Open Lunarians,

 

This month brought renewed global attention to the Moon. Space agencies and companies alike are refocusing their efforts: SpaceX is prioritising lunar infrastructure, Blue Origin has paused New Shepard tourism to concentrate on New Glenn and the Blue Moon lander, and Artemis II is preparing to send humans around the far side of the Moon.

 

This surge in activity is exciting — and reflects what Open Lunar has been working toward since before our incorporation in 2018: a sustained human presence beyond Earth.

 

Many are calling this the beginning of the “lunar decade.” Historically, when technological breakthroughs unlock what once seemed impossible, governance and accountability struggle to keep pace. As humanity returns to the Moon, Open Lunar is advancing projects that encourage positive, values-driven norms and responsible behaviour from the outset.

 

Thank you for reading.

 

 

Open Lunar is beginning work to help structure and prepare datasets from early commercial lunar missions — supporting the Lunar Ledger’s evolution into a neutral data brokerage layer that enables discoverability, transparency, and responsible data sharing as lunar activity expands. This role will work to help mission operators structure, classify, and prepare datasets for responsible release while retaining control.

 

 

This role will help audit, structure, and prepare lunar mission datasets for discoverability and hosting. Ideal candidates have experience with scientific/space datasets, metadata standards, and large-scale data systems.

 

We’re keeping this search within our network for now, but please pass along to anyone who may be a strong fit. If you have questions or thoughts, direct them to contact@openlunar.org. 

 

 

 

The Moon is no longer a distant dream — it's the next phase in a very real geopolitical race. With SpaceX reversing course to back a lunar city, Blue Origin doubling down, and China closing in on a 2030 crewed landing, the question is no longer if we'll build on the Moon, but who will make the rules when we get there. In an op-ed published in The Space Review, Rachel Williams and Jatan Mehta break down why governance and technology must develop hand in hand.

 

 

 

Even as pressures on global multilateralism mount, the United Nations remains essential for international coordination. Nowhere is this more evident than at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) — the only multilateral forum that consistently convenes all major spacefaring nations to discuss the governance of outer space.

 

In this post, we explore Open Lunar’s role as a Permanent Observer to COPUOS. We speak with Hasan Abbas — member of the Pakistani delegation to COPUOS, former Task Force Coordinator on Outer Space Issues of the Group of 77 & China, Co-Chair of the COPUOS Action Team on Lunar Activities, and Open Lunar’s newest Affiliate— about how the forum functions in practice and how today’s debates are shaping the future of lunar governance.

 

 

In 2025, we explored the idea of Designated Lunar Areas — a governance mechanism for identifying and stewarding sites of scientific, cultural, or environmental significance on the Moon. In 2026, that work has formally entered its “concept” phase.

 

If you missed last year’s research showcase, you can watch it here.

 

This year, we’re deepening the conversation by asking a more foundational question: who gets to decide what matters on the Moon?

 

As lunar activity accelerates, the idea of Designated Lunar Areas moves from abstract governance theory to something more immediate. What should be protected? What should remain open? And whose values shape those decisions?

 

These are the questions we’ll explore in our upcoming webinar.

 

 

 

 

Join Open Lunar and our Fellows for a Webinar later this month:

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026
9am PT | 12pm ET | 6pm CET

Register and join via Zoom.

 

In this webinar, we’ll slow down and centre perspectives that have not traditionally shaped space governance, including voices rooted in environmental justice, Indigenous stewardship, and community-driven science. Our aim is to broaden the ethical foundation on which lunar governance is being built.

 

This webinar will be moderated by Open Lunar Affiliate Amy Sample Ward, CEO of NTEN; a nonprofit that is creating a world where nonprofits fulfil their missions through the skilful and racially equitable use of technology.

 

We’ll also hear from Open Lunar Fellows Aaron Mackey and Vic Paulson, who will share updates on their research related to Designated Lunar Areas. Panellists will be announced soon! Sign up via the link below.

 

 

 

 

In 2025, Open Lunar launched the Lunar Ledger, the first global database documenting lunar missions and objects, in partnership with leading operators, including Firefly Aerospace, ispace, and Astrolab.

 

As we prepare for the public launch later this year, we are now inviting all lunar mission operators — historical, active, and planned — to contribute their mission data.

 

The Lunar Ledger is a critical step toward transparent, collaborative governance of lunar activity, supporting mission planning, research, and responsible stewardship of the Moon. Sign up here. 

 

If you are attending these events or are interested in engaging on these topics, please reach out to connect@openlunar.org.

Open Lunar’s Senior Policy Lead, Samuel Jardine, was recently invited to Berlin to attend “The Ways to the Moon” roundtable, hosted by EPSI, the Bertelsmann Foundation, and Bertelsmann Stiftung. Held under Chatham House rules, the workshop brought together experts from government, industry, academia, and civil society to share frank insights on emerging developments in lunar geopolitics, governance, and activity.

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