Open Lunar and ASU Interplanetary Initiative: Aligning for a Sustainable Lunar Future
Contributor: Jacob MalthouseOpen Lunar is pleased to announce a mutual affirmation of alignment and coordination in support of the important work of Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative.
Open Lunar is pleased to announce a mutual affirmation of alignment and coordination in support of the important work of Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative. We have been working informally with Interplanetary for several years now and have been honoured to have the support and guidance of Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Interplanetary’s Vice President, on our Board of Directors.
We love Interplanetary's approach to sourcing new research ideas, building on their annual convening of interdisciplinary subject-matter experts from around the world, to investigate complex problems that challenge us to think more deeply about space sustainability. This includes investigations into Lunar Orbital Mapping and Lunar Rights and Resources, projects that are highly aligned with the work of Open Lunar.
Open Lunar and Interplanetary have agreed to align around three principles:
The importance of advancing the implementation of sustainable development in the context of space exploration.
Support for innovation that contributes to a peaceful and ethical future for humanity in space.
Investment in developing emerging leaders to improve their capacity to achieve these outcomes.
What this means in practice is that we will look for alignment between the projects prioritized by our communities, seeking to achieve economies of scale and reducing overhead where possible. This could mean co-funded fellowships and/or projects, along with increased cross-communication between our communities. This is aligned with Open Lunar’s commitment to working out loud and in the community while respecting the organizing frameworks of other institutions.
We’re so excited to be embarking on this next phase of collaboration with Interplanetary. The challenges that humanity faces in space are real and will require intensive and coordinated effort. The better we can coordinate resources, the more likely we are to succeed in achieving the principles we seek to uphold for humanity as we venture into space together.
Ad Astra Simul (To the Stars Together).