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MoonDAO Updates

Town Hall Recap

Our founder, Pablo, returned from a trip where he spent two weeks walking the Camino in Spain giving him lots of time to think about MoonDAO. We kicked off last week’s town hall with a presentation by Pablo about the future of MoonDAO and some of the realizations he had along the way.

Definitely give this week's town hall a watch! After Pablo's presentation, we jumped into the weekly roundtable project updates and then an open floor for attendees to discuss anything else.

New Member Spotlight

Have you shared your story in the introductions channel?

зйцв writes: “Hello, I'm an aviation enthusiast and have been making research on aviation for around 4 years amongst working as a primary care physician in Köln, and I want to touch the stars.”

Let’s give a friendly MoonDAO welcome as they join our community!

MoonDAO Treasury Stats

Our treasury is governed by the community. Become a MoonDAO member to help shape our future.

Bite-Sized Space News

dearMoon Canceled

The dearMoon project, an ambitious plan to launch Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and ten other crew members on a circumlunar flight aboard SpaceX's Starship, has been abruptly canceled.

​Maezawa announced the decision on social media, expressing regret for the impact on his chosen crew members, who included prominent figures such as YouTuber Tim Dodd (The Everyday Astronaut) and DJ Steve Aoki, while explaining that the mission was originally scheduled for launch by the end of 2023, but the continued developmental delays of the Starship rocket have made it impossible to plan for the future. Maezawa expressed his regret over the cancellation, apologizing to those who had looked forward to the project, although it seems the invited crew of creatives was largely taken by surprise.

The dearMoon mission was to be Starship's first human spaceflight, marking a significant milestone for SpaceX. However, Starship's development has been slower than anticipated, with the first test flight occurring only in April 2023. Compounding the delays, NASA's selection of Starship for its Artemis Program in April 2021 shifted SpaceX's priorities toward meeting NASA's requirements, pushing the dearMoon mission further down the list. This, combined with changes in Maezawa's personal fortunes and his completion of a separate space trip to the ISS in 2021, ultimately led to the project's cancellation. Moving forward, SpaceX remains focused on making Starship operational, deploying Starlink satellites, and meeting Artemis program milestones.

Check out our friend Ellie in Space’s video about “Why Japanese billionaire canceled lunar flight on Starship”.

China Back on the Moon

China has successfully landed its Chang’e 6 spacecraft on the Moon's far side, specifically in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, marking the fourth lunar landing for the country. The autonomous lander will spend 48 hours collecting samples using a drill and robotic arm before a portion of the spacecraft returns to Earth, potentially making it the first mission to bring back samples from the Moon's far side. This mission builds on China's previous lunar endeavors, including the Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4 missions, and aims to enhance the country's lunar exploration capabilities ahead of potential future human landings at the Moon's south pole.

This mission highlights China’s methodical approach to space exploration, aiming for an Apollo-like lunar landing by 2030 and a future research station. In contrast, NASA's Artemis Program, targeting a human landing between 2028 and 2032, employs a complex mix of government, commercial, and semi-private missions. While China's centralized, long-term planning offers stability, NASA's approach, leveraging reusable rockets and commercial partnerships, aims for greater sustainability and innovation. The geopolitical implications are significant, as success in this "space race" could influence global perceptions of each nation's technological and governance models.

Groundhog Day

For the past month, we've been covering on a weekly basis the ongoing delays of NASA's first astronaut-crewed flight on Boeing's Starliner, which has yet to launch. Initially scheduled for May 6, the mission faced multiple setbacks, with the latest attempt on June 1 being scrubbed due to issues with ground launch equipment. NASA is now targeting a June 5 launch, pending final preparations.

Meanwhile, SpaceX is targeting its fourth test flight of the Starship vehicle on June 6, pending regulatory approval, continuing its development of this next-generation spacecraft. It could be a momentous week for space fans if both missions can maintain the publicized schedule.

Upcoming Launches

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 8-5 on Tue Jun 4, 2024 7:04 PM GMT-5 from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA​
• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 8-8 on Wed Jun 5, 2024 12:12 AM GMT-5 from SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA
• Rocket Lab Electron/Curie | PREFIRE And Ice on Tue Jun 4, 2024 10:00 PM GMT-5 from Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

That’s it for your MoonDAO updates this week. Join us on Discord to stay up-to-date with all the latest developments.