🎧 Listen to Our Launch Episode Hear Jessica and Eric break down everything about cislunar space and why we created this publication. Welcome to Cislunar News — a brand new publication from RuneStone Media dedicated entirely to the space between Earth and the Moon. That region, known as cislunar space , is rapidly becoming the most strategically important real estate in the solar system. And starting today, we're here to cover every development, every mission, and every breakthrough as humanity expands its permanent presence beyond low Earth orbit. If you're reading this, you're getting in on the ground floor. The cislunar economy is no longer a far-off concept — it's happening right now, driven by government programs, private industry, and a growing recognition that the Moon and the space around it will define the next chapter of human civilization in space. What is Cislunar Space? The word "cislunar" literally means "this side of the Moon." It encompasses everything from low Earth orbit all the way out to the Moon's surface and the orbital space around it. Think of it as the neighborhood where all the action is about to happen — a vast region that includes transfer orbits, Lagrange points, lunar orbit, and the lunar surface itself. For decades, most of humanity's space activity has been confined to low Earth orbit: the International Space Station, communications satellites, Earth observation. But now, a fundamental shift is underway. Multiple nations and private companies are racing to establish infrastructure, transportation networks, and permanent outposts throughout cislunar space. It's the next frontier — and it's closer than you think. 384,400 km Earth to Moon Distance 5 Lagrange Points 600M+ t Estimated Lunar Water Ice Why Cislunar Space Matters Now So why should anyone care about what's happening between the Earth and the Moon? The answer comes down to one word: water . The Moon has confirmed deposits of water ice at its poles, and water is the single most transformative resource in space. It can sustain astronauts, support agriculture in habitats, and most critically, it can be split into hydrogen and oxygen — the components of rocket fuel. This changes the entire economics of space travel. Instead of hauling every kilogram of propellant from Earth's deep gravity well at enormous cost, future spacecraft could refuel at lunar depots. It's the difference between having to carry all your gas for a cross-country road trip versus having gas stations along the way. Cislunar infrastructure transforms the Moon from a destination into a gas station, supply depot, and launchpad for deeper space exploration. The implications cascade across every sector: lunar mining for resources, in-space manufacturing leveraging microgravity and vacuum, communications relays and navigation systems serving the lunar vicinity, and cislunar domain awareness as the military and intelligence communities recognize the strategic importance of this region. The Players Shaping Cislunar Space The action in cislunar space is being driven by an unprecedented convergence of government programs and private enterprise. NASA's Artemis program is sending astronauts back to the Moon, establishing a sustained human presence rather than the flags-and-footprints approach of Apollo. The Lunar Gateway — humanity's first space station in deep space — will orbit the Moon, serving as a staging point for surface missions and deep-space research. Internationally, China is building its own lunar research base in partnership with Russia and other nations, creating a parallel infrastructure ecosystem. The Artemis Accords , signed by over 40 nations, are establishing the governance framework for lunar activities. And then there's the private sector. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic — the list of companies racing to build lunar landers, cargo delivery systems, and surface infrastructure grows every month. The commercial lunar economy is no longer speculative; contracts are signed, hardware is being built, and missions are flying. The SpaceX Pivot That Changed Everything Here's what really catalyzed the cislunar moment. Everyone associates SpaceX with Mars — Elon Musk's vision of a city on the Red Planet has defined the company's narrative for years. But quietly, SpaceX has made a massive pivot toward the Moon. They won NASA's Human Landing System contract , a .9 billion deal to build the Starship lunar lander for the Artemis program, and they've been putting serious engineering resources into it. What's fascinating is that the Starship program — originally designed for Mars — is now being shaped significantly by lunar requirements. The orbital refueling architecture , the precision landing capabilities, the payload capacity optimizations — all of this is being driven by Moon mission timelines. SpaceX recently completed their first orbital propellant transfer test, a technology that's absolutely essential for getting the massive Starship vehicle to the lunar surface. The SpaceX Effect When SpaceX commits to something, the entire industry follows. Their deep investment in lunar infrastructure signals that the cislunar economy has reached an inflection point — this isn't a future possibility, it's a present reality. What to Expect from Cislunar News Going forward, Cislunar News will be your comprehensive source for everything happening in the Earth-Moon system. Here's what we'll cover: • Artemis Mission Updates: Every milestone, delay, and breakthrough in NASA's return to the Moon. • Lunar Gateway Progress: Construction, module deliveries, and the evolution of humanity's deep-space outpost. • Commercial Lander Programs: From Starship HLS to Blue Moon to the growing fleet of robotic lunar delivery vehicles. • Lunar Science: What we're learning about the Moon's geology, resources, and environment. • Space Policy: The Artemis Accords, international partnerships, and the legal frameworks governing cislunar activity. • Military Space: Cislunar domain awareness and the strategic implications of Earth-Moon space. • The Lunar Economy: Mining, manufacturing, tourism, and the business models emerging around the Moon. Every week we'll deliver in-depth articles, technical analysis, and our podcast breaking it all down. And we're committed to keeping it accessible — you don't need to be a rocket scientist to follow along. If you're curious about where humanity is headed next, this is for you. The Next Frontier Starts Here We're standing at the beginning of something extraordinary. The cislunar economy is real, it's accelerating, and the decisions being made right now — about infrastructure, policy, and investment — will shape humanity's presence in space for generations to come. The Bottom Line: Cislunar space is transitioning from a domain of occasional exploration to one of permanent infrastructure and economic activity. Cislunar News is here to document every step of that transformation. Bookmark us, subscribe to the podcast, and tell your friends — the next few years are going to be absolutely wild. Welcome aboard. Keep looking up.