Category Archives: PISCES / ILRP

Friday / 16 June 2023

Posted on by

NASA Fostering Lunar Technologies from Small and Research Institution-Affiliated Businesses

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) US$150,000 Phase 1 awards to be made to 249 companies / 39 Research Institutions (300 proposals / $45M total) including many lunar-focused enterprises e.g., CA-based Cislune, which plans to mine water, refine & sell hydrogen as fuel, is recipient of SBIR awards for basalt construction (with Hawaii Island-based Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems) and minimally invasive excavation techniques and STTR awards for lunar rover (with UCF) & launch pad designs

Pictured: Cislune CEO Erik Franks; Credits: NASA, Cislune, PISCES, Astroport / UTSA
 

Tuesday / 14 January 2020

Posted on by

HI-SEAS Launches On Mauna Loa With All-Female Crew

Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog And Simulation Habitat Conducts ‘Sensoria’ Mission At 2,500 Meter Altitude On Mauna Loa With First HI-SEAS All-Female Crew; 6 Women Focus On Geology, Robotics, Nutrition And Potential Lunar Sciences; Sensoria Will Be Followed 18 Jan By EMMIHS-III Moon Mission In Cooperation With EuroMoonMars And International MoonBase Alliance; Michaela Musilova (L) Will Act As Commander For Both Missions; Crew Member Kyla Edison (R) Of PISCES Will Investigate Sintering Of Rocks To Create Building Materials For Moon

Credits: University of Hawaii, Sensoria, PISCES

Tuesday / 18 Dec 2018

Posted on by

HI-SEAS In Hawai’i Prepares For Human Moon Mission Simulations

Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog & Simulation (HI-SEAS) Site On Mauna Loa To Be Repurposed For Moon; Receives US$1 Million NASA Grant For Mars Data Collection; Owner Henk Rogers Refurbishing Habitat With New Equipment And Lunar Spacesuits; New Facility Built Especially For Moon Simulation Planned For Pohakuloa Section Of Mauna Loa, Joins Parallel Lunar Analog Sites Built In China, Japan, And Europe; Women On Moon Part Of Simulations; Rogers Compares Moon Before Mars To Visiting Nearby Island Of Lanai In Preparation For Crossing Ocean

Credits: NASA, HI-SEAS, SOEST

Friday / 29 July 2016

Posted on by

PISCES And NASA Conducting Lunar Simulations, Technologies Testing At Mauna Kea Hawai`i

PISCES 2016

Pacific International Space Center For Exploration Systems (PISCES) Executive Director Rob Kelso & Students Developing, Upgrading, Testing Moon / Mars Rover, Equipment & Communications Software; From Remote Location, Students Use Google Earth Images Of Mauna Kea To Move Rover & Study Geology Mimicking Real Life Lunar Robotic Mission; NASA Ames Also Testing The Rover Stereoscopic Imaging System, Data Capture & Data Processing Remotely From Florida, Taking Advantage Of Moon, Mars Analog 3,000-meter Altitude Sites At Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa

Credit: PISCES, NASA

Friday / 6 May 2016

Posted on by

Two Conferences Supporting Moon, Mars, & Asteroids Investigate Opportunities

Two ConferencesStimulating Renewed Support In Moon / Space Activities Two Conferences Moving Into Year 8 Scheduled To Address: Lunar Exploration & Enterprise, Solar System, Near Earth Asteroids; 7-9 June Golden Colorado School Of Mines To Host  SRR, PTMSS & LPI With PISCES Rob Kelso Discussing ISRU Construction – Lunar Launch/Landing Pad; Ames Research Center Holding Annual Lunar & Small Bodies Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2016) In Mountain View California 19 July; NASA SSERVI Topics To Include Missions & Human Exploration

Credit: SRR, PTMSS, LPI, NASA, SSERVI, PISCES

Thursday / 3 December 2015

Posted on by

Hawai`i Based PISCES Seeks Emergency Funds To Continue Moon & Deep Space Research Programs

1232015An Urgent Request To Hawaii Gov. Ige (R) To Appropriate Funds Of US$670k For Salaries To Pacific International Space Center For Exploration Systems (PISCES) FY 2016 (Jul ’15 – Jun ’16) Currently Being Deliberated; PISCES Director Rob Kelso (L) States Organization Will Continue To Operate Normally Until The End Of The Calendar Year 2015 But Without Approval “We Are Out Of Business After June”; PISCES MoonRIDERS (Research Investigating Dust Expulsion Removal Systems) Joint Partnership With NASA Kennedy Space Center & Google Lunar XPRIZE Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) Technology With High School Participants Kealakehe & Iolani Hope For Approval To Continue Hawaii High-Tech Advancement

Credit: PISCES, UH Hilo, State of Hawaii

Tuesday / 20 October 2015

Posted on by

LEAG 20-22 October Focus On Moon Utilization For Sustained Human Space-Faring Capabilities

10202015Public & Private Sector To Discuss Common Goals Of Lunar Exploration, Apply Results Of Recent / Ongoing Missions Toward Future Exploration, Provide A Community Forum At 2015 LEAG In Columbia MD; Along With Various Information Sessions, ESA Will Offer Update On Current Lunar Exploration Activities & Plans With International Partnerships; Rob Kelso Of PISCES To Brief On PISCES-NASA “Additive Construction With Mobile Emplacement (ACME)” Project Demonstrating Technologies Associated With Planetary Robotic Construction Using Basalt; Final Day Includes In Situ Resource Utilization Session About Key Factors For Sustainable Human Spaceflight Programs

Credit: LEAG, UH Hilo, PISCES, ESA

Tuesday / 28 July 2015

Posted on by

Hawai`i MoonRIDERS Receive US$35K Grant

 7282015. PISCES Receiving Grant For MoonRIDERS (Research Investigating Dust Expulsion Removal Systems) Project To Advance Space Exploration & Cultivate 21st Century Workforce STEM Skills For Hawaii Students; Kealakehe High, ‘Iolani High, NASA & PISCES Developing Lunar Experimental Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) To Repel Particles Via Low Electric Current; Preparations In Process For Early 2017 Launch On GLXP Lander

Credit: PISCES, Kealakehe High School, ‘Iolani

Thursday / 2 April 2015

Posted on by

Lunar Dust Experiments Opening Future Exploration Possibilities

DustyMoon0415

LADEE Results Indicate Tail Of Nanoscale Particles Trailing Moon, Likely Expelled By Asteroid Impact, <0.001g / Square Meter; LADEE Spectrometer PI Says Phenomenon Could Offer New Way To Study Surface Of Airless Planetary Bodies, “Collect Their Tails Rather Than Landing On Them”; Moon RIDERS Educational Project Testing System To Remove Lunar Dust From Moon Lander Equipment Using High Voltage Square Waves Being Tested At NASA Ames; Project Is Collaboration Of Hawai`i High Schools, NASA, GLXP Teams, PISCES

Image Credit: NASA, kealakeherobotics.org

Tuesday / 11 November 2014

Posted on by

Hawai`i Conference Looks To Advance Lunar Initiatives

HawaiiBuzz

PISCES-Sponsored ‘Next Giant Leap’ Conference Underway On Hawai`i Island; Separate Working Groups Examining Goals For Leveraging Lunar Assets, Collaborative Pathways To Sustainable Lunar Ventures & Mechanisms For Program Development; Feature Speaker Buzz Aldrin Discusses New Horizons For Space Exploration; Sam Lawrence Of Arizona State U / LEAG Says Rich LRO Data Has Allowed Researchers To Identify Location & Resources Of Optimal Lunar Exploration Site

Image Credit: PISCES, Aerospace Hawaii, NASA