Moon Exploration and Science News

December 14, 2013

Hubble discovers water vapour venting from Jupiter's moon Europa
Paris (ESA) Dec 13, 2013
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has discovered water vapour erupting from the frigid surface of Jupiter's moon Europa, in one or more localised plumes near its south pole. Europa is already thought to harbour a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust, making the moon one of the main targets in the search for habitable worlds away from Earth. This new finding is the first observational evidence of water vapour being ejected off the moon's surface. "The discovery that water vapour is ejected ne ... read more

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First Rock Dating Experiment Performed on Mars Although researchers have determined the ages of rocks from other planetary bodies, the actual experiments-like analyzing meteorites and moon rocks-have always been done on Earth. Now, for the first ... more		Ancient crater could hold clues about moon's mantle Researchers from Brown University and the University of Hawaii have found some mineralogical surprises in the Moon's largest impact crater. Data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper that flew aboard Indi ... more		Chang'e-3 probe moves closer to the moon China's lunar probe Chang'e-3 entered an orbit closer to the moon on Tuesday night. Following an order from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, the probe descended from the 100 km-high lunar ... more
				Minerals in giant impact crater may be clues to moon's makeup, origin Mineralogical discoveries in the moon's largest impact crater could yield clues to the evolution of our companion's crust and mantle, U.S. researchers say. ... more		Silent Orbit for China's Moon Lander China's first Moon lander is in a stable orbit around that world, awaiting the command to lower its orbit and eventually descend to the surface. Judging by what little we know, the Chang'e-3 spacecr ... more

'Solutions' necessary for rocket accidents Experts have called for an insurance plan to cover damage caused by space launches and re-entries after two houses were damaged by rocket wreckage in Hunan province on Monday. The wreckage of the Lo ... more		Turkey keen on space cooperation with China Turkey is keen on space cooperation with China, especially in lunar missions and outer space exploration, scientists said here on Wednesday after China's launching of lunar probe Chang'e-3. Th ... more		North Korea to soon unveil 'next-stage' nuclear plans, Kim says Greenland dispute is 'wake-up call' for Europe: Macron Trump warns US to end support for Iraq if Maliki returns		China's most moon-like place The desert of fine, soft sand ripples with low dunes and not a plant is in sight. Simmering under a ceaseless noonday sun, the Kumtag desert descends through chill to extreme frigidity as night fall ... more
				LADEE Instruments Healthy and Ready for Science Now in orbit around the moon, NASA's newest lunar mission has completed the commissioning phase, and its science instruments have passed their preliminary checks. The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust ... more		Model Suggests Ocean Currents Shape Europa's Icy Shell in Ways Critical for Potential Habitats In a finding of relevance to the search for life in our solar system, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin's Institute for Geophysics, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Max Pl ... more

CubeSats, SmallSats and MicroSats

International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures From Space Environment

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

China launches first moon rover mission China launched its first moon rover mission early Monday, the latest step in an ambitious space programme seen as a symbol of its rising global stature. ... more		Commentary: Lunar probe boosts "Chinese dream" China launched the the country's first moon rover aboard its Chang'e-3 lunar probe on Monday, bringing Chinese dreams of reaching the moon tantalizingly close. If Chang'e-3 successfully soft-l ... more		NASA advances space based tracking of marine debris Trump-era trade stress leads Western powers to China Trump troop deployments in US cities cost nearly $500 mn in 2025		Designer: moon rover uses cutting-edge technology China's third lunar probe, the Chang'E Three is set to launch in early December. In recent years, China has made considerable progress in its space program. In June, three Chinese astronauts s ... more
				Moon gardens: NASA to sow first seeds of future habitat NASA is bravely venturing into new scientific territory with a plan to start growing plants on the moon no later than 2015. The experiment is designed to yield important knowledge about life's long- ... more		Helping China To The Moon Shortly after China's Chang'e-3 spacecraft departs Earth to land on the Moon, ESA's network of tracking stations will swing into action, providing crucial support for the vessel's five-day lunar cru ... more

The Tough Task of Finding Fossils While Wearing a Spacesuit

Mars One Selects Lockheed Martin to Study First Private Unmanned Mission to Mars

SSTL selected for first private Mars mission

Cassini Spacecraft Obtains Best Views of Saturn Hexagon

Model Suggests Ocean Currents Shape Europa's Icy Shell in Ways Critical for Potential Habitats

The Bright Vortex Off Saturn Way

The Sounds of New Horizons

On the Path to Pluto, 5 AU and Closing

SwRI study finds that Pluto satellites' orbital ballet may hint of long-ago collisions

Ancient crater could hold clues about moon's mantle

Minerals in giant impact crater may be clues to moon's makeup, origin

Silent Orbit for China's Moon Lander

	Japanese firm describes proposed 'power belt' for the moon A Japanese company has unveiled its concept of a lunar solar power generation installation that could send 13,000 continuous terawatts of power back to Earth. ... more		China pursues "zero window" launch for lunar probe China will strive to launch its Chang'e-3 lunar probe at the optimal time within the launch window, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center said on Friday. China is scheduled to launch the probe i ... more		Amidst and Beyond the Rings While the moon Epimetheus passes by, beyond the edge of Saturn's main rings, the tiny moon Daphnis carries on its orbit within the Keeler gap of the A ring. Although quite different in size, both mo ... more		Spotlight on China's Moon Rover The upcoming launch of China's Chang'e-3 Moon lander and rover follows a busy year for the Chinese space program. Awareness of China's growing strength in spaceflight is rising throughout the world. ... more

Gold soars towards $5,600 as Trump rattles sabre over Iran

Online platforms offer filtering to fight AI slop; EU lawmakers want AI to pay for using copyrighted work

Electron ordering mapped in quantum material with cryogenic 4D-STEM

China names moon rover "Yutu"		We're Going to the Moon!		NASA Spacecraft Begins Collecting Lunar Atmosphere Data		NASA Instrument Determines Hazards of Deep-Space Radiation		Rediscovered Apollo data gives first measure of how fast Moon dust piles up
Big Boost for China's Moon Lander		UNH scientists document, quantify deep-space radiation hazards		Martian moon samples will have bits of Mars		Mission to Mars moon could be a sample-return twofer		NASA Cassini Spacecraft Provides New View of Saturn and Earth

NASA's GRAIL Mission Puts a New Face on the Moon

UCF Lands NASA-Funded Center, Linchpin for Future Space Missions

Multiple Missions Will Get China Moving On Mars

Moon mission yields clues to face of 'man in the moon'

Shanghai-built lunar rover set for lunar landing

Historic Demonstration Proves Laser Communication Possible

UI Researchers Help Decode New View of Saturn's Moon Titan, Contribute to Cassini Mission

Cassini Gets New Views of Titan's Land of Lakes

NASA Laser Communication System Sets Record with Data Transmissions to and from Moon

Crowdfunded Lunar Spacecraft Reaches Funding Milestone

Phobos-Grunt-2: Russia to probe Martian moon by 2022

LADEE Continues To Settle Into Operational Lunar Orbit

Russia to Make Second Attempt at Mars Moon Mission

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