Category Archives: NewSpace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 May 2014

Posted on by

Space Lawyers Outline Challenges Of Commercial Lunar Development At ISDC

ISDCspaceLaw0514

USA-Based Commercial Entities Seeking To Explore, Settle In And Exploit Resources Of Space / Moon May Be Hindered By International Law, Predominance Of Countries That See Space As Shared Resource; Boston Attorney Rosanna Sattler Says Country Of Origin Will Need To Be Responsible For Their Endemic Enterprises, International MoUs Allowing Specific Commercial Activities May Be Easier To Achieve Than A Whole New International Treaty; Other Experts Such As Art Dula Believe Private Companies ‘Absolutely Have The Right’ To Mine / Develop Moon, Asteroids, Etc.

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Excalibur Almaz, Here & Now

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 May 2014

Posted on by

SpaceX Innovations

Boost Future Of Lunar Exploration

LED-5-2-14

NewSpace Powerhouse Disrupting Launch Industry, Driving Innovation & Efficiency – Boon To All Who Seek High Frontier; Successful Tests Of F9 First Stage Controlled-Flight Recovery (18 Apr) & Grasshopper 1000-Meter Hop (2 May) Show Company Is Revolutionizing Future Of Exploration; Re-Usability Might Reduce Cost-To-Orbit By Half, Controlled Landing Systems Have Applications For Lunar / Planetary Exploration

Image Credit: SpaceX

Friday / 2 May 2014

Posted on by

Lunar CATALYST Partnerships Begin

Lunar CATALYST

Astrobotic, Moon Express & Masten Negotiating No-Funds-Exchanged Space Act Agreements With NASA For Lunar Cargo Transportation And Landing By Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) Initiative To Advance Lunar Lander Capabilities; NASA To Provide Technical Expertise, Equipment / Software Loans, Access To Test Facilities For 3 Years; Astrobotic (Griffin Lander) & Moon Express (MX-1) Plan To Launch To Moon 2015 / Win GLXP; Masten Refining / Testing Xombie & Xaero, Designing Xeus

Image Credit: ME, Astrobotic, Masten, NASA

Thursday / 17 April 2014

Posted on by

50-Year Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Merits Advanced Planning

50yearApollo11_0414

Start Planning Now For 50th Observation Of Moon Landing Says Peter Swan Of International Space Elevator Consortium; Celebrations & Memorials Should Be Well Funded & Organized, Yet Truly Honoring The Memory Of This Historic Event Will Require Concerted Effort / Consistent Investment To Return Humans To Moon For Good, Ensuring Multi World Species Status; NASA Planning Crewed Flight To Lunar Orbit ~2019, Golden Spike Company Advancing ~2020 Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Golden Spike Company, ISEC

Wednesday / 9 April 2014

Posted on by

SpaceIL Participating In Google Hangout Today

SpaceILhangout0414

ISRAEL21c Hosting Google Hangout With (R-L) SpaceIL Co-Founder Kfir Damari, Head Of Mission Analysis Adam Green, Business Development Director Daniel Saat On 9 Apr, Noon EDT (19:00 IDT); Members Of The Israel-Based GLXP Team Will Be Interviewed By Viva Press Of ISRAEL21c, Then Address Questions Submitted Through Facebook & Youtube Livechat; At Least 10 Schools To Participate In Hangout; SpaceIL Intends To Donate GLXP Winnings To Israel STEM Education   

Image Credit: SpaceIL, Google, ISRAEL21c

Friday / 4 April 2014

Posted on by

GLXP Endeavors To Reach Moon
To Be Televised

GLXP Apr 2014

2015 GLXP Miniseries / Live Broadcast From Moon, ‘Apollo Moment’ For The Next Generation To Be Documented, Aired By Science & Discovery Channels; Chairman Of XPRIZE Foundation Peter Diamandis (TL) Enthusiastic About Penn State Lunar Lion Potential Due To University / Community Support, Reminds All GLXP Teams That The Future Is At Stake; Moon Express Co-Founder Naveen Jain Speaks On Plans To Harvest Moon Resources To Benefit Earth, CEO Bob Richards Featured At ‘Found In Space’ Autodesk Design Night In San Francisco

Image Credit: GLXP, NASA, B. Chen

Wednesday / 2 April 2014

Posted on by

Future Of Human Spaceflight Debate Rolls On

3AstronautsPS0414

Former Astronauts (Clockwise T-B) Rusty Schweickart, Tom Jones, Garrett Reisman – To Discuss Future Of Human Spaceflight At Caltech On 8 April, Event Co-Sponsored By Planetary Society, Former Director Lou Friedman Believes Asteroid Redirection Mission Is Only Way To Advance USA Human Spaceflight Within Budgetary Constraints; Paul Spudis Points Out National Security Implications Of USA Retreat From Space, Notes Cislunar Space Is The ‘Space Theater’ Of Future, Warns Commercial Space Enterprises Unable To Open Up New Frontier Without Strong Space Presence / Capability Of Government

Image Credit: Popular Mechanics, NASA, Planetary Society, Spudis Lunar Resources Blog

Tuesday / 1 April 2014

Posted on by

Astrobotic Technology Inc Successfully Tests Autolanding System

AstroboticAutolanding0414

GLXP Team Tests New Landing Sensor At Mojave Air & Space Port In CA; Astrobotic Autolanding System (AAS) Utilizes 2 Cameras, Scanning Laser, Inertial Measurement Unit; Low-Power Lightweight System Relies On Hi-Res LRO Lunar Surface Imagery, Makes Decisions Without Human Input; Flawless Flight Test Utilized Masten Aerospace Xombie Rocket, Descended From 250m, Used AAS To Detect Hazards & Select Landing Site; Pictured Astrobotic CEO John Thornton

Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology Inc

Friday / 28 March 2014

Posted on by

18 GLXP Teams Working Toward
2015 Moon Missions

GLXP Teams Mar 2014

Weekly GLXP Teams Virtual Hangouts To Occur Every Tuesday; Astrobotic Announces Other Teams Will Join Its Mission Soon; 5 Competing For US$6M Terrestrial Prizes: Team Indus, Hakuto, Part-Time Scientists, Astrobotic, Moon Express (Latter 2 Are Only Teams To Advance To Accomplishment Round In All 3 Categories – Landing, Mobility, Imaging); Synergy Moon Building NEPTUNE L-1000 Launch Vehicle With Partner Company Interorbital Systems; SpaceIL Raises $21M, SpaceMETA $10M

Image Credit: GLXP, ME, Indus, Hakuto, PT Scientists, Astrobotic, IOS, Synergy Moon

Friday / 21 March 2014

Posted on by

Hawai`i Student Lander Experiment Aims To Fly To Moon On 2015 GLXP Mission

Hawaii Student Moon GLXP

Hawaii STEM Initiative Headed By Rob Kelso Of PISCES (Hilo HI) To Send High School-Built Laser-Based Imaging System To Moon On Undisclosed GLXP Team And / Or Moon Express Lander In 2015; Instrument To Collect Data On Engine & Regolith Interaction; NASA KSC To Provide Mentoring, Engineering Assistance, Equipment Testing; Hawaii Schools Raising ~US$300K To Develop Hardware / Software, Conduct Analog Field Testing; NanoRacks Providing Final Flight Fabrication, Testing & Certification Of Flight Hardware

Image Credit: NASA, PISCES, ME, NanoRacks