First Private Moon Rovers Could Spur Era Of Lunar Mining, Construction & Tourism; Lunar Lion Team Leader Michael Paul Says NASA Must Harness Strength Of Private Industry To Advance Solar System Exploration, Seeking To Establish Penn State As “Go-To University” For Growing Commercial Space Industry
Image Credit: Penn State, GLXP
LADEE Spacecraft Scheduled For Launch Via 5-Stage Minotaur 5 Rocket On 12 August From Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport On Wallops Island, VA; 3 Main Science Instruments Recently Integrated On Craft: Ultraviolet & Visible Light Spectrometer, Neutral Mass Spectrometer, Lunar Dust Experiment; Mission Will Pioneer NASA Modular Common Bus Architecture, Also Set For Use By Moon Express GLXP Mission
Image Credit: NASA
In 2013 International Lunar Observatory Association Will Participate In The First Moon Surface Mission In 37 Years, Conducting Galaxy / Astro Observations With Chang’e-3 Lander UV Telescope; NET Early 2015 ILO-X Precursor Mission Payload Will Land On Moon Aboard GLXP Front-Runner Moon Express Craft; Primary ILO-1 Observations / Communications Mission With MDA, ME To South Pole NET Late 2015; ILO Human Service Mission By 2020 Advancing Through Partnership With Golden Spike Co.
Image Credit: ILOA, Moon Express, CASC, Golden Spike Company
Lunar Enterprise Daily Will Return NLT 3 January 2013
Aloha
Earthrise Space Inc. (ESI) Obtains US State Department Approval For Technical Assistance Agreement With Chile-Based GLXP Team Angelicum; Angelicum ‘Dandelion’ Rover (BL) Will Travel Aboard ESI / Team Omega Envoy Lunar Descent Vehicle (LDV) To Moon Surface With Omega ‘Sagan’ Rover; Teams Will Share Data Allowing Rovers To Communicate With Each Other & With LDV; Mission Scheduled For Late 2014
Image Credit: Earthrise Space Inc, Team Angelicum
New Golden Spike Company (GSC) Should Energize Multi-World Property Rights Advocates & Ventures; Independent, Scientific & Commercial Lunar Interests Such As ILOA, GLXP Teams & Other Lunar Enterprises Likely To Advance Reality Of Lunar Acreage Ownership & Utilization Well Before 2020 GSC Astronauts On Luna Firma; Opening Of 8th Continent Vast Resources & Opportunities Enabled, Accelerated By GSC Cislunar Superhighway; Pictured: (TR) Alan Stern, (BR) Gerry Griffin Of GSC
Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, NASA
KSC Physicist John Lane Working On Project To Track Lunar Dust / Protect Apollo Sites From Future Moon Landers; Lane Used Terrestrial Rain Drops As Analog To Calibrate Laser Sensor, Consequently Discovered System Could Improve Rainfall Measurements / Weather Forecasting; NASA Considering Placing Laser Sensor On GLXP Team Lander To Help Formulate Restrictions For Future Landers Concerning Safe Distance From Apollo Sites
Image Credit: NASA, Popular Mechanics
China National Space Administration Announced “Definitive” Plans To Launch Chang’e-3 In 2013; Model On Display At ‘Airshow China 2012’; Li Dong Deputy Director Of China Aerospace Science And Technology Corp. Says Lunar Chang’e-3 Is Key Step In China’s Deep Space Exploration; 3rd Phase Requires Ascent Vehicle, Return Module, More; Chang’e-3 Would Reduce Google Lunar X-Prize By US$5M If Successful
Image Credit: CNSA, CASC, China.org, Xinhua
SpaceIL co-Founder Yonatan Winetraub Says Incentive Of Inspiring This Generation Of Israeli & Jewish Children With The “Apollo Effect” Is Just As Important As Winning GLXP; Team Of 10 Engineers & Scientists Helped By 170 Volunteers To Create 35kg Spacecraft; Anonymous Donor Guarantees Over US$807K Funding; Israel Aerospace Industries, Technion & Weizmann Institute Providing Facilities / Assistance; 2015 Launch Planned
Image Credit: SpaceIL
Penn State Combines Total Interdisciplinary Expertise In Bid To Win GLXP; Team Includes Students, Faculty, Applied Research Laboratory Engineers; Leader Michael Paul Has Significant NASA Experience Including MESSENGER Systems Engineer / Points Out “…We’ll Be The First University In History That Explores Another Body In Space.”; Lunar Lion Spacecraft Combines Lander / Rover Requirements; January 2014 Launch To 5.5 Day Cruise To Moon With Powered Descent / Lift-Off From Lunar Surface For 500m Flight / Powered Descent
Image Credit: Penn State Lunar Lions, GLXP
Galactic Suite / Barcelona Moon Team President Xavier Claramunt Signs Agreement With CGWIC President Yin Liming To Launch Its Lunar Lander / Rover On China Long March 2C Rocket With Upper Stage CTS2 In June 2014; Mission Can Carry 25kg Of Additional Customer Payload Weight; With Launch Contract Team Is Now Among Favorites To Win GLXP, Ranked 3rd In Evadot Scorecard
Image Credit: Barcelona Moon Team, CGWIC