☆ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 seven members comprised of crews from Soyuz MS-28 and SpaceX Crew-12, working with ongoing science experiments in quantum physics, biomedicine, DNA radiation repair, stem cells, and computing tech, plus routine maintenance and life support tasks. A possible spacewalk preparation may occur. Also docked at ISS are Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL, Progress 94P and 95P cargo craft, as well as Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM).

☆ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew now in orbit over 5 months, 

◐ Lunar Enterprise News: Preparing for Artemis III (launching late 2027), core stage assembly shipped to Cape Canaveral FL. | elements of NASA’s new plan Moon base and more, 3-phase campaign, robotic lunar missions — including the VIPER rover, the LuSEE-Night radio observatory and a fleet of rocket-powered Moonfall reconnaissance drones. 2nd semi-habitable lunar infrastructure, 3rd permanent habitats and heavy-duty lunar rovers. Radioisotope batteries and nuclear reactors would be developed to power NASA’s moon base. https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-lays-out-ambitious-plans-for-moon-base-and-nuclear-mars-mission

policy frameworks, international cooperation, and infrastructure development must converge to enable a viable lunar base and cislunar logistics network. Legal clarity, economic support, technical coordination, and ethical oversight must work together.  https://www.chicagospace.org/policy-for-sustainable-cislunar-economy-and-lunar-base-development/

Symbiotic mixtures of fungi and compost could transform sterile lunar regolith into a soil suitable for growing crops on the moon. regolith contains no microorganisms and no organic material in general. And, while it does contain some vital nutrients, it is also full of toxic metals such as aluminum, copper and zinc. Moreover, it isn’t particularly permeable to water — a problem for when you want to water your crops. chickpea plants only flowered and produced seeds in samples that had been treated with both the vermicompost and the AMF, and which contained no more than 75% regolith. It isn’t clear how suitable the chickpeas grown in regolith are for eating https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/making-hummus-on-the-moon-scientists-just-grew-chickpeas-in-simulated-lunar-dirt

Mike Gold: The government’s role should always be to push the envelope of what is possible. NASA should focus on returning to the moon with Artemis, and then move onward to Mars, rather than on owning and operating spacecraft for taking astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. more ambitious exploration and science missions. If you look at the international field of play, we are in an existential competition with China over the moon: Whoever reaches the moon first to establish a permanent foothold will establish the rules of the road in space. They will, in turn, wield influence over everything from trade to national security alliances terrestrially. Whoever controls the moon will eventually control the Earth. The American private sector is our greatest tool in that competition, the best arrow in the quiver to defeat the Chinese. Inevitably, China will eventually spend more than we do on space, so we must out-entrepreneur the Chinese. Christopher Johnson: if a private rocket of a USA company gets to the Moon, 1967 Outer Space Treaty says USA still responsible. Geoff Nunn: I would also hope that the first Starship to land on the moon and return would be preserved, even though it needs a building the size of a shopping mall. https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/in-the-age-of-commercial-space-who-should-own-the-hardware/

Steve Altemus: Regular flights to the Moon allow systems to be tested, refined, and reused in a way that single serial missions cannot support. Each mission contributes data, informs designs, improves reliability, and reduces uncertainty for the next. Over time, that sequence builds confidence in both the hardware and the teams operating it. This cadence builds reliability in our supply chains. This cadence allows a burgeoning lunar economy to take root and flourish in the United States. https://www.intuitivemachines.com/discover/news/ignition-sets-a-challenge-the-space-industry-must-meet

lunar-rover builder Astrolab and Moon-appropriate nuclear battery builder Zeno Power have joined the Commercial Space Federation. https://commercialspace.org/news_events/commercial-space-federation-csf-welcomes-two-new-associate-members/

This experiment has successfully demonstrated the potential for “biomining,” which could be used by future astronauts exploring the Moon, to extract palladium, platinum and other elements. https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronauts-use-bacteria-and-fungi-to-harvest-metals-in-space

ispace of Tokyo has reached agreement with a ground station communications company for involvement in ispace Lunar Connect Service. https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=8731

 Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Tue May 5: Apollo Asteroid 2026 HK4 (0.028 AU); Wed May 6: Apollo Asteroid 2026 HN1 (0.023 AU); Thu May 7: Apollo Asteroid 2026 HA4 (0.010 AU); Thu May 7: Apollo Asteroid 2026 HY2 (0.012 AU); Sat May 9: Aten Asteroid 2020 GE3 (0.028 AU)