Moon Exploration and Science News

July 22, 2014

Lunar Pits Could Shelter Astronauts, Reveal Details of How 'Man in the Moon' Formed
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 22, 2014
While the moon's surface is battered by millions of craters, it also has over 200 holes - steep-walled pits that in some cases might lead to caves that future astronauts could explore and use for shelter, according to new observations from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft. The pits range in size from about 5 meters (~5 yards) across to more than 900 meters (~984 yards) in diameter, and three of them were first identified using images from the Japanese Kaguya spacecraft. Hundred ... read more

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Manned mission to Moon scheduled by Roscosmos for 2020-2031 Russia is planning a manned mission to the Moon in 2030-2031, Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) First Deputy Head Alexander Ivanov said on Monday, July 14, reports TASS. "In our program this (m ... more		NASA Seeks Proposals for Europa Mission Science Instruments NASA has issued an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for proposals about science instruments that could be carried aboard a future mission to Jupiter's moon Europa. Selected instruments could address ... more		Ten-Year Endeavor: NASA's Aura Tracks Pollutants When astronaut William Anders flew on the first manned mission to orbit the moon in 1968, he photographed the surreal view of Earth rising above the lunar horizon. "We came all this way to explore t ... more
				Sky-gazers can expect one 'Supermoon' per month for the next three months Weather permitting, watchers of the night sky will be set aglow by a Supermoon this evening. A Supermoon is the same, regular moon, only it appears up to three-times bigger than normal. ... more		Landsat Looks to the Moon Every full moon, Landsat 8 turns its back on Earth. As the satellite's orbit takes it to the nighttime side of the planet, Landsat 8 pivots to point at the moon. It scans the distant lunar surface m ... more

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Newfound Frozen World Orbits in Binary Star System A newly discovered planet in a binary star system located 3,000 light-years from Earth is expanding astronomers' notions of where Earth-like-and even potentially habitable-planets can form, and how ... more		Models suggest stretching forces shaped Ganymede's surface Processes that shaped the ridges and troughs on the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede are likely similar to tectonic processes seen on Earth, according to a team of researchers led by Southwest ... more		Aalyria spacetime platform tapped for AFRL space data network trials Atomic 6 debris shields selected for Portal Space Systems mission China starts large scale production of T1000 carbon fiber		Yutu designer's bittersweet Jia Yang has two children. One goes to a middle school in Beijing; the other is on the moon. The trials of parenthood have been far more arduous with the second child for Jia, deputy chief designer ... more
				Are China's Astronauts Moonbound China has made tremendous progress with its lunar exploration program. It has sent two spacecraft to orbit the Moon and has also landed a robot rover on the surface. Later this year, we expect China ... more		Discovery expands search for Earth-like planets A newly discovered planet in a binary star system located 3,000 light-years from Earth is expanding astronomers' notions of where Earth-like-and even potentially habitable-planets can form, and how ... more

Russia plans super-heavy rocket for Lunar, Mars missions The Russian state corporation Roscosmos intends to hold a meeting in August on developing super-heavy rocket carrier involving a wide range of enterprises of the industry. "In early August we will h ... more		Rover Has Enough Energy for Some Late-Night Work Opportunity is exploring the west rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover is continuing south along the ridgeline that forms the spine of the crater rim, collecting color imagery of targets and outcrops ... more		Ancient nitrogen enzyme study illuminates early Earth conditions and life detection Cleaner ship fuel is reducing lightning in key shipping lanes, research finds Geoscientists use satellite to determine not the shape of water, but how water shapes land		NASA plans to colonize Mars NASA may not be planning to put a human on Mars until the 2030s, but the agency's top scientist said colonizing the planet is a key part of its agenda - as well as its search for extraterrestrial li ... more
Chinese scientists prepare for lunar base life support system Beijing (XNA) Jul 01, 2014 China is a step closer to setting up a lunar base after a 105-day manned airtight test, in which the bio-regenerative life support systems of Lunar Palace 1 sustained the ... more		Upside-down drive: NASA tests under-ice space rover A NASA space rover to be sent to Jupiter's moon Europa has had its first run in Alaska. The tiny machine is designed to travel on underwater ice. The Buoyant rover for under-ice exploration (BRUIE) ... more		China plans to land rover on Mars by 2020 China is planning to land a rover on Mars by 2020 and bring back samples from the Red Planet a decade later, according to a top scientist with the country's Lunar Exploration Program. The Mars ... more		Computing Paths to Asteroids Helps Find Future Exploration Opportunities As left over building blocks of the solar system's formation, asteroids are of significant interest to scientists. Resources, especially water, embedded within asteroids could be of use to astronaut ... more

	Mysterious 'Magic Island' appears on Saturn moon Now you don't see it. Now, you do. And now you don't see it again. Astronomers have discovered a bright, mysterious geologic object - where one never existed - on Cassini mission radar images of Lig ... more		Moon to see first tourists by 2017, single roundtrip ticket costs $150 mln The moon will welcome its first tourists as early as 2017, Space Adventures, a US-based space tourism company, said Wednesday. According to Space Adventures' head Tom Shelley, two brave folks have a ... more

Hydrogen nuclei experiment sharpens view of quarks inside matter

Oak Ridge team plans powerful test facility for next generation fusion components

Low frequency lasers modeled to greatly boost nuclear fusion rates

NASA considers sending quadcopter drone to look for life on Titan		Titan Flybys Test the Talents of NASA's Cassini Team		NASA LRO's Moon As Art Collection Is Revealed		Solar photons drive water off the moon		Cracks in Pluto's Moon Could Indicate it Once Had an Underground Ocean
55-year old dark side of the moon mystery solved		New evidence supporting moon formation via collision of 2 planets		NASA Missions Let Scientists See Moon's Dancing Tide From Orbit		Earth's gravitational pull stretches moon surface		Water in moon rocks provides clues and questions about lunar history

Chinese lunar rover alive but weak

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NASA Invites Public to Select Favorite Moon Image for Lunar Orbiter Anniversary Collection

Sunsets on Titan Reveal the Complexity of Hazy Exoplanets

Intertwined evolution of human brain and brawn

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