Category Archives: Solar System Exploration

Wednesday / 1 April 2015

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Russia USA Moon Mission Collaboration
In The Works?

RusUSMoonStation

Space Agency Leaders Of NASA & Roscosmos Confirm Intention To Work Together On Exploration Of Moon & Mars; Roscosmos Chief Igor Komarov Acknowledges More Tasks Can Be Solved & Expenses Saved By Acting Together, Says Deep Space Exploration & Protection Of Earth From Space Threats Must Be Solved By ‘Entire Humanity’; The 2 Countries Will Collaborate On ISS Until 2024, Will Not Build Another Station In NEO, Discussing Potential Cooperation On New Space Station In Lunar Orbit

Image Credit: gaetanomarano.it, Roscosmos, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 March 2015

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Lunar Exploration Scientists Gather At LPSC 2015

LPSCDaily2015

46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Held On 16-20 March At The Woodlands, Texas; Event Begins With Session On Results From Recent Lunar Missions LADEE, GRAIL & Chang’e-3; Highlighted Concurrent Events Include LRO Data Users Workshop On 15 Mar, NextGen Lunar Scientists And Engineers Workshop, Lunar Cubes Mission Opportunities Workshop, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Town Hall; Pictured: Conference Co-Chairs Steve Mackwell Of LPI, Eileen Stansbery Of NASA JSC

Image Credit: NASA, LPI, CNSA

Tuesday / 10 March 2015

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New NASA Moon Rocket Advancing

ATKslsTest0315

ATK Is Set To Conduct First Full-Scale Qualification Static Motor Test For NASA Heavy-Lift Space Launch System Wednesday 11 March In Promontory UT; 2-Minute Test Will Burn 628,225kg Of Solid Propellant In The Two 54-Meter-Long Engines, Producing 1.6 Million Kg Of Force; Rocket – Along With Orion Crew Capsule – Will Be Critical For New Era Of USA Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration; First 2 Test Flights (2018 & 2021) Likely To Include Circumlunar Voyage

Image Credit: NASA, ATK

Thursday / 15 January 2015

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Science Lectures: Lunar Swirls For Space Exploration, Origin Of Moon

SwirlyTheia

Ruth Bamford At BIS London 21 Jan To Explain How Mini Magnetospheres (Lunar Swirls) On Moon May Provide Key For Interplanetary Travel / Radiation Protection; Using Technology Based On This Phenomenon, Radiation Protecting Hardware Mass Could Be Kept Below 3000kg Requiring Only 10-20kW Of Power, Well Within Practical Expectations; Sarah Stewart Of UC Davis To Give SETI Lecture On 27 Jan Detailing Models Of The Giant Impact Believed To Have Created The Moon, A Follow-Up From Recent Billy Quarles SETI Lecture On “Theia’s Date With Destiny“

Image Credit: Fahad Sulheria, RAL Space, UC Davis, NASA

 

Wednesday / 7 January 2015

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Astronaut Hoffman: Human Moon Missions Logical Next Step

HoffMoon2_0115

Former NASA Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman Says It Makes More Sense To Revisit Moon Before Attempting Mars Missions; Moon On Average  Is ~600 Times Closer, Mission Would Be Cheaper, Shorter & Safer; Human Explorers Could Confirm Extent Of Water Ice Deposits, Potentially Begin Transforming Those Resources Into Rocket Fuel, Air, Drinking Water, Thereby Transforming Economics Of Space Travel; Hoffman Says, After 43 Years, USA / Humanity Needs To Get Used To Planetary Exploration Again, Practice / Test Systems & Prepare To Expand Society Into Solar System

Image Credit: ESA, ISU

Breaking News Special New Year Edition
Thursday / 1 January 2015

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Moon-Based Telescope Observation
Of M101 Spiral Is First Galaxy Imaged From The Moon

m101GalaxyFromMoon1214Great Astronomy From The Moon Potential Confirmed By China Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope LUT Observations On 2 December At Beginning Of Lunar Day 13; Iconic 2014 Photo To Be Refined Further By NAOC Astronomers In Beijing, In Collaboration With ILOA And UHH, CFHT Lunar Astronomy Team On Hawai`i Island USA, Introducing Bright, Robust New Year 2015

Image Credit: National Astronomical Observatories of China & International Lunar Observatory Association; University of Hawaii Hilo, Canada France Hawaii Telescope

New Year / Holiday Edition
Thurs / 25 Dec 2014 – Mon / 5 Jan 2015

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50 Years After Humans Return To Moon,
50,000 Lunar Visitors Per Year?

SPoleAnalogNewYear2015

Antarctica, A Valuable Analog Site For Testing Lunar Base Systems, May Also Be A Prophetic Model Of What Is To Come On The 8th Continent- Luna; Race To Earth South Pole Won In 1912, No Human Returned Until UN IGY 1957, Now About 50 Years Later The Site Receives About 50,000 Visitors / Year (90% Tourists), With 30+ Countries Maintaining Permanent Research Stations; Human Return To Moon Similarly Delayed, Now Expected ~2020; 50 Years Of Development Could Manifest A Situation Similar To Today’s Antarctica; International Space Powers – India, China, USA, Japan, Russia & NewSpace Enterprises Should Take Note: Those Making 1st Pioneering Steps To Settle / Develop Energy & Resource-Rich South Pole Moon Will Reap The Benefits & Be Well Positioned For 21st Century Solar System Leadership

Image Credit: JAXA / Michael Carroll, Amundsen South Pole Station

Friday / 19 December 2014

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GSLV Launch Opens Path To Moon & Solar System For India

ISROgslvChandrayaan

Successful Launch Of GSLV Mk-3 Will Change Destiny Of India Space Program According To ISRO Mission Director S Somnath; Heavy Payload Launch Capacity Will Allow Country To Continue Ambitious & Cost-Efficient Plans To Advance Solar System Robotic & Human Exploration, Beginning With Chandrayaan-2 Moon Orbiter / Lander / Rover Mission In 2016, Likely To Be Humanity’s 1st Mission To Next, Most Promising, New Frontier Of Human Expansion Into Cosmos –
Moon South Pole

Pictured (L-R): ISRO Chairman KS Radhakrishnan, Space Applications Center Director K Kumar

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA

Wednesday / 10 December 2014

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Astronaut Hadfield: We Are Going To The Moon Next, “Because It Just Makes Sense”

HadfieldMoon

Canada Astronaut Chris Hadfield Says Moon Is Logical Next Stop For Human Space Explorers; Just 3 Days Away Moon Provides Ideal Environment To Develop & Test Technologies That Will Be Needed To Explore Mars & Beyond; Hadfield Praises NASA Work On Orion, Says Next Big Step Should Be To Construct Permanent Lunar Base; Criticizes Mars One Mission, Comparing It To 1845 Northwest Passage Expedition: “If We Started Going To Mars Any Time Soon Everybody Would Die”; Comments Made To Royal Geographical Society In London

Image Credit: NASA, futuretimeline.net

Tuesday / 9 December 2014

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China Super-Heavy Launch Vehicle Will Enhance Human Moon Mission Capability

LongMarch9-Moon

China Academy Of Launch Vehicle Technology Head Li Tongyu Confirms Work Is Underway To Define Technological Feasibility & Requirements Of Long March-9 (LM-9) Super-Heavy Rocket; New Rocket Will Facilitate Human Moon Missions & Deep Space Exploration; Projected To Have 8-10-m Diameter, Launch Weight Of 3,000 Metric Tons, Max Payload Capacity Of 130 Metric Tons (Equal To NASA SLS); 1st Launch Of Long March-9 Expected In 2028; Currrent Rocket – LM-5 Can Facilitate Human Moon Mission Now, Yet Would Require 4 Launches As Opposed To 1 LM-9 Launch

Image Credit: CALT, CNSA