Articles by: SPC

March 18-24, 2019 / Vol 38, No 11 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Solar System Complete: Ultimate Destinations Beyond Moon and Mars Highlighted by Upcoming Missions, Meetings

International agencies and commercial enterprises are focusing on getting to the Moon as the first stepping stone into the Solar System (SS) and Galaxy Beyond. This week, 50th LPSC in TX, the 57th AAS Robert Goddard Memorial Symposium in MD and 62nd National Space Club Dinner in DC will discuss USA returning humans to the Moon ‘fast’, as well as international programs for Luna, Mars, Venus, Asteroids and Jupiter. The Caltech Space Challenge March 24-29 will have two 16-student teams design a mission to search for evidence of life on Enceladus using small landers. GSFC hosts scientist Eric Christian speaking about “The Edge of the Solar System and Beyond” on March 20. New Horizons is heading toward its next potential KBO after flying by Ultima Thule on 1 Jan 2019 and reaching the ‘3rd Zone’ which extends between 30-50 AU. Juno is planning its 18th science flyby at Jupiter April 7. Of the 79 known Jupiter satellites, Galileo moons Io and Europa are some of the most geologically active in the SS, alongside Titan and Enceladus at Saturn and Triton at Neptune. Sustained human presence on the Moon in 2020s will support expansion to the surfaces of Mars 2030s, asteroids 2040s, and Gas Giant moons 2050s, while helping bring us closer to eventual interstellar missions potentially within the century. (Image Credits: NASA, SpaceX)

MONDAY

Highlights…
 Mar 18 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 59 six-member crew planning for 3 upcoming EVAs, transferring cargo from Progress 71P and Soyuz MS-12, working with Veg-03 experiment to grow romaine lettuce, extra dwarf Pak Choi, red Russian kale and wasabi mustard.

Mar 18 — NewSpace: Next trajectory maneuver for SpaceIL Beresheet lander en route to Moon to occur this week; Hypergiant Galactic Systems and Arch Mission partner to build satellites as nodes for interplanetary internet at Lagrangian points; OneSpace planning 1st China commercial orbital rocket launch by end of month.

Mar 18 — Solar System: MAVEN spacecraft observes solar wind protons interacting with Mars atmosphere; ESA-JAXA BepiColombo operating nominally, now 4 months into 7-year trip to Mercury which includes 22 ion thruster burns; scientists using Pluto crater impact sizes to draw conclusions about Kuiper Belt evolution.

Mar 18 — Galaxy: Observations using Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia spacecraft estimate Milky Way mass at 1.5 trillion solar masses; Atacama Large Millimeter Array data finds signs of intermediate-mass black hole near center of galaxy; next exoplanet discoverer “Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite” being prepared for Oct-Nov launch.

Mar 18 — Global: India and Japan planning cooperation between space agencies; China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation upgrading Long March 6, 7 and 8 boosters; ESA testing advanced module airlock systems underwater for use in next habitable space / cislunar structures.

Mar 18 — USA: NASA Administrator states lunar surface mission may happen in 2019, 1st person on Mars could be a woman & next Moon mission will include women, suggests launching 1st Orion without SLS; proposed FY2020 NASA budget of US$21B to allocate $363M for large lunar lander; Lockheed Martin assembling parts for Orion EM-2 vehicle while EM-1 prepares for flight.

Mar 18 — Hawai’i: Subaru Telescope enters 21st year of operation; Gemini Telescope helps determine distance to farthest radio galaxy yet discovered; UH-discovered interstellar object ‘Oumuamua data producing more studies on its acceleration / outgassing.

= 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).

Global Space Congress In UAE Focuses On Partnerships Leading To IAC 2020

Global Space Congress convenes March 19-21 at St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The conference hosted by the UAE Space Agency will bring together representatives of over 600 space agencies, commercial space companies and academic organizations. Opening speakers will include Dr. Ahmad Al Falasi (L) Minister of State for Education & Chairman of UAE Space Agency, and Dr. Mohammed Al Ahbabi (R) Director General of the Space Agency. The Congress will focus on partnerships and collaborative development to bring global benefits. UAE Cabinet adopts the National Space Strategy 2030. Dubai in UAE will host the International Astronautical Congress in Sep 2020. Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi are training for a single launch seat on Sep 25 sharing the Soyuz MS-15 flight with cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and astronaut Christopher Cassidy. The first Emirates astronaut will spend eight days in space and return Oct 3 on Soyuz MS-12 with Aleksey Ovchinin and Nick Hague. UAE is preparing the Hope Probe for launch from Japan in the 2020 Mars launch window, first interplanetary spacecraft built by a crescent Moon country. The Hope Probe is planned to orbit Mars in 2021, 50th observation of UAE founding, to study the planet’s atmosphere. UAE is building a 100,000 square-meter Mars Science City dedicated to research for space exploration and settlement. Emirati scientists and astronauts will conduct simulated 6-month and longer missions within analog domes at the Science City. (Image Credits: Global Space Congress, UAE National)

 Mar 18-22 — Lunar and Planetary Institute, USRA, NASA, Woodlands TX: 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; at Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

Mar 18 — Moon: 2.46° NNE of Regulus, 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 9-20 — Committee on Space Research, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, ESA, ISRO, NASA, IAU, Punjab, India: COSPAR Capacity Building Workshop: Broadband Spectral and Timing Studies with Astrosat, Chandra and XMM-Newton.

Mar 9-23 — Atlanta Science Festival, Delta Air Lines, et al, Atlanta GA: Atlanta Science Festival 2019; features Astronaut Job Fair.

Mar 17-19 — Vienna University of Technology, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, et al, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain: 24th Meeting of the European VLBI Group for Geodesy and Astrometry (EVGA).

Mar 17-21 — American Astronomical Society, Monterey CA: 17th Meeting High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD).

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 to demonstrate performance of a prototype reflect array antenna for use in small spacecraft for DARPA.

TUESDAY

Mar 19 — Government of Canada: Canadian Federal Budget 2019/20 fiscal to be released today; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced ‘Canada Is Going To The Moon’ with potential US$2B investment including $150M for lunar exploration accelerator program.

Mar 19-21 — UAE Space Agency, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, ASI, Northrop Grumman, et al, Abu Dhabi, UAE: Global Space Congress 2019.

Mar 19-21 — American Astronautical Society, Silver Spring MD: 57th Annual AAS Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium: The Next Giant Leap: Earth, Moon, Mars, and Beyond; bringing leaders in science, engineering, technology, and policy together to discuss common and unique challenges and opportunities that lie ahead with the space program.

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 19 — Moon: At perigee (distance 359,345 km), 09:35.

Mar 19 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 CL2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.026 AU)

WEDNESDAY

Mar 20 — AIAA San Francisco Chapter, Washington DC: Congressional Visits Day 2019; raising awareness of long-term value that science, engineering, and technology bring to America.

Mar 20 — Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt MD: Colloquium: The Edge of the Solar System and Beyond; by Eric Christian, Senior Research Scientist at GSFC, 15:30.

Mar 20 — Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles CA: Event: Griffith Observatory marks the start of spring with March Equinox presentations.

Mar 20 — San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, Randall Museum, San Francisco CA: Lecture: Another Pale Blue Dot – Inside the SETI Institute’s Search for Exoplanets; by Franck Marchis of SETI, 19:45.

Mar 20 — March Equinox: The Sun rises exactly in east traveling through sky for 12 hours, sets exactly in west; every place on Earth experiences a 12-hour day; 12:01 HST.

Mar 20 — Moon: Full (Worm Moon), 15:42.

Mar 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 CD5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.026 AU)

Mar 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2015 BY310: Near-Earth Flyby (0.059 AU)

THURSDAY

Mar 21 — Arianespace, Launch Vega / PRISMA, Kourou, French Guiana: Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV14, to launch PRISMA Earth observation satellite for ASI – Italian Space Agency.

Mar 21 — Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, NASA, Woodlands TX: Carbon in the Solar System workshop; during LPSC.

Mar 21 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Colloquium: The Tip of the Planetary Iceberg – How Observed Planets May Differ from their More Distant Cousins; by Ruth Murray-Clay of UCSC.

Mar 21 — The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), Barcelona, Spain: Colloquium: Astrochemistry at the Dawn of Star and Planet Formation.

FRIDAY

Mar 22 — ISS, USA EVA #52, 405-km LEO: Expedition 59 Astronauts Nick Hague and Anne McClain to perform 6.5 – 7 hour spacewalk to install new Batteries in the ISS P4 Truss 4A power channel; live coverage available.

Mar 22 — National Space Club, Washington DC: 62nd Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner; 2019 Goddard Trophy Winner will be Robert Lightfoot; at Hilton Washington.

Mar 22 — Moon: 7.1° NNE of Spica, 07:00.

Mar 22 — Mars: Spring Equinox, 12:00.

SATURDAY

Mar 23 —Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland CA: Event: Women in STEAM in Space Day; featuring Margaret Race, Jill Tarter, Lisa Rosenberg, Julia DeMarines, Ariel Waldman, Penny Boston, Maria Bualat, Kimberly Ennico Smith, and others, 10:00-16:00.

Mar 23 — JPL, Caltech/NASA, Downey CA: Educators Workshop: Discussing Climate Science in the Classroom; at Columbia Memorial Space Center.

Mar 23 — Mauna Kea Astronomy Outreach Committee, Mauna Kea HI, 2,800-meter level: Malalo o ka Po Lani; presentation covering cultural components that surround Mauna O Wakea, 18:00, at Mauna Kea Visitor Information Center.

SUNDAY

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.

Mar 24 — Apollo Asteroid 2005 FC3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)