December 5-11, 2022 / Vol 41, No 49 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Interstellar Studies and R&D Advance at WSU Seminar Commencing 2023 in Ad Astra State, as Interstellar University Evolves

The interstellar community continues efforts for long-term sustainable activities toward achieving interstellar travel, a recent development of which is an inaugural course being held in the ‘Ad Astra’ State of Kansas at Wichita State University starting January 18, 2023 with registration open now. Interstellar Seminar ‘LASI 150G’ will be a 16-week, 1-credit hour, in-person and online series course led by biological sciences Professor Mark Schneegurt. The course will introduce students to current research topics in interstellar space sciences, survey topics related to crewed interstellar missions from life support systems to propulsion to social issues, will include diversity content, and allow for interactions with scientists from SETI, JPL, other organizations and Universities. This Interstellar Seminar was catalyzed by the ‘Interstellar University’ initiative introduced by Ad Astra Kansas Foundation Co-founder Steve Durst, who advocates for an IU in Kansas due to its mid-way USA center locale, Ad Astra Per Aspera upward-looking spirit, Capitol building in Topeka with the ‘Ad Astra’ statue, world class Cosmosphere housing >13K spaceflight artifacts, 7 Observatories, manufacturing / engineering capabilities and its history of aero- and astronautics with Mercury & Apollo. AAKF has published a 20-year compilation of Interstellar R&D features. The Interstellar Research Group’s first international Interstellar Symposium, the 8th in the series, is set for Montreal, Quebec, Canada July 10-13 under theme In the Light of Other Suns in coordination with International Academy of Astronautics at McGill University. (Image Credits: AAKF, IRG, IAA, WSU, McGill University, K. Teramura / UH IfA, NASA)

MONDAY

☆ Dec 5 — ISS, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 68 seven-member crew transferring 3,500 kg of cargo from Dragon CRS-26, working with suture behavior and wound healing experiment, EVAs continue through end of year.

☆ Dec 5 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 15 crew Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, Zhang Lu work with Chen Dong, Liu Yang, Cai Xuzhe – until end of this week when Shenzhou 14 may return to Earth.

☾ Dec 5 — Orion, Flyby of Moon: Orion Uncrewed Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and ESA Service Module on Artemis 1 mission planned to perform a return powered flyby of Moon 11:43 EST on return transit route to Earth; live coverage of media events available.

☾ = Moon activity

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

SpaceX Continues Transporter SSO Rideshare Series as Rocketlab Works Towards First USA Launch from Wallops, ABL Attempts Inaugural Flight

Launching from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to sun-synchronous orbit mid-December, the 6th Transporter dedicated rideshare mission further cements SpaceX as world’s leading commercial launch service. Notable booked customers include Hawthorne CA-based Launcher, Bronco Space (Cal Poly Pomona), ISILAUNCH (Delft, Netherlands), D-Orbit (Italy), Momentus (Santa Clara CA), Skykraft (Canberra, AU), Alba Orbital (Glasgow, UK), Tomorrow.io (Boston MA), DARPA, Gama (Paris, FR), Lynk Global (Falls Church VA), PredaSAR (Boca Raton FL), Umbra (Santa Barbara CA) and Open Cosmos (Catalonia, ES). Launcher is lofting their 400-kg capacity orbital transfer vehicle Orbiter carrying 3 payloads. Orbiter features ethane / nitrous oxide propulsion capable of 500 m/s ΔV in-space maneuvers. Transporter 7-12 are scheduled to follow between Feb 2023 – Q4 2024, with rideshare prices starting at US$275,000 for first 50 kg + $5,500 per additional kg. Meanwhile Rocket Lab, founded in New Zealand (2006) and incorporated in USA (August 2021) is launching for the first time from an American spaceport. Electron rocket is to loft the first 3 of 15 contracted HawkEye 360 geospatial RF satellites from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island on Dec 7. Relative newcomer to the launch provider industry ABL Space Systems is also striving for Dec 7 launch of RS1 from Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island AK, carrying VariSat-1A / 1B to a 200 x 350 km orbit with 87.3° inclination. (Image Credits: SpaceX, Rocket Lab, ABL Space Systems)

● Dec 5 — SpaceNews, Washington DC: SpaceNews Fireside Chat; former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver to discuss commercial space with reporter Jeff Foust.

o Dec 5-6 — UAE Space Agency, Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Space Debate: A Global Debate Defining the Future of Space; hosted by UAE President, with invited participants India Prime Minister and Israel President.

● Dec 5-6 — NASA, Online / Washington DC: Planetary Science Advisory Committee; 10:00-17:00 EST.

☆ Dec 5 — Moon: 0.65° N of Uranus, 08:00.

☆ Dec 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WB5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.014 AU)

☆ Dec 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 VP1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.044 AU)

☆ Dec 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 XK4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU)

Continued From…

☾ Aug 4 – Dec 16 — Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), Lunar Trajectory: South Korea ‘Danuri’ to search for lunar resources & test technologies; performing 3 highly elliptical Earth orbits to initiate a trans-lunar injection and arrive at 100-km lunar orbit.

● Oct 29 – Dec 31 — Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, W.M. Keck Observatory, Maunakea Observatories, Kamuela HI: Waimea Solar System Walk for 2022; combining in-person and self guided walks, along Ala ‘Ōhi’a Road.  

● Nov 14 – Jan 17, 2023 — Wichita State University, Wichita KS and Online: Registration Open for 2023 Interstellar Seminar ‘LASI 150G’; 1-credit hour seminar which begins Jan 18, every Wednesday 14:30-15:20, led by Prof. Mark Schneegurt.

☾ Nov 15 – Dec 11 — Orion, Circumlunar Trajectory: Orion Uncrewed Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and ESA Service Module on 25 day, 11 hour, 36 minute mission; total distance to be traveled ~2.1M km (1.3M miles); to re-enter Earth atmosphere at 39,429 kph (24,500 mph, Mach 32).

☆ NET Nov 27 — CNSA, Launch Jielong-3 / CAS-5A & CAS 5B, Off-shore Platform, Yellow Sea, China: First launch of Jielong-3 (Smart Dragon 3) solid rocket booster from floating vessel Tai Rui in the Yellow Sea; to loft Chinese Amateur Radio Satellites: 6U CAS-5A nanosatellite which will deploy CAS-5B weighing 0.5 kg; other satellites including Huoju-1.

● Dec 1 – Jan 31 — JPL, NASA, Online / Pasadena CA: Prepare for the Science Fair; video series for students in grades 3-12, teachers and parents.