Articles by: SPC

January 28 – February 3, 2019 / Vol 38, No 4 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Astronaut Memorial Observations on Eve of USA Return to Human SpaceFlight and Apollo@50

Excitement rises this year as SpaceX plans its demo launch of the Dragon V2 crew vehicle in February, Boeing prepares CST-100 Starliner flight for ~March, and both could launch Americans from USA soil in 2019. The 9 pioneering Commercial Crew Astronauts will help to end the 8-year hiatus of USA Human Spaceflight capabilities since the Space Shuttles, while NASA works to complete SLS / Orion to launch humans farther into space since Apollo Moon program. Among pioneering explorers which are celebrated and honored, specifically this week: the 52nd observation of Apollo 1 crew members Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee lost during a launch pad test on Jan 27; the 33rd observation of Challenger STS-51L loss of Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Christa McAuliffe (1st ‘Teacher in Space’), Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnick, Ronald McNair and Gregory Jarvis on Jan 28; and the 16th observation of Columbia STS-107 loss of Richard Husband, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon (‘1st Israeli Astronaut’), William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown and Kalpana Chawla (‘1st Indian American astronaut’ and ‘1st Indian woman in space’) on Feb 1. Numerous education centers, schools, programs, scholarship funds, planetariums, lunar craters, asteroids, parks, highways, bridges and airports are named for these Astronauts. Future initiatives, structures and landmarks on other Worlds are also likely to honor these heroes while humans fulfill their Multi World Species status and expand into the Solar System. (Image Credits: NASA)

MONDAY

Highlights…
 Jan 28 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 58 monitoring Bigelow BEAM habitat, reviewing medical emergency procedures, donning Lower Body Negative Pressure suit, readying Cygnus for scheduled departure on Feb 12, working with newly installed Facet Cell crystal growth experiment in Kibo laboratory module.

Jan 28 — NewSpace: Blue Origin making strides toward New Shepard validation, launching New Glenn orbital vehicle before 2020, planning New Armstrong; SpaceX Starship “Hopper” test vehicle under repairs after high winds cause damage; Thailand mu Space plans to enter NASA projects and ESA Moon Race.

Jan 28 — Solar System: Juno observes pair of gigantic storms dubbed “Oval BA” near Jupiter Great Red Spot; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera images new impact crater near South Pole formed in 2018; calculations using ripples in Saturn rings place length of Saturn day at 10 hours, 33 minutes, 38 seconds.

Jan 28 — Galaxy: Astronomers in a collaboration nicknamed H0liCOW use quasar SDSS J1206+4332 to estimate H0, the Hubble-Lemaitre constant; telescopes including Atacama Large Millimeter Array observe jet from black hole Sagittarius A in Milky Way Center.

Jan 28 — Global: CNSA discusses international lunar base, 3D printed habitats on Moon dependent CE-5 results; Metalysis-ESA Grand Challenge offers EU€500,000 for systems to work with electrochemical cells to support space settlements; UAE developing National space investment plan, 2020 Mars Hope mission, training astronaut candidates.

Jan 28 — USA: Test article for Space Launch System undergoing static tests at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville; Keck Foundation and National Academies of Science open 2019 Communications Awards for excellence in reporting and communicating science; government shutdown postpones Astronaut remembrance ceremonies.

Jan 28 — Hawai’i: Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Haleakala in Maui prepares for operations in 2019; Subaru Telescope observations of Galaxy M94 show a smaller than expected population of satellite galaxies; Akamai workforce internship program accepting applications, TMT donating US$320,000 this year.

= 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 (SW), Uranus (S), Neptune (SW); Morning Planets: Venus (SE), Jupiter (SE).

Extant Life on Mars Is Subject of Conference Near Carlsbad Caverns

As the InSight lander and other international spacecraft return data, humans on Earth continue to wonder about life on Mars. Originally planned for January 29 – February 1, NASA Mars Exploration Office and JPL are now planning to host a Mars Extant Life Conference later this year. It will be held at the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with a field trip to the famous Carlsbad Caverns, where 190 kilometers of passages have been mapped to a depth of 490 meters. Since NASA scientists in 1996 found signs of fossil life on a Martian meteorite, evidence from other meteorites and spacecraft has indicated conditions favorable for life on early Mars. Conference participants will descend into Carlsbad Caverns to observe the activity of sulfate reducing bacteria. Astrobiologists find such extremophiles in caves, saline lakes, glacial ice, hot vents and even the deep Earth. Conference subjects include environmental niches on Mars that could today harbor life. Participants will discuss the types of measurements needed and future missions that could search for evidence of life. Researchers are interested in both life as we know it and unknown new forms. Lewis Dartnell of the ExoMars science team thinks there is a ‘very good chance’ of life on Mars. China CNSA plans to launch a Mars lander and rover in 2020. With enterprises like SpaceX talking of settling Mars with human life, whether the planet has extant life is a critical issue. (Image Credits: JPL, University of Westminster, National Park Service)

 Jan 28 — Challenger STS-51L 33rd Observation, Nationwide USA: Educational and ceremonial events held worldwide to advance space technology / education and honor 7 crew members killed in Shuttle accident 28 January 1986: Commander Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Astronaut Christa McAuliffe (the 1st ‘Teacher in Space’), Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnick and Ronald E. McNair, along with Payload Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis.

Jan 28 – Feb 1 — University of California, Los Angeles CA: Extremely Big Eyes on the Early Universe.

Jan 28 – Feb 1 — Sexten Center for Astrophysics, ASI, National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), INFN, Sexten, Italy: Workshop: Galactic Archaeology in the Gaia Era.

Jan 28 — Aten Asteroid 2019 AP11: Near-Earth Flyby (0.026 AU)

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.

TUESDAY

Jan 29-30 — National Science Foundation, Alexandria VA: Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee (AAAC) Meeting.

Jan 29-31 — Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG), NASA, Houston TX: SBAG 20 Meeting; at Lunar and Planetary Institute; Postponed.

Jan 29 – Feb 1 — NASA, JPL, USRA, LPI, Carlsbad NM: Conference: Mars Extant Life – What’s Next? at National Cave and Karst Research Institute; Postponed.

Jan 29 — Aten Asteroid 2019 AN11: Near-Earth Flyby (0.033 AU)

Jan 29 — Aten Asteroid 2013 CW32: Near-Earth Flyby (0.036 AU)

WEDNESDAY

Jan 30 — Government University Industry Research Roundtable, National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, Online: Webinar: International Space Station National Laboratory: Your Laboratory, Your Research and Technology; 13:00 EST.

Jan 30 — Moon: 8.4° NNE of Antares, 10:00; 2.74° NNE of Jupiter, 16:00.

THURSDAY

Jan 31 — Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Moon Orbit: NASA-CNSA cooperation for LRO to image China Chang’e-4 at Von Kármán crater on Moon Far Side and look for landing plume to aid in understanding of lunar dust ejection during landing.

Jan 31 – Feb 6 — American Astronautical Society Rocky Mountain Section, Breckenridge CO: 42nd Annual Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference.

Jan 31 — Moon: 0.19° ENE of Venus, 08:00.

FRIDAY

NET Feb — International MoonBase Alliance, ESA, HI-SEAS, UH Hilo, 2,500-meter Elevation, Mauna Loa HI: Human Moon Mission simulation to begin at HI-SEAS habitat.

Feb 1 — Columbia STS-107 16th Observation, Nationwide USA: Annual international conferences and events take place to further space exploration efforts in remembrance of Columbia 7 loss: Commander Richard D. Husband, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the ‘1st Israeli astronaut’) and Astronauts: William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown and Kalpana Chawla (the ‘1st Indian American astronaut’ and ‘1st Indian woman in space’).

Feb 1-3 — Queen’s University, MDA, Burloak Technologies, Neptech, et al, Kingston, Ontario, Canada: Queen’s Space Conference 2019: On the Brink of a New World: Outer Space!

Feb 1 — Moon: 0.65° NNE of Saturn, 22:00.

Feb 1 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 AV2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU)

SATURDAY

Feb 2 — Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station, Mauna Kea HI (2,800 meters): Star Gazing program, temporarily suspended for upgrades.

SUNDAY

Feb 3 — JAXA, 25th Observation of First H-2 Rocket Launch, Tokyo, Japan: Japan observes the 25th anniversary of its inaugural flight of H-2 rocket, while developing H-3 medium-lift rocket and launching H-2A, H-2B and Epsilon.

Feb 3 — The Space Show, Online / Tiburon CA: Dr. David Livingston hosts open lines for caller discussions about Space.