Scientists Use Moon Mineralogy Mapper Data From Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Orbiter (R) To Make 1st Remote Detection Of Magmatic Water On Moon Surface; Significant Amounts Of Hydroxyl Discovered In 60-Km Wide Lunar Impact Crater Bullialdus (L) Near Equator Indicates Presence Of Water Which Originated Deep Within Lunar Surface; Data Provides Clues About Volcanic Processes & Internal Composition Of Moon
Image Credit: NASA, ISRO
To Be True Leaders / Pioneers In 21st Century Lunar Exploration Golden Spike Company May Focus On Ideal Destination For Enabling 1st Permanent Off-World Settlement: Moon South Pole; Plentiful Ice Water / Resources For ISRU In Permanently Shadowed Craters / Aitken Basin, Relatively Stable Temperature, Access To Near-Continuous Sunlight To Power Long-Duration Missions & Permanent Settlements; GSC Working To Achieve Commercial Human Moon Missions By End Of Decade
Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, NASA
Moon Express Agrees To Deliver The International Lunar Observatory To Malapert Mountain, Near Moon South Pole, NET 2016; ILO Will Consist Of A 2-Meter Dish To Conduct Radio Astronomy / Astrophysics, Galaxy 1st Light Imaging & Commercial Communications Including Broadcasting Space Calendar Weekly; Moon Express Intends To Conduct Prospecting Of Local Area To Identify Mineral Resources & Water For Future Mining Missions
Image Credit: ILOA, Moon Express
US Space Agency Seeks Concepts For Industry-Developed Robotic Lander To Support Independent And / Or NASA Lunar Surface Missions As Early As 2018; NASA Not Offering Funds, Solely Technical Expertise, Use Of Test Facilities, Hardware / Software; Interested In Landers Capable Of Delivering Payloads Of 30-100kg & 250-450kg Range; Missions Of Interest Include Prospecting Volatiles At Lunar Poles, Sample Return; 2018 Mission Still Well After China Chang’e-3, 4, 5 (Inset) & Possibly Chang’e-6 Moon Landers.
Image Credit: NASA, CNSA
Up To 25% Of Moon Impact Craters May Be Made Up Of Asteroid Remnants; Study Co-Authored By Jay Melosh Of Purdue University In Cooperation With Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Used Computer Models To Simulate Lunar Crater Formation; Quarter Of Moon Impacts Occur At Less Than 43,130km / hr, Not Fast Enough To Obliterate Asteroids; Findings Also Indicate Protobiological Earth Materials May Be Present On Lunar Surface
Image Credit: NASA, Purdue University
700+ Students From 50 Universities & 8 Countries Showcase Student-Built Lunar Excavator Robots (Lunabots) In LunArena At KSC Visitor Complex On May 20-24; Teams Must Mine 10kg Of Moon Regolith Simulant In 10 Mins, Consider Lunabot Weight, Dust Resistance, Use Of Bandwidth; Robert Mueller (B) Lead Senior Tech Of RASSOR Says Competition Is Significant Since It Can Help Get Humans Closer To Living Off Resources Which Already Exist In Space
Image Credit: NASA
Peter Kokh, In April 2013 Edition Of Moon Miners’ Manifesto, Notes PISCES Efforts To Develop Sustainable Basalt Concrete On Hawai`i Island As Example Of “Spin Up” Technology Development: Identifying Profitable Terrestrial Applications For Technologies Needed In Space / Moon To Spur Advancement Of Human Off-World Capabilities; MMM Seeking Ideas For Similar Technology Matches That Could Be Advanced By Private Enterprise
Image Credit: NASA, Moon Society, PISCES
Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Being Developed / Tested At NASA KSC; Team Estimates Robot Would Need To Work For 5 Years, 16 Hours Per Day To Mine Enough Regolith To Produce Useable Water / Oxygen From Extraction Device On The RASSOR Mission Lander; Current Prototype Is .75m Tall With Mining Drums Extended Above Body; Prototype Version 2 To Begin Testing 2014; Final Version Expected To Weigh About 45kg
Image Credit: NASA
With US$250M Budget Cap 2017 RESOLVE Mission Needs To Achieve Ambitious Goals Within Challenging Timeline; Unable To Afford Nuclear Power, Solar-Powered RESOLVE Will Be Limited To 5 Active Days On Lunar Pole To Accomplish Mission Goals: Search For Hydrogen, Drill 1 Meter, Analyze Sample, Heat To Extract Liquid Water, Demonstrate How Oxygen Can Be Pulled From Regolith & Mixed With Hydrogen To Produce Water, Help Determine Origin Of Lunar Water
Image Credit: NASA
2 Successful Americans Of India Origin Inspired By Dreams Of Going To Moon; US Astronaut Sunita Williams Says Her 1 Dream Yet To Come True Is To Go To Moon; Moon Express (ME) Chairman Naveen Jain Says Moon Will Play Vital Role In Future Of Earth’s Planetary Protection, Ideal Place To Study / Harvest Asteroids; First Task Of ME Is To Explore Moon Resource Hotspots With Robotic Explorers, Leading Way For 1st Permanent Human Outpost
Image Credit: NASA, Intelius