Category Archives: International Cooperation

Tuesday / 15 Aug 2023

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India and Russia Reaching Final Stretch Before Landings in South Polar Region

ISRO Chandrayaan-3 now in 150 x 177 km orbit around Moon with next orbital reduction / circularization maneuver planned to retrofire on 16 Aug at ~08:30 IST ahead of expected 23 Aug 12:17 UTC landing at South Polar Region (69.368°S, 32.348°E) roughly 120 km west of Roscosmos Luna-25 prime landing site at 69.545°S, 43.544°E; Luna-25 operating nominally with stable comms and power following 13 Aug instrument / telemetry check and Earth / Moon imaging, activation of ADRON-LR cosmic radiation detector and final orbit correction maneuver 14 Aug; LOI to occur 16 Aug, while landing may happen on 21 Aug

Friday / 4 Aug 2023

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China Now Accepting International Requests for Chang’E-5 Lunar Samples

International governments, space agencies and organizations are invited to borrow portions of the 1,731 g of Moon regolith collected by CE-5 lander within Oceanus Procellarum (43.1°N, 51.8°W) and returned to Earth 17 Dec 2020; 1-year loans will be granted for both scientific research use and for public outreach / education, with application review occurring every 6 months managed by CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center (LESEC); CE-6 launching NET May 2024 to return first far side samples from South Pole–Aitken basin area between 150–158° W, 41–45° S

Friday / 14 July 2023

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NGO Participation in Artemis Accords — as with International Lunar Research Station — is Essential to Build Lunar Society

Artemis Accords purpose and scope ‘to apply to civil space activities conducted by the civil space agencies of each signatory’ may be amended to broaden lunar community inclusion in democratic fashion, expanding to non-governmental, independent, enterprising entities in addition to ‘government-to-government agreements, agency-to-agency arrangements’; 6,000+ NGOs consult with UN Economic and Social Council under Article 71, which may provide model for Moon; nanoSPACE AG of Lyss, Switzerland is ILRS signatory, International Lunar Observatory Association of Kamuela, Hawai’i seeking to sign Artemis Accords if possible before signing MoU with DSEL for ILRS on 20 July, International Moon Day

Credits: UN, CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 27 June 2023

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China Advancing Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, Human Landings in 2020s, Public Outreach

10+ years of continuous operation on surface of Moon set to continue in phase 4 of Chinese Lunar Exploration Program with Queqiao-2 lunar orbital relay launching in early 2024, followed by far side sample return Chang’E-6 launching NET May 2024, landing at ~43.0°S, 154.0°W after 53-day trip; First regolith samples from far side will be analyzed under direction of Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center (LESEC); Organizational representatives of DSEL, LESEC, USTC inspire youth with Revealing Moon Mysteries, Exploring the Universe outreach program; International Lunar Research Station Cooperation Organization (ILRSCO) making progress on Moon base consortium; CMSA targeting 2020s crewed lunar mission

Pictured (L-R): Science and Technology Daily Host Gong Qian, LESEC Engineer Zhang Tianli, LESEC International Cooperation Department Project Manager Shen Yuduo, USTC Associate Professor Low Jing Xiang; Credits: CNSA, DSEL, UDN, LESEC, Science and Technology Daily 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 June 2023

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India Aims for the Moon with Chandrayaan-3 and Artemis / Technology Partnership with USA

Chandrayaan-3 awaiting 8-day launch window opening 12 July at Satish Dhawan Space Centre / landing attempt at 4 x 2.4 km landing area at 69.367621°S, 32.348126°E; Science payloads to be utilized over 1-lunar day mission include Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) to characterize near surface lunar plasma; India to enhance lunar & space capabilities via Artemis membership and steps outlined in New Technology Partnership for the Future section of document issued by White House, which calls for facilitation of technology transfer and export control reform

Pictured (L-R): U.S. State Dept Deputy Assistant Secretary for India Nancy Jackson, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, India Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Sandhu, ISRO representative Krunal Joshi; Credits: NASA, ISRO
 

Friday / 21 April 2023

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ISRO and Moon Village Association Holding Chandrayaan-3 Student Outreach Video Contest

Under theme Importance of Chandrayaan-3 Mission for India and the Global Moon Exploration and Settlement, in honor of former Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director S. Ramakrishnan (L), students around the world in 2 age groups (13-17 / 18-21) are invited to submit 2-3 minute videos accompanied by a transcript and 150-word biography in English; Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be given within both categories, with Golds receiving free entry to 7th Global Moon Village Workshop & Symposium 6-10 Dec in Kurashiki and Tottori, Japan; Submissions due 31 May

Pictured: ISRO Director of Capacity Building and Public Outreach Sudheer Kumar (M),
MVA President Giuseppe Reibaldi (R); Credits: MVA, ISRO, IAF

Tuesday / 28 March 2023

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Institute on Space Law & Ethics to Consider Moral Theory for Off-Earth International Conflict Resolution

Space heritage preservation organization For All Moonkind (FAM) to engage legal and philosophical issues around human activity, resource utilization and hostilities with newly launched institute; President (L-R) Michelle Hanlon of UMiss Air and Space Law cites recent use of commercial Earth observation in the Russia-Ukraine War as highlighting need for ethical investigation and understanding; SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell has spoken on non-weaponization of Starlink; FAM Institute on Space Law & Ethics cofounders include Dan Hawk of United First Nations Planetary Defense, Space Analyst Namrata Goswami, SETI scientist John Rummel

Credits: For All Moonkind Institute on Space Law and Ethics, LinkedIn, NASA

Friday / 24 March 2023

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Chandrayaan-3 on Track for Mid-Year Launch, ISRO Chief Adamant on Precision Landing Near Manzinus Craters

Speaking at 3-day Indian Planetary Science Conference (IPSC) at Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad attended by ~225 delegates, ISRO Chairman S Somanath identifies precision landing near 70.83°S, 22.67°E as “primary objective” of Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission, adding that science objectives will remain largely similar to those of failed Chandrayaan-2 (study and mapping of lunar resources especially hydroxyl / water ice); Somanath also indicated ISRO-JAXA joint mission dubbed ‘LUPEX’ may proceed, Shukrayaan-1 Venus mission to launch NET 2028, and “meaningful” science rational for Gaganyaan human spaceflight program must be developed

Credits: ISRO

Tuesday / 21 March 2023

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Australia / International Space Companies to Develop 2 Rover Prototypes for Moon to Mars Trailblazer Initiative

Launching to Moon NET 2026, Trailblazer rover program supported by commerce-centered Australian Space Agency with Stage 1 awards of AU$5M (US$2.7) to 2 industry consortia: AROSE led by Fugro (NL) / Nova Systems (AU) and group led by EPE (AU) / Lunar Outpost Oceania, subsidiary of Lunar Outpost (USA) with support from CO School of Mines, Saber Astronautics (AU); Coinciding with the announcement, NASA Administrator Nelson and Deputy Melroy tour Australia this week with stops at ASA HQ in Adelaide, Parliament House & National Press Club 23 March

Pictured: L-R: EPE Director Ben Sorensen, ASA Head Enrico Palermo, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Director Pamela Melroy, ASA Chair Megan Clark, ASA CTO Aude Vignelles, Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus Credits: EPE

Friday / 3 Feb 2023

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India and USA Advance Cooperation on Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), Human Spaceflight, Space Science

Several areas of space collaboration between nations to be nurtured following first meeting of U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in Washington DC: CLPS providers to meet with India commercial space companies to identify partnership opportunities; Astronaut exchange will see an ISRO astronaut undergoing training at JSC; Purview of Professional Engineer & Scientist Exchange Program to include space science; U.S. Commerce and India Space departments to lead commercial working group; iCET to solidify details at next meeting in New Delhi within 2023

Pictured: USA National Security Advisor Jacob Sullivan, India National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister Ajay Kumar Sood, ISRO Chairman S Somanath; Credits: @IndianEmbassyUS via Twitter