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LRO Image of the Week #1!: Good Morning April 29, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : LRO Image of the Week, Mare Nubium, selenography , 1 comment so far

Today, I’m starting up a new weekly feature here at Luna C/I: The LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) Image of the Week!

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is an ongoing NASA mission, which as a part of its goal to prepare NASA (or, as the case may now be,  private space or international interests) for eventual moon bases by scouting the moon in new detail has taken tons and tons of groundbreaking photos. Detail never before seen has probed scientific mysteries, found lost property, and even disproved a hoax or two.

Each week, I’ll pick an image with a good story or item of interest to it and explore its tale in brief.

So, without further ado, here’s the first image of the week. Which, fittingly, is the first image the LRO took:

This first image is of an area near Mare Nubium, which is the southernmost of the great near side maria (about 350 miles south of the Apollo 12 and 14 landings).

What’s interesting here is, as LROC Principal Investigator Mark Robinson puts it best below, is the time of day at the location:

“Our first images were taken along the moon’s terminator — the dividing line between day and night — making us initially unsure of how they would turn out. Because of the deep shadowing, subtle topography is exaggerated, suggesting a craggy and inhospitable surface. In reality, the area is similar to the region where the Apollo 16 astronauts safely explored in 1972.”- LROC Principal Investigator Mark Robinson, “LRO’s First Moon Images”, NASA

The Apollo astronauts reported the striking differences the landscape took on as the sun came around the surface, creating dramatic sights. The lunar dawn is a unique sight, and a perfectly fitting study for the dawn of a new chapter of lunar understanding :)

Check back next week as I delve into an important discovery that came about in part by way of those long shadows…

Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #16 April 26, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Google Lunar X Prize, Google Lunar X Prize Roundup , 1 comment so far
Pretty cool week for the Google Lunar X PRIZE—a new team, the LEGO MoonBots competition is building up attention (ha, ha, get it?), and lots of other goodness:

New Google Lunar X PRIZE Team: Barcelona Moon! April 21, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Barcelona Moon, Google Lunar X Prize, Google Lunar X PRIZE Team Profile, Spain , 1 comment so far

A new Google Lunar X PRIZE team was officially announced today—Barcelona Moon!

The first Spanish team and 21st team overall to enter the race, the Barcelona Moon team is an arm of the Galactic Suite space hotel project (check out that snazzy site!):

“Five years ago, after the initial steps of the Galactic Suite Spaceresort project, the first space hotel, we had to go abroad both to look for the necessary investment and the technology to build it: the project was too complex for the Spanish aerospace industry. Today our team enters the GLXP to accomplish the Google Lunar X-Prize goals, which will help developing telecommunications, automation and miniaturization of electromechanical devices, robust software and the management of complex projects.”- Xavier Claramunt, ‘First Post From Barcelona Moon Team‘

Their GLXP team page notes that while they’re in tor the prize, “the real goal, for us, is to develop steps and synergies for longer term plans for an appropriate exploitation of space.”

Clearly, with experience already under their belts from the ongoing Galactic Suite project, Barcelona Moon comes into the GLXP with quite a bit of firepower. It should be interesting to see what they can accomplish :)

They’re already up on Facebook and Twitter, and you can follow their GLXP page (and my weekly GLXP Roundups) as news and updates come along from them :)

Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #15 April 19, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Google Lunar X Prize, Google Lunar X Prize Roundup , add a comment
Big week for the Google Lunar X PRIZE—lot of major stuff on the official GLXP front, if pretty quiet from the teams. Here’s the lowdown:

Check back mid-week for my post on new team Barcelona Moon, and next Monday for roundup #16!

Obama Gives Speech on NASA Plans at Kennedy Space Center April 15, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : NASA, Obama, Orion (craft) , 1 comment so far

President Obama delivered a major speech today at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on his plans for NASA:

Obama notes some important general space goals—Mars orbit by the 2030s, a new heavy lift rocket design by 2015, an asteroid mission in the 2020s—but I’m going to highlight some of the important details regarding the Moon, and NASA’s role there. (Click here for his full remarks.)

“We will ramp up robotic exploration of the solar system, including a probe of the Sun’s atmosphere, new scouting missions to Mars and other destinations, and an advanced telescope to follow Hubble, allowing us to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.”

NASA does still have some great lunar science/industry missions in the works; he does later mention them indirectly:

“At the same time, after decades of neglect, we will increase investment – right away – in other groundbreaking technologies that will allow astronauts to reach space sooner and more often, to travel farther and faster for less cost, and to live and work in space for longer periods of time more safely. That means tackling major scientific and technological challenges. How do we shield astronauts from radiation on longer missions? How do we harness resources on distant words? How do we supply spacecraft with the energy needed for these far-reaching journeys? These are questions we can and will answer.”

More general comments on the Moon as a destination were a bit unflattering:

“I understand that some believe that we should attempt a return to the surface of the Moon first, as previously planned. But the simple fact is, we have been there before. There is a lot more space to explore, and a lot more to learn when we do.”

His actual remark (at 23:05 in the video), as opposed to the prepared speech, was a little more negative:

“But, but—I just have to say, pretty bluntly here—we’ve been there before! Buzz [Aldrin, in audience] has been there. There’s a lot more to explore…”

Perhaps a touch more negative about the Moon’s possibilities than I’d like to see, but private industry does have it covered pretty well, and ideological distancing from Constellation’s general failures makes sense politically. Still, the Moon has some valuable possibilities to it, including in support of longer-range missions; while it’s not NASA’s priority anymore, in my opinion it’s more prudent to say that it’s simply not NASA’s goal, as opposed to not being a goal worth exploring at all.

He does mention the harnessing of resources, etc. indirectly, so the Moon still appears to be in his eye, even if it’s not necessarily ‘hip’ to say it right now ;)

Going back to private industry, Obama made some interesting new remarks on it’s possibilites:

“And there is potential for even more job creation as companies in Florida and across America compete to be part of a new space transportation industry. This holds the promise of generating more than 10,000 jobs nationwide over the next few years. Many of these jobs will be created in Florida, an area primed to lead in this competition.”

This is the first time I can recall seeing anyone put a number (and timeframe) on the private space industry’s impact. ‘More than 10,000 jobs’ over the ‘next few years’.

Obama also voices a strong argument in support of the wisdom of leaning on private companies, citing the history with contractors in the past:

“I recognize that some have said it is unfeasible or unwise to work with the private sector in this way. But the truth is, NASA has always relied on private industry to help design and build the vehicles that carry astronauts to space, from the Mercury capsule that carried John Glenn into orbit nearly fifty years ago, to the Space Shuttle Discovery currently orbiting overhead. By buying the service of space transportation – rather than the vehicles themselves – we can continue to ensure rigorous safety standards are met. But we will also accelerate the pace of innovation as companies – from young start-ups to established leaders – compete to design, build, and launch new means of carrying people and materials out of our atmosphere.”

A good point that’s been raised, and it’s nice to see it from the President himself. It seems like many I talk to associated with the current establishment of space dismiss private industry somewhat out of hand, and I’ve always felt that to be an underestimation.

All in all, it is an encouraging speech, and it’s good to see Obama ‘lay down the law’ a little in support of his established plans. Despite some vocal opposition, Obama’s sticking to his guns.

Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #14 April 12, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Google Lunar X Prize, Google Lunar X Prize Roundup , add a comment

With Yuri’s Night having come and gone, it’s turned out to be an unusually quiet week around the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Here’s the skinny…

Check back every Monday for all the latest :)

NASA To Lead Way With Lunar Robotics, Mining? April 7, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : lunar mining, NASA, Post-Constellation, robotics, rover , 2comments

The Google Lunar X PRIZE features a bonanza of robotic rover concepts (and companies with plans to continue working on the moon with robotics), but a Space.com article today notes NASA’s plans to blaze the path with their own post-Constellation rover missions:

“”The area where NASA could perhaps lead — an area which could affect society greatly — is robotics.” – Robert Braun, NASA Chief Technologist;’ NASA Plans New Robot Generation to Explore Moon, Asteroids’, Space.com

The article cites the 2011 NASA Budget Proposal as planning two lunar  robotics missions, starting next year. (See Page 8 of the Proposal Overview [PDF]). One mission would test remote control of robotics from Earth or even the ISS, and the other could be a mission to test mining techniques for water and other in-situ resources. The proposal overview elaborates a little on the latter—saying missions could include “demonstrating a factory to process lunar or asteroid materials…”.

These missions sound like they’d go a long way towards NASA’s new role in supporting private space. By demonstrating and testing both control and method for utilizing lunar resources, they could really spur along companies that otherwise might not want to take on the risk or cost of figuring out the initial techniques.

Check out the article for an interesting quote from Peter Diamandis on the Google Lunar X PRIZE’s goal re: NASA, and the full skinny of details :)

Today is Luna C/I's Second Anniversary :) April 2, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Luna C/I , add a comment

Today marks the second birthday for Luna C/I! :) Really snuck up on me this time.

From its humble fumbling-in-the-dark beginnings on Blogspot, Luna C/I’s come a long way. Now settled into a comfortable lunar trajectory, Luna C/I’s ready to take this momentum and carry in into big things. Good as things are now, I plan to inject serious propulsion towards what this site can achieve. Going to be an exciting third year :)

But, for now, some Luna C/I highlights of the past year:

Ton of exciting news this year, from the mammoth discoveries of lunar water to Obama’s overhaul of NASA and private space.

Though, again, as great as this past year has been, I think it’ll pale in comparison to what I might be cooking up in year three…so, stay tuned;we’ve barely entered lunar trajectory yet :)

Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #13 April 2, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Google Lunar X Prize Roundup , add a comment
Lucky number 13 for the Google Lunar X PRIZE roundups—let’s see what’s rolling on Luna C/I’s second anniversary (woot!):

UKSA (United Kingdom Space Agency) Launches Today (No Joke) April 1, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : England, European Space Agency, Skylon, spaceplane, UK Space Agency , 1 comment so far

Today, as previously announced about a week ago, the newly-formed United Kingdom Space Agency officially comes  in existence.

The UK has already been involved in a lot of space tech (satellites in particular), but organizing a true agency

“People in the UK are not aware of just how good Britain is both at space research and in terms of our space industry; [a space agency] is going to make people more aware of that.

But in practical terms, it’s going to make the decision-making by government in all aspects of space policy much more joined up, better co-ordinated – a single point within government which has responsibility for making sure that we get everything in alignment such that the space research we do, the space industry that we’re building, fulfils its true potential.” -Lord Drayson, British minister for science and innovation; ‘Muscular UK Space Agency Launched’, BBC News

They have a video up which is a great summary of what British space has done thus far, why an agency is forming now, and the interesting places it is going:

Of particular note is the spaceplane concept mentioned (Reaction Engines Limited’s SKYLON), as well as the noted focus on industry. It’s interesting to see a spaceplane already—a little concrete reminder that they are lifting off into the mainstream, and fast :)