A sight to remember

What time is it on the Moon? The White House wants to know. A new White House policy was issued this week directing NASA and other government agencies to develop a lunar timing standard it calls Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), in coordination with other nations, by the end of 2026. This will support operations on and around the Moon. Pictured: The waxing crescent Moon, imaged by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Image credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio.

The first non-American to walk on the Moon will be Japanese. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced this week that two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions to the Moon, one of whom will become the first non-American to land on the lunar surface. As part of this agreement, Japan will provide a pressurized rover for astronauts to use on the Moon.

One lunar orbiter imaged another last month. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured several images of Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s Danuri lunar orbiter in March as the two spacecraft, traveling in nearly parallel orbits, zipped past each other in opposite directions. Both spacecraft were traveling so fast relative to each other that LRO’s image of Danuri is stretched to 10 times its actual size in the opposite direction of travel.

NASA is investing in the next Moon buggy. The agency has selected three companies to develop technology capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle that Artemis astronauts will use to travel around the Moon’s surface. Each company will spend the next year on a special study to develop designs for a system. NASA will then select one provider to further develop its design.

Eclipse-O-Rama 2024 brought hundreds together for the eclipse. Members from around the world came to Fredericksburg, Texas, to witness totality at The Planetary Society’s eclipse festival. But the eclipse was only part of the experience. Science talks, games, screenings, and other fun activities made the two-day celebration an event to remember… not to mention CEO Bill Nye coming out of a helicopter in a tuxedo. Pictured: A crowd of Eclipse-O-Rama 2024 attendees taking in the eclipse. Image credit: Merc Boyan for The Planetary Society.

All eyes were on our Moon this week, but let’s not forget about Zoozve. This week on Planetary Radio, we explore the story behind the naming of Zoozve, a quasi-moon of Venus, with Latif Nasser, co-host of Radiolab. He shares how a typo on a space poster led the Radiolab team on an epic quest to convince the International Astronomical Union to name this quirky space object.

What are the “real” and “acceptable” reasons for exploring space? Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin joined the latest episode of Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition to discuss his notable 2007 speech outlining the “real” and “acceptable” reasons for investing in space exploration and how different reasons resonate with different audiences.

Share your own reasons for believing in space exploration. It’s not too late to register for the 2024 Day of Action, coming up on April 28-29 in Washington, D.C. Join other space advocates from across the United States to advocate for space in the most effective way possible: through in-person meetings with your representatives in Congress. Learn more and register today.