August 2-8, 2021 / Vol 40, No 31 / Hawai`i Island, USA

35th Utah SmallSat Conference Focuses on Automation & Communication from LEO to Deep Space

The annual Small Satellite Conference hosted by Utah State University is set to occur virtually August 7-12 with theme Mission Operations & Autonomy: Operations and data delivery at the speed of light. ‘Future Directions’ panelists include (L-R) Florence Tan, Chair of the Small Spacecraft Coordination Group at NASA HQ, Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear, and ESA Cubesat Systems Head Roger Walker. A Virtual Exhibit Hall is to host over 200 commercial concerns representing the US$4.7B industry including Airbus, ArianeGroup, Astroscale, Ball Aerospace, CesiumAstro, Exotrail, Firefly Aerospace, General Atomics, GomSpace, LeoLabs, Lockheed Martin, Lunet Mission Services, Maxar, Momentus, Northrop Grumman, Planet, Redwire, Relativity, Rocket Lab, Spaceflight, Surrey Satellite Technology, Swedish Space Corporation and Virgin Orbit. Updates from NASA Ames Research Center Engineering, Goddard Space Flight Center, HQ Space Technology Mission Directorate, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center and Science Mission Directorate will also be featured. University representation from California Polytechnic State CubeSat Lab, Florida Institute of Technology, Hawaii Space Flight Lab, Michigan Tech Aerospace, Space Science Center at Morehead State University, Rutgers University, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Muenster, U.S. Naval Academy, ASU NewSpace, Southwest Research Institute and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Several technical papers will be presented on lunar smallsat missions such as Lunar Flashlight (riding with Artemis 1, Q4) and CAPSTONE (NET Oct 20) and Lunar Trailblazer (with Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, 2024). (Image Credits: NASA, Small Satellite Conference, USU)

MONDAY

Aug 2 — Roscosmos, Launch Soyuz / OneWeb 9, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: Russia Soyuz rocket to launch 34 satellites to orbit for OneWeb.

Luxembourg Expanding Space Resource Initiatives, Legal Frameworks

Luxembourg, a founding member of Artemis Accords, continues its work nationally and internationally for diverse, peaceful space initiatives while providing unique regulations and laws to facilitate commercial space property rights. Well known as the investment management center of Europe, and having one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, Luxembourg strategy to strengthen space sectors (which is estimated to account for ~2% of its GDP) is highlighted by the 2020 opening of the European Space Resources Innovation Centre, the 2016 founding of Luxembourg Space Agency and the SpaceResources.lu initiative. Etienne Schneider, former Minister of the Economy, recently joined the advisory board of Space Resources – which stresses the significance of space resources as being ‘available, valuable, part of the future space economy, enabling deeper space exploration and related technology having near-term terrestrial value’. More than US$200M was designated for investment in Luxembourg space start-ups, specifically space mining. Expanding beyond its first satellite launch 1988 and joining ESA as 17th member in 2005, Luxembourg is focusing on 5 space pillars for 21st Century space economy expansion by: promoting space resources, building regulatory frameworks, developing workforce talent, offering R&D support and enabling long-term investment. Several companies established in 2,585-square km Luxembourg include commercial lunar: ispace and Blue Horizon; commercial LEO: Kleos; and (now defunct) commercial asteroid: Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries. (Image Credits: European Space Resources Innovation Centre, Luxembourg Space Agency)

Aug 2 – Oct 31 — SpaceBase, Planet,

Aug 2-6 — AIAA, Online / Washington DC: 2021 AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition (2021 AIAA AVIATION Forum).

Aug 2 — Moon: 4.8° SE of Pleiades, 02:00; 5.6° N of Aldebaran, 19:00.

Continued From…

May 24 – Aug 6 — Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, NASA, Pasadena CA and Online: JPL Planetary Science Mission Design School Session 1.

Jun 1 – Aug 6 — Lunar and Planetary Institute, Online / Houston TX: 2021 LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science.

Jun 7 – Aug 13 — Lunar and Planetary Institute, Online / Houston TX: 2021 LPI Summer Internship.

Jun 28 – Aug 27 — International Space University (ISU), Granada, Spain: ISU Space Studies Program 2021.

Jul 26 – Aug 1 — International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI), Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP), Online: Iberian Space Science Summer School (i4S).

Aug 1-6 — AOGS, Singaporeimagine, DFH Satellite Co, Singapore Office for Space Technology and Industry, Online / Singapore: 18th Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) Annual Meeting.

TUESDAY

NET Aug 3 — United Launch Alliance, Boeing, Launch Atlas V / CST-100 Starliner 2nd Uncrewed Test Flight, SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Boeing planning to launch second uncrewed Starliner spacecraft to ISS for NASA Commercial Crew Program.

Aug 3-5 — American Astronautical Society, NASA, ISS National Laboratory, Online / Washington DC: 2021 International Space Station Research and Development Conference.