Category Archives: Lunar Science

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 May 2018

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LRO Mapping And Monitoring Lunar Surface Supports NASA Return To Moon Plans

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Surpasses 40,000 Orbits Around Moon, Gathering Information On Lunar Temperatures, Geologic Activity, Newly Formed Craters, Topographical Changes; On 23 June Spacecraft With 7 Operating Instruments Will Celebrate 9 Full Years In Orbit; Inertial Measurement Unit Indicates Low Functionality, Will Be Powered Down Except For Lunar Eclipses, Safe Mode Entries; 34th Data Set Release Upcoming, Invaluable Mission Supports International, National, Commercial, Academic Ventures & Research

Credits: NASA

Friday / 4 May 2018

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Commercial Lunar Payload Services To Build Upon Successes Of Lunar CATALYST, Commercial Resupply / Crew Programs

New NASA Program Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) To Award Contracts To Private Enterprises For Delivering Science And Tech Demonstration Payloads To Moon Surface; Industry Day Being Held At NASA HQ In Washington DC 8 May To Discuss Draft Request For Proposals; Companies Such As Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten, Past GLXP Contenders Already Developing Lunar Landers In Prime Position To Accelerate USA Return To Moon, Support Space Policy Directive 1; Blue Origin With Vision Of ‘A Trillion People Living & Working In Space’ Planning New Armstrong Rocket, Blue Moon System For 4,500-kg Cargo Deliveries

Credits: Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten Space Systems, Blue Origin, Bigelow Aerospace

Friday / 27 Apr 2018

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China Planning Next Phase Of Astronomy From The Moon With Multipayload Launch May-June

Advanced Lunar Orbiter Queqiao “Bridge Of Magpies” Set To Launch May Or June To Earth-Moon Lagrange Point L2 To Support Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Mission On Moon Far Side, South Pole / Aitken Basin NET November; Orbiter Launching Via Long March 4C With 2 Microsatellites DSLWP A1 and A2  (Longjiang 1 & 2) Weighing 45 kg Each, Intended For 200 x 9,000-km Lunar Orbit For Low Frequency (1-30 MHz) Radio Astronomy & Interferometry To Observe Energetic Phenomena From Celestial Sources; Will Take Advantage Of Lack Of Atmosphere, Moon Ability To Shield Radio Interference From Earth

Credits: Harbin Institute of Technology, CAST, CCTV / Framegrab, CAS, NAOC, NASA

Friday / 20 Apr 2018

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New Views From The Moon 2 – Asia 2018 In Japan Exchanging International Lunar Research, Mission Plans

University of Aizu, Japan, and Lunar and Planetary Institute Host NVM2 Conference 18-20 April 2018 With ~55 International Lunar Experts Covering Topics Including Landing Sites, Astronomy From The Moon, Lava Tubes, Geology, Volatiles, Lunar Space Elevator; 8 International South Pole Landers Identified For Missions By 2025, Collaborations Needed To Avoid Duplication, Maximize Science And Determine Where To Lead Investigations; LEAG Commercial Advisory Board Of ~30 Members Planning Next CAB Meeting 19 June

Pictured: Clive Neal, Ben Bussey, Makiko Ohtake, (Steve) Liu Yang, Carle Pieters, Junya Terazono; Image Credits: Univ. of Aizu, Univ. of Notre Dame, NASA, Brown Univ., JAXA, ISRO, KARI, ESA, Roscosmos, CNSA, LPI, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 Apr 2018

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Leaders Of Scientific Community And ILOA Advocating For Moon Return

Letter To USA Congress From Lunar Leaders Highlight Enthusiasm For NASA FY 2019 US$19.9B Budget Request To Return Humans To The Moon, Research Lunar Resources, Explore Lunar Tubes And Magnetic Anomalies; 72 Signatories Include Astronaut Jack Schmitt, James Head III, Clive Neal, Paul Spudis, Wendell Mendell, Bob Richards, Dan Hendrickson; USA Hawai`i-Based International Lunar Observatory Association Continues To Support And Encourage Return To Moon As Apollo 11 50th Observation Fast Approaches In 2019 

Credits: NASA, ILOA, Brown University, Lynn Rothschild, University of Notre Dame, Lunar and Planetary Society, Bob Richards, Astrobotic

Friday / 13 Apr 2018

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India PSLV Launch Bodes Well For Chandrayaan-2; China Advancing CE-4 And Planning For Human Moon Missions

The 3rd Successful Rocket Launch Of 2018 For India, PSLV-XL On C41 Mission After C40 In January & GLSV F08 In March, Boosts Further Confidence For Upcoming Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Lander, Rover, Orbiter Mission Launching First Week Of October On F10 Mission; CAST Chief Designer Of Tianzhou-1 Craft Bai Mingsheng States China Working Toward Human Lunar Landing Program To Be Initiated ~2020; Chang’e-4 Orbiter Launching May-June To Lunar Far Side, Followed By CE-4 Lander In December To Host Neutron Dosimeter And “Lunar Mini Biosphere” Of Potato, Flowering Arabidopsis, Silk Worms

 

Credits: CNSA, CAST, NAOC, CAS, ISRO, NASA

Friday / 6 Apr 2018

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Preserving Apollo Moon Landing Sites For Research Recommended By White House

White House Office Of Science & Technology Publishes Report “Protecting & Preserving Apollo Program Lunar Landing Sites & Artifacts”; Recommends Studying Long-Term Effects Of Lunar Environment Including Extreme Temperatures, Lunar Dust, Micro-Meteoroids, Solar Radiation On Over 187,000-kg Human-Made Materials Left Behind By 6 Apollo Missions; Opportunity For International, Commercial Cooperation With Future Moon Missions To Survey On A “Reciprocal, Transparent, Mutually Beneficial Basis”

Credits: NASA, White House, Lunar and Planetary Society

Friday / 30 Mar 2018

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Updates To Outer Space Treaty Could Define Space Regulations

During COPUOS 57th Legal Subcommittee Session 9-20 April At Vienna International Center, Countries To Discuss General Principle Consensus On Space Resource Policy Which May Be Necessary To Enable Moon And Mars Settlements, Potentially Prevent Conflict Of Interest In Space; Vidvuds Beldavs Proposes International Regime Could Govern Moon Resource Extraction Focused On Safety, Sustainability, Equitable Sharing By All Countries; Common Heritage Of Mankind Concept Inclusion To Prevent Exploitation, Encourage Preservation For Future Generations 

Credits: NASA, Space, UN, Vidvuds Beldavs

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 Mar 2018

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Brown-Vernadsky Microsymposium 59 In Texas Focuses On China Lunar Success And Plans

China Lunar And Deep Space Exploration Program Overview Set To Take Place 17-18 March In Woodlands, TX On The Eve Of 49 LPSC; Cosponsored By Brown University, Russian Academy Of Sciences, Vernadsky And Space Research Institute; Will Highlight University Research, Analysis, Results Across China; With Open Discussion, 25 Presenters Including James Head Of Brown University, NAOC Deputy Director ChunLai Li, Will Focus On Future Lunar Missions, Activities, Particularly Chang’e 1-3 Data, Chang’e-4 Landing Studies, Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission

Credits: Brown University, Planetary Society, Vernadsky, NAOC

Friday / 9 Mar 2018

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Mapping Moon South Pole Aitken-Basin Mineralogy For Future Landing Sites

Oldest, Largest, Well-Preserved South Pole-Aitken Basin, Nearly 1/4 Of Moon Diameter At 2,500 km, Is Area Of Most Recent Study Led By Brown University Prof. Carle Pieters & Daniel Moriarty Of GSFC; Using Data From USA Imaging Spectrometer ‘Moon Mineralogy Mapper’ Aboard ISRO Chandrayaan-1, Compositions Of Deposits From Volcanic Activity And Exposed Mantle Material Detected; Chemical / Mineral Analysis, Age Calculations And Especially Sample Return Missions Can Help Determine History Of Early Evolution Of Moon & Solar System, Be Compared To Previous Apollo / Other Sample Returns, Define Vital Zones For Exploration

Credits: NASA, ISRO, Brown University, Goddard Space Flight Center