China to Attempt 1st Commercial Orbital Launch, May Expand International Collaborations via ILOA Galaxy Forum Hainan 2020 Feb 11-14
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MONDAY Highlights… Mar 25 — NewSpace: Astrobotic advancing AstroNav lava tube 3D mapping technology, intended for Moon, Mars; Virgin Galactic working toward operations at UAE Al Ain Airport; SpaceX planning 1st test of Raptor engine (for Starship) within weeks and imminent testing of “Starhopper” prototype. Mar 25 — Solar System: KBO Ultima Thule formation theory points to slow, gentle collision of materials; Ryugu may have broken off a larger body in Polana or Eulalia family of asteroids; OSIRIS-REx sees plumes of particles erupting into space from Bennu, which is studded with boulders and has water bearing minerals. Mar 25 — Galaxy: Atacama Large Millimeter Array detects large amount of dust in young galaxy MACS0416_Y1, challenging theories of galaxy formation; ALMA also observes formation of planets around star DM Tau; Chandra and Hubble observations indicate that Teacup Galaxy J1430+1339 is still actively emitting radiation. Mar 25 — Global: Japan may develop 2 modules for proposed cislunar Gateway; Russia Nauka laboratory module is ready for preflight tests, will be fitted with Earth-sensing equipment; UK Reaction Engines moves into next 18-month testing phase toward demonstration of the first SABRE engine. Mar 25 — USA: NASA studying commercial alternatives to Space Launch System for launching Orion into lunar orbit by 2020; Nanoracks Airlock Module, first commercial airlock built for ISS, ready to be shipped to Houston for integration; Mars2020 Rover undergoing tests at JPL. Mar 25 — Hawai’i: Two additional HI-SEAS Moon-Mars mission simulations being planned for this year; Subaru Telescope finds 83 supermassive black holes ~13B LY from Earth, will aid Universe evolution studies; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan considering asking other nations for help in operating Subaru. |
= All times
for terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for international terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for space events, and…
= All times for international space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).
Weekly Planet Watch – Evening Planets: Mars (W), Uranus (W); Morning Planets: Venus (ESE), Jupiter (SE), Saturn (SE).
International Astronautical Federation Meeting Leads to Global Networking
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Mar 25 — OneSpace, Launch OS-M1 / Lingque 1B, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China: Private space company OneSpace planning inaugural orbital launch of OS-M1 lofting Lingque 1B remote sensing CubeSat for ZeroG Lab.
Mar 25 — NASA, Online: Responses Due: NextSTEP E: Human Landing System Studies, Risk Reduction, Development, and Demonstration. Mar 25 — Arizona State University, Tempe AZ: TEDxASU 2019 “Next Gen”; 9 speakers focus on life in the 22nd Century. Mar 25 — Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ: Steward Public Evening Lectures: A Story of Ice, Water, and Fire Under the South Pole of Mars; by Ali Bramson and Michael Sori, 19:30. Mar 25-26 — Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Japan: Cosmic Lab Workshop; with participation from Japan, China, India, S Korea, Europe. Mar 25-28 — International Academy of Astronautics, Paris, France: IAA Spring Meetings 2019. Mar 25-28 — UNOOSA, Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia, Amman, Jordan: United Nations/Jordan Workshop: Global Partnership in Space Exploration and Innovation. Mar 25-29 — University of California, Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, Tokyo, Japan: Extremely Big Eyes on the Early Universe 2. Mar 25 — Moon: 8.1° NNE of Antares, 16:00. Continued from…Jan 2019 – Sep 2020 — New Horizons, Kuiper Belt: Full data from spacecraft 7 instruments during KBO Ultima Thule flyby to be transmitted to Earth over this time period. Mar 17-30 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / R3D2, Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Rocket Lab launch window for Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration spacecraft for DARPA. |
Mar 19 – Jul 19 — Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Problems, Moscow, Russia: Mixed gender crew of 6 to participate in 4-month space / lunar simulation mission SIRIUS (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station).
Mar 24-29 — Caltech, Lockheed Martin Corp., Keck Institute for Space Studies, JPL, at al, Pasadena CA: Caltech Space Challenge 2019; 5-day international 32-student space mission design competition to create a novel mission design to probe for evidence of life on Enceladus using a network of small landers.
TUESDAY
Mar 26 — National Space Council, Huntsville AL: VP Mike Pence and National Space Council Advisors meet at U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Mar 26 — International Astronautical Federation, Paris, France: IAF IDEA “3G” (Geography, Generation, Gender) Diversity Day; focusing this year on Generational and Gender Diversity: Career Development in Space Industry, and Geographical Diversity: Engaging Emerging Space Countries in Global Space Activities.
Mar 26-28 — International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Paris, France: IAF Spring Meetings 2019.
Mar 26-28 — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Washington DC: Learn About Space Science Week 2019.
Mar 26-28 — ESA, Noordwijk, The Netherlands: Workshop on Simulation for European Space Programmes (SESP).
Mar 26 — Moon: 1.91° NNE of Jupiter, 18:00.
WEDNESDAY
Mar 27 — Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD: Colloquium: Voyager Observations of the Outer Heliosphere and Interstellar Medium; by John Richardson of MIT, 15:30.
Mar 27 — Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX: Seminar: Chronology of Planetesimal Differentiation Based on Timing of Achondrite Formation in the Early Solar System; by Daniel Dunlap of ASU.
Mar 27 — Manchester Students for Exploration and Development of Space (ManSEDS), Manchester, United Kingdom: Innovation in Space Festival.
Mar 27 — Moon: At last quarter, 18:10.
Mar 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 EN: Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU)
Mar 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2014 TL: Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU)
Mar 27 — Aten Asteroid 2004 BY1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.063 AU)
THURSDAY
Mar 28 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Lecture: Using Gravity to Probe the Martian Sedimentary Rock Record; by Kevin Lewis from Johns Hopkins University.
Mar 28 — International Academy of Astronautics, International Astronautical Federation, Paris, France: IAC 2019 Washington IPC meeting and abstract selection.
Mar 28-29 — Europlanet, Rosetta Plasma Consortium, Aalto University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland: Europlanet Cometary Plasma Science Workshop.
Mar 28 — Moon: 0.25° E of Saturn, 20:00.
FRIDAY
Mar 29 — ISS, USA EVA #53, 405-km LEO: Expedition 59 Astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch to perform first ever all-female EVA lasting 6.5 – 7 hours to install new Batteries in the ISS P4 Truss 2A power channel; live coverage available.
Mar 29 — Secure World Foundation, Washington DC: US-China Engagement in Space.
Mar 29 — International Lunar Observatory Association, Space Age Publishing Company, Kailua-Kona HI: Galaxy Forum Hawaii 2019: Kona – Hawaii 21st Century Science, and Astronomy from the Moon; 15:30-17:30 at HCC Pālamanui, Free.
Mar 29 — Foothill Observatory, Peninsula Astronomical Society, Los Altos Hills CA: Foothill Observatory Public Viewing every clear Friday from 21:00-23:00; free.
SATURDAY
NET Mar 30 – Apr 30 — ISRO, Launch GSLV Mk. 2 / Chandrayaan-2, Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 2, flying on the GSLV-F10 mission, to launch India 2nd Moon mission of orbiter, lander & rover weighing 3,290 kg; will attempt to land at 70° S latitude ~600 km from lunar South Pole between craters Manzinus C and Simpelius N after ~14-day journey; plans for Chandrayaan 3 and 4 are underway.
Mar 30 — Earth Hour, Worldwide: Celebrated 20:30-21:30 locally, millions around the world turn off the lights and speak up about our connection to Earth and nature.
Mar 30 — Mars: 3.1° SSE of Pleiades, 21:00.
SUNDAY
Mar 31 — Space Center Houston, Houston TX: Lunch with an Astronaut, Brian Duffy, adult US$69.95.
Mar 31 — Daylight Saving Time (Europe): Change clocks forward 1 hour, from Standard Time to Summer Time.
Mar 31 — Moon: at apogee (distance 405,587 km), 14:00.
Mar 31 — Apollo Asteroid 163081 (2002 AG29): Near-Earth Flyby (0.099 AU)