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| "Fasten your seat-belts, we are going to the Moon - and this time to stay!" |
| Opening proceedings and greeting the many young people present this week in Noordwijk, Bernard Foing, President of the inter-agency International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) nicely set the tone of the event. His call reflected the long- term ambitions of many of those attending the 4th International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon (ICEUM4): the pursuit of lunar exploration in all its forms. |
| Date: 11 Jul 2000 |
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| ESA/ESTEC Capital of the Moon 10-15 July |
| From 10 to 15 July, Noordwijk (NL) will be the "Capital of the Moon" when ESA's establishment ESTEC hosts the 4th International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon (ICEUM4). The Moon conference is organised by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG). "The purpose of the ICEUM4 conference", says Bernard H. Foing, current ILEWG chairman, " is to gather Lunar Explorers (young and old), scientists, engineers, industrial firms and organisations to review recent activities and prepare for the next steps on the Moon". |
| Date: 30 Jun 2000 |
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| SMART-1 mock-up assembled |
| 27 months away from launch, the SMART-1 project team and its industrial partners now have their
very first full-scale version of Europe's lunar satellite. The main assembly of the mock-up was
completed at the facilities of the prime contractor Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) in Solna
(near Stockholm) on 12 June. |
| Date: 29 Jun 2000 |
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| The Moon and SMART-1 at EGS Millennium Assembly |
| With ESA's SMART-1 leading the way in 2002, the first half of this decade will be seeing a
small flotilla of spacecraft exploring the Moon.
These projects and their lunar science objectives were evoked with
enthousiasm at the Annual General Assembly of the European
Geophysical Society held in Nice, France between 24-29 April. |
| Date: 05 May 2000 |
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| SMART-1 spacecraft and payload take shape for Moon journey |
| It was with added enthusiasm that the key players in the SMART-1 mission gathered at ESTEC on 31 January and 1 February for their sixth Science and Technology Working Team meeting. It was the first reunion since ESA's lunar mission and its science and technology payload were given the final go-ahead last November. SMART-1 is the first of the Agency's Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology.
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| Date: 03 Feb 2000 |
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| Blood-red eclipse no glasses required! |
| The new year starts with another eclipse. No need however to retrieve those special sunglasses left over from last August! On the night of 20-21 January, we will be offered a total lunar eclipse. |
| Date: 18 Jan 2000 |
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| Europe is going to the Moon |
| A highly innovative and budget-priced mission to explore the moon has formally been approved by the European Space Agency. Meeting in Paris 9 and 10 November the Agency's Science Programme Committee has finalised all aspects of the SMART-1 project. This small lunar orbiter is the first in a new line of Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology to demonstrate new key technologies for future deep space missions. |
| Date: 11 Nov 1999 |
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| Freelance service contracts for Communication Experts |
| The ESA Science Programme has been extending its outreach through an
increased effort in communication and provision of information about the
Programme and its missions. |
| Date: 10 Sep 1999 |
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| The next steps for international lunar exploration |
| 30 years after the Apollo lunar landing, the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) is enthusiastic about the future of lunar exploration and human expansion into the solar system. Bernard H. Foing, ILEWG president (1998-2000), announced today that the next ILEWG conference will take place in Europe at ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk near The Hague, on 10-14 July 2000, in exactly one year.
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| Date: 20 Jul 1999 |
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| SMART-1 Mission and instruments presented at European Geophysical Society |
| A very successful "Open Session on Lunar Exploration" took place at The Hague
on 22 April, as part of 1999 Assembly of the European Geophysics Society . It
was convened by B.H. Foing (ESA) and co-convened by H. Hoffmann (DLR, Berlin). |
| Date: 04 May 1999 |
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| Key Recommendations for SMART-1 |
| The period January-February has been a busy one for the SMART-1 project, with a succession of key science, technical and management meetings, culminating in a number of recommendations concerning the launcher, electric propulsion system and payload, presented to ESA's Science Programme Committee (SPC) on 17 February. |
| Date: 02 Mar 1999 |
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| SMART-1 Science and Technology Working Team meeting |
| The SMART-1 Science and Technology Working Team (STWT) met at ESTEC, Noordwijk, on 24 and 25 November.
Key items under discussion were recent recommendations on the SMART-1 baseline 6-month lunar orbit scenario, and a possible extension for a flyby of a near-Earth object (NEO). |
| Date: 10 Dec 1998 |
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| SMART-1 mission baseline endorsed |
| At its meeting of 2-3 November, ESA's Science Programme Committee (SPC) endorsed the SMART-1 baseline lunar scenario. |
| Date: 04 Nov 1998 |
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| Report from Moscow Lunar conference |
| The Third International conference on the Exploration and Utilization of the Moon
(3ICEUM) took place at the President hall of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 10-14 October 1998.
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| Date: 16 Oct 1998 |
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| Moscow Conf. Exploration and Utilization of the Moon |
| The Third International Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon is being held in Moscow, from 10 to 14 October. It is organised by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG). |
| Date: 09 Oct 1998 |
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| 24 proposals for SMART-1 |
| A total of 24 proposals for technology experiments were received in response to the SMART-1 Announcement of Opportunity on the deadline of 5 June. |
| Date: 22 Jun 1998 |
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| SMART-1 science payload endorsed |
| At its meeting of 28/29 May ESA's Science Programme Committee (SPC) unanimously endorsed the recommended scientific payload for the SMART-1 mission. |
| Date: 07 Jun 1998 |
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| PR 09-1998: Taking Europe To The Moon |
| In 1994 the European Space Agency (ESA) developed a phased Lunar programme leading to the long-term goal of creating an infrastructure for utilising and developing the Moon whilst preserving Lunar assets. |
| Date: 05 Mar 1998 |
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