Category Archives: China

Tuesday / 21 October 2025

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Moon Olympics as Overarching Concept

Olympic-class spirit would be appropriate in any discussion of a 2nd Moon race, fostering sports-like excellence in a mode of international friendship during competition; challenges of complexity arise for all, whether SpaceX with a multi-stage system, Blue Origin announcing a new robotic cargo Moon lander prior to its Mark 1, SLS and Orion moving toward launch, or China now test-firing its human-rated long March 10 twice; since People’s Republic of China 2013 Chang’E-3 landing, China has shared Moon rocks / research internationally

Image Credits: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now, CCTV, NASA, CNSA

Friday / 3 October 2025

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Europe Moves Forward with International Collaboration on Moon Missions for Exploration, Monitoring, Mining

Airbus (Netherlands / France, with German / USA / China / Canada offices) supplies European Service Module for Artemis II Orion spacecraft, providing life-support, avionics, solar power, propulsion; ESA Argonaut lunar lander planned to launch NET 2031; Blue Origin (USA / Luxembourg) teams with Luxembourg government / ESRIC / GOMSpace to create Oasis-1 orbiter to map water ice / H3 / rare minierals, before sending Blue Alchemist mining rig; Space Applications Services (Belgium) designing 300kg rover; ispace Europe awaits ESA approval for MAGPIE 30kg rover to analyze subsurface geology, hydrogen forms, et al

Image Credits: Airbus, Blue Origin, NASA

Friday / 5 September 2025

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Hearing in USA Senate Re-Emphasizes Moon Goals, While India and China Expand Focus from Moon to Complete Solar System

Senate Commerce Committee with 28 members held 3 Sep hearing with 4 testifiers including Mike Gold (L), who advocates accelerating Moon landing, need for Gateway and funding, no major changes to Artemis (estimated cost through 2025 US$93B); NASA appoints Amit Kshatriya as Associate Administrator, elevating from Moon-to-Mars program; Moon is crucial stepping stone for complete Solar System exploration; India PM Modi (R): “We have reached the Moon and Mars, we must peek into Deep Space, where lie secrets to benefit humanity“; China quickly advancing long-range vision with its Chang-E lunar missions and Tianwen program to Uranus + beyond

Image Credits: NASA, Office of the Prime Minister

Friday / 25 April 2025

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China National Space Agency Shares Moon ‘Wealth’ with International Scientists

Zhongde Shan, CNSA Director, announced 24 April, China Space Day that 7 applicants are awarded lunar regolith samples from Chang’E-5 for scientific research; awardees are Institute of Geophysics of Paris (France), University of Cologne (Germany), Osaka University (Japan), Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission of Pakistan, Open University of United Kingdom, Brown University of United States and Stony Brook University of State University of New York, with 5 signing “Lunar Sample Loan Agreement” that day; Shan emphasizes China lunar exploration program follows principles of equality, mutual benefit, peaceful use and cooperative success

Credits: CNSA, IPGP, U of Cologne, The Open U, Brown U, Osaka U, Stony Brook, SUPARCO; Dir. Zhongde photo courtesy Harbin U

Tuesday / 11 February 2025

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Dedication to Artemis Program Remains Strong

Artemis Accords represent collaborative, international effort with USA as a rallying point for now 50 nations and organizations; joint statement between Japan Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and US President Trump affirms continued partnership for Artemis missions; JAXA is developing pressurized lunar rover, will provide 2 astronauts, and works with ESA on lunar Gateway; NASA has issued RFP from companies to assume VIPER project search for water ice under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement; other policy changes involve SLS shutdown; archived LEAG Artemis recommendations are now available here 

Pictured: PM Ishiba; Credits: The White House, JAXA, NASA, LEAG

Friday / 13 December 2024

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ILOA-CSA Galaxy Forum China 2024 in Wenchang Impacts Global, Inter-Global Cooperation for Moon / Solar System

Experts from 13 countries at Galaxy Forum exchange visionary ideas on astronomy from the Moon, international human Moon landings, first women on the Moon, NewSpace commercial, lunar property rights, and planned international lunar base projects / payloads; Lunar talks included Wang Wei (CNSA, DSEL), Xuelei Chen (NAOC), Bernard Foing (ILEWG), Margarita Safonova (M. P. Birla, India), Jatan Mehta (Moon Monday), Boonrucksar Soonthornthum (NARIT), Mei Yang (CAST), Steve Durst (ILOA Hawai’i), many others; Galaxy Forum 2024 in Wenchang, near to Wenchang Space Launch Center and Wenchang Aerospace City, hopes to influence and advance robust, international, peaceful, scientific exploration of the Moon and complete Solar System in the 21st Century, with Aloha   

Credits: International Lunar Observatory Association, Chinese Society of Astronautics  

Friday / 22 November 2024

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Thailand GISTDA / NARIT Promote Moon Missions

Thailand Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), organizes Space Week, participates in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), counts 35,000 Thai businesses linked to space, signed Artemis Accords via director Pakorn Petchprayoon, signed MoU with muSpace / ispace for lunar collaboration; National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) does astronomy / related sciences, educates, signed with Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) / International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) via Executive Director Saran Poshyachinda for South Pole Moon base and precursors, will have 3 kg space weather monitor on Chang’E-7 orbiter NET 2026; Thai instrument or robot planned for Chang’E-8 lander NET 2028

Credits: GISTDA, NARIT, NASA

Friday / 11 October 2024

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Thomas Zurbuchen Urges NASA to Get in the Race, Lauds USA Public / Private Synergy

Zurbuchen, NASA head of science 2016-2022, oversaw 130 missions / 37 launches, founded CLPS program; published op-ed in Scientific American 1 Oct, notes 1960s space race triumph of USA over Soviets, urges similar effort now for “sustained long-term presence” on Moon because “whoever gets there first will set rules”; China has 4-for-4 success rate on landers, may interpret current “vague noninterference rules” to make “parts of the Moon … off-limits for anyone else”; Zurbuchen had “multiple meetings with Chinese leaders” during his NASA stint, knows union of American public / private “can accelerate and radically rethink space exploration”

Credits: Cory Huston/NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 May 2024

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In Peace for All?

As USA, China, and India advance toward declared human Moon landings, cooperative models of interaction based on existing international agreements regarding Antarctica and the High Seas may inform lunar activities; Antarctic Treaty (1959) proscribes aggression under Article 1, ‘Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only’ as does Convention on the High Seas (1958), Article 88, ‘The high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes’, sentiments which should serve as conceptual guidance for Moon agreements under consideration by UNOOSA / UN COPUOS, Artemis Accords, ILRS, NASA OTPS, ILOA, MVA and other stakeholders

 
Credits: NASA, UN

Friday / 17 May 2024

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USA Space Thought Leaders Express Urgency of Moon Return and Maintaining Human Presence in Space

Invoking concepts such as rule of law, democracy, and human rights, former NASA director / Astronaut (T-B) Charles Bolden, George Washington University professor Scott Pace and retired USSF officer William Liquori call for ‘generational shift’ toward commercial human outposts in cis-lunar and near-Earth space as ‘critical lunar geography’ such as the lunar south pole and far side regions increase in international strategic, economic, scientific interest and activity; Citing 24 years of continuous human occupation of ISS, co-authors stress crewed spaceflight is ‘ultimate venue’ for establishing ethical and legal norms with Apollo ‘Peace for All’ heritage

 
Credits: NASA