Category Archives: Solar System Exploration

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Apr 2018

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Science And Moon Experts Advise Reinstatement Of Resource Prospector Mission

Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Chairs (L-R) Samuel Lawrence And Clive Neal Urge NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine To Reestablish Resource Prospector (RP) Mission Vital For Lunar Economy, Space Exploration; Letter States Cancellation Of NASA Only Polar Lander-Rover Mission A Source Of Incredulity And Dismay To Community; Critical To Provide Strong Leadership As 6 International Lunar Lander Missions Planned Into 2025; International Lunar Observatory Association And Space Age Publishing Company Support RP Reinstatement Within Context of Space Policy Directive 1, Dedication Of Human Return To Moon, First Women On Moon Initiative

Credits: NASA, University of Notre Dame, LEAG, ILOA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 Feb 2018

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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Demo Success Could Mean Human Occupied Lunar Base Soon To Come

Upcoming 6 Feb Falcon Heavy Launch With Reusable Rocket Components Will Increase Space Travel Sustainability And Possibility Of Permanent Lunar Base; CEO Elon Musk States Aspirations Of Sending Humans To Mars In 2024 At ~US$200K Per Person With Launch Seating Capability Of 100 People, Also Plans To Accommodate Commercial And Government Desire To Reach Moon First As Stepping Stone Into The Solar System; Musk Envisions His Interplanetary Transport System On Self-Proclaimed “Moon Base Alpha” Leading To Speculation Of Personal Interest In Lunar Settlement

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Elon Musk

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Aug 2017

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Buzz Aldrin Calls For International Return To Moon To Get Humans To Mars

Apollo 11 Moonworker Buzz Aldrin Encourages New U.S. National Space Council And President Trump To Formulate Strategic Leadership Plan To Create Lunar Highway Via International Partnerships With Space-Capable Nations Utilizing Moon As a Testing Ground For Technologies And Extracting Resources From Poles ASAP To Catalyze Human Missions To Mars, Rest Of Solar System; Hopes Revolutionary Plan Involving Other Countries, NewSpace Sector, New NASA Budgetary Focuses Will Be Announced 20 July 2019 On 50th Observation Of 1st Human Footsteps On Luna

Credits: NASA, JAXA, NHK, Boeing Co.

USA Independence Day Edition
Fri-Tue / 30 June – 4 July 2017

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Human 2020 Return To Moon Also Supported By Stephen Hawking

First Women / Americans On Moon As Soon As 2020 Is Within Reach – Advances Made By SpaceX On Falcon Heavy, Dragon Crew & Interplanetary Transportation System, Blue Origin New Glenn, New Shepard & New Armstrong, Bigelow Lunar Inflatable Habitats, Moon Express And Astrobotic Lunar Landers, NASA SLS / Orion And New Astronaut Class With 5 Women & 7 Men; Returning “In Peace For All” To Reclaim Greatest American / Human Advance Is Vital For Long-Term Survival And First Step To Launching Into Solar System And Galaxy; Stephen Hawking States Countries Should Collaborate To Build Moon Settlement Within 30 Years; NASA, ESA, China, India, Russia, Canada And Others Support Moon Base Construct – Focusing On Moon South Pole New Frontier To Utilize Materials And Energy; The Time To Achieve Pioneering 21st Century Return To Moon To Solidify Multi World Species Status Is Now

Credits: NASA, N. Moeller, Space Age Publishing Company, Behrokh Khoshnevis

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 February 2017

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U.S. Administration Considers Accelerating 1st Human Moon Mission Of 21st Century To 2018

Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot Requesting Top Official For Human Spaceflight William Gerstenmaier To Explore Feasibility Of Sending Astronauts On EM-1 Flight 2018; Could Advance A Human Return To Moon, Landing 1st Woman On Moon, Reclaiming Multi World Species Status, First Missions To Mars & Beyond; Scott Pace Of Space Policy Institute At GWU Notes There May Be A Push For Significant Near-Term U.S. Accomplishments; Presidential Policy Advisor Bob Walker Believes There Is Possibility To Land Humans On Moon 2021-2025, Perhaps Using Commercial Companies & Technologies; Similar Goals Of Other Countries Could Catalyze International Collaboration For Human Lunar Missions / Settlement

Credits: NASA, ESA, Bigelow Aerospace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 6-9 January 2017

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China And India Next-Gen Moon Missions, Planning For Mars, Venus, Jupiter

China CE-5 Sample Return Mission To Launch Late 2017; CE-4 Orbiter To Support Moon South Pole / Far Side Aitken Basin Lander & Rover Mission Launching 2018; Chief Lunar Scientist Ouyang Ziyuan Says Precise Lunar Digital Map And 4.36 x 2.2 Meter Drawing To Be Finished 2018, Released 2020; First China Mars Probe Expected 2020, Jupiter Exploration To Follow; India Chandrayaan-2 Moon Orbiter, Lander & Rover Likely 2018 For Polar Mission To Study Atmosphere, Temperature, Plasma Environment; ISRO Associate Director M. N. Rao Says Its Planning Cost Effective Jupiter & Venus Missions, Analyzing Satellites & Rockets Needed; Mars Orbiter 2 To Launch 2018; Team Indus To Launch Two Lunar Rovers On PSLV Late 2017

Credits: ISRO, CAS, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Tue / 4-8 November 2016

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Reclaiming The Moon: America’s Preeminence In Space Starts With The Moon

return-to-moon-campaign-2016

Days Before USA 2016 Presidential Election, Congressman Jim Bridenstine (Rep-OK, Center) Discuses American Space Renaissance Act At LEAG Meeting For National Security, Economic Growth & Leadership, Stating “NASA Should Utilize Somewhere We Have Already Pioneered – The Moon”; Moon Could Provide Resources (Water, Solar Power, Regolith, Helium-3), Testing Ground For Human Solar System Complete Exploration & Settlement; Putting The First Woman On The Moon, Venturing For Science & Observation To Unexplored Moon South Pole, Solidifying Humans As Multi World Species Would Boost Any & Every Nation; Clear Vision Outlined By Incoming 2017 USA Administration From LEO To Moon And Beyond Could Set Up Strategic Path To Human Exploration Of Outer Solar System By End Of Century

Credits: NASA, US.gov, ESA, Foster + Partners

Thursday / 28 July 2016

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Nuclear Power On Moon, Mars, Beyond

LED-7-27-16

SETI Institute Science Colloquium At Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus Features Frank Shu, Professor Emeritus, University Of California Berkeley; Discusses Lunar Base As Wise First Step Toward Humans Colonizing Mars, Traveling To The Stars; Shu Notes Lunar Water Ice Harvesting / Electrolysis To Produce Habitat-Critical Oxygen (& Hydrogen For Fuel) Requires Primary Power Source; Presents Patented Design For Two-Fluid Molten-Salt Breeder-Reactor (2F-MSBR) Using In Situ Thorium; Overlooks Potential For Photo-Voltaic Power At Peaks Of Eternal Light (Areas Of Near-Continuous Illumination) At Moon South Pole

Credit: SETI Institute, UC Berkeley, NASA

Thursday / 21 July 2016

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Space Studies Institute Celebrates SpaceDay 2016 With Free Release Of “The High Frontier”

LED-7-20-16

SSI Newsletter Summer 2016 Includes Kindle Edition Of Gerard K. O’Neill Space Classic “The High Frontier – Human Colonies in Space” Free Until July 23 With Preface By Kathy Sullivan, Original Don Davis Illustrations, Pat Rawlings Cover Art; 99% Invisible Podcast By Roman Mars Has Producer Katie Mingle Talk With SSI Co-Founder Tasha O’Neill, Freeman Dyson & Author Patrick McCray For Episode Home On LaGrange; Raising Funds Toward SSI G-Lab Initiative To Test Real Impact Of Reduced Gravity On Generations Of Vertebrates (Several Million US$) And For SSI Exotic Propulsion Initiative (US$42,000)

Credit: SSI, P. Rawlings

Wednesday / 20 July 2016

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Full Moon Rising Again As World Observes 47th Anniversary Of Apollo 11

LED-7-19-2016

Space Community, Scientists Gather In Silicon Valley At Ames Research Center, NASA For The Exploration Science Forum (ESF 2016) Bolstered By Renewed Global Momentum Toward Lunar Landings & Crewed Habitats; An International Moon Surface Station With Commercial Services Integration Would Be A Major 1st Step Toward Reclaiming, Sustaining And Surpassing The Greatest Advance In Human History To Date; GOP Platform Supportive Of Space Exploration, Former Astronaut Eileen Collins To Speak At Republican National Convention; Louise Prockter Named As New Director Of Lunar & Planetary Institute

Credit: NASA, LPI, ESA