Beyond Earth Institute Webinar: Making Tomorrow’s Moon: Artemis, ILRS, and the Future of Cislunar Development

The Beyond Earth Institute (Beyond Earth) will be hosting a virtual policy event titled “Webinar: Making Tomorrow’s Moon: Artemis, ILRS, and the Future of Cislunar Development” on July 26, 2023 from 1:00pm-2:30 pm Eastern Time via Zoom. The event is free with donations suggested. Tickets can be obtained at the following link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/beyondearthinstitute/961440

For the author Robert Heinlein, the Moon “is a Harsh Mistress”– but for growing portions of the global space community, it is increasingly the focus of bold commercial, scientific, and geopolitical aspirations.

Renewed lunar ambitions have spurred major national efforts of human exploration, such as NASA’s Artemis Program and China’s International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) initiative, and the creation of the United States’ first-ever “National Cislunar Science & Technology Strategy.” Frameworks for lunar governance are actively being established, with the American-led “Artemis Accords” collecting 27 signatories to-date – most recently and notably, India – and the Chinese-established “Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization” attracting the likes of Pakistan, Russia, and the UAE. Meanwhile, a host of companies and entrepreneurs are pursuing business plans and real hardware for cislunar and lunar commerce, and are partnering with civil organizations for a joint public-private return to the Moon.

This flurry of activity, however, has also raised questions about how the global community goes about “making tomorrow’s Moon.” Competing international initiatives will need to develop methods to deconflict activities to ensure sustainability on the surface. The harsh lunar environment will need novel technologies and techniques to ensure human health and safety. The prospect of business prospecting 230,000+ miles away will need creative commercial, contractual, and financial approaches to ensure the development of a genuine market.

What trends do we see across the technical, legal, policy, and financial aspects of lunar development? How might Artemis and ILRS influence and interact with commerce and research on the Moon’s surface? What steps should we take to ensure a sustainable cislunar human presence – and, eventually, a permanent and growing lunar population? On Wednesday, July 26, join the Beyond Earth Institute and a panel of industry and government leaders for an engaging discussion focused on driving forward our future in cislunar space.

Speakers:

Moderator: Cody Knipfer, Policy and Program Associate, Beyond Earth Institute
– Dallas Bienhoff, Space Systems Architect, OffWorld
– John Reed, Chief Rocket Scientist, United Launch Alliance
– Laura Montgomery, Professor and Attorney, Ground Based Space Matters, LLC