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ISSI-BJ Forum | A One Time Only Opportunity for a Coordinated International Effort to Understand the Lunar Surface Environment and Its Transformation Through Exploration 14-15 October, 2026, Beijing

Editor: | Oct 14 , 2026

Context

Global lunar exploration is booming, with multiple missions including ESA Terrae Novae, Artemis, Chang’e, Chandrayaan and commercial projects landing on the Moon in this decade. Human‑related activities such as rocket exhaust, venting and regolith redistribution are altering the fragile pristine lunar surface environment. There is a unique, one‑time‑only window to observe and record the original lunar environment before it is heavily modified by human exploration. The ISSI‑BJ platform provides a neutral international venue to gather cross‑domain experts to tackle this urgent scientific topic. The topic spans heliophysics, planetary science, engineering and human biology.

Objective

  1. Define required measurements to characterize lunar near‑surface environment: plasma, electromagnetic fields, dust, radiation, micrometeoroids, exosphere and its link with polar cold‑trapped volatiles.
  2. Identify priority observation regions to capture spatial‑temporal environmental variations (poles, permanently shadowed areas, maria, highlands, lunar swirls, terminators, lunar wake, solar‑wind‑related regions etc.).
  3. Analyze environmental impacts on exploration hardware performance, service life and human health.
  4. Evaluate how current and future exploration activities modify lunar surface conditions.
  5. Propose coordinated multi‑mission observation schemes to achieve synergistic science that single missions cannot accomplish.

Product

  1. List of key measurement priorities and existing science gaps.
  2. Identification of high‑priority measurement sites.
  3. Joint multi‑mission plan for spatio‑temporal data synergy.
  4. Guidelines for data sharing and data interoperability.
  5. Peer‑reviewed publication paper summarizing forum findings for scientific communication.

Conveners

Chi Wang National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
China
James Carpenter European Space Agency, France
Yang Liu National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
China
Stas Barabash Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Sweden
Fabrice Cipriani European Space Agency, France



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