May 12-18, 2025 / Vol 44, No 19 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Australia Lunar and NewSpace Ongoings, Bowen Spaceport Inaugural Gilmour Eris-1 Launch Set for NET May 15

Glimour Space is set for the inaugural launch of its Eris Block 1 three-stage orbital rocket from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland, Australia NET May 15. This will be the first launch from Bowen Spaceport, which is owned and operated by Glimour and built with support from the indigenous Juru people. The expendable 25-meter long, 2-meter diameter Eris is designed to carry 305 kg to LEO. It has a Sirius engine in the first and second stages, and a Phoenix liquid engine in the third. Gilmour Space was founded in 2012 by Adam and James Gilmour and is headquartered in Queensland. Other launch facilities in Australia include Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory, and Koonibba Test Range, RAAF Woomera Range Complex and Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia. The Australia Space Agency was founded in 2018 and is led by Enrico Palermo. Lunar Outpost subsidiary, Lunar Outpost Oceania based in Melbourne, is co-leading the development of Australia’s first lunar rover “Roo-ver” to launch to the Moon on a NASA CLPS mission. Space enterprises in Australia include Fleet Space Technologies (IoT constellation) of Adelaide, Esper Satellite Imagery in Melbourne, Metakosmos (spacesuits) in Sydney and Exodus Space Systems (space debris) in Perth, among many others. According to Go Astronomy there are over 45 astronomy facilities and networks in the country. The IAF will attract ~6,000 to Sydney Sep 29 to Oct 3 for the International Astronautical Congress 2025. (Image credits: Gilmour Space, Space & Defense, Australia Space Agency)

MONDAY

☆ May 12 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 73 seven-member crew studying how heart, muscles, bones and eyes adapt to longer microgravity missions as part of CIPHER (Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research), a suite of 14 studies; attempting in-space manufacturing of nanomaterials that mimic DNA; harvesting plants to observe how space radiation affects their genetics.

☆ May 12 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 20 three-member crew continue experiments with biological specimens, observing effects of microgravity and radiation on human stem and bone cells, animal embryos and small species, aiming to improve astronaut health and advance medical research for Earth.

★ May 12 —  SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 15-4, SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB CA: Batch of satellites for Starlink mega-constellation space-based Internet communication system.

o May 12 — International Lunar Observatory Association, Bengaluru, India: Galaxy Forum India 2025 Bengaluru; featuring B.S. Shylaja, Steve Durst, Margarita Safonova, Marc Heemskerk, Jatan Mehta and Mayuri S Rao; being held at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, 15:00-18:00 IST.

● May 12 — NASA, JAXA, Online / Houston TX: Registration Due: 2025 Kibo-RPC; Kibo Robot Programming Challenge, contest for students to program free-flying robots on International Space Station.

● May 12-16 — Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore MD: STScI Spring Symposium 2025: Inter+Stellar – Harnessing the Intersection Between Stars and the Interstellar Medium.

☾ May 12 — Moon: Full Flower Moon, 06:57.

☆ May 12 — Apollo Asteroid 2025 JA1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.010 AU)

American Space Movement Advances; AAS, AIAA, et al, Keeping On Track

American Space Movement (ASM) ultimate goal is described as Space Settlement — “thriving communities throughout the Solar System” — and Gerald O’Neill’s calculations show that a 32km x 6km installation orbiting Earth-Moon Lagrange point L4 or L5 could be an important first step for travel beyond our Moon. National Space Society (NSS) publishes the Roadmap to Space Settlement. Other ASM organizations include American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), American Astronautical Society (AAS), Space Studies Institute (SSI), Space Frontier Foundation, Space Foundation and The Planetary Society. AIAA Los Angeles Section will hold its annual award dinner May 14 and will recognize AIAA Honorary Fellow (the first was Orville Wright), Steven J. Isakowitz of The Aerospace Corporation, who will give the keynote address. The next-highest award, Fellow, has been bestowed upon Vinay Goyal and Todd K. Citron, who also will be recognized, along with many other local awardees. AAS honors with a Lifetime Achievement Award only one person every 10 years. This year, Gene Kranz will be given the award on May 15 at Space Center Houston, honoring his “lifetime of dedication, innovation and impact on the advancement of space exploration and technology.” The Planetary Society strongly opposes the proposed 24% reduction in NASA science funding. (Image Credits: NSS, SSI, AIAA, The Planetary Society; Pictured: UL-Kranz, UR-Isakowitz, LR-O’Neill)

 TUESDAY

● May 13 — Higher Orbits, Glenview IL: 2025 Higher Orbits Galactic Golf Outing; join NASA Astronauts for golf to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math for young people.

● May 13 — Intuitive Machines, Online / Houston TX: 1st Quarter 2025 Financial Results Conference Call; 08:30 EDT.

● May 13 — Beyond Earth Institute, New York City NY: Submissions Due: Fall 2025 issue of Beyond Earth Policy Review.

o May 13-15 — Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Global Satellite Operations Association, Satcoms Innovation Group, et al, Dubai, UAE: SATExpo Middle East; alongside CABSAT conference.

☾ May 13 — Moon: 0.48° SE of Antares, 20:00.

☆ May 13 — Asteroid 3 Juno: At opposition in longitude, magnitude 10.2, 06:00.

WEDNESDAY

 ☆ May 14 — Tianwen-1 Lander, Utopia Planitia, Mars Surface: China Tianwen-1 Lander reaches 4 full years / enters 5th year of Mars surface operations at / near 25.1°N 109.9°E; landed 2021 with Zhurong Rover.

★ May 14 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 6-67, SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Next batch of Starlink satellites to launch for mega-constellation.

● May 14 — American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Los Angeles Section, El Segundo CA: Los Angeles Section Annual Awards Dinner; at Cambria Hotel, Networking / Dinner 17:00; Program 19:00 PDT; US$0-63.

☆ May 14 — Apollo Asteroid 2025 DT50: Near-Earth Flyby (0.041 AU)