SpaceX Democratizing Access to Space with Transporter Rideshare Missions as Starship Orbital Test Nears
Offering US$5,500 / kg (50kg minimum) for payload insertion to 500-600km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) with optional $2M launch insurance for $120,000, the Transporter series of SpaceX’s Smallsat Rideshare Program offers unmatched value to national, business, academic and independent space users. Since January 23, 2021 inaugural Tranporter-1, 444 payloads have reached space via Transporter missions. Now scheduled to launch NET Jan 2 from CCSFS, Transporter-6 will be the 4th Transporter rideshare in 2022, while 2023 and 2024 are to see 3 Transporter launches each. Currently, bookings for Transporter-11 (June 2024) and Transporter-12 (Q4 2024) are available, while 7-10 are sold out. 60+ payloads from over 30 organizations are to be carried to orbit with Transporter-6, including Momentus Space, NASA, D-Orbit, Launcher, Alba Orbital, Lynk Global, Exolaunch, Skykraft, Loft Orbital, Catalan Space Agency, Qosmosys, Stanford Student Space Initiative and National Technical University of Ukraine. SpaceX is on track to launch ≥ 60 orbital missions in 2022, accounting for ~33% of all orbital launches globally – equal to all launches from China. Highly anticipated Starship prototype (Booster 7 / Ship 24), the most powerful rocket to date generating at 17,000,000 lbs of thrust, nearing orbital test from Starbase TX to 100-km offshore Kaua’i, Hawai’i. Starship is to carry private Astronauts with Polaris Dawn Mission 3 and NASA Astronauts during Artemis 3 Moon landings NET 2025. (Pictured: Elon Musk, Gwynne Shotwell, Mark Juncosa; (Image Credits: SpaceX, Launcher) |
MONDAY☆ Dec 26 — ISS, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 68 seven-member crew will celebrate the New Year 16 times, while ongoing experiments involve yeast, muscle strength, bone loss, hydroponic and aeroponic food growth; Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft leak solutions / investigation ongoing. ☆ Dec 26 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 15 Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, Zhang Lu planning EVA in December, cargo transfers including high-energy particle detector, Hydrogen-Oxygen fuel cell; CubeSats will continue to be released from Mengtian. Highlights… o NewSpace: Launch UK Technology Investment Programme investing £2.7M (US$3.3M) in 13 space startups; Quantum Space to fund 40-node cislunar QuantumNet data constellation with $15M venture capital infusion; Mangata Network to open $101M satellite production facility in Prestwick International Aerospace Park (Scotland). ☆ Solar System: 4+ years of Mars InSight data including 1,319 marsquakes being analyzed after 2 failed communications; C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may become 1st comet to be naked-eye visible at 5-6 magnitude late Jan-Feb; Planetary defense efforts to take effect of ejecta into account as DART team finds ~1M kg dislodged from Dimorphos. ☆ Galaxy: VLT in Chile and Calar Alto Observatory in Spain locate 2 habitable exoplanet candidates orbiting 16 LY distant red dwarf star Gliese 1002, team plans to utilize ELT when completed to further characterize; TESS & others adding to the tally, current exoplanet count is 5,284 confirmed exoplanets in 3,899 planetary systems. o Global: Square Kilometer Array Observatory, to be biggest interferometry array with 131,197 antennae, constructed in Australia & South Africa under ~US$530M contracts; Independent commission appointed by Arianespace & ESA investigating Vega-C VV22 / Pléiades Neo 5 & 6 loss; France, Italy, Pakistan & Sweden to contribute payloads to CNSA Chang’E-6 lunar farside sample return mission. ● USA: NASA set to receive $25.4B in funding for FY2023, while USSF to get $26.3B; More science expected in 2023 from SpaceX / Blue Origin / Virgin Galactic space tourism rush, which has produced 1 paper thus far; Upcoming animated children’s program Blue Origin Space Rangers to feature Michael Strahan and Jeff Bezos. ● Hawai’i: 6+ decades of CO2 monitoring continues with retrofitted UH 88-inch telescope on Mauna Kea while NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory suspended due to eruption; Exoplanet HAT-P-26 b and star HAT-P-26 may receive Hawaiian (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi) names Leimakua and Kawelo via A Hua He Inoa program / 2022 NameExoWorlds competition. |
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● = Terrestrial and… o = International terrestrial events
☾ = Moon activity ★ = Space and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’). |
Weekly Planet Watch – Evening Planets: Mercury (SW), Venus (SW), Mars (E), Jupiter (S), Saturn (SW), Uranus (S), Neptune (W).
Stars, Moon, Solar System Complete |
☆ Dec 26 — Moon: 3.8° SE of Saturn, 09:00. ☆ Dec 26 — Mars: Spring Equinox for north hemisphere, 00:00. ☆ Dec 26 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 YB1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.014 AU) ☆ Dec 26 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 YK2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU) ☆ Dec 26 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 FL64: Near-Earth Flyby (0.058 AU) Continued From… ● Oct 15 – Jun 15, 2023 — International Space Elevator Consortium, Online: Space Elevator Academic Challenge: Improving Humanity’s Future; for students 17-25. ● 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. ● Dec 1 – Jan 31, 2023 — JPL, NASA, Online / Pasadena CA: Prepare for the Science Fair; video series for students in grades 3-12, teachers and parents. ☾ Dec 11 – Apr 25, 2023 — Hakuto-R / ispace Mission 1, Lunar Landing Trajectory: Carrying UAE Rashid 10-kg rover, 0.25-kg JAXA rover, Hakuto-R performing orbital control maneuvers to reach Lunar Orbital Insertion, followed by Moon touchdown nominally ~4.5 months after launch. ☾ Dec 17-29 — Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter ‘Danuri’, Lunar Orbit: Danuri to perform 5 orbital insertion maneuvers to achieve 100-km polar orbit. TUESDAYo Dec 27 — Roscosmos, Moscow, Russia: Around this date / specialist working groups to present / decide on working capacity of Soyuz MS-22 crew spacecraft which suffered coolant system damage. ● Dec 27 — JPL, NASA, Online / Pasadena CA: Watch Engineers Build the Europa Clipper Spacecraft Live; ongoing live-stream of clean room at JPL with moderated chats occurring every Tuesday 10:00-10:30 PST. ● Dec 27-31 — ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo HI: Showings of Beyond The Sun, One Sky Project, We Are Astronomers and Magnificent Makaliʻi. |
☆ Dec 27 — Aten Asteroid 2010 XC15: Near-Earth Flyby (0.005 AU)
☆ Dec 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WV9: Near-Earth Flyby (0.016 AU)
☆ Dec 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 XL1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU)
WEDNESDAY
★ Dec 28 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 5-1, SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Falcon 9 to launch next batch of Starlink internet satellites, 03:19 EST.
★ Dec 28 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / EROS C3, SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB CA: Falcon 9 to launch EROS C3 high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite for ImageSat International, an Israeli remote sensing company; 22:58 PST.
☆ Dec 28 — Moon: 2.69° SE of Neptune, 13:00.
☆ Dec 28 — Mercury: 1.40° N of Venus, 22:00.
☆ Dec 28 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 AE: Near-Earth Flyby (0.042 AU)
☆ Dec 28 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WF7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.056 AU)
THURSDAY
☾ Dec 29 — Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter ‘Danuri’, Lunar Orbit: Danuri expected to achieve 100-km polar orbit on this date.
☆ Dec 29 — ISS, Expedition 68 In-Flight Event, ~405-km LEO: NPR’s “Shortwave” Podcast featuring NASA Flight Engineers Nicole Mann and Frank Rubio from ISS; live coverage available, 11:20 EST.
o Dec 29-30 — STEM International Organization (STEMIO), Wales, United Kingdom: Chapter 3: Astrophysics and Space Research Summit (ASR).
☆ Dec 29 — Moon: 2.07° SE of Jupiter, 03:00; at first quarter, 15:21.
☆ Dec 29 — Aten Asteroid 2019 AX11: Near-Earth Flyby (0.099 AU)
FRIDAY
☆ Dec 30 — ISS, Expedition 68 In-Flight Event, ~405-km LEO: Telemundo 51/NBC6, Miami and W Radio features NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio from ISS; live coverage available, 10:30 EST.
☆ Dec 30 — CNSA, Launch Long March 3C / Beidou 3M, Xichang Launch Center, China: Next Beidou 3M satellites to launch for Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system.
● Dec 30 — The Space Show, Las Vegas NV: Dr. David Livingston Hosts Tom Olson for the End of the Year 2022 Review.
SATURDAY
o Dec 31 — NARIT, Multiple Locations, Thailand: NARIT Public Night Countdown 2023: Watch the Planet Parade; see the stars across the year together with NARIT; occurring at Princess Sirindhorn Astro Park and Observatory Chaloem Phrakiat.
● Dec 31 — Clark Planetarium, Salt Lake UT: Space Explorers: The ISS Experience; planetarium show.
☆ Dec 31 — Aten Asteroid 1995 CR: Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU)
SUNDAY
★ NET Q1 — ULA, Launch Vulcan Centaur / Astrobotic Peregrine Lander, SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Astrobotic Peregrine lander to attempt to reach Moon Lacus Mortis region, a large crater on the near side, with up 14 NASA payloads for Artemis Program, CMU Iris Lunar Rover, total 90 kilograms of customer payloads from commercial companies and international space agencies, institutions.
☆ Jan 1 — Hubble Space Telescope Visible Pass, ~530-km LEO: Hubble Space Telescope to make visible pass over Hawai’i Islands from NW starting 19:47:48 HST, brightest magnitude 3.
☆ Jan 1 — Deep Space, Interstellar Space: Voyagers 1 + 2 continue interstellar exploration sending datasets on density and characteristics of interstellar gas back to Earth from 159 and 132 AU while proposed NASA Interstellar Probe could launch 2036 with 50-100 year planned lifetime.
☆ Jan 1 — Moon: 0.76° N of Uranus, 13:00.
☆ Jan 1 — Apollo Asteroid 2015 AE45: Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU)
☆ Jan 1 — Aten Asteroid 2021 TU1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.093 AU)
MONDAY
★ Jan 2 — Starlink Satellites Visible Pass, ~390-km LEO: Batch of 24 Starlink satellites to make visible pass over Hawai’i Islands starting 04:13:27 HST, brightest magnitude 3.4 by Starlink-1130 (DARKSAT).
★ Jan 2 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Transporter-6, SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Falcon 9 to launch dedicated smallsat rideshare mission to sun-synchronous orbit.
☆ Jan 2 — Moon: 2.45° SE of Pleiades, 19:00.
☆ Jan 2 — Mercury: At perihelion, 0.3075 AU, 10:00.
☆ Jan 2 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 NF: Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU)
TUESDAY
☾ Jan 3 — Chang’e-4 Lander and Yutu-2 Rover, Statio Tianhe (Milky Way Base), Von Kármán crater, Moon South Pole–Aitken Basin: Spacecraft enter 5th year / reach 4 full years on Moon far side, landed 2019.
o Jan 3-7 — Indian Science Research Organization Association, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India: 108th Indian Science Congress: Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment; thousands of delegates analyze, interact on matters of science.
☆ Jan 3 — Moon: 0.61° SE of Mars, 11:00; 7.9° N of Aldebaran, 12:00.
☆ Jan 3 — Aten Asteroid 2011 WR41: Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU)
☆ Jan 3 — Apollo Asteroid 2015 AO43: Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU)
WEDNESDAY
☆ Jan 4 — Earth: At perihelion, 0.9833 AU from Sun, 07:00.
☆ Jan 4 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 AY3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.042 AU)
☆ Jan 4 — Aten Asteroid 2018 PN22: Near-Earth Flyby (0.076 AU)
☆ Jan 4 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 XW1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.091 AU)
THURSDAY
● Jan 5 — University of Washington Space Policy and Research Center, Washington DC: Space Dialogue: Defying Gravity and Overcoming Inertia; with speaker David Miller, former Director of the Space Systems Laboratory.
☆ Jan 5 — Moon: 3.0° N of M35 cluster, 09:00.
☆ Jan 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 XE4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.059 AU)
☆ Jan 5 — Aten Asteroid 2021 EB3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.059 AU)
☆ Jan 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 WC5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU)
FRIDAY
● Jan 6 — Foothill College Astronomy Department, Peninsula Astronomical Society, Los Altos Hills CA: Foothill Observatory open for public viewing.
o Jan 6 — International Astronautical Federation, Online / Paris, France: Applications Due: 2023 IAF Launchpad Mentorship Programme.
● Jan 6 — Southwest Research Institute, Commercial Spaceflight Federation Suborbital Applications Researchers Group, Online / Broomfield CO: Abstracts Due: Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference; being held Feb 27 – Mar 1.
☆ Jan 6 — Moon: Full Wolf Moon, 13:09; 5.4° S of Castor, 23:00.
☆ Jan 6 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 YN1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU)
SATURDAY
☆ Jan 7 — Moon: 1.90° S of Pollux, 04:00; at apogee (distance 406,480 km), 23:00.
☆ Jan 7 — Mercury: At inferior conjunction with Sun; 0.671 AU from Earth, 03:00.
☆ Jan 7 — Asteroid 2 Pallas: At opposition in longitude, magnitude 7.6, 21:00.
SUNDAY
● Jan 8-12 — American Astronomical Society, Seattle WA: 241st Meeting of the AAS; held jointly with the Historical Astronomy, High Energy Astrophysics, and Laboratory Astrophysics Divisions; at Washington State Convention Center.
● Jan 8-12 — American Meteorological Society (AMS), Denver CO: 2023 AMS Meeting: Data – Driving Science, Informing Decisions, Enriching Humanity; at Colorado Convention Center.
☆ Jan 8 — Moon: 3.7° NNE of Beehive Cluster, 09:00.