Four International Launches upcoming for ISS Delivery, Earth Observation and Communications Satellites
JAXA is scheduled to launch the 7th H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV-7), also called Kounotori “White Stork”, on H-2B rocket from Tanegashima Space Center September 10 to deliver cargo and experiments to six Expedition 56 crew members at ISS 4 days later. HTVs can hold up to 6,000 kg, more than twice that of Russia Progress. During ascent, JAXA will attempt the release at 300 km of HTV Small Re-entry Capsule containing protein crystal samples for recovery splashdown off the coast of Ogasawara Islands. SpaceX is planning 61st flight of a Falcon 9 with launch of Telstar 18 Vantage communications satellite to GTO from Cape Canaveral FL with 4-hour launch window starting 23:28 on Sep 8, and first stage recovery on OCISLY drone ship. ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C42 mission is set to loft NovaSAR-S (synthetic aperture radar tech demo) and SSTL-S1 (high-res Earth observation) satellites, both built by SSTL, and secondary payloads Sep 16 from Satish Dhawan Space Center. United Launch Alliance at Vandenberg AFB CA will attempt the final launch of Delta 2 rocket Sep 15 to carry NASA ICESat 2 satellite for ice-sheet, sea-ice, and vegetation canopy observations. Delta 2 has a success rate of 98.7% and this launch could fulfill a 100th successful mission streak. (Image Credits: JAXA, NASA, SpaceX, SSL, SSTL, ULA) |
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MONDAY
Highlights…
 Sep 10 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 56 planning for rendezvous and capture of HTV-7, reviewing procedures for USA EVA #52 and 53 next week and setting up tools in proper configurations in caddies, using Sextant Navigation investigation for emergency navigation methods to be used on Orion, performing Emergency Egress Drill every 12-14 weeks.
 Sep 10 — NewSpace: Blue Origin among others to offer paid aerospace internship for women undergrads; ULA begins Vulcan series hardware production; iSpace becomes 1st commercial China company to launch satellites to LEO, 2 will remain in space, 1 to return to Earth.
Sep 10 — Solar System: MASCOT and MINERVA-II-1 craft on Hayabusa2 being readied for release to potential candidate landing sites Asteroid Ryugu; Cassini data studies continue to offer insight on Saturn atmosphere; New Horizons images of KBO Ultima Thule to help refine course during fast approach.
Sep 10 — Galaxy: Kepler awakens, continues Campaign 19 in search of exoplanets; research expands around TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets with potential for large amounts of water.
Sep 10 — Global: JAXA developing lunar lander vehicle in cooperation with ESA for 2030 Moon missions from Lunar Orbital Gateway-Platform; CNES, ISRO to collaborate on human spaceflight program; UAE picks first 2 candidates for astronaut program out of 4,000 applicants, primary astronaut to be announced.
 Sep 10 — USA: Senate Commerce Committee advances nomination of James Morhard for NASA deputy administrator to Senate; NASA hosts CO2-to-sugar conversion challenge to support settlement on Mars.
Sep 10 — Hawai’i: NAOJ Astronomer Thayne Currie discusses direct-imaging for exoplanet detection; Gemini Observatory elects new director to help lead in imaging, spectroscopy, rapid response astronomy; Infrared Telescope Facility now accepting 2019 observing proposals.
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= 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: Venus (WSW), Mars (S), Jupiter (SW), Saturn (S), Uranus (E), Neptune (SE); Morning Planets: Mercury (ENE).
ASE 31st Planetary Congress in Belarus Encourages International Participation, Youth in STEM
The 31st Annual Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE): Creating the Future of Space will be held for the first time in Minsk, Belarus September 9-15. The ASE is an educational organization of over 400 Astronauts from 38 countries where members convene to discuss developments in their respective space programs. ~90 Astronauts from 17 countries are expected to participate, including (L-R) Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenko. With an objective to encourage interest in STEM, space exploration, and international cooperation, the program will include technical sessions led by space explorers along with a focus on cultural and historical heritage. On Community Day Astronauts will visit Belarusian schools and universities to meet and encourage the next generation with lectures, presentations, and share experiences. In addition, the city botanical garden is set to feature a parkway of Astronauts and a monument will be unveiled in Kosmonavtov Street in honor of Belarus space flight participants. The opening session “Creating the Future of Space” will be chaired by Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vice-Chairman Sergei Kilin. Kilin mentions ASE goal of increasing involvement in the international space effort and the importance and significance of a human Moon return. Other technical sessions include flight reports and futures in space chaired by Astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria, Yuri Usachev, Gerhard Thiele, Oleg Kotov and Michel Tognini. (Image Credits: ASE, NASA, ESA, CNES, Roscosmos, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus ) |
Sep 10 — JAXA, Launch H-2B / HTV-7, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan: An uncrewed Japan H-2B rocket set to launch 7th H-2 transfer vehicle Kounotori (White Stork) to deliver supplies to ISS.
Sep 10 — California Academies of Sciences, San Francisco CA: Lecture: Our Journey Toward Mars; featuring J.R. Skok from SETI Institute; at Morrison Planetarium, 19:30.
Sep 10 — The Space Show, Online / Tiburon CA: Dr. David Livingston talks with Dr. Chris Limbach of Texas A&M about particle beam and laser interstellar propulsion.
Sep 10-13 — Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Rohnert Park CA: Astronomical Society of the Pacific Annual Meeting: Advancing Astronomy for All.
Sep 10-13 — University of Gottingen, Gottingen, German: Workshop – Observing the Sun as a Star: Would We Find the Solar System If We Saw It?
Sep 10-14 — University of Vienna (Universitat Wien), Vienna, Austria: Workshop: Moonshine; to discuss new Moonshine phenomena and potential interconnections between them.
Continued from…
Jul 8 – Oct 9 — NAOC, National Aquatic Center “Water Cube”, Beijing, China: Lunar Exploration Technology Exhibition featuring 10-meter diameter Moon, lunar imagery, ‘moonlight’ and surround sound composition.
Sep 8-16 — Merritt Astronomical Society, Loon Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada: Merritt Fall Star Quest 2018.
Sep 9-11 — Maui Economic Development Board, Inc, SGAC, Maui HI: Emer-Gen 1st Annual Conference; designed for professionals and students under 35 interested in careers in space, includes networking, mentoring, courses, and professional development sessions.
Sep 9-15 — National Engineering University of Lima, National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Peru: 8th International Workshop on Astronomy and Relativistic Astrophysics (IWARA2018).
Sep 9-16 — Association of Space Explorers, Minsk, Belarus: 31st Planetary Congress of the ASE: Creating the Future of Space. |
TUESDAY
Sep 11 — Mind the Bridge, European Commission and European Parliament, Mountain View CA: 4th European Innovation Day; at Computer History Museum.
Sep 11-12 — Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), NASA, Pasadena CA: OPAG Meeting.
Sep 11-12 — ESA, Proxium Group, Noordwijk, The Netherlands: ESA Industry Space Days.
Sep 11-13 — UNOOSA, Government of Russia, Roscosmos State Corporation, Moscow, Russia: 1st United Nations Conference on Space Law and Policy.
Sep 11-14 — International Venus Science Community, JAXA, Center for Planetary Science, Hokkaido, Japan: International Venus Conference 2018; covering all areas of Venus science with special focus on new results from JAXA Venus Climate Orbiter “Akatsuki”.
Sep 11-14 — UNOOSA, Government of Brazil, Sao Goncalo do Amarante, Brazil: United Nations / Brazil Symposium on Basic Space Technology.
Sep 11-14 — Maui Economic Development Board, Inc, Maui HI: 19th Annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference.
Sep 11 — Moon: 7.1° NNE of Spica, 22:00.
Sep 11 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 QU1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.028 AU)
Sep 11 — Apollo Asteroid 2008 KZ5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU)
Sep 11 — Apollo Asteroid 504800 (2010 CO1): Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)
WEDNESDAY
Sep 12 — Catena Space Ltd, London, United Kingdom: Workshop: Space Foundations.
Sep 12 — Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ: Lecture: Visiting our Sun – Unraveling the Mysteries of the Solar Atmosphere using Parker Solar Probe; by Kristopher Klein, Assistant Professor at LPL.
Sep 12 — Library of Congress – Science, Technology and Business Division, Washington DC: Lecture: Shadow Science – Using Eclipses to Shed New Light on Heavenly Bodies; by James Green of NASA.
Sep 12-13 — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Irvine CA: Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science Meeting.
Sep 12-14 — Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany: 4th International Workshop on ‘Instrumentation for Planetary Missions’ (IPM – 2018).
Sep 12 — Moon: 9.9° NNE of Venus, 12:00.
THURSDAY
Sep 13 — British Interplanetary Society, London, United Kingdom: Lecture: ExoMars – Engineering for the Red Planet; by Paul Meacham – Lead Systems Engineer on ExoMars Rover Vehicle Project at Airbus.
Sep 13-15 — Giant Magellan Telescope, Honolulu HI: 6th Annual GMT Community Science Meeting: Stars – Birth and Death; at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
Sep 13 — Moon: 4.2° NNE of Jupiter, 19:00.
Sep 13 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 SK21: Near-Earth Flyby (0.094 AU)
FRIDAY
Sep 14 — Washington Post, NASA, Washington DC / Online: Transformers: Space; Jim Bridenstine, Scott Pace, Britney Schmidt, Chris Ferguson, Leland Melvin, Bill Nye discuss technological advances and America return to human spaceflight; 09:00-11:00.
Sep 14 — Caltech, Pasadena CA: Lecture: Cosmic Cartography – A Billion Stars in Six Dimensions and the Gaia Revolution; Erik Petigura, 20:00.
Sep 14-16 — ESA, Republic of Poland Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Polish Space Agency, European Space Foundation, IEEE, et al, Starachowice, Poland: European Rover Challenge 2018.
SATURDAY
Sep 15 — ULA, Launch Delta 2 / ICESat 2, Vandenberg AFB CA: ULA Delta 2 rocket to launch NASA ICESat 2 satellite to observe ice-sheet elevation change, sea-ice freeboard, and vegetation canopy height begun by ICESat in 2003; from pad SLC-2W between 05:46-08:20.
Sep 15 — SETI Institute, Mill Valley CA: Astronomy Night – Searching for Aliens, Finding Ourselves; with Jill Tarter at Cushing Memorial Amphitheater.
Sep 15 — Science of Laws Institute, San Diego Chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering, San Diego CA: Abstracts Due: 5th Annual Science of Laws Conference; to be held Dec 1.
Sep 15 — Moon: 8.8° N of Antares, 11:00.
SUNDAY
Sep 16 — ISRO, PSLV / NovaSAR-S & SSTL-S1, Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India: PSLV-C42 mission to launch NovaSAR-S and SSTL-S1 Earth observation satellites on PSLV.
Sep 16-21 — ESA, Europlanet, EPSC Organizing Committee, Berlin, Germany: European Planetary Science Congress 2018.
Sep 16 — Moon: At first quarter, 13:15.
Sep 16 — Mars: At perihelion (1.3814 AU from Sun), 03:00.
Sep 16 — Apollo Asteroid 144332 (2004 DV24): Near-Earth Flyby (0.056 AU)
Sep 16 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 FO3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.067 AU)
Sep 16 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 PK24: Near-Earth Flyby (0.095 AU)