China’s Maiden Moon Rover Mission Chang’e 3 Achieves Lunar Orbit with the touchdown scheduled for some time Dec. 14.

We see that Chang'e 3 has achieved lunar orbit and is preparing to land on the Moon.

Things will really get interesting should the landing be successful. 

Much to learn about our nearest celestial neighbor. 

- LRK -

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http://www.universetoday.com/107002/chinas-maiden-moon-rover-achieves-lunar-orbit/

China’s Maiden Moon Rover Mission Chang’e 3 Achieves Lunar Orbit

China’s maiden moon landing probe successfully entered lunar orbit on Friday, Dec. 6, following Sunday’s (Dec. 1) spectacular blastoff – setting the stage for the historic touchdown attempt in mid December.

Engineer’s at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) commanded the Chang’e 3 lunar probe to fire its braking thrusters for 361 seconds, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

The do or die orbital insertion maneuver proceeded precisely as planned at the conclusion of a four and a half day voyage to Earth’s nearest neighbor.

China’s ‘Yutu’ lunar lander is riding piggyback atop the four legged landing probe during the history making journey from the Earth to the Moon.

Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/107002/chinas-maiden-moon-rover-achieves-lunar-orbit/#ixzz2nCSu5Izl...

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Dwayne Day talks about the implications of the Chang'e mission.

- LRK -

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http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2418/1

It’s not bragging if you do itby Dwayne Day
Monday, December 9, 2013

Later this week, if all goes according to plan, China will land a robotic spacecraft and rover on the Moon, something that nobody has done in nearly four decades. If the Chinese do what they did for the launch, they will broadcast much of the event live on television and over the Internet. Last week’s launch coverage on government-controlled English language CCTV was remarkable for its openness. Indeed, the coverage was indistinguishable from Western news coverage of a major space event. There was no propagandizing or nationalistic chest-thumping, just a straightforward reporting with lots of information about the mission and what was happening. The event, and its coverage, highlighted the fact that China has an attractive, technically sophisticated scientific space program that could serve international relations purposes. It was a demonstration of what American political scientist Joseph Nye has referred to as “soft power,” the ability to compel or attract nations to do what you want. China’s space program gives them this ability to attract partners. The problem is that some of China’s other activities undercut their attractiveness as a potential partner.

...

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Some more at SPACEFLIGHT NOW

- LRK -

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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/china/change3/131206loi/#.Uqi8pPRDua-
Chinese probe arrives in lunar orbit for moon landing
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: December 6, 2013

Less than five days after leaving Earth atop a blazing Long March launcher, China's Chang'e 3 spacecraft reached lunar orbit Friday to prepare for an historic rocket-assisted touchdown in the moon's Bay of Rainbows later this month.

Outfitted with a six-wheeled robotic rover and smarts to avoid hazards in the landing zone, Chang'e 3 is China's boldest unmanned space mission to date, extending feats achieved by a pair of lunar orbiters launched in 2007 and 2010.

The four-legged lander fired its propulsion system for six minutes and braked into orbit around the moon at 0953 GMT (4:53 a.m. EST) Friday, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

...

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With LADEE looking at the Moon we should get some idea of what going back to the Moon will do to the tenuous lunar atmosphere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_the_Moon

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/lunar-atmosphere.html#.Uqi8n_RDua_

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/index.html#.Uqi8n_RDua_

Take a look again at again at what the Planetary Society blog has to say.

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http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/12051704-change-3-and-ladee-updates.html

Chang'e 3 and LADEE updates -- and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, too, for good measure
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla
2013/12/05 08:40 CST

Topics: pretty pictures, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, mission status, LADEE, the Moon, Chang'E program

Update Dec 6 7:54 a.m. PT: Chang'e 3 has arrived in lunar orbit.

Chang'e 3 is just about to land on the Moon, and the LADEE orbiter has begun a new science mission there, while Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is still producing amazing images.

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Thanks for looking up with me.  
- LRK -

 

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
WordPress: http://lrkellogg.wordpress.com/
Newsletter: https://mailman1.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update

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

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NASA Missions Uncover The Moon's Buried Treasures

In the news for those that are still looking up.
What was it was said about missions to Mars, follow the water.
Hmmm, could we say the same for the Moon, follow the water.

Now will someone look for an ice cave or investigate some of those holes in the Moon.
http://www.universetoday.com/73659/lro-takes-closer-look-at-moon-caves/
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/oct/HQ_10-271_LCROSS_LRO.html
NASA Missions Uncover The Moon's Buried Treasures

RELEASE: 10-271
Oct. 21, 2010

Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov

WASHINGTON -- Nearly a year after announcing the discovery of water molecules on the moon, scientists Thursday revealed new data uncovered by NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO.

The missions found evidence that the lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in useful materials, and the moon is chemically active and has a water cycle. Scientists also confirmed the water was in the form of mostly pure ice crystals in some places. The results are featured in six papers published in the Oct. 22 issue of Science.

"NASA has convincingly confirmed the presence of water ice and characterized its patchy distribution in permanently shadowed regions of the moon," said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This major undertaking is the one of many steps NASA has taken to better understand our solar system, its resources, and its origin, evolution, and future."

The twin impacts of LCROSS and a companion rocket stage in the moon's Cabeus crater on Oct. 9, 2009, lifted a plume of material that might not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years. As the plume traveled nearly 10 miles above the rim of Cabeus, instruments aboard LCROSS and LRO made observations of the crater and debris and vapor clouds. After the impacts, grains of mostly pure water ice were lofted into the sunlight in the vacuum of space.

"Seeing mostly pure water ice grains in the plume means water ice was somehow delivered to the moon in the past, or chemical processes have been causing ice to accumulate in large quantities," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "Also, the diversity and abundance of certain materials called volatiles in the plume, suggest a variety of sources, like comets and asteroids, and an active water cycle within the lunar shadows."

snip
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As posted at. Science NASA.
- LRK -

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http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/21oct_lcross2/
Lunar Impact Uncovered More Than Just Moon Water
Oct. 21, 2010:  Nearly a year after announcing the discovery of water molecules on the moon, scientists have revealed new data uncovered by NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO—and it's more than just water.
The missions found evidence that lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in useful materials. Moreover, the moon appears to be chemically active and has a full-fledged water cycle. Scientists also confirmed that 'moon water' was in the form of mostly pure ice crystals in some places.
These results are featured in six papers published in the Oct. 22 issue of Science.
The twin impacts of LCROSS and a companion rocket stage in the moon's Cabeus crater on Oct. 9, 2009, lifted a plume of material that might not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years. As the plume traveled nearly 10 miles above the crater’s rim, instruments aboard LCROSS and LRO made observations of the crater and debris and vapor clouds. After the impacts, grains of mostly pure water ice were lofted into the sunlight in the vacuum of space.
"Seeing mostly pure water ice grains in the plume means water ice was somehow delivered to the moon in the past, or chemical processes have been causing ice to accumulate in large quantities," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center.
In addition to water, the plume contained "volatiles." These are compounds that freeze in the cold lunar craters and vaporize easily when warmed by the sun. The suite of LCROSS and LRO instruments determined as much as 20 percent of the material kicked up by the LCROSS impact was volatiles, including methane, ammonia, hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
[See image at link - LRK -]
Experiment . The map contains several intensely cold impact craters that could trap water ice and other icy compounds commonly observed in comets. The approximate maximum temperatures at which these compounds would be frozen in place for more than a billion years are noted at right.
 [larger image    http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/10/21/southpole.jpg ]

snip
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For more information about LCROSS, a complete list of the papers and their authors, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

For more information about the LRO mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/multimedia/index.html
LCROSS Multimedia

LCROSS Mission team - 27 images..

snip
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LRO mission link.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html
LRO: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter The LRO mission objectives are to find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology.
NASA Hosts Media Telecon Featuring Results of Moon Mission Impact

NASAl hosted a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 21, to discuss additional findings from NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, missions.

The results will be featured in six papers published in the Oct. 22 issue of the journal Science.
snip
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LRO Mission at Goddard Space Flight Center
http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Lunar Impact May Impact Lunar Science For Years To Come
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-345

Moon Crater Map Reveals Early Solar System History
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/moon-map/?pid=237&viewall=true#ixzz132TuQaqi

I shot an arrow into the air, it landed, I know not where.
I launched a rocket to the Moon, for profit, and soon.
http://www.asi.org/adb/02/07/lunacity-hotel.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_Project
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update

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

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

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

NASA'S Lunar Spacecraft Completes Exploration Mission Phase

Until we send humans or robots to the lunar surface, this will have to do.  Hopefully we will have students that will use the data to devise new missions.
- LRK -

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NASA'S Lunar Spacecraft Completes Exploration Mission Phase
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/sep/HQ_10-223_LRO_Success.html

Sep. 15, 2010

Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov

Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0039
nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov


RELEASE: 10-223

NASA'S LUNAR SPACECRAFT COMPLETES EXPLORATION MISSION PHASE

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, will complete the exploration phase of its mission on Sept. 16, after a number of successes that transformed our understanding of Earth's nearest neighbor.

LRO completed a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit approximately 31 miles above the moon's surface. It produced a comprehensive map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail; searched for resources and safe landing sites for potential future missions to the moon; and measured lunar temperatures and radiation levels.

The mission is turning its attention from exploration objectives to scientific research, as program management moves from NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to the Science Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington.

"LRO has been an outstanding success. The spacecraft has performed brilliantly," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. "LRO's science and engineering teams achieved all of the mission's objectives, and the incredible data LRO gathered will provide discoveries about the moon for years to come."

The LRO team will continue to send data gathered during the last year to the Planetary Data System, which archives and distributes scientific information from NASA planetary missions, astronomical observations and laboratory measurements.

By the time LRO achieves full mission success in March, and its data is processed and released to the scientific community, it will have sent more information to the Planetary Data System than all other previous planetary missions combined. During its new phase of discovery, LRO will continue to map the moon for two to four more years.

"The official start of LRO's science phase should write a new and intriguing chapter in lunar research," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. "This mission is one more asset added to NASA's vast science portfolio."

The spacecraft launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying a suite of seven  instruments on June 18, 2009. LRO formally began its detailed survey of the moon in September 2009.
Results from the mission include: new observations of the Apollo landing sites; indications that permanently shadowed and nearby regions may harbor water and hydrogen; observations that large areas in the permanently shadowed regions are colder than Pluto; detailed information about lunar terrain; and the first evidence of a globally distributed population of thrust faults that indicates the moon has recently contracted and may still be shrinking.

LRO also took high resolution pictures of the Lunokhod 1 rover that had been lost for almost 40 years. The rover, which carries a retroreflector, was located to within approximately 150 feet. The accurate position data enabled researchers on Earth to bounce laser signals off the retroreflector for the first time ever. The retroreflector is providing important new information about the position and motion of the moon.

LRO also supported the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite impact, a companion mission sent to determine if the moon's poles harbor water ice, by helping to select a promising impact site. LRO observed both the expanding plume that arose after the impact and the evolving temperature at the site.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., built and manages LRO for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The Institute for Space Research in Moscow provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft. For more information about LRO, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro

-end-

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It is easy to forget how close the Moon is to Earth.
It is easy to forget how close the Moon is to Earth.
It is easy to forget how close the Moon is to Earth.

Don't you think we should go there and do this and that?
It is easy to forget how close the Moon is to Earth.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc-20100916_earth.html

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/482574main_20100916_1b.jpg
As LRO orbits the Moon every two hours sending down a stream of science data, it is easy to forget how close the Moon is to the Earth.  The average distance between the two heavenly bodies is just 384,399 km (238,854 miles). Check your airline frequent flyer totals, perhaps you have already flown the distance to the Moon and back on a single airline! Contrast the current image with the NAC view  taken last June, which revealed much of central Asia.

The Moon is a spectacular sight in the nighttime sky. Now imagine the Earth from the Moon, four times larger, a delicate blue, and it does not rise nor set. To astronauts, the Earth is a constant companion, at least on the nearside. Of course, on the farside you can never see the Earth.

snip
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Let us send something intelligent to the Moon.
If not me, then something that can see for me.
Something that will help others see what some politicians fail to see.
- LRK -

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http://tinyurl.com/2ax2hdz
As seen at http://www.kurzweilai.net/

New supercomputer on a chip ‘sees’ well enough to drive a car someday September 16, 2010 by Amara D. Angelica

Eugenio Culurciello of Yale’s School of Engineering & Applied Science has developed a supercomputer based on the ventral pathway of the mammalian visual system. Dubbed NeuFlow, the system mimicks the visual system’s neural network to quickly interpret the world around it.  The system uses complex vision algorithms developed by Yann LeCun at New York University to run large neural networks for synthetic vision applications. One idea — the one Culurciello and LeCun are focusing on — is a system that would allow cars to drive themselves. In order to be able to recognize the various objects encountered on the road—such as other cars, people, stoplights, sidewalks, and the road itself—NeuFlow processes tens of megapixel images in real time.

snip
http://www.kurzweilai.net/
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Maybe someone would like to print me up a 3D igloo made from regolith cement.
- LRK -

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/technology/14print.html?pagewanted=1&tntemail0=y&_r=4&emc=tnt
3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution
By ASHLEE VANCE
Published: September 13, 2010

---------
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/technology/14print.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&tntemail0=y&emc=tnt
snip
But Contour Crafting, based in Los Angeles, has pushed 3-D printing technology to its limits.
----
http://www.contourcrafting.org/
    Html version http://craft.usc.edu/CC/modem.html
    Shockwave  http://craft.usc.edu/CC/Welcome_files/contourcrafting.html
      *Requires broadband connection and the Shockwave media player - which it would seem I don't have installed. LRK
----
Based on research done by Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis, an engineering professor at the University of Southern California, Contour Crafting has created a giant 3-D printing device for building houses. The start-up company is seeking money to commercialize a machine capable of building an entire house in one go using a machine that fits on the back of a tractor-trailer.

The 3-D printing wave has caught the attention of some of the world’s biggest technology companies. Hewlett-Packard, the largest paper-printer maker, has started reselling 3-D printing machines made by Stratasys. And Google uses the CADspan software from LGM to help people using its SketchUp design software turn their creations into 3-D printable objects.
snip
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Just think how hard it would be to work in the vacuum of the Moon, and just think how much fun it would be to figure out how to do so. :-)

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update

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

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

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

Ten Cool Things Seen in the First Year of LRO

We waited a long time for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to be launched to the Moon and now a year has gone by in orbit.  Back then we thought humans were going back to the Moon also.  Hopefully folks will use the LRO data to find interesting things about the Moon and be useful for planning other robotic missions that might take place on the surface of the Moon.

By the time it is alright to mention humans and the Moon in the same sentence we will have sufficient justification to profitable to develop the Lunar resources.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/first-year.html
Ten Cool Things Seen in the First Year of LRO
06.23.10

Having officially reached lunar orbit on June 23rd, 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has now marked one full year on its mission to scout the moon. Maps and datasets collected by LRO’s state-of-the-art instruments will form the foundation for all future lunar exploration plans, as well as be critical to scientists working to better understand the moon and its environment. In only the first year of the mission, LRO has gathered more digital information than any previous planetary mission in history. To celebrate one year in orbit, here are ten cool things already observed by LRO. Note that the stories here are just a small sample of what the LRO team has released and barely touch on the major scientific accomplishments of the mission. If you like these, visit the official LRO web site at www.nasa.gov/LRO to find out even more!

snip
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And you saw it mentioned here.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/overview/index.html
LRO Overview

On the moon we will develop technologies to survive in the infinite frontier of space, because the moon presents the same challenges we will encounter throughout the universe: harmful radiation, electrified dust, and extreme temperatures.

Just as a scout finds the safest way for expeditions on Earth, NASA will first send a robotic scout, called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), to gather crucial data on the lunar environment that will help astronauts prepare for long-duration lunar expeditions.

snip
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Images

- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/index.html
Moon Images from LRO

LRO Photographs

Images of the Moon

snip
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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
=============================================

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

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Looking up continues to be interesting - just reflecting

We just read about LRO finding the precise location of Lunokhod 1 and 2 on the Moon. The below link talks about how the reflectors left on the Moon have degraded and that the one placed by Lunokhod 1 no longer worked. Now that the location of them has been verified part of this report won't be correct or at least is dated, since now that we know exactly where Lunokhod 1 is, it has been determined we can see reflected laser pulses and very well indeed.

Dust may indeedl be a problem and hopefully we will send more robots to the Moon to look into the Lunar environment. I say robots, since at the moment we may have to wait awhile to send humans.
- LRk -

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http://news.discovery.com/space/moon-mirror-apollo.html
Lunar Mirror Mystery Solved
Reflectors placed on the moon during Apollo missions practically stop working during a full moon. Now we may know why.

Sun Mar 14, 2010 06:43 AM ET
Content provided by Stuart Gary, ABC Science Online

THE GIST:

* Reflectors were placed on the moon during Apollo missions.
* During a full moon, their reflectivity drops by a factor of 10.
* New research proposes that dust on the reflectors heats up during a full moon, distorting their shape.

snip
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Another article on the results of LRO finding the Lunokhod rovers. Nice picture on the web site.
- LRK -

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http://news.discovery.com/space/lost-and-found-soviet-lunar-rover.html
Lost and Found: Soviet Lunar Rover

Analysis by Irene Klotz
Tue Apr 27, 2010 03:09 PM ET

In November 1970, a Soviet probe landed on the surface of the moon and released two ramps. A rover, named Lunokhod 1, descended to the surface to take pictures and conduct experiments. It carried with it a French-made light reflector, which could be used by scientists on Earth to compute distances and better understand lunar geology.

Ten months later, Lunokhod 1 fell silent, its location on the moon unknown. Over the years, scientists occasionally beamed a laser around its last known coordinates, hoping for a return beam from the reflector. They got no response and figured the rover had fallen into a crater or parked itself beneath a cliff, blocking its reflector from Earth.

snip
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Posted this link before. If you didn't check it out here is a paragraph that shows what can be done with new information by dedicated personnel. What other information will we see from the Moon?
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-20100426.html
NASA's LRO Team Helps Track Laser Signals to Russian Rover Mirror

snip
“Getting more than a few photons back from an unknown location at the distance of the moon is quite an achievement. The rediscovery of the Lunokhod-1 retroreflector was made possible by the LRO camera team and by the diligence of Tom Murphy,” said Gregory Neumann, Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter team member from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “That we have located it so quickly and ranged to the Lunokhod rover, last heard from Sept. 14, 1971, is a tribute to Tom's team and to the amazing LRO observatory and instrument teams.”

snip
---------------------------------------

The former Soviet Union had a lot of Lunar firsts. Other nations may well add some to their credit as well. For now we in the USA will have to be satisfied with the results from orbiters. It would be nice to be able to do more with the information from LRO.
- LRK -

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http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/lost-soviet-reflector-found-on-moon-100427.html
Lost Soviet Reflecting Device Rediscovered on the Moon
By SPACE.com Staff

posted: 27 April 2010
09:57 am ET

A long lost light reflector that was left on the surface of the moon by the former Soviet Union has been rediscovered by a team of American physicists after nearly 40 years using lasers beamed from Earth.

snip
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Well another reason to look up. :-)

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
============================================

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

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

LRO Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - Something we can watch now

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

http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/

LRO Observations

View the full gallery of images gathered from LRO's instruments and the associated information products derived from them. Thus information, including boulder distribution maps, slope maps and digital terrain models will guide engineers and scientists as they develop their plans for how they will continue to explore the moon.

* New Lunar Images and Data Available to the Public
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/image_release.html

* 3D Measurements of Apollo 14 Landing Site
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc-20100129-apollo14.html

* LRO Team Begins to Release New Image Series
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc-20100107-new-images.html

* LROC Prepares for Planetary Data System Data Transfer
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/index.php?/archives/159-LROC-NAC-Image-Prerelease.html

* NASA Unveils Latest Results From Lunar Mission
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/agu-results-2009.html

* Diviner Observes Extreme Polar Temperatures
http://www.diviner.ucla.edu/blog/?m=20091215

* Latest Results Help Prepare for Next Stage of Scientific Discovery
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/agu-results-2009.html

* Popular Science Recognizes LRO in 'Best of What's New'
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/popular_science.html

* Adler Planetarium to construct a 3D overflight simulator for its
"Shoot for the Moon" exhibit
http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article.asp?item_id=681

* LCROSS Impact Data Indicates Water on Moon
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/prelim_water_results.html

* LRO Gets Additional View of Apollo 11 Landing Site
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_200911109_apollo11.html

snip
---------------------------------------

LRO has been sending us back images of various Apollo sites and of the Soviet Lunokhod rovers.
The Rovers had laser reflectors and the one from Lunokhod 2 has been used for returning signals from Earth. Now the other reflector from Lunokhod 1 has been found and laser beams
sent to it and reflected back to Earth.
- LRK -

---------------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-20100426.html
NASA's LRO Team Helps Track Laser Signals to Russian Rover Mirror

Using information provided by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) instrument teams, researchers at the University of California San Diego successfully pinpointed the location of a long lost light reflector on the lunar surface by bouncing laser signals from Earth to the Russian Lunokhod 1 retroreflector.

The initial imaging of the two Russian rovers, Lunokhod 1 and 2 were made earlier this year by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) team, led by Mark Robinson from Arizona State University in Tempe.

On April 22, Tom Murphy from the University of California San Diego and his team sent pulses of laser light from the 3.5 meter telescope at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, zeroing in on the target coordinates provided by the LROC images and altitudes provided by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter.

“We quickly verified the signal to be real and found it to be surprisingly bright: at least five times brighter than the other Soviet reflector, on the Lunokhod 2 rover, to which we routinely send laser pulses,” said Tom Murphy, an associate professor of physics at the University of California San Diego. “The best signal we’ve seen from Lunokhod 2 in several years of effort is 750 return photons, but we got about 2,000 photons from Lunokhod 1 on our first try. It’s got a lot to say after almost 40 years of silence.”

Since Apollo deployed laser retroreflectors, astronomers have routinely used them track how the moon is slowly moving away from the Earth. This helps scientists develop a better understanding of the processes that are causing this motion, including what’s occurring inside the moon’s core and the tidal motions on the Earth.

snip
---------------------------------------

What did they say, the best return signal from Lunokhod 2 has been 750 photons. That is a reflected laser beam bouncing back from the Moon some quarter of a million miles away and you catch 750 photons. Now they are excited about being able to catch 2000 photons, and I thought
my old flashlight with tired batteries was dim.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon
- LRK -

---------------------------------------
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/lost-soviet-reflector-found-on-moon-100427.html
Lost Soviet Reflecting Device Rediscovered on the Moon
By SPACE.com Staff

posted: 27 April 2010
09:57 am ET

A long lost light reflector that was left on the surface of the moon by the former Soviet Union has been rediscovered by a team of American physicists after nearly 40 years using lasers beamed from Earth.

The French-built laser reflector was sent aboard the unmanned Soviet Luna 17 mission, which landed on the moon on Nov. 17, 1970 and released a robotic rover that roamed the lunar surface and carried the sought after laser reflector.

The Soviet lander and its rover, called Lunokhod 1, were last heard from on Sept. 14, 1971.

"No one had seen the reflector since 1971," said Tom Murphy, an associate professor of physics at the University of California San Diego. Murphy leads a team of scientists in a long-term effort to use laser reflectors to measure the shape of the lunar orbit and look for deviations in Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.

"We routinely use the three hardy reflectors placed on the moon by the Apollo 11, 14 and 15 missions, and occasionally the Soviet-landed Lunokhod 2 reflector – though it does not work well enough to use when illuminated by sunlight," Murphy said. "But we yearned to find Lunokhod 1."

snip
---------------------------------------

Well another reason to look up. :-)

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
============================================

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

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

Images of Surveyor 3, 5, and 6 and Luna 20 and 24 from LRO

Images of Surveyor 3, 5, and 6 and Luna 20 and 24 from LRO

Larry Klaes posted to fpspace this note:
--------------------------------------------
Sky & Telescope had a post on an impact crater made by the Saturn 5 boosterstage that got Apollo 13 sort of to the Moon imaged by LRO:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/89359412.html

In the process the author also mentions that LRO has imaged some of theSurveyor and Luna landers too! Not sure how I missed these but they arelinked from the article.They will definitely make you appreciate how tough it will be to find Luna 9.Hopefully the crashed landers left a noticable crater to help in IDing.

Larry
--------------------------------------------
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/89359412.html

A Blast from the Past
With the cancellation of plans to return Americans to the Moon, atleast anytime soon, you might think that NASA's Lunar ReconnaissanceOrbiter is a spacecraft without a mission. After all, LRO's two keyobjectives were to scan the lunar landscape for places where futurecrews could safely land and to assess how much water might be stashedin the Moon's polar regions. But don't worry: the global observationsbeing returned by this highly capable orbiter will keep lunarspecialists busy for decades. Here's a guide to the spacecraft's seveninstruments.

Much ado has been made of LRO's views of landing sites from previousmissions. Most famous among these is the revered Apollo 11 site,Tranquility Base, snapped a couple of times last year. The stunninglydetailed views are made possible by LRO's high-resolution cameras,dubbed LROC. The twin sets of 8-inch (195-mm) f/3.6 optics, viewingfrom an orbit only 30 miles (50 km) up, resolve the lunar terrain atabout 2 feet (0.5 m) per pixel.
snip
--------------------------------------------

You will want to check out the link and the hot links on the web pagefor more images from LRO.- LRK -Also the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter web site.

--------------------------------------------
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/
LRO ObservationsView the full gallery of images gathered from LRO's instruments andthe associated information products derived from them. Thusinformation, including boulder distribution maps, slope maps anddigital terrain models will guide engineers and scientists as theydevelop their plans for how they will continue to explore the moon.

Photo Gallery
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/LROMoonImages_archive_1.html

--------------------------------------------
I guess for now this is as close to the Moon we are going to get.We can only hope that if it is Mars Direct that happens that we willhave the necessary developments in place to use on the Moon as well.Eventually both places should show a human presence and not just rover tracks.It will probably happen after I quite talking to you but maybe therewill be an after life that will let me come back and bug you all. :-)- LRK -In the mean time feel free to let me know what interests you all.- LRK -I wish we could hold NASA to what is posted here.
--------------------------------------------

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/index.html
At the core of NASA's future in space exploration is a return to themoon, where we will build a sustainable long term human presence.As the space shuttle approaches retirement, NASA is building the nextfleet of vehicles to service the International Space Station andreturn humans to the moon, and possibly to Mars and beyond. In supportof these efforts, ESMD is performing field tests, designing surfacesystems and conducting advanced human research to ensure that futuremissions are safe, sustainable and affordable

snip
--------------------------------------------

Will this continue? --- ESMD is performing field tests, designingsurface systems and conducting advanced human research to ensure thatfuture missions are safe, sustainable and affordable ---Or will I have to go look at the Web Archive to see what was promised?
- LRK -

--------------------------------------------
Wayback Machine
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Browse through over 150 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a fewmonths ago. To start surfing the Wayback, type in the web address of asite or page where you would like to start, and press enter. Thenselect from the archived dates available. The resulting pages point toother archived pages at as close a date as possible. Keyword searchingis not currently supported.

snip
--------------------------------------------

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
============================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
============================================

LRO - Apollo 17 Lunar Module Landing Site

It now seems we can see some pictures of the Apollo 17 landing site from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
- LRK -

------------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_20091028_apollo.html
LRO - Apollo 17 Lunar Module Landing Site

Apollo 17 Lunar Module Challenger descent stage comes into focus from the new lower 50 km mapping orbit, image width 102 meters. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/397620main_challenger_4x_350.jpg

LRO maneuvered into its 50-km mapping orbit on September 15. The next pass over the Apollo 17 landing site resulted in images with more than two times better resolution than previously acquired. At the time of this recent overflight the Sun was high in the sky (28° incidence angle) helping to bring out subtle differences in surface brightness. The descent stage of the lunar module Challenger is now clearly visible, at 50 cm per pixel (angular resolution) the descent stage deck is 8 pixels across (4 meters), also note that the legs are also now distinguishable. The descent stage served as the launch pad for the ascent stage as it blasted off for a rendezvous with the command module America on 14 December 1972.

Tracks are clearly visible and can be followed to the east, where astronauts Jack Schmitt and Gene Cernan set up the Surface Electrical Properties experiment (SEP). Cernan drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) in an intersecting north-south and east-west course to mark positions for laying out the SEP 35-meter antennas (circle labeled "SEP" marks the area of the SEP transmitter). The dark area just below the SEP experiment is where the astronauts left the rover, in a prime spot for monitoring the liftoff.

snip
------------------------------------
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=32693
LRO Image of Apollo 17 Landing Site

LRO maneuvered into its 50-km mapping orbit on September 15. The next pass over the Apollo 17 landing site resulted in images with more than two times better resolution than previously acquired. At the time of this recent overflight the Sun was high in the sky (28° incidence angle) helping to bring out subtle differences in surface brightness.

The descent stage of the lunar module Challenger is now clearly visible, at 50 cm per pixel (angular resolution) the descent stage deck is 8 pixels across (4 meters), also note that the legs are also now distinguishable. The descent stage served as the launch pad for the ascent stage as it blasted off for a rendezvous with the command module America on 14 December 1972.

------------------------------------
Also - http://www.onorbit.com/node/1658

A quick refresher on Apollo 17
- LRK -
------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17
Apollo 17

Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. It was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the sixth and final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program. The mission was launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, and concluded on December 19. It remains both the most recent manned moon landing and manned flight beyond low Earth orbit. It also broke several records set by previous flights, including longest manned lunar landing flight; longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities; largest lunar sample return, and longest time in lunar orbit.

snip
------------------------------------

Maybe you would like to read about what Apollo 17 mission was about.
- LRK -

------------------------------------
http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/A17_PressKit.pdf
Press Kit
176 page PDF file

APOLLO 17 LAUNCH DECEMBER 6
The night launch of Apollo 17 on December 6 will be visible to people on a large portion of the eastern seaborad as the final United States manned lunar lhnding mission gets underway.
------------------------------------

We have had access to a lot of Apollo images from the actual mission time frame.
Off course some would probably say they were all part of lunar hoax. :-)
- LRK -

------------------------------------
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/apollo/
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Apollo Image Atlas

Foreword
Scanning and Processing Information
Credits
The Apollo Image Atlas can be accessed in the following ways:

Browse Image Catalog
70mm Hasselblad
Mapping (Metric)
Panoramic
Apollo Lunar Surface Closeup Camera (ALSCC)
35mm Nikon
Search
Search by Feature Name
Search by Coordinate
Search by Description
Slideshows
70mm Hasselblad
Mapping (Metric)

The Apollo Image Atlas is a comprehensive collection of Apollo-Saturn mission photography. Included are almost 25,000 lunar images, both from orbit and from the moon's surface, as well as photographs of the earth, astronauts and mission hardware.

Other sites of interest: Apollo Surface Panoramas
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/apollopanoramas/
Consolidated Lunar Atlas of the Moon

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/cla/
Lunar Orbiter Photo Gallery
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunarorbiter/
Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunar_orbiter/
Ranger Photographs of the Moon
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/ranger/
USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/
------------------------------------

When will a tourist be able to snap their own pictures at these historical sites?

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrkellogg
==========================================

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

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

NASA's new lunar mapper begins primary mission

LRO has started mapping the Moon and being in a polar orbit lets it
cross the poles on each orbit.
Already data is starting to fill in what the poles have to offer for
finding Hydrogen and possibly water in those dark craters.
- LRK -

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

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av020/090917mapping.html
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: September 17, 2009

After two months of checkout and calibration, NASA's $504 million Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was maneuvered into a circular 31-mile-high mapping orbit Tuesday and scientists said Thursday the spacecraft's instruments are delivering intriguing clues about the possible presence of water ice.

"The moon is starting to reveal her secrets, but some of those secrets are tantalizingly complex," said Michael Wargo, NASA's chief lunar scientist.
snip
--------------------------------------------------------

Check out the LRO information and the results of the briefing.
- LRK -

--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/south_pole.html
LRO Early Results Press Conference Visuals
09.17.09

GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA showcased new images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's seven instruments and provided updates about the topography of the moon's south pole during a news conference on September 17. NASA also provided an update about the spacecraft's status and mission plans. The briefing took place at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
› NASA press release
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/sep/HQ_09-215_LRO_First_Light.html

Briefing Speakers

› Craig Tooley, LRO project manager, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
› Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
› Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
› David Smith, Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter principal investigator, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Images and Multimedia in Support of the News Conference
snip
--------------------------------------------------------

More information and links, images, videos.
- LRK -

--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA's First Step Back to the Moon

Mission News
--------------------------------------------------------

LRO has a Twitter account if you want to keep up with what they have to say.
http://twitter.com/LRO_NASA

I hope not only the press but the general public gets the word that we are at the Moon and getting good data.
Hopefully we will have some good decisions on where would be a good place to land with humans.

AND, that we do indeed land humans on the Moon with the goal to understand it and develop it.
- LRK -


Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrkellogg
===========================================

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

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

Successful Berthing of the Demonstration Flight HTV at the ISS

http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/09/20090918_htv_e.html

------------------------------------------------------------------
http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/

The HTV-1’s berthing was complete at 10:49 a.m. September 18, as the HTV FCT confirmed the power and data transmission between the HTV-1 and the ISS. The hatch opening of the HTV's Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) is expected in the early morning of September 19. The next HTV-1 Mission update will be posted on September 19.
------------------------------------------------------------------

So Japan is happy that flying to the ISS was successful and then it looks like China is happy about what they are doing in space.
- LRK -

------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.d250ad11b26dc10b20fcd37105b9e552.71&show_article=1
China says will push space programme to catch up West
Sep 17 04:27 AM US/Eastern

China said Thursday its rapidly growing space programme was the crowning achievement of the nation's high-tech transformation and pledged to continue to develop it to close the gap with Western countries.
snip

Copyright AFP 2008, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium [So go read the article, especially the part where it says, "I believe...." - LRK -]
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_says_will_push_space_programme_to_catch_up_West_999.html
------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, I am waiting to hear how happy our Congress is with what we are doing in space.
OK, we are getting ready to make a big splash (hopefully) at a lunar pole and mapping is started with LRO.

------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/sep/HQ_09-215_LRO_First_Light.html
RELEASE : 09-215
Sept. 17, 2009

NASA Lunar Satellite Begins Detailed Mapping of Moon's South Pole

GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA reported Thursday that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed its testing and calibration phase and entered its mapping orbit of the moon. The spacecraft already has made significant progress toward creating the most detailed atlas of the moon's south pole to date. Scientists released preliminary images and data from LRO's seven instruments.

"The LRO mission already has begun to give us new data that will lead to a vastly improved atlas of the lunar south pole and advance our capability for human exploration and scientific benefit," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit of about 31 miles above the lunar surface, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon. During the next year, LRO will produce a complete map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, search for resources and safe landing sites for human explorers, and measure lunar temperatures and radiation levels.
snip
------------------------------------------------------------------

Is that enough to cheer about or do you want someone to say, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrkellogg
===================================

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

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

LRO Becomes Luney Oriented

Lead the runner, throw the ball, hope it is caught.
Lead the Moon in its orbit, slow a bit upon nearing, hope the Moon's gravitational pull will whip you around in an elliptical orbit and not fling you out around the Sun.

Too slow, maybe not there. There and slowing too much and maybe plow into the Moon. Off on your target and just go whizzing by.

Not all that easy when it was done with pencil and paper and a slip stick. Easier with computer programs that help with the math. (saves on erasers)

Still you tend to hold your breath for a few days. Then there will be the orbit adjustments to circularize and ensure you are in the orbit you expected. Now do all the instruments work?

We did it with Lunar Prospector and now LRO is there to join those that have already arrived for this new season of exploration and hopefully cooperation.
See LUNAR PROSPECTOR MISSION DESIGN AND TRAJECTORY SUPPORT.
AAS98-323 (387kb PDF file)
http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/project/pdf/AAS98-323.pdf
- LRK -

-------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=364119282
LRO Becomes Luney Oriented
June 29, 2009
Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, confirmed the spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion at 6:27 a.m. EDT last Tuesday. During transit to the moon, engineers performed a mid-course correction to get the spacecraft in the proper position to reach its lunar destination. Since the moon is always moving, the spacecraft shot for a target point ahead of the moon. When close to the moon, LRO used its rocket motor to slow down until the gravity of the moon caught the spacecraft in lunar orbit. A series of four engine burns over the next four days placed the satellite into its commissioning phase orbit. During the commissioning phase, each of its seven instruments will be checked out and brought online. The commissioning phase will end approximately 60 days after launch, when LRO will use its engines to transition to its primary mission orbit. For its primary mission, LRO will orbit above the moon at about 31 miles, or 50 kilometers, for one year. The spacecraft's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution, three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths. The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, examining permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will return more data about the moon than any previous mission.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

and from NASA. - LRK -

-------------------------------------------------------------------
http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/
June 29 - A series of activities have been completed which have put LRO in lunar nadir pointing mode. The solar array is now tracking the sun and the spacecraft is flying with the +Z axis (instrument bore sight direction) looking down at the lunar surface. Now we can begin performing the High Gain Antenna and Gyro calibrations.

LRO initiated LOI-5 which was a 230.8 second burn (36 m/s) on Saturday. This placed LRO in a 31x199km 90.2 degree inclination polar orbit. The rocket burns initiated by controllers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., have helped the moon capture LRO into orbit, which arrived after a five-day journey.

LRO begins its primary mission of mapping the lunar surface to find future landing sites and searching for resources that would make possible a permanent human presence on the moon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

and - want to know where LRO is?
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/whereislro/

If you see something of interest with LRO, let me know.

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrkellogg
================================================

LRO Enters Orbit Around the Moon

http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/

While I was away watching a grandson get married, we went to the Moon. :-)

After all these years of waiting, it happens.
- LRK -

---------------------------------------------------
http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/

LRO Enters Orbit Around the Moon
June 23 - After a successful insertion rocket burn on the morning of June
23, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's orbit was established shortly before
6:30 a.m. EDT.

Rocket burns initiated by controllers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Md., have helped the moon capture LRO, which arrived after a
five-day journey.

Now LRO begins its primary mission of mapping the lunar surface to find
future landing sites and searching for resources that would make possible a
permanent human presence on the moon.

Over the next several days, LRO's instruments will be turned on and its
final orbit around the moon will be reached.
snip
---------------------------------------------------

and along for the ride is LCROSS
- LRK -

---------------------------------------------------
http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/

On Tuesday, June 23,
LCROSS executed a swingby of the Moon.

LCROSS reached periselene, its closest approach, at 10:30:33 UT, with the
spacecraft passing 1,988 miles (3200 km) from the Moon. The flyby resulted
in a gravity assist from the Moon which put LCROSS into its cruise Lunar
Gravity Assist Lunar Return Orbit (LGALRO).

The swingby also provided mission scientists with an opportunity for
instrument calibration and the return of images from the far side of the
Moon.
snip
---------------------------------------------------

How long had we waited for the Japanese mission SELENE to go to the Moon and
it too has now finished.
http://www.kaguya.jaxa.jp/en/communication/KAGUYA_Lunar_Impact_e.htm

I guess you don't dare blink or events will pass you by.

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================

NASA SETS LUNAR SPACECRAFT LAUNCH COVERAGE EVENTS

--------------------------------------------------------
http://tinyurl.com/oosy4b

NASA SETS LUNAR SPACECRAFT LAUNCH COVERAGE EVENTS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, spacecraft are set to launch together to the moon aboard an Atlas V rocket on June 17. Three launch opportunities from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., are at 3:51 p.m., 4:01 p.m. and 4:11 p.m. EDT. NASA Television's coverage of the launch will begin at 1 p.m. EDT.

If the launch is postponed 24 hours, the launch times on June 18 are 5:12 p.m., 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.
snip
--------------------------------------------------------

Counting Down.
- LRK -

--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html
LRO Team Gets Visit from Apollo 17's Jack Schmitt

Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison "Jack" Schmitt visited NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., on June 3 for an interview with Fox News as part of an upcoming feature commemorating this July's 40th anniversary of the first moon landing.

snip
--------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update ==============================================================