Category Archives: Lunar Science

Wednesday / 13 July 2016

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Surrey Satellite & Goonhilly Earth Station Team Up For Lunar Pathfinder Mission By 2019-2020

LED-7-12-16

UK Space Age Heavyweights Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) & Goonhilly Earth Station (GES) Announce Partnership To Provide Low Cost, High Value System To Transport Payloads To Moon Orbit (£0.8-1.5M/kg), Provide Communications Links Back To Earth (Via Mothership X-band Link To 32-meter GHY-6 Dish In Cornwall, UK); Pilot Phase Activity Underway With ESA; Ultimate Aim To Support Solar System Network; SSTL Executive Chairman Sir Martin Sweeting Wants To Help Lunar Explorers Be Able To “Focus On The Science And Business Aspects Of Their Missions”

Credit: SSTL, GES

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 July 2016

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LRO Mission Receives NASA Extension Through March 2018

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Shedding Light On Origin And Evolution Of The Solar System Through A Multitude Of Science Investigations At The Moon; NASA Planning US$20M / Year To Operate Flagship Lunar Mission Through FY2018 (Subject To Appropriation & Annual Budget Process); Latest Results Include SwRI Team Led By Kathleen Mandt Identifying 2 Geologically Young Craters Near South Pole Using Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) Detector Which Observes With Help Of Ultraviolet Light Coming From Distant Stars & From The Lyman-Alpha Skyglow Scattering Of Hydrogen Atoms In Solar System

Credit: LRO, NASA, SwRI

Thursday / 7 July 2016

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LPI Seminar 8 July: Micro Cold Traps On The Moon Presented By Paul Hayne

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Lunar And Planetary Institute Seminar Series Hosts Paul Hayne, Geophysics & Planetary Geosciences, JPL On Fri 8 July; Recent Observations Of Moon, Mercury Confirm Predictions Of Water Ice In High-Latitude Permanent-Shadow Craters; Some Discrepancies Exist As To Concentrations / Locations Of Volatiles, Presence Of Super-Volatiles (CH4, CO2, Methanol), Heterogeneous Thermal Environments; Hayne Presents New Theory To Explain These Based On Evidence Of Micro Cold Traps, Discusses Importance For Future Robotic / Human Exploration

Credit: LPI, JPL, UCLA/NASA/JPL/Goddard

Thursday / 23 June 2016

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Multiple Human Moon Missions Evolving As Major National / International Goals

LED-6-22-16

Astronaut Tim Peake Has New Focus On Lunar Missions As ESA Plans To Establish A Cislunar ‘Deep Space Habitat’ For Lunar Surface & Solar System Exploration; Dave Parker Of ESA Human Spaceflight Cites Upcoming Discussions At Ministerial Conference In Lucerne, Switzerland In December; China Manned Space Program Deputy Chief Zhang Yulin Recently Proclaimed The Goal Of ‘Crewed Lunar Exploration’, With Analysts Predicting This Could Be Achieved As Soon As 2020s; Russia Plans To Permanently Station 12 Cosmonauts On Lunar Surface, Starting With 2-4 People By 2030

Credit: ESA, Roscosmos, CNSA

Friday / 17 June 2016

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13th International Planetary Probe Workshop Highlighting Innovative Ideas For Lunar Exploration

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The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA Meeting In Laurel, Maryland June 13-17 Features Talks By Alan Stern PI Of New Horizons & Ellen Stofan NASA Chief Scientist; Includes Presentations By Robert Buchwald (TR) Of Airbus On ‘Prospecting And Returning Lunar Surface Samples With Volatiles’ And By Balaji Soundararajan, Masters Student (Space Engineering) at Technical University Berlin On ‘Autonomous UAV for Lunar Inspection’ & ‘Lunar Ballistic Robot Exploration’

Credit: JHU/APL, GSFC, NASA,R. Buchwald, B. Soundararajan,

Thursday / 16 June 2016

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GLXP Teams Flying Under The Radar Continue To Make Headway

GLXP 6,2016

With 16 Teams From 13 Countries Remaining – Malaysia Team Independence-X Working On SQUALL Lander & BLIZZARD Rover Featuring Continuous Track Propulsion & Able To Fit Into 1.5U CubeSat; Croatia, Australia Team STELLAR Developing 4-Wheeled Rover With Support From 6 Companies & 14 Team Members, Produces Video Of Lunar Vision; Italy Team Italia With Expert Help From Thales Alenia Space & Polytechnic University Of Turin Furthering AMALIA Lander & ~10-kg Rover; Canada Team Plan B Supported By More Than 39 Volunteers Is Advancing 4-kg 2-Wheel Rover & Landing System

Credit: GLXP, Team Independence-X, Team STELLAR, Team Italia, Team Plan B

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 June 2016

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LRO Continues Intense Reconnaissance Of Moon

LED-6-10-16

Flagship NASA Lunar Mission Will Enter Its 8th Year In Lunar Orbit 23 June As It Continues Highly Elliptical Polar Trajectory Observing Moon With Variety Of Onboard Instruments; SwRI Team Including Senior Research Scientist Kathleen Mandt Published Finding In Icarus Journal Identifying Geologically Young Craters Via Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) Instrument & Mini-RF Radar Data; One Crater Estimated At Just 16 Million Years Old, Others Between 75-420 Million Years

Credit: NASA, SwRI

Friday / 10 June 2016

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Exploring The Galaxy From The Moon, Study Validates ‘Lunar Occultation Technique’

Lunar Occultation Tech

Richard Miller (L) From University Of Alabama – Huntsville & David Lawrence Of JHU/APL Using Data From Lunar Prospector Gamma Ray Spectrometer To Find Pattern Of Occultations Generated By Moon For Detecting & Characterizing Objects In Universe Whose Properties Change Over Time; Lunar Orbiter & Surface Missions Will Take Advantage Of Moon Unique Characteristics Including No Atmosphere, No Magnetosphere, Low Electromagnetic Interference From Earth, Well-Understood Radiation Background, Stable Platform, And Offer Cost Effective Way To Study Galaxy Without Diminishing Quality

Credit: Richard Miller, David Lawrence, UAH, JHU/APL, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 May 2016

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6 Current Moon Craft Operated Solely By China And NASA

China NASA 2016 Moon Craft

2017 Brings Hope For 1st Commercial Moon Missions, India Chandrayaan-2 & China Chang’e-5 Sample Return, While NASA LRO Continues Collecting Data On Lunar Poles, New Surface Features – Will Enter 8th Year At Moon 23 June, Data Release #26 Upcoming; NASA ARTEMIS 1 & 2 Studying Moon Plasma Wake & Solar Wind Interactions, To Enter 6th Year At Moon In July; China Chang’e-3 Lander & Yutu Rover At Guang Han Gong, 44.12°N 19.51°W To Celebrate Start Of 4th Year On Surface 14 Dec; Chang’e-5T1 Service Module Almost 17 Months In Orbit, Continues Observations / Tests For Future Landing Missions

Credit: NASA, GSFC, CNSA, CSA, NAOC, CCTV

Wednesday / 25 May 2016

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Moon In Focus As Lawmakers Push NASA Toward Lunar Landings, Reject Asteroid Redirect Mission

LED-5-24-16

Scientists, Engineers And Administrators At NASA Are Preparing For Tidal Shift As USA House Of Representatives Calls For Return To Moon To Refine Capabilities Including Landing, Ascent, Habitation, And Prospecting; Budget Committee Draft Bill Cites Moon Development As Best Strategy For Sustainable Future Mars Exploration; ‘The House’ Is A Legislative Body Made Up Of 434 Voting Members Elected To Represent Each State Proportionally To Its Population

Credit: House.gov, NASA