Thursday / 9 April 2015

Buzz Aldrin & John Travolta To Host ShareSpace Launch Gala

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John Travolta To Headline Gala Event To Launch MoonWorker Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation 18 July At NASA KSC Under Last Surviving Saturn 5 Rocket; Other Astronauts & Apollo Veterans Expected To Join Event; US$1,200-Tickets Limited To 150 People, Extra $1,000 Will Get 25 People VIP Experience Of After Party, Etc, With Actor And MoonWorker; Proceeds Will Benefit ShareSpace Foundation Devoted To Promoting Space Tourism For The Masses

Image Credit: ShareSpace, KSCVC

Wednesday / 8 April 2015

Lunar Workshop Highlights Opportunities Of Upcoming Surface Missions

IWLSA5

5th International Workshop On Lunar Surface Applications 14-17 April In Cocoa Beach Florida Will Provide Overview Of Lunar Surface Missions That Are In Development & Opportunities They Present For Scientists & Space Entrepreneurs; Representatives From NASA Lunar Catalyst Program Participants Moon Express, Astrobotic, Masten Will Present; Workshop Will Also Feature In Depth Look At Engineering & Science Of Lunar Polar ISRU & NASA Lunar Resource Prospector Mission

Image Credit: Flexure Engineering, NASA, Moon Express, Masten

Tuesday / 31 March 2015

Japan & India GLXP Teams Advancing

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Japan-Based Team Hakuto Working With Anime Show Evangelion In Crowdfunding Campaign To Recreate Scene From The Show During Lunar Mission; Campaign Quickly Became Fastest Growing Japanese Crowdfunding Initiative  Ever, Has Raised US$338K Of $832K-Goal, Deadline For Campaign Is 5 April; India-Based Team Indus Set To Close US$1.5-M Pre-Series A Funding Round After Significant Investments From Infosys Co-Founder Nandan Nilekani (Inset) & Others; Indus Goal To Raise $30M For Mission, Including $20-25M For ISRO Launch

Pictured: (R) Japan Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, (L) Celebrity Natsuki Katou

Image Credit: Team Hakuto, Pradeep Guar

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 March 2015

Golden Spike Company Progressing Towards Commercial Human Lunar Missions

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GSC Optimisitic 2015 Will See Advancement Of Business Plan / Lunar Mission Development; Board Of Directors Newly Reconfigured – With New Members (L-R) NASA Astronaut Terence Henricks & Dylan Taylor Of Space Angels Network – To Reflect Increased Focus On Fundraising For Human Moon Missions; Gerald Griffin, Doug Griffith, Alan Stern, Taber MacCallum Continue In Director Positions; Additional Meetings With Potential Asian Customers Likely In 2015; Company Working To Implement Human Space Transportation Systems To The Moon At Commercially Successful Price Points

Image Credit: GSC, LinkedIn, NASA, Paragon

Friday / 27 March 2015

ARM Project To Revive NASA Human Missions To Cislunar SpaceARM

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Under Development By NASA To Launch Humans To Moon Orbit, While Private Companies Such As Golden Spike Aim For Moon Surface 2018-2020s; US$1.25B Robotic Mission To Launch Dec 2020, Travel 2 Years To Asteroid (Potentially 2008 EV5), Spend 400 Days Searching For 4-Meter Diameter Boulder, Bring Selected Boulder To Moon Orbit; Astronauts Will Then Launch 2025 To Moon Orbit, Dock With & Study Rock Via SLS / Orion; Additional Cislunar / Moon Surface Missions Under Consideration

Image Credit: NASA, Boeing Co., New Scientist

Wednesday / 18 March 2015

China Initiating Commercial Space Industry Through Chang’e-4 Opportunities

 ChinaCommercial

Private Enterprises Encouraged To Participate In China Chang’e-4 Lunar Probe / Lander Mission; China Officials Hope This Initial Step To Stimulate Commercial Space Industry Will Accelerate Technological Innovation, Improve Efficiency, Reduce Government Monopoly / Investment In Space Field, & Garner More Popular Support / Involvement; Private Companies Encouraged To Begin With Optical Instruments Before Moving To More Complex Remote-Control & Power Supply Equipment

Image Credit:CCTV, CLEP

Tuesday / 17 March 2015

Africa2Moon Issues Call For Mission Concepts

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Africa2Moon Organizers Seeking To Identify Future Scientific Mission Objectives, Garner Increased Attention & Participation In Moon Mission Through Call For Proposals; Call Is Open To Individuals & Entities Worldwide, Though At Least Half Of Each Teams’ Members Must Be Based In Africa; Proposals Can Address Any Question Of Space Or Lunar Science, Achievable With Current Skills, Capabilities, Resources In Africa; Submissions Due By 30 Jun; Pictured: Africa2Moon Mission Administrator Peter Martinez

Image Credit: Africa2Moon, NASA

Thursday / 5 March 2015

Team Indus Confirms Communications Partner

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Sole India GLXP Team Partners With Tata Communications; Team Indus Will Use Company’s Low-Latency Network For Final Mission Interconnection Between Deep Space & Network Stations, Also Will Handle Communications Between USA-Based Earth Stations & Command Center In India; New Delhi-Based Team Intends To Launch Mission From Sriharikota In 2016, Land 2 Rovers On Moon Surface; Team Indus Is Among Front Runners Of Competition After Winning US$1M Landing Milestone Prize

Image Credit: Team Indus, GLXP, Tata Communications

Tuesday / 3 March 2015

Shackleton Energy Company To Develop, Test New Technology At ISS

ShackletonECISS

In A Step Towards Ultimate Goal Of Providing More Affordable Access / Operations To / In Space, Shackleton Energy Corporation (SEC) Signs MOA With CASIS To Develop & Test Mini Space Brakes / Re-entry Vehicles Called ‘Oryx’; Technology Is Critical Enabler For Aerobraking Systems Needed To Economically Fly Water From Moon To Fuel Depots In LEO; SEC To Eventually Develop Larger Re-entry Vehicles / Orbital Lifeboats For Fuel Depot Crew

Image Credit: Shackleton Energy Company

Thursday / 26 February 2015

Southeast Asia Leaders / ILOA Meet To Advance Moon Mission Collaboration

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Space / Astronomy Representatives From Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam & Philippines Meeting With Directors Of International Lunar Observatory Association Today In Singapore To Discuss Potential Collaboration In ILOA Moon Missions; The ILOA Southeast Asia Executive Meeting Will Also Include ILOA Board Of Directors Meeting With Participation Of International Space Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Astronomers, Astronauts; ILO-1 Mission To Land Multifunctional Observation / Communication Payload In Malapert Mountain Region Of Moon South Pole ~2017

Image Credit: ILOA, ASEAN.svg