Category Archives: Advanced Technology

Tuesday / 7 October 2014

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4th LunarCubes Workshop: Opening The Lunar Frontier

LunarCubes1014

Scientists, Engineers, Investors & Entrepreneurs Hoping To Open CisLunar Space Through Innovative, Low-Cost Missions Will Convene In Sunnyvale CA For The 4th International Workshop On LunarCubes, 7-10 Oct; Formal Presentations By Speakers Such As Astrobotic President John Thornton, Flexure Engineering CEO Russell Cox & Made In Space CTO Jason Dunn Will Highlight Design, Launch, Payload & Communication Options Available To Future LunarCube Missions, As Well As Overviews Of Missions Currently Under Development; Participants Will Also Contribute To Interactive Design Challenges 

Image Credit: lunarinitiatives.com, Made In Space, Flexure Engineering, Astrobotic

Friday / 3 October 2014

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Canada Moon Commerce Plans

Canada Moon Commerce Plans

As Highlighted By 65th IAC & ILOA Galaxy Forum In Toronto, Canadensys Aerospace Corp Developing ILO-1 Observatory For Moon South Pole, Representatives Christian Sallaberger (L), Nadeem Ghafoor, John Hackett Meeting With ILOA Directors For Fundraising / Collaborative Partnership Considerations; Walter Natynczyk (C), President Of CSA, Focusing On International Cooperation & Collaboration; James Moore (R), Canada Minister Of Industry, Recently Affirmed Canada Will Send People To Moon & Mars

Image Credit: CSA, ILOA, CAC

Friday / 26 September 2014

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The Next Giant Leap Conference To Detail
Moon Resources, Cis-Lunar Opportunities

The Next Giant Leap Hawaii

State Of Hawai`i Hosting Conference Themed ‘Leveraging Lunar Assets For Sustainable Pathways To Space‘ 9-13 Nov At Waikoloa Marriott; Speakers Include Buzz Aldrin (Gemini 12 / Apollo 11), Jim Crisafulli (Hawaii Office Of Aerospace Development), Henk Rogers (PISCES), Louis Friedman (Planetary Society), Bob Richards (Moon Express), Jim Keravala (Shackleton Energy); Primary Goal Is To Characterize Strategies For Accelerating Space Exploration Technologies & Enhancing Life On Earth With Emphasis On Moon; Early Registration Deadline Extended To 10 Oct

Image Credit: OSA, PISCES, AIAA, UH Hilo, Shackleton Energy, NSS, Boeing, et al

Friday / 19 September 2014

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OHB Spacecraft 4M To Launch On China Rocket, Fly By Moon 28 October

OHB 4M

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission (4M), Dedicated To OHB Founder Manfred Fuchs, Developed By LuxSpace Of Luxembourg, To Travel 196 Hours To Moon, Fly By Surface 28 Oct 00:28:00 UT At 13,000 Km, Return To Earth; Will Measure Radiation During Flight & Around Moon, Transmit Radio Signals On Amateur Beacon; OHB Planning Moon Missions Including Landing Within Next Few Years; Likely Part Of China Technology Test Orbiter Moon Mission

Image Credit: OHB, LuxSpace

Tuesday / 16 September 2014

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Thorium Distribution Reveals Clues To Lunar History & Future

ThoriumMoon

Analysis Of Compton-Belkovich Region On Moon Farside Shows Thorium Concentration Of 15 – 33ppm, Additional Thorium Unexpectedly Found Spread Up To 300km Eastward Of Region At ~2ppm; Distribution Of Thorium Likely Created By Explosive Eruption Of Silica Magma; Thorium Has Long Been Identified As A Potential Safe, Valuable Alternative For Nuclear Power & Option To Power Lunar Settlements; Spacepowers India & China Are Developing Plans To Advance Terrestrial Thorium Reactor Development

Image Credit: NASA, US Geological Society

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 12-15 September 2014

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Orion Spacecraft Taking First Steps To Lunar / Solar System Exploration

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Test Version Of New NASA Flagship Crew Vehicle Moved To Fueling Depot In Preparation For 4 Dec Exploration Test Flight-1; 4.5-Hour, US$375M Mission Will Mimic Return From Moon As Delta 4 Rocket Will Launch Orion ~5,800km Above Earth, Craft Will Return At 32,000 Km/hr; Orion Will Launch Aboard New SLS For 2nd Test Flight In 2018; First Crewed Flight Expected In 2021, Taking 4 Astronauts On Circumlunar Cruise; NASA Expects To Spend US$15B On Orion Through 1st Crewed Flight; Increase In NASA Budget, Prioritization Of Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration Could Hasten Orion Flight Pace

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 12 September 2014

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Chang’e-5 Hainan Launch Site To Be Operational Soon

Chang'e-5 Wenchange Satellite Launch Center

Deputy Director Of China Manned Space Agency, Yang Liwei Announces Wenchang Satellite Launch Center In Hainan – China Lowest Latitude Launch Site At 19°N – Is Complete & Will Soon Be Ready For Launches; Chang’e-5 Moon Sample Return Mission On Track For 2017 Launch On Developing Long March-5 Rocket, China’s Most Powerful Rocket Capable Of  Lifting 14,000Kg To GTO; Trans-Lunar Test Orbiter To Launch NET Oct From Xichang Satellite Launch Center

Image Credit: Xinhua, CNSA, Agencies

Thursday / 4 September 2014

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GLXP Teams Take Small Steps,
Develop Big Goals

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German-Based Team Part-Time Scientists Test The 3 Imaging Systems Of Its ‘Asimov’ Rover At German Research Center For AI Simulated Lunar Environment In Bremen; Japan-Based Team Hakuto Long-Term Goal Is To Develop Space Resources Which Facilitate Human Habitation Of Moon / Space Says Rover Development Lead Kazuya Yoshida (TL) Of Tohoku University; The Man Who Sold The Moon New Novella By Cory Doctorow (BR) About A GLXP-Type NewSpace Moon Mission, Attempts To Reignite Interest In Developing Enterprising Lunar Exploration Ideas

Image Credit: GLXP, Boing Boing

Friday / 29 August 2014

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GLXP Teams: Moon Missions More Valuable Than Cash Prize

Penn State & Hakuto

Penn State Lunar Lion Aiming To Launch To Moon Dec 2015 Would Use US$20M Prize Money To Set Up Space Research Institute / Student Scholarships, Working On Integrating Propulsion & Control System Into Spacecraft – Recognize GLXP Isn’t Just An Investment To Make Money, But Make History; Japan Team Hakuto Stresses Lunar Skylights As Sites Of Potential Human Habitats (As Does Team Astrobotic), Hopes To Contribute To Human Understanding Of Moon, Working On Pair Of Rovers: 4-Wheeled 8kg Moonraker Would Lower 2-Wheeled 2kg Tetris Into Holes Using Tether

Image Credit: Penn State Lunar Lion, Team Hakuto

Wednesday / 20 August 2014

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Canada Space Agency Funding Moon Rover Development

CSAroverContracts0814

CSA Preparing To Fund 3 Rover Projects: ExCore Small Planetary Rover Platform – $600,000 CDN 1-Year Contract, Tender Closes 4 Sep; Lunar Polar Rover Night Survival Strategy To Develop Alternative Heat Sources To Protect Rover During Cold Night At Lunar Polar Region – $300,000 CDN 6-Month Contract, Tender Closes 18 Sep; Lunar Rover Drive-Train Prototype Platform, Develop Larger Prototype To Be Subjected To Rigorous Testing – $3.25M CDN 15-Month Contract, Tender Closes 29 Aug

Image Credit: CSA, NASA