Friday / 21 June 2019

JFK Space Summit Looks To Future Lunar Missions And Why “We Choose To Go To The Moon”

Summit At John F. Kennedy Library In Boston MA Features Caroline Kennedy, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Astronauts Ellen Ochoa, Chris Cassidy, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Koichi Wakata, Paolo Nespoli, Oleg Kotov, And Jeff Bezos Of Blue Origin; USA Celebrating Apollo@50 Hopes To Land 1st Women At Moon South Pole 2024; Lunar Base Will Advance Science, Secure Resources & Support Long-Term Survival Of Species; Bezos States ‘We Need To Go To Space, It’s Not Optional’, Has Vision Of Trillions Living & Working In Space And Moving Heavy Industry Off Earth

Credits: J.F.K. Library, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 May 2019

Apollo 10: Fifty Years Downrange With Aquarius Age Rising — First Women Soon To South Pole Moon

USA Artemis Program, Named For Apollo’s Twin Sister, Works To Land First Women At Moon South Pole ASAP, By 2024; Commitment To Appropriate Federal Funding Of 1% Could Double NASA Budget With Little Effect On DoD – Advancing Celestial Aspirations Of Apollo Missions In The Spirit Of ‘In Peace For All’ And Aquarius Age Consciousness Of 1960s; NASA Announces 11 Companies Chosen For Human Lander Prototypes, Plans Scaled-Back Lunar Gateway & Sustainable International Moon Base

Credits: NASA, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 May 2019

Apollo 10 ‘Snoopy’ Ascent Stage May Be Future Target Of Rendezvous

50th Observation Of Apollo 10 Launch Is 18 May; UK Astronomers Assisted By Former Apollo Flight Controllers Find Lunar Module ‘Snoopy’ In Space; Ascent Stage Named For ‘Peanuts’ Beagle Remains In Orbit After Descending To 14.4 km From Surface And Returning In 1969; Surviving Mission Commander Tom Stafford Recalls Having No Idea Where Module Went; Nick Howes Of Royal Astronomical Society Thinks The Unique Historic Crewed Spacecraft Is Future Target For Rendezvous Mission

Credits: NASA, Charles Schulz Museum

Friday / 3 May 2019

50th Observation Of Apollo 11 Launch To Be Celebrated At Kennedy Space Center And In Worldwide Webex

Apollo 11 Launch 16 July Will Be Observed Worldwide And Online; City Of Cocoa Beach Is Site Of Astronaut Parade 13 July And Women In Space Panel 14 July; Official Apollo 50th Gala Begins 16 July At Kennedy Space Center; Guests Will Include Andrew Aldrin, Rick Armstrong, Rusty Schweickart (L), Jim Lovell (R) And Other Astronauts; Cisco Webex At Gala Will Connect Some Of The 400,000 Workers In The Apollo Program

Credits: Northrop Grumman, Aldrin Family Foundation, NASA

Wednesday / 27 Mar 2019

USA Sending Retroreflectors On International Lunar Missions 

 NASA Laser Retroreflectors Are On Two Upcoming Lunar Landings, Israel Beresheet (L) Scheduled For 11 April And India Chandrayaan-2 (R) Launching Apr; Unpowered Laser Reflectors Will Be Useful For Lunar Navigation, Measuring The Moon’s Changing Distance From Earth And Fundamental Physics; Retroreflectors Left By 3 Apollo And 2 Russia Luna Landings Still Returning Science; Apollo Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment Reports The 384,402-km Earth-Moon Distance Increasing By 3.82 cm/yr, An Anomalously High Figure That May Indicate The Speed Of Light Changing

Credits: NASA, SpaceIL, ISRO

Tuesday / 19 Mar 2019

Apollo 11 Lunar Landing To Be Observed Across Earth 

 50th Observation Includes Apollo 11 Documentary In Theaters And ‘First Man’ In Video; Astronauts Gather At MIT Space Week And NYC Explorers Club; Seattle Museum Of Flight 13 Apr Opens Destination Moon Exhibit Featuring Columbia Spacecraft Plus Buzz Aldrin Helmet And Gloves; Aldrin Headlining Gala In Simi Valley CA 13 July; Harrison Schmitt (L) And Gene Kranz (R) Will Be At ApolloPalooza In Denver 13-20 July; Launch Day Events Planned 16 July At Kennedy Space Center And National Air And Space Museum

Credits: NASA, Space Center Houston

New Year Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Jan 2019

Observing Apollo By Aiming For Moon

2019 Will See 50th Observation Of Apollo 9 Lunar Module Test Flight, Apollo 10 Descending To Within 16 Km Of Lunar Surface, Historic Apollo 11 “For All Mankind” Footsteps, And Apollo 12 Precision Landing; The Commercial Space Industry Meets At The International Space Development Conference 6-9 June In Arlington, Near Washington DC; American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics (AIAA) Is Hosting The International Astronautical Congress in Washington 21-25 Oct; While Other Nations Land Spacecraft On The Moon, NASA And Commercial Partners Plan To Make An American Contribution

Credits: NASA, IAC

 

New Year 2019 Edition
Fri-Thur / 21 Dec 2018 – 3 Jan 2019

2019 Could Be Historic Year For Lunar Landings

21-27 December Is 50th Observation Of Apollo 8 Mission; China Chang’e-4 Attempts Historic First Landing On Far Half Of Moon Targeting 187 Km Von Kármán Crater In South Pole-Aitken Basin; Lunar Dawn At Crater Illuminates Optimal Landing Date Of 3 Jan, Providing 2 Earth-Weeks Of Uninterrupted Light And Solar Power; Queqiao Orbiter Provides Radio Relay To Far Half Of Moon And Carries Netherlands-China NCLE Experiment; Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) Is Still Operational On Surface, Powering Down To Avoid Radio Interference With Chang’e-4; 2019 Will See 50th Observation Of Apollo 9-12

Credits: NASA, CNSA

Friday / 2 Nov 2018

Moon Rocks Valued At >US$700K Highlights Significance, Worth Of Lunar Resources

Sotheby’s Auction Of 3 Lunar Pebbles Brought Back From Soviet Luna 16 Mission In 1970 Opening 25 November, Expected To Be Sold For $700K – $1M; Approximately 382 kg Collected From Apollo And 326 grams From Luna Missions Are Considered Priceless For Their Rarity, Contributions To Scientific Discoveries, Research Value And General Commercial Appeal; More Than 35 Lunar Simulants Created / Being Studied By International Space Agencies, Universities and Enterprises; Next Lunar Sample Return Mission Chang’e-5 Launching NET 2019 Could Return 2 kg

Credits: Sotheby’s, NAOC, Ilhan Chang, Bembmv

Tuesday / 30 Oct 2018

Apollo 8 EarthRISE Dinners Look To Future Moon Orbits

 

EarthRISE50 Organization Will Remember Apollo 8 With Worldwide Earthrise Dinners Week Of December 24; Jersey City USA Kickoff Event Nov 8 Will Feature Entrepreneur Joy Mangano; 50th Remembrance Of Apollo 8 Carrying Mission Commander Frank Borman And Pilot Jim Lovell To Moon Orbit And Iconic Earthrise Photo By Astronaut Bill Anders; Replicating Apollo 8 Lunar Orbit Will Be Goal Of Uncrewed Orion EM-1 Mission In 2020 And Crewed EM-2 Mission Funded For 2023; Ongoing Discussion of Lunar Orbital Platform To Be Serviced By Orion In Moon Orbit

Credits: NASA, Virgin Galactic, Joymangano.com