Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 December 2014

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International Space University LM1 Participation Inspires Students

ISUlm1

ISU Participation In Lunar Mission One (LM1) Exemplifies Potential Of Inspirational Education; 47 ISU MSc Students From Around World Carrying Out Preliminary Mission Design For Near-Term Lunar Orbiting Cubesat To Photograph Moon Surface – Specifically Including LM1 South Pole Landing Site; Satellite Will Send Pictures Back To Earth For Space Education / Outreach, & To Raise Global Awareness Of LM1 – Which Is Planned To Land & Drill To At Least 20m, Analyze 4.5B Year Old Rocks, & Analyze Viability Of Permanent Human Base At Moon South Pole

Image Credit: ISU, Lunar Mission One

Friday / 5 December 2014

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Earth-Moon Images As Taken By
Interplanetary Craft

Earth Moon Images

Images Of Earth-Moon / Cislunar System Dating Back To (L-R, T-B) Lunar Orbiter 1 Aug 1966 First View Of Earth From Moon, Apollo 8 Dec 1968 ‘Earthrise’, And Voyager 1 Sep 1977 First Picture Of Whole Earth & Moon In Single Frame Change Human Mindset / Relationship With Earth, Moon, Solar System, Galaxy; 2 Most Recent Pictures Of E-M System Taken By Chang’e-5 T1 Craft Oct 2014; E-M As Seen By Galileo 1992, Venus Express 2005, MESSENGER 2010, Juno 2011, Cassini 2013; Additional Images / Video Of E-M Expected From GLXP Competitors In 2015

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA, ESA, JHU, APL, Caltech, Malin Space Science Systems, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Tuesday / 2 December 2014

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China Places Lunar Orbiter Service Module At L2

ChinaServiceL2

Service Module Of Chang’e-5 Test Probe Successfully Arrives At The Earth-Moon 2nd Lagrange Point, 421,000 Km From Earth & 63,000 Km From Moon; Based On Design Of Chang’e-2 & 3, The Service Module Will Eventually Be Moved To Lunar Orbit To Verify Chang’e-5 Tasks Related To Flight Control Technology; State Administration Of Science, Technology & Industry For National Defense Reports That All Experiments Are Going Well

Image Credit: CNSA, NASA

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 27 Nov – 1 Dec 2014

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CubeQuest Challenge To Advance Lunar Exploration

CubeQuest1114

With New Centennial Challenge NASA Offers 1st In-Space Competition & Largest Prize Ever; CubeQuest Challenge Offers 3 Separate Prizes: 4 (US$500K) Ground Tournaments To Qualify For Flight On First SLS Launch, Deep Space Derby $1.5M Prize To Demonstrate Communication / Durability At >400,000,000 Km From Earth, Lunar Derby $3M For Placing CubeSat In Stable Lunar Orbit & Demonstrating Communications / Durability; Program Manager Eric Eberly Says Contest Could Dramatically Improve Affordability Of Space Missions & Increase Research Possibilities

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 26 November 2014

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First Africa Moon Mission Seeks To Inspire / Stimulate Growth In Continent

Africa2Moon1114

South Africa-Based Foundation For Space Development Announces First Africa Moon Mission; Africa2Moon Mission Will Be Crowdfunded Campaign To Send Lander Or Orbiter To Moon; Group Hopes To Raise US$150K For Phase 1 Mission Concept / Feasibility Study (Jan-Nov 2015); Team To Include Experts From Africa Universities / Industries, & International Space Experts; Mission Administrators Peter Martinez & Jonathan Weltman Hope Mission Can Highlight & Nurture Often Overlooked Positive Africa Aspects: Quickly Growing Economy, Young Enterprising Population

Image Credit: Foundation For Space Development, Africa2Moon

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 November 2014

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LRO Continues To Prepare For Future Moon Exploration

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Maintaining American Presence At Moon, 45 Years After Apollo 12 Mission, LRO Consistently Adding More Data & Imagery To Increase Global Understanding Of Value Of Moon For Humanity To Thrive In Solar System; Recent Imagery Of Lava Tubes And Sinuous Rilles In Oceanus Procellarum Region, Exploration Of This Area Could Provide Data On Timing & History Of Lunar Volcanism, Natural Radiation Shielding For Human Explorers, & In-Situ Resources Such As Large Pyroclastic Deposits; Keep Track Of LRO Current Location  

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 14 November 2014

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S Korea Advancing Toward 2020 Moon Mission

KARI 2020

S Korea Indigenous Lunar Orbiter & Module / Launch Vehicle-2 Feasibility Study Conducted By Ministry Of Strategy & Finance States Project May Create ~US$296M Added Value & 4,800 Jobs, Potential Value From Lunar Exploration Is ~US$3.5B (5.17 Times Budget Allotted – $677M); Hopes To Launch Orbiter In 2020 With Help From NASA Joint Research Agreement, 15 Government-Funded Research Institutions Led By KARI; Also Planning To Develop 10-20 Kg Rover To Look For Rare Minerals

Pictured: S Korea President Park Geun-Hye (L) & KARI President Seung Jo Kim

Image Credit: KARI

Wednesday / 12 November 2014

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China: Space Dominance Or Key International Partner?

ChinaDominantCooperate

Noting Ambitious Series Of Lunar Missions – Chang’e-2 Elaborate Post-Moon Trajectory, Chang’e-3 Expansive Payload Capacity, Chang’e-5 Plans For Lunar Orbit Rendezvous – Paul Spudis Speculates That China Is Moving Ahead With Cislunar Space Dominance / Permanence / Control; Xu Dazhe, Head Of CNSA & China State Administration Of Science Technology & Industry For National Defense Says Country Welcomes International Colleagues To Join China Lunar Exploration Program; Buzz Aldrin Declares Cooperation With China Is Most Important Priority To Ensure USA Success In Space

Image Credit: Xinhua / Gin Ying, spudislunarresources.com, ama2007.com

Wednesday / 5 November 2014

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USA Advancing Moon Resource Prospecting Missions

NASARPMflashlight

2 Separate NASA Moon Missions Seek To Advance Human Capacity To Live Off-World; Lunar Flashlight PI Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC Says Solar Sail Orbiter Mission, With The Goal Of Obtaining Data Of Purity & Accessibility Of Lunar Volatiles, May Launch On Debut SLS Flight In Late 2017; Resource Prospector Mission Project Scientist Tony Colaprete Of NASA Ames Says Rover Mission Will Map & Collect Samples Of Surface / Subsurface Hydrogen At 2 Yet-To-Be-Determined Polar Sites; Demonstration Of ISRU Could Facilitate Human Moon Settlement

Image Credit: NASA

 

Tuesday / 4 November 2014

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China Becomes 3rd Nation To Conduct
Round Trip Moon Mission

Xiaofei

Continuing Its Methodical Approach To Lunar Development, China Successfully Recovers Chang’e-5 Test Probe ‘Xiaofei’ After Its 840,000-km Journey & Landing In Inner Mongolia; Probe Was Intact, Though Charred From Reentry Heat; Host Platform Dodged Earth And Headed Back Out Into Space To Continue Operations After Releasing Reentry Test Probe; Next Mission, Chang’e-4 Lander May Become First Craft To Soft Land On Lunar South Pole, Will Help Prove Systems Required For More Ambitious Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, NET 2017

Image Credit: Xinhua