NASA Eyeing Mini Space Station in Lunar Orbit

[ridery99]

http://www.space.com/36270-nasa-deep-space-gateway-moon-orbit.html

http://www.space.com/36781-nasa-yearlong-crew-moon-mission-ahead-of-mars.html

Phase 1 is scheduled to be carried out between 2018 and 2026, and would include four crewed flights to cislunar space to deliver four key pieces of infrastructure: a power and propulsion bus, a crew habitat, a logistics module (for science research) and an airlock for other visiting vehicles. Williams said the facility would also include a robotic arm that could help provide the module with more autonomous functions.

Phase 2, which would begin in 2027, would start with an uncrewed mission to deliver the Deep Space Transport vehicle to cislunar space, followed by a flight to deliver the one-year crew to thefacility. In the late 2020s, there would be more flights to deliver the supplies necessary for the first human flights to the Mars system in the 2030s.

[Mometaskers]

http://www.space.com/36270-nasa-deep-space-gateway-moon-orbit.html

http://www.space.com/36781-nasa-yearlong-crew-moon-mission-ahead-of-mars.html

Phase 1 is scheduled to be carried out between 2018 and 2026, and would include four crewed flights to cislunar space to deliver four key pieces of infrastructure: a power and propulsion bus, a crew habitat, a logistics module (for science research) and an airlock for other visiting vehicles. Williams said the facility would also include a robotic arm that could help provide the module with more autonomous functions.

Phase 2, which would begin in 2027, would start with an uncrewed mission to deliver the Deep Space Transport vehicle to cislunar space, followed by a flight to deliver the one-year crew to thefacility. In the late 2020s, there would be more flights to deliver the supplies necessary for the first human flights to the Mars system in the 2030s.

The first satellite is finally getting its first satellite. Cool.

[Basmic]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

[Spendulus]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

[ridery99]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

Yes, Moon is actually outside of Earth's magnetic field. So unlike ISS, proposed Deep Space Gateway will be bombarded by cosmic radiation.

[Spendulus]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

Yes, Moon is actually outside of Earth's magnetic field. So unlike ISS, proposed Deep Space Gateway will be bombarded by cosmic radiation.

Actually, over a period of time and with some ingenuity, lunar dirt could be moved up to orbit and form a massive shield. That'd take some native propellants from the Moon, but maybe something like an orbiting station would get people thinking down those lines.

[Lancusters]

I heard that the moon is Helium-3. This is a material that is on the earth practically does not occur and 1 kg of the substance could power a small city during the year. May be this is the reason for such interest in the moon? Why Trump wants to sell the U.S. oil reserves? I think he knows something.

[Mometaskers]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

Yes, Moon is actually outside of Earth's magnetic field. So unlike ISS, proposed Deep Space Gateway will be bombarded by cosmic radiation.

Actually, over a period of time and with some ingenuity, lunar dirt could be moved up to orbit and form a massive shield. That'd take some native propellants from the Moon, but maybe something like an orbiting station would get people thinking down those lines.

I heard that the moon is Helium-3. This is a material that is on the earth practically does not occur and 1 kg of the substance could power a small city during the year. May be this is the reason for such interest in the moon? Why Trump wants to sell the U.S. oil reserves? I think he knows something.

Is any single country even allowed to modify anything on the moon? From what I remember it's considered "common heritage" for mankind. I mean, it would probably suck if they start modify stuff up there that would be visible here on Earth.

On second thought, they can probably restrict all activity to the far side so as not to ruin the view for everyone. Not sure what mining it would do though, if that would result to any significant change. After all, it's way smaller than Earth.

Maybe they can just place stuff on it? I remember some idea shown on Nat Geo where it's used to charge batteries. Shuttles that are going out into space anyway would dump batteries on the moon that would be charged using a large belt of solar panels along the moon's equator.  Then those batteries would just be placed on capsules and hurled back at Earth.

[BADecker]

Of course, maybe the flat earth people are right.     

[saflem]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

Yes, Moon is actually outside of Earth's magnetic field. So unlike ISS, proposed Deep Space Gateway will be bombarded by cosmic radiation.

Actually, over a period of time and with some ingenuity, lunar dirt could be moved up to orbit and form a massive shield. That'd take some native propellants from the Moon, but maybe something like an orbiting station would get people thinking down those lines.

I heard that the moon is Helium-3. This is a material that is on the earth practically does not occur and 1 kg of the substance could power a small city during the year. May be this is the reason for such interest in the moon? Why Trump wants to sell the U.S. oil reserves? I think he knows something.

Is any single country even allowed to modify anything on the moon? From what I remember it's considered "common heritage" for mankind. I mean, it would probably suck if they start modify stuff up there that would be visible here on Earth.

On second thought, they can probably restrict all activity to the far side so as not to ruin the view for everyone. Not sure what mining it would do though, if that would result to any significant change. After all, it's way smaller than Earth.

Maybe they can just place stuff on it? I remember some idea shown on Nat Geo where it's used to charge batteries. Shuttles that are going out into space anyway would dump batteries on the moon that would be charged using a large belt of solar panels along the moon's equator.  Then those batteries would just be placed on capsules and hurled back at Earth.

I don't know exactly what they're doing, but for me the important thing is that they didn't suit on the moon some disaster. Earth without the moon can not exist.

[ridery99]

Of course, maybe the flat earth people are right.     

Pancake space station orbiting flat Moon

[Spendulus]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

Yes, Moon is actually outside of Earth's magnetic field. So unlike ISS, proposed Deep Space Gateway will be bombarded by cosmic radiation.

Actually, over a period of time and with some ingenuity, lunar dirt could be moved up to orbit and form a massive shield. That'd take some native propellants from the Moon, but maybe something like an orbiting station would get people thinking down those lines.

I heard that the moon is Helium-3. This is a material that is on the earth practically does not occur and 1 kg of the substance could power a small city during the year. May be this is the reason for such interest in the moon? Why Trump wants to sell the U.S. oil reserves? I think he knows something.

Is any single country even allowed to modify anything on the moon? From what I remember it's considered "common heritage" for mankind. I mean, it would probably suck if they start modify stuff up there that would be visible here on Earth.
.....

The ultimate use of the Moon is as the Coca Cola sign in the sky.

[Lancusters]

The ultimate goal is to turn the moon into a factory for the extraction of minerals, military base and launch pad for spacecraft which will fly to other planets. In any case, our descendants may not see the moon like we used to see her.

[Mometaskers]

I wonder why they stopped exploring the moon in the 60s of the last century? Maybe there is something found? How many years have passed, but the information is still kept in strict confidence.

All the info is public, massive amounts of it.

Lunar orbits were believed all unstable due to uneven gravity issues, but four stable lunar orbits were located that sort of weave a path between these concentrated areas of mass.

Therefore an orbiting satellite is possible. Whether it's practical to man it is another issue. Certainly an interesting idea.

Yes, Moon is actually outside of Earth's magnetic field. So unlike ISS, proposed Deep Space Gateway will be bombarded by cosmic radiation.

Actually, over a period of time and with some ingenuity, lunar dirt could be moved up to orbit and form a massive shield. That'd take some native propellants from the Moon, but maybe something like an orbiting station would get people thinking down those lines.

I heard that the moon is Helium-3. This is a material that is on the earth practically does not occur and 1 kg of the substance could power a small city during the year. May be this is the reason for such interest in the moon? Why Trump wants to sell the U.S. oil reserves? I think he knows something.

Is any single country even allowed to modify anything on the moon? From what I remember it's considered "common heritage" for mankind. I mean, it would probably suck if they start modify stuff up there that would be visible here on Earth.
.....

The ultimate use of the Moon is as the Coca Cola sign in the sky.

Oh, like red Santa is a "tradition". Sigh. Hopefully there are already multiple countries capable of doing that that they'd be checking each other. I mean, maybe they'd police each other so much to uphold previous agreement about space that they end up not building anything at all.

The ultimate goal is to turn the moon into a factory for the extraction of minerals, military base and launch pad for spacecraft which will fly to other planets. In any case, our descendants may not see the moon like we used to see her.

Yup, heard of the plan to use it as a launching site for further travel to other planets. If everyone restrict construction to the far side, then it wouldn't be visible on Earth.

What I'm worried is what would happen when they start extracting resources out of it. Wouldn't that affect any important stat like its mass? Wouldn't that be more noticeable considering the greater difference between the size of Earth and the moon?

[BADecker]

Mysterious flashes of light from Earth captured by NASA satellite

WASHINGTON, DC — One million miles from Earth, a NASA camera is capturing unexpected flashes of light reflecting off our planet.

The homeward-facing instrument on NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, launched in 2015, caught hundreds of these flashes over the span of a year. NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument aboard DSCOVR is taking almost-hourly images of the sunlit planet from its spot between Earth and the sun. In a new study, scientists deciphered the tiny cause to the big reflections: high-altitude, horizontally oriented ice crystals.



"The source of the flashes is definitely not on the ground," said Alexander Marshak, DSCOVR deputy project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of the new study in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. "It's definitely ice, and most likely solar reflection off of horizontally oriented particles."

Mysterious flashes of light captured by NASA satellite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1IKhsyJr4k


Read more at https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/05/15/mysterious-flashes-of-light-from-earth-captured-by-nasa-satellite/.

[Lancusters]

I don't like this idea. I do not know any example which would have demonstrated that man is capable of something better. All what concerns a person ultimately dies. I am very afraid that the same will happen with the moon.

[Spendulus]

The ultimate goal is to turn the moon into a factory for the extraction of minerals, military base and launch pad for spacecraft which will fly to other planets. In any case, our descendants may not see the moon like we used to see her.

The Moon's top five meters of dirt is rich in aluminum, oxygen, titanium, and iron. Together these comprise 60-80% of the weight of a handful of the dirt.

This layer of material could form most of the weight of spacecraft and machinery, and the oxygen would provide 66-85% of the weight of propellant.

One square kilometer's titanium is more than is mined on Earth in an entire year.