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/cal… We will need the finished articles by March 1 or September 1. Current JSP Issue: keplerspaceinstitute.com/pro… View JSP Archives: keplerspaceinstitute.com/jsp… #SpaceEducation #SpaceExploration #SpaceResearch #SpacePhilosophy #JournalofSpacePhilosophy #JSP

LIVE: Meet the crew of our next Artemis mission. We're sharing the latest updates on Artemis III: x.com/i/broadcasts/1DxleekBr…

LIVE: We're sharing the latest updates on @NASAMoonBase, our lunar habitat where astronauts will work and live. x.com/i/broadcasts/1OxwbbnNo…

On Memorial Day, we thank all who served, and to the families who carry the weight of their loss every day. We remember. We honor. 🇺🇸 #MemorialDay #HonorAndRemember #NeverForget

Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the twelfth flight test of Starship!

Watch Starship's twelfth flight test x.com/i/broadcasts/1YxNrZwwo…

Kepler Space University is pleased to announce the relaunch of the Space Scholars Program as a mission-based scholarship pathway for emerging space leaders. Join Space Scholars Crew-8! Through the Space Scholars Program, selected students can pursue graduate studies at KSU while contributing to approved service activities in research, outreach, education, student engagement, and mission-aligned initiatives that support the future of space. Space Scholars contribute approximately 5–15 hours per week through approved activities connected to KSU’s mission. Each scholarship award permits the Awardee to enroll in a graduate studies program at KSU upon payment of a $700 program fee per semester of enrolment, plus the $150 Library fee for each semester. The registration fee is waived for Awardees of the Space Scholars Program. This program is designed for students who want to study, serve, lead, and help shape the future of humanity in space. Apply today: kepleru.space/scholars/ Deadline: August 21, 2026 #SpaceScholars #KeplerSpaceUniversity #SpaceEducation #GraduateStudies #SpaceWorkforce #SpaceLeadership #SpaceResearch #HumanityInSpace #SpaceExploration

We're building a Moon Base! @NASAMoonBase will serve as a habitat where astronauts live and work during long-term science missions. Join us at 2pm ET on Tuesday, May 26, for a live news event where we’ll share updates on our lunar exploration plans: go.nasa.gov/4uinkLi

NASA’s #MissionToPsyche – on its way to explore a rare, metal-rich asteroid – is about to get a speed boost from Mars. 🚀🏁 On May 15, spacecraft will harness the Red Planet’s gravitational pull as a slingshot to increase its speed and adjust its trajectory. 1/2

SpaceX filed an application with the FCC petitioning to launch up to a million satellites as part of an “orbital data center.” It's become a big part of Elon Musk’s pitch to investors ahead of his massive SpaceX IPO. We asked an engineer to break down the biggest hurdles.

May the 4th be with you from all of us at Kepler Space University. What once lived in science fiction is becoming fact through research, innovation, and education. We celebrate the the curious, the dreamers, the builders, the learners and explorers preparing for that future! “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” #MayThe4thBeWithYou #SpaceEducation #SpaceExploration #ScienceFictionToFact #FutureInSpace

Not science fiction, science fact! 🔬 Researchers are exploring an idea to use engineered bacteria to clean Martian water, turning contaminants into consumables. This concept could one day help us produce valuable resources for explorers on the Red Planet. Explore more: go.nasa.gov/42Nmmuk

Start your week with some new photos from Artemis II! Though our journey around the Moon has ended, we're still retrieving plenty of new images. Keep an eye on our Artemis II multimedia gallery for image highlights from the mission: go.nasa.gov/4usiN8W

Sneak peek at what it looks like to set up a new experiment on the @Space_Station! I installed hardware in the Microgravity Sciences Glovebox (MSG) for the Colloidal Solids experiment. This study will investigate the structure and dynamics of crystal, gel and glass phases during solidification of colloids (mixtures in which tiny particles of one substance are scattered throughout another, but that don’t dissolve or settle out, for example, milk, mayonnaise, and fog).  Since gravitational forces often perturb these materials, we may observe differences in microgravity. This research could lead to the development of new materials for space exploration (substrates for plant growth, 3D printing, etc.), and may provide insight into protein crystallization, a critical process in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, to directly benefit human health back on Earth.

🚨 Deadline Extended The 2026 International Space Solar Power Student Competition deadline has been extended to Friday May 8th, 2026. Students and teams still have time to submit their ideas and be part of this global competition. Learn more: spacecanada.org

POV: you're rolling around on the Red Planet You’re looking at six years on Mars in around two minutes. This timelapse contains images captured by our Curiosity rover between 2020 and 2026 from one of its navigation cameras. go.nasa.gov/4cH4mrt

For all humanity. 🌎🚀 From the Moon to the White House — Artemis II is just the beginning.

MARS CAVES: WHICH ONES SHOULD WE EXPLORE FIRST? There are 1000 pits/caves known on Mars. Which one(s) should we explore first? My @NSF-supported REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) student interns at SETI Institute, Abby Mackey (Purdue/planetary sciences) & Connor Bunn (U of Florida/geology) worked on this question last summer. To first order, pits/caves on Mars are split between two volcanic provinces: Tharsis & Elysium. Abby worked on Tharsis; Connor on Elysium. Candidate targets had to be readily reachable via established means (rover and/or helicopter) from a landing area below an elevation of 2km. They presented our findings just a few weeks ago at the 2026 Lunar & Planetary Science Conf. in Houston, TX. Here are their papers: Tharsis: t.ly/5umVN Elysium: t.ly/I2P6p Congrats Abby & Connor! @SETIInstitute @MarsInstitute @KeplerUni @CeresRobotics @NASAAmes @NASA @LifeAtPurdue @UFNews @NSS

Only one chance in this lifetime… Like watching sunset at the beach from the most foreign seat in the cosmos, I couldn’t resist a cell phone video of Earthset. You can hear the shutter on the Nikon as @Astro_Christina is hammering away on 3-shot brackets and capturing those exceptional Earthset photos through the 400mm lens. @AstroVicGlover was in window 3 watching with @Astro_Jeremy next to him. I could barely see the Moon through the docking hatch window but the iPhone was the perfect size to catch the view…this is uncropped, uncut with 8x zoom which is quite comparable to the view of the human eye. Enjoy.

NASA Force is accepting applications for early- to mid-career technical talent to take on mission-critical roles across areas like lunar rover operations, airspace operations automation, next-generation propulsion, and spaceport development, helping advance exploration higher, farther, and faster than ever before! Apply through April 21: nasaforce.gov

We're still feeling the Moon joy! 🌙✨ The Artemis II crew brought us unforgettable moments as they journeyed around the Moon and NASA continues to release images from the mission. See them all in one place here: go.nasa.gov/3Ow7Kw2 📸: NASA