Category Archives: International Cooperation

Tuesday / 24 June 2014

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ESA Senior Exploration Officer Calls For Moon Mining Cooperation

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Bernard Foing Calls For International Cooperation / World Strategy For Exploration & Utilization Of Moon; Suggests Precursor Landers Should Be Operated In Coordinated Robotic Village, Utilize In-Situ Resources, To Prepare Sustainable Path Towards Humans Living Off The Land In International Bases; “Moon Is Like The 8th Continent Of Earth… Only Reasonable We Want To Mine It”; Comments Made At Ongoing EuroScience Open Forum Meeting In Copenhagen

Image Credit: Corbey Waste, esof2014.org, sg.hu

Tuesday / 17 June 2014

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China Moon Program & Implications Of Lunar Helium-3

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Growing Demand For Energy, Leading-Edge Moon Exploration Program Lead Some To Believe China Seeking To Advance Helium-3 Nuclear Fusion Technology; Estimated 1.1M Tonnes Of Helium-3 On Lunar Surface, 1 Tonne Of Helium-3 Could Produce Equivalent Of 50M Barrels Of Crude Oil, Virtually No Waste, Negligible Radiation; International Cooperation / Participation In Moon Development May Determine Whether China Moon Activities Lead To Helium-3 Monopoly / Energy Supremacy, Or Equitable Sharing For Benefit Of All Humanity

Image Credit: CNSA, weeklysciencequiz.blogspot.com, greenoptimistic.com

Thursday / 5 June 2014

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Japan Government Affirms Plan For Exploration Of Moon & Mars

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Science & Technology Ministry Of Japan Submits Space Exploration Plan Focusing On Robotic Exploration & Long-Term Settlement Of Moon, Contribution To International Human Missions To Mars; Next Step Is SELENE-2 Lander / Rover Mission ~2018; Original Primary Mission Landing Site Was South Pole Eternal Light Region, Now Also Considering Equatorial Sites Of Scientific Interest; Follow-On SELENE-X Advanced Robotics Mission Will Demonstrate Technologies To Support Outpost Development  

Image Credit: JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 May 2014

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Space Lawyers Outline Challenges Of Commercial Lunar Development At ISDC

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USA-Based Commercial Entities Seeking To Explore, Settle In And Exploit Resources Of Space / Moon May Be Hindered By International Law, Predominance Of Countries That See Space As Shared Resource; Boston Attorney Rosanna Sattler Says Country Of Origin Will Need To Be Responsible For Their Endemic Enterprises, International MoUs Allowing Specific Commercial Activities May Be Easier To Achieve Than A Whole New International Treaty; Other Experts Such As Art Dula Believe Private Companies ‘Absolutely Have The Right’ To Mine / Develop Moon, Asteroids, Etc.

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Excalibur Almaz, Here & Now

Thursday / 10 April 2014

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NSS-Sponsored Initiatives Advancing Moon Exploration

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NSS International Committee, Sponsored by David Dunlop, Proposing Initiation Of International Lunar Geophysical Campaign To Advance Scientific Exploration Of Moon & Broaden Number Of Countries Participating In Lunar Exploration / Commercial Development; High & Middle School Students Working To Design Payloads For GLXP Missions In Moon Mission Challenge, Affiliate Of NSS; Teams Learning About Challenges Of Lunar Surface Operation, Payload Engineering, Will Present Payload Concepts At 27 Apr USA Science & Engineering Festival In Washington DC

Image Credit: National Space Society

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 April 2014

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PISCES Advancing Lunar Base Analog Development In Hawai`i

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340-kg Rover Unveiled By PISCES; Vehicle Will Be Integral Feature Of Robotic Village The Group Is Developing On Hawaii Island To Pave Way For Human Moon / Mars Bases; Companies From Around World Invited To Send Their Technology To Be Tested On Canada-Manufactured Rover; PISCES Will Utilize Rover & Analog Facilities To Promote STEM Education In Hawaii; Hawaii Aerospace Caucus & Groups Such As ILOA Also Helping To Advance Aerospace Technology & Development Opportunities In Hawaii; Pictured: PISCES Robotic Village Project Manager Rodrigo Romo

Image Credit: PISCES

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 Feb – 3 Mar 2014

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Who Owns The Moon?
International Missions, Commercial Aspirations

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Successful China Moon Mission Indicates Property Rights / Mining Claims Not Far Off Says Richard Holdaway (R) Of UK Rutherford Appleton Lab; Several Commercial Enterprises Also Making Business Cases For Moon Mining; Richard Bilder (L) Of University Of Wisconsin-Madison Says Process Of Setting Up Legal Regime Should Be Started Soon Before 1 or More Countries / Companies Have Special Stake / Interest; Holdaway Notes Nations Likely To Become Partners & Lunar Resources Will Further Space Exploration, Improve Life On Earth

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA, law.wisc.edu, stfc.ac.uk

Friday / 21 February 2014

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Canada In Space, And On The Moon?

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New Canada Space Policy Framework 7 February Details Government Commitments To Space Exploration, Commercialization, R&D, International Partnerships; Canada Invited To Provide Rover & Drill For NASA 2018 Lunar Resource Prospector Mission; Moon Exploration & Mining Offer Potential Of Billion Dollar Industry / Technology Development / Inspiration; New Promising Canada Enterprise Advancing Canada Space Interests

Image Credit: CSA, NASA

Thursday / 30 January 2014

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Moon Mining – A Rising Priority

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Private Companies & Government Agencies See Moon Mining As Critical Step Towards Future Sustainability, Expansion Of Humans Through Solar System; China Eyeing Lunar Helium-3; Russia Planning Prospecting & Sample Return Missions By 2020; USA Likely To Collaborate With Japan, Korea, Canada, Private Companies To Achieve US$250M Resource Prospector Mission At Moon South Pole ~2018 To Advance ISRU Capabilities; Moon Mining Plans Lead Inevitably To Property Rights Considerations

Image Credit: NASA, Roscosmos

Wednesday / 29 January 2014

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Japan SELENE Symposium In March 2014

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2nd SELENE Symposium On 4-5 March At NAOJ, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan; Regional & International Scientists Will Review New Lunar Mission Science Results, Discuss Opportunities For International Collaboration On Lunar Research & Future Missions; 1st Symposium (Jan 2013) Had Over 90 Participants From 7 Countries; SELENE-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Mission Expected 2017; Pictured: Science Organization Committee Chair Junichi Haruyama

Image Credit: JAXA, NAOJ