ISRO - MVA webinar: Challenges in Lunar Landing
2023-09-13 16:00 - 17:00 (Asia/Kolkata)
Bio of Speaker :

Shri Senthil Kumar G is currently working as Deputy Project Director, Mechanical Systems of Chandrayaan-3 Project in U R Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO. He has pursued Mechanical Engineering in College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University. He has rich experience in systems engineering of spacecraft. He has played a major role in configuration and realisation of Chandrayaan-3 & Chandrayaan-2 spacecrafts. His significant contribution also includes performance evaluation testing of Lunar Lander systems in Earth environment for Chandrayaan Landing Missions.

GEGSLA at the UN Science Summit
2023-09-20 10:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Paris)
Event Title: Recommended Framework for Sustainable Lunar Activities: Potential Contribution to the UN SDGs and the Summit for the Future

Date: September 20, 2023Time: 16:00 – 18:30 CEST

Registration: https://sciencesummitunga78.sched.com/event/1O4pe

Discover how the Moon Village Association (MVA) and its Global Expert Group for Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) are shaping the future of lunar exploration. Gain insights into the GEGSLA Recommended Framework, its key elements for peaceful and sustainable lunar activities, and its relevance to United Nations Policy Brief 7.

Explore the intersections between the GEGSLA Framework, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Summit for the Future. Engage with leading experts and participate in a lively Q&A session!

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be part of the discussion on lunar sustainability and its potential contributions to the UN SDGs.

GEGSLA-UN-Science-Summit-Event-Agenda-1Download

MVA Italia participation at the Space Education & Strategic Applications 2023 Conference
2023-09-21 13:30 - 14:40 (Europe/Rome)
The First MVA Italian Summer School, by the MVA Italy during the IMD 2023 , will be the subject of a panel in the following conference:

Space Education & Strategic Applications

The event is free and open to the public

Links for registration and the program are on the conference homepage: https://ipsonet.org/conferences/space-education-and-strategic-applications/

The MVA panel will be on 21 of September at 1:30-2:40 PM EDT

MVA participation at the IAC in Baku - Session D4.2
2023-10-03 10:15 - 12:45 UTC
Contribution of Moon Village to Solving Global Societal Issues

Description

Moon Village is a concept that brings together efforts, world-wide, from the private sector, governments, academics and others to explore and use the Moon in a sustainable manner. Moon Village is a community of projects carried out by stakeholders from different fields (for example, technical, scientific, cultural, economic) working together. The implementation of the Moon Village has already started with missions and activities in line with its spirit, It is a major step forward for the peaceful development of humankind. Moon Village can offer a new start to humanity on the Moon and on the Earth by contributing to solve global societal issues. The session will discuss the contributions of the Moon Village to the solution of global challenges (e.g., energy, population, sustainable development, many others). How the Moon Village will support the understanding of the global societal issues and bring benefits to society on a global scale will also be discussed. The session will include also the identification of the related technologies that need to be developed. The definition of a roadmap complementary to the UN Agenda 2030 will be also discussed.Date: 2023-10-03Time: 10:15Room: BCC Balcony C2IPC members

Co-Chair: Dr. Giuseppe Reibaldi, Moon Village Association (MVA), Austria;

Co-Chair: Prof. Yu Lu, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China, China;

Rapporteur: Ms. Paivi Jukola, Aalto University, Finland;

More info and papers: https://iafastro.directory/iac/browse/IAC-23/D4/2/

Cultural WG webinar - Moon Rocks: Study and Inspiration
2023-11-14 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Paris)
‘For although our voyage is to be outward, it is also to be inward, to the sources of all great acts, which are not out there, but in here, in us all, where the muses dwell.’ Joseph Campbell, Myths to Live By, 1972

The six Apollo Moon Surface Missions yielded a rich collection of lunar soil and rock, gathered by astronauts, that continue to reveal stories of the early solar system. Within these samples are clues to understanding the planetary processes that created Earth and even the prebiotic materials that support life. These extra-terrestrial rocks have immense value for researchers and human culture alike – this webinar will examine both aspects of their significance.

Transdisciplinary Artist Erika Blumenfeld conceived and established the Astromaterials 3D virtual library for NASA as a permanent public resource for exploring the nature of the solar system and its formation. In this webinar she’ll discuss this pioneering project and how it relates to her art practice. Planetary Scientist Prof Ian Crawford (Birkbeck College, University of London) will discuss the impact the Apollo Mission rock samples have had on our understanding of the Moon and the origin and evolution of the solar system.

Erika Blumenfeld is an artist, researcher, and writer who seeks engagement across the arts, sciences, and humanities to cultivate artworks and dialogue that explore the material and poetic origins of our relationship with the natural world. She approaches her work like an ecological archivist, driven by a passion to trace and collect the evidence and stories of connection across the cosmos. A Guggenheim, Smithsonian, and Emerson Collective Fellow, Blumenfeld has had studios in laboratories, observatories, and extreme environments, and has collaborated with scientists and research institutions, including NASA, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, McDonald Observatory, and the South African National Antarctic Program. Her work has been exhibited widely and is featured in multiple books and museum collections. Blumenfeld is the creator and Science-Principal Investigator of Astromaterials 3D at NASA, where she leads a team to create an interactive 3D virtual library of NASA’s astromaterials collections for researchers and the public. https://erikablumenfeld.com/

Ian Crawford is an astronomer turned planetary scientist, and is currently Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck College, University of London. The main focus of his research is in the area of lunar exploration, including the remote sensing of the lunar surface and the laboratory analysis of lunar samples. Ian also has research interests in the field of astrobiology, especially Martian analogue environments on Earth, and in the future of space exploration which he believes will become increasingly important for the future of humanity. A more detailed summary of interests, and list of publications, can be found at: https://www.bbk.ac.uk/our-staff/profile/8004655/ian-crawford

Register on Zoom to participate

Register

7th Global Moon Village Workshop & Symposium
2023-12-06 08:00 - 2023-12-10 17:00 UTC
More Info

Register

GEGSLA 4th Meeting
2023-12-13 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
More info coming soon

Cultural WG & Lunar Human Physiology & Biology WG webinar: Microgravity and Human Health
2024-01-23 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Paris)
Co-organised by Cultural Considerations WG & Lunar Human Physiology & Biology WG

With

Elisa Raffaella Ferre, Birkbeck University, LondonThe Next Small Step: How Microgravity influences Brain and Behaviour

Thais Russomano, Co-Founder & CEO, InnovaSpace-UKSpace Medicine: Challenges and Achievements

Register for free to participate

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About

Space travel involves, as is known, considerable physical risks for those who undertake it. Long-duration missions have allowed scientists to thoroughly study the effects that prolonged stay in zero gravity, with limited possibilities of movement and exposure to significant amounts of solar radiation, has on the human body. Apart from the initial discomfort due to space adaptation syndrome (SAS), which involves nausea, headache and lethargy for a few days, the astronauts showed muscle atrophy, osteopenia, alterations in the production of red blood cells, cardiovascular dysfunction, reduction in effectiveness of the immune system, sleep disorders, etc. Moreover, studies conducted in extreme environments on Earth have highlighted numerous possible psychological problems such as stress, boredom and many other factors on safety, efficiency and quality of life in space. This webinar intends to take stock of the progress made by medicine and neuroscience to overcome the serious physical and psychological imbalances associated with life in microgravity.

Speakers

Prof Elisa Raffaella Ferre has completed a Bsc, a Msc, and a PhD in Psychology at the Università degli Studi di Pavia (Italy). She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UK), then she took up her first faculty position at Royal Holloway University of London (UK). In September 2021, she joined Birkbeck University of London (UK), where she established the Vestibular Neuroscience Laboratory and presently holds the position of Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience. She holds the position of Co-Coordinator for the UK Space Life and Biomedical Sciences Association (UKSpaceLABS) and serves as the elected Secretary for the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA). She is engaged in collaborations with ESA Education and with United Nations Space Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Access to Space for All initiatives. She acts as mentor for the UNOOSA Space4Women initiative.

Prof Thais Russomano, MD, MSc, PhD, FRSA has +30 yr of experience in Aerospace Medicine, Space Physiology, Telemedicine & Digital Health. She is an MD from Brazil, specialised in internal medicine, has an MSc in Aerospace Medicine (USA) and PhD in Space Physiology from King’s College London (UK). She worked as a researcher at DLR, Germany, before establishing and coordinating the Microgravity Centre, PUCRS for 18 years. She is academically linked to several universities, is an Elected Academician of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine and the International Academy of Astronautics (Board of Trustees). She is a Board Member of companies, holds patents related to Space Sciences, has numerous scientific publications and has acted as a voluntary Mentor for Space4Women, an initiative of the UNOOSA. She is also Co-Founder & CEO of InnovaSpace-UK and the Chair of the recently established Lunar Human Physiology and Biology Working Group in MVA.

MVA Participation at COPUOS STSC 2024
2024-01-29 08:00 - 2024-02-09 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
More Info TBA

1st International Symposium on Moon Farside Protection: A Revolutionary Event in the Space Sector
2024-03-21 08:00 - 2024-03-22 17:00 (Europe/Rome)
MVA is proud to support the 1st International Symposium on Moon Farside Protection: A Revolutionary Event in the Space Sector. The Symposium will take place on March 21-22, in Turin, Italy.

MVA Participation at IAF Spring Meetings 2024
2024-03-26 08:00 - 2024-03-28 17:00 (Europe/Paris)

"The Path of Man between Science and Technology" : 40 Years Later The Return to the Moon and the Emergence of Artificial Intelligence
2024-04-16 10:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Rome) | Giorgio Amendola Foundation, Via Tollegno 52, Torino, Torino, 10154, Italy
At the Giorgio Amendola Foundation, Via Tollegno 52 – 10154 Turin (TO)

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 from 10:00 to 20:00

In 1984, on the first issue of the “Rinnovamento” magazine published by the emerging Amendola Foundation, Gianni Jarre, a professor of aerospace engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin, in an article titled “The Path of Man between Science and Technology” traced the history of the interaction between science and technology, highlighting key moments in their development. Starting from the inventions of Stephenson and Faraday in the nineteenth century, science and technology have evolved in parallel; an example is the scientific understanding of electromagnetism which led to innovations such as the dynamo and the telephone. Jarre then highlighted the role of empirical technique in the success of, for example, the Wright brothers, who in 1903 built the first airplane, defying the predictions of official science and contributing to the development of aeronautics. The growing interconnection between technology, science, and civilization in the twentieth century generated rapid progress in sectors such as missile technology and nuclear engineering. Jarre concluded the article by emphasizing the crucial need to manage the complex relationship between different emerging attitudes in society (“technophilia” vs “technophobia”) to guide society towards a more responsible future civilization.

Today, 40 years later, this need is still present and relevant in emerging technological and scientific challenges, examples of which are the renewed human exploration activities of space and the Moon by all national space agencies, and in the field of computing, the emergence of a new form of artificial intelligence on Earth and in space. Managing these relationships is at the core of the motivations of the Moon Village Association (moonvillageassociation.org), an international NGO dedicated to the sustainable development of lunar exploration, and the Giorgio Amendola Foundation, which has always been committed to issues of the social impact of technologies and emerging scientific challenges. And these are the themes on which we would like to reflect together on this day.

During the all-day (10:00 to 20:00) , there will be representatives from the Moon Village Association, PoliTo, PoliMi, the ITS Aerospace Academy Piedmont, and ITC Linderberg, also will be possible to visit the exhibitions:

“Innovative Technologies for Lunar Exploration”:

“CubeSat Self-propelled” (Newroboticarm)

“Intelligent” Fabrics for Space Exploration (Fiscatech & BeD)

“So Far, So Close”: Cosmic Ray Measurements in Space with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (ams02.space) and ground control of space missions”;

“Radiation and Safety on the Moon: Active Shielding for Radiation Protection: How fundamental research addresses the problem of shielding from cosmic rays in lunar exploration.

From 15:00 to 18:30 there will be the following speeches

15:00-15:10 “Introduction”, Prospero Cerabona – President of the Amendola Foundation

15:10-15:25 “Istitutional geetings“, Andrea Tronzano – Councilor for the development of productive activities and SMEs and for the Budget – Regione Piemonte

15:25-15:40 “The Moon Village Association”: Giuseppe Reibaldi – President of the Moon Village Association

15:40-16:10 “Robotic Technologies for Lunar Applications and AI”: Giovanni Giordano – CEO Newroboticarm, Giovanni Spada- Newroboticarm, Sergio Lodezzano – Newroboticarm

16:10-16:40 “Wearable Technologies for Health Monitoring: space missions and terrestrial applications”, Giovanni Giordano – CEO Newroboticarm, Sergio Lodezzano- Newroboticarm, Cristiano Paron – Fiscatech, Francesco Bonaccorso- BeD

16:40-17:10 “How astronauts see” Carlo Aleci – Prof. of Psychophysics of Vision at the University of Turin 17:10-17:40 Lecture from Voyager Space

17:40-18:00 Round table on the topics addressed: Prof. P. Maggiore, Prof. S. Pastorelli, and Dr. M. Mancini from PoliTO will intervene

18:00-18:30 Discussion and Conclusion

For information write to

giovanni.giordano@newroboticarm.com

alessandro.bartoloni@moonvillageassociation.org

Earth Day 2024 - Climate Action & Lunar Exploration
2024-04-22 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Paris)
Virtual Event co-organised with The Human Space Program and Cosmic Citizen Trainings

Register

https://www.cosmiccitizen.training/space4earth

Love it or hate it, a new era of Lunar exploration is here. Join the conversation and influence its unfolding.

At the start of this new venture of a permanent presence on the Moon, we aim to stimulate the alliance of Earth and Space environmentalists. Together, let’s take a hard look at the ramifications of exploration and utilization of the Moon and create a roadmap to ensure this movement off world truly is of benefit for Earth and all Humankind.

With global interest in Lunar exploration and utilization, we need to start to clearly define the modus operandi for activities on and around the Moon. The Moon Village Association has initiated the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA). This group published a report that has inspired the United Nations to start this important discussion.

Now is the time to define how to protect lunar environment and its link to the Earth environment.

Panel 1What is “The Environment” in this New Space Age?

Panel 2Can Lunar exploration help mitigate the Climate Crisis?

Cultural Considerations WG webinar - Still as bright
2024-05-14 17:30 - 19:00 UTC
“Still as Bright blends scientific, cultural and personal strands in an exploration of the Moon and its place in our lives and in mine. I come to know the Moon through my backyard telescope, traversing its wild and sublime surface while contemplating place, time, childhood, mortality—and the future of humans on the Moon. You’ll meet forgotten selenographers, astronauts, scientists, artists and lunar bat-men (hint: they’re not real). You’ll witness a rocket launch, my failed attempt at an occult lunar ritual (a bit icky) and join me at the eyepiece of the 60-inch reflector at Mt. Wilson, California (like orbiting in a capsule).” (Christopher Cokinos)

Key Speakers

Christopher Cokinos, author of the book Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon from Antiquity to Tomorrow.Francis French will add more background stories about Al Worden and other astronauts.

Introduction: Remo Rapetti

Comments and questions: Lisa Pettibone, visual artistGiulio Prisco, futurist, cosmist, author

Register to participate

Register on Zoom

Christopher Cokinos is the author or coeditor of several books, including The Fallen Sky: An Intimate History of Shooting Stars, Hope Is the Things with Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds, and Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight. He is the winner of awards and fellowships from, among others, New American Press, the Whiting Foundation, the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, and the National Science Foundation. His poems, articles, and essays have appeared in such venues as Scientific American, High Country News, Astronomy, Discover.com, and the Los Angeles Times. Having taught literature, writing, and science communication for more than three decades at three universities, he again lives and writes in Utah.

Francis French has international experience in relating science, engineering, music, astronomy, art, and wildlife to general audiences through classes, workshops, public speaking, television and documentary productions. He is the author of numerous bestselling history books, including a number of books with Apollo astronauts. In “The Light of Earth,” he worked with Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden to uncover never-before-published poems written in the days and weeks after Worden’s return from the moon. His books are listed at www.francisfrench.com

MVA General Assembly
2024-06-13 17:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris)
The MVA General Assembly will take place on Thursday, June 13 2024, at 17:00-18:00 CEST.

MVA Members will receive an invitation via email.

Cultural WG webinar - Alternative Visions of Space Exploration
2024-06-18 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Paris)
“The most important lesson we learned from our first forays beyond our thin atmosphere was that we are in this together. We overcame gravity by working collectively toward an aligned goal. That same force must now allow us to overcome political and policy differences that are driven by circumstances such as what we look like, where we live, and who we love. Keeping our shared goals in mind can give us the ability to explore space for the benefit of all.”

(Lori Garver, Foreword to Schwartz, James S.J.; Billings, Linda; Nesvold, Erika. Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration, Oxford University Press.)

Agenda:

Introduction: Remo Rapetti

JS Johnson-Schwartz: Reflections on “Reclaiming Space”.

Erika Nesvold: Culture on the Moon: The Practical and Ethical Value of Including Diverse Cultural Perspectives in Space Exploration.

Comments and questions: Giulio Prisco, futurist, cosmist, author

Registration

Register on Zoom

Speakers

JS Johnson-Schwartz is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wichita State University where she teaches courses on the ethics of space exploration, engineering ethics, environmental ethics, and logic. Her research focuses on the ethics of space exploration and the philosophy of disability. She is author of The Value of Science in Space Exploration (Oxford University Press, 2020), and lead-editor of Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration (Oxford University Press, 2023) and The Ethics of Space Exploration (Springer, 2016).

Erika Nesvold is an astrophysicist who has worked as a researcher at NASA Goddard and the Carnegie Institution for Science. She is a developer for Universe Sandbox, a physics-based space simulator; cofounder of the nonprofit organization the JustSpace Alliance; and the creator and host of the podcast Making New Worlds. She is also the author of Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space and co-editor of Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration.

V Seminar on Space and Extreme Environment Research
2024-06-26 16:30 - 18:00 (America/Sao_Paulo)
This webinar is part of th activities of the Lunar Human Physiology & Biology WG

Register to participate

Cultural WG webinar - For a Just and Sustainable Space Exploration
2024-09-19 17:00 - 18:30 (Europe/Paris)
Agenda

Remo Rapetti: Introduction

Aaron Boley: The Earth-Moon System and the Need for Coordination, Cooperation, and Collaboration

Claire Nelson: HOW WE SHARE THE MOON: Analog Research as a Modality to Help Ensure Space for All

Lisa Pettibone: Comments and Q&A session

Dr. Aaron Boley is an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia. His research explores a wide range of topics, including planetary dynamics, astrophysical discs, meteoritics, space sustainability and security, and space policy. Before joining the faculty at UBC, Boley was a NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Florida and a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Zurich. He is the Co-Director of the Outer Space Institute and co-author of Who Owns Outer Space? International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space.

Dr. Claire Nelson holds a Bachelors and Masters in Industrial Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Purdue University, and a Doctorate in Engineering Management from the George Washington University, and is an inductee in several Engineering Honor Societies. She was named an Outstanding Alumni of Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering in 2013. A winner of several awards and honors, Dr. Nelson has received several commendations for leadership in the US Congressional Record and was named a WHITE HOUSE CHAMPION OF CHANGE in 2012. She is the Founder of the Caribbean American Heritage Month and the Ideation Leader of The Futures Forum. She is the author of the book Smart Futures for a Flourishing World.

Register for free on Zoom

Register

IAC 2024 - Onine GNF - Sustainable Lunar Environment: The Next Challenge
2024-09-27 15:00 - 15:45 UTC
Watch Online

IAC 2024 - MVA meet IAC & GEGSLA Meeting
2024-10-18 14:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Rome)
Location

Amber Hall 1, Level 2, South Wing

Schedule

14:00-15-30: MVA meet IAC (Public)

15:30-17:00: GEGSLA Face-to-Face Meeting (For GEGSLA Members only)

17:00-18:00: Bilateral Meeting (Private)

Agenda – MVA meet IAC

Introduction (GR)

GEGSLA Status/Plan (Ulpia)

IMD24/Outlook 25 (Nasr)

MVA Workshop 2/3 December – Status/Invitation (Alessandro)

Benefit Sharing Project (Juan)

Global Network/Italian Network/Summer School (Alessandro)

Moon for Earth Inititative (Ulpia)

Architecture WG Status (Gary/Satoru-san)

Institutional Member Testimony (TBC)

Q&A

Conclusions

Robopalooza
2024-11-15 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
MVA is proud to Support Robopalooza!

https://robopalooza.space

“Palooza” is an informal term used to describe a large, energetic, and vibrant event or celebration. It suggests a festival-like atmosphere with a lot of excitement, activities, and entertainment, often with

multiple elements or themes involved.

ROBOPALOOZA is a fun, festival-like annual gathering with space robotics as the central theme, combined with a lively atmosphere of live rock & roll.

It features the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Telepresence Robot Competition and Robotic Demonstrations from leading companies and universities in the Space Exploration domain.

Cultural Considerations WG webinar - Artists on the Moon: Lessons from an All-Artist Analog Lunar Surface Mission
2024-11-19 17:30 - 19:00 UTC
The webinar will tell the experience of the four artists who lived a week in The Space Analog for the Moon & Mars at the University of Arizona: the sense of isolation, the difficulties of cohabitation, the simulation of reduced gravity, and the influence that these extreme conditions had on their artistic production.

Speakers:Christopher Cokinos, poet and authorElizabeth George, dancer and choreographerJulie Swarstad Johnson, poet and archivistIvy Wahome, textiles artist and costume designer

Introduction:Remo Rapetti

Comments and questions:Lisa Pettibone, artistCristina Luna Santos, anthropologist

Registration

Register on Zoom

Christopher Cokinos is the author or coeditor of several books, including The Fallen Sky: An Intimate History of Shooting Stars, Hope Is the Things with Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds, Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight and Still as Bright. An Illuminating History of the Moon from Antiquity to Tomorrow. He is the winner of awards and fellowships from, among others, New American Press, the Whiting Foundation, the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, and the National Science Foundation. His poems, articles, and essays have appeared in such venues as Scientific American, High Country News, Astronomy, Discover.com, and the Los Angeles Times. Having taught literature, writing, and science communication for more than three decades at three universities, he again lives and writes in Utah.

Elizabeth George is an Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Advisor in the School of Dance at the University of Arizona. She is a former dancer of the Dayton Ballet where she was a part of the Cleveland Phoenix Project (a collaborative venture between the Ohio Ballet and Dayton Ballet.) She has performed works by such choreographers as Dermot Burke, James Clouser, Amy Ernst, Luis Fuente, Bella Lewitsky, Stephen Mills, and David Nixon to name a few.

Julie Swarstad Johnson is the author of Pennsylvania Furnace (2019), editor’s choice selection for the Unicorn Press first book series, and co-editor of Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight (University of Arizona Press, 2020). She has served as Poet in Residence at Lowell Observatory and at Gettysburg National Military Park, which led to the chapbook Orchard Light (Seven Kitchens Press, 2020). She lives in Tucson and works as an archivist and librarian at the University of Arizona Poetry Center.

Ivy Wahome is a Kenyan-born costume designer and seamstress with over 10 years of experience designing and producing costumes for theater and dance at the University of Arizona, Broadway in Tucson (nationally touring Broadway shows), and community theaters. Innovative textile artist incorporating Black and African perspectives and history into diverse projects, including functional and decorative materials for a simulated lunar mission, she is co-founder of the Space Suit Lab at the University of Arizona.

MVA Participation at the COPUOS STSC 62nd Session
2025-02-03 08:00 - 2025-02-14 17:00 UTC

STSC Side Event - Lunar Sites of Special Scientific Interest
2025-02-06 09:00 - 09:45 (Europe/Paris)
Stream the Side Event here

Cultural Considerations WG Webinar - Afro-Futurism and Space Law
2025-02-18 17:00 - 18:30 (Europe/Paris)
It is not only Western culture that sees space research as an opportunity for knowledge, improvement of living conditions and satisfaction of the spirit of adventure that has characterized the progress of humanity over the millennia. Even cultures not currently directly involved in the development of space projects have always looked towards the sky and have elaborated theories and legends that have served to keep people’s interest in the stars alive. With this webinar we intend to investigate the special relationship that African artistic creativity has with space and how contemporary artists use their traditions to collaborate on a more just and shared space research.

Free registration:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P6lnl0eiRp2IT8uko2cTHw

Agenda

Remo Rapetti: Introduction

Jacque Njeri, African Futurist, Artivist & Graphic Designer: Afro-Futurism in Space Culture.

Dr Saskia Vermeylen, Reader in Law at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland: Cultural storytelling for the protection of outer space.

Lisa Pettibone: Comments and questions.

Jacque Njeri is a multifaceted artist and designer currently based in Nairobi, Kenya, with a Bachelor of Arts in Design from the University of Nairobi. Her work blends afro-futurism, culture, and advocacy, addressing themes of governance, youth, inequality, and gender justice through a futuristic lens. Globally recognized, her art has been featured by CNN and BBC and exhibited at events like the Other Futures Festival in Amsterdam and the Kikk Festival in Belgium. Jacque’s practice challenges societal norms and inspires creativity as a tool for meaningful change.

Dr Saskia Vermeylen, a Reader in Law at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, is a phenomenologist and legal anthropologist whose interdisciplinary research explores the interplay of law, space, and cultural expression, offering a unique perspective on space governance informed by arts theory and practice. She curated the exhibition “EXTR-Activism”, which highlights artistic critiques of the commercial space race and its focus on mineral extractivism. Dr Vermeylen’s research challenges traditional understandings of space law by elevating artistic practices and theories as critical contributions to jurisprudence. Through her numerous publications, she addresses key gaps in space governance and critiques the dominance of Eurocentric perspectives within the field.

IAC 2025 - Session D4.2 - Abstract Submission deadline
2025-02-28 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Contribution of Moon Village to Solving Global Societal Issues Moon Village is a concept that brings together efforts, world-wide, from the private sector, governments, academics and others to explore and use the Moon in a sustainable manner. Moon Village is a community of projects carried out by stakeholders from different fields (for example, technical, scientific, cultural, economic) working together. The implementation of the Moon Village has already started with missions and activities in line with its spirit, It is a major step forward for the peaceful development of humankind.Moon Village can offer a new start to humanity on the Moon and on the Earth by contributing to solve global societal issues. The session will discuss the contributions of the Moon Village to the solution of global challenges (e.g., energy, population, sustainable development, many others). How the Moon Village will support the understanding of the global societal issues and bring benefits to society on a global scale will also be discussed. The session will include also the identification of the related technologies that need to be developed. The definition of a roadmap complementary to the UN Agenda 2030 will be also discussed.

Neurological changes in Space Mission - Lunar Human Physiology & Biology WG webinar
2025-03-24 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London)
Topic: Neurological changes in Space Mission

Time: Mar 24, 2025 04:00 PM GMT

Free participation on Zoomhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/86235276128

LAST WG webinar - Growing Beyond: Lessons from the Moon for Earth’s Future Farming
2025-05-09 17:00 - 18:30 (Europe/Paris)
Join us for an eye-opening exploration into how plants adapt to life beyond Earth—and what that reveals about the future of food on our own planet. From sealed lunar greenhouses to cosmic radiation challenges, discover how cultivating crops on the Moon is teaching us to grow smarter, more resilient food back home.

We’ll dive into the science of space agriculture, uncover breakthroughs in crop sustainability, and explore how the harshest environments can inspire solutions for climate resilience and food security on Earth.

If we can grow food on the Moon—imagine what we can do on Earth.

Register on Zoom to participate

Register

Further information on Moon Village Association Agriculture working group

Cultural WG webinar - Latin America In Outer Space
2025-05-13 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Rome)
Agenda

Remo Rapetti: Introduction

Anne Warren Johnson: Latin American Engagements with Outer Space: Contradictions and Alternatives

Umbriel López Avalos: Connections to the Moon: Perspectives from Indigenous Communities in Mexico

Alejandro Viadas Loyo: Mexico and the Moon in the Future

Comments and questions: Lisa Pettibone, artist,& Cristina Luna, anthropologist

Registration

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Speakers

Anne W. Johnson is a Professor in the Graduate Social Anthropology Program of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where she teaches classes on science and technology, the anthropology of futures, and material culture. She has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her publications about outer space include articles in the Revista Colombiana de Antropología (2023) and Acta Astronautica (2021), as well as chapters in the edited works Exploring Ethnography of Outer Space (Routledge, 2025), Space Feminisms (Routledge, 2024), The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Social Studies of Outer Space (Routledge, 2023), and Southern Space Studies (Springer, 2002). Her book From the Cosmic Race to the Space Race on Mexican engagements with outer space is forthcoming with the University of Arizona Press.

Umbriel López Avalos is the head of the Citizen Participation Department at the Instituto Electoral del Estado de Guanajuato. He holds a B.A. in social anthropology from the Universidad de Guanajuato and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in political analysis at the Division of Law, Politics, and Government at the same institution. Since 2019, he has worked at the Electoral Institute of the state of Guanajuato, where he currently serves as the head of the Citizen Participation Department, leading programs focused on addressing the needs of youth in the state of Guanajuato. He is a member of the National Electoral Professional Service, and his academic research topics focus on the impact of non-institutionalized youth participation in the state’s democratization process, youth in democracy, political engagement during adolescence, systems of political value transmission, and mechanisms for citizen participation.

Alejandro Viadas Loyo has a B.A. in International Relations with a focus on Political Analysis from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in political analysis at the Universidad de Guanajuato. He is the co-founder and coordinator of the Center for Global Order Studies (CESOG), where he conducts research on Mexico’s role in the aerospace value chain, the Mexican space program, and new trade routes within a multipolar globalization. He was also a jury member of the Mexican experimental rocketry contest (ENMICE) in 2024.

MVA General Assembly
2025-06-05 15:00 - 16:00 UTC
Members weill receive their invitation via email
