Astronomy from the Moon - 20 Months with China's LUT: Further Establishing the New Frontier

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International Lunar Observatory Association

Sep 03, 2015, 08:00 ET

KAMUELA, Hawai'i, Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) is launching, supporting and collaborating with projects around the world to propel human civilization to the Moon for good, and for all.

ILO-1 Moon South Pole: A new frontier as exciting and enriching as Humans on Mars or trillion dollar asteroids, and much closer in space and time.

ILOA is collaborating with the National Astronomical Observatories - Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) at Mare Imbrium 44°N 20°W aboard the China Chang'e-3 Moon Lander, the first spacecraft to land on the Moon in almost 40 years and the only spacecraft operating on the lunar surface. Conducting science-driven and education-based Astronomy from the Moon via LUT is a foundational success of international cooperation on which the ILOA intends to build.

Pursuing a series of Moon-based observatory missions to complement Earth-based and Space-based astronomy, ILOA seeks to advance Galaxy Imaging for 21st century astronomy education with its ILO-1 primary mission 2-meter radio antenna to Malapert Mt. 86°S 2.7°E near the Moon's South Pole, with an ILO-X precursor mission aboard a GLXP lander, and with a Human Service Mission to the ILO-1 / robotic village new world frontier.

More than 40 years since the Far Ultraviolet Camera / Spectrograph operated on the Descartes Highlands by NASA Apollo 16 Commander and ILOA Board of Director Emeritus John Young in April 1972, ILOA is drawing together resources from across the planet to reclaim the cosmic revolution of Humanity as a Multi World Species.

ILOA is an interglobal enterprise incorporated in Hawai`i as a non-profit to expand human knowledge of the Cosmos through observation from the Moon and to participate in internationally cooperative lunar base build-out, with Aloha – the spirit of Hawai`i. It sponsors the Galaxy Forum program, a series of public events around the world to advance 21st century science and education and to identify and secure support for ILOA mission realization.

Galaxy Forum China 2015 – Astronomy From The Moon, on Wednesday 9 September 2015 at NAOC, with participation of Beijing's leading educators, features: Prof. Jianyan Wei LUT and SVOM Principal Investigator, NAOC; Steve Durst Founding Director of ILOA, Publisher and Editor of Space Age Publishing Co.; Dr. R. Pierre Martin Assistant Prof. of Astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii, ILOA Lunar Astronomy Team; Dr. Jing Wang Astronomer, LUT Scientist, NAOC.

The 7th Edition of ILOA's stellar "Galaxy Map" is now being distributed to high school teachers and other educators around the world, designed for use in every class with maps of the world and Solar System.

CONTACT: ILOA Headquarters, 808-885-3474

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SOURCE International Lunar Observatory Association