Paul D. Spudis

Returning to the moon and harvesting its resources might not be too far off, according to senior staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Dr. Paul D. Spudis. The Moon. The ultimate goal for the United States should be to become spacefaring, he said. “I think our goal in space should be to ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. February 6, 2018. One of the most remarkable books of the last 30 years is The Anthropic Cosmological Principle by John Barrow and Frank Tipler. The “principle” is really nothing more than a statement that the laws governing how the universe operates seem to be arranged so as to ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. January 16, 2018. For decades, the idea of useable caves on the Moon has been studied and discussed at various venues and science gatherings. Our fascination with the availability of underground planetary structures stems from the possible benefits such features may afford ...

A nearly full Earth rises above the lunar surface, soon to be visited again by American astronauts. (LRO image from NASA/ASU). By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com .... About Paul D. Spudis. Paul D. Spudis is a senior staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. His website can be ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. November 27, 2017. The National Space Council, the reconstituted White House group designed to set national space policy, reportedly is in favor of a human return to the Moon. What will stepping on the Moon be like for these next explorers? What reaction can we expect from those ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. October 17, 2017. I was engaged in two workshop-conferences last week in Columbia, Maryland. The first was the annual meeting of the Lunar Exploration and Analysis Group (LEAG)—a group of lunar scientists and engineers who came to share ideas about new missions, ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. September 13, 2017. While celebrated by many segments within the space community, the recent nomination by the White House of Congressman James .... About Paul D. Spudis. Paul D. Spudis is a senior staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas.

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. August 16, 2017. A much-anticipated total solar eclipse takes place on Monday, August 21. Fortunately, the ground track for this astronomical event will slice across the middle section of the continental United States, so that some portion of the eclipse can be viewed by millions of ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. July 27, 2017. Much attention has been paid over the past two decades to the idea of water on the Moon—one of the most counter-intuitive concepts around. Most of this attention has focused on the presence of ice in the permanently dark polar regions of the Moon. This water ice is ...

In his new book, "The Value of the Moon: How to Explore, Live and Prosper in Space Using the Moon's Resources," (Smithsonian Books, 2016), planetary scientist and author Paul D. Spudis explains why the moon could be a critical stepping stone for robotic and human missions to other solar system ...

This European Space Agency artist's conception shows a future lunar outpost built using 3-D printing techniques. (ESA). By Paul D. Spudis.

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. September 13, 2017. While celebrated by many segments within the space community, the recent nomination by the White ...

The Japanese Hinode satellite observed the Moon blocking the face of the sun during a solar eclipse in 2009. (NASA/JAXA). By Paul D. Spudis.

Despite new findings about lunar water, it still makes sense to mine ice at the poles. Lava_fountain_Kilauea.JPG. “Lava_fountain_Kilauea.JPG”.

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. July 12, 2017. A recent study has shown that the red dust on the surface of Mars, in combination with surface conditions of ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. June 14, 2017. From published scientific work and images of some PowerPoint slides (presented at a recent technical ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. April 20, 2017. William F. Mellberg, a good friend to many, passed away this week from pancreatic cancer (the same ...

Up to speed and thinking about the future, United Launch Alliance (ULA), the amalgam of Boeing and Lockheed created in 2006 to market ...

By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. January 27, 2017. As we await the announcement on who will be leading NASA, a blizzard of op-ed pieces from Mars ...

Paul D. Spudis: It's kind of a combination of three different things. I wanted to write a history of the United States' interest in the moon — our ...

Forty-five years after the last Moon landing, it's time to stop talking and start doing again. moonscape.jpg. Earthrise over the Moon, as seen by the Japanese Kaguya spacecraft.

Up to speed and thinking about the future, United Launch Alliance (ULA), the amalgam of Boeing and Lockheed created in 2006 to market launch services on the venerable Delta and Atlas rockets, hosted a unique gathering in Centennial, Colorado last week.

Dr. PAUL D. SPUDIS is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on impact and volcanic processes on the planets and requirements for sustainable human presence on the Moon.

LEO prop depot.jpg. Fuel depots in low Earth orbit could be a key part of the space economy. (Jack Frassanito). By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. January 27, 2017. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0. As we await the announcement on who will be leading NASA, ...

prospector.jpg. An artistic rendition of the Lunar Prospector rover, exploring the lunar surface in the polar regions. (NASA). By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. November 14, 2016 2:27PM. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0. Pointing out that morale in the ...

Speyerer image lunar.jpg. This new 39-foot-diameter impact crater formed sometime between October 25, 2012 and April 21, 2013. (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University).

Korean+Lunar+Exploration+Project_08.jpg. Artist's conception of the KPLO, Korea's planned lunar orbiting mission, scheduled for launch in late 2018.

... projectile (decapitation) made Messier A. Note the ejecta blanket of Messier extend at right angles to the impact direction, while whisker-like rays extend downrange from Messier A in the same direction as the impact.

It's been a while since I've examined China's lunar exploration program on this blog, so in light of several recent developments, I will re-examine China's achievements and accomplishments to date, and from these observations, infer possible future ...

Surveyor I-20.jpg. Mosaic of surface images taken by Surveyor 1, pasted onto the inside of a hollow sphere to preserve the view geometry of the camera.

... "The Value of the Moon: How to Explore, Live, and Prosper in Space Using the Moon's Resources," Paul D. Spudis; "The Gene: an Intimate History," Siddhartha Mukherjee; "Dinner Made Simple: 35 Everyday Ingredients, 350 Easy Recipes,"; "Your Favorite ...

kuiper1.jpg. Gerard P. Kuiper, founder of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. (University of Arizona). By Paul D. Spudis. airspacemag.com. May 25, 2016. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0. Recently, two interesting news stories grabbed my ...

In his new book, "The Value of the Moon: How to Explore, Live and Prosper in Space Using the Moon's Resources," (Smithsonian Books, 2016), planetary scientist and author Paul D. Spudis explains why the moon could be a critical stepping stone for ...

Apollo's Mysterious "Music," Explained. Are aliens singing to us? AS10-27-3881 Apollo 10.jpg. Listening for aliens? The Apollo 10 Command/Service Module as seen from the lunar lander.