Wednesday / 2 December 2015

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Delivering Four Billion Measurements And Counting

1222015In Year 7, LRO Continues To Provide Information Useful For Decades Of Future Human Exploration; LRO Deputy PI Benjamin Greenhagen Comments “We Honor The Moon As A Global Scientific Legacy”; Data Reveals 5 Key Lessons According To B. Dorminey (Forbes Article): Recent Volcanic Activity Confirmed By Interior Temperature & Cooling Implies Moon Is Likely Still Tectonically Active; Lunar Surface Shows Extreme Temperature Variations Of –247 °C In Permanently Shadowed Regions To +123 °C In Areas Exposed To Up To 243 Consecutive Days Of Sunlight; Moon May Hold Water / Other Volatiles Useful For Life-Support As Well As Other Resource Utilization Potentials; Moon South Pole Aitken Basin Offers Potential Samples Of Lunar Rock Originating From Interior Mantle; LRO Radiation Measurements Could Help Minimize Future Human Moon & Deep Space Exploration Hazards

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, LRO, LPI

Wednesday / 18 November 2015

Astrobotic Signs MoU With Germany DLR For Lunar Payload Commercial Partnership

11182015DLR MoU To Explore Concepts For Possible Payload On Astrobotic Lunar Lander; Dr. Gerd Gruppe (L) Of German Space Agency DLR Executive Board States “Astrobotic Is A Representative Of The New Space Economy”; DLR Research & Development Work In Aeronautics, Space, Energy, Transport Will Be Supported By Astrobotic Delivery Service; “This Collaboration With DLR Underscores The Strong Interest Of Government Space Agencies Across The Globe In Growing Commercial Partnership To Fly To The Moon” States Astrobotic CEO John Thornton (R)

Credit: Astrobotic, DLR

Friday / 13 November 2015

Japan Proposing Moon Lander 2018-19,
Human Support Technologies ~2030

SLIM, JAXA Robot ISRU

JAXA Designing Smart Lander For Investigating Moon (SLIM) Mission, Hoping To Secure Funding Fiscal Year 2016 To Begin Developing Craft With Capability To Land Within 100 Meters Of Target; Would Launch Fiscal Year 2018 (Apr 2018 – Apr 2019) & Help Prepare For SELENE-2 & Human Missions; JAXA Prof Hitoshi Kuninaka Putting Together Plan For Robotic Technologies (Including Automobiles, ISRU) To Support Human Moon Bases ~2030, Mars Bases ~2040; Will Create Moon Analog Test Site At Sagamihara JAXA Campus

Credit: JAXA

Thursday / 5 November 2015

Moonspike May Continue Efforts To Reach Moon, Other Private Ventures Advancing

11052015US$122K Raised From Over 1,000 Supporters Fell Short Of Crowdfunding Goals For Moonspike Spacecraft & Rocket To Crash-Land On The Lunar Surface;  Moonspike Founder Chris Larmour States “We Are Going To Spend Some Time Reviewing Our Options”; Britain Commercial Lunar Mission One Raised Over US$1.3M & Planning To Land Probe On Moon Surface & Drill 20-100 Meters For Samples To Return To Earth By 2024; Israel SpaceIL GLXP Team Set a US$240K Campaign Goal – One Dollar For Every Mile To The Moon, Team Secured Launch Services With Spaceflight Industries To Launch NLT 2017

Credit: Moonspike, Lunar Mission Ltd., SpaceIL

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Oct – 2 Nov 2015

Prolific Accumulation Of LRO Data To Aid Science, Enhance Culture & Guide Future Exploration

LED-10-30-15

LRO In Elliptical Orbit Flying Just 20km Above South Pole, Area Of Very High Interest; Immense Data Resources Include Satellite Tool Kit Real-Time Visualization Display System, ACT-React QuickMap, CRaTER Live Sonification Design Project; Solar Powered Spacecraft Preparing For Next Eclipse 23 Mar 2016, After Successfully Navigating 3 Over Last 1.5 Years; Deputy Project Scientist Noah Petro Describes Eclipse Challenges: Loss Of Photo-Voltaic Power Generation, Temperature Drop Of Nearly 138°C In Only Minutes

Credit: NASA / GSFC

Friday / 30 October 2015

China Planning Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return & 1st Ever Landing On Far Side With Chang’e-4

Chang'e Program

Chang’e-5 Being Developed For 2017 Mission While 5-T1 Test Service Module Remains In Lunar Orbit Gathering Data On Landing Sites & Rendezvous Procedures; Chang’e-4 Lander & Rover With Numerous Advanced Instruments To Launch Before 2020 To Far Side, With Relay Orbiter Launched ~2018 To L2; Chang’e-3 At 44.12°N 19.51°W In Lunar Day 24 Successfully Operating 1st Robotic Telescope On Moon; Zou Yongliao From Chinese Academy Of Sciences States “If We Can Place A Frequency Spectrograph On The Far Side, We Can Fill A Void [In Astronomy With Chang’e-4]”

Credit: Xinhua, CNSA, CSA, CCTV, China Space Website

Tuesday / 27 October 2015

USGS Lunar Maps Using LRO Reveal Data ‘Contrary To Conventional Wisdom’

10272015Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Providing Mosiac Map With Data From Wide Angle Camera & Topographic Data With Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA); Dr. Mark Robinson, ASU Professor & LRO Camera PI States “Images From The LRO Camera Have Greatly Advanced Our Knowledge Of The Moon” & Images Reveal Volcanic Activity Younger Than Previously Thought; LOLA Gathering Topographic Data; Co-Investigator Dr. Erwan Mazarico Comments “The LOLA Data Are A Foundational Dataset To Be Used In Multiple Types Of Studies For Years To Come”; Maps Indicate Elevation Areas – Highest Point Near Engel’gradt Crater (200° E Longitude, +6° Latitude) & Lowest Area Within Moon South Pole-Aitken Basin Near 188° E Longitude, -70° Latitude

Credit: USGS/NASA/ASU

Tuesday / 20 October 2015

LEAG 20-22 October Focus On Moon Utilization For Sustained Human Space-Faring Capabilities

10202015Public & Private Sector To Discuss Common Goals Of Lunar Exploration, Apply Results Of Recent / Ongoing Missions Toward Future Exploration, Provide A Community Forum At 2015 LEAG In Columbia MD; Along With Various Information Sessions, ESA Will Offer Update On Current Lunar Exploration Activities & Plans With International Partnerships; Rob Kelso Of PISCES To Brief On PISCES-NASA “Additive Construction With Mobile Emplacement (ACME)” Project Demonstrating Technologies Associated With Planetary Robotic Construction Using Basalt; Final Day Includes In Situ Resource Utilization Session About Key Factors For Sustainable Human Spaceflight Programs

Credit: LEAG, UH Hilo, PISCES, ESA

Friday / 16 October 2015

China Makes Public 18-Month Performance Survey Of Chang’e-3 LUT Operating On Moon Surface

Chang'e-3 18 month survey

First Robotic Telescope Working On Moon Acquiring ~10,000 Images Per Month, Displaying Highly Stable Photometric Performance During 51-Run Observation Of 17 IUE Standard Stars (Used For Calibration); Continuously Monitoring Bright Variable Stars, Performing Sky Survey At Low Galactic Latitude; Exceeding Planned Lifetime (Now In Lunar Night 23), Mission Providing Data For NextGen Telescopes; Paper Published in Astrophysics and Space Science Gains International Attention For China Accomplishments / Science, Establishing Astronomy From The Moon; Chang’e-3 LUT Mission Awaits Official 2016 Extension

Credit: CAS, NAOC, CNSA, CCTV, ILOA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 October 2015

New Worlds 2015 To Discuss Settling Moon, Mars & Free Space

10102015Inaugural Space Conference 16-17 Oct With Ted-Style Presentations Named ‘Star Talks’ To Cover Space Exploration Before 1900, Life Extension, Lewis & Clark In Space, Space Medicine; Lunar Sessions Will Discuss New Plans For Human Moon Missions & Lunar Bases; NWI Chairman & Co-Founder Of Space Frontier Foundation Rick Tumlinson Serving As Conference Host States NWI “Goal Is To Plant The Seeds Of A New And Dynamic Space Culture”; Cities In Space Competition For Students Grades 5-12 Held In Conjunction To Create Displays Of Planetary Settlements On Moon, Mars, Free Space With Winning Presentations Exhibited At Conference

Credit: New Worlds Institute, NASA, ESA