Keith’s note: Japan successfully landed its SLIM spacecraft on the Moon this morning. However there seems to be a problem with its solar panels which are not charging its batteries. This may have to do with the panels’ orientation to the sun after landing. Unless that can be rectified the spacecraft can only operate for a matter of hours before its batteries are drained. SLIM did deploy its two small rovers and efforts are being made to see if any data has been collected. One of the rovers has responded. I was on CGTN a few minutes ago to talk about SLIM as well as the end of Astrobotic’s Peregrine mission to the Moon which returned to Earth the other day after a propulsion system failure prevented a lunar landing. I was also asked about former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin’s slam against NASA’s Artemis program. [audio]

Keith’s note: I just did an interview on CGTN and was talking about the year ahead in space – space stations, Moon, Mars – and cooperation in the exploration of space. I mentioned the fact that I was watching a space station EVA clip on social media the other day and was initially confused as to what part of the ISS the astronauts were on – and then I realized it was China’s space Station. How cool – I was confused because there are TWO modern space stations in operation. More please. We then discussed the fact that more than half of humanity has never seen humans walking on another world – live – and for them this will be doing the same thing again for the first time – with more people experiencing this for the first time than watched all of the Apollo landings. I also mentioned the fact that U.S. researchers can now submit proposals to study China’s lunar samples. I then noted that one way great nations can cooperate in space is in great endeavors like space exploration – perhaps the greatest endeavor of them all. [Audio]

Keith’s note: I was on CGTN tonight talking about China’s space activities. [Audio] The discussion touched on newly-announced collaboration between China and Egypt. I mentioned that NASA recently announced that U.S. researchers are now free to submit requests for samples from China’s Chang’e 5 lunar sample return mission. Apparently I broke a little news tonight according to CGTN. NASA’s 29 November 2023 email to researchers announcing this opportunity is below:

Keith’s note: I was just on CGTN to talk about World Space Week and this year’s focus on space and entrepreneurship. I drifted off into other topics such as space traffic/space debris, global internet access, engaging all of humanity on the exploration and utilization of space, and the benefits of commercializing routine things so that space agencies can get back to exploring. [Audio]

Keith’s note: I did an interview with Deutsche Welle about Chandrayaan-3. They aired an intro piece before me where they talked with a family in India and their children’s reactions to the landing and I almost had tears in my eyes since, as I said in my interview that was me as a little boy. [DW Audio]. I also did an interview with CGTN talking about how the Moon is a place that everyone can and should visit. [CGTN Audio]

Keith’s note: On 25 January 2023 I appeared on CGTN to talk about the year ahead in commercial space both in China and globally. Audio

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