Category Archives: India

Friday / 26 August 2016

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Humans To Moon: Beyond National Efforts, International And Commercial Entity Could Accelerate 21st Century Advancements

International Moon Efforts

USA 2017 Administration Could Support New Effort To Reclaim Greatest Achievement In History With SLS 2021-23; China Long March 9 Expected Completion 2025, Proposes Human Moon Missions 2031-2036; India GSLV Mk. 3 Might Launch Crews To Space ~2021; Russia Hopes For Human Lunar Orbit 2027, Surface Mission 2029 If Funding Remains Consistent; Japan Working On Robotic SLIM Mission; ESA Proposes Moon Village; Independent Astrobotic, Moon Express, ILOA Missions And / Or Formation Of International Entity Could Increase Momentum Toward Ultimate Goal Of Lunar Exploration, Science, Resources For Earth

Credit: NASA, ESA, CNSA, ISRO, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 Jul – 1 Aug 2016

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India Technology Vision 2035 Report Recognizes Massive Game-Changing Potential Of Moon, Space Mining

LED-7-29-16

Executive Director of Technology Information, Forecasting And Assessment Council (TIFAC) Prabhat Ranjan Expects Realization Of Extra-Terrestrial Mining Within 10-15 Years; Highlights “Mineral Wealth” Of The Moon And Echoes NASA Estimate Of Main Asteroid Belt Value Of  US$100B Per Person On Earth; References Pending USA Approval Of Moon Express Mission, Notes India Need To Get Going Or Risk Being Left Behind; ISRO Chandrayaan-2 Advancing For 2018 Launch By GLSV-MK2; TIFAC Is Autonomous Organization (Est. 1988) Under Department Of Science & Technology 

Credit: TIFAC, NASA

Friday / 22 July 2016

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UAE Satellite Maneuver Pays Tribute To Humankind’s Greatest Achievement

Moon 47th International

UAE Dubai-Sat-2 Earth Observation Satellite Turns Face & Captures Images Of Moon To Mark Achievement Of 1st Human Moon Landing, Inspire Future Space Scientists; Salem Al Marri Of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre Notes Apollo As “A Pinnacle Of Engineering Development & Exploration” And Hopes To “See People On Mars & Other Celestial Bodies”; Nations Including China, India, Japan, Russia, S. Korea & ESA Are Focusing On Moon Missions And Outposts; U.S. Has The Technologies & Could Catalyze Space Race With Prioritization

Credit: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai Eye Radio, NASA

Wednesday / 6 July 2016

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Team Indus Gets Boost From New CNES Lunar Payload For GLXP Mission

LED-7-5-16

India GLXP Team Indus To Carry French Space Agency CNES CASPEX (Colour cmos cAmera for SPace EXploration); Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Technology And Patented (3DPlus) Integration Methods Reduce Size Of Optical Imaging Instrument By Factor Of Ten; System Is Also Reprogrammable & Radiation-Tolerant; CASPEX Micro Cameras To Aid Rover Movement By Detecting Ground Obstacles, No-Funds Exchanged Collaboration Saves Team Indus US$500,000 In Development / Procurement Costs; Total Project Cost Estimated At Over $60M; Team Founder Rahul Narayan Sees This As Huge Vote Of Confidence From Prestigious Global Agency

Credit: Axiom Research Labs, Team Indus, CNES, GLXP

Friday / 1 July 2016

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GLXP Team Indus Offering Public Project Ride To Moon, Astrobotic Selects New Mission Director

Team Indus

From 28 Jun – 30 Aug Young Adults Ages 14-25 Able To Register Via Lab2Moon For Their Experiment To Fly On Team Indus Craft To Moon Surface 2017; Project Should Fit Inside 330-ml Can, Weigh Less Than 250-grams & “Catalyse The Evolution Of Mankind As A Sustainable Multi-Planetary Species”; Winner Announced 26 Jan 2017, Selection Jury Will Include Dr. K. Kasturirangan (BR), Former Chairman Of ISRO; Team Indus With 85 Engineers & 15 Former ISRO Scientists Hoping For Subsidized ISRO Launch; Astrobotic Announces Sharad Bhaskaran (BL) As New Lunar Mission Director   

Credit: Team Indus, GLXP, Lab2Moon, Cairo University, IEEE, Astrobotic, NASA

Thursday / 26 May 2016

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India #Million2Moon Campaign Backs GLXP Team Indus

LED-5-25-16

Crowdfunding By Axiom Research Labs / Team Indus Offers: ~US$7.50 NAME2MOON And ~$150 ADDA2MOON (For Groups Of Up To 20 People); Custom Inscriptions To Be Made On Both The Mega-Million2Moon Cube (2m) For Display In Jakkur, India And The Micro-Million2Moon Cube (7.62cm) To Fly On Team Indus Spacecraft; All Funds Raised Go Toward Launch Costs; Winners Of A Contest Organized By NSS – USA Chapter In India ‘Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Initiatives’ To Have Names Included

Credit: Team Indus, NSS

Thursday / 12 May 2016

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India Launch Business Booming, USA Companies Missing Out As Feds Continue Export Restrictions

LED-5-11-16

Affordable, Reliable PSLV Launch Opportunities For Commercial US Spacecraft Obstructed By Federal Policy Protecting US Launch Companies From ‘Unfair Market Competition’; India Department Of Space Secretary K Radhakrishnan Cites Possible Waiver Opening By US For Scientific, Educational (Non-Commercial) Missions; About 60% Of PSLV Launches In Last Decade Were For International Customers; ISRO Commercial Arm Antrix Achieved US$280M Revenue (Profit Of $30M) For 2014-15; GSLV Being Commercialized In Near Future, Will Carry Chandrayaan 2 Mission In 2017 / 2018

Credit: ISRO, ILOA

Friday / 8 April 2016

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ISRO On Track To Launch Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Three-Craft Mission To Moon Late 2017 / Early 2018

ISRO chandrayaan 2

Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, Rover To Be Launched Via GSLV-Mk 2 December 2017 Or Early 2018 To Observe / Perform Mineralogical & Elemental Studies Of Lunar Surface; Mission Allocated US$91 Million; 1,400-kg Orbiter With 5 Science Instruments Including Camera, 3 Spectrometers & Radar To Fly At 200-km Altitude; 20-kg Rover To Have 2 Spectroscopes & HD Video Camera; 1,250 kg Lander To Contain Ka-band Altimeter, HD Video Camera, Position & Hazard Detection / Avoidance Cameras; NASA May Provide Deep Space Network Communication Services

Credit: ISRO

Friday / 8 January 2016

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India Planning Robust Lunar Program With Chandrayaan-2, 3, 4

Chandrayaan 2-3

Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai, Director Of ISRO Satellite Centre & Project Manager Of Chandrayaan-1, States India On Track To Launch Chandrayaan-2 (Indigenous Orbiter, Lander, Rover) In Late 2017 Or Early 2018 On GSLV Mark-2; Will Attempt High-Altitude Polar Landing & Perform In-Situ Chemical Analysis Of Lunar Soil; Planning Chandrayaan-3 & 4 “In The Near Future” Which May Utilize Nuclear Power Sources; Private India GLXP Team Indus Hoping To Rideshare On PSLV To Reach Moon 2016-2017

Credit: ISRO, NASA

Thursday / 10 December 2015

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ISRO Announces Opportunity For India Scientists To Conduct Lunar Research With Chandrayaan-1 Data

12102015India Researchers, Universities & Government Bodies May Submit Proposals To ISRO To Utilize Data From Chandrayaan-1 Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) With 5m Resolution & Hyperspectral Imager (HySI) With Spatial Resolution Of 80m & Swath Of ~20km; Proposal Submissions Due 15 Dec; TMC & HySI Data Meant For Photo-Geological Mapping & Understanding Moon Evolutionary Process; Projects Must Be Completed Within 3 Years & Limited Financial Support By ISRO To Be Provided For Selected Proposals; Finalists May Be Announced 31 Dec; ISRO Developing Chandrayaan-2 For 2017 Launch Of Moon Orbiter, Lander, Rover

Credit: ISRO