Category Archives: Lunar Flyby

Friday / 19 September 2014

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OHB Spacecraft 4M To Launch On China Rocket, Fly By Moon 28 October

OHB 4M

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission (4M), Dedicated To OHB Founder Manfred Fuchs, Developed By LuxSpace Of Luxembourg, To Travel 196 Hours To Moon, Fly By Surface 28 Oct 00:28:00 UT At 13,000 Km, Return To Earth; Will Measure Radiation During Flight & Around Moon, Transmit Radio Signals On Amateur Beacon; OHB Planning Moon Missions Including Landing Within Next Few Years; Likely Part Of China Technology Test Orbiter Moon Mission

Image Credit: OHB, LuxSpace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 12-15 September 2014

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Orion Spacecraft Taking First Steps To Lunar / Solar System Exploration

OrionTest0914

Test Version Of New NASA Flagship Crew Vehicle Moved To Fueling Depot In Preparation For 4 Dec Exploration Test Flight-1; 4.5-Hour, US$375M Mission Will Mimic Return From Moon As Delta 4 Rocket Will Launch Orion ~5,800km Above Earth, Craft Will Return At 32,000 Km/hr; Orion Will Launch Aboard New SLS For 2nd Test Flight In 2018; First Crewed Flight Expected In 2021, Taking 4 Astronauts On Circumlunar Cruise; NASA Expects To Spend US$15B On Orion Through 1st Crewed Flight; Increase In NASA Budget, Prioritization Of Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration Could Hasten Orion Flight Pace

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 8 August 2014

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ISEE-3 Moon Flyby Set For 10 August

ISEE-3 Lunar Flyby

ISEE-3 Reboot Mission, Privately Funded By ~US$160K Public Campaign, Scheduled To Cross Bow Shock Of Earth Magnetosphere Saturday Afternoon & Fly By Lunar Surface At 12,000km Altitude Sunday 10 Aug – Will Lose Power For 1st Time In Decades While In Lunar Shadow; 35-Year-Old Craft Will Continue On Original Heliocentric Orbit Trajectory To Deep Space, Will Be 15 Years Until Craft Is This Close To Earth Again; Team Will Gather Data From 4 Working Instruments Including Magnetometer; Previously Planned To Fly By Moon At ~50km & Achieve Earth Orbit

Pictured: Reboot Team Leads Dennis Wingo (L), Keith Cowing (R)

Image Credit: D. Wingo, K. Cowing, Spacecollege.org

Wednesday / 4 June 2014

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Next Humans At Moon Likely Space Tourists

LunarTourism0614

Russia Aerospace Company RSC Energia CEO Vitaly Lopota (BR) Confirms Plan To Send 2 Space Tourists To Circle The Moon In 2017 Or 2018 Via Modified Soyuz, “We Can Do This”; Virginia-Based Partner Space Adventures (SA) Describes Mission As Bold Return To Deep Space Exploration, SA President Tom Shelley Confirms That 2 People Have Already Committed To Purchase The US$150M Seats, Company Has Yet To Disclose Identity Of The First Lunar Tourists

Image Credit: RSC Energia, Space Adventures

Friday / 30 May 2014

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ISEE-3 Team Achieves Contact,
Close Lunar Flyby Upcoming

ISEE-3 Reboot Project

ISEE-3 Reboot Project Team Will Attempt To Command 36-Year-Old Spacecraft, Fire Engines ASAP; ISEE-3 Is ~250,000km From Where It Should Be, Increasing Possibility Of Moon Impact Without Corrective Maneuvers; Lunar Flyby Trajectory Estimated At 50km-Altitude; Recently Established 2-Way Communication Will Allow For Refinement Of Engine Burn Techniques; Goal Is To Use Moon Gravity To Enter Orbit At Sun-Earth L1, Resume Original Mission To Investigate Solar Wind, Share Data With Public

Image Credit: ISEE-3 Reboot Project