moon Archive

moonNASA Has New Moon Plans for mid-2020s and Will Fund Human-Rated Large Moon Landers

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February 13, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
NASA is planning for the launch of the first Human Lander demonstration mission in 2024. The minimum objective of this mission is to demonstrate a lunar surface landing from the Gateway with a Descent Element capable of supporting a …
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antiagingMoon Bases, Orbital Bases and the Start of Mars Colonization by 2040

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February 13, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
One of Elon Musk’s speeches was animated by After Skool. Elon discussed how societal and technological progress is not inevitable. Elon cited the examples of the Egyptians forgetting how to build Pyramids and the Romans forgetting how to build their …
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interviewsInterview of Doug Plata on Developing a Moon Base With Current Technology

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February 9, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
Doug Plata leads the Space Development Network. It is a space advocacy organization which has no member dues but asks that you spend 6 hours per year helping to advance toward the goal of space development. Doug advocates for spending …
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analysisNASA Did Not Accept an Unlimited Budget for Sending Humans to Mars But Elon Musk Would

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January 23, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
The New York Magazine describes how President Trump offered some people at NASA to imagine and propose an Apollo-style crash program to get humans to Mars. NASA described getting to humans to Mars in the 2030s. Trump asked if the …
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europePTScientists to Examine 2025 ESA Moon Mining Mission

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January 22, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
The European Space Agency ESA and ArianeGroup, as prime contractor of a consortium of Arianegroup, Space Application Services and PTScientists, have signed a contract to study and prepare ESA’s planned ISRU mission. The European Space Agency (ESA) is hoping to …
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moonLunar Biosphere Bucket Frozen as Planned and Plants are Dead

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January 16, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
The plants on the moon are now dead. The Chang’e-4 probe entered a sleep mode on Sunday as the first lunar night after the probe’s landing started. The temperature could drop as low as about minus 170 degrees centigrade. Life …
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moonPotato, Cotton and Rapeseeds Have Sprouted on the Moon in Mini-Biosphere

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January 15, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
The chinese lander on the moon brought cotton seeds which have sprouted. Potato seeds and rapeseeds also had sprouted. This is the first time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface. The bio-technical test load is made …
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astronomyChina’s Chang’e 4 Probe Takes 360 Panoramic Photo

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January 11, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
China’s Chang’e-4 probe took panoramic photos on the far side of the moon. The images were sent back via the relay satellite Queqiao, which was operating around the second Lagrangian point of the earth-moon system, about 455,000 km from the …
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moonChang’e-4 Probe Explores One of the Largest Impact Craters in the Solar System

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January 6, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
The Chang’e-4 probe is exploring the Von Kármán crater which located within the much larger South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin. It was likely formed by a giant impact early in the Moon’s history. The crater is over 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) …
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chinaChina’s Lunar Rover Yutu 2 Begins Exploring Far Side of the Moon

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January 4, 2019 | Brian Wang |
 
China’s rover Yutu 2 has begun exploring the far side of the moon after making a soft landing with the lander. The rover will used ground-penetrating radar to map the moon’s inner structures, analyze soil and rock samples for minerals …
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