The USA Independence Revolution In The 21st Century Will Continue To The Stars, For Freedom And Equality, Life, Liberty, Happiness, And Prosperity; Many Americans, Independent Of Republicans And Democrats, Will Support A USA Space Agency Funded At Parity With, Or Greater Than, The US Dept of Defense – For Peaceful Human Exploration And Development Of Solar System Worlds And Resources, Including The Moon And Mars
Image Credit: NASA, pdxmim.com
Grade 6-9 Science Teachers Will Meet At NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 14-18 July To Learn Latest Discoveries In Lunar Science From LRO & Other Recent Moon Missions, Interact With Lunar Scientists / Engineers, Learn How To Bring This Data To Students & Clear Up Common Misconceptions With Hands-On Activities; Tour Of Facility Where LRO Was Built Will Also Give Teachers Better Understanding Of Mission Operations
Image Credit: NASA
23 June Will Mark 5 Years In Lunar Orbit For LRO; All 7 Instruments Continue To Provide Valuable Scientific Moon Data & Craft Has Generous Reserve Of Fuel; Funding For 2-Year Mission Extension Dependent On Results Of Ongoing NASA Biannual Senior Review Of Ongoing Missions, Results Expected This Month; Mission Extension Would Cost ~US$8M Annually, Continued Operations Could Be Invaluable To Future Human / Robotic Moon Missions
Image Credit: NASA
RFI Released By NASA To Gather Feedback / Gauge Interest In Deep Space CubeSat Centennial Challenge; 1st Challenge Will Award US$3M To Competitor Able To Meet Or Exceed Propulsion, Communication, Longevity Technical Objectives While In Lunar Orbit; 2nd Challenge Will Award Up To US$1.5M For CubeSat Demonstrations Beyond Lunar Orbit; Additional US$1M For Ground Qualification Competition Reviews; CubeSats Will Be Carried Into Trans-Lunar Trajectory On 1st Launch Of NASA SLS In 2018
Image Credit: NASA, pocketspacecraft.com
1st Announcement Of 2014 Annual Meeting Of LEAG, 22-24 Oct In Maryland USA; Call For Abstracts Expected 24 June; 2 Main Focus Areas: Lunar Volatiles & The Global Exploration Roadmap (GER); SSERVI Releases Agenda For 1st Annual NASA Exploration Science Forum, 21-23 July At Ames RC, California USA; Event Also Includes Discussion Of GER, To Integrate Priority Science Objectives Into NASA / International Exploration Plans; Pictured: LEAG Program Chair Samuel Lawrence
Image Credit: LEAG, NASA
With A Generous Reserve Of Fuel And 7 Instruments Performing “Like A Finely Tuned Symphony” LRO Still A Valuable Tool For Planetary Science / Exploration; Preliminary Goals For Proposed 2nd Extended Mission Include: Evaluate Nature Of Thermophysical Differences Between Permanently Shaded Regions & Rest Of Moon, Complete Mapping (0.5-2m / Pixel) Of Non-Polar Regions, Continue Longitudinal Studies Of Changes On Moon (Impact Cratering Rate, etc), Increase Scientific Productivity Of Future Lunar Surface Missions; Pictured R-L: LRO Project Scientist Richard Vondrak & Project Manager Craig Tooley
Image Credit: NASA
Hawaii Island Moon-Like Environments Being Utilized By PISCES To Test Moon / Mars-Bound Vehicles & Technologies; New State Resolution Initiating Project To Develop Basaltic ‘Lunar Concrete’, Installation Of A Test ‘Lunar Sidewalk’ Set For Aug; 2nd Initiative Involves Construction-Scale 3D Printing Using Basalt, PISCES & NASA Plan To 3D Print A Landing Pad, Curved Wall, Dome Shelter; Aloha State Was Important Contributor To Apollo Moon Missions – As Depicted In Recently Released Photos – Astronaut Training, Communication Relays, Recovery Of Returning Moonworkers
Image Credit: PISCES, NASA
ISEE-3 Reboot Project Team Will Attempt To Command 36-Year-Old Spacecraft, Fire Engines ASAP; ISEE-3 Is ~250,000km From Where It Should Be, Increasing Possibility Of Moon Impact Without Corrective Maneuvers; Lunar Flyby Trajectory Estimated At 50km-Altitude; Recently Established 2-Way Communication Will Allow For Refinement Of Engine Burn Techniques; Goal Is To Use Moon Gravity To Enter Orbit At Sun-Earth L1, Resume Original Mission To Investigate Solar Wind, Share Data With Public
Image Credit: ISEE-3 Reboot Project
Public Invited By NASA To Select Cover Image For ‘The Moon As Art’ LRO Image Collection, Voting Open Until 6 June; Finalists: Starry Night, Clerke Crater, Diviner North Pole, Linne Crater & Tycho Central Peak; Full Collection Of 24 Images Will Be Released On 18 June, 5th Anniversary Of LRO Launch; The Future Of LRO Remains Uncertain, Mission Could End Sep 2014 Or Be Extended 2 More Years; Fate Will Likely Be Determined By Results Of Biennial NASA Senior Review Expected In June
Image Credit: NASA
Final Morpheus Lander Flight Test At NASA KSC Next Wednesday Night Will Seek To Fine-Tune Performance & Demonstrate How Sensors Work In Darkness; Latest Free Flight Test Attempted To Rely Solely On ALHAT Landing Sensors To Guide Craft To Best Landing Site; Vehicle Rose To 240m Then Used Laser Sensors To Identify Up To 5 Safe Landing Sites; ALHAT Sensor Performance Not As Precise As Engineers Hoped & Pre-Set Trajectory Was Implemented To Land Morpheus; Successful Flight Tests Will Increase Likelihood Technology Will Be Incorporated Into Human / Robotic Moon Missions
Image Credit: NASA