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.
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).
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 and understanding, collaborate and close deals. At Expo City Dubai, Al Wasl Avenue.
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, and relativity. It will include morning plenary sessions and afternoon parallel sessions, which will function as mini-symposia in each sub-field. The plenary sessions will consist of […]
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.
Xichang Satellite Launch Center, ~28°N, Sichuan, China
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 transfer orbit.
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 success 96, or 2nd failure for Long March 2D.
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 regions, galaxy clusters, environment of supermassive black holes, and mapping dark matter.
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 Eastern Time (UTC-5) on Zoom.
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 year, share some updates to Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) programs, discuss progress that has been made to address decadal […]
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 in Fiera Roma from December 10 to 12 for its 7th edition. NSE is more than just an exhibition; it’s a strategic meeting […]
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 US$115M annually for Baikonur, Plesetsk has become much busier, its high latitude especially suitable for Molniya orbits.
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, and Institute of Scientific Computations of Texas A&M University. To recognize his scientific contributions, retirement and the 70th birthday of Professor Daniele Mortari. […]
Wenchang Space Launch Center, ~19°N, Hainan Island, China
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 placing 20,000+kg into LEO or 12,000+kg into SSO.
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 (Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship-ASDS) OCISLY (Of Course I Still Love You).
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 registration link will go automatically to your calendars).
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 Luxembourg.
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 Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W, landed in 2013.
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 into hibernation February 17, 2011 and reactivated August 21, 2013.
Scheduled for 03:35 UTC-5, United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket will take next batch of Amazon Leo (new name) satellites for internet system managed by Amazon subsidiary Kuiper Systems. ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergey Mikayev and Christopher Williams set to undock from ISS in Soyuz MS-28, triggering the start to Expedition 75 with Commander Jessica...
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Astrophysics Group at the University of Exeter, we are pleased to announce the international...
Emanating from ~6km-wide comet with 5.3-year Solar orbit, visible in constellation Aquarius near star Delta Aquarii, fast, faint meteors peak on this night, best...
The International Research Conference is a federated organization dedicated to bringing together a significant number of diverse scholarly events for presentation within the conference...
Includes ~150 meetings covering the fields of COSPAR Scientific Commissions / Panels / Task Groups, such as SC B: The Earth-Moon System, Planets, and...
From 02 to 07 August 2026, a few thousand geoscientists across diverse disciplines will gather at the 23rd annual meeting of the Asia Oceania Geosciences...
NASA Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory) rover surpasses another full year of operations on Mars surface today; launched Nov 26, 2011 – landed Aug 5,...
This international lunar science meeting has two objectives: to provide a platform for leading experts to review recent advances across lunar research, from the...
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.
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).
