Lunar Orbiter News

space1 month ago•5 min saved

NASA Eyes New Lunar Orbiter and More CLPS Task Orders

NASA plans to award three additional CLPS task orders this year, including an orbiter imaging mission to replace the aging Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and two landers. The agency is moving toward CLPS 2.0, a potential $10 billion, 10-year contract, with proposals due later this year and a push for larger, faster production of landers. Both Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines are expanding facilities and exploring multi-ton and modular lander designs to support future lunar-base needs, while the CS-8 mission aims to demonstrate a repeatable, production-line lander capable of faster delivery to the Moon.

via SpaceNews|

#clps #firefly-aerospace #intuitive-machines

military-space5 months ago•14 min saved

DARPA selects trio for ultra-low lunar-orbit water-ice probe

DARPA has chosen Benchmark Space Systems, Quantum Space, and Revolution Space to conduct Phase 1 studies for LASSO, a six-month Phase 1A plus 18-month Phase 1B program to design a very-low lunar-orbit mission that would search for water ice at concentrations above 5% and demonstrate sustained maneuverability for future cislunar operations; Benchmark proposes the Sapphire propulsion/navigation architecture, Quantum Space is building on its Ranger concept with hybrid thrusters, and Revolution Space has not disclosed specifics.

via SpaceNews|

#benchmark-space-systems #darpa #lasso

space-exploration2 years ago•3 min saved

"Mysterious Surfboard-Shaped Object Spotted Speeding Around the Moon by NASA"

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recently captured images of South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter speeding past the moon at a combined velocity of 11,500 km/h. The images were taken during three orbits, with the LRO positioned at varying distances and angles to capture the swiftly moving Danuri. This isn't the first time the two orbiters have imaged each other, showcasing the ongoing success of the LRO's mission to map the lunar surface in detail.

via ScienceAlert|

#danuri #lunar-orbiter #lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter

space-exploration2 years ago•1 min saved

"Mysterious 'Surfboard' Spotted Orbiting Moon by NASA's Lunar Orbiter"

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of South Korea's lunar orbiter Danuri passing by the moon, creating a surfboard-like appearance due to the speed difference between the two spacecraft. The event, which occurred between March 5 and 6, marked the first time a Korean spacecraft entered lunar orbit. Despite the stretched appearance in the images, Danuri is actually a box-shaped spacecraft with solar panels. The encounter was captured due to the parallel orbits of the two spacecraft, and the images were shared by planetary science expert Paul Byrne.

via Livescience.com|

#danuri #lunar-orbiter #moon

space-science2 years ago•3 min saved

Mysterious Conductivity Discovered on Moon's Far Side

The Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, Danuri, has revealed an intriguing discrepancy in the conductivity between the near and far sides of the Moon. The far side appears to be more conductive, which scientists have yet to explain. The orbiter has also discovered widespread magnetic fields on the far side, indicating greater conductivity deep within the Moon. Possible explanations include higher temperatures or more water under the surface on the far side. The mission has been extended until December 2025 but will face challenges during lunar eclipses that may strain its batteries.

via IFLScience|

#conductivity #far-side #lunar-orbiter

space3 years ago•2 min saved

South Korea's Lunar Orbiter Captures Stunning Images of the Moon in Epic Detail.

South Korea's first lunar orbiter, the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), has captured stunning images of the moon's geological features using its Lunar Terrain Imager (LUTI) and NASA's ShadowCam. The images include Tsiolkovskiy crater, Vallis Schrödinger, and Wichmann crater. The KPLO's primary mission is for one year, during which it will take numerous images and measurements of the lunar surface to aid future robotic landing missions on the moon. The United States and South Korea are strengthening their ties in space, including efforts to monitor climate change using satellites.

via Yahoo News|

#images #lunar-orbiter #moon

space3 years ago•2 min saved

South Korea's Lunar Orbiter Captures Stunning Images of the Moon in Epic Detail.

South Korea's first lunar orbiter, the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), has captured stunning images of the moon's geological features using its Lunar Terrain Imager (LUTI) and NASA's ShadowCam. The images include Tsiolkovskiy crater, Vallis Schrödinger, and Wichmann crater. The KPLO's primary mission is for one year, during which it will take numerous images and measurements of the lunar surface to aid future robotic landing missions on the moon. The United States and South Korea are strengthening their ties in space, including efforts to monitor climate change using satellites.

via Yahoo! Voices|

#images #lunar-orbiter #moon