Friday / 2 September 2016

Team Synergy Moon Launch With Interorbital Receives Official Verification By GLXP

LED-9-1-2016

The Announcement Out Of Los Angeles CA Verifies The Launch Agreement Between Synergy Moon And Team Member Interorbital Systems; Utilizes NEPTUNE 8 Rocket To Lift Off From Open-Ocean Platform Off California Coast During 2nd Half Of 2017; It Is The 3rd GLXP Team To Receive Launch Verification After SpaceIL (Via SpaceX – Falcon 9) And Moon Express (Via Rocket Lab – Electron); Synergy Moon Co-founders Are Kevin Myrick (USA) & Nebojša Stanojević (Bosnia And Herzegovina), Team Includes Randa & Roderick Milliron, As Well As Individuals And Working Groups In More Than 15 Countries

Credit: Synergy Moon, Interorbital

Friday / 12 February 2016

Luna 9 Inspires Giant Leaps For Future
Moon Landings

Luna 9

NewSpace Companies, Universities, Space Agencies Developing Breakthrough Technologies For Moon, Planetary, NEO Missions As 50th Anniversary Of Luna 9 – 1st Soft Moon Landing Is Observed This Week; Mission Trajectory, Sensors, Deceleration Technologies, Imaging / Instruments, Propellants Proven By Past Missions Being Improved Upon; Morpheus / Landers Using ALHAT, Moon Express Lander To Be A ‘Hopper’, SpaceX & Blue Origin Reusable Rockets Soft Landing On Earth, ESA Philae & Huygens Probes Significant For Landing On & Relaying 1st Ever Images Of Uncharted Areas

Credit: NASA, CAS, CNSA, JPL, ESA

Wednesday / 25 November 2015

Korea First Lunar Mission To Begin Flight Development Phase Jan 2016

11252015Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) Lunar Exploration Program With Expected 2-Year Budget Of 197.8 Billion Won (US$172.5M) To Begin Call For Instrument Proposals In Jan 2016; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) To Launch In 2018; Lander & Rover Expected 2020; Goal Is To Develop & Verify Lunar Technologies, Establish Korea Deep Space Network & Cooperate With International Partners In Lunar Exploration; Lander Mission Likely To Use Indigenous KSLV-2 Launch Vehicle; ISRO & KARI To Collaborate In India Deep Space Missions & Utilize Lunar Surface Data Collected By Chandrayaan-1; KARI Lunar Exploration Program Also Planning To Participate With NASA SSERVI To Gain Expertise In Solar System Science

Pictured: Dr. Seung-jo Kim, KARI President

Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Wednesday / 28 October 2015

AngelicvM Joins GLXP Collaboration With Astrobotic & Hakuto

10282015Team Astrobotic To Carry Chile Team AngelicvM 5kg Rover ‘Uni’ On Mission To Moon; Japan Team Hakuto Also Sharing Cost Of Mission & Potential Prize; Astrobotic To Deploy Uni, 2 Hakuto Rovers & Its Own Andy Rover To Travel 500 Meters On Lunar Surface; Astrobotic CEO John Thornton States “Team AngelicvM Shares Our Vision Of Uniting And Inspiring Individuals To Look To The Moon As The Next Great Destination For Exploration And Discovery”; Astrobotic Goal To Fill Payload Space On Lander By Early 2016 With Inclusion Of Lunar Mission One, Mexican Space Agency & 1 Possible Other GLXP Team; Launch Proposed With SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket NET 2017

Credit: GLXP, Astrobotic, Hakuto, Tohoku University Research News of Engineering, Angelicvm

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 October 2015

2017 Lunar Lander Prospects:
Astrobotic, Chang’e-5, Chandrayaan-2, Moon Express, SpaceIL, Moonspike

101720152017 Moon Exploration Progressing With Private-Funding & International Initiatives; Team Astrobotic Earlier Announced Potential SpaceX Launch With Confirmation Of Contract Pending; China Chang’e-5 & India Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Missions Reveal International Desire To Advance Human Exploration; Moon Express Five Launch Deal With Rocket Lab, Including GLXP Launch, Demonstrates Momentum; Team SpaceIL To Be World’s First Verified Moon Launch Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9; Moonspike Kickstarter Fundraising Effort Underway To Design & Construct Fully Fledged Three-Stage Moon Rocket

Credit: CCTV, CNSA, CAS, Astrobotic, Moon Express, Space IL, Moonspike, ISRO

Thursday / 8 October 2015

Israel Google Lunar XPrize Team SpaceIL Declares Launch Contract With SpaceX

1082015With Competition Extension Deadline Approaching SpaceIL Ticket Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 For Second Half Of 2017 Extends Competition; GLXP Vice Chairman Bob Weiss (BL) Confirms SpaceIL “As The First And Only” Team To Have Verified Launch Contract; Launcher Was Purchased Via Spaceflight Industries With President Curt Blake (BC) Sharing Excitement In Achieving “SpaceIL’s Quest To Win The Google Lunar XPRIZE”; In Order To Win Team Will Need To Land On Moon & Rover Must Explore 500 Meters Then Transmit Images Back To Earth; Contender Moon Express Announcement With Rocket Lab Also Supporting Its Competition Goals; Teams Astrobotic & Hakuto Planning Cooperative Launch Also Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

Pictured (BR): SpaceIL Team

Credit: GLXP, SpaceX, SpaceIL, Spaceflight Industries, Moon Express, Astrobotic, Hakuto

Thursday / 3 September 2015

GLXP Challenge To Get To Moon More Difficult Than Expected

9032015Lunar Lion Withdraws From Competition; Multiple GLXP Teams Successful With Rover Mobility & Visual Testing Yet Securing Launch Contracts (LC) Proving Difficult; Lack Of Updates / LC / Departure Of Tim Pickens & Andy Aldrin From Moon Express Signal Possible Withdrawal; Astrobotic & HAKUTO Collaborating In Rideshare Partnership Via SpaceX Falcon 9 For Late 2016; One Team Must Secure LC Within ~4 Months To Extend GLXP

Credit: GLXP, Astrobotic Technology, HAKUTO

Wednesday / 19 August 2015

GLXP Astrobotic Lands Commercial Clients For Lunar Missions

LED 081915Astrobotic Cites “Numerous Opportunities For Marketing On The Moon” When Contracted  To Deliver Japan Sports Drink Pocari Sweat Near Burg Crater Late 2016 For Undisclosed Sum; Future Rehydration With Lunar Water And Thirst-Quenching Enjoyment By Lunar Astronaut ExpectedTime Capsule Container, Designed By Singapore’s Astroscale, Includes Messages And Music;  San Francisco Startup Elysium Space To Deliver Lunar Burial Services Via Astrobotic Griffin Lander; Founder Thomas Civeit Calls It An “Exceptional Tribute” 

Credit: Global Post, Astrobotic

Tuesday / 14 July 2015

Astrobotic Progressing
Notwithstanding SpaceX Setback

7142015Cooperation With NASA For Lunar CATALYST Program Providing Confidence In Astrobotic Technology Inc Ability For Precise Future Lunar Landings; Astrobotic Software Tested With NASA Core Flight Software, Modeling & Simulation Technology; GLXP Contender Moon Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 May Experience Delays, Astrobotic Awaiting Further Details From The Investigation; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Reiterates Spaceflight Challenges & Success Of Previous Six SpaceX Launches

Credit:  NASA, Astrobotic, SpaceX

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 May 2014

SpaceX Innovations

Boost Future Of Lunar Exploration

LED-5-2-14

NewSpace Powerhouse Disrupting Launch Industry, Driving Innovation & Efficiency – Boon To All Who Seek High Frontier; Successful Tests Of F9 First Stage Controlled-Flight Recovery (18 Apr) & Grasshopper 1000-Meter Hop (2 May) Show Company Is Revolutionizing Future Of Exploration; Re-Usability Might Reduce Cost-To-Orbit By Half, Controlled Landing Systems Have Applications For Lunar / Planetary Exploration

Image Credit: SpaceX