October 2006 Top Stories
»» ESA SMart-1 Image: Close-up on highlands near crater Pentland
[Thursday, October 5, 2006] This high-resolution image, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows an area close to crater Pentland on the Moon.
»» Communicating Visions
[Monday, October 9, 2006] "How can NASA communicate with the public more effectively - not necessarily just regarding the Vision, but overall? There may be an as-yet untried way for NASA to help get the picture across."
»» CBO Report: Alternatives for Future U.S. Space-Launch Capabilities
[Tuesday, October 10, 2006] In considering manned lunar missions, CBO explored alternatives that would use existing launch vehicles; those that would require minor modifications to the designs of existing launchers); as well as new and much more capable launchers.
»» Northrop Grumman to Sponsor Lunar Lander Challenge
[Wednesday, October 11, 2006] The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge will be staged for the first time on Oct. 20-21 at the Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, N.M. as part of the Wirefly X PRIZE Cup space exposition.
»» NASA Advisory Council Meeting Notes
[Thursday, October 12, 2006] The NASA Advisory Council met on Thursday, 12 October. During the morning session, reports on space operations, space science and exploration were presented. I had to leave before the aeronautics and workforce presentations were made.
»» The moon's south pole: Very high resolution, radar images find rocks abundant, but no ice sheets
[Wednesday, October 18, 2006] Using the highest resolution radar-signal images ever made of the moon – images from the Arecibo Telescope and the Robert C. Byrd Telescope – planetary astronomers have found no evidence for ice in craters at the lunar south pole.
»» Shackleton crater: SMART-1's search for light, shadow and ice at lunar
[Friday, October 20, 2006] This image, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows crater Shackleton on the Moon.
»» Agreement between NASA and The X Prize Foundation for the Lunar Analog Challenge
[Friday, October 20, 2006] "The purpose of this Agreement is to establish collaboration between the Parties to conduct the Lunar Lander Analog Vehicle Challenge, a technology demonstration competition resulting in monetary awards to the winning participants."
»» Findings of the NASA Mars Forward Lunar Objectives Science Analysis Group (Draft)
[Sunday, October 29, 2006] "The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) has completed a preliminary analysis of the June, 2006 draft list of possible lunar objectives from the perspective of its relevance to preparation for human missions to Mars."
»» NASA Announces Discovery Program Selections
[Monday, October 30, 2006] NASA Monday selected concept studies for missions that would return a sample of an enigmatic asteroid, probe the chemistry of Venus' atmosphere and reveal the interior structure and history of the Earth's moon.
