ASU CubeSat May Lead Moon South Pole Water / Ice Search
Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) CubeSat Is A Candidate To Launch On NASA SLS Exploration Mission-1, Would Be ASU First Interplanetary Mission; Lunar Water Exploration Objective Vital To NASA Strategy For Future Human Space Missions; ASU NewSpace Initiative Led By Scott Smas, Jim Bell & Craig Hardgrove (L-R) With Bell As Deputy Principal Investigator; Principal Investigator Hardgrove Reaffirms ASU Achievements / Commitments To NASA & “Abundance Of Hydrogen At Lunar Poles”
Credit: ASU, NASA
Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Annual Meeting 20-22 Oct In Columbia MD; Chaired By (L-R) Clive Neil, Supported By Sam Lawrence (ASU), Jeff Plescia (JHU/APL), Steve Mackwell (LPI) & Representatives For LRO, ESA, ARTEMIS, Commercial Space, Next-Gen Lunar Scientists & Engineers; Recent Findings / Recommendations Include Resource Prospecting At Lunar Poles & Interior, Advancing Lunar CubeSats, Maintaining Moon Missions / Pace Of Discovery To Support International Partnerships, Technologies, Future Crewed Missions To Moon & Mars
Public-Private Partnerships Selected Under NASA NextSTEP Include Lunar IceCube Mission Led By Morehead State University Professor Ben Malphrus; Massachusetts-Based Busek Company Providing Low-Thrust Electric Propulsion System And GSFC Providing Broadband InfraRed Compact High Resolution Explorer Spectrometer (BIRCHES); IceCube To Prospect For Lunar Volatiles & Water To Aid Future Moon & Deep Space Missions, May Launch On SLS / Orion Exploration Mission 1 In November 2018
Paul Spudis (TR) Of LPI Supports Refining Lunar Water Into Rocket Fuel To Assist Deep Space Exploration; Spudis Raises Concerns On Projected Cost & Quasi-Commercial Lunar Authority Proposing NASA Base To Protect American Interest; Charles Miller (TL) NexGen President & Study’s Principal Investigator Outlines Feasibility Of Returning To Moon By Leveraging Commercial Partnerships; Paper Opens Discussions & Considerations With Upcoming Presidential Elections
Preparations For Crewed Moon Missions / Lunar Base In Near Term (~5-7 Years) Possible With Innovative Cost Reducing Strategies Using Partnership Methods & Competing Commercial Service Providers; Benefits Of Lunar Structures / Commercial Mining To Export Propellant To Lunar Orbit As Economic Development For Extended Space Travel & Deep Space Exploration
New Director General Of European Space Agency (ESA) Johann-Dietrich Woerner (TL) Proposes “Moon Village On The Far Side Of The Moon”; Collaborative Efforts Would Incorporate World Participation; Far Side Of Moon Long Supported By Dr. Jack Burns (TR) Of University Of Colorado Boulder; Motivation For Village Includes Telescopes For Deep Space Observation, Stepping Stone For Mars Missions / Training, 3D Printing Trials & Multi-Nation Astronaut Settlement / Expanded International Involvement
Research 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