Category Archives: South Pole Moon

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 November 2016

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India Chandrayaan-2 Landing Tests Underway For 2017-18 Lunar Mission, Possibly To Moon South Pole

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ISRO Performing Chandrayaan-2 Ground & Aerial Tests At Challakere “Science City” Site With 10 Craters Simulating Lunar Surface ~400 km From Bengaluru; ISRO Satellite Center & Chandrayaan-1 Project Director M. Annadurai States Sensors, Avionics, Electronics, Lander Legs, 8 Throttleable Engines To Be Tested Through March 2017, Followed By Full Combined Test; GSLV Mk 2 To Launch Orbiter Carrying 1,250 kg Lander & Rover End 2017 Or Early 2018; India 2nd Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-2 Destination May Be Moon South Pole / Malapert Mountain, Which Could Make India 1st To Land In & Explore New Frontier

Credits: ISRO, The Hindu

Weekend Edition
Fri-Tue / 4-8 November 2016

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

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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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 October 2016

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Could 2016 Lunar Advocacy For 1st Woman On Moon Impact USA Presidential Candidates?

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Upcoming Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Meeting 1-3 Nov & New Worlds Conference 4-5 Nov Held Before 8 Nov USA Election Could Support A New Dimension To Lunar Exploration & Vision For Humanity – Putting Women On The Moon; Esteemed LEAG Leaders Including Clive Neal, Stephen Mackwell, James Carpenter, Noah Petro, Samuel Lawrence Convening On Themes: Building A Moon Village, Commercial Space Opportunities, Lunar Capabilities Roadmap, New Lunar Mission Concepts, New Views Of Lunar Regolith; At New Worlds Conference, Rick Tumlinson, Bob Richards, Bernard Foing Could Make The Case For Exploring New Frontier Moon South Pole With Women & Men, And Sustaining Humans As A Multi World Species

Credits: New Worlds Institute, NASA, JAXA, NHK, G.Skidmore, M.Vadon

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 21-24 Oct 2016

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 Schrödinger Basin @ Moon South Pole Gives Clues To Earth Chicxulub Crater & Solar System Evolution

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Study Using NASA LRO & ISRO Chandrayaan-1 Remote Sensing Data Shows Similarities, Including Peak Rings, Between Moon 312-km Diameter Schrödinger Basin & Earth 180-km Chicxulub Crater (Impact Thought To Have Killed Dinosaurs ~66 Million Years Ago); Head Researcher David Kring Explains Impact On Moon Created In An Hour Able To Be Studied Because Of Clearly Visible, Preserved State, Whereas Impact On Earth Created In Just Minutes (Due To Higher Gravity) Is Hard To Study Lying Underneath Yucatán Peninsula & Half Submerged In Ocean; Moon South Pole Remains High Priority For Research, Exploration

Credits: NASA, Detlev Van, Ravenswaay / Science Source

Special Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 14-17 Oct 2016

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First Woman On The Moon:
Chinese? American? Other?

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While 46 Of The 60 Women Astronauts Are American, NASA Has No Plans To Put 1st Woman On Moon, Reclaim Greatest Advance In Human History / Multi World Species, Reach New Frontier Of Moon South Pole; China May Be Well Positioned To Put 1st Woman On Moon As Chang’e, Tiangong, Long March Rocket Programs Prove Reliability, And Planning Shows Step-By-Step Logical Progression; Russia & ESA Hope For Eventual Human Lunar Bases, Japan Plans Human Lander After SELENE-3, Canada Participating In ISECG Road Map Which May Include Moon Missions & On NASA Robotic Resource Prospector Mission 2018, S Korea Focusing On 1st Moon Orbiter 2018, Robotic Lander / Rover 2020

Pictured: L-R, T-B: Wang Yaping, Liu Yang (China), Julie Payette (Canada), Naoko Yamazaki (Japan), Yelena Serova (Russia), Yi So-yeon (S Korea)

Credits: CNSA, NASA, CSA, KARI, RSA, JAXA

Friday / 9 September 2016

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India GSLV Mk 2, May Take Chandrayaan-2 To New Frontier Moon South Pole, Performs 3rd Successful Flight

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During 1-2 Sep Meetings With ILOA, Former ISRO Chair Prof UR Rao (L) Confirms Likelihood That Chandrayaan-2 Is Destined To Open Moon South Pole / Malapert Mountain New Frontier, Launching 1st Half 2018 With Lander, Rover, Orbiter; GSLV Mk 2 With Indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage Proving Its Reliability With 8 Sep 16:50 Launch, Boosting India Capability / Launch Independence; 3 Future Flights Planned: SAARC Satellite End 2016 / Beginning 2017, GSAT-9 Satellite May 2017, Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission Early / 1st Half 2018; GSLV Mk 3 Expected To Carry Human Missions

Also Pictured: ISRO Chairman Aluru Seelin Kiran Kumar

Credit: ILOA, ISRO

Thursday / 28 July 2016

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Nuclear Power On Moon, Mars, Beyond

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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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 July 2016

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Women On The Moon:
Expanding American / Global Enterprise

2017 Women on the Moon LED

Whichever Political Party Advances The New 2017 USA Administration Could Recognize A Prime Imperative & Plan To Reclaim A Great Accomplishment — Human Presence On The Moon; Many Willing And Able Women Would Eagerly Step Up To The Challenges Of Breaking This Very High Glass Ceiling; Recent Remarks By Eileen Collins Urge Policy Makers To Facilitate America Regaining Leadership In Space Exploration, Especially By Returning To Luna-First Priorities; Suni Williams Is Helping Lead Progress Toward US Commercial Crew Capabilities; Jessica Meir Is Emerging From The ESA CAVES Mission, Looking For The Next Challenge

Credit: SPC / ILOA, RNC webcast, NASA, LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 July 2016

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LRO Mission Receives NASA Extension Through March 2018

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Shedding Light On Origin And Evolution Of The Solar System Through A Multitude Of Science Investigations At The Moon; NASA Planning US$20M / Year To Operate Flagship Lunar Mission Through FY2018 (Subject To Appropriation & Annual Budget Process); Latest Results Include SwRI Team Led By Kathleen Mandt Identifying 2 Geologically Young Craters Near South Pole Using Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) Detector Which Observes With Help Of Ultraviolet Light Coming From Distant Stars & From The Lyman-Alpha Skyglow Scattering Of Hydrogen Atoms In Solar System

Credit: LRO, NASA, SwRI

Thursday / 7 July 2016

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LPI Seminar 8 July: Micro Cold Traps On The Moon Presented By Paul Hayne

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Lunar And Planetary Institute Seminar Series Hosts Paul Hayne, Geophysics & Planetary Geosciences, JPL On Fri 8 July; Recent Observations Of Moon, Mercury Confirm Predictions Of Water Ice In High-Latitude Permanent-Shadow Craters; Some Discrepancies Exist As To Concentrations / Locations Of Volatiles, Presence Of Super-Volatiles (CH4, CO2, Methanol), Heterogeneous Thermal Environments; Hayne Presents New Theory To Explain These Based On Evidence Of Micro Cold Traps, Discusses Importance For Future Robotic / Human Exploration

Credit: LPI, JPL, UCLA/NASA/JPL/Goddard