MVA Press Release distributed at STSC COPUOS, 56th session

Vienna, Austria – (February 6, 2019)

The Moon Village Association (MVA) was registered, as an NGO, in Vienna in November 2017. Through the participation in the MVA of about 200 individuals and 22 organizations in 33 countries, the major 2018 activities and achievements outlined below have begun to make the Moon Village concept a reality:

• Creation of the “Moon Market”. A Moon Market of technologies, goods and services will inevitably be established, and the MVA is planning to be a major enabler of the respective process. It is one of the Association’s main goals with regards to its institutional members and industry at large. In 2018, much has been done, such as prize competitions and establishing an industrial network to foster the cooperation between space and non-space companies.
• More than 10 national networks have been created around the world organizing local events. Currently MVA networks are present in Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe.
• The MVA presented the results of the First International Moon Village Workshop at STC COPUOS meeting, in Vienna, on 8 February 2018.
• The MVA held a side event to present the Association to COPUOS at UNISPACE+50 conference in Vienna, on 20 June 2018.
• During the 69th annual International Astronautical Congress hosted by the International Astronautical Federation in Bremen, Germany, the MVA was admitted as a new member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
• The Second International Moon Village Workshop and Symposium was held successfully in Los Angeles on 4-5 November 2018, with many senior space officials participating. Following a competition, the 2019 International Moon Village Workshop and Symposium hosting country has been chosen. A warm invitation is extended to all members of the Committee to join the MVA during the 3rd International Workshop and Symposium, which will be held during December 2019 in Japan.
• The “Moon Village Principles” were issued in December 2018 defining, for the first time, the boundaries of the Moon Village. The MVA will annually assess the missions and activities of various organizations with respect to MVA Principles and the convergence of views and values between our members on this common vision. The Principles published, are attached to this Press Release.

Partnership is the MVA’s fundamental working principle and the keystone of its operation. The MVA brings together individuals and organizations with a wide range of skills and expertise needed to achieve concrete results. In 2018, the Moon Village Association announced cooperation with For All Moonkind and World Space Week Association (WSWA) to enhance and expand cooperative efforts to explore and utilize outer space and establish a human community on the Moon, whilst recognizing the vital need to increase outreach and awareness raising activities. The MVA also signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Space Society to further their shared goals concerning the exploration, development and eventual settlement of Earth’s Moon and cislunar space.

In 2019, the MVA will cooperate with the World Space Week Association (WSWA). Under this partnership, WSWA will seek global public input on Lunar Exploration and development using material developed by MVA. This will be the first global consultation on this topic and the results will be presented at the STC COPUOS meeting in February 2020.

Giuseppe Reibaldi, President of the MVA, emphasized that “The Moon Village Principles are the first concrete step in the implementation of the Moon Village concept and this is why they are important. The public will be able to relate the concept of the Moon Village with specific activities carried out in 2019, not in a distant future. The Association will produce, in the course of 2019, other specific contributions to foster global cooperation for Moon Exploration and Settlement”.

2019 marks 50 years from the first Moon landing, which gives the MVA an opportunity to organize and participate in many initiatives around the world, fostering the implementation of the Moon Village, one of humankind’s greatest challenges.

About the Moon Village Association

The Moon Village Association (MVA) was created in 2017 as non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Vienna. Its goal is the creation of a permanent global informal forum for stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and the general public interested in the development of the Moon Village. The MVA is the assembling of all efforts from private industry, governments and others aimed to explore and use the Moon in a sustainable manner. Therefore, it is not a literal village on the Moon, it is not an ‘International Space Station on the Moon’, and it is not a single science facility. The MVA fosters cooperation for existing or planned Moon exploration programs, be they public or private initiatives. It comprises approximately 200 individual and 22 institutional members from more than 33 countries, representing a diverse array of technical, scientific, cultural and interdisciplinary fields. The MVA partners with non-space organizations to promote international discussions and formulation of plans to foster the development of the Moon Village, and is creating international, national and regional networks to engage civil society around the world.

For information on how to become involved in joining the Moon Village, Association please visit: www.moonvillageassociation.org

Emeline De Antonio
Public Relations and Communication
Email: gro.n1731921285oitai1731921285cossa1731921285egall1731921285ivnoo1731921285m@oin1731921285otnae1731921285d.eni1731921285leme1731921285