Chang’e-6 lead isotope data shows that a massive impact, rather than just the early Lunar Magma Ocean, heavily modified the lunar crust in the South Pole–Aitken region. | Astrobotic Griffin-1 lander to be sent to JPL later this month for environmental testing, in preparation for its launch late 2026. | Lunar Outpost, recently awarded US$220M, discusses details about its Pegasus rover. | Lunar Resources plans to open HELIX-1 factory in Utah, employing 400+. | Reportedly NASA is lobbying for billions of dollars to support Moon mission orders / timelines put forth by U.S. Administration. | Chang’e-7, carrying ILO-C payload, is planned to be the next mission launching to Moon. | Green Bank Telescope image of Artemis II is contender for the longest-distance picture of humans ever taken from Earth. | Paper published in Nature discusses using small (<1.5 km) lunar craters as landing pads to naturally inhibit plume surface interactions (PSIs).
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☆ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 seven-member crew are investigating how bacteria that cause pneumonia can lead to long-term heart damage, as well as testing IVGEN hardware, which filters drinking water to produce medical-grade IV fluid. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies are also being tested to advance astronaut care. Options to resolve continued air leak in Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel include further sealant / repairs or possibly decommissioning the section. Soyuz MS-29 with a crew of three now planned to launch to ISS mid-July.
☆ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-23 crew tasked with rice cultivation experiment to study its genetic stability and regenerative capacity to support future deep space missions; China confirmed it is moving forward with the plan to double the current size of the station (currently consisting of 3 modules), using its repurposed ‘Tianhe back-up’ module to eventually expand to a 6-module station.
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon June 21: Apollo Asteroid 2025 WC4 (0.026 AU) | Thu June 25: Apollo Asteroid 2026 LJ3 (0.037 AU) | Sat June 27: Aten Asteroid 152637 / 1997 NC1 (0.026 AU)
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