Category Archives: Moonbase

Friday / 27 May 2016

Posted on by

Russia Lunar Reports: Nuclear-Powered Moon Base, Mission Cost Estimates, Moon Shuttle Service

Russia Moon 2016

Russia Overarching Plan To Put Humans On Moon By 2029 / Set Up Lunar Base 2030-2035 May Involve Inflatable Modules & Nuclear-Power According To Russian Academy Of Cosmonautics President Igor Barmin; Deputy President Of Energia Aleksandr Derechin States Mission To Moon Will Cost 10x More Than LEO With Mars Being 50x More; Energia Rep. Yuri Makushenko Details Reusable 4-Person Ryvok Craft (Launched By Angara A5 From Vostochny) Which Could Dock At ISS & Transport Crew, Cargo To Moon Surface

Credit: NASA, ROSCOSMOS, Architecture and Vision / A. Vittori, A. Vogler, D. Martini, R. Tchakerian

Wednesday / 25 May 2016

Posted on by

Moon In Focus As Lawmakers Push NASA Toward Lunar Landings, Reject Asteroid Redirect Mission

LED-5-24-16

Scientists, Engineers And Administrators At NASA Are Preparing For Tidal Shift As USA House Of Representatives Calls For Return To Moon To Refine Capabilities Including Landing, Ascent, Habitation, And Prospecting; Budget Committee Draft Bill Cites Moon Development As Best Strategy For Sustainable Future Mars Exploration; ‘The House’ Is A Legislative Body Made Up Of 434 Voting Members Elected To Represent Each State Proportionally To Its Population

Credit: House.gov, NASA

Friday / 20 May 2016

Posted on by

Human Missions To Moon, Mars Will Happen States Astronaut Alexander Gerst

Gerst ISS, Moon, Mars

To Be 1st German ISS Commander, Astronaut Gerst Says Society Needs To Be Ready / Decide On Human Missions To Other Celestial Bodies Beyond The ISS, And “We Are Ready To Go, Basically”; Acknowledges Great Value Of ISS Research, Resource Conservation, Human Space Studies Toward Establishing Moon & Mars Missions And Outposts; ISS Funding Through 2024 Still Being Decided By Europe, Which Has Proposed A Moon Village As Next Logical Step, Before Mars, Asteroids

Credit: ESA, Orbiter Forum / Carmen Felix, NASA

Wednesday / 11 May 2016

Posted on by

Europe Focuses On Lunar Exploration And Moon Village

4th European Lunar Symposium 18-19 May At The Dutch Royal Academy Of Arts And Sciences, Amsterdam (TR), The Netherlands Is Co-Organized By NASA SSERVI; Inaugural Lecture On LRO ‘Seven Years Exploring The Moon’; A “Moon Village” Workshop Occurs At Nearby ESTEC (BL) 19-20 May To Expand, Enhance And Refine This Primary Initiative Of ESA Director General Jan Woerner Who Is Determined To Help Establish A Permanent International Outpost At Moon As Next Major Step For Global Space Endeavor Beyond ISS

Credit: SSERVI, NASA, ESA, ESTEC

Friday / 29 April 2016

Posted on by

Value Of The Moon Considered by Paul Spudis in New Book

LED-4-28-16

Planetary Geologist Dr. Paul D. Spudis At Lunar And Planetary Institute (LPI) Continues Leading Advocacy For Moon Exploration, Development; The 272-Page Illustrated Hardcover Highlights Moon Enabling Science, Commerce, Security, Human Solar System Expansion; Plan Outlines Base At Lunar Pole, In Situ Water-Ice Utilization, Regions Of Near-Continuous Sunlight, Teleoperated-Robtic Infrastructure Development Prior To Crew Missions; US$88B Cost Estimate For Human Lunar Outpost Capability

Credit: LPI, Smithsonian Books.

Thursday / 17 December 2015

Posted on by

ESA ESTEC Moon 2020 Symposium Discusses Human Mission Possibilities With 3D Printing & Britain First ESA Astronaut Tim Peake At ISS

12172015Monolite Founder Enrico Dini (L) Discusses Challenges, Successes & Next Steps In 3D Printing Intended For The Lunar Surface To Develop A Moon Village; 3D Printing With Regolith Has Addressed Key Component To Avoid Freezing; Heating Regolith With Microwave Technology Is Currently Being Studied; Dini States That Technological Advancements Are Also Underway To Create Large Building Blocks (Pre-Cast) For Construction With Flexible Molds Using Lunar Regolith Agglomerate Polyurethane Foam; FAA Endorses Moon Village Concept Expressing An Interest In Supporting A Commercial Role; ESA Astronaut Tim Peake (R) Enters First Week At ISS Conducting Experiments That Could Aid Future Human Moon / Mars Missions

Credit: ESA, D-Shape, Foster + Partners, NASA

Wednesday / 4 November 2015

Posted on by

ESA ‘Lunarville’ Proposal Attracts Global Attention, Offers International Participation

11042015Human Lunar Missions With International Collaboration Priority Of (L-R) Johann-Dietrich Woerner, ESA Director Stating Desire To “Not Just Land On The Moon, But To Have A Permanent International Moon Station On The Far Side”; Far Side Site Valuable For Radio Astronomy; FAA Associate Administrator George Nield Impressed With ESA Comments / Moon Village Concept As It “Would Enable Countries To Participate” With Private Industries Playing An “Important Role”; Executive Mike Gold Reaffirms Bigelow Aerospace Position Of Supporting Long-Term Aspirations Of A Lunar Base; China Also Considering Crewed Lunar Missions; Energia Space Corp Head Vladimir Solntsev States Russia Desire To Put Humans On Moon By 2029

Credit: NASA, ESA, Foster + Partners, FAA, RSC

Thursday / 29 October 2015

Posted on by

Russia Focused On Luna-2015 Simulation & Proclaims Humans To Moon 2029

10292015RSC Energia Head Vladimir Solntsev (TL) Reveals Human “Lunar Landing Is Planned For 2029”; Spacecraft For Mission Currently Being Built In Moscow With Inaugural Flight Aiming For 2021, ISS Space Dock 2023, Un-Crewed Moon Mission 2025, Astronauts To Moon 2029; Luna-2015 Female-Only Crew Simulations Commence, Gathering Data With “Over 30 Experiments” As Stated By Crew Member Daria Komissarova (LC); Experiment Taking Place At Moscow Institute Of Medical-Biological Problems; Potential Collaboration Efforts Also Underway With ESA For Moon Settlement & Joint Lunar Station Prospectively With China

Credit: ESA, IMBP, RSC Energia

Thursday / 22 October 2015

Posted on by

Russia-Europe To Collaborate On Human Lunar Settlement At Late 2016 Meetings

10222015Moscow Space Research Institute Prof Igor Mitrofanov (TL) Asserts “We Have To Go To The Moon” Due To Commercial, Astronomical Observation & Utilization Of Lunar Resource Benefits; Meeting Of Ministers To Decide Europe Participation Late 2016; Russia Vostochny Cosmodrome For Lunar, Planetary, Human Missions Described As “Biggest & Most Ambitious Projects” By Pres Putin (TR); ESA Lunar Exploration Head, Bérengère Houdou (BL) States “Ambition To Have European Astronauts On The Moon” & Lead Scientist Dr. James Carpenter (BR) Notes Moon South Pole Unique Characteristics Includes Possible Water Ice For “Use As Rocket Fuel; Luna-25 Luna-Glob Lander Expected 2018 & Luna-Resurs 1 Lander Expected 2020

Credit: ESA, EPA/ Alexei Nikolsky, University of Bristol, IKI

Wednesday / 29 April 2015

Posted on by

Bigelow Developing Expandable Technology With Eye Towards Lunar Operations

BigelowCarswell

Expandable Habitats Pioneered By Bigelow Aerospace Could Facilitate Lunar Settlement More Quickly & Affordably Than Generally Believed; Bigelow Set To Launch BEAM Module – With 16 Cubic Meter Volume – To ISS Sep 2015; Larger BA 330 Modules To Follow Before Company Begins Enabling Individuals, Companies & Countries To Extend Human Activity To Moon Utilizing Its Habitat Systems; Basic Lunar Habitat Could Consist Of 3 BA 330s, 4 Propulsion Buses & 4 Docking Nodes

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Space Age Publishing Company