Category Archives: India

Tuesday / 12 August 2014

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Team Indus Partners With Lockheed Martin

TeamIndus0814

Bangalore India-Based GLXP Team Indus Contracts Lockheed Martin Space Systems Division To Aid Moon Mission Trajectory, Descent & Landing; 30-Member Team Will Launch Its Compact HHK1 Lander – With At Least 3 Rovers – Aboard India PSLV Rocket From Satish Dhawan Space Center In 2015; Mission Cost Expected To Be ~US$40M; Team Indus Collaborating With Indian Institute Of Astrophysics On Prototype Development; Team Expected To Receive US$1.25M Milestone Prize In Sep

Image Credit: GLXP, Lockheed Martin, IIA

Wednesday / 14 May 2014

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India Advancing Towards Moon Landing

Chandrayaan-2_0514

  India Seeks 2nd Consecutive Successful Launch Of GSLV Rocket In July; GSLV Will Be Needed To Achieve Chandrayaan-2 Moon Orbiter / Lander / Rover Mission NET 2016; Rover Prototype Now Undergoing Tests At ISRO Lunar Terrain Facility With Anorthosite-Based Lunar Regolith Simulant Harvested From Sithampoondi India; Rover Will Carry A Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer & Alpha Particle-Induced X-Ray Spectroscope To Study Chemical Properties Of Lunar Regolith

Image Credit: ISRO

Wednesday / 23 April 2014

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International Space Powers Advance Moon Missions As NASA Looks Elsewhere

BoldenwudntGo0414

China, Russia, India & Others Valuing Moon Exploration Priority With Current And Near-Future Lander Missions; Moon Seen As ‘Training Ground’ Providing Opportunity To Learn To Live & Work On Another Celestial Body, Solve Deep Space Exploration Challenges, Test New Technologies, Facilitate Exploration Of  Mars & Beyond; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden However Asserts That Going Back To Moon Is ‘Antiquated Idea’

Image Credit: Roscosmos, hannity.com

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 March 2014

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Moon South Pole 2016 Missions
An Emerging Priority For Space Powers

SouthPoleMoon2016

Japan / JAXA & Russia / Roscosmos Both Considering 2016 South Pole Lander; China May Be Evaluating South Pole Landing Of Chang’e-4; India Chandrayaan-2 South Pole Lander Could Be Ready For 2016 If GSLV 2nd Test Launch Successful; Europe Advancing South Pole Mission Concept; NASA Recognizes South Pole As Ideal Lunar Destination For Resource Prospecting / Utilization & Human Moon Base, USA Might Advance Lunar Lander Mission Development To Avoid Being Left Behind  

Image Credit: JAXA, ISRO, ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA

Thursday / 6 March 2014

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China Moon Program Might Benefit From
Mid-Course Correction To South Pole

ChinaMoonSouthPole0314Ideal Time For Leaders Of China Lunar Exploration Program To Reconsider Future Chang’e Missions To Moon South Pole; Future Problems Similar To Yutu Rover Control Circuit Malfunction Might Be Mitigated By More Thermally Stable Polar Environment; Chang’e Chief Scientist Ye Peijian Says Chang’e-4 Mission Should Be “More Innovative And Meaningful,” Achieving 1st-Ever Polar Landing Would Be Just That; Russia, India, USA, Private Enterprises All Advancing South Pole Missions

Image Credit: NASA, cnsphoto

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 7-10 February 2014

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Chandrayaan-2 Rover Mission
Details Emerging

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India Moon Rover Preparing For 2016 / 2017 Launch Via 3-Stage GSLV Will Employ Semi-Autonomous Navigation & Hazard Avoidance On Lunar Surface; Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) & Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) Payloads On Board 6-Wheeled Rover Will Perform Element Analysis Of Surface Near Landing Site; Rover Will Be Capable Of Using Both Lander & Orbiter Communications Relays; IIT-Kanpur Reports It Completed Rover Development In 2010, Still Awaiting ISRO Inspection / Payment

Image Credit: ISRO, IIT-Kanpur

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 10-13 January 2014

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India Confirms Moon Lander Mission

Chandrayaan-2-0114

ISRO Chairman Radhakrishnan Confirms India Working To Conduct Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Moon Mission In 2016; Mission Will Be Launched By GSLV & Include Indigenous Lander & Rover; Major Mission Objective Is To Demonstrate India Capability To Soft-Land On Lunar Surface; Orbiter Will Carry 5 Payloads, Lander / Rover Payloads Will Be Finalized Once Weight / Volume / Power Constraint Of Lander Confirmed

Image Credit: ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 3-6 January 2014

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India Launch May Reinvigorate Moon Program

IndiaonMoon0114

GSLV Rocket Is Essential For India Moon Plans; Successful Launch On Sunday 5 Jan (16:18 IST) Will Be Important Step In Refocussing Lunar Aspirations, Help Get Chandrayaan-2 Moon Lander / Rover Mission Back On Track; Top Indian Air Force (IAF) Officials Announce MoU Between ISRO & IAF To Work Out Parameters / Select Crew For India Human Moon Mission; ISRO Chairman Radhakrishnan Claims Report Is False

Image Credit: defense.pk, Pratik Joshi

New Year / Holiday Edition
Wed 25 Dec 2013 – Fri 3 Jan 2014

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2020 Vision: Humanity A Multi World Species

LED-12-12-13Multi Nation Science And Commerce Human Lunar Expeditions 2019-2020 Preceded By Moon South Pole International Traffic Jam 2015-2016 With Robotic Landings From USA, PRC, Japan, India, Russia, as well as Moon Express / ILOA, Golden Spike, Shackleton Energy, Astrobotic, Lunar Lions, Others; NEOs, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Next

Ad Astra — Happy New Year / Holidays To All

 Image Credit: NASA, ILOA, ME, Penn State Lunar Lions, Astrobotic Technology

Tuesday / 19 November 2013

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India Mars Orbiter Gets Assist From Moon

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Mars Orbiter Mission In Elliptical Orbit Around Earth, Testing Sensors / Calibrating Instruments; Mission Uses Moon Pull To Stretch Orbit To 192,000-km Apogee, Orient Spacecraft Correctly, Increase Speed In Preparation For 1 Dec Departure Into Mars Trajectory; Deep Space Navigation Experience Acquired Will Aid India In Preparations For Chandrayaan-2 Moon Lander / Rover Mission

Image Credit: ISRO