Category Archives: Lunar Science

Friday / 23 Aug 2019

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Planetary Scientists Support NASA Budget Request For Lunar Discovery And Exploration Program

76 Lunar And Planetary Science Community Members Sign Letter Supporting Lunar Discovery And Exploration Program Along With An Increased NASA FY2020 Budget Request; Scientists Point Out That Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program Provides Opportunities For Science Payloads; Signers Of Letter Include (L To R) Clive Neal Of Notre Dame University, Jeffrey Taylor From University Of Hawai’i, Jack Burns From University Of Colorado, Carle Pieters Of Brown University, Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, And Bob Richards Of Moon Express

Credits: Moon Express, Notre Dame University, University of Hawaii

Tuesday / 13 Aug 2019

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LEAG Meeting In Washington DC To Analyze Lunar Exploration Issues – Abstracts Due 14 Aug

Lunar Exploration Analysis Group To Hold Annual Meeting 28-30 Oct At Washington DC Hilton; LEAG Aids NASA On Issues Related To Lunar Exploration; Executive Committee Includes Clive Neal (L) Of University Of Notre Dame, Louise Prockter Of Lunar & Planetary Institute, And Noah Petro (R) Of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Team; Due Date For Poster Presentations Is 14 Aug; Meeting Is Supported By NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) In A Worldwide Collaboration

Credits: Hilton, Notre Dame, LPI, NASA, LEAG

Tuesday / 2 July 2019

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Buzz Aldrin Pivots Support Toward Moon Before Mars 

Buzz Aldrin, On Eve Of July Apollo 11 Observations, Says Stephen Hawking Convinced Him That Humans Should Return To Moon First; At Starmus V Festival In Zurich With Theme ‘A Giant Leap’ Aldrin Receives Stephen Hawking Medal For Lifetime Achievement, Recalls Visit To Cambridge UK And Late Physicist Tapping Out ‘Moon First’ On Computer; Aldrin Will Land In Luxembourg For USA Independence Day, Hopes That Costs Of Lunar Return Will Be Shared By International Partners

Credits: Starmus Festival, NASA

 

Tuesday / 14 May 2019

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European Lunar Symposium Draws NASA And International Scientists 

The 7th European Lunar Symposium Opens 21-23 May At Museum Of Science And Industry In Manchester UK; On Opening Day NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green (L) Will Talk About The Importance Of The Moon; Astronomer Tim O’Brien (R) Will Describe The 76-m Lovell Radio Telescope At Jodrell Bank And Its Historic Role Tracking Lunar Missions; On 23 May Emily Law Will Talk About Lunar Laser Retroreflectors; The Symposium Is Sponsored By ESA And The NASA-Created Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, A Worldwide Collaboration

Credits: NASA, Earth Science Information Partners, BBC

Thursday / 9 May 2019

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Korea Space Agency And NASA To Cooperate On Lunar Payloads And Science

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) And NASA Agree To Jointly Develop Lunar Payloads And Launch Exploration Science Working Group; Stephen Clarke Of NASA Signs Agreement In Gwacheon With Choi Won-Ho And Choi Young-Jun Of KASI; Korea Scientists Will Develop Three Types Of Payload For Nine Privately Developed NASA Lunar Landers Starting In 2020; Soyeon Yi (L) Is Only Korea National Astronaut So Far; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Planned For Dec 2020 Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9

Credits: NASA, Ministry of Science, Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Mar 2019

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Symposium On Going To Moon To Stay Opens Lunar And Planetary Science Conference 

The 50th Lunar And Planetary Science Conference Opens 18-22 March At The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Near Houston, Texas; The Conference Close To NASA Johnson Space Center Will Draw Scientists From Around The World; LPSC Will Be Preceded 16-17 Mar By Microsymposium Organized By Brown University And SSERVI On Going To The Moon To Stay; Participants Will Discuss Transformative Lunar Science With Commercial Partners; Presentations Will Be From 6 NASA-Selected Lunar Payload Services Providers Including Lockheed Martin And Moon Express, Along With SpaceX And SpaceIL

Credits: Marriott, Wikimedia, CNSA

Tuesday / 26 Feb 2019

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Lunar Scientific Payloads For Commercial Moon Landings Being Selected, Developed By NASA

 12 Demonstration Scientific Payloads Selected To Be Carried By Commercial Landers As Early As End Of 2019; Experiments Will Be Developed By NASA Facilities Including Ames Research Center And Johnson Space Center; Outside Proposals For Lunar Surface Instrument And Technology Payloads Have Due Date Of 27 February: Nine Companies Selected As Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Will Compete To Provide Delivery; NASA Plans Regular Landings Leading To Human Moon Missions By 2020s

Credits: NASA, Moon Express, Lockheed Martin

Friday / 11 Jan 2019

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Chang’e-4 International Science Operations Continue, Lander And Rover Prepare For First Lunar Night

China Chang’e-4 Moon Far Side Mission Comprised Of Lander, Yutu-2 Rover, Queqiao Relay Satellite And Longjiang-2 Microsatellite Operating Nominally With Confirmation Of International Payloads Functioning Including Germany Neutron Radiation Detector (LDN) On Lander, Sweden Neutral Atom Detector (ASAN) On Rover, Saudi Arabia Camera Aboard Longjiang-2; Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) On Queqiao To Begin Collecting Data In ~March After Primary CE-4 Mission Objectives Complete; First Lunar Night Begins 12 Jan, Rover To Lie Dormant While Limited Science Performed By Lander 

Credits: CNSA, CAS, NAOC, CCTV, Harbin Institute of Technology, ASTRON, Radboud Univ., Kiel University, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Xinhua, KACST

Friday / 30 Nov 2018

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First USA Private-Public Lunar Contracts Worth Up To US$2.6B To Enable ‘More Moon Missions, More Science’

NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Contracts Max Value US$2.6B Awarded To Astrobotic, Deep Space Systems, Draper, FireFly, Intuitive Machines, Lockheed Martin, Masten Space Systems, Moon Express, Orbit Beyond; “To Provide All Activities Necessary To Safely Integrate, Accommodate, Transport, And Operate NASA [Lunar] Payloads”; Hopes To Get To Lunar Surface “Fast” – As Early As Next Year, Launch 2 Payloads Per Year For Next 10, Starting With 10+ kg Cargo; Payloads Could Include Instruments From Lunar Resource Prospector, And Lunar Surface Instrument & Technology Payloads Proposed 19 Nov Advancing To Next Step 17 Jan 2019

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (L) and Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen; Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 27 Nov 2018

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Chang’e-4 Science Teams And Chandrayaan-2 Testing Over Analog Site

China Establishes Science Teams For Chang’e-4 Lunar Mission; Four Research Groups Devoted To Data Processing, Geological Background, Lunar Surface Morphology, And Low-Frequency Radio Environment; Launch Of Chang’e-4 Planned For 8 December, To Land In Von Karman Crater At 47° South Latitude On Lunar Farside 30-31 Dec; India Chandrayaan-2 Launch Moved To 31 Jan, Planned As First Landing In South Polar Region At 70° South Latitude; Chandrayaan-2 Sensors Being Tested In Aircraft Flying Over Analog Site: “Science City” Of Challakere In Karnataka State Hosts ISRO Research Center

Credits: CNSA, ISRO