Category Archives: Lunar Orbiters

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 31 October – 3 November 2014

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LRO Advancing Observation Plan For 2nd
2-Year Extended Mission

LRO10-1114

Search & Discovery Of LADEE Impact Crater (R) Allowed LROC Team To Test Recently Developed Computer Tool To Search Narrow Angle Camera Before & After Images For New Craters; Technique Will Facilitate One Of The Objectives For 2nd LRO Extended Mission: Determine How Many Small Meteorites Hitting Moon & Their Effects; LRO Has Collected Over 528.75 TB Of Data Since 2009 Arrival In Lunar Orbit; Orbiter Now Set To Take Oblique Image Of Euler Crater (L) After Preparatory -58 Degree Roll; Instrument PIs Planning Next Observations

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 31 October 2014

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India Public, Private Moon Missions 2015-2016

ISRO, Indus Moon Missions

India ISRO Satellite Centre Director S. Shiva Kumar Says Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter / Lander / Rover Launching To Moon 2016 Will Enable Spacecraft Development For Proposed 2nd Mars Mission In 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Rocket, Expected To Launch Again First Half Of Dec, Vital For High-Mass Moon, Mars, Deep Space & Human Missions; Privately-Funded GLXP Team Indus Aiming For Moon 2015, Integrating Engineering Model Of Lander & Prototype Of Rover, Needs To Secure PSLV Launch & US$35M

Image Credit: ISRO, Team Indus

Wednesday / 29 October 2014

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China Test Moon Mission Returning To Earth

Chang'e5T1cominghome

Chang’e-5 T1 Probe Departing Gravitational Sphere Of Moon, After Briefly Orbitting Moon At ~60,000 Km Altitude, Craft Makes Adjustments For Transfer Back To Terrestrial Orbit; Four-Day Trip Back To Earth Will Set Up Earth Reentry Demonstration On 31 October, Will Then Maneuver To Skip Off Edge Of Earth Atmosphere To Slow From 11.2 Km/sec Before Landing In Inner Mongolia With Parachute Assist; Lunar Rendezvous Allowed For Stunning Photo Of Moon And Earth

Image Credit: CNSA

Tuesday / 28 October 2014

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LRO CRaTER Highlighting Dangers Of Space Environment

CRaTER1014

Data From CRaTER Instrument Aboard LRO Orbiter Demonstrating Impact Of Abnormal & Extended Lack Of Solar Activity; Since 2006 – Longest Solar Minimum / Weakest Solar Activity Is Bringing About Highest Intensities Of Galactic Cosmic Rays Witnessed Since Beginning Of Space Age Says CRaTER PI Nathan Schwadron Of UNH; Trend Reducing Allowable Days For Human Deep Space Exploration By 20%; Lunar Exploration – Short Transit & Possibilities For Underground Habitation – More Feasible Than Deep Space / Mars Exploration With Current Technology

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 24-27 October 2014

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China Moon Missions Opening Path To Human Exploration Of Lunar South Pole

ChinaSouthPoleMoon1014

Chang’e-5-T1 Mission Successfully Enters Circumlunar Course, Set To Obtain Experimental Data, Validate ‘Skip-Reentry’ Technique & Technologies In Preparation For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission, Land In Inner Mongolia Around 1 Nov; China Officials Report Next Moon Lander Chang’e-4 Also Set To Advance Technologies For Sample Return Mission While Accomplishing New Feat – South Pole Landing Would Achieve Both Of These Objectives While Helping To Open Up Promising New Frontier To Eventual Human Settlement

Image Credit: Xinhua, NASA

 

Thursday / 23 October 2014

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China Preparing To Launch Chang’e-5 Test Mission

Chang'e5TestP

1st Launch Of A Long March-3C/E Rocket Is Set To Boost The Next China Mission From Xichang Satellite Launch Center Sometime Between 24-26 Oct; Probe Will Test Earth Reentry Technologies / Capabilities Needed To Complete 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission (L); Based On Modified Chang’e-2 Probe Design, Carrying A Re-entry Capsule, The Probe Will Travel Around The Moon And Return To Earth At >40,230 km/hr Before Parachuting For Earth Landing; 8-Day Mission Will Also Carry Payload Developed By LuxSpace Of Luxembourg

Image Credit: CNSA, CLEP

Thursday / 16 October 2014

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China To Launch Reentry Test Orbiter
To Moon 23 October

Chang'e Test Orbiter, 4M OHB

Moon Orbiter To Test Reentry Technologies For 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission Set To Launch 23 Oct On Long March 3C/E From Xichang Satellite Launch Center; 14-Kg Manfred Memorial Moon Mission Designed By OHB To Measure Radiation & Transmit Radio Signals Is Attached To 3rd Stage Booster; Chang’e Capsule Carrying Cameras (Perhaps Other Science Instruments) Filled With Samples, To Separate From 3rd Stage 20 Mins After Launch, Closest Approach 28 Oct At 00:33 UT ~13,000 Km Altitude, Return To Earth Oct 31/Nov 1 At 11 Km/s, Parachute-Assist Landing

Image Credit: CASC, CNSA, CCTV, OHB, LuxSpace

Tuesday / 14 October 2014

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Russia: Moon Is Core Of Space Program Russia Moon

Roscosmos Head Of Strategic Planning Department Yuri Makarov States Moon Is Central To Space Program & Will Enable Solar System Missions, Envisions International Cooperation; During This & Next Decade Focus On Automatic Spaceships & Stations, In 2030s Lunar Orbital Stations & Vehicles, 2040s Crewed Lunar Station Near Moon South Pole, 2050s Inhabited Bases & Optical Laboratories; Robotic Missions Luna-25 (Which May Cost Tens Of Billions Of Rubles ~US$250M) Through Luna-29 (2016-2021) To Be Followed By Human Moon Flyby 2025, Landing By 2030

 Image Credit: Roscosmos, Andrey Sokolov, Alexey Leonov, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 October 2014

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Moon Orbiter Research, Data Findings & Awards Continue

Orbiters

LRO In Its 6th Year At Moon Traveling In Elliptical 30 X 180-Km Altitude Orbit Passing Over Lunar South Pole, 20th Data Set Release Upcoming – Collecting Data On Moon Radiation (CRaTER), Cold Traps (Diviner), Permanently Shadowed Regions (LAMP), Landing Sites (LOLA), Radio Images (Mini-RF), B&W Optical Images (LROC), Color & Ultraviolet Images (WAC), Hydrogen Distribution & Radiation Neutron Component (LEND), Imaging Chang’e-3; LADEE Receives Popular Mechanics 2014 Breakthrough Award; GRAIL Data Reveals Ocean Of Storms Rift Valleys

 

Image Credit: NASA, Colorado School of Mines

Friday / 10 October 2014

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Moon Spacecraft Lunar Eclipse Observations

Spacecraft Lunar Eclipse

China Chang’e-3 Moon Lander At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W Operating In Lunar Day 11, Observations / Images Expected From 8 Oct Total Eclipse Of Sun By Earth As Seen From Moon; Through MoU With NAOC, ILOA Encouraging These & Other Types Of Innovative Lunar Astronomy Observations; NASA LRO In Moon Orbit Will Transmit Data Collected On Effects Of Lunar Eclipse On Moon Surface Temperatures; Next Eclipse 4 Apr 2015

Image Credit: CCTV, CNSA, Stellarium, K. Kremer, M. Lorenzo, B. King, NASA