The Prospects For A Manned Lunar Base - Part One of Three Parts
Part One of Three Parts:
February 2017
Low Powered KiloPower Nuclear Reactors Being Designed For Space Missions
I have mentioned thermionic power generators that use plutonium-238 to provide power for space probes in past posts. Recently there have been some problems with obtaining sufficient Pu-238 for NASA deep space missions. Nuclear propulsion systems for large spacecraft have also been proposed for decades. With the recent expansion of private space industry, interest in nuclear propulsion has increased.
Japanese Experiment To Remove Space Junk Is The Third Major Failure Of the Japanese Space Agency In the Past Year
I have posted before about the problem with all the space junk in orbit around the Earth. It is estimated that there are over a hundred million pieces of space junk including old satellites, rocket boosters, fragments of rockets, and fragments of metal and paint. About twenty thousand pieces are more than four inches in diameter.
Moon Express Advances In Its Quest To Win The Lunar XPRIZE
Last year, I blogged about Moon Express, the first private space company to be licensed for travel beyond Earth orbit by the U.S. government. Moon Express plans a lunar mission in late 2017. Recent developments have certainly been positive for ME.