Category Archives: NASA

Thursday / 31 July 2014

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SLS Maiden Voyage To Deliver Cubesats To Moon

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11 Cubesats Will Be Delivered To Cislunar Space On First Uncrewed Mission Of SLS Rocket / Orion Capsule In Late 2017; 3 Missions Have Already Been Selected Including Lunar Flashlight; Led By Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC; Mission Will Utilize 80m² Solar Sail To Navigate Into A Highly Elliptical Lunar Polar Orbit That Passes Near Moon South Pole, Solar Sail Will Then Be Redirected To Shine 50kW Of Sunlight Into Shaded Craters While On-Board Spectrometer Measures Surface Reflection & Composition; Data Will Identify Sites With Ample Volatiles Near Surface Ideal For More Expansive Lander / Rover / Human Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Rob Staehle

Friday / 25 July 2014

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ILOA July Meeting Marks Mid-Point For SpaceWeek 2014 In Silicon Valley

ILOA BoD 2014-2015 SV CA

The International Lunar Observatory Association, Based In Hawai`i, Held Its 3rd Board Of Directors Meeting Of 2014 In Mountain View CA, 23 July The Day Before The Space Frontier Foundation NewSpace 2014 Conference & Immediately Following The NASA Solar System Exploration Science Forum; Anticipating A New Lunar / Culture Renaissance In The N Cal / San Francisco Bay Area Similar To That Of The 1960s & ‘70s, ILOA Expects Its 2015 Silicon Valley Board Meeting Again To Overview & Advance Its 4 Moon Missions & Its Galaxy Forum Program For 21st Century Education & Fundraising

Image Credit: ILOA, Canadesys Aerospace Corp., Moon Express Inc., Charles O’Rear

Thursday / 24 July 2014

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White House Commemorates First Moon Landing

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President Obama Received Apollo 11 Crew, Including Widow Of Neil Armstrong, At White House; Media Upset At Being Shut Out Of Meeting, Speculation That Administration Wanted To Avoid Coverage Of Armstrong Family Critique Of Obama Space Policy & Lack Of Moon Vision / Plan; Space Advocates & Policy Experts Note That USA Is Only Space Power Ignoring The Value Of Human Moon Exploration & Development; Next Wave Of Lunar Explorers Will Be Doing More Than Attaining Bragging Rights, They Will Tap Moon Resources, Establish Political / Social Paradigm Of Moon

Image Credit: Whitehouse.gov

Wednesday / 23 July 2014

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SSERVI Maintaining Strong Lunar Focus

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Day 3 At SSERVI NASA Exploration Science Forum To Feature Presentations On Human Exploration & Destination Drivers; (Pictured: L-R) Anthony Colaprete Will Preview Resource Prospector Mission To Lunar Pole; Paul Spudis To Discuss The Moon As An Enabling Asset For Spaceflight; Mark Robinson Demonstrates How LRO Data Could Support Human Lunar Exploration; Ben Bussey Overviews Illumination Conditions On Moon North Pole; Clive Neal Explains Why Lunar Exploration Should Not Be Ignored

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 22 July 2014

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SSERVI Exploration Science Forum 2014 Kicks Off Space Week

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Around 250 Experts In Planetary Science & Engineering Meeting At NASA Ames To Advance Scientific & Human Exploration Of Solar System; SSERVI Currently Composed Of 9 Teams From 7 States, Along With 7 International Partners, Totaling 243 Investigators / Collaborators Addressing Important Questions And Engineering Challenges For Upcoming Deep Space Missions; Day 1 Focus On Mission Updates, Day 2: Volatiles & Geology, Day 3: Human Exploration / Destination Drivers & Regolith / Dust; Pictured: SSERVI Director Yvonne Pendleton

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 July 2014

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Apollo 11 Moonworker Urges USA Space Program To Confront The Future

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Upon 45th Commemoration Of Historic Mission, Buzz Aldrin – Member Of First Crew To Visit Lunar Surface – Says Space Enthusiasts Need To Look Forward Rather Than Simply Reveling In “Taking Rear-View Mirror Looks At Apollo 11”; Sees Permanent Human Settlement On Mars As Kennedyesque Goal To Pursue, Acknowledges Importance Of Advancing Human & Robotic Moon Missions Through International Partnerships With China & Other Space Powers, Along With Commercial Enterprise Lunar Development; South Pole Moon Promising New Frontier For Human Exploration & Settlement

Image Credit: NASA

Friday / 18 July 2014

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GLXP & NASA Focus On Moon Education, Exploration Initiatives

GLXP & NASA Education, Exploration

“Exploring Apollo Now” Google Lunar XPrize Team Hangout Q+A Hosted 22 July By Astronomer Pamela Gay Will Feature Team Stellar & GLXP Competition Judge Derek Webber; 20 July NASA ARC “Lunar and Small Bodies Graduate Conference” To Be Followed By “Next Generation Lunar Scientists & Engineers Workshop”; Morpheus Lander Planning Meetings Continue, May Fly Again Pending FY15 Funding; Astrobotic, Moon Express, Masten Working With NASA Under Lunar CATALYST Partnership Opportunity

Image Credit: GLXP, Team Stellar, NASA

Tuesday / 15 July 2014

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Buzz Aldrin Asks President To Appoint Lunar Ambassadors

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Stepping Up USA Space Policy Advocacy In Preparation For 45th (& 50th) Commemoration Of Apollo 11, Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Expounds Upon His Concern For America Losing Pace With Other Space Powers & Space Policy Lack Of Direction, Resources, Architecture; Calls Upon President Obama To Appoint Apollo Veterans As Lunar Ambassadors To Ensure Successes Of The Past Are Not Forgotten & Future Will Include Equally Revolutionary Accomplishments As USA / Human Species Is Established As Multi World Species

Image Credit: NASA, ESA

Friday / 11 July 2014

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Benefits Of Moon First Strategy

Moon Resources

Space / Moon Experts Urge NASA To Refocus On Moon First Exploration Path: Astronaut Clayton Anderson (TL) Says Humans Should Learn To Live On Moon Before Greater Challenge Of Mars; Larry Kellogg (TR), With Input From Dr. David Schrunk (B), Writes About Apollo Inspiring Next Generation, ‘Infinite’ Resources (Lunar Regolith, Harvestable NEAs), Energy (Sunlight, H2O, Helium-3), Access To Asteroid Belt / Solar System, Potential To Create Earth-Like Environments In Moon Lava Tubes

Image Credit: NASA, Larry Kellogg, ISRO, JAXA /NHK, lifeboat.com

Wednesday / 9 July 2014

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Buzz Aldrin Outlines Goals / Benefits Of Human Spaceflight

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Just Weeks Before World Observes 45th Anniversary Of First Human Moon Landing, 2nd Man On Moon Buzz Aldrin Steps Up Advocacy Of Human Space Travel; Proposes 4 Goals: Stronger USA-China Space Relations, Lunar Exploration, Asteroid / Mars Exploration, Settling Mars; Says 45th Observance Is Just 5-Year Lead Up To 50th Which Many Plan To Make Into A Big Event, Reflecting On All The Benefits That Come From Lunar Exploration & Human Space Travel

Image Credit: NASA