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

Monday, March 30, 2009

A Global "Looking Up" Event

----------------------------------------------
http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/
The 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project is a worldwide event consisting of a wide range of public outreach activities, live science center, research observatory webcasts and sidewalk astronomy events.One of the key goals of 100 Hours of Astronomy is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. 100 Hours of Astronomy will take place from 2-5 April when the Moon goes from first quarter to gibbous, good phases for early evening observing. Saturn will be the other highlight of early evening observing events.
snip
----------------------------------------------

Eric Vandernoot sent me a heads up about a Global "Looking Up" Event coming up to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's discoveries.
(See a map of activity locations on link above and his note below.)

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
Hi Larry,

Here is another item to your great list. The International Astronomical
Union (IAU) is hosting a 100 Hours of Astronomy event this weekend to
celebrate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's discoveries with his
telescope and Kepler's first two laws of planetary motion. The IAU has
gathered over a thousand sites to host events such as star parties or
observatories letting the public in. We ourselves are holding a 100 Hours
Open Dome Marathon event for the entire time frame!

Details of local sites people can go to can be found at
http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/

Please bring family and friends to these. They are hoping for as many
people as possible to look up through a telescope and get to see a little
of this great galaxy that we all live in!

Clear Skies and an Upward Future to You!

Eric Vandernoot
Astronomy & Physics Lab Coordinator
Fl. Atlantic Univ., Dept. of Physics
Observatory: SE-434 561 297-STAR
Physics Labs: PS-146 561 297-3378

snip
==============================================================
http://physics.fau.edu/
Fl. Atlantic Univ., Dept. of Physics

http://physics.fau.edu/Events/observatory.html

FAU's Astronomical Observatory, housed under a 4 meter dome, is located in SE-434 at 26° 22' 23.98" N lattitude and 80° 06' 05.09" W longitude.

Our Celestron CG-11 SCT, is mounted on the small platform, at the top of stairs, to point out the roof of the building. The telescope system has the following accessories: a Losmandy Gemini Computer for deep sky objects, a Spectroscopic filter, CCD cameras, a Broad-Spectrum Solar filter to view sunspots and a Hydrogen-alpha filter to enable us to see prominences "live" in the sun's chromosphere. Plus we have growing collection of meteorites on display.

We welcome students, faculty, staff and members of the general public to join our observations. We also host a monthly Solar Science program with Gumbo Limbo Nature Center of Boca Raton.

We are excited to participate in the IAU's *International Year of Astronomy 2009* events such as the worldwide 100 Hours of Astronomy event to celebrate *400* years since Galileo used his telescope to view the skies and Kepler wrote his first two planetary laws of motion! Our scheduled 100 hour MARATHON event is detailed via this link to their website.

We plan to show the following at these times:

*Day time (7 a.m. – 4 p.m.): * The Sun: check SpaceWeather.com for info of solar activity.

*Twilight (4 p.m. – 7 p.m.): * The 1st quarter Moon will occur on the 2nd and Mercury will be rising higher each evening.

*Evening (7 p.m. – 9 p.m.): * The Moon, M44 Preasepe, Saturn

*Night: * Saturn, M44 Preasepe, M13 Great Globular Cluster of Stars in Hercules, the Moon.

*Wee Hours: * Saturn, M13, Vega, M57, M8, M20

*Pre-Dawn: * Jupiter, Mars, Venus, M13, Vega, Alberio, M57, M8, M20.

On cloudy evenings we plan lectures or video presentations. Check the Boca Raton sky conditions here with the Clear Sky Clock:

*Scheduled Observation Days and Times:*

*Solar:* Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

*Night:* Thursdays and Fridays 8:00 pm - Late

Or contact me for an appointment: Eric Vandernoot at (561) 297-STAR (7-7827) during normal working hours.

snip
==============================================================

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

==============================================================

Friday, March 27, 2009

S&T's Weekly Bulletin: Revolutionary Meteorite Find, The Remarkable Asteroid 2008 TC3

I received Sky & Telescope's Weeklly Bulletin and in it was this link to their article.
- LRK -
--------------------------------------------------
Catch a Falling Star
The Remarkable Asteroid 2008 TC3
March 25, 2009
Last December a determined U.S. researcher traveled to Sudan to recover pieces of an asteroid that slammed into Earth's atmosphere only 19 hours after being spotted. It was a long shot that paid off beyond his wildest dreams.
> More at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/41873107.html
--------------------------------------------------

Here are two paragraphs from the link above. You may want to look at the whole article.
- LRK -

--------------------------------------------------
Catch a Falling Star:
The Remarkable Asteroid 2008 TC3
NEWS BLOG by Kelly Beatty

This week I'm in Houston for the 40th annual Lunar & Planetary Science Conference, where 1,500 researchers have gathered to talk shop about the solar system. And indeed the big space news this week involves high-stakes interplanetary events — but the story should be datelined "Almahata Sitta, Sudan" instead of "Houston, Texas."

Our saga begins a few months ago, when Planet Earth got an unprecedented visit from a small asteroid designated 2008 TC3. A telescopic observer atop Mount Lemmon, Arizona, discovered this incoming chunk of rock on October 6th, and it slammed into the atmosphere over northern Sudan just 19 hours later. Since the 1970s astronomers have tracked down thousands of asteroids that might someday strike Earth — this is the first discovery that actually did.
--------------------------------------------------

NASA has posted many illustrations about these remarkable events here.
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/tc3/index.html

If you have access to the publication, "nature - International weekly journal of science" the findings are posted here.
- LRK -
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7237/abs/nature07920.html
/Nature/ *458*, 485-488 (26 March 2009) | doi:10.1038/nature07920; Received 6 February 2009; Accepted 20 February 2009
The impact and recovery of asteroid 2008 TC_3

P. Jenniskens1, M. H. Shaddad2, D. Numan2, S. Elsir3, A. M. Kudoda2, M. E. Zolensky4, L. Le4,5, G. A. Robinson4,5, J. M. Friedrich6,7, D. Rumble8, A. Steele8, S. R. Chesley9, A. Fitzsimmons10, S. Duddy10, H. H. Hsieh10, G. Ramsay11, P. G. Brown12, W. N. Edwards12, E. Tagliaferri13, M. B. Boslough14, R. E. Spalding14, R. Dantowitz15, M. Kozubal15, P. Pravec16, J. Borovicka16, Z. Charvat17, J. Vaubaillon18, J. Kuiper19, J. Albers1, J. L. Bishop1, R. L. Mancinelli1, S. A. Sandford20, S. N. Milam20, M. Nuevo20 & S. P. Worden20

In the absence of a firm link between individual meteorites and their asteroidal parent bodies, asteroids are typically characterized only by their light reflection properties, and grouped accordingly into classes1, 2, 3. On 6 October 2008, a small asteroid was discovered with a flat reflectance spectrum in the 554–995 nm wavelength range, and designated 2008 TC3 (refs 4–6). It subsequently hit the Earth. Because it exploded at 37 km altitude, no macroscopic fragments were expected to survive. Here we report that a dedicated search along the approach trajectory recovered 47 meteorites, fragments of a single body named Almahata Sitta, with a total mass of 3.95 kg. Analysis of one of these meteorites shows it to be an achondrite, a polymict ureilite, anomalous in its class: ultra-fine-grained and porous, with large carbonaceous grains. The combined asteroid and meteorite reflectance spectra identify the asteroid as F class3, now firmly linked to dark carbon-rich anomalous ureilites, a material so fragile it was not previously represented in meteorite collections.
--------------------------------------------------

I seem to have missed the event last year so some links posted below.
- LRK -

Then again, I would have missed the one that is flying by today.
- LRK -

--------------------------------------------------
http://www.spaceweather.com/
March 27, 2009

*ASTEROID FLYBY:* Asteroid 2009 FD is flying past Earth today less than 620,000 km (1.6 LD) away. There is no danger of a collision with the 160m-wide space rock, but it is close enough to photograph using backyard telescopes. Sunlight reflected from the surface of the asteroid makes it shine like a 13th magnitude star. Use this ephemeris to find it
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://orbit.psi.edu/?q=node/22
Asteroid 2008 TC3 Reaching Earth
Submitted by tricaric on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 22:58.

We have prepared a short animation, showing the Earth as viewed by the asteroid 2008 TC3. The asteroid is reaching Earth from the night side, and enters the Earth's shadow cone around 1:50 UTC.
snip
==============================================================
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7468
Video of October 6 asteroid 2008 TC3

A small asteroid discovered earlier October 6 entered Earth's atmosphere later that night. Friction with the air caused the object to explode with roughly a kiloton of energy, creating a spectacular fireball as it disintegrated. The object, designated 2008 TC3, was only 3 to 15 feet (1 to 5 meters) across and posed no threat to reach Earth's surface or the altitude of airplanes.

On October 7, the husband and wife observing team of Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre forwarded to Astronomy an image and an animation of the asteroid 2008 TC3 they received from amateur astronomer friends in Italy. Imelda runs an image service company and is a contributor to Astronomy magazine.
snip
==============================================================
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news160.html
Impact of Asteroid 2008 TC3 Confirmed Don Yeomans
NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office
October 7, 2008

Confirmation has been received that the asteroid impact fireball occurred at the predicted time and place. The energy recorded was estimated to be 0.9 to 1.0 kT of TNT and the time of detection was 02:45:45 on October 7 (Greenwich Standard Time). More details on this detection will be forthcoming. An additional confirmation was apparently reported by a KLM airliner (see: http://www.spaceweather.com/). As reported by Peter Brown (University of Western Ontario, Canada), a preliminary examination of infrasound stations nearest to the predicted impact point shows that at least one station recorded the event. These measurements are consistent with the predicted time and place of the atmospheric impact and indicate an estimated energy of 1.1 - 2.1 kT of TNT.

The follow-up astrometric observations from professional and sophisticated amateur astronomers alike were rather extraordinary, with 570 observations from 26 observatories being reported between the time of discovery by the Catalina Sky Survey to just before the object entered Earth's shadow (57 minutes prior to impact). All this happened in less than 19 hours!
snip
==============================================================
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001684/
The full story of Earth-impacting asteroid 2008 TC3
Oct. 7, 2008 | 16:15 PDT | 23:15 UTC

Over the last 24 hours it has been tiring but really fun to watch the drama of asteroid 2008 TC3. It has happened so quickly that it's necessary to convert all times to UTC in order to see how events have unfolded across the globe. Fortunately for my sanity, nearly all of the events are neatly collected on the Minor Planets Mailing List.

To briefly review: the night before last (my time), or at 06:38 UTC on October 6, astronomers at the University of Arizona discovered an object provisionally called 8TA9D69 that appeared to be on a collision course with Earth. Three other observatories reported sightings within the next few hours -- Sabino Canyon and Siding Spring in Arizona and a Royal Astronomical Society site in Moorook, Australia. Together these four observers provided enough data on the object so that a Minor Planet Electronic Circular was issued at 14:59 UTC the same day, giving 8TA9D69 the more formal name 2008 TC3, and advising the astronomical community that "The nominal orbit given above has 2008 TC3 coming to within one earth radius around Oct. 7.1. The absolute magnitude indicates that the object will not survive passage through the atmosphere. Steve Chesley (JPL) reports that atmospheric entry will occur on 2008 Oct 07 0246 UTC over northern Sudan."
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==============================================================

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

==============================================================

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

NASA AND MICROSOFT TO MAKE UNIVERSE OF DATA AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

It was hoped that the general public would be able to participate in exploring the Moon and Space and this is another way we can do so. - LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/mar/HQ_09-067_Microsoft_WorldWide_Telescope.html

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday plans to make planetary images and data available via the Internet under a Space Act Agreement. Through this project, NASA and Microsoft jointly will develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to make the most interesting NASA content -- including high-resolution scientific images and data from Mars and the moon -- explorable on WorldWide Telescope, Microsoft's online virtual telescope for exploring the universe.

"Making NASA's scientific and astronomical data more accessible to the public is a high priority for NASA, especially given the new administration's recent emphasis on open government and transparency," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

Under the joint agreement, NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., will process and host more than 100 terabytes of data, enough to fill 20,000 DVDs. WorldWide Telescope will incorporate the data later in 2009 and feature imagery from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, known as MRO. Launched in August 2005, MRO has been examining Mars with a high-resolution camera and five other instruments since 2006 and has returned more data than all other Mars missions combined.
snip

------------------------------------------------------------

And the World Wide Telescope.
- LRK -

------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org
Immerse yourself in a seamless beautiful environment.

WorldWide Telescope (WWT) enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope, bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world. Experience narrated guided tours from astronomers and educators featuring interesting places in the sky.
snip
------------------------------------------------------------

Glad to see NASA Ames participating. Enjoy.

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/mar/HQ_09-067_Microsoft_WorldWide_Telescope.html

March 24, 2009

Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov
Rachel Prucey Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 650-604-0643 rachel.l.prucey@nasa.gov

Julie Woodbury/Rapid Response Team Waggener Edstrom Worldwide for Microsoft 503- 443-7000/7070 juliew@waggeneredstrom.com, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com

RELEASE: 09-067

NASA AND MICROSOFT TO MAKE UNIVERSE OF DATA AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday plans to make planetary images and data available via the Internet under a Space Act Agreement. Through this project, NASA and Microsoft jointly will develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to make the most interesting NASA content -- including high-resolution scientific images and data from Mars and the moon -- explorable on WorldWide Telescope, Microsoft's online virtual telescope for exploring the universe.

"Making NASA's scientific and astronomical data more accessible to the public is a high priority for NASA, especially given the new administration's recent emphasis on open government and transparency," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

Under the joint agreement, NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., will process and host more than 100 terabytes of data, enough to fill 20,000 DVDs. WorldWide Telescope will incorporate the data later in 2009 and feature imagery from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, known as MRO. Launched in August 2005, MRO has been examining Mars with a high-resolution camera and five other instruments since 2006 and has returned more data than all other Mars missions combined.

"This collaboration between Microsoft and NASA will enable people around the world to explore new images of the moon and Mars in a rich, interactive environment through the WorldWide Telescope," said Tony Hey, corporate vice president of Microsoft External Research in Redmond, Wash. "WorldWide Telescope serves as a powerful tool for computer science researchers, educators and students to explore space and experience the excitement of computer science."

Also available will be images from a camera aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, when publicly released starting this fall. Scheduled to launch this May, LRO will spend at least a year in a low, polar orbit approximately 30 miles above the lunar surface collecting detailed information about the lunar environment.

"NASA is excited to collaborate with Microsoft to share its portfolio of planetary images with students and lifelong learners," said S. Pete Worden, director of Ames. "This is a compelling astronomical resource and will help inspire our next generation of astronomers."
This agreement builds on a prior collaboration with Microsoft that enabled NASA to develop 3-D interactive Microsoft Photosynth collections of the space shuttle launch pad and other facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The images featured on Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope will supplement existing imagery and data available on NASA's Web site, the Planetary Data System and other sources.

The WorldWide Telescope is a Web 2.0 visualization environment that functions as a virtual telescope, bringing together imagery from ground- and space-based telescopes for a seamless, rich media guided exploration of the universe. Through WorldWide Telescope and Microsoft technology, people will be able to pan and zoom in on these images and the most interesting locations on Mars and the moon without distorted views at the poles.

Attracting millions of users since its release last spring, WorldWide Telescope provides a base for teaching astronomy, scientific discovery and computational science. Tours with narration, music, text and graphics create interactive learning experiences that allow people to search, explore and discover the universe in a new and unique manner. Additional information and a free download of WorldWide Telescope can be found at:
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org

To further integrate the planetary data into WorldWide Telescope, Ames is developing a suite of planetary data processing tools. These software tools convert historic and current space imagery data into a variety of formats and images of the moon, Mars and other planetary bodies readily available for easy browsing and use by the general public, enabling the creation of enhanced educational tools for students and teachers.

"NASA has a wealth of images and data, from the Apollo and Lunar Orbiter missions to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mercury Messenger flybys," said Chris C. Kemp, chief information officer at Ames. "This collaboration makes it possible for NASA to leverage exciting new Microsoft technologies to make NASA's data -- and America's space program -- more accessible to the public."

More information about NASA is available at:
http://www.nasa.gov

Microsoft Research collaborates openly with colleges and universities worldwide to enhance the teaching and learning experience, inspire technological innovation, and broadly advance the field of computer science. More information can be found at:
http://research.microsoft.com
-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to: hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov

snip
==============================================================
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2009/09-34AR.html
RELEASE : 09-34AR
NASA and Microsoft to Make Universe of Data Available to the Public

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA and Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday plans to make planetary images and data available via the Internet under a Space Act Agreement. Through this project, NASA and Microsoft jointly will develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to make the most interesting NASA content -- including high-resolution scientific images and data from Mars and the moon -- explorable on WorldWide Telescope, Microsoft's online virtual telescope for exploring the universe.
snip

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org
snip
==============================================================

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

==============================================================

Monday, March 23, 2009

LUNAR NETWORKS - An Epic Story In The Making Since 1957 - Blog

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http://lunarnetworks.blogspot.com/2009/03/special-session-lunar-missions-results.html
Monday, March 23, 2009
Special Session: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'E-1 and Chandrayaan-1
40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2009)
The Woodlands, Texas
March 23-27
snip
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Joel Raupe on his blog site, see above, has listed a lot of links to sessions at the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2009).
See also a listing of poster session 2.
- LRK -

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://lunarnetworks.blogspot.com/2009/03/poster-session-2-lunar-dust-and.html
Monday, March 23, 2009
Poster Session 2: Lunar Dust and Transient Surface Phenomena
snip
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OK, now I have even more material to read. Hope you too can enjoy.
- LRK-

My Thanks to Raupe for putting together the blog and to GOOGLE for alerting me to new items for "Moon Base"
Also a thanks to you folks who keep poking me in the side with great links. :-)
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/
40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
March 23-27, 2009
The Woodlands Texas
snip
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40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2009) - Program
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/program.pdf [5 pages, 151 KB]
snip
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

==============================================================

Thursday, March 19, 2009

International Lunar Network - ILN

--------------------------------------------------------------
http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/iln
ILN
Full Name: International Lunar Network
Phase: Under study
Launch Date: 2013
Program(s): Robotic Lunar Exploration

NASA will undertake landed lunar missions and is architecting a conceptual “global lunar network” as a backbone of its envisioned robotic surface activities. This concept, called the International Lunar Net-work (ILN), aims to provide an organizing theme for all landed science missions in the 2010s by involving each landed station as a node in a geophysical network. Ultimately, this network could be comprised of 8-10 or more nodes. Because some are desired to be located on the lunar far side, NASA will study a lunar communications relay satellite capability as part of its contribution to this potential endeavor.

In the ILN concept, each node would include some number of “core” capabilities (e.g., seismic, heat flow, laser retro-reflectors) that would be extant on each station, reflecting prioritized lunar science goals articulated in the National Research Council’s study, “The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon”. Individual nodes could and likely would carry additional, unique experiments to study local or global lunar science. Such experiments might include atmospheric and dust instruments, plasma physics investigations, astronomical instruments, electromagnetic profiling of lunar regolith and crust, local geochemistry, and in situ resource utilization demonstrations.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Studies begin, studies end, and sometimes missions evolve, only time and money will tell.
Getting folks interested and invested in what is up there on and in the Moon should help us return.

Nice to know something about where you are going to park your Recreational Van and what
resources you will have available.

If I dig in will the ground underneath get warmer or colder?
How easy to build an underground shelter and can I use the local materials?
Any geomagnetic disturbances and where did I leave that obelisk?
http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/2002/id1937.htm
http://cognitivelabs.com/clarke9.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darko666/3172222485/page2/
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://nasascience.nasa.gov/programs/robotic-lunar-exploration
Robotic Lunar Exploration

The Vision for Space Exploration is fostering a renaissance in lunar science, as the return of humans to the Moon both requires and enables greater scientific understanding of Earth’s natural satellite. The NRC’s recent report “The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon” (NRC, 2007) provides a “mini-decadal survey” to guide a new line of lunar missions. The Planetary Science Division is undertaking a number of new actions to exploit the new focus on the Moon for science:

* Scientific exploitation of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
SMD will assume operational control and tasking of LRO after it
completes its one-year prime mission for ESMD in early 2010. A
program to competitively select and engage participating
scientists to plan this phase of LRO operations is already underway.
* Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research (LASER). The LASER
program funds basic and applied lunar science. The goal of the
program is to support and enhance lunar basic science and lunar
exploration science as part of the Vision for Space Exploration’s
(VSE) return to the Moon. The LASER program is jointly supported
by SMD and ESMD.
* Creation of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI). NLSI will
help to reinvigorate the lunar science community via a network of
competitively-selected research nodes focused on exploitation of
new scientific data on the Moon for research purposes.
* Missions of Opportunity. SMD selected the Moon Mineralology Mapper
instrument as a Discovery Program Mission of Opportunity to fly in
India’s Chandrayaan-1 satellite. The SALMON solicitation provides
annual calls for Mission of Opportunity proposals. The Moon’s
close proximity make it a choice target for such low cost missions.
* A New Series of Three SMD Lunar Missions. The FY 2009 budget
request includes a new mission line for one small orbiter (the
Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer—LADEE) to study the
tenuous lunar atmosphere and two mini-landers as nodes in an
International Lunar Network (ILN) of geophysical stations.

snip
==============================================================
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leagilewg2008/presentations/oct30am/Cohen4117.pdf
The International Lunar Network (ILN) and the US
Anchor Nodes mission

Update to the LEAG/ILWEG/SRR, 10/30/08
Barbara Cohen, SDT Co-chair
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Barbara.A.Cohen@nasa.gov
The ILN Science Definition Team
The MSFC/APL ILN Engineering Team

Lunar science flight projects line in SMD’s 2009 budget
• Robotic missions to accomplish key scientific objectives
• Provide useful data to ESMD and SOMD for returning humans to the
Moon

Mission 1: LRO, which will transition after one year of operations to
SMD for a 2-year nominal science mission

Mission 2: Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer
(LADEE), launch in 2011

Mission 3: US delivery of two landed payloads as part of the
International Lunar Network (ILN) – first US robotic lunar landers
since 1968!

These projects provide a robotic lunar flight program for the next
decade, complement SMD’s lunar R&A initiatives to build a robust
lunar science community, and increase international participation in
NASA’s exploration plans

snip
==============================================================
http://www.cosis.net/abstracts/EPSC2008/00538/EPSC2008-A-00538-1.pdf
EPSC Abstracts,
Vol. 3, EPSC2008-A-00538, 2 008
European Planetary Science Congress, © Author(s) 2008

THE INTERNATIONAL LUNAR NETWORK ANCHOR NODES MISSION—A U. S. Contribution to the International Lunar Network
T. Morgan (1), B. Cohen (2) and J. Veverka (3) and the US ILN Team

(1) NASA HQ/Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, USA, (2) NASA MSFC/, Huntsville, AL, USA, (3) Department of Astronomy/ Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. (Thomas.h.morgan@nasa.gov)
/ Fax: +301-358-0828)

Abstract
Introduction: NASA’s Science Mission Directorate introduced a new line of lunar science missions with the submission of the President’s proposed fiscal year 2009 Budget. The line includes five new robotic missions designed to accomplish key scientific objectives and, when possible, provide results needed to return humans to the Moon. These missions, now in formulation, will join three US Lunar missions already in development: namely; the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS); and the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. LRO and LCROSS will be launched in late 2008. These missions, developed within the Exploration Systems Directorate (ESMD), will acquire key information for human return to the moon activities. GRAIL, a part of the SMD-led Discovery program, will launch in 2011. The new missions are the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), and the first four US elements of the proposed International Lunar Network (see below).
LADEE is scheduled for launch in 2011. It is the initial pre-Phase activities for the first pair of US
landers to be launched in 2013/2014 that is the subject of this presentation.
snip
==============================================================
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/pss/jan92009/presentations/ilnStatuspss.pdf
International Lunar Network - Update

Jim Adams
NASA Headquarters
Jim.Adams@nasa.gov
January 9, 2009

ILN Anchor Nodes Project

Science Definition Team Progress
Mission Definition Trade Study Progress
Major Conclusions & Mission Recommendations
Technology Progress
ILN Foreign Partnership Progress
Future Plans
snip
==============================================================

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

==============================================================

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) – Annual Report:2008

http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/isecg/ISECGAR08.pdf (45 pages, 448 KB)

The above link is for the 2008 Annual Report and contains a lot of information about who is doing what to develop space exploration.
- LRK -

Page 24 is the beginning of ANNEX I, which is the HIGHLIGHTS of SPACE AGENCIES’ EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES.
[Note - there are a number of pages left intentionally blank so less than 45 pages of reading. - LRK -]

More information on “Sustainable Space Exploration” below, with some of the players.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.astronautical.org/goddard/program/
2009 Goddard Symposium: Program

47th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium**
March 10–12, 2009

“Sustainable Space Exploration”

/“I want to thank you for the tremendous event you put together for the 46^th Goddard Symposium. After working for 20 years as a contractor to the DoD in the Missile Defense Industry, I believe my perspective sufficiently broad when I state that you far exceeded my expectations, Bravo. The topics selected, qualification of the speakers and the speakers depth of understanding on their topics was superb thank you for a job well done.” - Received from an attendee at last year’s symposium/

PDF version of program: 2009 Goddard Symposium Program
http://astronautical.org/files/goddard/2009/Final%20Program.pdf

Tuesday, March 10
6:00 Evening Networking Reception: Students and Aerospace Industry Leaders - Annapolis Room

Wednesday, March 11
7:30 Registration Opens / Continental Breakfast

8:45 Opening Announcements and Acknowledgements
- Harley Thronson, Associate Director for Advanced
Concepts in Astrophysics, NASA GSFC
- Frank Slazer, Northrop Grumman; AAS President

8:55 Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Rob Strain, Director, NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center and Symposium Honorary Chair

9:00 Keynote: Space at the Crossroads: A Reflective
Perspective
Lester L. Lyles, General, USAF (Ret), Independent
Consultant and Member of the NASA Advisory Council

Break

10:00 Challenges to Sustainability
Scott Pace, Director, Space Policy Institute, George
Washington University

10:45 Sustaining Human Exploration
Tom Cremins, Director, Studies and Analysis Division, Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation,
NASA Headquarters

11:30 Luncheon
Guest Speaker: Alan Ladwig, Special Advisor to the Office
of the Administrator, NASA Headquarters
1:00 Earth Science Panel – What NASA is doing and can do
to sustain the Earth
Moderator: James Garvin, Chief Scientist, NASA GSFC
- Mary Kicza, Assistant Administrator, NESDIS/NOAA
- Nancy Colleton, Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
- Claire Parkinson, AQUA Project Scientist, NASA GSFC

2:15 Education/Human Resources Pipeline in Action
Moderator: Dillard Menchan, Deputy Education Officer,
NASA GSFC
- Alissa Mitchell, NASA GSFC
- Brian Roberts, NASA GSFC
- Ramsey Smith, NASA GSFC
- Amri Hernandez, NASA GSFC
3:15 Break

3:30 Industry Panel – Sustainability of the Aerospace
Industry
Moderator: J.P. Stevens, Vice President, Space Systems,
Aerospace Industries Association
- John Schumacher, Vice President, Washington Office, Aerojet
- Eric H. Thoemmes, Vice President, Space Systems and Operations, Lockheed Martin
- James A. Vedda, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Space Policy and Strategy,
Aerospace Corporation
- Lawrence H. Williams, Vice President, International and Government Affairs,
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation

5:00 Five Decades of GSFC – Sustaining Goddard: Past,
Present and Future
Moderator: Laurie Leshin, Deputy Director for Science and
Technology, NASA GSFC
- Frank McDonald, NASA GSFC, retired; University of Maryland
- Ronald Muller, NASA GSFC, retired; Consulting Engineer
- Dennis McCarthy, NASA GSFC, retired; Management Consultant
- Dorothy Zukor, Deputy Director, Earth Science Division, NASA GSFC
- Orlando Figueroa, Director of Applied Engineering and Technology, NASA GSFC

6:15 Reception – Goddard Space Flight Center 50th Anniversary Salute
with Earth scientists and GSFC Alumni
- Sponsored by USRA

Thursday, March 12
7:30 Registration Opens / Continental Breakfast

8:30 Opening announcements

8:45 Keynote
Rob Strain, Director, NASA Goddard Space Flight

9:30 NASA Centers Panel – Sustainability of Scientific Exploration
Moderator: Jon Morse, Director, Astrophysics Division,
NASA Headquarters
- Goddard Space Flight Center: Rob Strain, Director
- Langley Research Center: Lesa Roe, Director
- Dryden Flight Research Center: Kevin Petersen, Director
Break

11:15 NASA Centers Panel – Sustainability of Human Exploration
Moderator: Rick Obenschain, Deputy Director, NASA GSFC
- Johnson Space Center: Ellen Ochoa, Deputy Director
- Marshall Space Flight Center: Robert Lightfoot, Deputy
Director
- Kennedy Space Center: Janet Petro, Deputy Director
- Glenn Research Center: Ray Lugo, Deputy Director
- Stennis Space Center: Gene Goldman, Director
12:45 Awards Luncheon
Guest Speaker: Wayne Hale, Deputy Associate
Administrator of Strategic Partnerships, Space Operations
Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

2:15 Human Spaceflight and Science: Benefits of Servicing
the Hubble Space Telescope
Matt Mountain, Director, Space Telescope Science Institute

3:00 Global Change Monitoring
Robert Burke, Vice President and General Manager, Civil
Systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems

Break

4:00 NASA’s Science Program
Paul Hertz, Chief Scientist, Science Mission Directorate,
NASA Headquarters

4:45 A View of Global Space
Henry Hertzfeld, Research Professor, Space Policy Institute,
George Washington University

5:30 Closing Thoughts

6:00 Closing Reception
snip
==============================================================
www.nasa.gov/pdf/276177main_080915%20Cremins_Bremen.pdf [13 pages, 129 KB]
Tom Cremins
Speech in Bremen, Germany, Sept. 15, 2008

[Note - quote of first three paragraphs]
Good Morning. I would like to thank Mr. Hartmut Müller as chair
of the conference program committee for asking me to address this
audience today. Special thanks also to Professor Carsten Holze and
DGLR for hosting this important conference, and to Dr. Heiner Heseler
of the Bremen State Council -- my compliments to you sir on both such
a beautiful city and leading center for aerospace in Europe. I always
appreciate an opportunity to cross the Atlantic and share thoughts and
ideas on the future, and of course it is always a pleasure to share a stage
with esteemed colleagues such as Dr. Di Pippo and Professor Wörner.

I would like to take some time today to offer some perspectives on
where NASA has been and how NASA fits into the world of space
activity today. As we explore the topic of the moon and beyond, we do
it against an outer space backdrop that over the first fifty years of the
space age has continued to evolve. The ability to access and use space
continues to expand at the same time as the reliance and dependency
upon space has become increasingly interwoven into our lives. As this
past Friday night showed in Texas, the tragic outcome of Hurricane Ike
would have been much greater without our ability to see and use
information from space.

As Mr. Muller stated, I’m from NASA, and I work in support of
the projects that will return us to the moon. It is very interesting to
observe how the moon and the region around it have evolved since the
first robotic precursors and voyages of astronauts there during the
Apollo era. NASA was born in a very competitive environment, and we
accomplished what had been considered by many to be the impossible –
sending people to walk on the surface of the moon. International
collaboration was not a big driver during the Apollo period. We did,
though, get a snapshot of what international cooperation would look like,
when Apollo commander Tom Stafford and Soyuz commander Aleksey
Leonov shook hands after the successful Apollo-Soyuz docking in 1975.
The Apollo voyages were transitory and the region between the moon
and the Earth was relatively unexplored.

[Note - quote of last paragraph.]
snip
Over the next two years NASA will be working toward another
mission concept review – this one for the surface systems we hope to see
operating at the moon after 2020. During that time, through our work
with the ISECG, through workshops, and through bilateral studies, I am
confident we can build on the foundation of a collaborative approach to
the exploration of the moon created under the ISS program and our early
successes in space exploration, setting our sights for further destinations,
and sharing the benefits together, for all of our interests.
snip
==============================================================
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leagilewg2008/presentations/oct28pm/Olson.pdf [23 pages, 2,794 KB]
Global Exploration Strategy (GES): A
Framework for Coordination, Progress,
and Future Opportunities

[Note: Looks like a pictorial presentation. - LRK -]

Dr. John Olson
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters
October 28, 2008
snip
==============================================================
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leagilewg2008/pdf/4079.pdf

FROM THE GLOBAL EXPLORATION STRATEGY (GES) TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
EXPLORATION WORKING GROUP (ISECG).
M. Baltuck(1), J.W. Curtis(2), S. Espinasse(3), J.J.Favier(4), G. Gibbs(5), B.Hufenbach(6),
J. Kawaguchi(7), A. Lorenzoni(3), N. R. Newman(8), D. Parker(9), G. L. Yoder(8),

1 CSIRO Information and Communication Technology, PO Box 1035 Tuggeranong ACT 2901 Australia,
2 BNSC - British National Space Centre 151 Buckingham Palace Road London SW1W 9SS United Kingdom,
3 ASI- Italian Space Agency, Viale Liegi 26 - 00198 Roma – Italy – sylvie.espinasse@asi.it,
4 CNES - Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, 18 avenue Edouard Belin 31 401 Toulouse Cedex 4 France,
5 CSA – Canadian Space Agency, 6767 route de l’aéroport, St- Hubert (Qc) J3Y 8Y9 Canada,
6 ESA – European Space Agency ESTEC Keplerlaan 1, 2201 Noordwijk, The Netherlands,
7 JSPEC – JAXA Space Exploration Center, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510 Japan,
8 NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA HQ -300 E Street SW – Washington DC 20546 – USA,
9 STFC - Science & Technology Facilities Council - Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1SZ United Kingdom

Abstract: In 2006, 14 space agencies began a series
of discussions on global interests in space exploration.
Together they took the unprecedented step of
elaborating a vision for peaceful robotic and human
space exploration, focussing on destinations within the
Solar System where humans may one day live and
work, and developed a common set of key space exploration
themes. This vision was articulated in "The
Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination"
(the Framework Document), which was
released on May 31, 2007.

The process of creating, editing, and producing the
Framework Document has nurtured a strong consensus
and partnership among the fourteen founding space
agencies. This spirit of openness, flexibility, and mutual
respect that marked the Framework Document
development process yielded a truly cooperative effort
and the starting point for broader discussions.

A key element of the Framework Document was
the need to establish a voluntary, non-binding international
coordination mechanism through which individual
agencies may exchange information regarding interests,
objectives and plans in space exploration with
the goal of strengthening both individual exploration
programmes as well as the collective effort. The coordination
mechanism is now called the International
Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)
whose members are working together since the adoption
of its Terms of Reference by the participating
agencies in November 2007.

The presentation will present the contents of the
Framework Document, describe the activities performed
by ISECG and discuss its relationship with
other existing groups like ILEWG.

==============================================================
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** JAXA MAIL SERVICE ***
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Report of the 3rd Meeting of
International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)

March 13, 2009 (JST)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Representatives of ten space agencies from around the world met under
the banner of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG).
The meeting was held on March 10-12, 2009 in Yokohama Japan, and was
chaired by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). They adopted for
further study three scenarios for conducting internationally coordinated robotic
and human exploration activities on the Moon.

Report of the 3rd Meeting of International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/03/20090313_isecg_e.html#at

This page URL:
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/03/20090313_isecg_e.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Publisher : Public Affairs Department
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building,
1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260
Japan
TEL:+81-3-6266-6400

JAXA WEB SITE :
http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html

snip
==============================================================

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

==============================================================

Monday, March 16, 2009

ATWG - Aerospace Technology Working Group

--------------------------------------------------
http://www.atwg.org/
Welcome
Welcome to the Aerospace Technology Working Group! We are a group of seasoned aerospace and other professionals who seek to further humanity’s exploration of space while simultaneously benefiting people on earth. We hold semi-annual and special forums to discuss and treat topics judged pertinent to developing a space-faring people. Using our substantial base of engineering and scientific expertise, we provide fee-based strategic and technical consulting, public speaking, and ATWG member teams to work specific targeted areas. Emphasis is on the use of systems engineering and system of systems engineering, while accounting for the broader effects on other industries, programs, the environment, and the day-to-day lives of this planet’s inhabitants. We collaborate actively with other space-related national and international organizations. We conduct our work using both conventional and advanced communication and computer methods.

We perform service work in the field of inspiring our youth to pursue science and technical education and work careers. Part of our mission is to mentor younger upcoming technical professionals. We provide opportunities for professionals retiring from the regular workforce to continue their interesting careers at their own pace and receive recompense for their efforts. Membership is open to professionals and professionals-to-be of any age.
snip
--------------------------------------------------

I made mention of a paper that Buzz Aldrin participated in that was published by folks associated with the ATWG.

--------------------------------------------------
http://www.spacerenaissance.org/papers/A_Unified_Space_Vision-Hsu-Buzz.pdf
Sustainable Space Exploration and Space Development - A Unified Strategic Vision
--------------------------------------------------

I thought it might be interesting to see what these folks are doing.
- LRK -

They sponsored a book back in 2006, "Beyond Earth - The Future of Humans In Space".
http://www.atwg.org/book_info.htm

You might be interested in reading some of the reviews of the book on Amazon.com - LRK -.
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1894959418
Product Description
Providing a foundation for space planners and anyone interested in human settlement in the solar system, this book theorizes about the near future, when the heretofore significant steps of humankind—traveling to the moon and building space stations—will be dwarved by new progress. Scholars and scientists raise and answer such questions as Why does space matter to us? What will ordinary life be like in space? and What will our homes be like on Mars or the Moon? This collection of findings by professionals documents important research, laying the bricks for space-faring civilizations and even consults future space-dwellers—kids—for their visions. Working from the assumption that humankind has a biological need to explore and improve the quality of life, the wide variety of contributors successfully argue that space as a future human habitat is not simply possible, but manifest.

*About the Author*
*Bob Krone, PhD*, is a former U.S. Air Force jet pilot, commander, headquarters personnel officer, and chief of the nuclear policy section of NATO. He is an emeritus professor of systems management at the University of Southern California, a distinguished visiting professor in the school of business at La Sierra University, and an adjunct professor for doctoral programs for the International Graduate School of Business at the University of South Australia. He is also a member of the Aerospace Technology Working Group. He lives in Fallbrook, California.
snip
--------------------------------------------------

I haven't read the book as yet. Maybe I could add it to the pile on the coffee table that I haven't read either. Where does the time go?
If you have looked at the book, let me know what you think of it.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.atwg.org/ --- 3/31/09 Huntsville, AL - View Agenda
http://www.atwg.org/upcoming_workshops.html

Next ATWG Roundtable Forum:
Transportation Challenges Workshop
Mar 31-April 1st, 2009
Marshall Spaceflight Center Area
Huntsville, Alabama
Theme: Space Transportation for the 21st Century
snip

*Proposals for the Obama Transition Team *(Dec 2008)

National Security

Space Based Solar Power

Space Applications and Infrastructure

snip

NSS Technical Support Workshop
May 26-27, 2009
Orlando, Florida

Theme: *Forward Thrust for our Nation’s Space Program*

snip
==============================================================
http://www.atwg.org/ --- left navigation column - Vision and Purpose - LRK -
http://www.atwg.org/charter.html
History
The Aerospace Technology Working Group (ATWG) was instituted by NASA Administrator Richard Truly in 1990 as an independent body to work future planning for the nation’s space efforts. Initially, the ATWG began identifying and seeking improvements in both existing and developing space systems through planned application of emerging technologies and the development of new ways of doing business, including the application of distributed missions and innovative operations strategic concepts.

These underlying efforts have gradually expanded to include emphasis on (1) promoting and stimulating education in the sciences, mathematics, the engineering disciplines, and other technical areas , and (2) proposing space-related endeavors that can bring simultaneous benefit to life on Earth. Starting in 2006, members began to transform the ATWG from a predominantly forum-oriented organization to one which, in addition, would provide for-fee consulting services, professional mentoring for upcoming aerospace professions, and student outreach activities. In 2008, these additional activities began coming online.

Participants in the ATWG forum meetings have included and include today experts from the various program elements of NASA, aerospace contractors, leading systems suppliers, entrepreneurial businesses, professional societies, universities and multiple other government agencies such as the DOD, FAA, and DOE.

Purpose and Goals
The purposes and goals of the ATWG are:
* To promote and develop new ideas and innovations on issues pertaining to aerospace and aeronautics,
* To leverage the diversity and depth of experience present among the multi-disciplinary ATWG members to examine critical technical and human capital issues in aerospace,
* To provide timely and specific recommendations concerning what options and programs can and ought to be pursued,
* To identify and seek improvements in both existing and developing space systems and operations though planned application of emerging technologies and the development of innovative ways of doing business,
* To conduct strands of activity that produce income for those members engaged in said activities and for keeping our organization financially functional,
* To protect intellectual property rights of ATWG and its members, while providing service and guidance,
* To provide mentoring of the upcoming aerospace professionals in ATWG’s system-of-systems and broad-view perspective analyses, thought production, and resultant actions,
* To encourage and inspire students to pursue education in the areas of science, engineering, mathematics, and related technical subjects, and
* To stimulate comradeship, inspiration, and professional development among ATWG members.

snip
==============================================================

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

==============================================================

NASA Creating Online Multiplayer Video Game

----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.livescience.com/space/090219-nasa-mmo.html
NASA Creating Online Multiplayer Video Game
By Jeremy Hsu, Staff Writer
posted: 19 February 2009 02:36 pm ET

Space explorers, ready your virtual engines — three game developers have signed on to create NASA's massively multiplayer online video game (MMO), called "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond."

NASA plans to let Virtual Heroes, Project Whitecard and Information in Place take the lead in creating a game that emphasizes fun first and foremost. The game community sent in 800 pages worth of responses to NASA's initial outreach on developing an MMO.

"The single biggest point that was pushed forward by the game community was that you have to let game design lead the development," said Daniel Laughlin, project manager for NASA Learning Technologies at the agency's Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center in Maryland. "It's easy to build a game that's no fun. It's hard to build a game that's successful and fun."
snip
----------------------------------------------------------

Check out the many comments on the link above. -- LRK -

----------------------------------------------------------
http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/mmo/
After extensive review by internal and external experts, Learning Technologies and the Innovative Partnership Program Office have selected Project Whitecard, Information in Place and Virtual Heroes to move forward with the NASA MMO effort. We are currently in negotiations and will update the MMO site as we move forward. Also, we would like to thank everyone who participated and responded to this initiative.
snip
----------------------------------------------------------

Virtual Heroes:
http://www.virtualheroes.com/

Project Whitecard:
http://www.projectwhitecard.com/

Information in Place:
http://www.informationinplace.com/

----------------------------------------------------------
http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/02/19/feature-first-look-at-nasas-unreal-engine-3-based-mmo/
By John Gaudiosi
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina – Epic Games has seen an influx recently in the number of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games in development that utilize its Unreal Engine 3 technology – an engine that was not originally designed for MMO games.

The latest entry in this Unreal MMO games category is the new subscription-based NASA MMO game, "Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond." This game, which will ship next year, joins other Unreal Engine 3-driven MMO games like RealTime Worlds APB, NHN USA's Huxley, Acony Games' Parabellum and Sony Online Entertainment's The Agency and DC Universe Online.
----------------------------------------------------------

The Unreal Engine isn't free to the developer and then there are royalties due on those subscription services.
I wonder where NASA fits in on all of this fun. - LRK -

http://www.unrealtechnology.com/technology.php'
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.unrealtechnology.com/licensing.php?ref=terms
snip
Unreal Engine 2 Licensing Terms
Representing years of development and powering numerous best-selling titles on multiple platforms, the Unreal Engine 2 technology is available for license on a per-platform basis. Three platforms are available: PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2.

A PC platform license is only required if you intend to ship a retail PC game. If you are developing a console-only title, you may freely use the PC code for development, testing and for its back-end game-server components (for multiplayer games). Note that a PC license includes the right to ship your game on all personal computer operating systems, including Windows and Linux, as well as MacOS X; by paying once for the PC platform license you may ship on any or all of these operating systems at no additional cost.

Royalty-Bearing License - For retail console & PC products
A non-refundable, non-recoupable license fee is due on execution of the agreement. The cost is US $350,000 for one of the available Unreal Engine 2 platforms, plus US $50,000 for each additional platform. A royalty of 3% is due on all revenue from the game, calculated on the wholesale price of the product minus (for console SKUs) console manufacturer fees. In the case of massive-multiplayer online games, the royalty is also due on the additional forms of revenue including subscriptions and advertisements.

Custom License Terms - For non-traditional products
The Unreal Engine has been used in the development of many non-traditional products, ranging from mass-market educational games to custom training applications and the non-retail America's Army game developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. For custom applications that only require script access (rather than full C++ source), and only require redistribution to a small set of clients, the Runtime Edition is available and may be more suitable than a full Unreal Engine license. Where either full source code and support, or widespread redistribution is required, please contact licensing@epicgames.com to discuss custom license terms.
snip
----------------------------------------------------------

Well I guess I can quit working on Lunar Base Deployment game since the big guys are already working on it.
I don't have deep pockets anyway so will just go back to reading about it.
- LRK -

Hmmm, I wonder what kind of base will be constructed?
Will it use robotics?
Will there be any politics or ego involved?

TANSTAAFL ("There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch")
http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/reviews/books/0-425-03436-4.html
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

In any case -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.space.com/entertainment/090219-nasa-mmo.html
NASA Creating Online Multiplayer Video Game
By Jeremy Hsu
Staff Writer
posted: 19 February 2009
02:36 pm ET

Space explorers, ready your virtual engines — three game developers have signed on to create NASA's massively multiplayer online video game (MMO), called "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond."

NASA plans to let Virtual Heroes, Project Whitecard and Information in Place take the lead in creating a game that emphasizes fun first and foremost. The game community sent in 800 pages worth of responses to NASA's initial outreach on developing an MMO.

"The single biggest point that was pushed forward by the game community was that you have to let game design lead the development," said Daniel Laughlin, project manager for NASA Learning Technologies at the agency's Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center in Maryland. "It's easy to build a game that's no fun. It's hard to build a game that's successful and fun."

A playable demo of the game is slated for release before the end of the year, based on a tech demo that uses Epic's Unreal Engine 3. Players will get to roam around in a multiplayer experience focused on moon base operations, although real astronauts on the International Space Station may have to hold off until they return to Earth.
snip

Each game developer has already amassed considerable experience working with one another on space-related games. Virtual Heroes and Project Whitecard are finishing up a different project for the Canadian Space Agency, while Virtual Heroes is also working with Information in Place on a "Virtual Astronaut" project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
snip
==============================================================
http://games.on.net/article/5048/Astronaut_Moon_Mars__Beyond_-a_MMO_from_NASA/
Astronaut: Moon Mars & Beyond - a MMO from NASA?!
By Steven Perdikis - Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:22am

NASA has announced that they have established partnerships with a number of game development to studios, who will be working on Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond, in which students and gamers alike will be able to take part in a "massively multiplayer online educational game", to be powered by the Unreal 3 Engine.

In the game, the player will be tasked with a number of scientific, mathematical and economic tasks, in a bid to create a "fun, compelling gaming experience" that focuses on aeronautics and teamwork.

The game will be developed in close collaboration with NASA, who will ensure that the game accurately represents the technology available to them. Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond will be developed by the same folk who worked on America's Army, with the gameplay of the space-themed MMO explained by Jerry Heneghan, founder and CEO of Virtual Heroes:
snip
==============================================================
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/02/20/nasa-astronaut-mmo-to-blast-into-virtual-space/
NASA Astronaut MMO to blast into virtual space
February 20, 2009, 2:00 pm by Simon Munk

NASA is aiming to launch its own subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) game by 2010. Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond is aimed to be a learning tool for students, as well as a chance for thousands of geeks to tinker with rockets virtually.

“We want to create a fun, compelling gaming experience that will give players the chance to learn about science and engineering careers while they play the game,” Daniel Laughlin, project manager, NASA Learning Technologies, told Yahoo! Games. “NASA is committed to attracting more students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields of study and careers. We hope this game will inspire players.”

NASA’s MMO project has been rumbling (like its 360-spinning car ) around for a while now. But the greenlight has now been given for three companies to collaborate to bring it into full production using current and past NASA scientific and engineering expertise.
snip
==============================================================
http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/nasa-unveils-new-online-game/1289633
NASA Unveils New Online Game
Agency aims to reinvigorate youth interest in space exploration.
By John Gaudiosi

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina – For most Americans, getting excited about NASA space exploration is a thing of the past. When an aging space shuttle takes off on a mission to the International Space Station, there seems to be little interest even by the mainstream media.

NASA hopes to change that with a new subscription-based massively multiplayer online (MMO) videogame, "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond". NASA Learning Technologies and the Innovative Partnership Program Office have selected game developers Virtual Heroes, Project Whitecard and Information in Place to create a realistic virtual world that will allow gamers to explore the next 30 years of manned space exploration from the comfort of the couch.

"We want to create a fun, compelling gaming experience that will give players the chance to learn about science and engineering careers while they play the game," said Daniel Laughlin, Ph.D., project manager, NASA Learning Technologies and research scientist with the Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center at the University of Maryland. "NASA is committed to attracting more students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields of study and careers. We hope this game will inspire players to consider those careers."
snip
==============================================================
http://www.curse.com/articles/other-en-news/406121.aspx
NASA To Create MMO: "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond."
Posted Feb 20, 2009 by DoranM

Nasa has recently announced they have partnered with three game developers to develop their new MMO "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond". A playable demo of the game is due for release before the end of the year, based on a tech demo that uses Epic's Unreal Engine 3. Eventually players may get the chance to provide their own user-created content, ranging from scouting out new paths for space exploration to creating and flying their own ships. But unlike other space-themed MMOs such as EVE Online or Star Trek Online, such ships probably won't be toting laser weaponry.

Checkout the original post on Space.com:
http://www.space.com/entertainment/090219-nasa-mmo.html
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Sunday, March 15, 2009

NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCHES TO FULLY POWER SPACE STATION

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/mar/HQ_09-060_Discovery_launches.html

See copy below. - LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
STS-119 Latest News
Discovery in Orbit
Sun, 15 Mar 2009 05:19:13 PM PDT
Space shuttle Discovery launched on-time at 7:43 p.m. EDT and NASA flight managers confirmed main engine cutoff. The shuttle has reached orbit, flying at 17,500 miles per hour.
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Watched the launch on NASA web TV and on MSNBC cable TV.
Cable TV was about 40 seconds ahead of my computer viewing.

You can read about the the STS-119 mission here.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts119/119_overview.html
STS-119: A Final Station Power Up

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/mar/HQ_09-060_Discovery_launches.html

March 15, 2009

John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov
Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 09-060

NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCHES TO FULLY POWER SPACE STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:43 p.m. EDT Sunday to deliver the final set of power-generating solar array wings and a new crew member to the International Space Station.

Discovery's STS-119 flight is carrying the space station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, completing the station's truss, or backbone. The arrays will provide the electricity to fully power science experiments and support the station's expanded crew of six in May. The 13-day mission will feature three spacewalks to help install the S6 truss segment to the starboard, or right, side of the station and deploy its solar arrays. The flight also will replace a failed unit for a system that converts urine to potable water.

Shortly before launch, Commander Lee Archambault thanked the teams that helped make the launch possible.

"It's truly an honor to be part of this team representing NASA, the nation and the international partners," Archambault said. "See you in a couple of weeks."

Archambault is joined on STS-119 by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, John Phillips and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace space station crew member Sandra Magnus, who has been aboard the station for more than four months. He will return to Earth during the next station shuttle mission, STS-127, targeted to launch in June 2009.

Former science teachers Acaba and Arnold are now fully-trained NASA astronauts. They are making their first journey to orbit on the mission and will to step outside the station to conduct critical spacewalking tasks.

Discovery's launch was postponed Wednesday, March 11, after a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system was detected during fueling. Technicians rebuilt and replaced seals and other components associated with the system. No leaks were detected during the Sunday's fueling.

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of Discovery's mission, which is the 125th shuttle flight, the 36th for Discovery and the 28th shuttle mission to the station. NASA Television features live mission events, daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. NASA TV is webcast at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

NASA's Web coverage of STS-119 includes current mission information, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, also is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed and other agency Twitter feeds, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/collaborate

Daily news conferences with STS-119 mission managers will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. During normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday, reporters may ask questions from participating NASA locations. Please contact your preferred NASA facility by its daily close of business to confirm its availability before each event.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Johnson will operate a telephone bridge for media briefings that occur outside of normal business hours. To be eligible to use this service, reporters must possess a valid media credential issued by a NASA center or for the STS-119 mission. Media planning to use the service must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a briefing in which they wish to participate. Newsroom personnel will verify their credentials and transfer them to the phone bridge. The capacity of the phone bridge is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) - Follow Up

Hubert Davis mentioned to Buzz Aldrin the last post about ISECG and
Buzz sent me an e-mail with the subject - CALL. I did!
http://www.nss.org/about/bios/aldrin.html

We had a conversation about the need for global cooperation and Buzz
was interested in seeing more information about the International Space
Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG).

I told him I would see what I could find and to that end here are some more
links about the history of ISECG and earlier meetings pertaining to
International Cooperation for Sustainable Space Exploration.

I need to spend some more time reading the material and I thought
you folks might like to do the same. It is important to have government
space agencies working to promote the use of space.

There needs to be a viable commercial reason for going to space and having
established government space agencies working together should help in
promoting and paving the way to make it happen.

Developing our use of space exploration should be built on reasons that
will sustain the effort in the long term and not just be a one time shot that
would prove to be too expensive and shut down for lack of return on investment.

You can get a feel for where Buzz Aldrin is coming from if you read this report.
- LRK -
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http://www.spacerenaissance.org/papers/A_Unified_Space_Vision-Hsu-Buzz.pdf
Sustainable Space Exploration and Space Development
- A Unified Strategic Vision
February 20, 2009

Buzz Aldrin, Ph.D.
Apollo 11 Astronaut
Sr. Fellow, Aerospace Technology Working Group

Feng Hsu, Ph.D.
NASA GSFC
Sr. Fellow, Aerospace Technology Working Group

Ken Cox, Ph.D.
Founder & Director
Aerospace Technology Working Group

ABSTRACT
This paper presents and recommends a strategic and Unified Space Vision (USV) for
comprehensive human space exploration and space development endeavors in the 21st
century, through extensive analysis of complex space policy issues, to the new U.S.
Administration, the NASA transition team and the broad domestic and international
community. The proposed USV is a new paradigm of space policy that aims to rectify or
replace the current Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), including its implementation plan,
which has been pursued via the NASA Constellation program since its announcement by
George Bush in early 2004. We strongly believe that if adequately adopted, the USV should
serve the long-term economic, diplomatic and exploration interests of this nation and others
around the globe.

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And now to the links I found for ISECG.
- LRK -

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http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/pres/stsc2008/tech-19.pdf
SPACE EXPLORATION & GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
The Global Exploration Strategy:

S. Espinasse on the behalf of S. Di Pippo
Director, Observation of the Universe – ASI
Chair, Human Spaceflight, Microgravity & Exploration PB - ESA

Global exploration strategy: the framework for coordination
• Since August 2006, 14 space agencies discussed the
definition of a vision for globally coordinated space
exploration.
• The 14 space agencies are: ASI, BNSC, CNES, CNSA,
CSA, CSIRO, DLR, ESA, ISRO, JAXA, KARI, NASA, NSAU
and Roscosmos.

These discussions led to the finalisation of a
document entitled “The Global Exploration
Strategy: The Framework for Coordination”
(otherwise called the Framework Document). This
document has been released on the 31° of May,
2007 in connection with the 3° ESA/ASI workshop
on International Cooperation for Sustainable Space
Exploration.

The Framework Document is an important step for
these 14 agencies in an evolving process toward
achieving a global, strategic, coordinated and
comprehensive approach to space exploration.
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If you know any of the participants or have first hand information about the meetings, let me know.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/index.html
International Cooperation for Sustainable Space Exploration

Key meeting on long-term space exploration
30 May 2007 Fourteen space organisations from all over the world will gather in Italy to discuss further coordination for long-term space exploration efforts.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEM01I9RR1F_0.html

Welcome statement Mrs Di Pippo and Mr Sacotte
Thank you for visiting these web pages. They are meant to give visibility to the reflection, and provide a repository for the resulting material, that major space agencies worldwide are conducting collectively on the issue of space exploration from a global and international cooperation perspective.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEM7VNBE8YE_0.html

3rd Workshop on International Cooperation for Sustainable Space Exploration
ESA and ASI have the pleasure of welcoming representatives of the international space agencies and organisations to the 3rd Workshop on International Cooperation for Sustainable Space Exploration to be held in Spineto, Italy, from 29 May to 1 June 2007. More details will follow.
This is an invitation only workshop.
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3rd workshop - 2007
Letter of invitation
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEMQ3LLJC0F_0.html

Draft agenda
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEMZELLJC0F_0.html

IMEWG 2007
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/imewg07_agenda_only.pdf
International Mars Exploration Working Group
May 29, 2007, Abbazia di Spineto, Sarteano, Italy

2nd workshop - 2006
*2nd Workshop on International Cooperation for Sustainable Space Exploration*
Agenda & Presentations
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEM6NVBE8YE_0.html

Participants 2006
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEMDM1CE8YE_0.html

The Spineto Declaration
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEM76YBE8YE_0.html


1st workshop - 2005
*1st Workshop on International Cooperation for Sustainable Space Exploration*
Summary
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEMC5OBE8YE_0.html

Agenda and Presentations
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEM58OBE8YE_0.html

List of Participants
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Global_Space_Exploration/SEMIP0CE8YE_0.html
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http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/exploration/InternationalCoordination/ISECG_workplan%202008%20.pdf
INTERNATIONAL SPACE EXPLORATION COORDINATION GROUP
Workplan 2008
29 January 2008

At the 1st ISECG meeting which has been held on 6 and 7 November 2007 in Berlin,
the objectives of activities to be performed within 2008 have been discussed and
agreed. This document details the ISECG work objectives for 2008 and defines an
associated implementation plan.

The ISECG workplan 2008 responds to 3 overarching strategic objectives:
• Demonstrate the effectiveness and value of ISECG by achieving
outcomes within 2008 which further the goals of ISECG and are of
mutual benefit to the participating Agencies
• Increase the visibility of ISECG by communicating its existence and
purpose to relevant international groups and organisations.
• Establish all elements of the ISECG structure required to make it fully
operational.

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http://www.dlr.de/rd/Portaldata/28/Resources/dokumente/raumstation/ISECG_AnnualReport_2007.pdf
INTERNATIONAL SPACE EXPLORATION COORDINATION GROUP
Annual Report: 2007
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Background to the ISECG

In 2006, 14 space agencies(1) began a series of discussions on global interests in space exploration. Together they took the unprecedented step of elaborating a vision for peaceful robotic and human space exploration, focussing on destinations within the Solar System where humans may one day live and work, and developed a common set of key space exploration themes. This vision was articulated in "The Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination" (the Framework Document), which was released on May 31, 2007 (2).

The process of creating, editing, and producing the Framework Document has nurtured a strong consensus and partnership among the fourteen founding space agencies. This spirit of openness, flexibility, and mutual respect that marked the Framework Document development process yielded a truly cooperative effort and the starting point for broader discussions with an increasingly wider set of participants, both among and outside the founding fourteen agencies.

A key finding of the Framework Document was the need to establish a voluntary, non-binding international coordination mechanism through which individual agencies may exchange information regarding interests, objectives and plans in space exploration with the goal of strengthening both individual exploration programs as well as the collective effort. The coordination mechanism is now called the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG).

1 In alphabetical order: ASI (Italy), BNSC (United Kingdom), CNES (France), CNSA (China), CSA (Canada), CSIRO (Australia), DLR (Germany), ESA (European Space Agency), ISRO (India), JAXA (Japan), KARI (Republic of Korea), NASA (United States of America), NSAU (Ukraine), Roscosmos (Russia). “Space Agencies” refers to government organizations responsible for space activities.
2 Posted on each of the agencies websites
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*** JAXA MAIL SERVICE ***
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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Report of the 3rd Meeting of
International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)

March 13, 2009 (JST)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Representatives of ten space agencies from around the world met under
the banner of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG).
The meeting was held on March 10-12, 2009 in Yokohama Japan, and was
chaired by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). They adopted for
further study three scenarios for conducting internationally coordinated robotic
and human exploration activities on the Moon.

Report of the 3rd Meeting of International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/03/20090313_isecg_e.html#at

This page URL:
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/03/20090313_isecg_e.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Publisher : Public Affairs Department
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building,
1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260
Japan
TEL:+81-3-6266-6400

JAXA WEB SITE :
http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html

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

Moon and Mars - Videos

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