Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin Endorses Comments Made By Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin / International Leaders At GLEX: Human Return To Moon Is Humanity’s “Next Outward Step…The Path To Which We Will Return”; Paul Spudis Asserts That World Sees Moon As “The Enabling Asset” To Build Permanent, Lasting Space Faring Capability; Ian Crawford Outlines Scientific Case For Lunar Exploration
Image Credit: NASA, Lifeboat Foundation
66 Undergraduate & Graduate School Teams From Around The World Will Compete In 3rd Annual NASA Lunabotics Competition 21-27 May At Kennedy Space Center; Teams WIll Have 10 Minutes To Maneuver Through Obstacle Course Of Lunar Regolith Simulant, Collect As Much Regolith As Possible; NASA Awarding Bonus Points For Autonomous Robots; Lunar Mining / ISRU Critical For Development Of Lunar Outpost
Image Credit: NASA, tuscaloosanews.com
Preeminent Space Advocate Rick Tumlinson Says Human Space Development & Solar System Settlement Must Be Shared Goal / Direction Of USA Space Program; Enabled By Infrastructure, Ingenuity & Economic Drive Of Commercial Space; Country Must Harness Space Agency, Industrial Base, New Generation All In Need Of Purpose
Image Credit: distantgalaxy.com, NASA, SFF
Image Credit: British Antarctic Survey, Amundsen
Moon Miners’ Manifesto #254, April 2012 Edition Expounds The Value Of Learning From Earth South Pole Development In Preparation For Lunar Habitation; Cooperative Spirit & Plan / Philosophy Of Sharing Resources, Facilities, Equipment Is Ideal For Future International Moon Settlement; Model Could Be Refined Through Antarctica Lunar Research Park; Importance Of Sports In Antarctica & Moon
Image Credit: scoopit.com, disinfo.com, nypost.com
“NASA Has No Vision Of Establishing Colony On Moon”, But Countless Commercial Enterprises Do, Says NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; Proposal Of Rand Simberg (BR) For US Courts & Agencies To Recognize Private Claims On Moon, Mars & Asteroids Could Be Effective Motivator For Private Investment In Space Development; Simberg Presenting His White Paper Today On Capitol Hill, Washington DC
Image Credit: ESA, IAC
ESA Lunar Lander Mission ‘MoonNext’ Will Be Prominent Focus When Europe (Naples, Italy) Hosts IAC On 1-5 Oct 2012; Scheduled To Launch Aboard Ariane 5 Rocket From Kourou, French Guiana In 2018; Destined For Moon South Pole, Mission To Demonstrate Hazard Avoidance Technology, Characterize Location For Potential Human Outpost; Landing Mass Of Craft Between 650-800kg
Image Credit: Air & Space, CNET
Lunar Exploration A Top Priority As Japan Confirms Plan For Space Program; 2015 SELENE-2 Short-Term Lunar Lander Mission, 2020 SELENE-X Robotics Long-Term Exploration / Sample Return Mission To Begin Assemblage Of Base At Moon South Pole Region; Development Of Human Transport Systems By 2020
Image Credit: Phil Smith, Roscosmos, en.rian.ru
Russia Shifting Focus Of Space Program To Human Moon Missions By 2020, Fully-Functioning Lunar Base Complete With Astronomy Lab By 2030, Says Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin; Cosmonauts Selected In Recruitment Drive Will Be Trained For Lunar Mission; Polar Destinations Likely As Russia Seeks To Rekindle Lunar Program After 40+Year Hiatus