TO THE MOON, MARS, AND BEYOND

Many folks would like to see us back on the Moon and developing its resources.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

MSL launch delayed to Saturday, Nov. 26

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

Well now it is our turn to launch a mission to Mars.
I hope all goes well.
- LRK -

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MSL launch delayed to Saturday, Nov. 26

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:09:33 PM PST

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V carrying NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) has been delayed one day to allow time for the team to remove and replace a flight termination system battery. The launch is rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The one hour and 43 minute launch window opens at 10:02 a.m. EST.

The Monday, Nov. 21 schedule of prelaunch tours and briefings will remain the same. Rollout of the Atlas V to the launch pad moves to Friday, Nov. 25. The rest of the week's briefings and events are being reevaluated and a new prelaunch schedule will be issued on Monday.

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NASA News Conferences and Events for Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Launch 

These events will be broadcast on NASA Television NASA Television and also carried on the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Ustream channel. 

Times are subject to change, so check this page for updates. 

Nov. 10, 1:15 p.m. EST (10:15 a.m. PST), at NASA Headquarters, Washington, Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Mission Preview News Conference 
› Archived news conference on Ustream 

Nov. 21, 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST), at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., What Do We Know About Mars? 

Nov. 26, 8 a.m. EST (5 a.m. PST), from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Live Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity launch coverage. First launch opportunity is at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST) 

Nov. 26, approximately two to three hours after launch, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Post-Launch News Conference

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Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission

On November 26, 2011, the Curiosity Rover will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket as part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission. Mars, the Red Planet, will be the rover's destination in August 2012.
Curiosity will spend 23 months after landing gathering samples of rocks and soil. Curiosity is equipped with equipment to drill through rocks, and instrumens to collect samples and distribute to onboard test chambers. Curiosity's goal is to assess whether Mars ever had, or does still have today, an environment capable of supporting microbial life and habitability.
The rocket launch is scheduled between 10:02 - 11:45 a.m. EST on November 26, 2011. Please check back for operating hours. 
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Mars Science Laboratory

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Scheduled to launch on Nov. 26, 2011, 7:02 a.m. PST (10:02 a.m. EST). The launch window is between Nov 25 - Dec. 18, 2011, Mars Science Laboratory is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet. Mars Science Laboratory is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's "habitability."

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Thanks for looking up with me.
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Mars Science Laboratory/Atlas V Launch Briefing and Events Schedule
11.18.11
(All times are Eastern)

All briefings for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch will be held inside the Kennedy news center auditorium and will be carried live on NASA Television, unless otherwise noted.

L-4 Days – Monday, Nov. 21 – Office Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.


11 a.m. -- Kennedy Space Center Radiological Control Center (RADCC) Tour – Safety Procedures for MSL's Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) – (Not on NASA TV)
           - Arrive at Press Site by 10:30 a.m. for 10:45 p.m. departure; Return to Press Site by 12:30 p.m.


1 p.m. -- What Do We Know About Mars? News Conference 
          - Michael Meyer, lead scientist, Mars Exploration Program 
          - John Grotzinger, project scientist, Mars Science Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
          - Bethany Ehlmann, scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory assistant professor, California Institute of Technology


2:30 p.m. -- 21st Century Ground Systems Program Tour (Not on NASA TV) – Launch Equipment Test Facility, Operations & Checkout Building for Orion, Multi-Payload Processing Facility and Canister Rotation Facility 
          - Arrive at Press Site by 2:15 p.m. for 2:30 p.m. departure; Return to Press Site by 4:30 p.m.

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Mars Science Laboratory

Multimedia info.

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Friday, November 18, 2011

New Lunar Topological Map

http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/index.php?/archives/484-Lunar-Topography-As-Never-Seen-Before!.html
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LROC WAC Topography Farside
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Dan passed me some links about the recent notice of a new topological map of the Moon.
Let me share them with you.
- LRK -

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article on "High Resolution Global Topographic Map of Moon."

gives you an idea of why people say the moon is made of green cheese!

 is also interesting.
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Spaceref  article as well.
- LRK -

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-- New Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter High-Resolution Topographic Map of the Moon
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=35266

The science team that oversees the imaging system on board NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter (LRO) has released the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the Moon ever
created. This new topographic map, from Arizona State University in Tempe, shows the surface
shape and features over nearly the entire Moon with a pixel scale close to 100 meters (328 feet).
A single measure of elevation (one pixel) is about the size of two football fields placed side-by-
side.

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So now let us hope the information will help in planning some lunar landings.
- LRK -



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About LROC Outreach

Welcome to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Education & Public Outreach (EPO) web page! LROC EPO is geared toward the public sector, teachers and the scientific community. The LROC EPO website will share exciting information on the LROC's observations of the Moon through its two Narrow Angle Cameras (NAC) and one Wide Angle Camera (WAC). Keep looking here for amazing, up-to-date information about LROC, incredible virtual tours of the LROC Science Operation Center (SOC) Visitor's Gallery, the thrilling history and future of lunar exploration, and fun links to NASA and to our outreach partners at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum. 


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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -


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Saturday, November 12, 2011

American Academy of Arts and Science


http://www.amacad.org/default.aspx


One can find a lot of interesting publications to read on the Internet.
I thought I should share some of which keeps me occupied and hence may distract me from posting.


The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has a large number of publications that can be down loaded or procured.
Let me pass on a few links that pertain to the use of space.
We may have some topics worth looking into.
Hope you find something of interest.
- LRK -


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http://www.amacad.org/about.aspx

About the Academy

For over 230 years, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has been honoring excellence and providing service to the nation and the world. Through independent, nonpartisan study, its ranks of distinguished "scholar-patriots" have brought the arts and sciences into constructive interplay with the leaders of both the public and private sectors.
The Academy was founded during the American Revolution by John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock, and other leaders who contributed prominently to the establishment of the new nation, its government, and its Constitution. Its purpose was to provide a forum for a select group of scholars, members of the learned professions, and government and business leaders to work together on behalf of the democratic interests of the republic.
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Just some of the papers.
- LRK -


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http://www.amacad.org/publications/occasional.aspx#top

Occasional Papers

A series of Occasional Papers, disseminating the work of Academy projects, is available online. To order a copy of an Occasional Paper ($6.00 ea. unless otherwise noted) click here, or e-mail publications@amacad.org. To view individual publications, select from their titles.
Occasional Papers are sorted by project areas:
Education
Global Security
Humanities & Culture
Science & Technology Policy
Social Policy & American Institutions
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http://www.amacad.org/publications/occasional.aspx#security
Global Securitysnip
A European Approach to Space Security
Xavier Pasco (2006)


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The Future of Human Spaceflight: Objectives and Policy Implications in a Global Context
David A. Mindell, Scott A. Uebelhart, Asif A. Siddiqi, and Slava Gerovitch (2009)


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The Physics of Space Security: A Reference Manual
David Wright, Laura Grego, and Lisbeth Gronlund ($15.00) (2005)


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A Place for One’s Mat: China’s Space Program, 1956–2003
Gregory Kulacki and Jeffrey G. Lewis (2009)


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Reconsidering the Rules for Space Security
Nancy Gallagher and John D. Steinbruner (2008)


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Russian and Chinese Responses to U.S. Military Plans in Space
Pavel Podvig and Hui Zhang (2008)


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United States Space Policy: Challenges and Opportunities
George Abbey and Neal Lane (2005)


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United States Space Policy: Challenges and Opportunities Gone Astray
George Abbey and Neal Lane (2009)


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The project for which the above references are part of.
- LRK -

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http://www.amacad.org/projects/space.aspx
Reconsidering the Rules of Space Societies rely increasingly on satellites for vital communication services, environmental monitoring, navigation, weather prediction, and scientific research. This largely beneficial trend is expected to intensify as more countries develop satellite technology and utilize the services derived from it. 

These technological trends have also inspired the development of military capabilities in space that go far beyond the traditional intelligence and early warning missions of the Cold War period. Protecting and enhancing US military capability in space has emerged as an important focus of military planning. Recent official documents have proposed, for example, various anti-satellite and space-based weapons to protect and augment US capabilities in space. Serious public discussion of military space plans has not yet occurred in the United States, though important questions of policy, planning and budgeting loom.


The development of space affects a range of government, commercial, and scientific interests around the world, and US leaders have yet to propose a policy framework that adequately balances these interests. The American Academy initiated the Reconsidering the Rules of Space project to examine the implications of US policy in space, and to consider the international rules and principles needed to maintain a balanced use of space over the long term.


The project has facilitated discussions between international security experts and leading stakeholders in both commercial development and scientific advancement in space. The project has published a series of papers, intended to help inform public discussion and to induce a further examination of US official policies. These papers consider the implications of physics for space security; the interaction of military, scientific, and commercial activities in space; Chinese and Russian perspectives on US space plans; and the possible elements of a more comprehensive set of rules for space security.


The Reconsidering the Rules of Space project is supported by a generous grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Thanks for looking up with me.
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http://www.amacad.org/projects/science.aspx
Science, Technology, and Global Security The Academy undertakes studies to explore how the international community can devise new cooperative structures to improve global security and employ science and technology to enhance the human condition. The Academy's longstanding Committee on International Security Studies addresses how globalization is impacting social, economic, environmental, and technological transformations and prospects for peace.


Other Science, Technology, and Global Security projects draw on the Academy's unique mix of scientists, humanists, social scientists, lawyers, and others to analyze the international impact of rapid developments in science and technology; suggest approaches to governing those transformations; and formulate a broader understanding of the social implications of these advances. These activities are grouped under the Initiative for Science, Engineering, and Technology. Launched in 2006, this major Academy initiative explores how science and technology are changing, how to help the public understand those changes, and how society can better adapt to those changes.

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http://www.amacad.org/projects.aspx
Academy Projects Under the direction of its Committee on Studies, the Academy carries out influential and pioneering work on significant contemporary issues. Bringing together scholars, policymakers, business leaders, and writers, Academy studies provide multidisciplinary analyses of complex social, political, and intellectual topics in an objective environment. This framework distinguishes the Academy from other research institutes and think tanks whose agendas may be defined by the research needs of outside agencies. Academy studies often shape new fields of study that transcend disciplinary boundaries and explore issues before their importance has been recognized.

Academy studies are grouped under four large-scale initiatives, each of which may also contain program areas with distinct identities, such as the Committee on International Security Studies.


The Academy's major program areas are:
Science, Technology, and Global Security: This area explores how the international community can devise new cooperative structures to improve global security, analyzes the impact of rapid developments in science and technology, and develops policies to govern these transformations.
Social Policy and American Institutions:  Under this program, Fellows carry out studies that focus on American institutions at the crossroads, particularly the government and the corporation.
Humanities and Culture: Work within this initiative is designed to enhance public understanding of the value and role of the humanities in American life and to create new resources to inform coherent policy analyses relative to the humanities.
Education: This program deals with education at all levels—from primary and secondary education to teaching and research at the university level.
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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Tuesday, November 08, 2011

List of current and future lunar missions

I thought I would see what is happening in regards to lunar missions and was pleasantly surprised at the number that are actually going on or in the works.  You might be interested in checking out this Wikipedia link

There are a lot of tables with mission information so will not copy.  Better you just take a look.
- LRK -
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List of current and future lunar missions
Currently, there are several future lunar missions scheduled or proposed by various nations or organisations.
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It would be nice to see some lunar rovers that hopefully would have live Internet presence.
- LRK -

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A lunar rover or Moon rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of the Moon. Some rovers have been designed to transport members of a human spaceflight crew, such as the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots, such as Lunokhod 1.
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The Moon so close, but so far politically.  :-)

I may have to buy a smartphone to try out some of the lunar Apps coming out.
- LRK -

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Lunar Module 3D app

LunarModule3D is a unique lunar lander style game that mixes classic arcade action with realistic environments.  The game takes you through 5 real locations on the moon including 4 of the apollo landing sites and Tycho crater.  All of the lunar environments have been generated from actual photos of the moon using shape from shading technology.
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Thanks for looking up with me.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_the_Moon
Exploration of the Moon
The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes; having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his first observations using it.
In 1969, NASA's Project Apollo first successfully landed people on the Moon. They placed scientific experiments there and returned rocks and data that suggested the Moon is of a similar composition to the Earth.

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The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, about a lunar colony's revolt against rule from Earth.
Originally serialized in Worlds of If (December 1965, January, February, March, April 1966), the book received the Hugo Award for best science fiction novel in 1967,[1] and was nominated for the Nebula Award in 1966.[2]


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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK -

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