Mapping Lunar Surface & Collecting Information About Moon Environment, LRO Entering Year 7, Flying In Elliptical Orbit 20km Over South Pole / 165km North Pole, With An Orbital Period Of ~115 Mins; US$19M Highlighted In NASA Budget Request For FY2016 Per The House Of Representatives Commerce Justice Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2578) On 3 June 2015
Credit: NASA
India Moon Mission & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chandrayaan-II, Two Module Configuration Spacecraft (Orbiter & Lander) Orbital Bus Delivered To The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO); HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju States “The Orbiter Craft Module Structure Is A Three-Tonne Category Bus”; Chandrayaan-II Planning For Moon Launch In 2017 By Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII)
Credit: ISRO, HAL
Cislunar Space To Be Center Of NASA Activity In 2020s As Country / Agency Develop Technologies / Experience To Conduct Long-Duration, Deep Space Missions; Companies Such As Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Advancing Cislunar Habitat Concepts Under NASA NextSTEP Awards; Plans Incorporating Likelihood Of Cooperation From International & Commercial Partners Which May Lead To Lunar Surface Missions / Lunar Base Buildout; Sense Of Urgency To Define / Plan These Missions Growing As SLS / Orion Era Fast Approaching
Image Credit: Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace
International Association Of Planetary Sciences Forum Underway In Kazan, Russia; Leading Scientists From Russia, China, Japan, USA, Europe & Australia Are Discussing Timely Topics In Lunar & Planetary Science While Reviewing / Previewing Recent / Planned Missions Including Chang’e (3,4,5,6), Luna Glob, Luna Resource, GRAIL, LRO, European Lunar Lander, Selene-2; Event Also Includes 2nd International Chang’e Lunar Dynamics Workshop & 9th Russia-Japan Space Workshop
Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA, kpfu.ru
Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) University Of Chennai, India To Develop 10-20kg Nanosatellite To Study Moon Rocks & Chemistry Of Surface; Craft Will Contain Onboard Ignition System, Take 3 Months To Achieve Lunar Orbit From Earth Polar Orbit After Piggybacking On ISRO Rocket Launch; 1st SRM Satellite “SRMSat” Continues Operating In LEO, Team Also Participating In University Rover Challenge 28-30 May In Utah, USA
Image Credit: SRM University, SRMSat, ISRO, NASA
Deep Space CubeSat Missions – Including LunarCubes – Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Elements In Space Exploration, The Lunar Initiatives / Workshops Continue To Organize Events To Support The Growth Of This Field; Its Latest Newsletter Includes Updates Of Upcoming LunarCubes Workshop On 6-9 Oct In San Jose CA, The 2nd International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space On 8 Nov, & News From Recent LSA 5 Workshop
Image Credit: lunar-cubes.com, Flexure Engineering
ISRO Officials Inform India Parliament That Chandrayaan-2 Mission Is On Schedule For 2017 Launch; Space Physics Laboratory Director Anil Bhardwaj Notes Mission Will Be 1st-Ever India Soft Landing On Planetary Body & 1st Attempt By Any Nation To Land At Lunar Pole; Mission Will Be Entirely Indigenous & Include Orbiter, Lander & Rover; Will Be Launched By GSLV Rocket; Orbiter Expected To Include 5 Scientific Payloads, & 2 More On Rover, Still Possible Lander Could Host Astronomical Observatory Payload Similar To Successful LUT Of China Chang’e-3 Lander
Image Credit: K. Ragesh, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, ISRO
Researchers From UNH & NASA Goddard Publish Study Detailing How ‘Sparking’ May Affect Lunar Regolith In Permanently Shadowed Craters; High-Energy Particles From Large Solar Storms Or Cosmic Rays Buildup Electric Charges Faster Than Regolith Can Dissipate Them, Particularly In -240°C Permanently Shadowed Polar Craters, Regolith Then Disintegrates Into Smaller Particles Of Distinct Materials; Researchers Used LRO CRaTER Instrument & Custom Computer Model; Team Will Now Utilize LRO Instruments At New Lower Orbit To Find Evidence For Sparking
Image Credit: NASA, UNH
Russia Invites China To Collaborate On Scientific Space Station In Lunar Orbit, Both Countries Have Stated Plans To Continue Robotic Exploration Of Moon Over Next Decade, Conduct Human Surface Missions By 2030; New ESA Leader Johann-Dietrich Wörner (L) Sees International Permanent Moon Station – Likely At Far Side – As Next Step After ISS; Japan Plan For ~2018 Lunar Lander Garnering Significant Attention From International Space Community
Pictured (R): Roscosmos Leader Igor Komarov, China Vice Premier Wang Yang
Image Credit: Russianspaceweb.com, RIA Novosti
JAXA Moon Program Proposal – Which Includes Announcement Of Plan To Send Robotic Lander Mission To Moon In 2018 – Cites Increased Competition For Resources On Moon, Risk Of Power Imbalance As Russia, China, India Advance Lunar Surface Development Plans; Proposal Includes Initial Phase Of Robotic Missions, Possibility Of Human Lunar Visits – Facilitated By International Cooperation – In Post-2025 2nd Phase
Image Credit: JAXA, CNSA, ISRO