July 2-8, 2018 / Vol 37, No 27 / Hawai`i Island, USA

ISS Exp 56 to Welcome Multiple Experiments, Cargo Ships – Possibly 1st Commercial Crew Ships

July 2018 ‘Space Month’ begins with International Space Station Expedition 56 space explorers working a full and varied mission at 405-km altitude, sustaining continuous human presence in space for nearly 18 years. Commander Andrew Feustel, flight engineers Oleg Artemyev, Richard Arnold, Sergey Prokopyev, Alexander Gerst and the 61st woman in space Serena Auñón-Chancellor are preparing for installation of SpaceX Dragon CRS-15 with 2,676 kg of cargo. Some of the hardware arriving includes DLR Crew Interactive Mobile companion experiment assessing crew efficiency and acceptance of AI, Chemical Gardens nanotube growth physics study, Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment, Canadian Space Agency spare Canadarm2 Latching End Effector, Space Algae growth investigation, and Made In Space Fiber Optics-3. The JPL / NASA Cold Atom Laboratory aboard ISS may begin experiments in September, exposing atoms to a temperature 10B times colder than the vacuum of Space (a billionth of a degree above absolute zero), producing clouds of ultra-cooled atoms called Bose-Einstein condensates which can be observed in microgravity for up to 10 seconds. The crew is also transferring cargo from Progress 69P and Cygnus OA-9, monitoring Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, and planning for Progress 70P rendezvous next week. SpaceX and Boeing are optimistically aiming for Aug / Sep uncrewed test launch of Dragon Crew and CST-100 Starliner. When operational they could be the 1st to launch Astronauts from American soil since July 21, 2011. (Image Credits: NASA, JPL, iGoal Animation, ESO, T. Preibisch, Oliver Steinbock Chemistry Group at Florida State University, Airbus)

MONDAY

Exoplanet Research Expands with July Events in UK, Denmark, California

The University of Cambridge is set to host Exoplanets II July 2-6. Over 85 lecture topics include light and frequency results, planet detection, star mapping, planetary formations, logistics, and biostructures. Among 82 scheduled speakers are astrophysicists (L-R) Michel Mayor, Ruth Murray-Clay, Sara Seager, and Josh Winn. The event will feature ~180 scientific posters during 2 viewing sessions. July 8-11 the European Research Council will hold Spectroscopy of Exoplanets Conference in Windsor. Molecular simulations, volatiles, exoplanet atmospheres, and project updates are some of the 36 planned presentations. Geronimo Villanueva of NASA and astrophysicist Giovanna Tinetti are part of 16 confirmed speakers. Aarhus University will present TESS/Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium: First Light in a New Era of Astrophysics Workshop July 8-13 in Denmark. With more than 150 participants, 18 invited speakers, and 65 lectures, topics range from TESS status, software, exoplanet research prospects, galactic archaeology, and reviewing Kepler data. K2 mission is currently in its 18th observing campaign and combined with Kepler mission has confirmed 2,619 exoplanets, 2,724 candidate exoplanets and counting. July 8-28 Other Worlds Laboratory at University of California will host 2nd Annual Exoplanet Summer Program in Santa Cruz. The event encourages participants to generate new ideas, collaborations, and support current projects covering system evolution, magnetic fields, telescope development, and space missions. The faculty of 13 is led by Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics Professor Jonathan Fortney. (Image Credits: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Planetary Society, UC Santa Barbara, MIT, Princeton, UC London, OWL)

Jul 2 —

Jul 2 — NASA Planetary Advisory Committee, Online / Washington DC: Planetary Science Advisory Committee telecon, 13:00-17:00 EDT.

Jul 2-6 — University of Cambridge, Cambridge Exoplanet Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Exoplanets II Conference.

Jul 2-6 — Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste Observatory, Trieste, Italy: Conference on Shedding Light on the Dark Universe with Extremely Large Telescopes.

Jul 2-6 — ASI, National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), INFN, Sexten, Italy: Conference: Paving the Way for Next Generation of Cosmological Surveys – New Results and New Methods in Galaxy; Conference: The early growth of Super Massive Black Holes (SMBH).

Continued from…

May 29 – Aug 3 — Lunar and Planetary Society, NASA SSERVI, Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, Houston TX: 2018 Exploration Science Summer Intern Program; students to be involved in activities that support missions to the Moon that utilize Orion crew vehicle, Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, and robotic assets on lunar surface.

Jun 11 – Jul 6 — Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics, Munich, Germany: Program: The Extragalactic Distance Scale in the Gaia Era.

Jun 25 – Aug 17 — Frontier Development Lab (FDL), NASA, Online: FDL 2018 Challenges; an AI R&D accelerator that tackles knowledge gaps useful to NASA space program; 2018 topics are space resources, orbital debris, NEOs, Earth observation, space weather, astrobiology.

Jun 25 – Aug 24 — International Space University, ESA, Netherlands Space Office, Delft University of Technology, Leiden University, Noordwijk, The Netherlands: ISU 31st Space Studies Program (SSP 2018); intensive space course and student projects, plus public events, professional meetings, model rocket launch, robotics competition, space masquerade.