USA 2019 Human Spaceflight Prospects
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MONDAY Highlights…
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Jan 7 — 
Jan 7 — NewSpace: 
Jan 7 — USA: NASA ISS and spacecraft support operations continue as employees furloughed estimated at 95%; 
= All times
for terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for international terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for space events, and…
= All times for international space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).
Weekly Planet Watch – Evening Planets: Mars (S), Uranus (S), Neptune (SW); Morning Planets: Mercury (E), Venus (ESE), Jupiter (E).
AAS Winter Meeting Addresses Astronomy from Space
The 233rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) opens January 6-10 in Seattle. This AAS Winter meeting, a “Super Bowl of Astronomy,” attracts several thousand scientists, educators and others. In a plenary Monday, Ka’iu Kimura of ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center (L) tells about the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua. Another plenary by Vicky Kalogera of Northwestern University is about the dawn of gravitational wave astronomy. Tuesday James Hough from University of Glasgow tells about ripples from the dark side of the universe. Wednesday Joseph Silk of Oxford University is delivering plenary on the Limits of Cosmology. In an article in Nature magazine, Silk argues for placing telescopes on the hidden side of the Moon. NASA and National Science Foundation plan several town hall meetings, though travel of federal employees to AAS may be affected by the government shutdown. The SOFIA 747 aircraft will be on display at Boeing Field during AAS. Though launch of the James Webb Space Telescope has been pushed back to 2021, a special session talks about operating the Hubble Space Telescope into the 2020s. Funding for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) intended to investigate hypothetical “dark” energy is in doubt. China Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope aboard Chang’e-3 is still operational, though presently powered down to avoid interference with Chang’e-4 landing on the lunar hidden side. (Image Credits: AAS, University of Hawaii, Northwestern University, University of Glasgow, Oxford University, ESO) |
Jan 7-11 — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, San Diego CA: Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech) 2019.
Continued from…
TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
Jan 9-10 — Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Problems, Moscow, Russia: Mixed-gender crew candidates to be chosen for 4-month space / lunar simulation SIRIUS (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station) beginning in March.
Jan 9-12 — NRAO, U.S. National Committee of International Union of Radio Science (URSI), Boulder CO: National Radio Science Meeting.
Jan 9 — Apollo Asteroid 2013 YM2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU)
THURSDAY
Jan 10 — Stanford Student Space Initiative, Stanford CA: For All Moonkind to join Stanford Student Space Initiative meeting.
Jan 10 — American Astronautical Society, Online: Due: Nominations for Patti Grace Smith Award; for those who have made a significant contribution to the endeavors of the space community.
Jan 10,11 — JPL, Caltech, NASA, Pasadena CA: von Kármán series: Red Planet Rovers and Insights.
Jan 10 — Moon: 2.96° SSE of Neptune, 15:00.
Jan 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 YQ2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU)
Jan 10 — Aten Asteroid 2008 CH70: Near-Earth Flyby (0.067 AU)
FRIDAY
Jan 11 — Royal Astronomical Society, London, United Kingdom: RAS Ordinary Meeting.
Jan 11 — Peninsula Astronomical Society, Foothill College, Los Altos Hills CA: Lecture: Visualizing Amazing Planetary Terrains Using On-Line NASA Tools; by Brian Day of NASA Ames – SSERVI, 19:30.
Jan 11 — The Space Show, Online / Tiburon CA: Dr. David Livingston talks with Dr. Ken Davidian.
Jan 11 — Amor Asteroid 2018 VW6: Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)
SATURDAY
Jan 12 — Royal Astronomical Society, London, United Kingdom: 199th Observation of RAS founding (1820).
Jan 12 — JPL, Caltech / NASA, Downey CA: Educator Workshop: Engineering a Rover; for teachers of grades 4-12, at Columbia Memorial Space Center, 09:00-11:00.
Jan 12 — Moon: 5.0° SSE of Mars, 15:00.
Jan 12 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 YU2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.014 AU)
SUNDAY
Jan 13 — Chang’e-5T1 Service Module, Lunar Orbit: China module collecting data on Lunar surface for future Moon missions begins 5th year in Lunar orbit today; launched Oct 2014, reached Moon Jan 2015.
Jan 13-17 — American Astronautical Society, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kaanapali HI: 29th Annual AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa.
Jan 13 — Moon: At first quarter, 20:45.
Jan 13 — Mercury: 1.72° S of Saturn, 02:00.
Jan 13 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 XN: Near-Earth Flyby (0.030 AU)
Jan 13 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 AN2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU)