Vol 45, Week 23

LUNAR NEWS

SpaceX likely will go public at a multiple of the combined market capitalization of all other space companies. | FAA requires an investigation into uncontrolled landing of SpaceX Super Heavy booster on Starship Flight 12. | Blue Origin mission schedule is said by others to be set back a year or more because of explosion, but CEO Dave Limp stated Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lunar lander will launch this year, and 2 missions for NASA—initial award US$188M—will deliver LTVs to Moon South Pole by 2028. | Blue Origin will build 77,000 sq m factory in Florida for upper-stage manufacturing. | NASA 5 directorates reduced to 3, with Exploration Systems and Space Ops merging to Human Spaceflight; other 2 are Research & Technology and Science. | Jackson Brougher of Baylor Center for Space Medicine calls for human health research to be specified in RFIs for sustained Moon visits. | Texas A&M Space Institute to open this fall next to NASA Johnson with 2-1/2 acre simulated Moon surface. | Venturi Space has announced a €250-M, 200-job, 10,000-sq m lunar mobility facility for Toulouse, France. | Chang’E-5 regolith studies have been published. | Voyager of Colorado, builder of Starlab space station, is buying Astrobotic of Pensylvannia, builder of Griffin lander for Moon Base 2. | DARPA has given 3 concept awards for locating water ice from very low orbit. | NASA Moon Base program shifts NASA procurement landscape and goals. | NASA and Administrator Isaacman are amenable to Blue Moon landers being carried by a rocket other than New Glenn. Image Credits: ILOA, NASA, Astrolab)

Singapore: Space Faculty Nurtures Next Gen, NSAS Funds Space Technology

Space Faculty of Singapore will host Axiom Space CTO Astronaut Koichi Wakata (R) on June 12 for a discussion on “Commercial Developments in Today’s Access to Space“. Space Faculty CEO Lynette Tan (L) fosters her organization’s “Galactic Mindset”; it produces International Space Challenge—thousands of participants from 50+ countries, and works with JAXA and ESA for ISS experiments. Singapore established National Space Agency of Singapore, NSAS, April 1st with mission statement “Advance space capabilities to strengthen how Singapore and the world lives, moves, connects and thrives.” It supersedes Office for Space Technology & Industry and seeks to develop industry, technology, capability, talent and workforce for space, and to join the international space community via partnerships and in determining policy and governance. Singapore has ~2,000 professionals and researchers working in ~70 space companies, and at National University, Nanyang Tech U and its Satellite Research Centre, A*STAR, polytechnic schools and DSO National Laboratories. Singapore’s Space Technology Development Programme, funded with S$210M, has focus areas including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), optical Earth observation and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). Singapore participates in UN COPUOS, ASEAN Sub-Committee on Space Technology and Applications, Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum and has signed the Artemis Accords. Singapore’s first ground station and satellite were in 1971 and 1998, respectively. (Image Credits: Space Faculty)

HUMANS IN SPACE

☆ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 seven crew members are examining how bacteria responds to weightlessness, measuring how cartilage grows in space, harvesting stem cells, studying molecular structure of metals with an electron microscope, watering plants, and monitoring their own blood pressure and cardiac function. They also are maintaining plumbing and ventilation systems, cleaning heat exchangers for the station HVAC system, observing how various fluids boil / condense / flow in microgravity, and analyzing air samples for ammonia / carbon dioxide / other substances to determine station air quality. (Image Credits: NASA)

☆ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Three Shenzhou-23 Taikonauts, who are currently adjusting to life in orbit and testing fibers derived from Chang’E-5 regolith samples, are expected to stay aboard TSS for either six months or one year. Two will return after six months, while the other will fulfill a one-year mission. The final decision on the stay durations will be made later based on their physical and psychological health assessments. Commander Zhu Yangzhu was an associate professor of aerospace engineering. Li Jiaying is the first Taikonaut from Hong Kong, where she was a Police Force Chief Inspector. Pilot Zhang Zhiyuan had been a pilot in the air force. (Image Credits: CNSA)

☄ Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Tue June 9: Amor Asteroid 2026 KM3 (0.015 AU) | Fri June 12: Apollo Asteroid 530520 2011 LT17 (0.041 AU) | Sat June 13: Amor Asteroid 2026 JR3 (0.055 AU) | Sun June 14: Apollo Asteroid 2013 BO27 (0.069 AU)

Loading Moon data for your location...

Loading planet data...


Land your name on the Moon!

Have your name sent to the Moon for FREE on the ILO-1 lunar mission via Astrolab FLEX rover (NET 2027). You will automatically be signed up for our weekly Space Calendar.

22 - 24 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Los Angeles CA, USA
At the University of Southern California, the world's largest gathering dedicated to human Mars exploration. For nearly three decades, the International Mars Society Convention...
24 Oct 2026
  • Observation / Anniversary
Mars Orbit
NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in orbit around Mars today, holds record for longest-surviving continually active spacecraft in orbit around a planet other...
24 Oct 2026
  • Launch
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
Launch window 4:14-8:14pm local time for another batch of 27 satellites for SpaceX's Starlink space-based internet mega-constellation.
25 - 30 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Spokane WA, USA
At the Spokane Convention Center. The meeting will have a broad scope, with a wide-ranging program of science and workforce topics, and celebrating planetary...
25 Oct 2026
  • Space / Astro Events
Moon Orbit
18:12 HST // 04:12 UTC on Oct 26.
25 Oct 2026
Europe
Change clocks back 1 hour, from Summer Time to Standard Time.
26 Oct 2026
  • Observation / Anniversary
Heliocentric Orbit
NASA craft imaging Sun and solar phenomena surpasses another full year in space today; launched 2006.
26 - 27 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Bangkok, Thailand
The 10th edition offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the evolution of the Moon Village concept and set the stage for the future of...
26 - 28 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Huntsville AL, USA
Convene, connect, and collaborate at the 19th annual von Braun Space Exploration Symposium! This year’s event will spotlight how bold ideas, emerging technologies, and...
27 - 30 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Bangkok, Thailand
Theme: “Bridging the Asia-Pacific: Advancing a Trusted and Inclusive Space Future”.
27 - 28 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Oslo, Norway
Themes include: Space & the Arctic; Space & AI; Space & International Collaboration. There is a Student Session, a Technical Session, a Frontier Session,...
28 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Oslo, Norway
Oslo Spaceport Norway offers monthly a knowledgeable speaker and opportunity for networking, 17:00-20:00 local time; free entry but registration required. Ground Control is for...
28 Oct 2026
  • Launch
SLC-41 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
45 satellites to launch for Amazon Leo, formerly named Project Kuiper. This LEO mega constellation will offer broadband internet access with 3,276 satellites.
29 Oct 2026
  • Mission Milestone
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will perform a 6.5-hour EVA to completely install and deploy iROSA #7 on the 2A power channel. Once...
31 Oct 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Jakarta, Indonesia
Occurring 31 October from 09:00-11:00 local time (16:00-18:00 HST, 19:00-21:00 PDT, 22:00-24:00 EDT on 30 October), this Galaxy Forum will be in hybrid format...
01 Nov 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Wenchang, Hainan, China
Originally planned around this date for Wenchang, China -- TBC (to be confirmed); As the only professional association for astronauts, ASE supports the advancement of...
02 Nov 2026
  • Mission Milestone
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Today marks another full year of continuous Human occupation of ISS; first component Zarya launched Nov 20, 1998, occupation began Nov 2, 2000.
02 - 06 Nov 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Tokyo, Japan
Coordinating Division Division C Education, Outreach and Heritage The IAU Symposium on Innovative Research and Techniques in Astronomy Communication will take place from November...
02 Nov 2026
  • Observation / Anniversary
Nationwide USA
Change clocks back 1 hour from Daylight Saving to Standard Time; does not include Hawai’i, Arizona (except the Navajo Nation), American Samoa, Guam, Northern...
02 - 06 Nov 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Florence, Italy
ESWW is the main annual event in the European Space Weather and Space Climate calendar. It is an international meeting organised annually within the...
02 - 06 Nov 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Tokyo, Japan
IAU Symposium: IAUS409 - A Journey Towards Effective Astronomy Communication; online and at National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-2 Osawa Mitaka, Tokyo. Topics include:...
03 Nov 2026
  • Launch
Launch Complex 1, ~39°S, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
iQPS Launch 9, an Earth observation satellite with Synthetic aperture radar for Japan-based imaging company iQPS, to launch on "The Sea God Surveys" mission...
22 - 24 Oct 2026
At the University of Southern California, the world's largest gathering dedicated to human Mars exploration....
Los Angeles CA, USA
24 Oct 2026
NASA spacecraft surpasses another full year in orbit around Mars today, holds record for longest-surviving...
Mars Orbit
24 Oct 2026
Launch window 4:14-8:14pm local time for another batch of 27 satellites for SpaceX's Starlink space-based...
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USA
25 - 30 Oct 2026
At the Spokane Convention Center. The meeting will have a broad scope, with a wide-ranging...
Spokane WA, USA
25 Oct 2026
18:12 HST // 04:12 UTC on Oct 26.
Moon Orbit
25 Oct 2026
Change clocks back 1 hour, from Summer Time to Standard Time.
Europe
26 Oct 2026
NASA craft imaging Sun and solar phenomena surpasses another full year in space today; launched...
Heliocentric Orbit
26 - 27 Oct 2026
The 10th edition offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the evolution of the Moon Village...
Bangkok, Thailand
26 - 28 Oct 2026
Convene, connect, and collaborate at the 19th annual von Braun Space Exploration Symposium! This year’s...
Huntsville AL, USA
27 - 30 Oct 2026
Theme: “Bridging the Asia-Pacific: Advancing a Trusted and Inclusive Space Future”.
Bangkok, Thailand
27 - 28 Oct 2026
Themes include: Space & the Arctic; Space & AI; Space & International Collaboration. There is...
Oslo, Norway
28 Oct 2026
Oslo Spaceport Norway offers monthly a knowledgeable speaker and opportunity for networking, 17:00-20:00 local time;...
Oslo, Norway
28 Oct 2026
45 satellites to launch for Amazon Leo, formerly named Project Kuiper. This LEO mega constellation...
SLC-41 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USA
29 Oct 2026
Astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk will perform a 6.5-hour EVA to completely install and...
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
31 Oct 2026
Occurring 31 October from 09:00-11:00 local time (16:00-18:00 HST, 19:00-21:00 PDT, 22:00-24:00 EDT on 30...
Jakarta, Indonesia