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Blobrana


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Astronomers are meeting this week to put together their wish list for deep-space astronomy projects when the United States resumes exploration of the Moon with a new crew vehicle, the Orion, and new Ares rockets.
The moon has very little atmosphere, and lots of dust. Those are some of the things being considered this week at the home of the Hubble Space Telescope, where astronomers are discussing the opportunities offered by NASA's plan to return to the moon, including the possibility of a telescope on the lunar surface.
The moon is a large, stable platform with very little atmosphere to interfere with viewing the stars. However, the size of any lunar telescope; whether it would be built on Earth and unfold on arrival, or be assembled on the moon; and how it would be funded all remain to be decided.
Scott Horowitz, a NASA associate administrator, told the group the space agency is still early in the design stage for the next moon rockets and vehicles but wants significant capability to transport scientific instruments, living quarters and other cargo to the moon.
Paul Spudis of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory said the moon is full of advantages and hazards. The surface is pockmarked with numerous bowl-shaped craters that can be adapted for use by astronomers who could take advantage of the natural parabolic shape to create large antennas or other receivers. The lack of atmosphere makes it ideal for observation because there are no clouds to obscure the view. However, that also means even small meteors easily reach the surface, which has been pounded into a fine talcum powder-like consistency in many places. That dust could prove to be a health hazard for astronauts, who might inhale it. At least half of the dust is crushed glass formed by meteorite strikes that melted the surface. Much of the dust contains iron, which has led some to suggest using microwaves to melt the surface and form a roadway of sorts to keep the dust down.

The meeting at the Space Telescope Science Institute on the campus of Johns Hopkins University, which coordinates the use of the orbiting Hubble, comes a week before NASA is to unveil its moon exploration strategy at a conference in Houston.

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Blobrana


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NASA to Brief Exploration Strategy and Lunar Architecture
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and senior executives from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate will host a press conference at 1 p.m. CST Monday, Dec. 4, to announce the agency's global exploration strategy and lunar architecture.
Scott Horowitz, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, and his deputy, Doug Cooke, will participate in the news briefing.
The event will be at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, Houston, and will air live on the Internet and NASA Television.

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Blobrana


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A NASA document to provide a single source for the constants and models to be used in the trajectory and navigation design of missions whose objective is to orbit or land on the Moon has been released.
It also contains some basic background information about the Moon, its orbit, and the previous missions that have explored the Moon for any budding mission analyst.
As a result, this document contains more information than the typical constants and models document. Some of the data are required for mission studies while other data are simply provided for "educational purposes".

The document provides only brief descriptions of the constants and models, however be prepared for a very long download, broadband recommended.

Download (PDF)

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Blobrana


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Nasa chief Michael Griffin announced on September 19 that the United States will send four astronauts to the moon in 2018 in a major return to its pioneering manned missions into space.

However, he admitted that the space shuttle was a mistake.

"It is now commonly accepted that was not the right path. We are now trying to change the path while doing as little damage as we can. My opinion is that it was a design which was extremely aggressive and just barely possible" - Michael Griffin.

When asked about the ISS...

"Had the decision been mine, we would not have built the space station we're building in the orbit we're building it in" - Michael Griffin.

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Blobrana


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NASA has released it’s plans for the next generation spacecraft.
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin today released the results of the agency's exploration architecture study – a blueprint for the next generation of spacecraft to take humans back to the moon and on to Mars and other destinations.

The study makes specific design recommendations for a vehicle to carry crews into space, a family of launch vehicles to take crews to the moon and beyond, and a "lunar mission architecture" for landing on the moon. It also recommends the technologies NASA should pursue in the near term.

The study will assist NASA to safely return the space shuttle to flight, complete the International Space Station, return to the moon, and continue exploration of Mars and beyond. America's next generation spacecraft will use an improved, blunt-body crew capsule, and will accommodate up to six people.

"This spacecraft and its systems will build upon the foundation of the proven designs and technologies used in the Apollo and space shuttle programs, while having far greater capability. It will be able to carry larger and heavier cargos into space and allow more people to stay on the moon for longer periods of time" - Michael Griffin.

The new spacecraft can be configured either to support human explorers or fly unpiloted to carry cargo. Its design allows the flexibility to ferry crews of three astronauts, plus additional supplies, to and from the International Space Station, take four crew members to lunar orbit, and eventually maintain up to six astronauts on a mission to Mars.
Crews and cargo will be carried into orbit by a space shuttle-derived launch system, consisting of a solid rocket booster and an upper stage powered by a shuttle main engine that can lift 25 metric tons. The spacecraft also will be 10 times safer than the space shuttle because of its in-line design and launch-abort system.

NASA chose the shuttle-derived option for its launch system due to its superior safety, cost and its availability.

Specifically, the space shuttle's main engines and solid rocket boosters are reliable and rated for human space flight. Much of the industrial base and hardware to support this option are already in place, which will significantly lower development costs. Future lunar exploration missions will be supported by a heavy cargo launch vehicle consisting of five space shuttle main engines, and two five-segment shuttle solid-propellant rocket boosters. This combination yields a lift capability of 106 metric tons to low Earth orbit, and 125 metric tons, if it incorporates an Earth-departure stage. Although primarily designed to carry cargo, this system can be human-rated to carry crew into orbit.

The study lays out a deliberate, milestone-driven journey to the moon for NASA. Returning to the moon and sustaining a presence there will demonstrate humans can survive on another world, and will build confidence that astronauts can venture still farther into space and stay for longer periods. NASA's return to the moon will open opportunities for fundamental science in astrobiology, lunar geology, exobiology, astronomy and physics.

The journey will start with robotic missions between 2008 and 2011 to study, map and learn about the lunar surface. These early missions will help determine lunar landing sites and whether resources, such as oxygen, hydrogen and metals, are available for use in NASA's long-term lunar exploration objectives.

All NASA field centres will participate in the new exploration initiative.

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