Category Archives: Lunar Science

Friday / 19 June 2015

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LADEE Data Indicate Permanent Asymmetrical Dust Cloud Around Moon LADEE

Moon May Have Permanent Cloud Layer Formed By High-Speed Comet Dust Particles On Eccentric Orbits According To University Of Colorado Study Of NASA LADEE Mission Which Recorded 140,000 Impacts Over 80 Days; Lead Author Mihaly Horányi States Moon May Have 120kg Of Dust In Atmosphere At Any Given Time, Other Bodies With Thin Atmosphere Expected To Have Same Phenomenon; Evidence Also Recorded From Apollo Astronaut Observations From Surface & Of Lunar Terminator

Credit: NASA, University of Colorado – Boulder

Friday / 12 June 2015

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Lunar Terminator Distilleries May
Provide Water Supply

LRO Moon Terminator

LRO Data Study Conducted By Tim Livengood (Top) & Team From NASA GSFC States Frost Buildup At Lunar Terminator May Be ~1/5 MM Thick Yielding 190 ML Of H2O Per Square Meter Each Lunar Day – Much Less Than Quantities At Lunar Poles But Advanced Technologies Could Produce Continuous Water Supply; Andrew Jordan From Univ Of New Hampshire Says LRO Measurements Could Also Indicate Hydrogen Is Leaking From Local Sources

Image Credit: NASA, Univ of New Hampshire

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 5-8 June 2015

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International Lunar Scientists Meet In Kazan, Russia At IAPS 2015

IAPSKazan0615

International Association Of Planetary Sciences Forum Underway In Kazan, Russia; Leading Scientists From Russia, China, Japan, USA, Europe & Australia Are Discussing Timely Topics In Lunar & Planetary Science While Reviewing / Previewing Recent / Planned Missions Including Chang’e (3,4,5,6), Luna Glob, Luna Resource, GRAIL, LRO, European Lunar Lander, Selene-2; Event Also Includes 2nd International Chang’e Lunar Dynamics Workshop & 9th Russia-Japan Space Workshop

Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CNSA, kpfu.ru

Friday / 29 May 2015

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India SRM University Preparing For
2018 Moon Satellite Mission

India Moon Satellite

Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) University Of Chennai, India To Develop 10-20kg Nanosatellite To Study Moon Rocks & Chemistry Of Surface; Craft Will Contain Onboard Ignition System, Take 3 Months To Achieve Lunar Orbit From Earth Polar Orbit After Piggybacking On ISRO Rocket Launch; 1st SRM Satellite “SRMSat” Continues Operating In LEO, Team Also Participating In University Rover Challenge 28-30 May In Utah, USA

Image Credit: SRM University, SRMSat, ISRO, NASA

Wednesday / 27 May 2015

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Lunar Initiatives Newsletter LunarCube Mission Opportunities, Upcoming Events

LunarInitiatives

Deep Space CubeSat Missions – Including LunarCubes – Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Elements In Space Exploration, The Lunar Initiatives / Workshops Continue To Organize Events To Support The Growth Of This Field; Its Latest Newsletter Includes Updates Of Upcoming LunarCubes Workshop On 6-9 Oct In San Jose CA, The 2nd International Workshop On Scientific Opportunities In Cislunar Space On 8 Nov, & News From Recent LSA 5 Workshop

Image Credit: lunar-cubes.com, Flexure Engineering

Thursday / 21 May 2015

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ISDC 2015 Focusing On Breakthrough Technologies For Lunar / Space Exploration

ISDC2015

Over 1,000 Attendees Meeting At NSS International Space Development Conference In Toronto, Canada 20-24 May; Robert Richards Of Moon Express To Speak Today On ‘Breakthrough Technologies Shaping Our Future’; Friday To Feature Presentations On The International Lunar Decade By Dave Dunlop & Vid Beldavs, Plus A Keynote Presentation By Apollo 11 Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin; Lunar Workshop To Include Presentations On Lunar Surface Solar Power / Power Beaming, Supporting A Cislunar Econosphere, Mapping Lunar Lava Tubes

Image Credit: National Space Society, Canadian Space Commerce Association, Moon Express, LinkedIn

Tuesday / 19 May 2015

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Moon Express To Deploy Lunar Laser Ranging Array On Moon

MEDCurrie

4-Mission Agreement Signed With National Laboratories Of Frascati (Italy) & University Of Maryland To Deliver Series Of Laser Range Finding Arrays On Moon Surface; Total Cost Of Agreement Is US$24M, Half Of Which Will Be Paid By Moon Express; Payload Will Continue Successful Experiment Deployed By Apollo 11, 14 & 15 Astronauts, Allowing Scientists Such As Doug Currie (L) Of UMD To Test General Relativity & Advance Understanding Of Gravity

Pictured (R): Bob Richards, Co-Founder Of Moon Express

Image Credit: Moon Express, NASA

Friday / 15 May 2015

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Honeybee To Develop Lunar Heat Flow Probe & Craft For ISRU / Space Exploration Honeybee CubeSats Lunar Probe

Honeybee Robotics Of Brooklyn NY Receiving NASA Small Business Phase 1 Contracts Worth Up To US$125K Each To Design: Advanced Lunar Probe (Similar To Apollo 15 & 17 Instrument) For Measuring Moon Endogenic Heat Flow, Thermal Gradient & Conductivity; 3D-Printed Harvester CubeSat With Cold-Gas Thrusters Which Can Continue To Refuel Itself For ‘Eternal’ Moon / Asteroid / Mars / Europa Missions; ISRU Volatiles Extractor For Moon / Mars / Asteroids; Hermetically-Sealed Canisters For Sample Return Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Honeybee, ESA / The Science Office Ltd.

Thursday / 7 May 2015

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Radiation Environment May Alter Lunar Regolith

UNHcrater0515

Researchers From UNH & NASA Goddard Publish Study Detailing How ‘Sparking’ May Affect Lunar Regolith In Permanently Shadowed Craters; High-Energy Particles From Large Solar Storms Or Cosmic Rays Buildup Electric Charges Faster Than Regolith Can Dissipate Them, Particularly In -240°C Permanently Shadowed Polar Craters, Regolith Then Disintegrates Into Smaller Particles Of Distinct Materials; Researchers Used LRO CRaTER Instrument & Custom Computer Model; Team Will Now Utilize LRO Instruments At New Lower Orbit To Find Evidence For Sparking

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Wednesday / 6 May 2015

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LRO Taking Closer Look At Moon South Pole

LROsouthPoleorbit0515

Orbit Of NASA Lunar Orbiter Lowered To Within 20km Of Lunar South Pole, Closest The Craft Has Been To Moon; New Orbit Enables Improved  Measurements Of South Pole Areas With Unique Illumination Conditions – Permanently Shadowed Craters (e.g. Cabeus), Peaks Of Eternal Light (e.g. Malapert); LOLA & Diviner Instruments Will Now Produce Better Signal / Higher Resolution Data; Maneuver Indicates Continued Interest In Moon South Pole Exploration Within NASA

Image Credit: NASA