Blogs

ESA to catch laser beam from Moon mission

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 20. June 2012 - 11:31
A computer-generated model of the LADEE spacecraft. Credits: NASA/Ames

[ESA Press Release - 19.06.2012]
In 2013, a NASA satellite will beam digital signals to an ESA receiving station fast enough to stream dozens of movies at once. The test will help to demonstrate the readiness of next-generation optical links for future data-intensive deep-space missions.

LEAG Annual Meeting Announcement

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 15. June 2012 - 9:47

[LEAG Press Release - 14.06.2012]
The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group will be held October 22–24, 2012, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

NASA Lunar Spacecraft Complete Prime Mission Ahead of Schedule

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 14. June 2012 - 23:02
An artist’s depiction of the twin spacecraft (Ebb and Flow) that comprise NASA’s GRAIL mission. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MIT

[NASA Press Release - 29.05.2012]A NASA mission to study the moon from crust to core has completed its prime mission earlier than expected. The mission team of NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, with twin probes named Ebb and Flow, is now preparing for extended science operations starting Aug. 30 and continuing through Dec. 3, 2012.

NASA Invites 150 Lucky Twitter Followers to Launch of Lunar Spacecraft

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 5. September 2011 - 19:27
Grail launch tweetup logo. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[NASA Press Release - 01.09.2011]
NASA has invited 150 followers of the agency's Twitter account to a two-day launch Tweetup Sept. 7-8. The Tweetup is expected to culminate in the launch of the twin lunar-bound GRAIL spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

NASA'S Lunar Spacecraft Completes Exploration Mission Phase

Submitted by Paul Acquatella on 21. November 2010 - 21:09
LRO in orbit around the Moon. Credits: NASA

[NASA Press Release - 15.09.2010]
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, will complete the exploration phase of its mission on Sept. 16, after a number of successes that transformed our understanding of Earth's nearest neighbor.

LRO completed a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit approximately 31 miles above the moon's surface. It produced a comprehensive map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail; searched for resources and safe landing sites for potential future missions to the moon; and measured lunar temperatures and radiation levels.

Research Suggests Water Content Of Moon Interior Underestimated

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 14. June 2010 - 23:38
Chandrayaan-1 image of water on the Moon surface. Credits: ISRO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS/Brown Univ

[NASA Press Release - 14.06.2010]
NASA-funded scientists estimate from recent research that the volume of water molecules locked inside minerals in the moon's interior could exceed the amount of water in the Great Lakes here on Earth.

NASA Invites Public to Take Virtual Walk on Moon

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 16. May 2010 - 13:11

[NASA Press Release - 11.05.2010]
More than 37 years after humans last walked on the moon, planetary scientists are inviting members of the public to return to the lunar surface as "virtual astronauts" to help answer important scientific questions.

No spacesuit or rocket ship is required - all visitors need to do is go to www.moonzoo.org and be among the first to see the lunar surface in unprecedented detail. New high-resolution images, taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), offer exciting clues to unveil or reveal the history of the moon and our solar system.

Barcelona Moon Team Enters $30 Million Google Lunar X PRIZE Competition

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 24. April 2010 - 9:58
Barcelona Moon Team logo. Credits: GLXP

[GLXP Press Release - 21.04.2010]
Today, Barcelona Moon Team, a multidisciplinary joint venture bringing together Spanish entrepreneurial, industrial and academic capabilities, announced its official entry into the Google Lunar X PRIZE - a $30 million competition that challenges space professionals and engineers from across the globe to build and launch to the moon a privately funded spacecraft capable of completing a series of exploration and transmission tasks. Barcelona Moon Team, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, is among the 21 teams from 11 countries that are vying for their share of the $30 million prize purse.

Student Moon Orbiter passes preliminary review

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 9. April 2010 - 17:37
ESMO spacecraft concept. Credits: ESMO Team

[ESA Press Release - 08.04.2010]
The European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) project passed its System Requirements Review (SRR) during a workshop held 22-26 March at ESA’s Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands. The successful outcome marked a major milestone in the project’s development.

More than 30 participants attended the event, including one student from each of the participating universities, and staff from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the project’s prime contractor.

Fly us to the Moon…south pole to be precise

Submitted by Trond Krovel on 9. April 2010 - 17:34
Soft lander proposal from EADS Astrium. Credits: EADS Astrium

[ESA Press Release - 31.03.2010]
The south polar region of the Moon, with dark craters and high ridges, is a world away from the relatively smooth terrain visited by Apollo astronauts four decades ago. This rugged moonscape is the target for Europe’s next leap into space.

The possible deposits of water ice, heavily cratered terrain and long periods of sunlight make the lunar south pole and areas around it extremely interesting for explorers and scientists. It is therefore a prime target for future human missions to the Moon.

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