 1976) To Boguslavsky Crater Near Moon South Pole; Recent Female Moon Simulation & Legacy Of Sending 1st Woman In Space, Russia May Try To Send 1st Woman To Moon

Credit: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, Anatoly Zak / RussianSpaceWeb

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 Nov 2015

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National Space Society Advocates Urgent Renewal For NASA Moon Missions

11062015Vital Studies Needed At Moon Lunar Poles To Verify Water Sufficiency For Sustainable Human Moon, Mars, Solar System Exploration; NASA-Funded Evolvable Lunar Architecture (ELA) Study Demonstrates Humans Could Return To Moon In 5-7 Years For US$10B & Establish Permanent Industrial Base Within 10-12 Years For $2.8B Per Year; Lunar Pole Robotic Survey Of Water Resources Imperative To Advance ELA In ~2020; Survey Reveals Commercial Enterprise Benefits By Supplying 200,000 Kg Of Propellant Per Year Placed Into Lunar Orbit Creating NewSpace Economies Via In Situ Resource Utilization

Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 4 November 2015

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ESA ‘Lunarville’ Proposal Attracts Global Attention, Offers International Participation

11042015Human Lunar Missions With International Collaboration Priority Of (L-R) Johann-Dietrich Woerner, ESA Director Stating Desire To “Not Just Land On The Moon, But To Have A Permanent International Moon Station On The Far Side”; Far Side Site Valuable For Radio Astronomy; FAA Associate Administrator George Nield Impressed With ESA Comments / Moon Village Concept As It “Would Enable Countries To Participate” With Private Industries Playing An “Important Role”; Executive Mike Gold Reaffirms Bigelow Aerospace Position Of Supporting Long-Term Aspirations Of A Lunar Base; China Also Considering Crewed Lunar Missions; Energia Space Corp Head Vladimir Solntsev States Russia Desire To Put Humans On Moon By 2029

Credit: NASA, ESA, Foster + Partners, FAA, RSC

Thursday / 29 October 2015

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Russia Focused On Luna-2015 Simulation & Proclaims Humans To Moon 2029

10292015RSC Energia Head Vladimir Solntsev (TL) Reveals Human “Lunar Landing Is Planned For 2029”; Spacecraft For Mission Currently Being Built In Moscow With Inaugural Flight Aiming For 2021, ISS Space Dock 2023, Un-Crewed Moon Mission 2025, Astronauts To Moon 2029; Luna-2015 Female-Only Crew Simulations Commence, Gathering Data With “Over 30 Experiments” As Stated By Crew Member Daria Komissarova (LC); Experiment Taking Place At Moscow Institute Of Medical-Biological Problems; Potential Collaboration Efforts Also Underway With ESA For Moon Settlement & Joint Lunar Station Prospectively With China

Credit: ESA, IMBP, RSC Energia

Thursday / 22 October 2015

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Russia-Europe To Collaborate On Human Lunar Settlement At Late 2016 Meetings

10222015Moscow Space Research Institute Prof Igor Mitrofanov (TL) Asserts “We Have To Go To The Moon” Due To Commercial, Astronomical Observation & Utilization Of Lunar Resource Benefits; Meeting Of Ministers To Decide Europe Participation Late 2016; Russia Vostochny Cosmodrome For Lunar, Planetary, Human Missions Described As “Biggest & Most Ambitious Projects” By Pres Putin (TR); ESA Lunar Exploration Head, Bérengère Houdou (BL) States “Ambition To Have European Astronauts On The Moon” & Lead Scientist Dr. James Carpenter (BR) Notes Moon South Pole Unique Characteristics Includes Possible Water Ice For “Use As Rocket Fuel; Luna-25 Luna-Glob Lander Expected 2018 & Luna-Resurs 1 Lander Expected 2020

Credit: ESA, EPA/ Alexei Nikolsky, University of Bristol, IKI

Thursday / 15 October 2015

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Fuel Production On Lunar Surface To Aid Deep Space Exploration, Mars Missions

10152015MIT Study Suggests Refueling On Moon Could Play Role In Sustainable Human Mars & Deep Space Missions; Takuto Ishimatsu Postdoc At MIT Notes New Mathematical Model Improving On Conventional Straight Shot Route, States “The Idea Of Taking A Detour Into The Lunar System…It’s Very Unintuitive…This Could Be Very Affordable in The Long Term”; Lunar Soil & Water Ice In Craters May Be Mined & Converted Into Fuel In-Situ; Fuel Depots At Lagrange Points Would Potentially Reduce The Launch Mass Of A Mars Mission By 68%; Resource Producing Infrastructure Is Vital To Promote Human Presence, Enterprise & Exploration

Credit: NASA, MIT

Tuesday / 13 October 2015

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66th International Astronautical Congress Promoting Space Sciences Vital For Human Survival

10132015IAC2015 Conference Held 12-16 Oct In Jerusalem To Highlight Diverse Topics During Technical Sessions, Lectures, Plenaries, & Other Activities; Lunar Focus Includes 3 Part Moon Exploration Technical Session, Human Exploration Of The Moon & Cislunar Space Discussion; International Astronautical Federation Plenary 7 “The Moon – A Continent & A Gateway For Our Future” 15 Oct Will Be Moderated By Prof. Bernard Foing Of ESA/ESTEC & International Lunar Exploration Working Group Executive Director; IAC Moon Plenary Panel Focus  Reviewing Key Lunar Mission Data & Upcoming Lunar Exploration Plans; GLXP Competitor SpaceIL Will Be An Exhibitor At Event

Credit: IAC2015, ESA, Israel Space Agency, JAXA, IAF