Category Archives: International Cooperation

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 June 2018

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Chang’e-4 Relay Satellite Enters Intended Orbit, Prepares For Upcoming Mission

China Relay Satellite Queqiao Successfully Reaches Halo Orbit Around Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 2, Will Undergo Orbit Maintenance Every 7 Days, Equipped With NCLE Low-Frequency Pathfinder To Detect Cosmic Dark Ages Radio Signals, Will Act As Communication Relay For Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover Mission Planned Nov-Dec Launch To South Pole Aitken Basin / Von Kármán Crater; Microsatellite Longjiang-2 Operates In Lunar Orbit, Transmits Far Side Pictures Using Saudi Arabia Optical Camera; NAOC Prof Ping Jinsong Mentions Feasibility Of Flying Near-Future Low Cost Lunar Constellation

Credits: CNSA, CLEP, KASCST, NAOC, CAS, Planetary Society, NCLE, ASTRON

Friday / 15 June 2018

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AAS Advancing Galaxy Science, Human Equality, Astronomy From The Moon

21st Century Directions Apparent At American Astronomical Society 232nd Meeting In Denver CO With 5 Of 10 Plenaries On Galaxies, 5 Of 10 Presented By Women Astrophysicists, Supported By (L-R) Incoming AAS President Megan Donahue And Outgoing President Christine Jones; Pioneering Sessions On Low Radio Frequency Observations From Space And Moon Included Presentations By Heino Falcke, Robert MacDowell, Jack Burns, Joseph Lazio, Which Could Enable AAS Symposium In 12-24 Months On “Astronomy On, For and From The Moon”

Credits: ILOA, SPC, Steve Durst, AAS, NLSI, IAU, NASA, JPL, Radboud Univ., ISIS, ASTRON, Netherlands Space Office, et al

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 Jun 2018

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AOGS Meeting To Focus On Lunar Science, Humans In Space

Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) 15th Annual Meeting 3-8 June In Honolulu HI With 209 Sessions Will Include 4 June “Science Of Exploration As Enabled By The Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, And The Moons of Mars”; Speakers (L-R) Gregory Schmidt For International Cooperation In Exploration, Ben Bussey On Lunar Activities, Allison Zuniga On Lunar Infrastructure & Economy, With Clive Neal For Human Return To Moon, Bernard Foing On Lunar Technology

Credits: AOGS, NASA, NSS, ISDC, U. Notre Dame, IAF, SSERVI

Friday / 1 Jun 2018

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Blue Origin Planning Its Contributions Toward Permanent Lunar, Solar System Settlement

Jeff Bezos, Founder Of Blue Origin, Discusses During NSS ISDC The Necessity For Moon Base Before Mars, States “We Will Do Anything We Need To Do” To Support The Future Vision Of Trillions Of People Living In Space; Planning Blue Moon Lunar Lander Cargo System 2020s, New Armstrong Rocket, Seeking International And National Public-Private Partnerships; Returning To Moon Requires ‘Step By Step Advances, Lowering Cost Of Access To Space, Reusability, Building Landers & Rovers, Exploring Craters And Determining Resources’

Credits: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, LRO, NASA, JPL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 May 2018

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ISDC 2018 Holding 2 Full Sessions On Moon Development

National Space Society Hosts 37th International Space Development Conference (ISDC) And ~300 Speakers In Los Angeles 24-27 May With Theme “Space Travel: Putting People Into Space”; Thursday Session And Dedicated Entire Saturday Moon Exploration Symposium Co-chaired By (L-R) Madhu Thangavelu & John Mankins Will Feature Clive Neal, Bernard Foing, Henk Rogers, Steve Durst, Kate Arkless Gray And 20 Others On Topics Including International Moon Village, Lunar Economics & Markets, Astronomy From Moon, Lunar Settlement, Commercial Space, Landers, Habitats, Future Directions

Credits: NSS, NASA, ESA, Moon Village Association, University of Notre Dame, ILOA

Friday / 25 May 2018

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Blue Origin Invites Australia To Discuss Its Role In Moon Missions, Space Tourism

Blue Origin Commercial Director Ted McFarland Says CEO Jeff Bezos To Announce Lunar Mission Plans At 69th IAC And Hopes Australia Will Be A Collaborator; Newly Established Australia Space Agency (8 May) Budgets US$26M Over Next 4 Years With Additional $15M To Invest In Specific Projects; Australia Open Land Mass, Eagerness To Boost Economy & Invest In Space Could Be Ideal For New Shepard Space Tourism & Blue Moon / Moon Base Advances; Equatorial Launch Australia Hopes To Build 1st Commercial Spaceport Near Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory

Credits: Blue Origin, Australia Government Dept. of Industry, NASA

Wednesday / 23 May 2018

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Japan Boosting Lunar Exploration Through New Space Exploration Organization To Be Established This Summer

JAXA Astronaut Takuya Onishi (L) Says Japan Will Establish New Institution For Space Exploration This Summer As Directed By Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R), To Contribute To Lunar Exploration Logistics, Habitation, Lander & Rover, Including US$320M HTV-X Delivery Spacecraft For Supporting International Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway; JAXA Exploration Plan Based On Joint Lunar Studies With ISRO, NASA, & ESA

Credits: JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 May 2018

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Chang’e-4 Relay To Attempt Detection Of Radio Signals From Cosmic Dark Ages

China To Launch Long March 4C / Chang’e-4 Relay From Xichang 20 May, Precursor For November Moon South Pole Lander; Loft 2 Microsatellites To Lunar Orbit For Low Frequency Radio Astronomy & Interferometry, And Relay Satellite (Queqiao) To L2 Which Carries Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer (NCLE) Pathfinder; NCLE Scheduled To Unspool Three 2-meter Antennas March 2019, Detect Radio Signals Pre-First Stars, Study Solar Flares & Jupiter Aurora; NCLE PI Heino Falcke Advocates For Radio Astronomy From Moon

Credits: CNSA, NASA, Radboud University, ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 May 2018

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LRO Mapping And Monitoring Lunar Surface Supports NASA Return To Moon Plans

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Surpasses 40,000 Orbits Around Moon, Gathering Information On Lunar Temperatures, Geologic Activity, Newly Formed Craters, Topographical Changes; On 23 June Spacecraft With 7 Operating Instruments Will Celebrate 9 Full Years In Orbit; Inertial Measurement Unit Indicates Low Functionality, Will Be Powered Down Except For Lunar Eclipses, Safe Mode Entries; 34th Data Set Release Upcoming, Invaluable Mission Supports International, National, Commercial, Academic Ventures & Research

Credits: NASA