Armadillo Aerospace’s third lunar lander free flight of NASA’s Project M. (Thanks to Clark Lindsey over at Hobby Space.)
Tag: moon
ISRO PRESS RELEASE
Chandrayaan-2, India’s second mission to moon, is being targeted for launch during 2013. Chandrayaan-2 will have an orbiter (satellite), a lander and a rover. Chandrayaan-2 is planned to be launched on board Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. While the lander will be provided by Russia, the orbiter and the rover are being built by ISRO.
Continue reading ‘ISRO Finalizes Instruments of Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Mission’
ASTROBOTIC PRESS RELEASE
Astrobotic Technology, a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) spin-off company has announced that Caterpillar Inc. will be a sponsor its first robotic expedition to the lunar surface. The initial Astrobotic mission will revisit the Apollo 11 site in April 2013 with a five-foot tall, 160-lb. robot broadcasting 3D high-definition video. The mission will carry payloads to the Moon and convey the experience to the world via Internet video access.
Continue reading ‘Astrobotic Teams with Caterpillar to Build Google Lunar X Prize Rover’
NGL PRESS RELEASE
Next Giant Leap LLC (NGL) is offering NASA lunar mission data on its planned lunar robotic lander mission via the recently announced NASA Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data (ILDD) program. The ILDD program challenges industry to demonstrate Earth-to-lunar surface flight system capabilities and test technologies including information related to landing using a human mission profile; identification of hazards during landing; precision landing: imagery: and long-duration surface operations. NASA issued the ILDD Broad Agency Announcement on August 6th which will result in multiple small firm-fixed price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a total value up to $30.1 million through 2012.
Continue reading ‘Next Giant Leap to NASA: We’ll Sell You Our Moon Data’
China considers big rocket power
BBC News
Chinese engineers are considering a new super-powerful engine for the next generation of space rockets, say officials.
Continue reading ‘Chinese Eye Heavy-Lift Rocket for Human Trips to the Mooon’
Tourists Close To Conquering Final Frontier
Investor’s Business Daily
In about four years, Space Adventures hopes to send its first paying customers out of this world — on a trip around the moon.
The cost? About $100 million per passenger. Still, by that time, Space Adventures and a handful of other companies believe a multibillion-dollar commercial space tourism industry will be lifting off.
“We’re in negotiations with several clients who want to fly on that (first) mission,” said Chris Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures, based in Vienna, Va.
Read the full story.
2010 SHIFTboston MOON CAPITAL Competition
Call for Entries: Monday, May 31, 2010
Submission Deadline: Friday, September 3, 2010
SHIFTboston is calling on architects, space-architects, scientists, engineers, urban designers, landscape designers, industrial designers, fashion designers, artists and futurists to submit their most provocative ideas for the moon. Think: WHAT IF this could happen on the moon?
Continue reading ‘Competition Looks for Cool Things to Build on the Moon’
Bob Zubrin is from Mars and Paul Spudis is from Luna, but there’s one thing they both agree on: NASA’s new human spaceflight policy sucks.
Continue reading ‘Zubrin and Spudis to NASA: Pick a Destination, Any Destination!’
Asteroid Ida
Although I was not able to attend this year’s International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Chicago, I have been able to follow it via Twitter.
X Prize Foundation Founder Peter Diamandis gave a presentation earlier today in which he outline the projects that his non-profit group wants to fund. Tweets from Robin Snelson and Donnie Lowther:
@DKLowther Diamandis: Beamed Power Launch X Prize; Asteroid Deflection X Prize–concept; Orbital Debris Removal X Prize concept.
@robinsnelson X Prize wants to award $20M Prizes for Asteroid Deflection & Orbital Debris Removal — thrifty!
@robinsnelson Peter Diamandis says X Prize looking at beamed power launch challenge $1M and Prize $10M
@DKLowther Diamandis: Martian Life X Challenge to develop life that can survive on Mars; believes it could done in a year if funded.
@DKLowther Diamandis: Putting the first civilian on the Moon is prime goal.
@DKLowther Peter Diamandis: nanotechnology is going to have a major impact on space technology.
Masten Space Systems' 'Xoie' lunar lander.
XCOR/MASTEN PRESS RELEASE
May 25, 2010
XCOR Aerospace and Masten Space Systems, two of the leaders in the New Space sector, have announced a strategic business and technology relationship to pursue jointly the anticipated NASA sponsored unmanned lander projects.
These automated lander programs are expected to serve as robotic test beds on Earth, on the lunar surface, Mars, near Earth objects and other interplanetary locales, helping NASA push the boundaries of technology and opening the solar system for future human exploration.
Continue reading ‘XCOR, Masten Space Systems Form Strategic Partnership for Lander Work’
Russia to develop lander for Chandrayaan-II
The Hindu
Russia will develop a lander that will ferry a rover to explore the moon’s surface as part of the Chandrayaan-II mission, slated for launch in 2013, project director of Chandrayaan-I and II M. Annadurai said on Sunday.
Continue reading ‘India, Russia Teaming Up to Put a Rover on the Moon’
GSLV Mark III engine test (Photo: ISRO)
A bit more on India’s planned April 15 test of an indigenous cryogenic upper stage, which is proceeding along with some controversy:
Later this month, if the Indian space agency’s attempt to launch its largest rocket, the GSLV-D3 with an indigenous cryogenic engine succeeds, then India will join the elite club of five nations in the world to have successfully developed such technology.
For the country’s rocket scientists, the yet-to-be-achieved breakthrough is significant on two fronts–one, they will achieve self reliance and confidence in space technology. Two, India will emerge as a serious player in the $4 billion global satellite launch market.
Continue reading ‘India Prepares to Launch GSLV With New Cryo Engine Amid Controversy’
David Gump of Astrobotic writes about his company’s plan to fly commercial payloads to the moon:
Astrobotic Technology will carry 240 lbs. (109 kg) to the Moon for researchers and marketers as part of its maiden expedition in 2012 to win the Google Lunar X Prize.
Science instruments, prototype exploration devices and commercial packages will be carried at $700,000 per pound, plus a $250,000 fee per payload to cover the engineering costs of integrating it into either the expedition’s lander or its solar-powered robot….
Continue reading ‘Send a 1-Pound Payload to the Moon for $950K’
China plans to launch third unmanned moon probe around 2013
Xinhua
China plans to launch its third unmanned probe to the moon, Chang’e-3, around 2013 and expects to complete the three-phase moon mission in 2017, an official said here Wednesday.
The remarks by Ye Peijian, chief designer of Chang’e-1, the country’s first moon probe, and chief commander of Chang’e-2 and Chang’e-3, followed presentations by two space exploration experts last week.
Continue reading ‘China to Land Lunar Rover Around 2013′
China Studies Moon Rocket
Aviation Week
China is studying the design of a Moon rocket in the class of the Saturn V, as the Obama administration proposes canceling the U.S. successor to the Apollo launcher, Ares V….
Confirming that such a Chinese Moon rocket is at the study stage, the vice-president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Liang Xiaohong, says it will have a thrust at lift off of 3,000 tons. The Saturn V’s S-1C first stage generated 7,648,000 lb. (3,470 metric tons) of thrust at sea level.
Continue reading ‘China Studying Saturn V Class Rocket for Human Lunar Missions’
