GEGSLA Newsletter | July 2023
Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA)
Welcome to the GEGSLA Monthly Newsletter!
Welcome to the much-awaited 5th edition of the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) monthly newsletter, where we are thrilled to present you with an array of exciting updates. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the vibrant GEGSLA community - comprising dedicated participants and supporters - whose unwavering commitment makes our work possible. Your dedication to GEGSLA's mission stands as a testament to the immense power of collaboration and collective action.
Within the pages of this latest newsletter, immerse yourself in a world of inspiration, invaluable knowledge, and a shared passion for lunar sustainability. As we continue on this journey together, let us unite in our efforts to champion the cause and create a future of greater sustainability for all.
Chandrayaan-3 Launches to the Moon
India's Chandrayaan 3 Moon lander has been making steady progress since its launch on July 14 and subsequent orbit-raising maneuver on July 17. Over the past week, two additional orbit-raising maneuvers were successfully executed. On July 18, the propulsion module fired its engines, propelling Chandrayaan 3 into an orbit of 228 by 51,400 kilometers, a significant increase from its previous orbit of 226 by 41,603 kilometers. Another successful maneuver took place on July 20, further raising the orbit to 233 by 71,351 kilometers, aligning with the mission's planned trajectory. According to the ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation , the final push towards lunar orbit is planned for July 31. The Moon Village Association has been a great supporter of India's efforts in space, and collaborated with ISRO earlier this year to promote outreach for Chandrayaan 3.
China Reveals Ambitious Plan for Crewed Moon Landing by 2030
Zhang Hailian of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) unveiled China's high-level plan to land two astronauts on the Moon around 2030. The mission involves launching a next-generation ~26,000-kilogram spacecraft with a crew using China's Long March 10 rocket to lunar orbit. There, it will dock with a massive lunar lander launched separately by another Long March 10. Two astronauts will transfer to the lander for a lunar touchdown and explore the Moon's surface for a few days before returning to orbit.
NASA Prepares Future Artemis Astronauts for Lunar South Pole Challenges
During the hybrid 2023 NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Exploration Science Forum held on July 18–20, significant updates on Artemis and related lunar science and exploration missions were revealed. One notable update came from Artemis lunar science lead Sarah Noble, who shared that NASA has provided "Lunar Fundamentals" classroom training for Artemis II astronauts. This training aims to better equip them for their flight around the Moon and back in early 2025 using the Orion capsule. In preparation for future Artemis missions and the exploration of the lunar south pole's challenging rocky terrain and unique lighting conditions, NASA is employing diverse analog facilities. These facilities cater to different aspects of how mission operations would be conducted on the Moon. The preparations include testing in an underwater facility, conducting full-scale field operations, and experimenting with lunar-gravity offloading techniques. Additionally, NASA is participating in European Space Agency - ESA 's lunar geology field training campaign called Pangaea to enhance astronauts' readiness for upcoming lunar missions.
China Calls for Lunar Science Payload Proposals
China is designing spacesuits that will enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface for at least eight hours at a time during their Moon landing mission. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) sought industry proposals for the mission's lunar rover in May, allowing the crew to drive up to 10 kilometers from the landing site. On July 17, CMSA invited science payload proposals for the lander, focusing on lunar geology, physics, solar and astronomical observations, and life sciences, with the option for in-situ resource utilization demos.
Intuitive Machines Completes Final Ground Test for Moon Lander
Intuitive Machines , part of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, has successfully completed the final ground test of its first Moon lander Nova-C. The test involved hot firing the main engine to verify various key functionalities for the upcoming mission near the Moon's south pole, scheduled for late Q3. Following this successful test, the lander will undergo a standard series of space-simulating tests before being prepared for launch.
NASA Awards $5 Million to Collins Aerospace for Lunar Spacesuit Development
In support of the agency's crewed Artemis missions, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has awarded $5 million to Collins Aerospace to advance the development of its lunar spacesuit. Collins Aerospace was selected alongside Axiom Space to competitively provide spacesuits for NASA's Artemis missions. This funding will further progress the development of cutting-edge spacesuit technology to ensure the safety and success of astronauts during their lunar exploration missions.
China Welcomes International Partners for Moonbase
In a significant development, Venezuela officially joined the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) on July 17, a long-term scientific Moonbase led by China and situated at the Moon's south pole. Venezuela's contribution to the ILRS will be to provide ground station infrastructure to support robotic and crewed missions. China is actively seeking international partners for its lunar exploration efforts and aims to establish an overarching organization to coordinate and manage the construction of ILRS. Cooperation agreements with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization members are in progress, including China, Pakistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Iran, Mongolia, and Peru.
China's lunar exploration efforts have also garnered interest from the UAE and Brazil, both of which are signatories of the US-led Artemis Accords. The potential collaboration on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is notable, especially considering the UAE's second lunar rover's supposed collaboration onboard China's upcoming Chang'e 7 robotic lander. The involvement, however, raised concerns due to US export control rules, leading to a curious case for future cooperation with these countries.
Earth & Space Sustainability Initiative Makes Progress in Advancing Space Sustainability
According to a progress update on July 28th, the Earth & Space Sustainability Initiative (ESSI) has made significant progress since its official launch on June 28, 2023, at the Royal Society, London. The launch saw over 120 organizations and individuals, including the Moon Village Association , signing the Memorandum of Principles for Space Sustainability. The ESSI team is now gearing up to draft the Space Sustainability Principles (SSPs), with a focus on separating the Dark and Quiet Skies strand into two distinct principles. In addition, ESSI is actively developing a comprehensive database of existing space sustainability standards, which will include finance, insurance, legal, and regulatory standards. The initiative continues to gain momentum, and industry collaboration is key to achieving a sustainable future for space exploration and its benefits for all life and future generations.
The Financial Times June 2023 "Investing in Space Summit" makes the Moon fully relevant
The Financial Times Investing In Space Summit took place in presence and online on 05-06 June 2023, under the motto "Balancing optimism with realism". It was the first significant space investment and financing conference to take place after the rise of interest rates by the US FED, together with other macro headwinds, such as conflict-driven economic deterioration, and the collapse of the SPAC bubble, from which the market has now recovered. This thorough and intensive FT conference did a fairly good job of articulating trends and putting the spotlight on both mainstream markets (launchers, constellations, data, a third of a trillion $) and emerging space activities (known as the "1%" worth 3 billion $ so far) such as orbital services, debris management, and cislunar space and Moon activities. Prospects of SBSP and Moon In-Situ Resources Utilisation were emphasised. Christophe Bosquillon participated on behalf of Moon Village Association and has produced a report available here. Readers who missed this event are encouraged to check-out the recording here.
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The long-awaited ESA SOLARIS study linking Space-Based Solar Power to Moon resource utilisation is now published?
This European Space Agency - ESA SOLARIS Study called “Greater Earth Lunar Power Station”, was contracted to Switzerland’s Astrostrom company. The study establishes structure and a framework linking SBSP for Earth to a viable cislunar transportation and Moon mining and manufacturing based economy. It nails beyond Net Zero the issue of a world requiring more energy security while running out of fossil fuels by the late century. We need an energy policy at an Earth-orbital-cislunar-Moon (EOCM) ecosystem level. Previous studies contributed to move SBSP from a fringe idea to a well-understood mainstream topic at the intersection of energy markets and space infrastructures economics.
UN-COPUOS space resources meetings reveal wide spectrum of opinions but also some consensus on scope of discussions
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) recently hosted closed meetings of the Legal Subcommittee’s Working Group on Space Resource Activity at its headquarters in Vienna. The Working Group has just completed the first year of its five-year mandate to review the regulation of such activity, including possible “additional international governance instruments”. An opinion piece on SpaceWatch.Global reviews what can be understood of the work so far, and what the perspectives might be.
GEGSLA Working Groups Finalized
The?Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA)?has initiated three working groups as part of its Operational Phase, in order to address key aspects of lunar exploration and activities. The working groups, namely Lunar Environmental Protection (WG 1), Lunar Technical Coordination (WG 2), and Lunar Multistakeholder Coordination (WG 3), will focus on ensuring environmental preservation, coordinating technical aspects, and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders in lunar endeavors. Esteemed co-chairs for each group have been selected to lead the efforts, with WG1 co-chaired by?Jean-Claude Worms?and?Ian Crawford, WG 2 co-chaired by?Timothy Cichan?and?Marchel Holle, and WG 3 co-chaired by?Yu Xu?and?Mark Sundahl.
The call for participants closed on July 20th, with over 50 individuals showing interest. Group members have now been selected, representing a diverse group of experts from various backgrounds and nationalities. Stay tuned on our GEGSLA page for the upcoming announcement of these teams.
International Moon Day 2023
The?International Moon Day?has been proclaimed on July 20th, the anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon in 1969, by the?United Nations?General Assembly. The Moon Village Association submitted the application during the?United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)?COPUOS 64th Session, which was approved on December 9th, 2021. The International Moon Day is now an annual event celebrated across the planet for the general public, aimed at educating and promoting awareness of the status and prospects for sustainable lunar exploration, and the need for cooperation in regulating activities on and around the Moon. This year was the 2nd year of the IMD, with the main event happening in South Korea and over 50 events happening around the world. One example was the in-person "Lunar Experience" event in Jordan, organized by the JSRI - Jordan Space Research Initiative to promote robotics, sustainability, analog research, and VR/XR technology for lunar exploration. On the other side of the world, Brasil hosted a 3-day event in Portuguese which?involved government and civil society to promote information, capacity building. Another notable event was the first Moon Village Association Italia Space Summer School, featuring 2 days of lectures and events targeting students and young professionals. To learn more about the IMD and other global events, head to the website?here.
Join as a GEGSLA Participant
If you're interested in joining GEGSLA as a participant in its?Operational Phase?and support the dissemination of the?Recommended Framework, you may express your interest at the form?here. This Expression of Interest form is?designed to gather information from individuals who are interested in becoming members of the group. It includes questions about the applicant's background, expertise, and interest in sustainable lunar activities. The purpose of this form is to recruit qualified individuals who can contribute to the group's mission of promoting sustainable and responsible lunar activities through the GEGSLA Framework.
MVA Adaptive Governance Working Group
The?Adaptive Governance Working Group?(AGWG) of the?Moon Village Association?is dedicated to promoting cooperation, coordination and governance for peaceful and sustainable activities on the Moon, converging with the work of GEGSLA. Among its recent activities are the Registration Project, the inputs for the UN COPUOS LSC Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities and the ongoing Benefit Sharing Project (BSP). Get involved by contacting the WG secretary Jéssyka Nunes at?[email protected]
During the current Operational Phase, GEGSLA's main sponsor is?Lockheed Martin. We are grateful for their continued support in our efforts to foster sustainability and inclusion in future lunar activities. Our sponsors are essential players in making our vision for an international Moon Village a reality.
If you are interested in sponsoring GEGSLA's activities, you may contact us at?[email protected]?or donate directly to GEGSLA through the MVA website?here.
GEGSLA 3rd Operational Meeting targeting Industry
The 3rd Operational Meeting of the GEGSLA, which will be held on September 6th from 15:00-17:00 CET, will aim to foster collaboration and engagement with commercial industry. The meeting seeks to identify key stakeholders in the private sector who can contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable practices on the moon. We invite our readers to provide suggestions regarding industry representatives who should be invited to participate in this important discussion. Your insights and recommendations will play a significant role in shaping the future of lunar exploration and ensuring its sustainability. Please reach out to?[email protected]?with any input you may have. Together, we can create a sustainable and prosperous future for lunar activities.
Contact Us
If you would like to share news or events in our next monthly newsletter, partner with GEGSLA, or highlight your organization's work, reach out to us at?[email protected]