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I’m Officially Part of the MyMoon Street Team! December 30, 2011

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

I am now officially a member of the MyMoon Street Team!

I’ll be blogging, tweeting, and representin’ on all things lunar as part of their efforts to get people really talking about the Moon.

My first blog over there has a Christmas theme to it…check it out:

Apollo 8 Found Santa on the Far Side of the Moon…but Where?

And keep an eye out for many more musings on all things Moon! I’ll post a link to each new one here at the ‘old haunt’, too :)

And don’t be shy…come join the co-Moon-ity fray over there and get some blogs out there yourself! :)

It’s Luna C/I’s Third Anniversary! :) April 2, 2011

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

Three years ago today, I started up Luna C/I with a simple post called Magnificent Desolation.

“One small post for a blog…one giant leap for this blogger.”

Little did I know how much that would pan out. I’ve gone from a freshly-minted urban planning graduate to, now, having just started a grad certificate in web development. That little post has represented the first step on not just one, but several significant paths for me; and I’m much the better for it, with an exciting road ahead :)

As the Google Lunar X PRIZE heats up and space tourism starts breaking on the horizon, and as I pick up a whole new set of nifty skills to augment my experience, this should prove to be an awesome, interesting, and upward-and-onwards year here at Luna C/I…so strap in, keep an eye on that super Moon of ours, and get ready as the engines of the lunar frontier era take flight :)

A Look at NASA’s Awesome Lunar Social Media Site—MyMoon! March 1, 2011

Posted by Nick Azer in : Luna C/I, MyMoon, social media , 1 comment so far

It’s time for a look at the NASA Lunar and Planetary Institute’s slick, energetic, and cutting-edge social media site: MyMoon!

Gritty, fun, and borderline spastic, the site is set up to serve as a fun destination for discussion of all things lunar.

An overview of the cornucopia of things up on the site:

It’s a fun place to explore, and it’s great to have a social spot for all things lunar—so check it out (and keep a tab on their blog for updates)!  The Moon’s a surprisingly personal thing to many people (“NASA is bombing the moon? WTF?!” was a common response to the LCROSS impact mission, especially as it caught fire on Twitter), so social moon destinations will be interesting places to track as this chapter in space develops…

International Space Transport Association Launched! September 17, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : 1967 Outer Space Treaty, International Space Trade Association, Luna C/I, space law , add a comment

Commercial space now has its own international trade organization—the International Space Transport Association (ISTA)!

A concept that had tried to get off the ground as early as 1997, the organization was officially launched today to help develop both the international space industry and, more specifically, the arguably sparse laws regarding it.

An interesting patch of the press release, as highlighted by NASA Watch:

“”One of the main goals of the International Space Transport Association is to facilitate the development of new regulations for the commercial space industry, which will help establish a more precise responsibility and liability structure, in line with UN resolution 2222-XXI Art VI.” -Press Release

That UN Resolution is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the (currently) definitive document governing outer space law.

Article VI:

“States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty. The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. When activities are carried on in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, by an international organization, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall be borne both by the international organization and by the States Parties to the Treaty participating in such organization.” – 1967 Outer Space Treaty

In short, states are responsible not only for their own actions in space, but for the actions of organizations (companies, etc. ) from their state, in terms of compliance to the treaty. (Here’s a good, quick overview of the treaty.)

So, the ISTA lists a main goal to be clearing up this definition of liability.

The formation of the ISTA marks an interesting step forward towards more specific governance of space (including, of course, the Moon). NASA Watch’s Marc Boucher voices some skepticism about the organization’s lasting power, but even if other organizations and approaches toward further space law develop, it’s a milestone towards more concrete regulation.

For more on the European-based ISTA (including an intro video and nuggets on its structure and various subgroups for different space topics), check out their website.

Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #28 September 3, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Google Lunar X Prize, Google Lunar X Prize Roundup, Luna C/I , add a comment

After some technical downtime here, as well as personal travel and other technical difficulties (I finally set aside time in a crazy week to do a post…and that’s when Twitter’s lists went down temporarily. Doh!), I’m finally able to bunker down and get a mondo-sized Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup out :)

This roundup’s going to cover the month-long period of July 20th-August 20th, with Roundup #29 (coming shortly) covering the 20th-27th.

So, without further ado, here’s a whole month of GLXP highlights. A lot of technical advancement can be seen…it feels like the competition is rounding a new corner. Exciting! :) Check out the whole lowdown:

I’ll have Roundup #29 posted this weekend as well, and next week the Roundups will be back on their weekly rotation :)

Back and Rolling :) August 10, 2010

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

Site move’s all settled, so after that week off I’m back and rolling :)

I’ll have a $30 million update and a mondo-sized Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup over the next few days, so stay tuned, and keep an eye out for little revamps here and there with the shiny new digs :D

Technical Downtime :) July 27, 2010

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

I’m going to be moving the site over to a different hosting source this week, so I’ll be back next week (or sooner, if it turns out to be quick and easy) with regular updates, a 2-week edition of the Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup, and some early revamps/expansions of the site :)

In the meantime, keep an eye on my Twitter page :)

Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #20 May 25, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Google Lunar X Prize, Google Lunar X Prize Roundup, Luna C/I , 4comments
Crickets chirping around the Google Lunar X PRIZE this week…only two items for you!  (There’s been as many as fourteen in one week before.) Get into gear, GLX-Peeps! Big things must be coming, right? ;) Well, here’s the two new items from the teams this past week:

Check out my Twitter GLXP List for a lot of these updates as they come in real-time…if you have any additions for it or related sources you think I should keep tabs on, drop me a line in the comments below :)

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 :)

Today is Luna C/I's One Year Anniversary! April 2, 2009

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

One year ago today, I went off on a limb and did my first-ever post at the old Luna C/I Blogger site.

Little did I know just how immediate and big the subject was once I first got in; a good thing, to be sure :) It’s been a surprising and exciting education so far, and I’m really glad to have strapped myself onto this rocket when I did. Who know whats worlds this blog will have taken me to, a year from now…

Some of the highlights of this first year:

It’s been a fun and pivotal year in my life, and the great thing about this subject is I know this blog will be around for many more–there’s only going to be more and more news from this point going forward, as the base race and the private space boom really begin to heat up over the next 2-10 years :) It’s going to be a blast, and I hope you’re here along with me for it.