June 17-23, 2024 / Vol 43, No 25 / Hawai`i Island, USA

ISS Expedition 71 Planning Series of 3 EVAs; Starliner Astronauts Staying Longer

The International Space Station (ISS) continues its shining example of humans exploring, working and living beyond Earth. NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore are staying longer after arriving on NASA Commercial Crew Program Boeing Starliner CST-100 to join Oleg Kononenko, Commander, and Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub, Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin. The Sunday, June 23 USA Spacewalk 90 will stream live for approximately six hours beginning 17:00 HST. USA EVA 91 and 92 will follow in July. June 18 sees Yahoo Finance speaking with Jeanette Epps and Tracy Dyson, streaming on NASA+ at 06:05 HST, and Matt Dominick will connect with KNSD-TV, San Diego at 08:30 HST. Science work includes collecting saliva and blood samples in support of the Immunity Assay science session, analyzing cells and tissues for possible unwanted effects of microgravity on the immune response. An example of Ham Radio contact is with Agrupamento de Escolas and Dr. Serafim Leite of Portugal, where the crew fields questions such as how long astronauts need to train before going into space, how fast the ISS moves, and what astronauts do in their free time. ISS Ham information here. (Image Credits: NASA, ISS Partners)

MONDAY 

☆ Jun 17 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 71 planning to complete three EVAs in June-July, bringing total spacewalks for ISS to 272; seven-member crew with 2 from Boeing Starliner working with plasma crystal experiment, maintaining Iceberg cold stowage facility; Starliner helium leaks extends mission.

☆ Jun 17 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 18 three-member crew planning next EVA (total for TSS 16 to date), to install more experiment payloads and monitor space-debris protection gear.

☾ = Moon activity

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

Europe Hosts UN COPUOS, 12th ELS, and Many Lunar-Related Events

The 12th European Lunar Symposium (ELS) is ongoing June 16-21 in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom. Hosted by SSERVI, Open University, UKSA, ESA, and local Scotland organizers, the 12th ELS will cover lunar missions of LRO, IM-1, Peregrine, Artemis, Chang’E, moonlight, SELENE, ILEWG EuroMoonMars and many others. Among the ~70 speakers, the Space Agency Panel will feature Lori Glaze (NASA), James Carpenter (ESA), Masaki Fujimoto (JAXA), Hessa Rashid (MBRSC/UAE) and Anil Bhardwaj (ISRO). In Vienna, Austria, the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) is holding its 67th session June 19-28. There will be morning and afternoon plenary sessions and technical presentations, as well as 15 side events including the UNOOSA-sponsored ‘United Nations Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities‘ which aims to identify commonalities among key lunar actors’ potentials and avenues for global coordination. The Moon Village Association / International Astronomical Union / For All Moonkind event ‘Sustainable Lunar Environment: Challenges and Opportunities‘ will feature Giuseppe Reibaldi, Ian Crawford, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Richard Green and Michelle Hanlon for an hour discussion. A Lunar Policy Platform / Secure World Foundation / Republic of Korea side event ‘Reflections on the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities: Priorities and Capacity Building‘ will take place over ~3 hours and see talks by UNOOSA Director  Aarti Holla Maini, and representatives from Korea AeroSpace Administration, UNAM Mexico, EURO2MOON Luxembourg. (Image Credits: ELS Organizations, UNOOSA, MVA, et al)

● Jun 17 — Maunakea Visitor Information Station, International Lunar Observatory Association, Hale Pohaku ~9,200 ft, Mauna Kea HI: Maunakea-Malapert Moon Presentation and Observation; ILOA discusses the ‘Mountain on the Moon’ Malapert Massif, followed by Moon gazing lead by VIS astronomers; starts 18:00 HST, limited to 45 people.

● Jun 17 — IEEE Computer Society, Seattle WA: 3rd AI for Space Workshop 2024; emphasis on vision of and learning algorithms for autonomous space systems; Seattle Convention Center, US$100-425.

● Jun 17-18 — NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee, Washington DC: Meeting of NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee.

☆ Jun 17 — Mercury: 0.88° N of Venus, 01:00; with Venus and M35 cluster within circle of diameter 1.21°, 21:00.

☆ Jun 17 — Apollo Asteroid 2024 LU1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.012 AU)

TUESDAY

☆ Jun 18 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / Kinéis 1-5, Launch Complex, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Launch of mission dubbed “No Time Toulouse” of 5 satellites for France Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each.

★ Jun 18 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Astra 1P/SES-24, SLC 40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Launch of ASTRA 1P broadcast satellite for SES to Geostationary Transfer Orbit.