> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://jatan.space/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Achievements and shortfalls in global lunar exploration in 2025 - URL: https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-255/ - Published: 2025-12-15T11:04:30.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-17T15:47:14.000Z - Description: Moon Monday #255: Capturing the state of the world’s lunar exploration efforts this year. - Author: Jatan Mehta - Tags: Moon Monday, Explore, China and Luna, US Artemis Like last year’s overview of a [happening 2024 in global lunar exploration](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-206/), I present to you a comprehensive, curated, and contextualized linked rundown of lunar technology and science developments across 2025, organized by country or region. There is also a section on progressive cooperative & collaborative international efforts—because these are the gems we need more of—as well as a section discussing shortcomings in the same. Each linked article in the overview explains the importance of that development, and I’ve made a conscious effort to highlight events and trends that actually happened instead of amplifying speculative coverage of upcoming events that may or may not be as successful and/or as timely as they’re being touted and reported to be. ****Note:** [Moon Monday](https://jatan.space/tag/moon-monday) will continue in 2026 after my usual year-end break. A warm thank you for reading and [supporting](https://jatan.space/support) my labor of lunar love through the year, and to those who read—and [reviewed](https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8078463424)!—my [poetry booklet](https://jatan.space/seven-uni-verses-poetry/) on humanity’s exploration of the cosmos. I [published it globally](https://jatan.space/seven-uni-verses-poetry-read/) in multiple formats as [open access](https://jatan.space/seven-uni-verses-poetry/#values) to celebrate 5 years, 250 editions, and 10,000 subscribers of Moon Monday, and to lay the foundation for the next phase of my space writing: [Merge the worlds of blogs and books](https://jatan.space/presenting-seven-uni-verses-poetry/#merging-the-worlds-of-blogs-and-books) 🌙 Alright, let’s dive into our worldwide lunar tour. If someone asks you what’s happening at the Moon, say *all of this* is. When you see this global activity in one place, the scale of the world’s march to explore Luna really hits home. 🌏 ## China ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/china-lanyue-crewed-lander-mockup-propulsion-gnc-test.jpeg) Shots from the control systems test of China’s Lanyue lander design for crewed Moon missions. The full-scale lander mockup is seen next to humans in the inset image at the bottom right. Images: [CASC](https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/xywWynVaOQrTpWbKtHfveg) / [CMSA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKNt3dCUvjU) | Graphic: [Jatan Mehta](https://jatan.space/about) - Chinese researchers published a volcano of [novel lunar science results](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-233/) based on freshly fetched Chang’e 6 Moon samples, and [presented it at a symposium](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-252/). These findings have changed our understanding of our Moon’s origin and evolution, and have helped scientists globally identify new, specific measurements future missions should make for better outcomes. - China also [announced](https://english.spacechina.com/n17212/c4320481/content.html) the first set of international organizations whose proposals were selected to [study unique lunar samples](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-223/) fetched to Earth by CNSA’s Chang’e 5 mission in 2020\. And the nation [displayed Chang’e samples](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-06-26/Lunar-soil-samples-debut-at-UN-Vienna-headquarters-1Ewmf9ERBlu/p.html) at the United Nations headquarters for the first time. - China [progressed on many elements](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-237/) which will help it land humans on the Moon by 2030, notably including successful tests of the [launchpad escape system](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-230/), [lander propulsion](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-237/), and the [rocket booster core stage](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-242/#a-long-march-10-booster-roars-thrice-with-luna-in-sight). - The country [cemented and further advanced](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-229/) its lead in building a [lunar communications and navigation network](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-185/), demonstrated [automated navigation](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-222/) at the Moon, and [achieved](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-225/) the first ever daytime Earth-Moon laser distance measurements with a retroreflector on a lunar orbiter. - China progressed well in preparations towards the launch of its [Chang’e 7 mission](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-248/) to the Moon’s south pole in the second half of next year as planned to study [water ice](https://jatan.space/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon/) and other volatile resources. - Building on [Chang’e 7’s international cooperation](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-248/#international-instruments-onboard), CNSA [announced more international payloads](https://english.spacechina.com/n17212/c4320459/content.html) that will be onboard the [Chang’e 8 mission](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-175/#prepare-for-crew-and-double-down-with-mission-eight) to further explore the Moon’s south pole starting 2028. ## The US ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/firefly-blue-ghost-clps-lander-at-mare-crisium-and-on-earth.jpg) The Blue Ghost lander’s shadow standing tall on the Moon, lying under a black sky with our Earth hanging by the distance; ****Inset left:** Blue Ghost with its X-band antenna deployed; ****Inset right:** The Blue Ghost lander on Earth prior to launch. [Images: Firefly](https://www.flickr.com/photos/fireflyspace/albums/72177720313239766/with/54359866846/) - With [rigor and abundant caution](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-215/), Firefly’s Blue Ghost spacecraft part of NASA’s [CLPS program](https://jatan.space/nasa-clps-moon-missions/) brought the first true soft landing for the US in the 21st century, involving operations of its [science & technology payloads](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-216/#a-busy-lunar-morning), a [precision landing](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-216/), the [first GPS/GNSS lock on the Moon](https://www.asi.it/en/2025/03/lugre-achieves-historic-lunar-radionavigation-milestone/), and a stunning [solar eclipse capture](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-217/). Firefly also [won its fourth CLPS Moon landing contract](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-236/), which will deliver three NASA-funded instruments as well as two rovers to the Moon’s south pole end of decade. - In March, Intuitive Machines’ [second CLPS craft](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-215/#intuitive-machines-launches-second-moon-lander) hard-landed on the Moon’s south pole and came to rest on its side, which led to [the mission being unsuccessful](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-216/#tipped-intuitive-mooncraft-dies-with-none-of-the-net-130-million-worth-of-payloads-deployed) across all of NASA’s primary goals of studying local water ice. - NASA [completed](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/nasa-progresses-toward-artemis-ii-moon-mission/) a [majority](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/integrated-testing-on-horizon-for-artemis-ii-launch-preparations/) of the [preparations](https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/in-their-own-words-the-artemis-ii-crew-on-the-frenetic-first-hours-of-their-flight/) and [safety improvements](https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/common-exploration-systems-development-division/space-launch-system/nasa-artemis-ii-moon-rocket-ready-to-fly-crew/) planned this year to fly four [Artemis II](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-242/) astronauts around the Moon and back sometime early next year. - Due to [three](https://spacenews.com/starship-breaks-up-on-reentry-after-loss-of-attitude-control/) [back-to-back](https://spacenews.com/starship-upper-stage-lost-on-seventh-test-flight/) [failures](https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/the-starship-program-hits-another-speed-bump-with-second-consecutive-failure/) of SpaceX Starship, an [explosion during testing](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-230/#another-blowup-for-artemis), and [another booster lost](https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/newest-starship-booster-is-significantly-damaged-during-testing-early-friday/), NASA’s long road to putting humans on the Moon with [Artemis III](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-iii/) significantly [slowed down](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-240/). This led NASA’s Acting Administrator Sean Duffy to [reopen the landing contract](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-248/#nasa-reopens-artemis-iii-human-landing-contract) for accelerated proposals. Duffy also [named](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/acting-nasa-administrator-duffy-selects-exploration-focused-associate-administrator/) Amit Kshatriya as the agency’s new Associate Administrator to accelerate Artemis III. Kshatriya previously led NASA’s [Moon to Mars Program Office](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/new-program-office-leads-nasas-path-forward-for-moon-mars/) for planning and implementing Artemis missions. - In the meanwhile, Blue Origin’s [successful launch](https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/blue-origins-new-glenn-reaches-orbit/) of its New Glenn rocket in January followed by [another in November](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-blue-origin-launch-two-spacecraft-to-study-mars-solar-wind/) finally opened up a second line of pursuit for NASA to send lunar astronauts vis-à-vis [Blue Moon](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-128/). Blue Origin aims to launch [its first robotic Blue Moon ‘Mark I’ lander](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-226/) next year as testing and design validations ahead of crewed flights. Based on that, NASA [tentatively chose](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-243/) Blue’s second Mark I lander flight to carry the agency’s [VIPER rover](https://jatan.space/nasa-viper-mission/), whose mission to study polar water ice has been [critical](https://jatan.space/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon/) yet [deprioritized](https://jatan.space/nasa-clps-moon-missions/#viper-rover-delivery-by-astrobotic). - The Trump administration’s [budget request for NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/) for FY 2026 proposed a [historic \~25% cut](https://www.planetary.org/press-releases/the-planetary-society-reissues-urgent-call-to-reject-disastrous-budget-proposal-for-nasa) while the agency went a whole year [without an official Administrator](https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/isaacmans-nasa-nomination-clears-senate-commerce-committee-again/). Notably, the [Moon-related proposals](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-227/) of the budget and its evaluations do nothing to address the fact that [the US has been failing to explore lunar water as the principal goal of Artemis](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-221/). - After nearly six months of trying to establish communications with the [Lunar Trailblazer](https://jatan.space/nasa-lunar-trailblazer/) spacecraft post its [February launch](https://blogs.nasa.gov/trailblazer/2025/02/26/nasas-lunar-trailblazer-spacecraft-separates-from-falcon-9-second-stage/), NASA [declared an end](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/small-satellite-missions/lunar-trailblazer/nasas-lunar-trailblazer-moon-mission-ends/) to the [rescue efforts](https://blogs.nasa.gov/trailblazer/2025/02/27/nasa-working-to-reestablish-communications-with-lunar-trailblazer/?ref=jatan.space) and the mission. The agency-funded Trailblazer was supposed to provide scientists with unprecedented, high-resolution global orbital maps of the amount, distribution, and state of lunar water. - In February, Blue Origin [simulated two minutes of lunar gravity](https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-29-mission) inside the New Shepard crew capsule. NASA [funded this project](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/nasa-blue-origin-partner-to-bring-lunar-gravity-conditions-closer-to-earth/), and [tested 17 lunar-relevant payloads](https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-flight-opportunities/flight-summaries/lunar-gravity-simulation-via-suborbital-rocket/) onboard. As such, NASA [continues leveraging](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/kennedy/nasa-experiment-sheds-light-on-highly-charged-moon-dust) New Shepard’s suborbital flights to [help verify](https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-mission-ns-13-launch-updates) and [refine](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/nasa-tests-infuses-software-into-blue-origin-landing-tech) new lunar technologies at relatively low costs before they can be sent to the Moon. - NASA [un-nuked its decision to not use nuclear power](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-238/) on the Moon. Relatedly, Zeno Power [raised $50 million](https://spacenews.com/nuclear-battery-startup-zeno-power-raises-50-million-to-expand-in-space-and-at-sea/), a major chunk of which will go towards developing and demonstrating the company’s [nuclear electric power system](https://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-companies-to-advance-lunar-power-and-other-technologies) on the Moon for NASA [by 2027](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-138/). ## India ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/chandrayaan-4-spacecraft-stacks-two-lvm3-rockets-2.jpg) Graphic: [Jatan Mehta](https://jatan.space/about) | Individual images of the LVM3 rocket, the two Chandrayaan 4 spacecraft stacks, and the Moon’s south pole: [ISRO](https://www.lpsc.gov.in/newProjects.html) / [NASA / GSFC / Timothy McClanahan / LOLA](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/nasas-lro-lunar-ice-deposits-are-widespread/) - [Results from the thermal probe experiment](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-219/) on India’s [Chandrayaan 3](https://jatan.space/chandrayaan-3-makes-historic-touchdown/) lander expanded the possible locations for finding [water ice](https://jatan.space/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon/) beyond the Moon’s poles, thereby benefiting future scouting missions. There are also [several notable outcomes](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-243/#chandrayaan-3-research-updates) from other instruments on the lander. - The Chandrayaan 3 rover [may or may not have stumbled upon the Moon’s mantle material](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-224/) when studying the composition of the local lunar soil using its X-ray spectrometer. - ISRO’s [Chandrayaan 2 orbiter](https://jatan.space/chandrayaan-2-is-creating-the-highest-resolution-map-of-the-moon/) helped international researchers produce a [galore of science results](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-220/#lunar-science-galore-from-chandrayaan-2), notably including continued [characterization of the lunar poles](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-250/#mission-updates) using its advanced radar to map potential water ice deposits and gauge surface roughness, densities, and porosities. The orbiter also helped scientists [better understand the Sun’s activity and how it affects the Moon’s exosphere](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-247/). - ISRO continued development and planning of the ambitious [Chandrayaan 4 mission](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-241/) to bring lunar polar samples—albeit at a slower pace than expected. - India finally approved the joint ISRO-JAXA [Chandrayaan 5 / LUPEX](https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-25/) mission to drill and analyze water ice on the Moon’s south pole. The mission will bring a giant leap in lunar capabilities for both ISRO and JAXA, and it can provide NASA with data critical for Artemis planning currently [missing from US missions](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-221/). - ISRO revealed its eventual crewed Moon mission’s [initial architecture](https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-33/#the-next-decade-and-nglv). ## More Asia-Pacific ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/ispace-resilience-lander-earth-from-moon.jpg) ****Left:** ispace Japan’s second Moon lander, named RESILIENCE, at JAXA’s Tsukuba Space Center pre-launch. Also seen integrated into the lander is ispace’s first rover TENACIOUS; ****Right:** Our Earth as imaged by RESILIENCE from lunar orbit. [Images: ispace](https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=6120) - ispace Japan’s second Moon lander RESILIENCE [crashed on the Moon](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-228/) due to [performance issues](https://spacenews.com/laser-rangefinder-problems-blamed-for-second-ispace-lunar-lander-crash/) of the laser rangefinder. The outcome underscores the need for resilience in private lunar landing missions [through expansive and collaborative testing](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-228/). ispace notably [continued its remarkable transparency](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-228/#tenaciously-transparent) from the first failed landing attempt, sharing [detailed findings](https://ispace-inc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/M2-Technical-Cause-Analysis-Materials.pdf) of what went wrong in *mere weeks*. - In October, Japan successfully [demonstrated a cargo delivery](https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/space-station-astronauts-eager-to-open-golden-treasure-box-from-japan/) to the International Space Station using its next-generation HTV-X spacecraft. A variant of it called HTV-X(G) will deliver astronaut supplies to the upcoming NASA-led [Gateway lunar orbital habitat](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/gateway) starting 2030. - ispace [was selected](https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=7317) as part of Japan’s 1-trillion yen “Space Strategy Fund” initiative to [develop, launch, and operate a lunar orbiter](https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=8038) which will use a terahertz wave sensor system to locate and map water ice deposits on the Moon’s poles. Data from this orbiter will be analyzed in tandem with direct surface and subsurface measurements made by the upcoming joint Indo-Japanese [LUPEX mission](https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-25/). - South Korea [approved plans](https://spacenews.com/south-korea-approves-strategic-plans-for-space/) made by the country’s [newly forged space agency](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-181/) KASA to build a Moon lander by 2032 as part of a broader [$500+ million annual investment](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250122002400320?section=news) in indigenous space technologies. South Korea is also transforming the former mining site of Taebaek [into a testing ground](https://pulse.mk.co.kr/news/all/11279380) for advanced mobile lunar exploration technologies, owing to the mine’s environmental resemblance to the darkness, coldness, and ruggedness of the Moon’s south pole. - The Australian Space Agency (ASA) [continues funding local companies](https://payloadspace.com/australias-lunar-plans-are-just-getting-started/) to build lunar technologies. In February, ASA particularly [supported EntX](https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/husic/media-releases/more-aussie-tech-destined-moon) to [develop a radioisotope heater unit](https://www.space.gov.au/news-and-media/projects-in-action-aug-2024-entx) to enable future landers and rovers to survive frigid lunar nights. ## Europe ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/astronaut-and-a-robot-in-the-esa-dlr-luna-test-facility.jpg) An ‘astronaut’ and a robot in the Moon-simulating LUNA testbed on Earth. Image: [DLR / ESA](https://www.esa.int/ESA%5FMultimedia/Images/2024/09/LUNA6) - ESA started testing [instruments](https://luna-analog-facility.de/en/recording-earthquakes-on-the-moon-mars-and-now-in-luna/), [mission concepts](https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2024/a-swarm-of-sensors-rovers-and-astronauts-explore-the-moon), [modern astronaut tools](https://www.esa.int/ESA%5FMultimedia/Images/2025/04/Moon%5Ftools%5Fto%5Fthe%5Ftest%5Fat%5FLUNA), and [water ice detection strategies](https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2025/water-ice-on-the-moon-simulated-detection-in-the-luna-facility) at its new, versatile Moon-simulating [LUNA facility](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-195/) in Germany. A [simulated habitat module](https://www.dlr.de/en/blog/archive/2026/the-flexhab-space-habitat-moon-living-on-earth) now adjoins LUNA to better test complex mission scenarios wherein humans and robots interact in varied ways for long periods so as to plan future Moonbases. - ispace’s European subsidiary led team won a \~[€2.7 million ESA contract](https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=7846) to collaborate with the agency on the [MAGPIE rover mission](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-228/#two-new-european-moon-missions) to study lunar polar water ice and other such volatiles. - In January, ESA announced a [$882 million contract](https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-signs-contract-esa-develop-argonaut-lunar-lander-cargo-delivery) to a European consortium led by Thales Alenia Space for [developing the Lunar Descent Element](https://www.esa.int/Science%5FExploration/Human%5Fand%5FRobotic%5FExploration/Argonaut%5Fa%5Ffirst%5FEuropean%5Flunar%5Flander) of the agency’s upcoming large Moon lander [Argonaut](https://www.esa.int/Science%5FExploration/Human%5Fand%5FRobotic%5FExploration/Exploration/Argonaut). Launching no earlier than 2031, Argonaut plans to deploy about 2,000 kilograms of infrastructure payloads or astronaut supplies on the Moon with each flight. - The Italian Space Agency (ASI) [awarded a preliminary design contract](https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press%5Frelease/thales-alenia-space-signs-contract-italian-space-agency-asi-develop) to a group led by Thales Alenia Space to develop a multi-purpose astronaut habitat module which will be [part of](https://europeanspaceflight.com/nasa-greenlights-next-phase-of-italian-lunar-habitat-project/?ref=jatan.space) NASA’s hoped for [Artemis Basecamp](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-outlines-lunar-surface-sustainability-concept) on the Moon next decade. The 15,000-kilogram module will have wheels so it can reposition itself as needed on the [dynamically lit](https://www.nasa.gov/ames/feature/the-dark-side-of-the-crater-how-light-looks-different-on-the-moon-and-what-nasa-is-doing) lunar polar surface. ## Collaboration and cooperation progress ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/zhongmin-wang-china-ilrs-international-cooperation-glex-2025.jpg) Zhongmin Wang, Director of international cooperation for China’s lunar and deep space missions, speaking at GLEX 2025 on international cooperation in the Sino-led ILRS Moonbase project. [Image: CNSA / DSEL / IAF](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKLKugBolFE) - The US-led [Artemis Accords](https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords) for cooperative lunar exploration reached [60 signatories](https://payloadspace.com/the-artemis-accords-by-the-numbers/). - China hosted an international symposium on lunar samples [with the right intent and effort](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-252/) to enhance its planetary science cooperation. China also [formally welcomed India](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-225/) to cooperate on Moon missions and the Sino-led ILRS Moonbase project. - Relatedly, I delivered a talk at a [lunar samples symposium in Hong Kong](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-252/) on the Chandrayaan 4 sample return mission and made [the case for India and China to exchange lunar samples](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-241/#the-case-for-india-to-study-and-exchange-chang%E2%80%99e-lunar-samples). 🌜..<>..🌛 - [Cooperative analog astronaut missions](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-251/) and related training continued worldwide. - ESA and NASA progressed on [building technologies for future lunar construction](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-244/). - [An assortment of lunar papers from around the world](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-246/) - Also see: [Our Moon’s wild places and wonderful samples](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-234/) - Open Lunar Foundation (a Moon Monday sponsor) [launched the Lunar Ledger](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-246/#more-moon) (Registry) project. The Ledger aims to be a database of global lunar objects and activities to improve mission operator transparency [by enhancing information sharing](https://jatan.space/a-registry-of-moon-missions/) wherever possible. - A great example of asynchronous collaboration: To enable efficient exploration by small lunar rovers, which have limited resources and function under the harsh lunar environment, the Japan-based company JAOPS built a [lunar surface simulation suite](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/386223716%5FLunar%5FSurface%5FVisual%5FRendering%5FDynamics%5FSolar%5FPower%5Fand%5FThermal%5FSimulation%5Ffor%5Fthe%5FOperations%5Fof%5FLunar%5FRover%5FMissions) (here’s a [demo video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7fS4HvoUb8)) aided by [simulated rover camera and sensor data](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/386223557%5FRobotics%5FSimulation%5Fand%5FContinuous%5FIntegration%5FPlatform%5Ffor%5FLunar%5FSurface%5FExploration%5FRovers%5Fand%5FOn-orbit%5FServices%5FMissions) and past missions. This is helping train rover operators amid real mission control setups. Notably, much of the work is [open source on GitHub](https://github.com/jaops-space/jaops-sim/) and also [converges open source elements](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ljburtz%5Fmissionoperations-rover-yaoki-activity-7405449347280056320-Izx1/) from actors worldwide. ## Cooperation shortfalls ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2025/12/earth-moon-horizon-kplo-2.jpg) Our Earth on the Moon’s horizon as imaged by South Korea’s KPLO lunar orbiter. [Image: KARI](https://www.kari.re.kr/kplo/danuri/news/newsView.do?nttId=8597&pageIndex=1&searchCnd=&searchWrd=) - [We’re building future technologies for the Moon without closing missed milestones](https://jatan.space/pitfalls-in-lunar-exploration/). 🕳️ - [Western media narratives misrepresent Chinese space](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-229/#a-problem-with-western-media-narratives-of-chinese-space), which reduces trust and deters cooperation and collaboration. Also see Jack Congram’s piece [China is not racing to the Moon](https://www.china-in-space.com/p/china-is-not-racing-to-the-moon). Moreover, Erika Nesvold made the case of the US [not having presented a coherent argument](https://makingnewworlds.substack.com/p/the-missing-argument-for-the-lunar) for the country’s self-imposed claim of defeating China in the new lunar “Space Race”. - Why [Moon missions need their own Wikipedia and beyond](https://jatan.space/a-registry-of-moon-missions/) and [improved information sharing](https://spacenews.com/all-eyes-on-the-moon-sharing-information-for-lunar-peace-safety-and-sustainability/) - Also see: [Science does not exist in a (lunar) vacuum](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-239/#science-does-not-exist-in-a-lunar-vacuum) - [A giant leap in orbital imagery is what we need to realize advanced Moon missions](https://jatan.space/we-need-a-giant-leap-in-lunar-orbital-imagery/) - Moon missions can be cheaper, safer, and better if more countries [share navigation](https://www.openlunar.org/blog/the-road-to-a-moonbase-goes-through-advanced-navigation-based-on-open-standards) and [timing infrastructure](https://www.openlunar.org/blog/timekeeping-blog). Relatedly, US-based Intuitive Machines and Europe-based Leonardo & Telespazio [agreed to have interoperability](https://www.intuitivemachines.com/post/leonardo-telespazio-and-intuitive-machines-sign-a-strategic-agreement-for-lunar-communication-and) between their communications and navigation orbiters. --- *So that was a comprehensive look at all the ways countries explored our Moon this year. I wrote it* [*for you*](https://jatan.space/i-write-for-you/)*, not social media or SEO. If you enjoyed my coverage, please share it with other space buffs by* [*grabbing this link*](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-255/)*.* **A heartfelt thank you to* [***Open Lunar Foundation**](https://www.openlunar.org)**,* [***Astrolab**](https://astrolab.space)**,* [***The Orbital Index**](https://orbitalindex.com)**,* [***Catalyx Space**](https://catalyx.space)**,* [***Gurbir Singh**](https://gurbir.co.uk)**,* [***Kris Zacny**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-zacny-8a71ba1) *and* [***many individual supporters**](https://jatan.space/support/#individuals) *for sponsoring Moon Monday editions through the year!* **If you too appreciate my efforts to bring you this curated community resource on global lunar exploration for free, and without ads, kindly support my independent writing:* [Support Moon Monday 🌙 ](https://jatan.space/support) --- Lastly, do not ever forget: [Why explore our Moon 🌗](https://jatan.space/why-explore-the-moon/) [Our Moon is valuable even beyond itself ✨](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-239/)