Category Archives: International Cooperation

Friday / 30 January 2026

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Artemis 2 Communications Enhanced by Volunteers Worldwide

With Space Launch System rocket / Orion spacecraft on Launch Pad 39B, NASA announces 34 participants globally to assist in Artemis 2 Moon mission communications; selected under Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program, it includes: Intuitive Machines and 12 other companies in USA, UK, Spain, Norway, Cameroon, Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Netherlands; CSA-ASC; German Aerospace Center (DLR); 4 individuals in USA / Canada; academia in Japan, Canada, Switzerland, USA; 7 amateur radio / non-profits in France, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, USA; 4 radio antennas are on the Orion capsule, 2 on the European Service Module, and a laser communications device is on the Crew Module Adapter connecting them

Image Credits: NASA / JPL-Caltech, United Launch Alliance

Tuesday / 27 January 2026

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Artemis 2 Wet Dress Rehearsal Next, NET 2 February

Space Launch System with Orion spacecraft atop it, ~5,000,000kg of hardware, stands on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, awaiting Wet Dress Rehearsal fueling with cryogenic propellants and practice countdown NET 2 February; 3 NASA Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen in day 4 of medical quarantine; Orion carries artifacts: Wright Brothers’ plane piece, American flag and its 50 stars from 1st and last Space Shuttle missions; NASA Administrator Isaacman acknowledges “a momentous step forward for human spaceflight . . . humans farther from Earth than ever before”

Image Credits: NASA / Keegan Barber, NASA / Robert Markowitz

Tuesday / 6 January 2026

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2026 Proposed Moon Missions to Advance Science, Prepare for Human Landings

Artemis 2 launching NET 6 Feb for Moon flyby, presaging NET 2028 landing of first woman and possibly 1st person of color or non-USA citizen; “early” 2026 Blue Origin cargo lander Mark-1 to test tech for Artemis 3 human lander; Intuitive Machines IM-3 plans H1 2026 science mission to Reiner Gamma, 7.5°N; Astrobotic Griffin-1 targeting July for taking Astrolab FLIP rover and its payloads to Nobile Crater at South Pole; “late” 2026 has Firefly sending Blue Ghost 2 to far side with Elytra orbital for comms, and China dispatching Chang’E-7 with lander, rover and hopper to hunt volatiles near South Pole

Image Credits: NASA, Astrobotic, Astrolab

Holiday / New Year Edition
Wednesday – Monday
24 Dec 2025 – 5 Jan 2026

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Upcoming Artemis 2 Mission Reflects Apollo 8 Mission

Artemis 2 expects to take humans farther than any has yet traveled, >390,000 km, with 1st woman and 1st from outside USA, launching NET 5 Feb; Apollo 8 is recognized for being 1st to bring humans beyond Earth orbit, traveling 377,349 km away; Artemis 2 Astronauts will be absent communication with Earth ~45 minutes during Moon far side flight, learning from Apollo 8 Astronauts who experienced this 10 times in 20 orbits; ~1/4 of Earth humans saw television broadcast before Trans Earth Injection 25 December 1968, presaging Artemis 2 laser-based Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System “O2O” with 4K ultra-HD video livestream

Image Credits: NASA, Artemis 2 mission patch (L), Apollo 8 silver token (R)

Tuesday / 16 December 2025

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Intuitive Machines Forges Ahead with US$4.82B Lunar Relay Network

Intuitive Machines (“IM”, Nasdaq “LUNR”), Houston TX, collaborates with Telespazio / Leonardo / Thales Alenia of ESA lunar communication / navigation program for interoperable infrastructures, secures NASA Near Space Network contract of up to US$4.82B for 5-satellite solar-powered constellation in lunar orbit, providing constant Moon South Pole connectivity via high-speed data relay; $150M initially, IM sells usage minutes to NASA, $1M / year projected; 1st satellite via IM-3 2026, all 5 by 2027 with 2 via IM-4; IM acquires KinetX for $30M to forward mission; Alphabet spinoff Aalyria also working on lunar connectivity

Image Credits: Intuitive Machines, Leonardo / Telespazio

Tuesday / 2 December 2025

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Artemis 2 Nears Launch Window with Orion Stacked for Historic Lunar Flyby

Artemis 2 launches NET 5 February, 65 days, NLT 26 April; Orion capsule “Integrity” stacked atop SLS at Kennedy VAB before rollout to Pad 39B; technical preparation / critical testing includes interface among core / boosters / ground systems / capsule, propulsion, life support, connections with Near / Deep Space Networks for communication / navigation; Crew preps for 10-day mission—commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and specialist Jeremy Hansen (1st African-American and non-USA citizen, respectively, on Moon mission), specialist Christina Koch (1st woman to Moon, venturing ~274 times farther than any woman prior, ~384,000km vis-a-vis ~1,400km Polaris Dawn altitude); 1st woman on Moon via Artemis 3 planned NET 581 days hence

Image Credits: NASA, NASA / Cory Huston

Holiday Edition
Wed-Mon / 26 Nov – 1 Dec 2025

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ISRO and JAXA Collaborate for Lunar Synergy

JAXA delegation meets ISRO senior leadership, reviews progress on upcoming ~US$253M Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LuPEX), tours UR Rao Satellite Centre, discusses potential collaboration to create robotic arm / launch science satellites / support researchers and private companies from both nations working jointly; ISRO LuPEX Moon lander – Chandrayaan-5 – carries ~250kg JAXA rover / instruments from NASA / ESA / JAXA / ISRO, will investigate quantity / quality of South Pole-region water ice, flies 2028-2029 on JAXA H3 rocket; ~US$250M Chandrayaan-4 lunar sample return launching 2027-2028

Image Credits: ISRO, JAXA

Friday / 14 November 2025

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Scientist Zarubin of Russia Highlights ISS Lessons for Cooperative International Lunar Program

Webinar International Lunar Program Sustainability: ISS Lessons Learned as Applied for Lunar Exploration has Dmitry Zarubin, Russian Academy of Sciences, former Roscosmos ISS management, 2 IAF committees; speaks of 15 nations working 25 years (38 including MIR) for continuous human presence in space; emphasizes applying ISS segment configuration / redundancy / genuine partnership to lunar exploration, fostering global cooperation for humanity benefit; describes Russia Luna Luna 26 orbiter, dual Luna 27 landers for polar drilling / hazard avoidance as robotic precursors to human Moon travel to solve water / dust issues; promotes ISRU to cut costs, redundant infrastructure for reliability, forums like IDSEA / UN ATLAC to align objectives, ensure peaceful, evolving research for all humankind

Image Credits: Dmitry Zarubin

Tuesday / 11 November 2025

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Lunar Experts Favor More Moon Rock Returns: Selenology to Benefit Humanity

NASA veteran Andrew Petro writes that lunar robotic missions returning regolith will accelerate exploration; lunar geologist Clive Neal analyzes Apollo remnants for resource potential; NASA planetary scientist Noah Petro (no relation) advocates new samples during Artemis missions; regolith research benefits ISRU yielding safer Astronaut missions and lunar base viability; Apollo brought 382kg; authentic samples priceless under USA law, fragments bring ~US$5M illegally; China Chang’E-5 samples sent to scientists worldwide; Outer Space Treaty declares Moon belongs to all, thus symbolic share per human of acre, with lunar ~9.37B acres ample for ~8.2B Earth inhabitants

Image Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 28 October 2025

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Lunar Development Cooperative Offers Transnational Framework for Sustainable Lunar Economy

Lunar Development Cooperative (LDC), New York City for-profit multinational public-private partnership proposed by Michael Castle-Miller, an attorney there, aims to enhance 1967 Outer Space Treaty by fostering egalitarian, peaceful and sustainable Moon economy; early investors can buy shares—starting at US$1—via global trading platform, be part of humanity’s lunar “holding company” with ≥51% equity held by private investors, ≤49% by sovereigns around the world; members pay fees based on market value of lunar rights to fund shared infrastructure, e.g. power stations and waste networks; robust rules ensure environmental protection, fair labor and competition, prioritize developing nations / indigenous groups for inclusive resource mining / development

Image Credits: The Lunar Development Cooperative