Articles by SpaceAge

September 15-21, 2025 / Vol 44, No 37 / Hawai`i Island, USA
Lunar Broadcast Precursor: Terrestrial Edition

September 15-21, 2025 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Vol 44, No 37: Lunar Broadcast Precursor: Terrestrial Edition

Busy Space Week in Europe

Europe advances space goals this week through a dynamic blend of astronomy and astronautics. At Noordwijk, Netherlands, ESA Lunar Science Office hosts September 15 workshop at ESTEC to discuss Moon regions for a European-led robotic infrastructure supporting international science and human surface activities. Sep 15-17 Binary Asteroids Meeting VI at Nice Observatory delves into Near-Earth Objects, main-belt asteroids and Trans-Neptunian Object systems among others, enhancing insights into solar system dynamics. Concurrently, the second Mercury Laboratory Workshop in Finland Sep 15-17, co-hosted by ESA, University of Helsinki and Europlanet, promotes collaboration on planetary studies, bridging astronomy with robotic missions like BepiColombo. Sep 15-19 World Space Business Week in Paris draws 1,400+ onsite and online from 60+ countries and drives commercialization of space via summits on innovation and logistics. 11th GEGSLA operational meeting Sept 16 of Moon Village Association headquartered in Vienna forwards its mission to offer an international forum for collaboration toward a global community that uses Moon resources sustainably for the benefit of all humanity. Sep 16-18 celebration at the Paris Observatory of the Titan landing on Huygens via Cassini highlights collaboration among ESA, NASA and ASI, inspiring future deep-space probes. (Image Credits: ESA, MVA, WSBW, Eiffel Tower, Nice Observatory, U of Helsinki)

Deep Space: JAXA Osaka Symposium Meets During Juno’s Final Act

On September 19, the JAXA Symposium 2025: Beyond the Moon to the Infinite Universe convenes at Osaka Industrial University Umeda Campus. Experts from JAXA, including Arita Makoto and Ito Tokumasa, to outline Japan space agenda. The H3 launch rocket supports satellite deployment with its 16,000-kg lift capacity. The HTV-X resupply vehicle, debuting October 21, carries 5,819 kg of cargo—4,069 kg pressurized and 1,750 kg unpressurized—to the ISS. The Martian Moon Exploration (MMX) project, led by Kawagoe Yasuhiro, is set to launch JFY 2026, reach Mars in 2027 and orbit Phobos for three years to collect data and samples, returning to Earth in JFY 2031. Japanese astronauts, guided by Kanasai Nobuo, undergo training to address radiation risks and lunar preparation. The extended mission for Hayabusa2, overseen by Mitsumasu Hiroya, targets asteroid 1998 KY26, arriving in 2031, with a 2026 flyby of 2001 CC21 and Earth fly-bys in 2027 and 2028, using 50% remaining xenon fuel since its 2020 Earth return. Meanwhile, NASA’s Juno spacecraft concludes its 14-year mission. On September 16–20, during Perijove 76 Juno gathers final data before a controlled impact into Jupiter depths, ending its journey since launch in 2011. Recent flybys by Juno mapped 200+ storm systems. The Osaka symposium showcases JAXA deep space strides, while Juno’s impending impact marks a parallel milestone. (Image Credits: JAXA, NASA)

HUMANS IN SPACE

⭐ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 73 eleven-member crew are unloading fuel, science supplies and ~3,000 kg of food from Roscosmos Progress 93 craft docked at aft port of Zvezda module, and are unloading ~5,000 kg of new science experiments and station hardware from the Cygnus XL resupply ship, which the Canadarm2 has installed on the Unity module Earth-facing port; Jonny Kim is storing research samples including human cells cryogenically, defined as below 150°C; Mike Fincke is incubating yeast and fermented milk samples, seeking to biomanufacture vitamins / nutrients; Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky are configuring physics research gear.

⭐ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 20 three-member crew are studying the risks of cancer development from space radiation via tests with tumor cells and gene expression, conducting the “Origin of Life Space Experiment to examine how genetic codes may have originated and the role of gravity in that process, and seeing how methanogen bacteria behaves in a simulated Mars environment; they monitor the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Programme (CHAMP) that continuously tracks microbial communities living inside the station.

🌔 Lunar News: Weekly lunar advisories [coming soon]

☄ Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Thur Sep 18: Apollo Asteroid 2025 SC (0.0003 AU); Tues Sep 19: Apollo Asteroid 2025 RL2 (0.001 AU); Sun Sep 21: Apollo Asteroid 2025 RE6 (0.013 AU).

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