The L1 and L2 libration points have been proposed as gateways granting inexpensive access to interplanetary space. The lunar libration points, in conjunction with the collinear libration points in the Sun-Earth system, may also become primary hubs for future human activities in the Earth’s neighborhood. The associated manifold tubes have been introduced by a number of researchers as the basis f...

lunar and mars landing is a crucial part of any exploration mission. its importance is manifested by the considerable interest in the past couple of decades. solution of lunar descent can be either numerical or analytical. numerical solutions are iterative and computationally demanding and some of them might not be suitable for on-board implementation. on the other hand, analytical solutions ar...

Introduction: One of many unknowns prior to the Apollo landings concerned the possibility of life, its remains, or its organic precursors on the surface of the Moon. While the existence of lunar organisms was considered highly unlikely, a program of biological quarantine and testing for the astronauts, the Apollo Command Modules, and the lunar rock and soil samples , was instituted in the Lunar...

Lunar cycle-associated physiology has been found in a wide variety of organisms. Recent study has revealed that mRNA levels of Cryptochrome (Cry), one of the circadian clock genes, were significantly higher on a full moon night than on a new moon night in coral, implying the involvement of a photoreception system in the lunar-synchronized spawning. To better establish the generalities surroundi...

This paper describes an architectural concept for a Small Lunar Exploration and Delivery System to operate as a platform for emplacing payloads into lunar orbit and onto the lunar surface, while providing mobility for surface exploration, science, and infrastructure. The concept leverages emerging services that are capable of delivering payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), while utilizing new and...

This contribution reviews some of the recent advancements in the field of lunar science based upon remote sensing results from a number of spacecraft missions to the Moon and laboratorybased analysis of lunar samples. Perhaps, one of the most exciting recent discoveries in lunar science has been the detection of water on the lunar surface and in the lunar samples. These new findings have signif...

Introduction: Previous investigations have shown that, with few exceptions, the lunar surface consists of a regolith layer that completely covers the underlying bedrock. The average thickness of this regolith layer has been estimated to be about 4-5 m for the mare and about 10-15 m for the highlands [1]. Knowledge of the structure, composition and distribution of the lunar regolith provides imp...

A paradigm shift has recently occurred in our knowledge and understanding of water in the lunar interior. This has transpired principally through continued analysis of returned lunar samples using modern analytical instrumentation. While these recent studies have undoubtedly measured indigenous water in lunar samples they have also highlighted our current limitations and some future challenges ...