https://spacewatch.global/tag/moon/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:39:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/moon/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/ila-2026-europes-road-to-the-moon-life-after-gateway-the-argonaut-lander-and-a-mission-control/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=75139 At ILA 2026, DLR's Dr. Thomas Uhlig and Johannes Weppler join Space.Table's Nicola Kuhrt to discuss Europe's road to the Moon — life after Gateway, the Argonaut lander, the LUNA facility, the future of the ISS, and Germany's goal to send an astronaut Moonward.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/ila-2026-live-stream-lunar-ambitions-space-sustainability-and-day-3-insights-from-the-space-cafe/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:30:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74828 The exploration conversation continues live from ILA Berlin 2026. As international ambitions for the Moon and Mars accelerate, exploration is increasingly about more than rockets and astronauts. It is about building the technologies, infrastructure, and sustainable operating concepts that will enable humanity to live and work beyond Earth.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/space-symposium-2026-building-the-lunar-economy-with-john-landreneau/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73063 From global teams to lunar missions, ispace is building the foundations of a permanent human presence on the Moon.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/day-4-artemis-ii-crew-conducts-manual-piloting-tests-ahead-of-lunar-flyby/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72649
Written by Judith Delany
Artemis II crew members Koch and Hansen conducted a 41-minute manual piloting demo on Day 4, testing Orion's handling ahead of Monday's lunar flyby. As NASA shifts toward a phased Moon base strategy, this mission is flying within a programme in transition.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/day-3-artemis-ii-update-correction-burn-cancelled-orions-trajectory-so-precise-it-wasnt-needed/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72645
Written by Torsten Kriening
Artemis II is halfway to the Moon. The first trajectory correction burn was cancelled - Orion is tracking its flight path so precisely it wasn't needed. Plus: laser comms from deep space and a German CubeSat testing lunar rover tech in the Van Allen belts.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/day-2-artemis-ii-update-tli-burn-sends-crew-toward-the-moon-apollo-13-distance-record-in-the-crosshairs/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:30:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72623
Written by Judith Delany
Artemis II completed its translunar injection burn on Flight Day 2, sending the first crew toward the Moon since 1972 and targeting the Apollo 13 distance record.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/spacewatchgl-opinion-humanity-is-returning-to-the-moon-but-why-is-nobody-watching/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72528
Written by Judith Delany
Artemis II could be one of the most important milestones of our generation. Almost nobody outside the space sector seems to notice — or care.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/10/the-space-cafe-podcast-141-with-pascal-lee/ Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68296 Dr. Pascal Lee, planetary scientist, Arctic field explorer, and professor at the KSU (Kepler Space University). He’s spent his life between two extremes, the frozen frontiers of the Arctic and the conceptual edges of space exploration. Few people connect fieldwork, engineering, and philosophy like Pascal does. This episode begins on the Moon - and ends light-years away.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/08/nasa-seeks-industry-feedback-on-fission-surface-power/ Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=67180 NASA issues a Request for Information as part of a survey for feedback on a fission surface power system. The survey is part of the agency's initiative to return humanity to the Moon and eventually send the first American astronaut to Mars. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/07/spacewatchgl-opinion-one-moon-many-interests-can-we-make-space-for-all/ Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=66441
Written by Mr. Samuel Jardine and Dr. Antonino Salmeri
A new wave of lunar activity is underway. More missions reached the Moon in 2024 than in any year since 1969. Scientific instruments are being deployed, landing zones mapped, and infrastructure already operated and more proposed to support long-term operations. With each new announcement, it becomes clearer that we are entering a new era, not of lunar ambition, but of lunar presence. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/06/esa-selects-nuview-led-team-including-sfl-missions-for-moonraker-lunar-mapping-study/ Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=65715 SFL Missions Inc. has been named a key member of the team selected for the Moonraker lunar mapping mission study highlighting the European Space Agency’s (ESA) expanding use of commercial innovation in space exploration. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/12/spacewatchgl-opinion-moonrise-or-moonfall-assessing-lunar-policy-trends-and-futures-in-a-changing-landscape/ Thu, 05 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=62655 Written by Sam Jardine and Dr. Antonino Salmeri

With six lunar missions launched this year - the most since 1969 - it is clear the Moon is no longer a distant prospect. Our closest celestial neighborhood is fastly becoming a multi-faceted and politically complex arena for human activity, hopefully collaborative, potentially contested. To capture key trends in 2024, at the Lunar Policy Platform we have surveyed of lunar stakeholders from across the globe in private, public, scientific, and academic spheres. Based on the feedback received, and our own expert assessment, we found three key trends for lunar policy have emerged from 2024: ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/07/the-space-cafe-podcast-112-how-to-build-our-new-home-beyond-earth/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:00:37 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=56375 In this episode of the Space Café Podcast, host Markus discusses the intricacies of space habitation with Barbara Imhof, a prominent space architect from Liquifer. They explore the challenges and innovations in making off-Earth living comfortable and sustainable, including construction methods on the Moon, dealing with lunar dust, and creating multifunctional spaces.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/03/spacewatchgl-space4earth-the-environmental-risks-of-spacex-formula/ Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:00:35 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=54267 It has now been a week since SpaceX's IFT 3 took off and kept us in suspense. All space enthusiasts around the globe are eagerly waiting for the promised new era in which access to space becomes the new normal, in which prices will fall to a fraction of their current level and new business models will emerge.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/03/spacewatchgl-opinion-the-moon-is-a-harsh-success/ Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:00:08 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53970 There’s been no shortage of recent attempts at clarifying what the problems are with the definitions of success or failure for a Moon mission. Bearing in mind the pressure applied on CEOs, leadership, and crews of many a lunar-aiming venture business, and equally knowing perfectly well how challenging is to land on the Moon, it is nevertheless important for the insiders of the sector  to develop considerations worthy of lunar stakeholders as they sort out their concerns.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/02/space-cafe-radio-geopolitics-japans-slim-moon-landing-with-prof-kazuto-suzuki/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:00:08 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53712 In this Space Café Radio Geopolitics, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Prof Kazuto Suzuki about Japan's SLIM mission, which landed on the moon successfully. They discuss the purpose and challenges of the mission, as well as the geopolitical implications and future plans for Japan's involvement in lunar exploration.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/02/space-nuggets-07-2024-the-first-commercial-mission-to-land-on-the-moon/ Sat, 17 Feb 2024 14:00:31 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53719 Intuitive Machines is gearing up for a soft landing on the moon. This mission comes at a crucial stage after the Peregrine failure and Japan's SLIM mission. The risk and the pressure from a commercial point of view is very high, making this landing crucial for private players in the commercial space economy. Our Editor in Chief Dr Emma Gatti spoke about the interesting advances in lunar landing technology, highlighting the use of methane and liquid oxygen engine.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/02/spacewatchgl-geopolitics-japans-moon-landings-was-it-a-success/ Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:30:17 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53540 The JAXA SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) mission soft-landed on the Moon on the night of Friday 18 to Saturday 19 January 2024 Japan Standard Time. JAXA would eventually confirm a successful precision landing for SLIM a few hours later. SLIM landed, but had an “attitude problem,” its position preventing its solar cells from receiving proper illumination.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/01/jaxa-confirms-successful-precision-landing-for-slim/ Fri, 26 Jan 2024 07:00:53 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53377 The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed the successful precision soft-landing of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft on the moon. JAXA employed the mission to demonstrate its new precision technology by landing in an unprecedented 100-metre landing area. However, because SLIM's solar cells failed to generate power for the spacecraft, it had to shut down its operations.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/01/artemis-ii-pushed-to-september-2025/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:00:51 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=53147 The schedules for Artemis II and Artemis III have been postponed to September 2025 for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, and September 2026 for Artemis III, which is planned to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole, NASA announced. ]]>