Wednesday / 16 April 2014

Russia Leaders Use Cosmonautics Day To Catalyze Moon Exploration Plans

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Russia Defense & Space Industry Deputy Minister Dmitry Rogozin Affirms Country’s Determination To Establish Permanent Operations On Moon; “Moon Is Not Intermediate Point In The [Space] Race, It Is A Separate, Even Self-Contained Goal;” Roscosmos Announces It Has Launched Project To Design Spacecraft Suitable For Human Moon Missions & Super-Heavy Carrier Rocket To Deliver It There; 3 Moon Missions Scheduled Later This Decade Beginning With Luna-25 To Moon South Pole In 2016

Image Credit: Phil Smith, Roscosmos

Thursday / 27 March 2014

Meteorite Impact Risk On Moon Greater Than Formerly Known

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Future Moon Settlements / Human Operations Should Be Underground, Rely On Robots For Majority Of Surface Activity To Protect From Meteorite Impacts Says Russia Astronomer Vladimir Surdin (R); Over 300 Impacts Recorded On Moon Since 2005; At LPSC, LROC PI Mark Robinson Details Data Of Secondary Impacts From Recent Lunar Impact, 248 Small Debris Impacts Found Up To 30km From Fresh 18m-Wide Crater, These Secondaries Could Pose More Threat To Surface Assets Than Primary Craters

Image Credit: NASA, Moscow State University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 March 2014

Scientists / Experts Expound Imminent Need & Means To Realize Human Moon Base

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Panel Of Experts: (L-R) Paul Spudis, Mike Gold, Haym Benaroya, Will Discuss Pressing Scientific, Technological & Economic Issues Involved In Human Moon Settlement, 25 March In Arlington VA, Hosted By Marshall Institute, TechAmerica; Gene Grush Publishes 5-Part Series Of Articles Outlining How USA Can Put Humans Back On The Moon Within The Decade; Stephen Hawking Warns Of Humanity’s Need For Plan B, Predicts Human Moon Base / Multi World Species Status Vital To Long-Term Survival

Image Credit: NASA, Rutgers University, Bigelow Aerospace, dailymail.co.uk

Tuesday / 11 March 2014

Moon-Based Space Elevator Key To Mining ProfitsLED031014

LiftPort Group Of Seattle, WA Urges LSEI (Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure) Placement For Soft-Landing Equipment / Human Transport; Advisor Charles Radley(L) Notes Lunar Elevator Tech Could Place Lunar Mining Costs On Par With Terrestrial For Some Commodities; Jerome Pearson(R), President Of Star, Inc., States Lunar Elevator Can Be Made Of Existing Composites / Moon Testing Would Not Endanger Satellites In Earth Orbit / In Place By 2025

Image Credit: LiftPort, ISDC, VK.com

Wednesday / 19 February 2014

Bigelow Trailblazing Path For Commercial Lunar Development

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Bigelow Aerospace Request To FAA Office Of Commercial Space Transportation Is Attempt To Start Discussion On Space / Lunar Property Rights Says Director Of DC Operations Mike Gold; Company Seeking Organic Zone Of Operation Around Future Lunar Habitat In Which No Other USA Entities Would Be Able To Enter; Robert Bigelow Says Moon Mining More Sensible Than Asteroid Harvesting; Commends NASA For Moving From COTS Model To SAA / BAA Customer Model To Support Commercial Space

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace

Friday / 14 February 2014

Space Frontier Foundation Welcomes
New Leadership, Developments

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New Generation Takes Over At SFF: NewSpace Entrepreneur Jeff Feige (R) To Be Chairman, Co-Founder Bob Werb Retires; Next Phase Of Development Should Revisit Past / Fundamental Vision = Open Space Frontier To Human Settlement As Rapidly As Possible With Return To The Moon; Space Settlement & Return To The Moon Projects Still Incomplete; Momentum Of Return To The Moon Conferences (1999-2005) Needs To Be Reestablished

Image Credit: SFF

Thursday / 9 January 2014

Veteran Canada Astronaut Calls For Cooperation With China Moon Program

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Canada Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Veteran Of 3 Spaceflights, Says International Efforts To Return To Moon Should Include Collaboration With As Many Spacefaring Nations As Possible; Cooperation With China Especially Important For Exploration / Development Of Moon As “Next Natural Waypoint Out To Space;” China Lunar Exploration Program Officials Confirm They Are Working On Human Moon Landing, Preparation For Lunar Base Construction  

Image Credit: Lauren Crawford, engadget.com

Tuesday / 24 December 2013

USA Return-To-Moon Advocacy Picks Up Momentum

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Chris McKay (T) Of NASA Ames Affirms That USA Should ‘Boldly Stay’ On The Moon To Maintain Space Leadership, Pave Way For Competent Multi-Planet Species Status; USA Rep Frank Wolf (R-VA) (C) Calls On President Obama To Hold Early-2014 White House Conference To Develop International Plan To Return Humans To Moon Within Next Decade; GWU Space Policy Institute Director Scott Pace (B) Notes Moon Offers Advantage Of Varying Levels Of Mission Complexity / Cost

Image Credit: NASA, usa.gov, George Washington University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 20-23 December 2013

Russia Officials Foresee International Competition For Lunar Resources

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Russia Academy Of Sciences VP Lev Zelyony (B) Predicts International Rivalry Over Control Of Lunar Poles In Mid 21st Century Similar To That Of Arctic Shelf – Citing Increasing Value Of Extraterrestrial Water, Rare-Earth Metals; Vladislav Shevchenko (C) Of Moscow State University Says Cooperation Would Be Better Than A Race; Russia Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin (T) Feels Country Should Focus On Building Human Outpost On Moon

Image Credit: Komsomolskaya Pravda, Rianovosti, msu.ru

Thursday / 14 November 2013

Bigelow Report: COTS Model & Property Rights Can Facilitate Lunar Base

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Report Prepared By Robert Bigelow Under NASA Space Act Agreement Recommends That NASA Pursue A Partnership With Industry To Develop Beyond LEO / Cislunar Space; Permanent, Semi-Commercial Lunar Base Achievable & Affordable In Next 10 Years; Private Companies / Individuals Would Need To Acquire Property Rights On Moon / Other Bodies If Plan Is To Be Viable; Bigelow Already Applying To FAA / AST For Review Of Lunar Property Rights Policy

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, NASA