The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee is scheduled to vote at 17:30 EST.
The First Woman FLYS to the Moon …
NET (no earlier than)
Days
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).
First Women LAND on the Moon …
Days
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24 events found.
Events
Monday
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...
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,...
Tuesday
ISS Expedition 73 members Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky and Jonny Kim planned to return to Earth today in Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 craft, landing in Kazakhstan.
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.
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...
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...
Topic: 2025 Recap, 2026 Look Ahead
Wednesday
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...
Scheduled for Noon-12:15 UTC+8 on Kinetica 1 solid-propellant 4-stage light launch vehicle, 30m tall with fairing diameter 3.35m, able to send 4,000kg to LEO or 3,000kg to...
Scheduled for 00:54-04:54 Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8), sending 27 satellites for internet service,
11:30-13:00 EST, with Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Deputy Director of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
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...
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...
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...
Thursday
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...
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,...
$40
Friday
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...
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...
12th GEGSLA Operational Meeting of 2025 will take place on Thursday, 12 December, from 15:00 to 17:00 Vienna time. Please register in advance using the link (the...
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...
Saturday
Usually strongest meteor shower yearly, up to 150 hourly. Moon is 30% full.
Sunday
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...
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...