Vol 44, Week 52 – Vol 45, Week 1: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition
China National Space Administration (CNSA) maintains a robust and frequent pace of activity in 2026, starting with first test flight of Long March 10A rocket early in the New Year from Wenchang Space Launch Center on Hainan Island (19° N). This precursor to Long March 10 enables future crewed and cargo lunar missions via separate launches of crew spacecraft Mengzhou and lander Lanyue for orbital rendezvous. Major efforts center on Tiangong space station operations and robotic lunar exploration under Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), with launches mainly from Wenchang and Jiuquan. State-owned enterprise China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) directs operations from state-owned and commercial sites in Wenchang, leveraging low-latitude benefits. Upcoming missions feature Tianzhou-10 cargo resupply and uncrewed Mengzhou-1 test flight from Wenchang, plus Shenzhou-22 and 23 from Jiuquan. Deep-space focus includes Chang’E-7 launch from Wenchang: orbiter, lander, rover and mini-hopping probe survey lunar south pole for water ice and resources, supporting International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) as scientific outpost welcoming international collaboration for well-being and interests of humankind. Privately owned commercial launch providers grow including i-Space (Interstellar Glory), Galactic Energy, LandSpace, Space Pioneer advancing reusable rockets; LinkSpace offering suborbital package transport; Space Epoch developing reusable systems for e-commerce delivery; and Blue Space Aerospace progressing Nebula-2. Sea-based launches from platforms in eastern waters further expand commercial space initiatives. (Image Credits: CMSE)
Counting down to Artemis 2 launch NET February, Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) holds its annual meeting January 6-8 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland USA. For NASA, LEAG analyzes issues in support of lunar exploration, architecture planning and activity prioritization. January 6 has Artemis focus, including updates on Missions II, III, IV and V. January 7 has a FLIP Mission overview. Day 3 focuses on lunar science, includes an Artemis 3 landing analysis. Poster session features ~71 subjects including CLPS successes, Artemis crew health, VIPER, Lunar Outpost LTV, Helium-3, in five poster categories that range from Artemis and commercial activities to lunar instrument developments. LEAG Service Award recognizes leadership. Students and those in first 7 years after final degree are encouraged via mentor-mentee introductions, networking, awards, online participation, and partnership with NextGen Lunar Scientists and Engineers group. Blue Origin and SpaceX continue efforts to get Artemis 3 Moon lander primed with all systems go. Landers projected to launch in 2026 include CLPS: Astrobotic Griffin-1 with FLEX / FLIP rover to Nobile ~85°S, Intuitive Machines Nova-C IM-3 to Reiner Gamma ~7°N, Firefly Blue Ghost M2 to Moon Far Side; and China CNSA Chang’E-7 to Shackleton Rim. NASA LTV award still anticipated this year. (Image Credits: LEAG)
International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 seven-member crew [Cardman, Fincke, Kud-Sverchkov, Mikayev, Platonov, Williams, Yui] prioritizing system maintenance, spacesuit resizing for planned 2026 EVAs, cargo transfers from JAXA HTV-X1, Cygnus NG-23, Progress 92 & 93; as well as microgravity science — including stem cell research, materials science in extreme conditions and Astrobee robotics demonstrations; annually crews conduct over 200 experiments; Astronauts also enjoy a bit off time off for holiday + New Year 2026 celebrations with special meals (turkey, shrimp, beef steak, mochi), gifts from cargo ships, family video calls, festive decorations.
Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew [Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, Zhang Hongzhang] working with experiments in materials science, life sciences (protein crystallization, cell studies), aerospace medicine; will perform station maintenance, including follow-up from 8-hour EVA that inspected Shenzhou-20 damage; daily routines include ~2 hours of exercise to mitigate muscle and bone loss; ~7,000 kg of cargo from Tianzhou-9 supply craft sustains cargo operations; crew will celebrate holidays and Gregorian New Year – perhaps by imaging the “first light of dawn” as done at the start of 2025.
Lunar Enterprise News: Upcoming Artemis 2 Mission Reflects Apollo 8 Mission
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Tue Dec 30: Aten Asteroid 2024 AV2 (0.045 AU); Sun Jan 4: Apollo Asteroid 2014 AF16 (0.022 AU); Tue Jan 6: Apollo Asteroid 2025 XS4 (0.020 AU); Wed Jan 7: Aten Asteroid 2023 XM15 (0.038 AU)
The First Woman FLYS to the Moon …
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First Women LAND on the Moon …
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The year is 2096. Space tourism is booming, and you’ve signed up for a quick trip around the Solar System with Space Express Tours! Space Express Tours—the first tour company in deep space—offers a variety of adventures including its most popular trip, Destination Solar System. This out-of-this world jaunt takes […]
At magnitude 2.9, the Hubble Space Telescope will travel over Hawaiian Islands from SSE to E, rising at 04:58:50 to 05:04:49 HST.
05:00-07:50 CST launch window
Private bus tour behind NASA gates, making stops at iconic Kennedy Space Center landmarks. Pending spaceflight operations stops may include outside the Vehicle Assembly Building and panoramic views of Launch Complex 39. Plus, the tour will drive by the astronaut crew quarters. Personal guided tours of the visitor complex’s iconic attractions, including the Rocket Garden, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex® and Space Shuttle Atlantis®. […]
If skies are clear, this all volunteer-run, non-profit organization is open to the public 20:00-22:00 for star viewing.
NASA Juno indicates Europa ice may be 6x deeper than thickest Antarctic ice; timing of craft planned plunge into Jupiter clouds TBD | ESA JUICE heading toward Earth gravity assist Sep 2026.
India planning for 2nd uncrewed flight of Gaganyaan to LEO ~400 km.
Another batch of 29 satellites for Starlink space-based Internet communication mega-constellation.
The Quadrantid shower is known for its brief, intense peak, lasting only a few hours. Appearing to radiate from Constellation Quadrans Muralis, there can be 25-120 meteors per hour. Comets are traveling ~40km/second and come from the debris trail of Asteroid 2003 EH1, discovered in 2003 by the Lowell Observatory […]
08:00 HST, 18:00 UTC; Earth perihelion is the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun, occurring annually in early January.
Spacecraft reach 6 full years / enter 7th year on Moon far side, landed 2019 - the first farside landing ever.
Cosmocité opens the doors to new space epics, from Earth to the Moon and all the way to Mars! Discover how space is revolutionizing our daily lives (communication, navigation, observation…) and the exciting challenges of transportation for the reconquest of the Moon and the conquest of Mars, not forgetting the […]
The 247th AAS meeting (joint with the High Energy Astrophysics and Historical Astronomy Divisions) will be held 4-8 January in Phoenix, Arizona. At Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third Street.
NET Jan 5 - early morning launch of PSLV with small Earth observation satellite from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and 18 additional ride-share payloads.
NET Jan 5 - Astrophysics satellite Pandora for NASA to Sun-Synchronous Orbit, and 'Twilight' satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications.
Media representatives are invited to join French ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on Monday 5 January at 14:00-15:00 CET for a hybrid press conference to learn more about her first mission to space. The conference is Sophie’s final media event in Europe ahead of her launch to the International Space Station […]
A Volatile Excursion from Mercury and the Moon to the Kuiper Belt and Beyond. At Dawson College.
The 7th China-Chile Bilateral Astronomy Conference for 2026 will be organized by the Laboratory for Space Research, FoS, the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chilean Astronomical Society, is scheduled to take place from January 5th to […]
At Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory or online, registration required, no fee. In-person attendees who self-identify as early career or new to the lunar community are offered introduction to a mentor. Mentors and mentees are asked to fill the form at https://forms.gle/4LHRT8Dp9nJDAq3TA LEAG analyzes for NASA scientific, technical, commercial […]
From 15:00-16:00 EST, National Science Foundation (NSF) Growing Convergence Research (GCR) working group will provide guidance on preparing GCR proposals, address frequently asked questions and be available to answer any inquiries from participants. Grant seekers can benefit from personalized assistance, gain valuable insights and enhance their understanding of the NSF […]
Homeschool Days is specially designed for K-12 students and families to offer exciting hands-on activities and workshops throughout the Discovery Center; 10:00-16:00 MST. Event Details: Do you have what it takes to become an astronaut? From problem-solving challenges to teamwork missions, kids will test their strength, balance, and brainpower in […]
ESA's start-of-the-year press briefing looking ahead to 2026 with Director General Josef Aschbacher on Thursday 8 January 2026 from 10:00 CET at ESA HQ in Paris.
Hubble Space Telescope Outreach Coordinator Faith Vowler of NASA will present at this public meeting, 19:00; online option available; at Robinson Nature Center, 6692 Cedar Lane.
Earth Science Research Program Overview describes research activities within the NASA science division that is managing the specific proposal opportunity.
3rd RAS General Discussion meeting: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence applied to astronomy at Burlington House.
Visible at -3.9 magnitude, the International Space Station will travel over Hawaiian Islands from NW to SE, rising at 04:48:07 to 04:54:02 HST.
BIS West Midlands event 14:00-15:15 UT; In the early 2020s, the heads of NASA, Roscosmos and the China National Space Agency criss-crossed Africa, Asia and the Americas trying to sign up countries to join ‘their’ Moon project: Artemis, or the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). How had it come to […]
Beginning 06:20:51 HST from the SSW, Tiangong will make a visible pass at brightest magnitude 1.2 over Hawaiian Islands, setting 06:29:49 in the ENE.
12:42-16:42 EST launch window for 29 satellites of Internet system. 1st stage B1078 to land on ASDS JRTI after this 25th flight.
AIAA SciTech Forum—the premier aerospace R&D event of the year exploring the science, technologies, and capabilities that are transforming aerospace.