Category Archives: Moonbase

Tuesday / 23 October 2012

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Canada Unveils Lunar Exploration Robotic Rovers

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Announces New Fleet Of Rovers Developed Under Exploration Science Mobility Project; Lunar Exploration Light Rover Mobile Lunar Lab With Sample Scoop Is Largest & Fastest / Upgradeable For Human Transport; Kapvik Micro-Rover Aids Humans By Doing Light Labor; 40 Academic / Industry Organizations Collaborating; Industry Minister Christian Paradis Notes Continuation of Canadarm / Dextre Legacy

Image Credit: CSA, Industry Canada, Carleton University

Wednesday / 26 September 2012

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USA Campaign 2012: Implications For Space Program

Romney / Ryan Space Plan Calls For Setting Clear Goals For NASA, International Cooperation, Support Of Commercial Space, Strengthening Security; Industry Leaders Fear Another Change Of Direction / Cancellation Of Programs, Critics Point To Similarities To Obama Administration Space Policy, Lack Of Bold Plan: Strong Focus On Human Moon Missions / Base Should Be Central Priority For NASA / USA Global Leadership In Space

Image Credit: NASA, floridatoday.com

Lunar Enterprise Daily Will Return NLT 6 November 2012

Tuesday / 25 September 2012

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Next Major NASA Mission: Outpost Beyond Moon

‘Gateway Spacecraft’ Would Hover 445,000km From Earth At Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange Point, Support Small Crew, Serve As Staging Area For Future Moon & Mars Missions; NASA To Use Orion MPCV / SLS Rocket For Transportation, Leftover Parts Of ISS For Construction; Funding & Radiation Risks Remain Issues; Some See More Value In Human-Tended Lunar Base

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 19 September 2012

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Lunar Supercomputer

Ouliang Chang Of USC Viterbi School Of Engineering Outlines Plan For Deployment Of Supercomputer & Accompanying Radio Dishes On Moon To Ease Load On Terrestrial Mission Control, Provide Computational Power For 1st Phase Of Lunar Industrial / Settlement Development; Polar Location To Avoid Drastic Temperature Swings, Access To Water Ice For Cooling; Dishes Could Also Be Used For Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry   

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 14-17 Sep 2012

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Lunar COTS Program Proposed

Lunar COTS Petition Founded By Doug Plata Gaining Momentum As NASA Commercial Crew & Cargo Program Manager Alan Lindenmoyer (L) Suggests Using Successful COTS Model Elsewhere In NASA; Lunar COTS Would Establish Programs To Support Commercial Cis-lunar Transportation Service, Lunar Surface Operations, Harvesting Lunar Polar Ice, Orbital Propellant & Servicing Depots, Initial Crewed Lunar Base 

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 14 September 2012

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USA Going Back To The Moon

Lori Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator, Confirms Ambitious USA Plans To Return To Moon During Speech At AIAA Conference In Pasadena, CA; Uncrewed Mission Scheduled For 2017, Human Orbital Mission By 2021; NASA Report To US Congress Outlines Plan For “Nearly Self-Sustaining Surface Habitat” On Moon For Long-Duration Astronaut Missions, Capable Of Extracting Oxygen, Water, Silicon, Etc In Situ  

Image Credit: NASA, Stephan Wlodarczyk

Wednesday / 12 September 2012

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Russia Officials Talking MoonBase Plans

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin Says Russia Should Set ‘Super Goal’ Of Building Large Base On Moon To Refocus Space Industry; Base Could Facilitate Leaps Of Science & Future Deep Space Projects; Possible Collaboration With USA / ESA; Moon Is Seen As Logical Next Step For Russia Exploration As Mars Is “Too Far And Too Expensive”

Image Credit: Roscosmos, wn.com

Wednesday / 22 August 2012

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New Lunar Soil Concept Advancing At UCSD

UC Structural Engineer Yu Qiao Receives US$135,000 Award From NASA To Continue Research On ‘Lunar Cement’;  Qiao & Team Developed Polymer Intercalation / Exfoliation (PIE) Cements That Mix Organic Nanointerphases (Prepared On & Transported From Earth) With Lunar Regolith; Processing Is Water Free, Straightforward, Great Potential In Building Large-Scale Structures On Moon

Image Credit: Contour Crafting, ucsd.edu

Thursday / 16 August 2012

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Museum Of Science & Innovation Chicago Hosting Lunar Exhibit

Life In Space? Exhibit Presents Prototypes Of How Lunar Settlers May Grow Food On Moon; Designed By Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC), 5.5m X 2m Cylindrical Structure Has Potential To Provide Half The Daily Amount Of Food For Single Person To Survive; CEAC Has Successfully Tested Greenhouses At Earth South Pole; Lunar Greenhouse At MSI Chicago Through Jan 2013

Image Credit: CEAC, MSI Chicago, NASA

Tuesday / 19 June 2012

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Japan Advancing Plans For Lunar Base

JAXA Sees Moon As Next Destination For Human Exploration; Associate Executive Director Yuichi Yamaura Confirms Japan’s Lunar Aspirations At Recent GLEX 2012 Conference; Japan Previously Released Plan For US$2.2B Robotic Base Near Moon South Pole By 2020 As Precursor To Human Habitation; JAXA Has Plans For Polar Lander, In-Situ Lunar Orientation Measurement (ILOM), Equiped With 20cm Optical Telescope

Image Credit: JAXA