Vienna, Austria – September 13, 2021
The near future will see a multitude of lunar missions through the efforts of both space
agencies and commercial stakeholders’. However, the current lack of coordination
mechanisms for lunar activities challenges future missions and it could lead to
unintentional harmful interference, especially in light of the increased global interest in
specific areas like the lunar South Pole. The need to preserve the peaceful uses of space and
the desire to begin a new era of sustainable space exploration urges the consideration of
approaches that promote future lunar sustainability or recommended practices for
upcoming lunar activities.
For this reason, in November 2020, the Moon Village Association (MVA) launched the
Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) to increase international
cooperation towards the sustainability of lunar activities. GEGSLA aims to strengthen
coordination mechanisms and individuate present and future challenges of lunar missions
by leveraging contributions from major space community stakeholders, including space
agencies, private companies, academia, and international organizations.
GEGSLA also intends to serve as a platform to exchange information and views within the
space community on critical issues for the peaceful and sustainable conduct of lunar
activities and promote outreach efforts regarding the activities of the Group through the
involvement of the public.
The Group started its work with a Kick-off Meeting on February 25, 2021. It is now
composed of a Secretariat, 38 members, and more than 150+ observers from major stakeholders in lunar activities, with the main deliverable being a “Recommended
Framework and Key Elements for Peaceful and Sustainable Lunar Activities,” to be
submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
(UNCOPUOS) in 2023.
The first GEGSLA Public Webinar – Towards Sustainable Lunar Activities, will take place
September 30 at 15:00 CEST to inform the public about the recent developments of the
group. It will illustrate planned lunar missions for 2022, address scientific considerations,
and discuss urgent sustainable lunar exploration and utilization issues.
This event will be a unique opportunity to learn more about how GEGSLA and its recently
formed subgroups (on Information Sharing; Safe Operations and Lunar Environmental
Protection; Compatibility and Interoperability; and Responsible Governance) work together
towards a new era of lunar exploration and utilization.
More information can be found at:
https://moonvillageassociation.org/event/gegsla-public-webinar-sustainable-lunar-activit
ies-status-way-forward/
Giuliana Rotola
GEGSLA Implementation Support Officer
Email: giuliana.rotola@moonvillageassociation.org
About the Moon Village Association
The Moon Village Association (MVA) is an international non-governmental organization
(NGO) based in Vienna, founded in 2017. Its goal is the creation of a permanent global
informal forum for stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and the general
public interested in the development of the Moon Village. The MVA is the assembling of all
efforts from private industry, governments and others aimed to explore and use the Moon
in a sustainable manner. The MVA fosters cooperation for existing or planned Moon
exploration programs, be they public or private initiatives. It comprises more than 800
participants in MVA activities and 27 institutional members from more than 60 countries,
representing a diverse array of technical, scientific, cultural, and interdisciplinary fields.
The MVA partners with non-space organizations to promote international discussions and
formulation of plans to foster the development of the Moon Village, and is creating
international, national, and regional networks to engage civil society around the world. The
Moon Village Association’s mission is unique, bridging together both spacefaring and
non-spacefaring nations offering them the opportunity to play a role in its realization.
There is no other organization on the international scene having such a mission.
For more information, visit the website at: www.moonvillageassociation.org .
