Lunar Ledger Launches with Industry Partners to Advance Transparency on the Moon
Press release | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASELunar Ledger Launches to Bring Cooperation and Transparency to the Moon
Open Lunar Foundation unveils the world’s first database designed to make global lunar activities more open, coordinated, and accountable.
US-based Firefly Aerospace’s Will Coogan, the chief lander engineer for the company’s successful first CLPS Moon mission, signs the Lunar Ledger Memorandum of Understanding alongside Open Lunar Foundation Executive Director Rachel Williams, Director of Industry Integration Mehak Sarang, and Stakeholder Lead Samuel Jardine at the Ledger’s Launch event on September 30, 2025, in Sydney.
Sydney, Australia — September 30, 2025 — The Open Lunar Foundation launched the Lunar Ledger, a new open-access database of global lunar activities and objects. The Ledger provides a single, shared platform where governments, companies, and researchers can publish and cross-reference mission information — a practical step toward transparency and coordination as activity on and around the Moon increases.
Developed over four years and informed by more than 250 consultations with stakeholders from space agencies, industry, and academia, the Lunar Ledger offers a neutral, independent way to share mission information that reduces duplicative efforts, prevents interference, and builds trust across borders.
The launch took place during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, where Open Lunar signed Memoranda of Understanding with its first commercial partners — Firefly, ispace, and Astrolab. Each of these companies have multiple upcoming Moon missions under development for which the Ledger will be of assistance—as each organization has committed to sharing data through the platform. Additional early signatories include Japan’s JAOPS, Dymon, with more signatories planned for coming weeks.
“For the first time, lunar operators will have a shared system to exchange information and strengthen mutual awareness,” said Rachel Williams, Executive Director of the Open Lunar Foundation. “Until now, mission data has been scattered and inconsistent, which has already caused mutual operational challenges at the Moon. The Lunar Ledger helps align technical realities with the cooperative principles that already exist in international space law. It’s a practical tool to not only avoid confusion but improve safety and make collaboration easier — a milestone in how transparency in space is practiced.”
The project began within Open Lunar’s board as an effort to translate long-standing space governance ideals into real systems that enable responsible behavior.
“Sharing information in space is an immense challenge — crossing vast distance, borders, systems, and agendas — but it’s essential,” said Chris Hadfield, former ISS Commander and Astronaut, Open Lunar founding Board Chair. “On the International Space Station, our rule of transparency is how we have survived for a quarter century of long-duration spaceflight. The Lunar Ledger applies the same necessary principle at the Moon.”
Tanja Masson-Zwaan, Open Lunar Board Member and Assistant Professor of Air and Space Law at Leiden University, who chaired the Ledger’s launch, emphasized that the initiative gives form to existing principles of peaceful use:
“True cooperation in space depends not just on treaties, but on behavior. The Lunar Ledger gives states, companies, and researchers a concrete way to act responsibly — to share information openly, reduce risk, and uphold the spirit of peaceful use that underpins international space law.”
The early commercial and industry partners have echoed the importance of this ultimate Moon mission.
“Continuing the trend of transparency Firefly demonstrated during Blue Ghost Mission 1, we are joining the Ledger to set an example of stewardship for safe and sustainable lunar operations.,” said Will Coogan, Lunar Lander Chief Engineer, Firefly Aerospace.
“We will contribute to the pioneering and peaceful development of the cislunar ecosystem by sharing information transparently. Never quit the lunar quest,” said Takeshi Hakamada, CEO, ispace-inc.
“At Astrolab we know the value of acting with transparency and inspiring trust; we see the potential of the Lunar Ledger to positively influence the coming lunar industry by being the voluntary, collaborative platform by which we can keep everyone informed of our activities on the Moon, and stay informed of the activities of others.” said a spokesperson for Astrolab-Venturi Space.
“Norms in space are built through behavior, not words,” added Williams. “By sharing mission data openly, these partners are setting practical precedents for how cooperation on the Moon can work in practice.”
About the Lunar Ledger
The Lunar Ledger is an open-access database of lunar missions, payloads, and surface activities developed by the Open Lunar Foundation. It consolidates data from governments, research institutions, and companies into a shared, neutral system that supports safety, coordination, and transparency on the Moon. Learn more at www.lunarledger.space
About Open Lunar Foundation
The Open Lunar Foundation is a non-profit organization that designs and incubates cooperative frameworks and shared utilities for responsible lunar development globally. Guided by the belief that the Moon should be explored and used peacefully and collectively, Open Lunar brings together worldwide experts from science, industry, and policy to create tools that enable collaboration and accountability. Learn more at openlunar.org.
Media Contact:
Rachel Williams, ED Open Lunar
rachel@openlunar.org
+1 (989) 482 9749