Articles by: SPC

March 5-11, 2018 / Vol 37, No 10 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Rocket Lab Preparing 3rd Launch Possibly in March, Tracking Humanity Star

The third and fully commercial flight for Rocket Lab Electron could occur as early as the second week of March through March 28 deploying NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XIX mission with 10 CubeSats from various institutes and universities. Under full production, CEO and Founder Peter Beck states Rocket Lab is planning to launch once per week / 50 rockets a year from Launch Complex 1 on the southern tip of New Zealand Mahia Peninsula. There are up to 9 missions on the manifest for 2018. At US$4.9M per flight, the primarily 3D-printed, black carbon composite rocket is 17-meters tall, 1.2-meter diameter and powered by 9 kerosene / liquid oxygen fueled Rutherford engines, each providing 4,600 pounds of thrust. To commemorate the country’s recent success New Zealand Post issued ‘2018 New Zealand in Space‘ stamps. Rocket Lab has a control center in Auckland 380 kilometers northwest of the launch site, a factory in New Zealand and a headquarters in Huntington Beach CA. The 1-meter diameter, geodesic ‘Humanity Star’ sphere covered in 65 highly reflective panels is expected to remain in orbit until ~October, and become the brightest object in the night sky to “encourage everyone to look up and ponder humanity’s place in the universe”. Best viewing for Humanity Star in USA will begin in March. The Hawaiian Islands are expected to see its first pass on March 7 ~19:30 and March 8 ~19:50. (Image Credit: Rocket Lab, NASA, Google Maps, New Zealand Post)

MONDAY

Ongoing…
Mar 5 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 55 Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, Flight Engineers Scott Tingle of NASA and Norishige Kanai of JAXA to remain 3-member crew until March 21, working on fiber optic filaments in microgravity and glucose biosensor studies, transferring cargo from Progress 69P.

Mar 5 — NewSpace: For All Moonkind non-profit working to protect 6 Apollo human lunar landing / similar sites; Made in Space makes longest solid 3D printed part (37.7-meter beam); Interorbital Systems testing Neptune rocket upper stage.

Mar 5 — Solar System: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter regains normal operations after 2-week safe mode hiatus; Juno radiation monitoring investigation lead Heidi Beck describes spacecraft next-gen technology; Saturn moon Enceladus environment recreated in lab to test microbes survival.

Mar 5 — Galaxy: New high resolution infrared map of center of Milky Way Galaxy; studies find stars in Galactic Halo surrounding Milky Way are likely former residents of the Galactic disk.

Mar 5 — Global: Marc Boucher provides overview of Canada Budget 2018 / Science and Space funding; ISRO Chandrayaan-2 mission being readied to launch to Moon next month; China on track for its planned 28 rocket launches in 2018.

Mar 5 — USA: Orion module at JSC will be outfitted for Ascent Abort-2 systems for 2019 three-minute launch abort system test; update on Space Launch System Core Stage and structural test articles.

Mar 5 — Hawai`i: ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center celebrates 12 years; Hawaii Mayor Harry Kim highlights Kohanaiki Beach Park Cultural Education Center agreements for potential future of Mauna Kea.

NET Mar 5 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / VCLS ELaNa, Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: First full commercial launch of Electron rocket with various CubeSats for NASA Venture Class Launch Service (VCLS) Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XIX mission.

Mar 5-7 — DLR, Airbus, OHB, European Commission, NavCert, Space Opal, Munich, Germany: Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2018.

= 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), Uranus (SW); Morning Planets: Mars (ESE), Jupiter (ESE), Saturn (SE).

WorldDenver to Host Gala Focusing on Women in Space

SWF president and honoree Cynda Collins Arsenault will be moderating the International Women’s Day Gala and Luncheon on March 8 at the Hyatt Regency Colorado Convention Center. The keynote speaker will be Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, and an entrepreneur and advocate for STEM education. Other speakers include 100 Year Starship Orchestrator of Engagement Alires Almon, Ball Aerospace Program Manager Allison Barto, Harris Corporation Space and Intelligence Systems Segment Account Manager Laura Delgado Lopez, Oakman Aerospace CEO Maureen O’Brien, and SWF Office Director Victoria Samson. The gala will focus on women in space, STEM, leadership, international affairs, and equality, and highlight the contributions and achievements made by women in their fields. 650 people are expected to attend and have the opportunity to network and enjoy upwards of 20 exhibitions. Currently 556 people have been to space and only 60 have been women. Serena Aunon-Chancellor could become the 61st woman in space and is scheduled to fly on June 6 to the ISS with the Expedition 56/57 crew. The 62nd woman in space could be Anne McClain as she joins the Expedition 58/59 crew launching on November 17. (Image Credit: NASA, 100YSS, Planetary Society, Oakman Aerospace, SWF)

 Mar 5-9 — ESO, Santiago, Chile: Workshop: Diversis Mundi – The Solar System in an Exoplanetary Context.

Mar 5-9 — Scientific Committee on Solar Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP), International Council for Science, Sumedang, Indonesia: International School on Equatorial and Low Latitude Ionosphere (ISELION 2018).

Continued from…

Dec 19, 2017 – Mar 6 — CNSA, Online / Beijing, China: CNSA collecting 20,000 digital messages from public to be stored in Chang’e-4 relay satellite launching May-June to Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange Point to support Moon South Pole missions.

Feb 3 – Mar 19 — Johnson Space Center, NASA, Houston TX: Campaign 4: Mission 4 – Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA 2017); 45 day analog spaceflight / Moon / Mars mission.

Feb 15 – Oct 15 / TBD — Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), 2,500-meter Elevation, Mauna Loa HI: HI-SEAS 6 four-member ‘Lavanaut’ crew from Australia, Korea, Scotland and Slovakia 8-month space mission simulation postponed after crew medical issue.

Mar 2-12 — Sexten Center for Astrophysics, Sexten, Italy: Conference: Galaxy Interactions and Mergers Across Cosmic Time.

Mar 3-10 — IEEE, AIAA, PHM Society, Big Sky MT: 2018 IEEE Aerospace Conference; at Yellowstone Conference Center.

TUESDAY

Mar 6 — Dawn, Main Asteroid Belt: Spacecraft begins 4th year at Ceres today; launched Sep 2007 and arrived March 2015 after orbiting Vesta in 2011.

Mar 6 — Arianespace, Launch Soyuz / O3b F4, Sinnamary, French Guiana: Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS18, to launch fourth set of four satellites for O3b Networks.

Mar 6 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Hispasat 30W-6, Cape Canaveral AFS FL: Falcon 9 rocket to launch Hispasat 30W-6 communications satellite for Madrid-based Hispasat.

Mar 6-7 — The National Academies, Washington DC: Meeting: Exoplanet Science Strategy.

Mar 6-8 — Applied Technology Institute, Columbia MD: ATI Course: Satellite Communications Systems – Advanced; instructor Bruce Elbert, founder of Application Technology Strategy LLC.

Mar 6-8 — The National Academies, Washington DC: Meeting: Astrobiology Science Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe.

Mar 6-8 — National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Tokyo, Japan: 8th DTA Symposium: Challenge to Super-Earths and Their Atmospheres – Where Do They Come From?

Mar 6 — Moon: 4.0° NNE of Jupiter, 23:00.

WEDNESDAY

Mar 7 — Humanity Star, LEO: Potential optimal viewing for Rocket Lab Humanity Star tonight from Hawai`i island SSE at about 19:30.

Mar 7 — Kepler, Heliocentric Orbit: Craft searching for exoplanets begins 10th year in space today; operating in K2 extension mission after two reaction wheels failed altering original mission goals; launched 2009.

Mar 7 — Journey Through the Universe, W. M. Keck Observatory, Rob and Terry Ryan Foundation, Kamuela HI: Astronomy Talk: Journey Through the Universe: Landscapes of the Moon and Mars; by Brian Day, of SSERVI / NASA Ames Research Center; at HPA, 19:00.

Mar 7 — MIT Museum, Cambridge MA: Book Talk: Sunburst and Luminary: An Apollo Memoir; author and MIT I-Lab computer scientist Don Eyles, 18:00-19:30.

Mar 7 — Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MA: Colloquium: The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and the K-Pg Extinction; Rolando Garcia from National Center for Atmospheric Research, 15:30.

Mar 7 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 VR12: Near-Earth Flyby (0.010 AU).

Mar 7 — Aten Asteroid 2003 EM1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU).

THURSDAY

Mar 8 — WorldDenver, Kaiser Permanente, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, et al, Denver CO: International Women’s Day – Women in Space; featuring Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison and SWF President Cynda Collins Arsenault.

Mar 8 — Moon: 9.3° N of Antares, 08:00.

Mar 8 — Apollo Asteroid 2015 FM34: Near-Earth Flyby (0.058 AU).

Mar 8 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 CC14: Near-Earth Flyby (0.064 AU).

FRIDAY

Mar 9 — Royal Astronomical Society, London, United Kingdom: Royal Astronomical Society Ordinary Meeting; Meeting: Ground Effects of Severe Space Weather Events; Meeting: Merging Giant-Star Asteroseismology with the Fate of Extrasolar Planetary Systems.

Mar 9-10 — Space Generation Advisory Council, Politehnica University, ESA, Bucharest, Romania: 3rd European Space Generation Workshop; 100 delegates to network, exchange know-how, share best practices and nurture the next generation’s perspective on space matters.

Mar 9 — Moon: At last quarter, 01:22; 11.8° S of 4 Vesta, 08:44; 3.8° N of Mars, 15:00.

Mar 9 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 BK7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.026 AU).

SATURDAY

Mar 10 — Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Orbit: NASA spacecraft begins 13th year in Mars orbit today, continues to study seasonal changes on planet circling at 300-km near-polar orbit; launched Aug 12, 2005, entered orbit Mar 10, 2006.

Mar 8 — Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech, Pasadena CA: Educator Workshop: The InSight Mission – Quakes on Mars; for teachers grades K-12 and all educators.

Mar 10 — Daylight Saving Time (USA): Set clock ahead 1 hour; does not include Hawai’i, American Samoa or Arizona (except the Navajo Reservation).

Mar 10 — Moon: 2.2° N of Saturn, 16:00; at apogee (distance 404,682 km), 23:00.

Mar 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2015 DK200: Near-Earth Flyby (0.018 AU).

Mar 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2007 LU19: Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU).

Mar 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2003 DY15: Near-Earth Flyby (0.058 AU).

Mar 10 — Aten Asteroid 2007 CM26: Near-Earth Flyby (0.070 AU).

SUNDAY

Mar 11 — Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA: MIT New Space Age Conference: The Emerging Space Economy Forum; MIT Samberg Conference Center.

Mar 11 — International Planetarium Society Inc., Multiple Locations: International Day of Planetaria; promoting knowledge of planetaria to the public annually on 2nd Sunday of March.

Mar 11-14 — Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Tegernsee, Germany: Workshop: Science with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX2018).

Mar 11-15 — Alliance for Space Development, National Space Society, Space Frontier Foundation, Washington DC: March Storm 2018.

Mar 11-16 — Sexten Center for Astrophysics, Sexten, Italy: Conference: Galaxy Interactions and Mergers Across Cosmic Time.

Mar 11 — Moon: 1.7° N of Pluto; 19:00.