Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Tuesday / 15 December 2015

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China Chang’e-3 Spacecraft Enters Year 3 On Moon; Honorary Currency Celebrates China National Spaceflight

12152015Currently In Lunar Night 25 Chang’e-3 (CE-3) Expected To Awaken 21 Dec & Begin Lunar Day 26 Operations; First Long-Term Robotic Observatory Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) On CE-3 Continues To Gather Images Of Galaxies / Binary Stars / Deep Space With Fewer Limitations Than Earth Due To The Thin Exosphere; Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Has 3 Phases: Orbiting CE-1 & CE-2 / Landing CE-2 & CE-4 (To Far Side NET 2018) / Sample Return CE-5 (Slated For 2017) & CE-6; China’s Central Bank Commemorates Chang’e-1 On Currency (Bill & Coin) 2015 Banknote Reads “Chinese Spaceflight Commemorative”

Credit: People’s Bank of China, CNSA, CAST, CLEP, NASA

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 26-30 November 2015

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China Lunar Exploration Program,
Chang’e Missions 1-6 May Enable 2020s Human Missions

Chang'e-1-6

China Momentum For CE-5 Sample Return Mission 2017, CE-4 Lander / Rover / Orbiter To Far Side 2018, Potential CE-6 Sample Return 2020, And Possible 2020s Human Moon Missions Fueled By Success Of China Lunar Exploration And Technology Development Including CE-1 & 2 Orbiters, CE-3 Lander & Yutu Rover, CE-5-T1 Return Capsule, Long March Family Of Rockets & Newly Developing Spaceport On Hainan Island; China Well Positioned To Become 2nd Country To Land Humans On Moon

Table of China Lunar Program produced by ILOA / SPC

Credit: NAOC-CAS, CNSA, CCTV, Xinhua News Agency

Wednesday / 25 November 2015

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Korea First Lunar Mission To Begin Flight Development Phase Jan 2016

11252015Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) Lunar Exploration Program With Expected 2-Year Budget Of 197.8 Billion Won (US$172.5M) To Begin Call For Instrument Proposals In Jan 2016; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) To Launch In 2018; Lander & Rover Expected 2020; Goal Is To Develop & Verify Lunar Technologies, Establish Korea Deep Space Network & Cooperate With International Partners In Lunar Exploration; Lander Mission Likely To Use Indigenous KSLV-2 Launch Vehicle; ISRO & KARI To Collaborate In India Deep Space Missions & Utilize Lunar Surface Data Collected By Chandrayaan-1; KARI Lunar Exploration Program Also Planning To Participate With NASA SSERVI To Gain Expertise In Solar System Science

Pictured: Dr. Seung-jo Kim, KARI President

Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Thursday / 5 November 2015

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Moonspike May Continue Efforts To Reach Moon, Other Private Ventures Advancing

11052015US$122K Raised From Over 1,000 Supporters Fell Short Of Crowdfunding Goals For Moonspike Spacecraft & Rocket To Crash-Land On The Lunar Surface;  Moonspike Founder Chris Larmour States “We Are Going To Spend Some Time Reviewing Our Options”; Britain Commercial Lunar Mission One Raised Over US$1.3M & Planning To Land Probe On Moon Surface & Drill 20-100 Meters For Samples To Return To Earth By 2024; Israel SpaceIL GLXP Team Set a US$240K Campaign Goal – One Dollar For Every Mile To The Moon, Team Secured Launch Services With Spaceflight Industries To Launch NLT 2017

Credit: Moonspike, Lunar Mission Ltd., SpaceIL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Oct – 2 Nov 2015

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Prolific Accumulation Of LRO Data To Aid Science, Enhance Culture & Guide Future Exploration

LED-10-30-15

LRO In Elliptical Orbit Flying Just 20km Above South Pole, Area Of Very High Interest; Immense Data Resources Include Satellite Tool Kit Real-Time Visualization Display System, ACT-React QuickMap, CRaTER Live Sonification Design Project; Solar Powered Spacecraft Preparing For Next Eclipse 23 Mar 2016, After Successfully Navigating 3 Over Last 1.5 Years; Deputy Project Scientist Noah Petro Describes Eclipse Challenges: Loss Of Photo-Voltaic Power Generation, Temperature Drop Of Nearly 138°C In Only Minutes

Credit: NASA / GSFC

Tuesday / 27 October 2015

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USGS Lunar Maps Using LRO Reveal Data ‘Contrary To Conventional Wisdom’

10272015Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Providing Mosiac Map With Data From Wide Angle Camera & Topographic Data With Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA); Dr. Mark Robinson, ASU Professor & LRO Camera PI States “Images From The LRO Camera Have Greatly Advanced Our Knowledge Of The Moon” & Images Reveal Volcanic Activity Younger Than Previously Thought; LOLA Gathering Topographic Data; Co-Investigator Dr. Erwan Mazarico Comments “The LOLA Data Are A Foundational Dataset To Be Used In Multiple Types Of Studies For Years To Come”; Maps Indicate Elevation Areas – Highest Point Near Engel’gradt Crater (200° E Longitude, +6° Latitude) & Lowest Area Within Moon South Pole-Aitken Basin Near 188° E Longitude, -70° Latitude

Credit: USGS/NASA/ASU

Friday / 9 October 2015

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LunarCubes: Secondary Payloads Aiming To Produce First-Class Science

LunarCubes

5th LunarCubes Workshop Hosted By Flexure Engineering 6-9 Oct Highlights Affordable, Innovative Options For Moon / Interplanetary Missions To Search For Volatiles, Map Surface, Support Human Exploration; Along With 8 Design Challenges, Various Talks Are Given On Missions Under Development By Private & Public Sectors: LunaH-Map (Craig Hardgrove, ASU), HALO (Michael Collier, NASA), Lunar Flashlight (John Baker, JPL), ILO-X & ILO-1 (Steve Durst, ILOA), FireFly (Dan Faber, DSI); Hack The Moon Event & Lunar Art / Flash Art Competition Being Held 9-11 Oct

Credit: Flexure Engineering, ASU, NASA, GSFC, JPL, Caltech

Wednesday / 7 October 2015

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5th International LunarCubes Workshop Brings Scientists, Engineers, Enterprise To San Jose 6-9 Oct

1072015Robust Lunar Enterprise Workshop Over 4 Days  Focusing On Space Exploration, Collaboration, Technology & Commercial Strategies; NASA Ames Research Center Manager Jim Cockrell (R) Highlights First In-Space Cube Quest Challenge (US$5.5M Prize) To Develop Small Moon Orbiters & Deep Space Satellites; Steve Durst (BL) Discussing ‘Astronomy From The Moon’ As A New Frontier With The International Lunar Observatory (ILO-1); Interorbital Systems Randa Milliron (TL) Will Talk About IOS Neptune Modular Rockets; Annual LunarCubes Workshop Provides Hands-On Activities & Educational Sessions To Further Moon & Space Exploration

Credit: LCW5, ILOA, NASA, Jim Cockrell, IOS, Randa Milliron

Tuesday / 22 September 2015

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China Preparing Long March-5 Carrier Rocket To Aid Future Lunar Missions

9222015First Trial Of New Booster Designed By China Academy Of Launch Vehicle Technology & China Aerospace Science And Technology Corp (CASC) Set For 2016; Long March-5 Rocket (CZ-5) Scheduled To Carry Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission In 2017; CASC Official Gao Xinhui States CZ-5 Will Utilize YF-100 Engine “That Uses Fuel Free Of Toxicity And Pollution”; CZ-5 Innovation Could Reduce Cost While Increasing China Space Access Capabilities Including Human Moon Missions In The Next Decade

Credit: NASA, China News, CASC, CCTV

Thursday / 17 September 2015

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LRO Observes Forming Moon Surface Faults

9172015Gravitational Tidal Forces From Earth Influencing Orientation Of Young Fault Scarps Caused By Cooling & Contracting Of Moon’s Interior; LRO Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) Identifying ~3,200 Thrust Fault Scarps Sampled In Areas 40° Longitude By 20° Latitude; Arizona State University & LROC Principal Investigator, Mark Robinson States “Now That We Have NAC Images …Structural Patterns Are Starting To Come Into Focus”

Credit: NASA, Arizona State University, Smithsonian Institution