Thursday / 22 May 2014

Posted on May 21, 2014 by LED Editor

ESA Advancing Lunar Base Construction Research

3D Printing A Lunar Base From Raw Materials On Lunar Surface Found To Be Feasible By Extensive Research Of ESA; Industrial Partners In Study Include Renowned Architects Foster & Partners, UK-Based Monolite Ltd; Concept Uses Inflatable Dome Superstructure, Layers Of Regolith Built Up Over Dome By Rover-Operated 3D Printer To Create Protective Shell; Team Produced 1.5-Mg Building Block As Demonstration (Inset); 2nd European Lunar Symposium Featured Presentations On Human Exploration Of Moon South Pole

Image Credit: ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 May 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by LED Editor

SpaceX Innovations

Boost Future Of Lunar Exploration

LED-5-2-14

NewSpace Powerhouse Disrupting Launch Industry, Driving Innovation & Efficiency – Boon To All Who Seek High Frontier; Successful Tests Of F9 First Stage Controlled-Flight Recovery (18 Apr) & Grasshopper 1000-Meter Hop (2 May) Show Company Is Revolutionizing Future Of Exploration; Re-Usability Might Reduce Cost-To-Orbit By Half, Controlled Landing Systems Have Applications For Lunar / Planetary Exploration

Image Credit: SpaceX

Friday / 2 May 2014

Posted on May 1, 2014 by LED Editor

Lunar CATALYST Partnerships Begin

Lunar CATALYST

Astrobotic, Moon Express & Masten Negotiating No-Funds-Exchanged Space Act Agreements With NASA For Lunar Cargo Transportation And Landing By Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) Initiative To Advance Lunar Lander Capabilities; NASA To Provide Technical Expertise, Equipment / Software Loans, Access To Test Facilities For 3 Years; Astrobotic (Griffin Lander) & Moon Express (MX-1) Plan To Launch To Moon 2015 / Win GLXP; Masten Refining / Testing Xombie & Xaero, Designing Xeus

Image Credit: ME, Astrobotic, Masten, NASA

Thursday / 24 April 2014

Posted on April 23, 2014 by LED Editor

Morpheus / ALHAT Tests May Revolutionize Lunar / Planetary Exploration

Free Test Flight Today At NASA JSC Of 3-m Diameter, 1090-Kg Morpheus Lander With 2404-Kg-Thrust, Methane & Oxygen-Fueled Engine Will Allow ALHAT Sensor System To Prove Its Capabilities; ALHAT System Will Have 10 Seconds To Map & Choose Landing Site After Craft Flies To ~150m; ALHAT Project Manager Chirold Epp Says Team Is Shooting For System That Can Land Within 3m Of Given Spot, Current Best For Landing Precision Is ~80m

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 23 April 2014

Posted on April 22, 2014 by LED Editor

International Space Powers Advance Moon Missions As NASA Looks Elsewhere

China, Russia, India & Others Valuing Moon Exploration Priority With Current And Near-Future Lander Missions; Moon Seen As ‘Training Ground’ Providing Opportunity To Learn To Live & Work On Another Celestial Body, Solve Deep Space Exploration Challenges, Test New Technologies, Facilitate Exploration Of Mars & Beyond; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden However Asserts That Going Back To Moon Is ‘Antiquated Idea’

Image Credit: Roscosmos, hannity.com

Friday / 11 April 2014

Posted on April 10, 2014 by LED Editor

Moon First, Then Mars And Beyond

US Moon First

Scientists, Policy Makers, Astronauts Urge U.S. Gov To Support Return To Moon As Discussions Continue At NASA Global Exploration Roadmap Workshop 10-11 Apr; Don Brunell (TL) Points Out Moon Program Would Solidify USA Space Leadership, Facilitate Testing / Development Of Technologies For Living / Working / Transporting In Deep Space, Help Keep Pace With China; David Criswell (TC) Believes Moon Could Supply Clean Renewable Energy For Entire Planet; Harrison “Jack” Schmitt (B) Says Helium 3 Is Key To 2nd Generation Fusion Reactors

Image Credit: eoearth, D. Brunell, ISECG, NASA

Tuesday / 1 April 2014

Posted on March 31, 2014 by LED Editor

Astrobotic Technology Inc Successfully Tests Autolanding System

GLXP Team Tests New Landing Sensor At Mojave Air & Space Port In CA; Astrobotic Autolanding System (AAS) Utilizes 2 Cameras, Scanning Laser, Inertial Measurement Unit; Low-Power Lightweight System Relies On Hi-Res LRO Lunar Surface Imagery, Makes Decisions Without Human Input; Flawless Flight Test Utilized Masten Aerospace Xombie Rocket, Descended From 250m, Used AAS To Detect Hazards & Select Landing Site; Pictured Astrobotic CEO John Thornton

Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology Inc

Tuesday / 11 March 2014

Posted on March 10, 2014 by LED Editor

Moon-Based Space Elevator Key To Mining Profits

LiftPort Group Of Seattle, WA Urges LSEI (Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure) Placement For Soft-Landing Equipment / Human Transport; Advisor Charles Radley(L) Notes Lunar Elevator Tech Could Place Lunar Mining Costs On Par With Terrestrial For Some Commodities; Jerome Pearson(R), President Of Star, Inc., States Lunar Elevator Can Be Made Of Existing Composites / Moon Testing Would Not Endanger Satellites In Earth Orbit / In Place By 2025

Image Credit: LiftPort, ISDC, VK.com

Friday / 21 February 2014

Posted on February 20, 2014 by LED Editor

Canada In Space, And On The Moon?

Canada on Moon

New Canada Space Policy Framework 7 February Details Government Commitments To Space Exploration, Commercialization, R&D, International Partnerships; Canada Invited To Provide Rover & Drill For NASA 2018 Lunar Resource Prospector Mission; Moon Exploration & Mining Offer Potential Of Billion Dollar Industry / Technology Development / Inspiration; New Promising Canada Enterprise Advancing Canada Space Interests

Image Credit: CSA, NASA

Tuesday / 21 January 2014

Posted on January 20, 2014 by LED Editor

Morpheus Advancing USA Lunar Lander Capabilities

Project Morpheus To Conduct Free Flight Test-6 Today At NASA KSC; Flight Test Last Week Performed Flawlessly Reaching 57m, Traversing 47m, Landing Within 28cm Of Target; New Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Could Facilitate Lander Missions To More Challenging / Rewarding Sites Such As Moon South Pole; Current Lander Design Has Payload Capacity Of 500kg, Team Hopes To Scale Up To Accommodate Crew / Cargo