‘Gateway Spacecraft’ Would Hover 445,000km From Earth At Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange Point, Support Small Crew, Serve As Staging Area For Future Moon & Mars Missions; NASA To Use Orion MPCV / SLS Rocket For Transportation, Leftover Parts Of ISS For Construction; Funding & Radiation Risks Remain Issues; Some See More Value In Human-Tended Lunar Base
Image Credit: NASA
Annual Event Inspired By NASA LRO Mission Set For Saturday 22 Sep; Over 250 Events Scheduled In Over 40 Countries; Telescopes & Educational Lectures / Materials Provided To Moon-Gazers At Local Events; This Year InOMN Event Dedicated To Memory Of Neil Armstrong; Organizers Hope To Instill Public Sense Of Wonder & Curiosity About Moon While Imparting Recent Lunar Discoveries
Image Credit: Huntsville Times, NASA
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin Says Russia Should Set ‘Super Goal’ Of Building Large Base On Moon To Refocus Space Industry; Base Could Facilitate Leaps Of Science & Future Deep Space Projects; Possible Collaboration With USA / ESA; Moon Is Seen As Logical Next Step For Russia Exploration As Mars Is “Too Far And Too Expensive”
Image Credit: Roscosmos, wn.com
National Astronomical Observatories Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences (NAOC) Set To Sign MOU With International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) Tuesday In Hawai`i; ILOA International Team Of Astronomers Will Conduct Galaxy / Astronomy Research With Lunar Telescope Aboard Chang’e-3 Lander (2013) For Global 21st Century Education, In Exchange NAOC Will Receive Observing Time On ILO-X & ILO-1 Mission Instruments (NET 2014-2015)
Image Credit: ILOA, NAOC
Energia Space Corporation Of Russia Proposing Joint Project With Kazakhstan & Ukraine To Launch Missions To Moon; Russia Would Supply Updated Version Of Super-Heavy Carrier Rocket Used In The Energia-Buran Project Of The 1980s, Ukraine To Contribute Side Boosters, Kazakhstan To Provide Launch Facilities; Proposed System Could Launch Up To 70 Tonnes, Sufficient To Orbit Moon
Image Credit: Energia, NASA, flags.com
Abstracts For 11-15 Nov 2012 PISCES Conference On Hawaii Island Due 21 Sep; International Scientists, Government Leaders, Entrepreneurs Will Evaluate Recent Developments In PISCES Vision To Establish Terrestrial Prototype For International, Extraterrestrial Research Park On Hawaii Island; Breakout Sessions To Discuss Revolutionary Surface Technologies, Establish Strategic Partnerships To Enable / Expedite Robotic & Human Missions To Moon, Mars, Beyond
Image Credit: PISCES, usgs.gov
Galactic Suite / Barcelona Moon Team President Xavier Claramunt Signs Agreement With CGWIC President Yin Liming To Launch Its Lunar Lander / Rover On China Long March 2C Rocket With Upper Stage CTS2 In June 2014; Mission Can Carry 25kg Of Additional Customer Payload Weight; With Launch Contract Team Is Now Among Favorites To Win GLXP, Ranked 3rd In Evadot Scorecard
Image Credit: Barcelona Moon Team, CGWIC
International Lunar Observatory Association Is Conducting A Global Demonstration Of Its ILO-X Astronomy Instrument Bound For The Moon (NET 2014) Via Moon Express Google Lunar X Prize Spacecraft; Science Teams In Canada, China, USA Mainland, Europe & Japan Will Use ILO-X Remotely To Image Galaxy / Stars From 4,205m Mauna Kea, Global Demo Taking Place At 22:30-24:00 HST, 23 July
Image Credit: ILOA, hawaii.edu
Peter Kokh In Moon Miners’ Manifesto Considers Shortfalls Of Antarctic Treaty As Model For Settlement / Development On Moon; Article 7 Completely Bans Non-Scientific Mineral Resources Activity; Better To Allow ISRU, Require Strict Environment Protections, Spur Development Of New Clean Technologies and Techniques; Translate To Responsible Approach For Moon, Mars; Treaty Up For Review In 2019
Image Credit: Antarctic Treaty, NASA
9-Day Field Tests Of NASA-CSA Lunar Rover Now Underway At Lunar Analog Environment Of Mauna Kea, Hawaii; RESOLVE Project Demonstrating How Future Explorers Could Extract Water / Resources From Lunar Soil; CSA Contributing Artemis Junior Terrestrial Rover, Versatile Drill, Avionics Suite; NASA Contributing Resource Extraction Payload; Media Day On 19 July
Image Credit: NASA