April 18-24, 2022 / Vol 41, No 16 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Cosmonauts Conducting 1st Spacewalk of Expedition 67 Ahead of Crew-4 Launch to ISS on SpaceX Freedom

Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev to enter space via Poisk airlock, continuing ISS exterior work on Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) and Prichal 6-node docking port with Russia EVA #52 on April 18. Their primary tasks will be to attach cables / complete final installation of European Robotic Arm (ERA) on Nauka and prepare components attached to Rassvet Mini-Research Module 1 (MRM-1) for removal and transfer to Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) during subsequent EVA scheduled April 28. Artemyev notes terrestrial hostilities are “not felt on board the station in any way, the attitude is friendly” to Russia state media. Italy Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob “Farmer” Hines, and Kjell Lindgren are heading up to ISS on April 23 aboard brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket – a turnover from departing 4-member private Astronaut crew Axiom-1 of just 5 days (Ax-1 undocking for Earth return April 18). The new crew capsule name was chosen to “celebrate a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit” per NASA statement. Cristoforetti will serve as US Orbital Segment (USOS) Lead during her ~ 3.5-month rotation, and represent various Europe interests / experiments under ESA mission Minerva. The USOS portion of ISS includes USA, Europe, Japan, and Canada equipment and modules. (Image Credits: NASA, Roscosmos)

MONDAY

☆ Apr 18 — ISS, ~405-km LEO: 4-member Axiom-1 crew departing for Earth; Expedition 67 crew Thomas Marshburn, Raja Chari, Matthias Maurer, Kayla Barron prepare for Crew-4 arrival to USOS.

☆ Apr 18 — Tiangong Space Station, ~370-km LEO: Tianzhou-4 supply ship being prepared for launch on LM-7 at Wenchang; Shenzhou-13 crewmembers Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu acclimating to Earth after 182 days in space.

☆ Apr 18 — ISS, Russia EVA #52, ~405-km LEO: Cosmonauts Artemyev and Matveev to perform 6.5-hour spacewalk to continue integration of European Robotic Arm on Nauka module; begins ~10:25 EDT, live coverage available.

★ Apr 18 — Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), Highly Elliptical HEO: Space telescope for NASA Explorers program, designed to search for exoplanets using the transit method in an area 400 times larger than that covered by Kepler / K2 mission, reaches 4th full year / enters 5th year in space today; launched April 18, 2018.

o = International terrestrial events in local time.

★ = Space events, and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).

Ambitious Orbital Launch Cadence, Advancing Reusability, Deep Space Ambition Set Rocket Lab Apart from Crowd

Rocket Lab maintaining its position as a leading provider of commercial orbital access, second only to SpaceX in launch frequency since 2019. Over 22 successful launches (3 failures), 112 satellites have been deployed by the Long Beach, California-based company with New Zealand roots and continuing operations. Rocket Lab enjoys 2 dedicated launch pads within Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on Māhia Peninsula, North Island, NZ and another, Rocket Lab Launch Complex-2 (LC-2) at Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad on Wallops Island, Virginia is pending FAA approval. Rocket Lab is the second orbital launch provider (commercial or national), to recover and reuse a rocket booster – relying on ocean recovery in the past, now to attempt a first-of-a-kind technique employing a 2-parachute slowdown (8,300 – 36km) maneuver allowing the Electron first stage to be caught by a modified Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. Local government has designated a launch viewing area 25km from LC-1A, near the village of Nuhaka. Spectators will have CAPSTONE, the first launch to the Moon under the Artemis program, to look forward to as well. That launch window is currently set for May 3-15. (Image Credits: Rocket Lab, NASA)

☆ Apr 18 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 TQ6: Near-Earth Flyby (0.034 AU)

☆ Apr 18 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 GJ4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU)

Continued From…
o Nov 4 – Jun 29 — Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Problems, NASA Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), Moscow, Russia: Mixed gender, international crew of 6 participating in 8-month space / lunar simulation mission SIRIUS-21 (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station).

● Mar 24 – May 26 — International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawai’i), Online / Hawai’i Islands: ILO-X Moon Camera Naming Contest for HI Schools.

● Mar 26 – May 31 — AIAA LA-LV Section, Online: Women in Space Art Virtual Gallery.

TUESDAY

● Apr 19-21 — NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), Hybrid / New Orleans LA and Online: OPAG Meeting 2022.

● Apr 19-21 — AIAA, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Laurel MD: AIAA 2022 Defense and Security Forum.

☆ Apr 19 — Moon: At perigee, 05:15.

☆ Apr 19 — Moon: 3.0° NNE of Antares, 10:00.

☆ Apr 19 — Amor Asteroid 2022 FN3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.038 AU)