Category Archives: Advanced Technology

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 December 2016

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LRO Providing High-Res, Multispectral Moon Mapping, Prepares For 2017 And Revisits Apollo Landing Sites

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter 7.5 Years Into Mission, Continuing Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Since May 2015; Adding To 3D Map Of Lunar Surface At 100-meter Resolution (98.2% Coverage So Far, Excluding Polar Areas In Deep Shadow); Recent Data From Apollo Sites Provides Modern Views, New Interpretations Of Sample Materials; Release 28 Of LRO Data Expected 15 December; Science Team Schedules August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Observations Of Moon Shadow Moving Across USA; NASA Planning US$20M / Year To Operate Flagship Lunar Mission Through FY2018

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 December 2016

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GLXP Teams Must Provide Launch Contract Before 2017 To Stay In Competition: 4 Verified, 1 Newly Contracted

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Nearing 1-Year Mark To Claim US$20M First Place Prize, GLXP Teams Have Until 31 Dec 2016 To Contract With Launch Provider; Israel SpaceIL With Hopper Lander Has Verified SpaceX Launch, USA Moon Express Hopper Lander Verified Contract With Rocket Lab (And Has FAA Approval For Mission), USA Synergy Moon Lander & 2 Rovers Verified With Interorbital, India Team Indus Lander & Rover Verified With ISRO PSLV; Germany Part Time Scientists Lander & 2 Rovers SpaceX Contract Via Spaceflight Industries Not Yet Verified; USA Astrobotic Lander (With Andy Rover) – Carrying Japan Hakuto 2 Rovers & Chile AngelicvM Uni Rover – Still Planning SpaceX Launch

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic, Hakuto, SpaceIL, Part Time Scientists, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, AngelicvM, GLXP

Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 24-28 November 2016

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USA Lunar Transport Enterprises Submitting RFI Proposals For NASA Payload Delivery 2017-2020

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Seeking To Address Strategic Knowledge Gaps In Lunar Resource Potential, Lunar Environment & Its Effects On Humans, NASA Asks USA Commercial Lunar Cargo Transportation Service Providers To Propose (By 9 December) Payload Delivery Options Available In 2017-2020; Moon Express Announces It Will Give US$500,000 For Each NASA Payload On First Three MX-1 Missions ($1.5M Total) Under Lunar Scout Program; Astrobotic Proposes Dollar For Dollar Matching Program (Up To US$12M) – For Every NASA Payload Selected To Fly On Astrobotic 1st Mission 2017, It Will Provide Second Mission In 2021 At No Charge

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 November 2016

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Japan Epsilon Launch Set For 20 Dec, Intended To Carry SLIM Lander To Moon 2018-19

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The 2nd JAXA Epsilon Rocket Launch Planned 20 Dec Lofting ERG Satellite Should Further Qualify Technology Enabling 1st JAXA Lunar Landing With Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM); Epsilon Launch Estimated At US$38M (Half Cost Of Predecessor M-5), Uses H-2A Solid Booster, M-5 Second & Third Stages; SLIM To Test Technologies For SELENE-2 (Lander & Rover) And Future Human Missions; JAXA, ISAS, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory ‘Workshop On Planetary Science Enabled By Epsilon Class Missions’ 15-16 Nov Establishing Potential International Collaborations & Inputs For SLIM, Penetrator Probe For Moon Or Airless Bodies, DESTINY+ For Meteor Shower Study

Pictured: ISAS Associate Professor Shinichiro Tokudome (responsible for developing Epsilon propulsion systems & integration)

Credits: JAXA, ISAS

Special Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Oct 2016

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First Woman On The Moon:
Chinese? American? Other?

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While 46 Of The 60 Women Astronauts Are American, NASA Has No Plans To Put 1st Woman On Moon, Reclaim Greatest Advance In Human History / Multi World Species, Reach New Frontier Of Moon South Pole; China May Be Well Positioned To Put 1st Woman On Moon As Chang’e, Tiangong, Long March Rocket Programs Prove Reliability, And Planning Shows Step-By-Step Logical Progression; Russia & ESA Hope For Eventual Human Lunar Bases, Japan Plans Human Lander After SELENE-3, Canada Participating In ISECG Road Map Which May Include Moon Missions & On NASA Robotic Resource Prospector Mission 2018, S Korea Focusing On 1st Moon Orbiter 2018, Robotic Lander / Rover 2020

Pictured: L-R, T-B: Wang Yaping, Liu Yang (China), Julie Payette (Canada), Naoko Yamazaki (Japan), Yelena Serova (Russia), Yi So-yeon (S Korea)

Credits: CNSA, NASA, CSA, KARI, RSA, JAXA

Special Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 Oct 2016

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The First Woman On The Moon?

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USA Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton (D) And Donald Trump (R) Addressing Nation’s Issues Could Focus On Viable, 21st Century, Inspiring Way Forward By Supporting Mission For 1st Woman On The Moon; Women On The Moon Would Advance Technology Development, Science Research, Equal Rights, And Boost Economy Through New Jobs, Lunar Resources / Commerce, Innovation; Human Moon Mission Much Easier To Achieve Than Mars, Could See Women & Men Landing Via SLS / Orion, Inspire Next-Gen Americans And World, Encourage International Collaboration, Solidify Humans As Multi World Species

Credits: SPC, ILOA, NASA, JAXA

Friday / 30 September 2016

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Human Moon Missions As 1st Stop On Journey To Mars, Jupiter, Beyond

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FAA Advisory Group Endorses ESA Moon Village Concept At 67th IAC Suggesting ‘Lunar Marketplace And Swap Shop (LMASS)’; George Nield, FAA Associate Administrator For Commercial Space Transportation Notes Dozen Or More Companies Eager To Do Business On Moon, Reclaim Multi World Species Status; Jan Woerner’s Vision For Moon Village Would Be International & Commercial Collaboration Taking Shape In 2020s, Providing Infrastructure, Experience, Economy, Resources For Sustaining Human Presence On Moon, Catalyzing Solar System Complete Exploration

Credits: ESA, Foster & Partners, FAA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 Sep 2016

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The Moon, Mars And A Multi World Species

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The Moon, Earth Closest Celestial Neighbor / The ‘8th Continent’, And The New Frontier Moon South Pole May Be The 1st And Most Logical Step Toward Establishing & Sustaining Humans As A Multi World Species And Exploring Solar System Complete; Luna Is Almost 600 Times Closer To Earth Than Mars On Average; Projections Indicate Human Moon Missions Could Occur Within 5-7 Years For ~US$10B; Countries China, India, Japan, Russia, S. Korea, Europe & Commercial Entities ILOA, Moon Express, Astrobotic, Canadensys, Bigelow, Blue Origin And Others Are Making Moon Missions A Priority

Pictured: Multi World Explorers Remaining

Credits: NASA, ILOA, SPC, ESA

 

Friday / 16 September 2016

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Blue Origin Developing Huge Rockets,
May Launch Moon Missions

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Working Step By Step With Vision Of ‘Millions Of People Living & Working In Space’ Jeff Bezos Of Blue Origin Hints At Return To The Moon With New Armstrong; Could Fulfill Significant Need For USA Human Moon Missions, Catalyze Multi World Species Settlement; Reusable Orbital New Glenn Rocket In 2 & 3-Stage Configuration To Be 82-m & 95-m Tall, Provide 17.1M Newton (3.85M lbf) Thrust From Seven BE-4 Engines, Capable Of Launching Humans & Cargo Beyond LEO; Reusable Suborbital VTVL New Shepard & Capsule Being Prepared For Test Passenger Flights 2017, Full Operations 2018

Credit: Blue Origin LLC, Jeff Bezos, NASA

Friday / 9 September 2016

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India GSLV Mk 2, May Take Chandrayaan-2 To New Frontier Moon South Pole, Performs 3rd Successful Flight

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During 1-2 Sep Meetings With ILOA, Former ISRO Chair Prof UR Rao (L) Confirms Likelihood That Chandrayaan-2 Is Destined To Open Moon South Pole / Malapert Mountain New Frontier, Launching 1st Half 2018 With Lander, Rover, Orbiter; GSLV Mk 2 With Indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage Proving Its Reliability With 8 Sep 16:50 Launch, Boosting India Capability / Launch Independence; 3 Future Flights Planned: SAARC Satellite End 2016 / Beginning 2017, GSAT-9 Satellite May 2017, Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission Early / 1st Half 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Expected To Carry Human Missions

Also Pictured: ISRO Chairman Aluru Seelin Kiran Kumar

Credit: ILOA, ISRO