Category Archives: Lunar Science

SpaceWeek Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 July 2017

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First Women / Americans At The Moon South Pole 2020-2021: Moonbase Best Advances Korea, Mideast Peace And Prosperity

SpaceWeek 2017 With Rising USA Moon Return Priorities Will Soon Mark The 48th Observation Of Apollo 11 Touchdown “In Peace For All”; Moonbase Could Be A Game Changer Offering New Perspective, Direction, Inspiration – “If We Can Put People On The Moon, Why Can’t We ____”; The Best Option For Conflict Resolution In Korean Peninsula & Middle East May Arise From International Collaborations, Investments, Commercial Efforts Required For This Luna Construct, With Rockets Pointed Up To Moon Instead Of Toward Other Nations; Reclamation Of America / Humanity’s Greatest Advance, And Landing First Woman On Moon Will Build A Most Successful Future For 2020s

Credits: NASA, LRO, Space Age Publishing Company

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 June 2017

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Moon South Pole Missions With Strong International Collaboration Being Advanced By China

Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Launching To Far Side / Moon South Pole Aitken ~Oct 2018 To Carry 11 Payloads Including 4 Developed By Other Countries; China Likely To Cooperate With Europe On Common Goals Such As International Moon Village Or Research Station According To Liu Jizhong; Russia NPO Lavochkin In Talks With China Since CE-4, 5, 6 Similar To Russia Luna-26, 27, 28; CE-5 Set For Late Nov 2017 Launch, CE-4 Orbiter May 2018 For Moon Far Side, CE-6 Sample Return Far Side 2019-20, Possibilities For CE-7 & CE-8; China Developing Low Cost Long March 7 & Heavy Lift March 5; Advocacy For China Sending Women To Moon

Credits: CNSA, NAOC, CAS, ESA, Roscosomos

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 June 2017

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ILOA Galaxy Forum China 2017 Precedes IAF Global Space Exploration Conference In Beijing

Astronomy From The Moon & International Human Moon Missions Focus Of 3-Hour 2-Part Program 5 June At BICC, On Eve Of GLEX 2017, Highlights Global Lunar Exploration Priorities; Organized By International Lunar Observatory Association Of Hawai`i; Part 1) Wang Jing Of NAOC On CE3 Lunar Ultra-Violet Telescope, Hakim Malasan Of ITB On Indonesia Future Astronomy, Steve Durst Of ILOA On Galaxy First Light Imaging; P2) Christian Lange Of CSA On Canadian Lunar Payloads & Technology, Guo Linli Of CAST On China Lunar Base Concept, Andrew Aldrin Of ShareSpace Foundation On USA / International Human Missions To The Moon

Credits: ILOA, NAOC, CNSA, CSA, ShareSpace, ESA, NASA

Memorial Day / Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 May 2017

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ISDC 2017 Accentuates American
Moon Mission Interests

Breakout Sessions With Lunar Focus At NSS ISDC 25-29 May In St. Louis MO Include Back To The Moon, Space Settlement, Living In Space, Space Business; Madhu Thangavelu, David Schrunk, William Gerstenmaier, Brad Blair, Peter Kokh, Henk Rogers, Dennis Wingo, Ben Bussey, Michael Laine & Others Will Cover All Aspects Of A Human Return To Moon, L1 & L2 Transportation Nodes, International Lunar Decade Declaration, Moon Mining, Lunar Base Planning Underway At NASA & Private Ventures Including Cislunar & Surface Architectures, Deep Space Gateway, SLS / Orion EM-1 Mission & CubeSats; New NASA Administrator May Also Be Announced (Perhaps Jim Bridenstine)

Credits: National Space Society, ISDC, NASA, et al

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 May 2017

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LRO Approaches 8 Full Years At Moon,
Data / Instrument Validation Aiding Future International Missions

LRO Traveling In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Focusing On Permanently Shadowed Craters, Is 1-Month From Reaching 8 Full Years In Moon Orbit (23 Jun); Release 30 Of LRO Data Expected Mid Jun 2017, Mission Planned To Continue Until At Least Dec 2018; Science Team Designing Aug 21 Total Solar Eclipse Observations; Narrow Angle Camera Inspires Next-Gen ShadowCam To Be Used On Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Launching Dec 2018; HD Full Model Of Whole Moon Produced

Credits: LROC, NASA, Arizona State University / Malin Space Science Systems

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 May 2017

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China, USA Simulate Long-Duration Human Moon Missions In Closed Habitats

Beijing, China Hosts 1-Year Moon Mission Analog With 8 Volunteers In 2 Groups (2 Women, 2 Men In Each) Living In Yuegong-1 (Lunar Palace-1) Complete With Two 50m2 Greenhouses / Bio-Regenerative Life-Support Systems Experiments Vital For Lunar Settlement; 1st Group Will Remain For 60 Days, 2nd Group 200 Days, Then 1st Group Return For 105 Days; NASA Human Exploration Research Analog Campaign 4 (HERA-4) Is Ongoing From 6 May – 19 Jun At JSC, Houston TX 148.1 m3 Habitat; 4 Team Members Will Test New Space Food & Hardware Prototypes Including Simulated Exploration Vehicle, Use 3-D Printer; 3 Additional 45-Day Missions Run In Aug, Oct, Feb 2018

Credits: Beihang University – Beijing University for Aeronautics and Astronautics, Xinhua, Ju Huanzong, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 April – 1 May 2017

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China And ESA Discussing Permanent Human Moon Settlement

 China National Space Agency Secretary General Tian Yulong Confirms Talks With 22-Member States ESA On Potential International Moon Village; ESA Spokesman Pål Hvistendahl Notes China Advanced Moon Program, ESA Possible Analysis Of Lunar Samples From Chang’e-5 Mission, Plans For ESA Astronaut To Fly To China Space Station; ISS International Partners Developing Concept For Cislunar Orbiting Base; USA & Russia Aiming For Moon Surface Outposts; Human Multi World Species Status Most Likely To Be Regained And Sustained On Moon Through International Cooperation & Collaboration

Credits: ESA, CNSA, NAOC, CAS, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 April 2017

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LunarCubes Workshop 2017 Focuses On Concepts / Challenges And New Technologies / Solutions

Two Day Event With 8 Sessions At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo CA, In Coordination With CubeSat Developers Workshop April 25-28, Will Feature Presentations By Pamela Clark (JPL), Tilak Hewagama (UMD), Jon Freeman (GRC), Nadeem Ghafoor (Canadensys), Others; Experts Will Design Compelling LunarCube Missions, Plan Engineering, Power, Thermal, Communication & Transportation Needs, And Share Their Areas Of Knowledge; 13 Secondary Payloads Are Being Developed For EM-1 Launch Sep 2018 Including 4 Lunar CubeSats; 1st Commercial Payload To The Moon, 4M Launched 2014, Could Serve As An Example For Lunar / Planetary CubeSat Missions

Credits: OHB, NASA, ASU, UCLA, Morehead State University, Canadensys

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 April 2017

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Russia Collaborating With ESA For Luna-25 High-Res Cameras And Future Moon South Pole Missions

Roscosmos And ESA Formulate Agreement On Moon South Pole Luna-25 Lander, Europe To Provide High-Res Landing Camera System To Aid Touchdown In Boguslavsky Crater 2018-19; The Two Agencies Also Set To Cooperate On Luna-27 (Moon South Pole Lander 2021), Luna-28 (Moon South Pole Sample Return 2023), ExoMars Lander / Rover 2020; Russia Aiming To Put Humans On Moon 2029, Start Lunar Base 2030-2035; Developing New Angara Rocket & Federatsiya Crewed Spacecraft For Lunar Missions

Credits: Roscosmos, ESA, NASA, LROC, Ivanov et al., 2015

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 April 2017

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Canada Prioritizes Technologies For International Lunar Deep Space Habitat And Lunar Surface Mobility (LSM) Concept Study

Canadian Space Agency Asking For Innovative Proposals For Detailed LSM Concepts & Feasibility Assessment Of Two Main Assets: Precursor To Human & Scientific Rover And Lunar Pressurized Rover Core; Planning To Select Up To 2 Six-Month Contracts; Canada Government Commits To CSA US$80.9M Over 5 Years To Accelerate Canada Leadership In Space Post-ISS Era Including Technology To Support International Human Missions On And Around Moon Such As Robotics, Rovers, Software, And Mars Surface Observation

Credits: CSA, NASA