KeplerSpaceUniversity

New Issue of the Journal of Space Philosophy In this issue of the Journal of Space Philosophy, Bryant Cruse explores how the existence of open frontiers, such as the western frontier in the United States, shapes human cultures, and he then applies his conclusions to space. Sylvester Kaczmarek examines ways to construct trustworthy autonomous AI systems to detect anomalies and threats in cislunar space. He argues that a synthesis of philosophy and engineering can promote adaptive, secure computation that safeguards humanity’s stellar future. Annette Mercedes discusses ways that reproductive rights could be protected or compromised in future space habitats, arguing that reproduction is both an ethical and a political concern. She cautions against replicating existing governance models, which may reinforce colonialism or patriarchy, advocating instead for justice-centered policies in future space habitats. Nick Nielsen examines the place of prayerful attitudes in infrastructure planning and development, especially in the light of the future space exploration, development, and settlement. Finally, Yug Raman Srivastava and Heather Allansdottir explore legal issues in temporal sovereignty, particularly in situations in which parties to contracts are on different planets and therefore have days of different lengths and no common calendars. Again, they raise concerns about colonialism and the dangers of applying terrestrial clocks and calendars to other locations where they do not fit. We continue to seek articles for next year’s issues. Please send abstracts for consideration by February 1 or August 1 to Jason Batt at jason@jbatt.com or submit online by visiting: keplerspaceinstitute.com/call-for-paper… We will need the finished articles by March 1 or September 1. Current JSP Issue: keplerspaceinstitute.com/project/volume… View JSP Archives: keplerspaceinstitute.com/jsp/ #SpaceEducation #SpaceExploration #SpaceResearch #SpacePhilosophy #JournalofSpacePhilosophy #JSP

LIVE: They are coming home. Watch as the Artemis II crew returns to Earth, splashing down at around 8:07pm ET (0007 UTC April 11). twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

They're halfway home. The Artemis II astronauts have hit the "halfway" mark between the Moon and the Earth. They will splash down in the Pacific Ocean around 8:07 pm ET on Friday, April 10 (0007 UTC on Saturday, April 11), off the coast of San Diego.

Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth. On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home. Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world. Congratulations to this incredible crew and the entire NASA team, our international and commercial partners, but this mission isn’t over until they’re under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific.

1972 ➡️2026 Apollo 17 ➡️ Artemis II

Pictured: Orion – 30,000 miles above Earth on the Artemis II mission – separating from the rocket's upper stage. Anduril now has over 400 telescopes around the globe. Advanced space sensing software provides real-time focal plane processing to identify & track objects. Think Sentry Tower software, but for space.

For the first time in over 50 years, humans are Moonbound. At 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 UTC) NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft lifted off from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending four astronauts on a planned test flight around the Moon and back. go.nasa.gov/4tlRfRS

We're going around the Moon. Come watch with us. Artemis II's four-astronaut crew is lifting off from @NASAKennedy on an approximately 10-day mission that will bring us closer to living on the Moon and Mars. The launch window opens at 6:24pm ET (2224 UTC). twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Today's the day. Fueling of the Artemis II Moon rocket is underway. Full coverage of the crewed lunar mission begins at 12:50 p.m. EDT (1650 UTC). Check out ways to watch: nasa.gov/ways-to-watch/

Trajectory for Artemis II, NASA’s first flight with crew aboard SLS, Orion to pave the way for long-term return to the Moon, missions to Mars Artemis II will be the first flight with crew aboard NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. During their mission, four astronauts will confirm all of the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with people aboard in the actual environment of deep space, over the course of about a 10-day mission. The Artemis II flight test will pave the way to land the first woman and next man on the Moon on Artemis III.

Action. Wonder. Adventure. Artemis II has got it all. Don't miss the moment. Our crewed Moon mission will launch as early as April 1. Learn how to watch: nasa.gov/ways-to-watch/

Moon phases, but different. 🌖 🌒 Soon, humans will be on the far side of the Moon. From the Artemis II crew's POV, the Moon phase will be the opposite of what we see on Earth. Follow us for lunar science updates throughout the mission. Where will you view the full Moon from?

A paper published last week in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society presents a curated list of 45 rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of their stars. This is not just another catalog; it is one of the first systematically prioritized shortlists, shifting the focus of planetary science from raw discovery toward strategic prioritization. Read more: seti.org/news/we-finall…

Live from Kennedy: Artemis II launch coverage is underway. We are tracking every milestone of today's historic launch! Visit our blog for detailed updates: go.nasa.gov/4v90Ux6

LIVE: Three days ahead of launch, experts provide updates on our @NASAArtemis II test flight. This mission marks a key step toward long term exploration of the Moon and future missions to Mars. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

The Artemis II mission is almost here—see how much of it you can catch! Use the Artemis II scorecard to follow the crew's journey around the Moon. Watch live and track milestones from launch to landing: go.nasa.gov/4sQYGk4

THE SCIENCE OF "PROJECT HAIL MARY" My chat w/ SETI Institute scientist Maggie Turnbull & host Tucker Hiatt on the Science of "Project Hail Mary" - @andyweirauthor's book & the film - w/ an intro by Bill Diamond, Pres & CEO of SETI Institute: t.ly/s1-xy @SETIInstitute @MarsInstitute @KeplerUni @CeresRobotics @NASAAmes @NASA @nss @projecthailmary

We're flying around the Moon. Come watch with us. Live coverage of Artemis II prelaunch activities begins Friday, March 27, when the crew arrives at @NASAKennedy. Here's the full Artemis II event schedule — keep checking back for the latest updates: go.nasa.gov/4s0lHjB

PYRAMIDS ON MARS? Chatted last night w/ @jessecordweber on @NewsNation's @JesseWeberLive to share my thoughts on rampant claims that a pyramid on Mars was made by some ancient civilization: t.ly/ZngWT. Here's an example of a 400m x 450 m pyramid-shaped nunatak carved by ice & wind on Earth (Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica at 79.98 S, 81.96 W) like the one on Mars likely was. A geological wonder? Yes. An alien intelligence-built pyramid? Nah. We should not underestimate what nature is capable of. Even basic, mundane processes can produce wonders, and those processes should be considered the most likely cause of a wonder before extraordinary explanations are invoked, no matter how appealing these might be. That's a wise and generally reliable approach in science called "Occam's Razor." That's not say that multiple hypotheses should not be considered and tested. But as #CarlSagan, to whom I had the privilege of serving as last T.A., would say: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". Not all hypotheses have equal likelihood of being correct, and so proving a wild hypothesis requires overwhelming evidence in favor of it, AND excluding simpler, albeit less glamorous, explanations. @SETIInstitute @MarsInstitute @KeplerUni @CeresRobotics @nasa_ames @nasa @nss

In order to understand the universe, you must explore the universe → spacex.com/careers

Our second Blue Moon MK1 is moving through the production line at Lunar Plant 1 in Florida. The aft module and LOX/LH2 tanks are in assembly, with the aft module recently transitioning from a test fixture to a low-test stand for processing. Each lander is a step toward Lunar Permanence.