Category Archives: ESA / Europe

Tuesday / 28 Aug 2018

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First Woman On Moon Aspirant Works With Lunar Dust Simulant, Advocates For Sample Returns

ESA “Spaceship EAC” Initiative Focuses On Creating Bricks From Moon Dust Simulants, Dubbed EAC-1, Made Of Similar Basaltic Silicates To Allow Astronauts To Build Permanent Habitats On Lunar Surface Through ISRU; Unlike EAC-1, Lunar Dust Has Electrical Charge Due To Constant Radiation, Therefore Lunar Dust Topical Team Member Erin Tranfield, Who Dreams Of Becoming First Woman On Moon, Mentions Value Of Obtaining Pristine Lunar Dust To Further Science

Credits: ESA, NASA, Foster & Partners, SPC, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 Aug 2018

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IAU 30th General Assembly Spotlights Lunar,
Space Observatory Research

IAU To Host 30th General Assembly In Vienna 20-31 August With Special Focus On Lunar Contributions; Noah Brosch, Who Works On Lunar Ultraviolet Cosmic Imager, To Present UV Astronomy After Hubble, Possibly From Moon; Poster Presentations Include Steve Durst On ILOA Astronomy From The Moon, Xuelei Chen On Low Frequency Imaging From Lunar Orbit Interferometer, Yan Su On China CE-4 Lunar Lander Radio Spectrometer, Weimin Zheng On VLBI Applications In Tracking Lunar Probes, Among Others  

Credits: IAU, ESO, NASA, Planetary Society, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CAST

Wednesday / 6 Jun 2018

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Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer Team Looks Forward To Studying Cosmic Dark Ages From Behind The Moon

Recently Launched Queqiao Relay Satellite For Future Chang’e-4 Lunar Far Side Lander Carries NCLE Instrument On Its Backside – With Three Deployable 5-m Monopole Antennas To Measure Radio Waves Below 30 MHz; Chang’e-4 Expected To Land By End Of 2018; NCLE Antennas To Unfold After Chang’e-4 Primary Mission Completes Around March 2019; Principal Investigator Heino Falcke From Netherlands Radboud University Presents “Radio Astronomy On And Around The Moon” At Ongoing American Astronomical Society 232nd Meeting In Denver, USA

Credits: CAST, NCLE, AAS, ASTRON, Heino Falcke

Wednesday / 18 Apr 2018

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SSTL, Goonhilly To Advance Commercial Communications From The Moon With 2 New Agreements

Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL), Goonhilly Earth Station (GES), ESA Sign Agreement To Further Long-Term Lunar Commercial Missions, Sustainability, Telecommunications, Navigation Infrastructure In A Low-Risk, Phased Approach; SSTL Founder Sir Martin Sweeting Comments Moon Is Next Frontier; ESA Director Dave Parker States Agreement Could Lead To Lower Costs, Scientific Opportunities; Lunar Pathfinder Payload Begins At £1M / kg, Flight Expected 2022; SSTL & GES Also Sign Formalized Agreement With Astrobotic For Its Lunar Surface Payload Communications Needs Starting 2020

Credits: SSTL, ESA, Astrobotic / John Thornton

Wednesday / 28 Mar 2018

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USRA And Space Policy Institute Hold “Return To The Moon” Symposium In DC Today

Universities Space Research Association & George Washington University SPI Host Annual Joint Symposium On 28 March, Focusing On “Partnership Of Government, Academia, And Industry” For Human Moon Exploration; Key Participants Include (L-R) NASA Acting Director Robert Lightfoot, ESA Director Jan Wörner (Via Video), SPI Director Henry Hertzfeld, Astronaut Jack Schmitt, Former NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan; From Industry Will Be Christie Iacomini Of Blue Origin & Dan Hendrickson Of Astrobotic; Exploring Strategies To Align USA Space Initiatives With Those Of Other Nations; ~150 People Expected At Evening Reception

Credits: USRA, SPI, NASA, ESA, Blue Origin, Astrobotic

Friday / 2 Mar 2018

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Japan Hosting 3 International Space Exploration Forums And Legal Policy Strategies For Moon Base Event

The 2nd International Space Exploration Forum, Industries ISEF & Young Professionals ISEF Are Ongoing 28 Feb – 3 Mar In Tokyo; Workshops And Panelists Will Include (Counter Clockwise TL-TR) Jan Wörner (ESA), Mohammed Al Ahbabi (UAE), Pascale Ehrenfreund (DLR), Robert Lightfoot (NASA), Takeshi Hakamada (ispace), Giuseppe Reibaldi (Moon Village); On 4 Mar University Of Toyko Will Hold “Legal Policy Strategy For The Construction Of Moon Base & Utilization Of Space Resources” Featuring UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, ESPI Director Jean-Jacques Tortora, American Space Council Sec. Gen. Scott Pace; There Is Also A Women In Space Session Led By Simonetta Di Pippo And Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki

Credits: JAXA, MEXT, WPSP, NASA, UNOOSA, ESPI

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Jan 2018

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Russia Luna-27 Lander, ESA Lunar Ice Drill Progressing Toward Moon South Pole Launch 2021

Roscosmos Advancing Luna-Resurs Lander (Luna-27) With ESA Contract On Surface Drill (PROSPECT) Design, Planned 2021 Launch; Drill With 1-2 Meter Penetration Capability Through Frozen Regolith Being Tested At -140° C, Lunar Shadowed Surfaces Could Reach -240° C; ESA To Also Provide High Resolution Cameras With LIDAR & Precise and Intelligent Landing using Onboard Technologies (PILOT) System To Assist Landing; Luna-25 2019 Lander To Test Soft-Landing Technologies; Neutron Detector On Luna-26 Launching 2020 To Map Subsurface Ice; Sample Return Planned For Luna-28 In 2023; Luna-29 Lander And Rover In 2025 Could See Human Missions / Future Moon Base

Credits: NPO Lavochkin, Anatoly Zak, RussianSpaceWeb, Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, LROC, Ivanov et al., 2015

Thanksgiving Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 23-27 Nov 2017

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Lunar Interests / Plans Accelerate Globally

Moon Village Association / ESA Records Progress At ISU In Strasbourg, France; US National Space Council Working Scenarios For 3-7 Year Human Moon Return; India Early 2018 Chandrayaan-2 Moon South Pole Touchdown Could Startle Global Space Communities; China Expanding Astronomy From The Moon Activities With Chang’e-4 VLF Payloads And Technology; India-Japan Announce Lunar Sample Return Collaboration; Canada Space Agency LEAD Project To Support International HERACLES Moon South Pole Mission Concept; Prospective Candidates For ‘First Woman On The Moon’ Rising

 Credits: ESA/ Foster + Partners, WH.gov, ISRO, CAST, JAXA, SPC / ILOA, CSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 Nov 2017

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ILOA Participating In Moon Village Association Workshop After Completing 10-Year Commemoration Of ILOA Organization

Moon Village Association 1st Workshop Being Hosted At ISU In Strasbourg, France 19-21 November Featuring ESA Director General Jan Woerner, Bernard Foing, Clive Neal, Experts From China, India, Japan, Russia, USA And Commercial Space Including International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA);  10-Year Successful Observation Of ILOA Founding Celebrated This November With International Directors From Southeast Asia, Europe, Canada, China, Japan – And Specific Proposal Of ILOA Collaboration With Newly-Formed International Moonbase Alliance Of Hawaii Could Add Another Dimension To Global Goal Of Moon Village Advancement

Credits: ILOA, ESA, ISU

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 June 2017

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Moon South Pole Missions With Strong International Collaboration Being Advanced By China

Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Launching To Far Side / Moon South Pole Aitken ~Oct 2018 To Carry 11 Payloads Including 4 Developed By Other Countries; China Likely To Cooperate With Europe On Common Goals Such As International Moon Village Or Research Station According To Liu Jizhong; Russia NPO Lavochkin In Talks With China Since CE-4, 5, 6 Similar To Russia Luna-26, 27, 28; CE-5 Set For Late Nov 2017 Launch, CE-4 Orbiter May 2018 For Moon Far Side, CE-6 Sample Return Far Side 2019-20, Possibilities For CE-7 & CE-8; China Developing Low Cost Long March 7 & Heavy Lift March 5; Advocacy For China Sending Women To Moon

Credits: CNSA, NAOC, CAS, ESA, Roscosomos