June 22-28, 2026 | Vol 45, Week 25 | Hawai`i Island, USA
LUNAR NEWS
Chang’e-6 lead isotope data shows that a massive impact, rather than just the early Lunar Magma Ocean, heavily modified the lunar crust in the South Pole–Aitken region. | Astrobotic Griffin-1 lander is to be sent to JPL later this month for environmental testing, in preparation for its launch late 2026. | Lunar Outpost, recently awarded US$220 million, has discussed details about its Pegasus rover. | Lunar Resources plans to open HELIX-1 factory in Utah, which will employ over 400 people. | Reportedly NASA is lobbying for billions of dollars to support Moon mission orders and timelines put forth by U.S. Administration. | Chang’e-7, carrying ILO-C payload, is planned to be the next mission to launch to the Moon. | The Green Bank Telescope image of Artemis II is a contender for the longest-distance picture of humans ever taken from Earth. | A paper published in Nature discusses using small (<1.5 km) lunar craters as landing pads to naturally inhibit plume surface interactions (PSIs). | 45 years and 2.5 million “lunar deeds” later, Lunar Embassy founder Dennis Hope is still keeping the conversation around private space property rights alive. | Open Lunar Foundation kicks off its summer webinar series.
Rescuing Swift: Time-Critical Mission to Boost NASA's Space Telescope

Due to increased solar activity, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit has prematurely decayed, threatening to end the mission by the end of this year. Launched in 2004, the multiwavelength telescope utilizes three co-aligned instruments to detect and observe gamma-ray bursts in gamma-ray, X-ray, and UV/optical light. Now circling Earth at about 370 km, the spacecraft could operate for at least five more years if returned to its optimal near-circular 600-km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an inclination of 20.6° relative to the equator as its science instruments, solar arrays, batteries, and other components are all operating nominally. In order to return it to the desired 600-km altitude, NASA, Katalyst Space Technologies and Northrop Grumman have created an ambitious plan: On June 27, a Northrop Grumman Stargazer aircraft will deploy a Pegasus XL rocket from which the Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft will separate and autonomously rendezvous with and capture Swift using three robotic arms to push the craft to a higher orbit using ion thrusters. Stargazer will take off from the Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Incredibly, Katalyst designed, built, and fully tested the LINK satellite in under eight months. This mission also marks the final launch of the Pegasus XL rocket, which had its first flight in 1994. (Image Credits: NASA, Katalyst, NG)
HUMANS IN SPACE
☆ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: The seven-member Expedition 74 crew is investigating how bacteria that cause pneumonia can lead to long-term heart damage, as well as testing IVGEN hardware, which filters drinking water to produce medical-grade IV fluid. Augmented and virtual reality technologies are also being tested to advance astronaut care. Options to resolve the ongoing air leak in the Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel include further sealant applications, repairs, or possibly decommissioning the section. Soyuz MS-29, with a crew of three, is now planned to launch to the ISS in mid-July.
☆ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-23 crew is tasked with a rice cultivation experiment to study its genetic stability and regenerative capacity in support of future deep space missions. China has confirmed it is moving forward with plans to double the current size of the station (currently consisting of three modules) by using its repurposed Tianhe backup module, eventually expanding it to a six-module station.
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon June 22: Amor Asteroid 2026 MQ (0.019 AU) |Thu June 25: Apollo Asteroid 2026 LJ3 (0.037 AU) | Fri June 26: Apollo Asteroid 2014 NV63 (0.055 AU) | Sat June 27: Aten Asteroid 152637 / 1997 NC1 (0.026 AU)
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Events
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ShuttleFest V: NASA at Star City
Cocoa Beach FL, USAMain ShuttleFest is 09:00-17:00 June 20-21 (Sat-Sun) for a 2-day fellowship among space workers, space lovers and space fliers, including...US$75 – US$400 -
23rd International Planetary Probe Short Course and Workshop
Washington DC, USAShort course “Low-Cost EDL Missions and Technologies” occurs June 20-21, with Workshop on June 22-26; at JHU Bloomberg Center. About... -
European Lunar Symposium (ELS)
Nancy, FranceAnnual international conference that brings together around 200 researchers, engineers, and professionals working on lunar science and exploration. Hosted each... -
NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Pre-Launch Interview
OnlineFrom the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, NASA astronaut Anil Menon to participate in media event; Menon... -
World Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science Summit
Rome, ItalyMeeting is dedicated entirely to the latest developments in all Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science related themes. The conference will... -
American Astronomical Society 57th Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA) Annual Meeting
Chicago IL, USASessions include both invited and contributed. A public talk will highlight recent developments, bring science to a new audience and...$10 – $597 -
17th Anniversary of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Entering Moon Orbit
Moon OrbitNASA spacecraft reaches 17 full years in Moon orbit today; launched Jun 18, 2009, arrived at Moon 5 days later. -
Launch Long March 7A / Unknown Payload
Wenchang Space Launch Center, ~19°N, Hainan Island, ChinaUndisclosed payload on China's Long March 7A rocket from Hainan Island. -
Launch Falcon 9 / Project Starfall Demonstration Mission
SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USADemonstration mission for SpaceX’s Project Starfall, which aims to mass-produce reentry capsules designed to autonomously transport valuable customer experiments and... -
Webinar: Decision logic for lunar ground operations
OnlineAt 11:00 am ET: How lunar operators should make decisions in the absence of a true regulatory framework. Featuring Aaron... -
NASA SmallSat LEARN Forum
Online“Learning from Experiences, Achievements, and Resolution Navigation” — Representatives from multiple NASA centers and outside organizations meet to advance NASA... -
Ground Control #5 at Mesh Youngstorget
Oslo, NorwayOslo Spaceport Norway offers monthly a knowledgeable speaker and opportunity for networking, 17:00-20:00 local time; free entry but registration required.... -
Colloquium: The Apollo Lunar EVA Experience
OnlineFrom 2:00-3:30 pm ET: 4th virtual colloquium featuring author Andy Chaikin, who has written extensively about the Apollo lunar program... -
4th India Space Congress 2025
New Delhi, IndiaTheme is Pioneering Innovations in Space Technology: India’s Journey towards Global Partnerships; key topics include entrepreneurship, legal aspects, lunar exploration....$100 – $275 -
Launch Pegasus XL / Swift Rescue Mission
Omelek Island (~9 ° N), Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall IslandsThe mission aims for the LINK spacecraft to rendezvous with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory craft and boost its orbit,... -
The Space Capital Summit
New York NY, USAAt NASDAQ MarketSite. Follows Q1 2026 Space IQ briefing. -
15 Years in Lunar Orbit: Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) P1
Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange pointNASA ARTEMIS P1 craft surpasses another year in lunar orbit since 2011; it was 1 of 5 satellites launched 2007... -
Planetary Defense and Asteroid Exploration Conference 2026
Los Angeles CA, USAFeaturing technical discussions, mission updates, and topics such as asteroid characterization, deflection strategies and upcoming close encounters. The conference was... -
Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-40
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USAAnother batch of 24 Starlink satellites to launch to LEO for SpaceX's space-based Internet communication system.