Category Archives: Politics

Friday / 21 March 2025

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Philosophy of Solar System Exploration: Moon and Then Mars

Pioneering thinkers Astronaut Suni Williams, Bhavya Lal of NASA / Rand, Ryan Faith of US House / SpaceNews and Brent Sherwood of AIAA, Blue Origin and NASA agree on fundamentals: Moon is the proving ground for Mars and the start of a multiplanetary legacy, priorities must be sustainability, collaboration, creativity, economic integration and innovations that benefit everyday life; collaboration internationally and public / private makes Moon / Mars and beyond accomplishment a shared human achievement; exploring allows philosophical musing on our purpose, learning how we solve problems of materials, chemicals, technology; Williams is honored by ISRO and her father’s village in India, as well as by friendly dolphins greeting her capsule at splashdown

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Credits: Suni Williams, Bhavya Lal, Ryan Faith, Brent Sherwood, ILOA, NASA, NASA/Don Pettit

Friday / 28 February 2025

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IM-2 Athena Landing Pods Inscribed with Employees Names: Moon Property Rights Implications?

Now in transit, Athena to land ~160 km from Moon South Pole 6 Mar; 2 of 6 landing feet inscribed with 315 IM employee names; 1 foot has IM logo; 3 have “Intuitive Machines” / “Ad Lunam”: 1 with Grace Hopper / IM-2 mission patches, 1 with Texas outline / Houston star, 1 with Maryland / Glen Burnie and Arizona / Phoenix; IM-1 Odysseus lander had similar feet; There is a clear need to define lunar property rights – frequent public-private missions to Moon surface and start of permanent lunar operations is now; Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and ‘Moon Agreement’ of 1987 likely starting points

Credits: Intuitive Machines/SpaceX/collectSPACE.com

Tuesday / 11 February 2025

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Dedication to Artemis Program Remains Strong

Artemis Accords represent collaborative, international effort with USA as a rallying point for now 50 nations and organizations; joint statement between Japan Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and US President Trump affirms continued partnership for Artemis missions; JAXA is developing pressurized lunar rover, will provide 2 astronauts, and works with ESA on lunar Gateway; NASA has issued RFP from companies to assume VIPER project search for water ice under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement; other policy changes involve SLS shutdown; archived LEAG Artemis recommendations are now available here 

Pictured: PM Ishiba; Credits: The White House, JAXA, NASA, LEAG

Tuesday / 7 January 2025

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Questions Arise for USA Admin 2025+ Moon-Mars Priorities

Regardless of SpaceX contracts for the program, CEO Musk says Artemis maximizes jobs not results, wants to build Moon Base Alpha but not for refueling on the way to Mars; Ars Technica’s Eric Berger notes USA competes with China for a Moon presence, reports a new administration committee sees humans there by 2028 via a more-efficient Artemis program; Jared Isaacman, nominated for NASA Administrator, wrote “Americans will walk on the Moon and… make life better here on Earth”; Mark Whittington recommends Artemis mission goals: “[A]dvance the frontiers of science, create technology that will be useful in space and on Earth … create new industries”

Credits: SpaceX: Musk – Royal Society, Moon Base Alpha concepts, Monica + Jared Isaacman

Friday / 11 October 2024

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Thomas Zurbuchen Urges NASA to Get in the Race, Lauds USA Public / Private Synergy

Zurbuchen, NASA head of science 2016-2022, oversaw 130 missions / 37 launches, founded CLPS program; published op-ed in Scientific American 1 Oct, notes 1960s space race triumph of USA over Soviets, urges similar effort now for “sustained long-term presence” on Moon because “whoever gets there first will set rules”; China has 4-for-4 success rate on landers, may interpret current “vague noninterference rules” to make “parts of the Moon … off-limits for anyone else”; Zurbuchen had “multiple meetings with Chinese leaders” during his NASA stint, knows union of American public / private “can accelerate and radically rethink space exploration”

Credits: Cory Huston/NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA

Tuesday / 29 Aug 2023

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BRICS Nations Consider Establishment of Space Exploration Consortium

5-member BRICS economic bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (with Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE set to formally join 1 Jan 2024) may cooperate on space development per comments given by India PM and Foreign Secretary in the wake of the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 at Shiv Shakti, ~20° from the lunar south pole; Existing BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation could serve as ‘base layer’ from which consortium may grow per Secretary Kwatra; Collaboration between China-led ILRS and Artemis Accords signatory India may accelerate USA Moon action

Pictured: India Prime Minister Narendra Modi (T), India Foreign Secretary Shri Vinay Kwatra (B); Credits: ILOA, Twitter / @ani_digital, India Ministry of External Affairs

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 August 2023

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As Luna-25 and Chandrayaan-3 Position for Moon South Pole Region Landings, Will USA Accelerate Moon Return?

India Chandrayaan-3 Lander Module in 113 x 157 km lunar orbit as ISRO controllers prepare for final deorbiting burn on 19 Aug, 20:30 UTC ahead of planned 23 Aug 12:17 UTC landing, while Propulsion Module performing spectroscopic observation of Earth from Moon orbit; Russia Luna-25 in 100-km lunar orbit following 243 and 76-sec maneuvers on route and a 40-sec orbital correction with landing NET 21 Aug planned; USA commercial lunar landers working under NASA CLPS contracts may launch soon; Intuitive Machines targeting 15 Nov launch of Nova-C / IM-1 mission, followed by IM-2 and IM-3 asap; Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One may still launch in 2023

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 March 2023

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Artemis Moon Exploration Advances with Increased Funding Proposal, Upcoming Crew and Spacesuits Reveal

Biden-Harris Administration fiscal year 2024 USA budget allocates US$27.2B for NASA, a 7.1% increase, with $8.1B for lunar exploration & $949M for Mars sample return; Artemis II 4-member crew to be announced at joint NASA / CSA-ASC joint press event at JSC Ellington Field 3 April, with astronaut interviews 4 April; Prototype Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) space suits for Artemis III lunar surface exploration being developed by Axiom / Raytheon subsidiary Collins Aerospace under $3.5B contract running through 2034 to be demonstrated 15 March at Space Center Houston

Credits: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 18-21 Nov 2022

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Cislunar R&D: Antarctica Peace Treaty May Serve as Model for International Cislunar Activity

Peaceful use norms regulated by Antarctic Treaty Secretariat in Buenos Aires, Argentina may be useful example as Cislunar Technology Strategy Interagency Working Group of USA OSTP predicts human activity in cislunar space over coming decade ≥ all previous since 1957, issues 4 main guidelines in National Cislunar S&T Strategy: support for long-term growth, international cooperation, space situational awareness and comms / PNT; JHAPL issues advice for Cislunar Security; AFRL Cislunar Highway Patrol Satellite now ‘Oracle’ to be operated by Advanced Space near Earth-Moon L1 under US$72M contract

Pictured: (Clockwise) OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar, Assistant Director Matthew Daniels, Policy Fellow Kathrine Bretl, Acting Executive Director Kei Koizumi; Credits: OSTP, NASA, LinkedIn, Antarctic Treaty Secretariat

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 Nov 2022

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Apollo 11 ‘Peace For All’ Ethic Observed Around the World as Veterans, Remembrance, Armistice Day 11 Nov

“We came in peace for all mankind” reads inscription left on plaque mounted between 3rd and 4th rung of Lunar Module Eagle within Moon Sea of Tranquility (0.67°N, 23.47°E), words inspired by first Congressional Declaration of Policy and Purpose of the National Aeronautics and Space Act, updated in 2010 to read “Devotion of Space Activities to Peaceful Purposes for Benefit of All Humankind”; Celebrated as Veterans Day in USA, Remembrance Day in Commonwealth Nations and Armistice Day in France and other nations, 11 Nov is an appropriate date to meditate on importance of peaceful off-world exploration

Credits: NASA