Category Archives: Lunar Mapping

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 6-9 Sep 2013

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Launch Of Last Scheduled NASA Moon Mission As Lunar Experts Flock To NewSpace Companies

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LADEE Launch — 6 Sep, 23:27 EDT, Wallops Island VA, Via Minotaur 5 Rocket — Promises To Provide Spectacular Show To East Coast USA Viewers; US$248M-Mission Will Test New System For Ultra-Fast Optical Data Transmission — 600 Mbit/s, Unravel Mysteries Of Lunar Atmosphere / Dust Environment, Premiere Common Spacecraft Bus; Next Flight Of The Bus Likely On Moon Express (ME) GLXP Mission NET 2015; ME Announces Paul Spudis New Chief Scientist, Jack Burns Added To Science Advisory Board

Image Credit: NASA, Moon Express

Thursday / 29 August 2013

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China Moon Lander / Rover Moves Into Launch Phase

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Chang’e-3 Now Scheduled For Launch Dec 2013; While Confirming Mission Shifting From Design To Launch Phase, CNSA / Lunar Program Chief Commander Ma Xingrui Acknowledges 1st China Attempt To Land On Planetary Body Is “An Extremely Difficult Mission That Carries Great Risk;” Crewed Lunar Missions Could Follow If China Decides To Combine Human Spaceflight & Lunar Exploration Programs

Image Credit: CNSA

Wednesday / 28 August 2013

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Magmatic Water Detected On Moon

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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

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 23-26 August 2013

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LADEE Launch To Achieve Multiple Firsts

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Launch Of US$280M Mission, Scheduled For 23:27 EDT On 6 Sep, Will Be Visible To Tens Of Millions Of People Along America East Coast; First Lunar / Planetary Launch From Wallops Island Spaceport, VA; Inaugural Launch Of Minotaur 5 Rocket, 3 Of 5 Stages Made From Converted Cold War Ballistic Missiles; Debut Of Modular Common Spacecraft Bus Developed At NASA Ames, Smaller Version Of Which Will Be Used For Moon Express GLXP Mission

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 20 August 2013

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Wargo Crater?

WargoCrater

After Unexpected Passing Of Long-Time NASA Lunar Scientist Mike Wargo, NASA Officials Petitioning IAU To Name Crater On Moon In His Honor; Initiative Sets Precedent For Those Seeking / Deserving A Lunar Presence In Some Form, Advances ‘Put Your Name On Moon’ Campaigns Of LRO, ILOA Lunar Missions To Another Level; High-Def Images Captured By Lunar Probes Reveal Millions Of Craters On Moon, Many Yet Unnamed 

 Image Credit: NASA, IAU

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 16-19 Aug 2013

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: 4 Years & Counting

LRO4Years

Innovative NASA Moon Orbiter Completes 3 Years Of Its Extended Science Mission, Additional Extension Likely As Probe Has Delivered Unprecedented Amount Of Data / Images; LRO Has Orbited Moon Over 18,000 Times, Traveling Over 200M Km, Produced Over 434 Terabytes Of Data, Laser Altimeter Conducted Over 6B Topographic Measurements; LRO Expected To Continue To Send Back Data Until Oct 2014, Though Additional 2 Years Possible

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 2 July 2013

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LADEE Mission Seeks Help From Amateur Astronomers

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LADEE Teaming Up With ALPO Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search Program In Call To Watch For Impacts On Moon; Dedicated Amateurs Require Telescope With Minimum 20cm Aperture, Video Recording Equipment, LunarScan Program, Ability To Continually Monitor Moon During Lunar Night; Micro-Meteoroid Issues Of Crucial Importance For Long-Duration Human Habitation Of Moon; LADEE To Launch 5 Sep, 1st Mission From Wallops Island VA To Venture Beyond LEO

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 27 June 2013

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LRO Revealing History Of Lunar Exploration

PlesciaMappingLROC

Scientists Using LROC To Identify / Image Lost Moon Probes Notes Leonard David Of Space.com; LROC PI Mark Robinson & Johns Hopkins APL Professor Jeff Plescia (Inset) Searching For Soviet & NASA Luna Probes; Detection Could Help Determine Fate Of Failed Spacecraft Such As Luna 23 & Surveyor 4, Aid In Design Of Heritage Protection Plan

Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 20 June 2013

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Lunar Orbiter Data Shedding Light On Lunar Science

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Australia Scientists Led By Will Featherstone (R) Use GRAIL Data To Identify 280 Lunar Craters Never Before Mapped, Create Ultra-High Resolution Gravity Map Of Moon; Andrew Jordan (L) & University Of New Hampshire Team Utilize LRO Data To Explain How Galactic Cosmic Rays Penetrate Lunar Regolith & Transform Water Ice Into Molecular Hydrogen; Explanation Could Account For 10-100% Of Molecular Hydrogen Discovered By LAMP Instrument 

Image Credit: NASA, University Of New Hampshire, Curtin University of Technology

Tuesday / 4 June 2013

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Moon Orbiters Guiding Future Exploration / Solving Long-Standing Mysteries

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LRO LEND Instrument Provides Definitive Map Of Water Ice Deposits Across Moon Surface, Including South Pole (L) – Likely Destination Of Future Missions / Human Lunar Build-Out; Data From GRAIL Probes Explain Cause Of Lunar Mascons: Ancient Asteroid Impacts Melted Mantle, Caused It To Collapse Inward Creating Denser More Concentrated Areas, Subsequently Causing Gravitational Anomalies

Image Credit: NASA, FIAAA