December 8-14, 2025 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Vol 44, Week 49: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition

Hainan, China's Hawai'i Surpassing 10 Launches, Upgrading Space Facilities and Activities

The Wenchang Spaceport at 19°N supports satellite constellations, space station operations and deep-space preparations with 10 launches so far this year and at least 2 more upcoming. Main themes of Galaxy Forum Hainan (December 8-12, 2024) are tracking and updating progress in the area and beyond. International Human Moon Landings: starting as early as 2027, Wenchang will launch crews to the Moon via Long March 10 with Mengzhou capsule, and later with Lanyue lunar lander (Moon landing ~2029). Lai Ka-Ying of Hong Kong is the newest candidate of the four active women Taikonauts, one of whom is likely to become one of the First Women on the Moon. There are many educational facilities on Hainan Island that could support Astronomy from the Moon, including Wenchang Aerospace Science and Education Center, and the astronomical instruments launching from Wenchang to the Moon aboard Chang’E-7 lander NET August 2026. Hainan-Hawai’i Exchange: the two islands / southernmost territories of mainland nations have much to gain from learning / leading by example with cultural and technological (astronomy and sea launch) knowledge. Wenchang is also a launchpad to the Solar System and gateway to the Stars as its launches will support 21st Century Solar System Complete Exploration: Chang’E-7 (2026) + Chang’E-8 (2028) + ILRS on the Moon, Tianwen-3 for Mars sample return (2028) and Tianwen-4 to Jupiter (2029) and beyond. (Image Credits: CCTV, CNSA, NASA, SPC, ILOA)

New Space Economy in Italy: Rome Reconfigures for Space Renaissance

The 7th New Space Economy European ExpoForum commences December 10-12 at Fiera di Roma. The program includes 18 thematic sessions, over 100 speakers, a pitch competition and a tech transfer hub. European space leaders convene to discuss Shaping the Future of Space. For the first time, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) curates an international scientific conference within the event. The conference focuses on policy, sustainability and innovation. This initiative builds on the Italy €3.462 billion EUR pledge to ESA at CM25. The opening session highlights Powering Synergies. The session celebrates Bromo, the new over €10 billion entity from the Leonardo, Thales and Airbus fusion. This strengthens the Italy satellite and defense technology sector. Italy ranks first in Europe and seventh worldwide for space spending as a percentage of GDP. The Expo Forum links this performance to the €2.7 billion ASI budget and the €2 billion National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) allocation. These resources position Rome as a major European New Space hub. From Rome, Italy now reconfigures its trajectory toward global leadership. By 2031, Italian-built Argonaut lunar landers will deliver European payloads to the lunar surface, forging a direct line from the Eternal City to permanent human presence on the Moon. (Image Credits: ESA)

Humans in Space

⭐ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 commencing today with ISS handover to Commander Mike Fincke and 6 other Astronauts / Cosmonauts; planned for the mission ahead are 40+ microgravity experiments, including cardiovascular studies on 20 tissue samples and fluid physics tests generating 500 data points daily, maintenance on 4 life-support systems and EVA rehearsals for upcoming spacewalks.

⭐ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew “Daily Work in Orbit” is being shown via #TiangongTV videos, highlighting experiments, maintenance, software and hardware installations, emergency drill preparations, Earth-Space comms and medical exams; checking samples in low-temperature storage units and -80° Celsius freezer.

🌔 Lunar Enterprise News: Artemis 2 Nears Launch Window with Orion Stacked for Historic Lunar Flyby │ Some Push for Backup as Lunar Rover Selection Nears 

☄ Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon Dec 8: Apollo Asteroid 2021 JE1 (0.034 AU); Tue Dec 9: Aten Asteroid 2005 YR3 (0.056 AU); Wed Dec 10: Apollo Asteroid 2019 XN (0.014 AU); Sat Dec 13: Apollo Asteroid 2016 YH (0.017 AU).

The First Woman FLYS to the Moon …

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First Women LAND on the Moon …

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Events

Today

  • Space Travel Summit 2025: From Space Dreams to Accessible Reality!

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Meet, engage, network with industry representatives, and discover the latest advancements from global space exploration pioneers. Industry, governments, regulators, investors, international space agencies and academics share knowledge and understanding, collaborate and close deals. At Expo City Dubai, Al Wasl Avenue.

  • 33rd Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics

    Tempe AZ, USA

    22 plenary speakers are confirmed, and 200+ contributed abstracts are accepted. At Arizona State University. The symposium will cover all major topics on high-energy and particle astrophysics, cosmology, and relativity. It will include morning plenary sessions and afternoon parallel sessions, which will function as mini-symposia in each sub-field. The plenary sessions will consist of […]

  • Launch Falcon 9 / NROL-77

    SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA

    Scheduled for 14:16 UTC-5. First stage B1096 will attempt to land back at the launch site at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) after its 4th flight.

  • Launch Long March 3B/E / Unknown Payload

    Xichang Satellite Launch Center, ~28°N, Sichuan, China

    Scheduled for 23:10-23:57 UTC+8, this is 3rd of 3 launches today in China, each from a different launch center. The 3B/E transports heavy communications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit.

  • Launch Long March 2D / Unknown Payload

    Jiuquan Space Launch Center, ~41°N, Gansu, China

    Scheduled for 11:40-11:56 UTC+8 from ~41°N via 2-stage orbital carrier rocket used mainly for LEO and SSO insertion, this will be launch 97 and will be either success 96, or 2nd failure for Long March 2D.

  • 26 Years in Space: XMM-Newton

    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    European Space Agency (ESA) craft surpasses 26 full years / begins 27th year in space today, launched 1999, in very eccentric elliptical LEO studying X-ray emissions, star-forming regions, galaxy clusters, environment of supermassive black holes, and mapping dark matter.

  • Maryland Space Business Roundtable Luncheon

    Greenbelt MD, USA

    11:30-13:00 EST, with Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Deputy Director of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

  • Growing Beyond Earth – Chat With a Scientist

    Online

    Kellie Walters on Controlled Environment Vegetable Physiology. NASA-partnered Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden program Growing Beyond Earth supports NASA goals of feeding Astronauts on ISS, Moon, Mars. 15:00 Eastern Time (UTC-5) on Zoom.

  • Planetary Research Year-In-Review Webinar

    Online

    NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) Planetary Research Programs will host a webinar at 13:00 Eastern Standard Time to celebrate the accomplishments of Planetary Research over the last year, share some updates to Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) programs, discuss progress that has been made to address decadal […]

  • New Space Economy NSE 2025 7th Edition

    Fiera di Roma, Italy

    SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SPACE: "The future is not what it used to be" (Mark Strand) NSE, the benchmark event for the International Space Industry is back in Fiera Roma from December 10 to 12 for its 7th edition. NSE is more than just an exhibition; it’s a strategic meeting […]

  • Launch Soyuz 2.1a / Obsor-R No.1

    Plesetsk Cosmodrome, ~63°N, Mirny, Russia

    Scheduled for 17:00-18:00 UTC+3, Obzor-R is BRLK X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar for Earth observation and is designed by TsSKB-Progress for ground resolution of 500m. Since Kazakhstan charges US$115M annually for Baikonur, Plesetsk has become much busier, its high latitude especially suitable for Molniya orbits.

  • Daniele Mortari Astronautics Symposium

    College Station TX, USA

    In cooperation with the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and sponsored by: Department of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, and Institute of Scientific Computations of Texas A&M University. To recognize his scientific contributions, retirement and the 70th birthday of Professor Daniele Mortari. […]

    $40

  • Launch Long March 12 / Unknown Payload

    Wenchang Space Launch Center, ~19°N, Hainan Island, China

    Scheduled for 07:00-07:21 UTC+8, the launch from "China's Hawai`i" is of a medium-lift rocket using kerosene and liquid oxygen propellant; the Long March 12 is capable of placing 20,000+kg into LEO or 12,000+kg into SSO.

  • Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 15-12

    SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA

    Scheduled for 21:34 (with window open until 01:34), 27 satellites are headed to LEO for internet system. Booster Core B1093 will attempt its 9th landing, on barge (Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship-ASDS) OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You).

  • Space Show: Manuel Cuba of Helix Space

    Online

    Dr. David Livingston interviews Manuel Cuba of Helix Space in Luxembourg. Since 2022, Helix Space is a Private Research Institution accredited by the Ministry of Economy of Luxembourg.

  • Geminids Meteor Shower Peak

    Worldwide

    Usually strongest meteor shower yearly, up to 150 hourly. Moon is 30% full.

  • 12 Years on the Moon: Chang’e-3 Lander

    Guang Han Gong, 44.12°N 19.51°W, Moon Surface

    Surpassing 12 full years / starting 13th year on the Moon, China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft at Guang Han Gong "Moon Palace", Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W, landed in 2013.

  • WISE / NEOWISE Begins Next Year in Space

    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

    Surpassing 14 full years / starting 15th year in Space, the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft (redubbed Near-Earth Object WISE – NEOWISE) launched in 2009, went into hibernation February 17, 2011 and reactivated August 21, 2013.

  • Launch Atlas V 551 / Amazon Leo (LA-04)

    SLC-41 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA

    Scheduled for 03:35 UTC-5, United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket will take next batch of Amazon Leo (new name) satellites for internet system managed by Amazon subsidiary Kuiper Systems. ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

VIEW DOWNRANGE – WEEKS AHEAD