ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan Says Agency Is Awaiting Government Approval / Funds To Develop Lander For Chandrayaan-2 Mission; India To Proceed Independently On Mission, After Russia Delays / Plan Changes; Hopes Lander Could Be Developed By 2016, Acknowledges Lander More Complex Than Rover; Need 2 Successful GSLV Launches Before Attempting Moon Mission, Next Launch Set For 15 Dec 2013
Image Credit: ISRO, PTI
China, India, Russia, USA All Planning Moon Missions In This Decade; UK, ESA, South Korea To Follow Post-2020; As Many As 3 GLXP Teams Could Also Land On Moon By 2015 Heralding Age Of Commercial Mining / Exploration; With Well-Funded Lunar Program, First Moon Lander In 37 Years (Chang’e-3 In Dec 2013) & Serious Study Of Human Moon Missions – China Is Leading Way & Compelling International Rivals / Partners To Keep Pace
Image Credit: Dreamstime, GLXP, History Channel
Barcelona Moon (Spain) Has Set Launch Date For June 2015, China Great Wall Industry Corporation Is Launch Provider (L); Team Space IL (Israel) Has Reportedly Raised ~US$25M From Israel Citizens; Euroluna Team (Denmark / Italy) Looking To Exploit Budget Microsatellite Market, Base Technology On CubeSats, Ion Thrusters & Tether; Team Indus (India) Finalizing US$15M Launch Contract With ISRO
Image Credit: Barcelona Moon, Space IL, Euroluna, Team Indus
Team Indus Drawing Up Launch Contract With ISRO To Buy PSLV Launch For US$15M, Estimating Total Cost Of Mission ~US$30M; Several GLXP Team Members Present At European Planetary Science Congress In London To Raise Awareness Of NewSpace Lunar Missions Value / Credibility; Even Missions With No Scientific Payloads Could Provide Valuable Data: Action Of Dust During Landing, Surface Properties, Degradation Of Solar Panels By Dust & Radiation
Image Credit: GLXP, ISRO, EPSC2013
Scientists Use Moon Mineralogy Mapper Data From Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Orbiter (R) To Make 1st Remote Detection Of Magmatic Water On Moon Surface; Significant Amounts Of Hydroxyl Discovered In 60-Km Wide Lunar Impact Crater Bullialdus (L) Near Equator Indicates Presence Of Water Which Originated Deep Within Lunar Surface; Data Provides Clues About Volcanic Processes & Internal Composition Of Moon
Image Credit: NASA, ISRO
Amit Sarbadhikari Member Of PLANEX Group At Physical Research Laboratory In Ahmedabad, India Conducts New Study On Moon Rocks; Lunar Rock-15555 & Others Indicate Moon Interior May Be Wetter Than Previously Believed Due To Varying Levels Of Water In Volcanic Glass Beads, Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions, Accessory Phase Apatite; Concentration Of Volatiles Over Entire Moon Still Uncertain
Image Credit: Worth1000.com, NASA, PRL
ISRO Confirms Next Flight Test Of GSLV Rocket For 19 Aug 2013, After Team Of Experts Including UR Rao Gave Go-Ahead; Agency Conducted 35 Ground Tests Since The Indigenous Cryogenic Stage Failed In 2 Previous 2010 Flight Tests; Rocket Can Place 2200 Kg Into 18° GTO; Functional GSLV Required For India To Continue Chandrayaan Moon Program; India Recently Decided To Conduct NET 2015 Moon Lander Mission Alone, Was Originally Proposed As India-Russia Venture
Image Credit: ISRO
International Lunar Development Corp. Proposed By Buzz Aldrin To Facilitate Unified International, Commercial & Academic Partnerships To Advance Moon Exploration & Settlement; China, India, Russia, Japan, Europe, USA, NewSpace Companies Such As Bigelow, Shackleton Energy, Golden Spike Urged To Implement Step-By-Step Space Plan; Humans Need To Become Multi-World Species For Long-Term Survival, Will & Should Settle On Moon Long Before Mars, Europa, Etc
Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, PISCES, Shackleton Energy Co., GSC
Chandrayaan-2, Slated For 2014-15 Launch Aboard GSLV Rocket, Will Include Seismometer To Study Causes Of Shallow Moonquakes & Regions Of Their Occurrence; Seismometer Sensors Currently Undergoing Calibration At The National Geophysical Research Institute In Hyderabad, India By Research Team Headed By H V S Satyanarayana; Chandrayaan-2 To Include Orbiter, Lander & Solar-Powered Rover
Image Credit: ISRO, NASA
Chandrayaan-2, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) Pushing India To Accelerate Space Capabilities, Advance Global Standing As Space Leader; Chandrayaan-2 With Russia Will Be First India Lunar / Planetary Surface Mission, Currently Slated Under 2012-2017 5-Year Plan; Mars Mission Success Would Be 1st For Asian Country, ISRO Addressing Added Mission Complexity Due To Distance & Communication Logistics
Image Credit: ISRO