Category Archives: South Pole Moon

Thursday / 21 August 2014

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Moon Mining Featured On Science Channel Premier

MEmanVuniverse

GLXP Teams Moon Express & Astrobotic Featured In Premier Of ‘Man vs The Universe’ On Science Channel; Episode Entitled ‘Mining The Moon’ Relates How Private Enterprises Are Utilizing Efficient Low-Cost Designs & Youthful Ingenuity To Reassert USA Leadership In Moon Exploration; GLXP Winner Will Be Well Positioned To Develop Moon Mining Technology, Leading Edge Of Potential $Trillion Industry; Moon Express Confirms South Pole Moon As Ideal Destination

Image Credit: Moon Express, Science Channel, 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 / 15 August 2014

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Moon / Small Body Spacecraft Initiatives Supported By NASA

NASA Mooncraft Intiatives

Scarab Lunar Rover Being Developed By Robotics Institute Of Carnegie Mellon University To Explore Dark Polar Craters At Moon South Pole; Powered By 100-Watt Fuel Cell Created Under NASA Game Changing Development Program, Rover Can Collect 1m Core Samples For Water & Gas Analysis; Marco Pavone Of Stanford University Awarded US$500K Through NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program To Continue Developing Hopping / Tumbling Craft With 3 Internal Flywheels Capable Of Exploring Small Bodies – Similar Technologies Could Be Applied To Future Mooncraft

Image Credit: NASA, Carnegie Mellon University

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

Thursday / 31 July 2014

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SLS Maiden Voyage To Deliver Cubesats To Moon

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11 Cubesats Will Be Delivered To Cislunar Space On First Uncrewed Mission Of SLS Rocket / Orion Capsule In Late 2017; 3 Missions Have Already Been Selected Including Lunar Flashlight; Led By Barbara Cohen Of NASA Marshall SFC; Mission Will Utilize 80m² Solar Sail To Navigate Into A Highly Elliptical Lunar Polar Orbit That Passes Near Moon South Pole, Solar Sail Will Then Be Redirected To Shine 50kW Of Sunlight Into Shaded Craters While On-Board Spectrometer Measures Surface Reflection & Composition; Data Will Identify Sites With Ample Volatiles Near Surface Ideal For More Expansive Lander / Rover / Human Missions

Image Credit: NASA, Rob Staehle

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

Thursday / 3 July 2014

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ILOA Partnering With Canadensys Aerospace Corp On ILO-1 Flagship Moon Mission

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International Lunar Observatory Association Of Hawai`i Contracts Canadensys Aerospace Corporation To Work On ILO-1 Moon South Pole Multifunctional Lander, Expected To Launch Later This Decade; Canada-Based Company Will Serve As Prime Contractor For ILO-1 Main Observation & Communications Payload; Collaborate On Galaxy Forum Canada 21st Century Education Program At 65th IAC In Toronto; Current Contract Focused On Refining ILO-1 Instrument Design & Program Definition In Light Of Recent International & Commercial Interest In Developing Lunar South Pole

Image Credit: Canadensys Aerospace Corporation, ILOA

Tuesday / 20 May 2014

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USA Lunar Surface Mission In The Works: NASA Issues RFI

RFIresolve

RFI Submitted By NASA KSC Seeking Private Industry Sources / Information On Payload Avionics Systems & Avionics Elements For Use In Short-Duration Lunar Surface Resource Prospecting Mission; Submissions Must Be Sent To Christopher Zuber By 20 June 2014; South Pole Moon Resource Prospector Mission (RPM) With RESOLVE Payload Notionally Targeted For 2018 Launch; NASA Has Spent Just Over US$20M On The Mission, Expects Total Mission Cost ~US$250M

 Image Credit: NASA

Thursday / 15 May 2014

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Moon Poles Offer Lab To Study Origin Of Life

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Lunar Poles Differ Dramatically From Any Part Of Moon Already Visited Says UH Professor Paul Lucey Of HIGP; Missions To Moon Poles Could Allow Field Testing Of Models Of Inorganic Synthesis, Along With ISRU Of Extensive Water Deposits – Over 600M Metric Tons Of Water / Hydroxyl At North Pole Alone; University Of Hawaii Team Led By Sara Crites Demonstrates How Small Amounts Of Volatiles Irradiated With Galactic Cosmic Rays Over 1B Years Could Have Produced Organic Compounds Detected By LCROSS

Image Credit: UH, NASA, Facebook

Wednesday / 30 April 2014

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China Lunar Exploration Program Advancing With Fleet Of Missions

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Launch Of Test Probe Later This Year Will Verify High-Speed Reentry Capability Of 2017 Chang’e-5 Sample Return Mission; Chang’e-4 Lander May Not Just Repeat Chang’e-3 Mission But Could Achieve Something More Innovative, South Pole Landing Would Be Just That; China Officials Confirm Goal Of Building 36-Square Meter Lunar Base Known As ‘Lunar Palace 1’, Beijing University Of Aeronautics & Astronautics Reportedly Has Completed Design, Details Of The Moonbase Plan Will Be Released Later In 2014

Image Credit: CNSA, CLEP, Moonbase Alpha