OBJECTIVES AND TOPICS

The overall objective of the workshop series is to identify and develop guiding principles and emerging best practices for future lunar activities, taking into consideration four key disciplines: Human Spaceflight Safety (HSFS), Space Debris Mitigation and Re-entry Safety (SDM), Planetary Protection (PP), and Nuclear Power Source Applications (NPS).

The workshop series aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and bring together experts from different organizations in order to explore how these domains can collectively support safe, sustainable, and responsible lunar exploration.

Moon surface scenario pillars
Moon imaged by Pleiades satellite pillars

The first workshop (out of three) will focus on establishing a shared understanding of the current landscape and initiating the discussion on future practices and enabling measures. The workshop will be structured over three days:

  • Day 1 – Setting the scene: Participants will be divided into the four disciplinary groups (PP, SDM, NPS, HSFS). Each group will review the current state of its field, including relevant international frameworks, missions, technologies, and operational considerations. The groups will define the key issues, priorities, and objectives for their discipline in the context of future lunar activities.
  • Day 2 – Cross-disciplinary exchange: The disciplinary perspectives will be brought together to identify overlaps, interdependencies, and synergies between the different domains. Participants will explore how the various approaches interact and discuss pathways toward common guiding principles and aligned practices.
  • Day 3 – Convergence and way forward: Participants will work toward consolidating shared approaches and outlining a coherent way forward. The discussions will aim to identify preliminary guiding principles, highlight key gaps, and determine potential technical, operational, and governance enablers for sustainable lunar activities.

The outcomes of the workshop discussions will be synthesized into a White Paper, which will serve as a starting point for broader international discussions on responsible lunar exploration rather than a comprehensive reference. The document will aim to capture initial insights, perspectives, and proposed directions emerging from the expert exchanges.

The White Paper will be consolidated by the Steering Committee, composed of representatives from several participating organizations. It will summarize the key findings of the workshop series, including:

  • An overview of the current state of policies, missions, and technologies relevant to the four disciplines (PP, SDM, NPS, and HSFS);
  • Initial guiding principles and emerging best practices supporting safe and sustainable lunar activities;
  • Identification of key gaps, challenges, and enabling factors that warrant further international discussion and collaboration.

The resulting document will provide a foundation for continued dialogue and help inform future workshops and collaborative efforts aimed at advancing responsible lunar exploration.