Category Archives: ESA / Europe

Wednesday / 24 October 2012

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ESA Eyes 2019 Lunar South Pole Robotic Mission As Astrium Develops Lander / Assesses Cost

ESA Preliminary System Requirement Review Puts €500M Price On 6 Month Mission To Place Rover / Other Experiments At Moon’s South Pole; Astrium Lunar Lander Study Phase B1 Major Results Include Precision Autonomous Soft Landing Test Results From TRON (Testbed For Robotic Optical Navigation) & LAMA (Landing And Mobility Test Facility); Nov ESA Ministerial Conference Decides Whether To Proceed With Study Phase B2 Leading To Preliminary Design Review

Image Credit: Astrium, ESA

Wednesday / 12 September 2012

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Russia Officials Talking MoonBase Plans

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin Says Russia Should Set ‘Super Goal’ Of Building Large Base On Moon To Refocus Space Industry; Base Could Facilitate Leaps Of Science & Future Deep Space Projects; Possible Collaboration With USA / ESA; Moon Is Seen As Logical Next Step For Russia Exploration As Mars Is “Too Far And Too Expensive”

Image Credit: Roscosmos, wn.com

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 27-30 July 2012

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European Lunar Lander To Prepare For Human Exploration

Scientific Objectives / Payload Design For ESA Lunar Lander Mission (~2018) In Paper By James Carpenter, et al, Accepted For Publication In Planetary & Space Sciences; Mission To Emphasize Human Exploration Preparatory Science; Payloads To Study Effects Of Plasma / Dust / Radiation Environment On Systems & Humans, Distribution / Application Of In Situ Resources For Future Exploration; Moon South Pole Likely Landing Site 

Image Credit: ESA

Wednesday / 27 June 2012

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Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration Set For 2013

ESA / NASA Collaborating On Project To Confirm Effectiveness Of Laser Communication From Moon To Earth & Back; New Optical Terminal Flying On LADEE (NET 2013) Will Transmit Over 600MB / Second To 3 Ground Stations By Beam Of Infrared Light At 1550nm Wavelength; Optical Laser Communication Could Reduce Mass Of On-Board Receiving / Transmitting Equipment & Provide Significantly Faster Data Rates Than Traditional Radio Frequencies

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 17 May 2012

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EPSC 2012 Seeking Lunar Session Abstracts

Abstract Submission Deadline Is 23 May For European Planetary Science Congress 2012; Conference Organizers Seeking Submissions For Following Lunar Sessions: Lunar Volatiles, Lunar Science & Exploration – A Global Approach, Lunar Science & Google Lunar X Prize, Moon As Tool For Public Engagement; EPSC 2012 Will Be Held In Madrid, 23-28 September

Image Credit: epsc2012.eu

Tuesday / 1 May 2012

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UK-Based Group Unveils Lunar Hopper Demonstrator

Image Credit: Uchusen Company, Naviblog

Uchusen Company, University Of Southampton & DeltaCAT Ltd., Present ‘Hopper Alpha’ Demonstrator; Team Went From Blank Paper To Core Physical & Electronics Framework Ready For Gimbal/Thruster, Firing & Hovering Phase, In Under 1 Calendar Year; Managing Director Mandali Khalesi: Project Is Initial Step Towards Agile Spacecraft Development Required In New Century; Could Be Utilized For Lunar Or NEO Missions

Thursday / 26 April 2012

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GLXP Teams To Europe Lunar Science Community: Opportunities Abound

Image Credit: NASA, GLXP, Team Puli

4 GLXP Teams Present Their Plans To, Invite Science Payloads From, 170 Lunar Scientists At Recent European Lunar Symposium In Berlin; Puli, AMALIA, FREDNET, Synergy Moon Among 11 GLXP Teams With Significant European Involvement; Radio Antennae, X-Ray Spectroscopes Among Payload Concepts Proposed During Highly Successful Session

Weekend Edition / 24-27 February 2012

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Image Credit: ESA, IAC

ESA Lunar Lander Mission ‘MoonNext’ Will Be Prominent Focus When Europe (Naples, Italy) Hosts IAC On 1-5 Oct 2012; Scheduled To Launch Aboard Ariane 5 Rocket From Kourou, French Guiana In 2018; Destined For Moon South Pole, Mission To Demonstrate Hazard Avoidance Technology, Characterize Location For Potential Human Outpost; Landing Mass Of Craft Between 650-800kg

Thursday / 23 February 2012

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Image Credit: ESA, NASA

ESA Working To Advance 3D Lidar Technology For Deep Space Exploration; Potential Applications Include Guidance / Navigation / Control Of Planetary Landers & Selection Of Safe Landing Site, Steering Rovers On Planetary Surface, Docking In Planetary Orbit; New Class Of Imaging Lidar Much Smaller, Needing Less Power; Landing Lidar Instrument Being Designed For ESA Lunar Lander, NET 2019