Category Archives: Lunar Science

Wednesday / 18 May 2016

Posted on by

Dutch Study Tests Vegetable Growth With Moon, Mars Soil Simulants

LED-5-17-16

Lunar Soil Simulant Being Tested As Grow Medium For Tomatoes, Peas, Rye, Radishes, Cress, Arugula By Agricultural Researchers At Wageningen University, Netherlands; Ecologist Dr. Wieger Wamelink Notes 1st Attempt Most Plants Died In Moon Dirt Due To Low Water Absorption, Adding Fresh Cut Grass Allowed Plants To Thrive; Risk Of Heavy Metal Contamination Could Be Mitigated By Growing Violets, Other Species That Take In Toxins; Soil Analogs Sourced From Arizona Desert (Moon) And Hawaii Volcano (Mars) Via NASA At Cost Of US$3,080 Per 100kg

Credit: Wageningen UR, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 May 2016

Posted on by

LRO Greatly Advancing Lunar Knowledge, Up For 2 Year Extension In September

LED-5-13-16

In Moon Orbit Longer Than Any Other Spacecraft LRO Continues Intensive Study From Highly Elliptical Path Flying As Low As 20km Over South Pole Every 117.2 Minutes; Noah Petro (Lunar Geologist) Studying Evolution Of Moon Today And Over Last Billion Years And John Keller (LRO Project Scientist) Examining Polar-Crater Water-Ice Deposits, Both At NASA GSFC, Are Among Thousands Of Scientists Worldwide Who Pour Over Data Releases From 7 Onboard Instruments; Project Team Has Requested Extension From NASA

Credit: GSFC, NASA

Wednesday / 11 May 2016

Posted on by

Europe Focuses On Lunar Exploration And Moon Village

4th European Lunar Symposium 18-19 May At The Dutch Royal Academy Of Arts And Sciences, Amsterdam (TR), The Netherlands Is Co-Organized By NASA SSERVI; Inaugural Lecture On LRO ‘Seven Years Exploring The Moon’; A “Moon Village” Workshop Occurs At Nearby ESTEC (BL) 19-20 May To Expand, Enhance And Refine This Primary Initiative Of ESA Director General Jan Woerner Who Is Determined To Help Establish A Permanent International Outpost At Moon As Next Major Step For Global Space Endeavor Beyond ISS

Credit: SSERVI, NASA, ESA, ESTEC

Friday / 6 May 2016

Posted on by

Two Conferences Supporting Moon, Mars, & Asteroids Investigate Opportunities

Two ConferencesStimulating Renewed Support In Moon / Space Activities Two Conferences Moving Into Year 8 Scheduled To Address: Lunar Exploration & Enterprise, Solar System, Near Earth Asteroids; 7-9 June Golden Colorado School Of Mines To Host  SRR, PTMSS & LPI With PISCES Rob Kelso Discussing ISRU Construction – Lunar Launch/Landing Pad; Ames Research Center Holding Annual Lunar & Small Bodies Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2016) In Mountain View California 19 July; NASA SSERVI Topics To Include Missions & Human Exploration

Credit: SRR, PTMSS, LPI, NASA, SSERVI, PISCES

Wednesday / 4 May 2016

Posted on by

Discussions Continue With Renewed Energy At ‘New Views Of The Moon 2’ Lunar Workshops 24-26 May

USRA LPI Wrokshop

Workshop In Houston Texas Held By USRA / LPI Soliciting Lunar Community Support, Proposing New Ideas, Collaborating & Developing Writing Teams; Clive Neal (L) & Charles “Chip” Shearer (R) To Host Welcome Reception / Opening Remarks; Goal Of Updating The 2006 (New Views Of The Moon 1) Publication Is Instrumental In Providing Current / Relevant Data From Lunar Missions & Up-To-Date Earth-Based Observations; Paul Spudis To Speak On “Development Of The Moon”; Plenary & Oral Presentations, Workshop Sessions, Extensive Poster Session Part Of Event Covering Topics Including: Volatiles, Magmatic Evolution, Future Lunar Exploration & Commerce

Credit: LPI, USRA, University of Notre Dame, University of New Mexico

Friday / 29 April 2016

Posted on by

Value Of The Moon Considered by Paul Spudis in New Book

LED-4-28-16

Planetary Geologist Dr. Paul D. Spudis At Lunar And Planetary Institute (LPI) Continues Leading Advocacy For Moon Exploration, Development; The 272-Page Illustrated Hardcover Highlights Moon Enabling Science, Commerce, Security, Human Solar System Expansion; Plan Outlines Base At Lunar Pole, In Situ Water-Ice Utilization, Regions Of Near-Continuous Sunlight, Teleoperated-Robtic Infrastructure Development Prior To Crew Missions; US$88B Cost Estimate For Human Lunar Outpost Capability

Credit: LPI, Smithsonian Books.

Friday / 22 April 2016

Posted on by

LRO Providing Critical Information & Inspiration For New Wave Of Lunar Progress

LED-4-21-16

Flying 20 Km Over South Pole, 165k Km Over North Pole In Elliptical Orbit; LRO Providing Highest Resolution Data Ever, At A Rate Of ~440 Gigabits Image Data Per Day; Thomas R. Watters, LRO Co-Investigator And Senior Scientist At Smithsonian NASM, Notes The Narrow Angle Camera Instrument Alone Has Returned Well Over 1 Million Images, “More Digital Data Than Every Other Planetary Mission”; Resurgence Of Lunar Interest For National Space Agencies, Commercial Enterprises, Individuals Across The Globe

Credit: NASA.

Friday / 15 April 2016

Posted on by

2016 Lunar Conferences Head Into July Moon Landing Observation / Lunar High Tide 

Lunar Conferences 2016

 New Views Of The Moon 2 To Be Held At LPI / USRA, Houston TX 24-26 May, Covering New Data From Missions, Sample Analyses & Earth-Based Observations Of The Moon Made This Century; 2016 SRR/PTMSS At Colorado School Of Mines, Golden CO 7-9 June, Will Cover In-Situ Resource Utilization Of Lunar, Asteroid, Mars Resources; 3rd Annual Exploration Science Forum (ESF 2016) Hosted By SSERVI, NASA Ames, Mt View CA 20-22 July, Will Feature Scientific Discussions Of Human Exploration Of The Moon, NEAs, Moons Of Mars, Recent Mission Results & In-Depth Analyses Of Science & Exploration Studies

Credit: LPI, USRA, SRR/PTMSS, SSERVI, NASA

Friday / 8 April 2016

Posted on by

ISRO On Track To Launch Indigenous Chandrayaan-2 Three-Craft Mission To Moon Late 2017 / Early 2018

ISRO chandrayaan 2

Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, Rover To Be Launched Via GSLV-Mk 2 December 2017 Or Early 2018 To Observe / Perform Mineralogical & Elemental Studies Of Lunar Surface; Mission Allocated US$91 Million; 1,400-kg Orbiter With 5 Science Instruments Including Camera, 3 Spectrometers & Radar To Fly At 200-km Altitude; 20-kg Rover To Have 2 Spectroscopes & HD Video Camera; 1,250 kg Lander To Contain Ka-band Altimeter, HD Video Camera, Position & Hazard Detection / Avoidance Cameras; NASA May Provide Deep Space Network Communication Services

Credit: ISRO

Friday / 1 April 2016

Posted on by

Long-Term Observation From Moon Surface For Earth, Space, Weather Studies

Astronomy from the Moon 2016

 Guo Huadong Of CAS Proposing Series Of Sensors For Macro Phenomena On Earth / Global Changes, China Chang’e-3 Observing Galaxy With LUT From Stable Platform Of Moon Surface, Future Landers To Be Fitted With Similar & More Advanced Cameras; ILOA ILO-1 & ILO-X Being Developed To Study Galaxy Stars, Earth, Moon Local Environment From Unique Vantage Of Moon Surface; Upcoming European Lunar Symposium (18-19 May) Will Explore Astronomical, Astrophysical Topics & ‘Science From The Moon’

Credit: CEODE, CAS, NASA, SSERVI, ELS, NAOC, ILOA