Nature's Art |Moon

Western half of an unnamed crater and its ejecta located near the center of Mare Serenitatis. 

Image width is 600 m, incidence angle 28°,

LROC NAC M139795376L

[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Quelle: Continue reading "Nature's Art"

Astronomy Videos |Mond

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News |Lunar Networks

"Slide show" comparing an illumination model of the lunar north pole region, made using a three-dimensional printer and LRO laser altimetry by Howard Fink of New York University, with standard representations of LOLA data and one LROC WAC mosaic [Howard Fink/NYU/NASA/GSFC/ASU].

Paul D. Spudis

The Once & Future Moon

Smithsonian Air & Space

Of all the wonders depicted in science fiction books and movies, one of the most intriguing is the machine that makes anything
that you need or desire.  Merely enter a detailed plan, or push the
button for items programmed into the machine – dials twirl, the machine
hums and out pops what you requested.  Technology gives us Aladdin’s
Lamp.  A handy device that will find many uses.

We’re not quite there yet but crude versions of such imagined
machines already exist.  These machines are called “rapid prototype”
generators or three-dimensional printers.
They take digitized information about the dimensions and shape of an
object and use that data to control a fabricator that re-creates the
object using a variety of different materials.  Typically, these
machines use easy to mold plastics and epoxy resins but in principle,
any material could be used to create virtually any object.

3-D printers contribute to the advancement our understanding of lunar morphology, as LRO fills long-neglected gaps in lunar morphology. Malapert Massif (85.9°S, 0.42°E). From an 80 meter resolution image of the South Pole region of the Moon built from a 20 meter original supplied by the LRO/LOLA science team [Howard Fink/NYU].

For comparison nearly the same area modeled by laser altimetry (LOLA) above, Malapert from the LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) RDR 100 meter Global Mosaic [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

What’s the relevance of this technology to spaceflight and to the Moon?  One of the key objects of lunar return is to learn how to use the material and energy resources of the Moon
to create new capabilities.  To date, we have focused our attention on
simple raw materials like bulk regolith (soil) and the water found at
the poles.  It makes sense to initially limit our resource utilization
ambitions to simple materials that are both useful and relatively
massive, which currently have those killer transportation costs when
delivered from Earth.  Bulk regolith has many different uses, such as shielding (e.g., rocket exhaust blast berms) as well as raw material for simple surface structures.

However, once we are on the Moon and have met the basic necessities
of life, we can begin to experiment with making and using more complex
products.  In effect, the inhabitants of the Moon will begin to create
more complicated parts and items from what they find around them, just
outside their door.  The techniques of three-dimensional printing will
allow us to discover what makes life off-planet easier and more
productive.  We will experiment by using the local materials to maintain
and repair equipment, build new structures, and finally begin
off-planet manufacturing.

To illustrate the obliquity of the view angle and the problem posed in gathering information about the tantalizing but permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, Shackleton crater, with the Moon's South Pole on its rim (upper left) together with Malapert Massif on the horizon, seen with Earth as a back drop. HDTV still from Japan's Kaguya orbiter released November 2007 [JAXA/NHK/SELENE].

During the early stages of lunar habitation, material and equipment
will be brought from Earth.  With continued use, particularly in the
harsh lunar surface environment, breakdowns will occur.  Although
initially we will use spare parts from Earth, for simple uncomplicated
structures that are needed quickly, a three-dimensional printer can make
substitute parts using local resource materials found near the
outpost.  Most existing 3-D printers on Earth use plastics and related materials
(which are complex carbon-based compounds, mostly derived from
petroleum) but some processing has used concrete, which can be made on
the Moon from sieved regolith and water.  In addition, we also know that
regolith can be fused into ceramic using microwaves,
so rapid prototyping activities on the Moon may eventually find that
partially melting particulate matter into glass is another way to create
useful objects.

The lunar surface is a good source of material and energy useful in creating a wide variety of objects.  I mentioned simple ceramics and aggregates, but additionally, a variety of metals (including iron, aluminum and titanium) are available on the Moon.  Silicon for making electronic components and solar cells is abundant on the Moon.  Designs for robotic rovers
that literally fuse the in-place upper surface of the lunar regolith
into electricity-producing solar cells have already been imagined and
prototyped.  We can outsource solar energy jobs to the Moon!

These technical developments lead to mind-boggling possibilities.  Back in the 1940s, the mathematician John von Neumann imagined what he called “self-replicating automata,”
small machines that could process information to reproduce themselves
at exponential rates.  Interestingly, von Neumann himself thought of the
idea of using such automata in space, where both energy and materials
are (quite literally) unlimited.  A machine that contains the
information and the ability to reproduce itself may ultimately be the
tool humanity needs to “conquer” space.  Hordes of reproducing robots
could prepare a planet for colonization as well as providing safe havens
and habitats.

We can experiment on the Moon with self-replicating machines because
it contains the necessary material and energy resources.  Of course, in
the near-term, we will simply use this new technology to create spare
parts and perhaps simple objects that we find serve our immediate and
utilitarian needs.  But things like this have a habit of evolving far
beyond their initial envisioned use, and often in directions that we do
not expect; we are not smart enough to imagine what we don’t know.  The
technology of three-dimensional printing will make the habitation of the
Moon – our nearest neighbor in space – easier and more productive. 
Even now, creative former NASA workers have found a way to make this technology pay off.  In the future, perhaps their talents could be applied to making the Moon a second home to humanity.

Originally published October 24, 2011 at his Smithsonian Air & Space blog The Once and Future Moon,
Dr. Spudis is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston. The opinions expressed are those of the author and
are better informed than average.

Lunar Pioneer, LLP

Quelle:The Lunar Century

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http://lunarnetworks.blogspot.com

Ray of boulders |LROC

Dozens of boulders, ranging from 10 m to more than 30 m in diameter, are distributed within an ejecta ray close to the crater rim (lower right). These boulders represent the deepest material excavated during crater formation.

LROC NAC M159013302LR, image width is ~850m 
[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Continue reading "Ray of boulders"

June 2011: The Puli Number of the Month - How far do we have to go?

384,400. About four hundred thousand km (~240,000 mi) – is it near or far? Compared to the distances in our everyday life, its a lot but still, one has to go that far to reach our closest neighbor in the heavens. The average distance of the Moon from the Earth, it takes more than a second for a ray of light and at usually three days for a spacecraft to cover it. But how does the Moon orbit us exactly?

The Earth, the Moon and the distance between them, to scale.

Firstly, it obeys Kepler's laws of planetary motion: the orbital path is an ellipse around us, and it travels faster when closer and slower when farther. It usually comes as close as 362,570 km and goes out to 405,410 km – changing its actual distance by more than 10 per cent! But since we are not alone in the Solar System, these figures are subject to change, most prominently from the influence of the Sun.

One of the effects is the change in perigee and apogee distances (the closest and farthest points from the Earth). When extreme perigees and full Moons coincide, some use the therm “Supermoon”, just as it happened this March. So how extreme it was? Not so much, it turns out: with a perigee distance of 356,575 km, it deviated by ~6000 km or 1.5% from the average. As I said, it wasn't really much.

The difference between two full Moons, one at perigee, the other at apogee.

Read the complete story written by our László Molnár here.

Impact melt in Anaxagoras crater |LROC

Boulders clustered on a positive relief bulge in an impact melt deposit on the floor of Anaxagoras crater (73.5°S, 349.7°E); most of the boulders are 10 - 30 m across. LROC NAC M155309869R, image width is 910 m.

via [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]

Continue reading 'Impact melt in Anaxagoras crater'"

Fault scarp with impact melt in King crater |LROC

A fault scarp separates two zones of impact melt within the King crater wall (5.0°N, 120.5°E). NAC image number M115529715RE; incidence angle 75°; Sun is from the right, image is ~900 meters across; north is up 

[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]

Continue reading 'Fault scarp with impact melt in King crater

Wrinkled Planet |LROC

Intricate fault patterns enhanced by dawn lighting in Seares crater (Sun is shining from lower right). North is up, image width is 2800 meters,

M130681684LR [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

quell: nasaLRO

How did I form |Moon

Small fresh crater in Palitzsch B, with a shape and ejecta pattern typical of an oblique impact. North is up, image width is 500 m,

LROC NAC M154785423R

[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Post-impact modification |Klute W

Fractured and slumping rim of Klute W crater. Image is 900 meters wide, LROC NAC M143201144RE [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Continue reading 'Post-impact modification of Klute W'

Moon |LROC

Striated blocks in Aristarchus crater!

Field of striated boulders on the wall of Aristarchus crater. Uphill is towards top of image.

LROC NAC image M120161915 [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Quelle:Continue reading 'Striated blocks in Aristarchus crater

Rimae Posidonius |Moon

Spanning over 130 km in length, Rimae Posidonius is a sinuous rille winding across the floor of Posidonius crater. LROC WAC mosaic at 100 m/pixel, arrow points to the rille and location of an LROC NAC close-up..

[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]

Continue reading 'Rimae Posidonius'

mond2020 |Mond

Der Mond bleibt ein wichtiges Ziel der Bundesregierung der Strategie wird dabei das "Explorationsziel Mond" ausdrücklich genannt. Für die Fortsetzung der bemannten Raumfahrt nach 2020 gibt es daher, ... quelle:heise.de

First Chang’e-2 Photos |China

China has released the first photos from it’s recently-launched
Chang’e-2 lunar orbiter!

Released with some fanfare (that’s the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao,
there. [Editor's note: originally had Jiabao as the 'head of state'; that
would actually be the president, Hu Jintao, not the premier, Jiabao]),
the images get more or less straight to the point: they’re of the Bay of
Rainbows (Sinus Iridium), which China has slated to be the potential
landing location of it’s Chang’e-3 rover mission.

The images include a 3-D map, and have a resolution of ~1.3 meters
(for comparison, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has resolution
up to 1 m [PDF]).

Check out the official Chinese release page for all the images:
A rough translation notes the last image is labeled as “antarctic”,
so it’s unclear if that’s also a Bay of Rainbows crater, or one near
the lunar south pole.

Bowditch Lava Terraces |LROC

NAC view of a part of the lava terrace within the Bowditch feature. The wall of Bowditch is on the right and the terrace is located between the two dashed white lines. LROC NAC image M101478053R, image width is 2400 m, incidence angle is 86°
[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Continue reading "Bowditch Lava Terraces"

Sinus Iridum |Moon

LROC WAC topography of Sinus Iridum, blue shows the lowest areas and red the highest. From promontory to promontory Sinus Iridum is 235 km across

[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Continue reading 'Sinus Iridum - Next Destination?

China startet zweite Mond-Mission |Moon

China startet zweite Mond-Mission

Bemannte Raumfahrt, China, China Mond-Mission, China National Space Administration, chinesischeMond-Mission, chinesische Raumfahrt, CNSA, Lunar Mission, Mond, Mond-Mission, Taikonaut, Taikonauten, Weltall,  Weltraum(0)

Eine chinesische Trägerrakete ist Richtung Mond gestartet, dies ist die zweite Mond-Mission aus China. Die Trägerrakete vom Typ Langer Marsch 3 beinhaltet den Orbiter Chang´e 2 und startete vom chinesischen Raumbahnhof in Xichang. In fünf Tagen soll der Orbiter dann in die Umlaufbahn des Mondes einschwenken und daraufhin den Mond sondieren und die Daten an die Erde schicken. Diese Mond-Mission soll unter anderem helfen, mögliche Landeplätze für zukünftige
Mond-Missionen der Chinesen ausfindig zu machen.

Auf der nächsten Mond-Mission plant die chinesische Raumfahrt-Agentur China National Space Administration (CNSA) den Einsatz eines Land-Rovers, ferner sollen auf den nächsten Missionen Menschen auf den Mond gebracht werden. Der Orbiter Chang´e 2 soll auf 15 Kilometer Höhe den Mond sondieren.

Die CNSA hat schon 2003 die ersten Taikonauten in das Weltall befördern können, 2007 wurde die erste Mond-Mission platziert, die nach Einsatz von 16 Monaten absichtlich auf den Mond zum Einsturz gebracht wurde. China ist neben Russland und den USA das einzige Land, welches die bemannte Raumfahrt stemmen kann.

quelle: online-presseportal.com

Rainbows on the Moon |LRO

With the Sun exactly overhead, the illumination conditions and viewing angles of the LROC WAC create a rainbow effect in this image. 689 nm filter in red, 643 nm filter in green, and 604 nm filter in blue, from image M109168446C. Scene from north to south covers ~120 km
[NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

quelle: Continue reading 'Rainbows on the Moon

Moon |News

News?? |Mond

Europa steuert zum Mond Eine unbemannte Mission soll bald zum Mond starten. Die EADS-Tochter Astrium ist mit der Planung beauftragt. Auf der Computergrafik ist Europas Mondsonde ... Alles zu diesem Thema ansehen »

Neuer Atlas Laserkarte löst Rätsel um Mondkrater Entdeckungen auf dem Mond: Mit Laser haben Forscher den Mond vermessen. Die Karte zeigt die ältesten Täler, mögliche Landeplätze für Raumfähren - und sie ... Alles zu diesem Thema ansehen »

Der Mond Bewegung: Die Bahn des Mondes um die Erde ist eine Ellipse. Daher ist der Mond am erdfernsten Punkt 407 000 Kilometer und am erdnächsten Punkt 356 000 ... Alles zu diesem Thema ansehen »

Galaktische Gewächshäuser September 2010, 17:55 Ein idealer Acker für die Space-Gärtner wäre der Mond-Nordpol, wo ewige Sonne herrscht und Wachstum garantiert ist. ... Alles zu diesem Thema ansehen »

Der Erdtrabant gibt den Forschern noch Rätsel auf Denn der Erdtrabant birgt noch einige ungelöste Geheimnisse: 1.Wie ist der Mond entstanden? Die Forscher nehmen an, dass der Mond vor 4,5 Milliarden Jahren ... Alles zu diesem Thema ansehen »

Mönchengladbach: Astronaut besucht die Heimat Vor 13 Jahren war er zwar nicht der Mann im Mond, aber der Mann in der Raumstation MIR. Heute ist Reinhold Ewald der Leiter des Columbus Kontrollzentrums im ... Alles zu diesem Thema ansehen »

Next step for ESA’s first lander |Moon

quelle: Next step for ESA’s first Moon lander:

Mission description: land autonomously with pinpoint precision near the Moon’s south pole, a region full of dangerous boulders and high ridges. The aim of ESA’s proposed precursor is to probe the moonscape’s unknowns and test new technology to prepare for future human landings...