As ispace Progresses Towards Moon, Significance of Planned First Lunar Mining Transaction Grows
Hakuto-R lander currently ~1,340,000km from Earth while ispace Mission Control working to execute series of deep space control maneuvers by late March in preparation for orbital insertion and first commercial soft landing in Atlas Crater (47.5°N, 44.4°E) NET late April; In addition to gathering environmental data and demonstrating various technologies, Hakuto-R Mission 1 to set precedent on commercial resource extraction by gathering regolith for sale to NASA under US$5,000 contract; Transaction sanctioned under US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015, Japan Space Resources Act of 2021
Space Frontier Foundation continues annual NewSpace series with 49 speakers including dynamic Moon businesses & ventures: Gateway Habitation and Logistics Outpost contractor 
As Chang’e-5 Begins Extended Solar Observation Mission With Bearing Toward Sun-Earth L1 Point, Princeton Professor Emerita Anne-Marie Slaughter (L) Makes 
USA, Canada, China, India, Russia, Japan Commercial / National Efforts Towards Projecting Human Action To Moon Surface Are To Occur 2021; Crewed 2020s Landings Including First Woman On The Moon, Will Expand Sphere Of Female Activity Nearly 1,000,000,000X; Social / Moral / Legal Structure In Process Of Formation With Varied Approaches To Central Question Of Ownership – Viewed As Birthright Of Every Earth Inhabitant, A Land Share Arrangement Between ~8B Humans Allocating 9,383,748,198 Lunar Acres With Deference To ‘Right To Roam’ Of Antiquity And In Spirit Of Homesteading, Ensuring Access To Resources / Habitat, Would Be Equitable, Inclusive
Open Lunar Foundation Of Silicon Valley, Through ‘Purpose Trust’ Breaking Ground, Intends To Buy Moon Regolith From Multiple Sources, Experiment With Various Management Strategies; Privately Funded Group Cites 2015 USA, 2017 Luxembourg, 2020 UAE Space Legislation Interpreting Commercialization Of Extraterrestrial Resources As In Accordance With 1967 Outer Space Treaty; Trust Fashioned Along ‘Steward-Ownership’ Model; Transaction Between Private Parties Will Establish Norms / Framework For Earth-Moon Commerce; IM R&D VP Timothy Crain Says Initial Agreements Are “Building Blocks For Future Trade In The Solar System”
Thought Leaders At Center For Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, King’s College London And Missouri University Of Science & Technology 
