July 21-27, 2025 / Vol 44, No 29 / Hawai`i Island, USA
Lunar Broadcast Precursor: Terrestrial Edition

NASA SSERVI Holds Forum, Presents Grad Student Research

Space Day USA July 20 celebrates first human footstep on the Moon; July “Space Month” sees continuation of the American Space Movement. Exploration Science Form held yearly will  be at University of New Mexico (UNM) for the first time, July 22-24, sponsored by NASA Solar System Exploration and Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI).  Virtual $100 includes access to poster session and post-event recordings of program sessions. In-person for Students $200, Professionals $500, includes 2 receptions, poster session, lunch, post-event recordings. Conference sessions include:  Artemis III geology, radio astronomy from the Moon, Blue Ghost Mission 1, commercial lunar exploration, solar wind effects on Moon, geochemistry / minerals / samples / volatiles, more. The day prior, July 21, LunarGradCon enhances professional development of students in lunar science (undergrad, grad, recent postdocs) by their presenting research on our Moon / other small Solar System bodies regarding regolith, geology, volatiles, human missions and similar topics. Awards presented will be the Shoemaker and several others. July 24 afternoon focuses on Enabling Human Exploration. Available: excursion to the Very Large Array on July 20, and Field Safety Best Practices Workshop on July  25. SSERVI, UNM, et al, also sponsor a series of Planetary Sample Science Seminars every spring and fall, and Center for Advanced Sample Analysis of Astromaterials from the Moon and Beyond (CASAMOON) is at UNM. (Image credits: NASA, UNM)

MONDAY

Jul 21 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 73 seven-member crew drawing blood to look for space-caused stress on cellular immune function, installing and testing a new catalytic reactor that introduces oxygen into the water processor, studying plant cell division to enable growing food crops in space, and firing engines 12 minutes for reboost to correct altitude.

Jul 21 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 20 three-member crew unloading 776.5 kg of science payloads for 23 experiments, daily necessities including 190 kinds of foods and 2 new spacesuits after arrival of the only cargo mission to TSS this year, robotic Tianzhou 9, carrying packages totaling 6,500 kg as it is reported to have the largest carrying capacity of craft of its kind globally.

☾ Jul 21 — Moon Enterprise News: Weekly lunar advisories coming soon…

★ Jul 21 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / O3b mPower 9-10LC 40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: 2 Boeing communications satellites to MEO for SES.

 Jul 21 — NASA, Online / Washington DC: Discussion on the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission; 12:00 EDT.

 Jul 21 — NASA, SSERVI, CU Impact, Online / Albuquerque NM: LunGradCon 2025; lunar science graduate students present their research.

 Jul 21-25 — NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, CalTech, Pasadena CA: 2025 Sagan Summer Workshop: Silver Jubilee: Exoplanet Demographics; no fee, in-person or remote.

 Jul 21-25 — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Las Vegas NV: 2025 AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition (AIAA AVIATION Forum); entrance included with Jul 22-24 ASCEND Conference.

● Jul 21-25 — Space Center Houston, Houston TX: Space U (Ages 11-14) and Survival Space U (Ages 15-18); learning opportunities tied to NASA missions including space habitats, thermal protection systems, rocketry, robotics; US$720-$960.

☾ Jul 21 — Moon: 7.1° N of Venus, 09:00.

☆ Jul 21 — Amor Asteroid 2020 MA1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.080 AU)

= Terrestrial and o = International terrestrial events in local time;  = Moon, = Space and = International space events in Hawai’i time unless noted.

Weekly Planet Watch Morning Planets: Venus (ENE), Jupiter (ENE), Saturn (S), Uranus (E), Neptune (S); Evening Planet: Mars (W).

AIAA Hosts 200+ Speakers at  ASCEND 2025 in Las Vegas

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has ~30,000 members from 91 countries and is convening conferences this week in Las Vegas NV. The Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition on July 21-25 includes a future focus on developments in aviation by 2050. The “Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery (ASCEND) Conference themed Building Our Off-World Future is being held July 22-24 with main sponsor Lockheed Martin. It highlights space commerce, exploration and new discoveries, fostering collaboration, technical exchange and strategy among university, business and government representatives. Over 200 speakers at ASCEND include AIAA CEO Clay Mowry, who will host a live ISS downlink conversation and feature in sessions on NASA leadership and “From ISS to Artemis to the Future of Human Spaceflight.” Jeff Foust of SpaceNews weighs in on finance strategies for space businesses. Mike Gold of Redwire speaks on a UAP panel and will talk with Shawna Pandya, Clay Mowry and others on the future of space and civilization. The events are combined into various sessions including plenaries, tech sessions, macros, Forum 360, Metas + Micros. There is also a Pickering Lecture, the 2025 Awards Recognition Ceremony and a reception with the Aero + Space Exhibitors. The next ASCEND is set for Washington DC on May 19–21, 2026. (Image credits: AIAA, Aerospace Corp)

Ongoing…

● May 27 – Jul 25 — USRA Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX: Exploration Science summer intern program; activities will support Artemis missions.

● Jun 2 – Aug 10 — University of Hawai’i Institute for Astronomy, Islands of Hawai’i, O’ahu, Maui: Paid research internship for undergraduate students.

● Jun 10 – Sep 30 — Adventures in Astronomy, Online / Bridgeport CT: Adventures in Astronomy-Approaching Infinity; 17 Zoom classes with George Roush.

o Jun 30 – Aug 22 — International Space University, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST), Hanyang University ERICA Campus, Seoul, S Korea: 37th Space Studies Program (SSP).

● Jul 9 – Aug 7 — National Academies, Online / Washington DC: Accepting input from science community to prioritize high-value lunar destinations—excluding the poles—for human exploration

TUESDAY

★ Jul 22 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / TRACERS,  SLC 4E, Vandengerg SFB CA: NASA Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) to study Earth-Sun magnetism.

 Jul 22 — Space Foundation, Arlington VA: Innovate Space Global Economic Summit; featuring The Space Report 2024 Global Space Economy number; at Amazon HQ2.

 Jul 22-24 — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Las Vegas NV: 2025 ASCEND Conference: Building Our Off-World Future; includes session Commercial Space Health: Partnering to Benefit All Who Fly in Space.

 Jul 22-24 — NASA, SSERVI, Albuquerque NM: 2025 NASA Exploration Science Forum (NESF2025); at University of New Mexico.

☾ Jul 22 — Moon: 4.1° N of M35 cluster, 07:00; 4.9° N of Jupiter, 20:00.

☆ Jul 22 — Apollo Asteroid 2012 OQ: Near-Earth Flyby (0.053 AU)

WEDNESDAY

★ Jul 23 — Chandra X-ray Observatory, HEO: NASA spacecraft in extended mission phase reaches 26th full year / begins 27th year of operations in Space; instruments able to detect X-ray sources 100 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope; launched 1999.

o Jul 23-27 — European Space Agency, Austrian Research Promotion Agency, et al, Vienna, Austria: Living Planet Symposium 2025; forge partnerships, engage with space industry, explore NewSpace concepts; at Austria Center Vienna.

☾ Jul 23 — Moon: 5.7° S of Castor, 14:00; 2.46° S of Pollux, 19:00.

☆ Jul 23 — Aten Asteroid 2015 LA2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.097 AU)

THURSDAY

 Jul 24 — Roscosmos, Launch Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M / Ionosfera-M 3 & 4Vostochny Cosmodrome Site 1S, Russia: Final 2 of SSO constellation of 4, each with 9 science instruments to study ionosphere / magnetosphere.

 Jul 24 — Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium, JHUAPL, Online / Laurel MD: LSIC Surface Power Monthly Telecon; 4th Thursday, 11:00 EDT.

☾ Jul 24 — Moon: New Moon, 09:11; 2.11° NNE of Beehive Cluster, 20:00.

☆ Jul 24 — Amor Asteroid 2018 LU15: Near-Earth Flyby (0.078 AU)

FRIDAY

Jul 25 — Arianespace, Launch Vega-C / CO3D and MicroCarb, Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana: 4 satellites of CO3D to 3D map Earth; MicroCarb to map sources and sinks of CO2.

★ Jul 25 —  SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-2SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB CA: Next batch of Starlink satellites to launch for LEO mega-constellation.

● Jul 25 — NASA, Online / Washington DC: Proposals due for Beyond Challenge computing contest.

 Jul 25 — NASA, SSERVI, Albuquerque NM: Field Safety Best Practices Workshop in conjunction with 2025 NASA Exploration Science Forum (NESF2025).

☾ Jul 25 — Moon: 7.6° NNE of Mercury, 07:00.

SATURDAY

☆ Jul 26 — Gilmour Space, Launch Eris-1 / Inaugural Test Flight, Eris Pad, Bowen Orbital Spaceport, Queensland, Australia: 1st flight of 3-stage orbital Eris-1 rocket in attempt to reach LEO; also 1st flight from Bowen Spaceport.

☾ Jul 26 — Moon: 1.23° NE of Regulus, 12:00.

SUNDAY

o Jul 27 – Aug 1 — Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS), Singapore: AOGS 2025; with special session on geology, geochemistry and geophysics of the Moon titled Surface Science and Exploration of the Moon and Airless Planetary Bodies with an Impetus to Recent Missions (PS-24).

06 - 11 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
The Hague, The Netherlands
A major European meeting on planetary science. Originally known as the European Planetary Science Congress, the first EPSC was held in Berlin in 2006....
08 Sep - 09 Nov 2026
  • Launch
Jiuquan Space Launch Center, ~41°N, Gansu, China
Unknown payload to launch on Long March 2D with YZ-3 upper stage variant.
08 - 10 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
At Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC); Chair is Saeed Al Mansoori of MBRSC; Co-Chair is Gerard Galet of CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales)...
08 - 11 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Seville, Spain
To tackle one of the space sector’s most pressing challenges. 3rd Zero Debris Future Symposium (September 8-9) and the Zero Debris Technical Sessions (September...
09 Sep 2026
  • Launch
Baikonur Cosmodrome, ~46°N, Kazakhstan
Resupply mission to launch to ISS and arrive within 3.5 hours.
09 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Online
6:00-7:30 pm ET, featuring Shatel Bhakta — Principal Systems Engineer for Moon Base, NASA; Wes Fuhrman — Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, Johns Hopkins University...
11 - 13 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Online
Inaugural event to convene researchers, policymakers and practitioners to advance understanding of self-sufficient structures in extreme environments, including the Moon. Begins September 11 at...
11 - 12 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Denver CO, USA
Industry tour of Denver space companies Friday 08:30-12:00; Astronauts Eileen Collins and Scott Kelly present at the Saturday event, 17:00-20:30. At Inverness Denver Hilton...
12 - 13 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Online
The conference will again be virtual, and will be held at times to accommodate attendees worldwide on at least one of the two days.
14 Sep 2026
  • Observation / Anniversary
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Campbell was first appointed in September 2020. She was reappointed for an additional year, 14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2026. It is rare that...
14 Sep 2026
  • Launch
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, ~5°N, French Guiana
Launch to SSO for 3rd satellite in the Sentinel-3 constellation for optical, radar and altimetry data and for Fluorescence Explorer ("FLEX") of ESA Earth...
14 - 17 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Paris, France
In conjunction with The Space Innovation Summit (September 16) and the Space Defense & Security Summit (September 15-16). The summit consists of the Summit...
15 Sep 2026
  • Launch
Launch Complex 1, ~39°S, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
(Estimated Date) Planned demonstration of in-space cryogenic storage and transferal by Eta Space and funded by NASA Tipping Point. Expected to be in orbit...
15 - 16 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Cleveland OH, USA
At Cleveland State University; Topics to be discussed include Exploration Architecture, Artemis program, Space Traffic Management, Space Nuclear Power, Navigation and Communications and more!
15 - 18 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Maui HI, USA
27th year of this top scientific conference in the USA devoted to Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) expects 1,000+ in-person...
15 - 17 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
West Lafayette, Indiana
Planning for 2.5 days of hybrid oral sessions and an in-person poster session. There will be no registration fee. Some travel support will be...
15 - 19 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Cleveland OH, USA
Ohio Space Week celebrates the state’s deep-rooted contributions to the aeronautics and space industries, highlighting the people, institutions, and businesses that continue to shape...
15 - 16 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Paris, France
Held in conjunction with the Space Innovation Summit and World Space Business Week.
15 Sep 2026
  • Mission Milestone
Mauna Kea, Hawai’i
In preparation for its decommissioning, United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) atop Mauna Kea will stop science operations today, with removal to be completed by...
16 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Online
Global Experts Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities continues discussions on ongoing workstreams and priorities related to the sustainable exploration and use of the Moon,...
16 Sep 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...
16 Sep 2026
  • Meeting / Conference / Symposium
Paris, France
In conjunction with Novaspace’s World Space Business Week and Space Defense & Security Summit at the Hôtel du Collectionneur. Building on the success of...
06 - 11 Sep 2026
A major European meeting on planetary science. Originally known as the European Planetary Science Congress,...
The Hague, The Netherlands
08 Sep - 09 Nov 2026
Unknown payload to launch on Long March 2D with YZ-3 upper stage variant.
Jiuquan Space Launch Center, ~41°N, Gansu, China
08 - 10 Sep 2026
At Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC); Chair is Saeed Al Mansoori of MBRSC; Co-Chair...
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
08 - 11 Sep 2026
To tackle one of the space sector’s most pressing challenges. 3rd Zero Debris Future Symposium...
Seville, Spain
09 Sep 2026
Resupply mission to launch to ISS and arrive within 3.5 hours.
Baikonur Cosmodrome, ~46°N, Kazakhstan
09 Sep 2026
6:00-7:30 pm ET, featuring Shatel Bhakta — Principal Systems Engineer for Moon Base, NASA; Wes...
Online
11 - 13 Sep 2026
Inaugural event to convene researchers, policymakers and practitioners to advance understanding of self-sufficient structures in...
Online
11 - 12 Sep 2026
Industry tour of Denver space companies Friday 08:30-12:00; Astronauts Eileen Collins and Scott Kelly present...
Denver CO, USA
12 - 13 Sep 2026
The conference will again be virtual, and will be held at times to accommodate attendees...
Online
14 Sep 2026
Campbell was first appointed in September 2020. She was reappointed for an additional year, 14...
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
14 Sep 2026
Launch to SSO for 3rd satellite in the Sentinel-3 constellation for optical, radar and altimetry...
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, ~5°N, French Guiana
14 - 17 Sep 2026
In conjunction with The Space Innovation Summit (September 16) and the Space Defense & Security...
Paris, France
15 Sep 2026
(Estimated Date) Planned demonstration of in-space cryogenic storage and transferal by Eta Space and funded...
Launch Complex 1, ~39°S, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
15 - 16 Sep 2026
At Cleveland State University; Topics to be discussed include Exploration Architecture, Artemis program, Space Traffic...
Cleveland OH, USA
15 - 18 Sep 2026
27th year of this top scientific conference in the USA devoted to Space Domain Awareness...
Maui HI, USA