Category Archives: Solar System Exploration

Tuesday / 14 October 2014

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Russia: Moon Is Core Of Space Program Russia Moon

Roscosmos Head Of Strategic Planning Department Yuri Makarov States Moon Is Central To Space Program & Will Enable Solar System Missions, Envisions International Cooperation; During This & Next Decade Focus On Automatic Spaceships & Stations, In 2030s Lunar Orbital Stations & Vehicles, 2040s Crewed Lunar Station Near Moon South Pole, 2050s Inhabited Bases & Optical Laboratories; Robotic Missions Luna-25 (Which May Cost Tens Of Billions Of Rubles ~US$250M) Through Luna-29 (2016-2021) To Be Followed By Human Moon Flyby 2025, Landing By 2030

 Image Credit: Roscosmos, Andrey Sokolov, Alexey Leonov, NASA

Wednesday / 8 October 2014

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USC Graduate Students Present Innovative Lunar Exploration Concepts

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Students In USC Astronautical Engineering Course With Prof Madhu Thangavelu Present Concepts For Future Human Solar System Exploration; Projects Evaluated By Faculty, Industry & NASA Experts; Proposals Include Maglev-Operated Lunar Space Elevator Attached To A Station At L1 Lagrange Point, Lunar Lava Tube Explorations With Spiderbots Capable Of Inverted Climbing With Advanced Sensors, Self-Propelled Inflatable Lunar Rovers Which Could Deploy Swarms Of Small Exploration Rovers

Image Credit: USC

Thursday / 25 September 2014

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India Next Steps Into Solar System:
Moon Lander, New Rocket, Crew Module

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ISRO Looks To Advance Its Position As Global Space Power With Ambitious Slate Of Missions After Successful Mars Orbit Insertion; Chairman K Radhakrishnan Says Agency Has Completed Moon Rover, Developing Technologies For Soft Landing, Advancing Indigenous GLSV Launch Vehicle, Expects Chandrayaan-2 Mission 2016-2017; First Test Flight Of GSLV Mark-3 Rocket – With 4 Tonne Capacity To GTO – Expected Late 2014; Flight To Include Test Of Crew Module Re-Entry

Image Credit: ISRO

Tuesday / 23 September 2014

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ASTEROIDS Act & The Outer Space Treaty: Stimulating Commercial Space Investment

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US House Committee On Science, Space & Technology Reviews ASTEROID Act To Analyze How It Can Legally Protect Investment In Commercial Asteroid / Moon / Solar System Enterprises; Space Law Expert Joanne Gabrynowicz Provides Insight On How New Act Can Adhere To Structures Of International Law / Outer Space Treaty By Limiting Space / Time Scope Of Extraterrestrial Commercial Enterprise Exclusive Zone To That Which Is Reasonably Necessary 

Image Credit: Space Democrats, io9

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon 12-15 September 2014

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Orion Spacecraft Taking First Steps To Lunar / Solar System Exploration

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Test Version Of New NASA Flagship Crew Vehicle Moved To Fueling Depot In Preparation For 4 Dec Exploration Test Flight-1; 4.5-Hour, US$375M Mission Will Mimic Return From Moon As Delta 4 Rocket Will Launch Orion ~5,800km Above Earth, Craft Will Return At 32,000 Km/hr; Orion Will Launch Aboard New SLS For 2nd Test Flight In 2018; First Crewed Flight Expected In 2021, Taking 4 Astronauts On Circumlunar Cruise; NASA Expects To Spend US$15B On Orion Through 1st Crewed Flight; Increase In NASA Budget, Prioritization Of Human Lunar / Solar System Exploration Could Hasten Orion Flight Pace

Image Credit: NASA

Wednesday / 20 August 2014

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Canada Space Agency Funding Moon Rover Development

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CSA Preparing To Fund 3 Rover Projects: ExCore Small Planetary Rover Platform – $600,000 CDN 1-Year Contract, Tender Closes 4 Sep; Lunar Polar Rover Night Survival Strategy To Develop Alternative Heat Sources To Protect Rover During Cold Night At Lunar Polar Region – $300,000 CDN 6-Month Contract, Tender Closes 18 Sep; Lunar Rover Drive-Train Prototype Platform, Develop Larger Prototype To Be Subjected To Rigorous Testing – $3.25M CDN 15-Month Contract, Tender Closes 29 Aug

Image Credit: CSA, NASA

Friday / 1 August 2014

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Potential Landing Sites & Tests For
China Chang’e-4 Mission

Chang'e-4

China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Prof Ziyuan Ouyang Previews Possible Challenging & Pioneering Objectives For Chang’e-4 Moon Lander / Rover Mission: Could Land At Moon South Pole Region And / Or Mountain Top Peak Of Eternal Light Offering ~90% Illumination Year Round, Stable ~213K (-60°C) Temperatures, Plethora Of Science Benefits; Could Also Launch From Moon Surface To Different Moon Region – Or Directly To Mars, Reminiscent Of Chang’e-2 Orbiter Exploring L2, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis & Deep Space After Moon Mission

Image Credit: NASA, news.cn, CNSA

Wednesday / 23 July 2014

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SSERVI Maintaining Strong Lunar Focus

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Day 3 At SSERVI NASA Exploration Science Forum To Feature Presentations On Human Exploration & Destination Drivers; (Pictured: L-R) Anthony Colaprete Will Preview Resource Prospector Mission To Lunar Pole; Paul Spudis To Discuss The Moon As An Enabling Asset For Spaceflight; Mark Robinson Demonstrates How LRO Data Could Support Human Lunar Exploration; Ben Bussey Overviews Illumination Conditions On Moon North Pole; Clive Neal Explains Why Lunar Exploration Should Not Be Ignored

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 22 July 2014

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SSERVI Exploration Science Forum 2014 Kicks Off Space Week

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Around 250 Experts In Planetary Science & Engineering Meeting At NASA Ames To Advance Scientific & Human Exploration Of Solar System; SSERVI Currently Composed Of 9 Teams From 7 States, Along With 7 International Partners, Totaling 243 Investigators / Collaborators Addressing Important Questions And Engineering Challenges For Upcoming Deep Space Missions; Day 1 Focus On Mission Updates, Day 2: Volatiles & Geology, Day 3: Human Exploration / Destination Drivers & Regolith / Dust; Pictured: SSERVI Director Yvonne Pendleton

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 July 2014

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Apollo 11 Moonworker Urges USA Space Program To Confront The Future

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Upon 45th Commemoration Of Historic Mission, Buzz Aldrin – Member Of First Crew To Visit Lunar Surface – Says Space Enthusiasts Need To Look Forward Rather Than Simply Reveling In “Taking Rear-View Mirror Looks At Apollo 11”; Sees Permanent Human Settlement On Mars As Kennedyesque Goal To Pursue, Acknowledges Importance Of Advancing Human & Robotic Moon Missions Through International Partnerships With China & Other Space Powers, Along With Commercial Enterprise Lunar Development; South Pole Moon Promising New Frontier For Human Exploration & Settlement

Image Credit: NASA