Stellar and Interstellar Exploration Rings in New Year 2024
The NASA (STSci), ESA, CSA-ASC infrared astronomy telescope, James Webb, is operating at Sun–Earth L2 and will surpass its second full year in space on December 25. Proposals for the 3rd Cycle observations will be peer-reviewed starting in January 2024, and ~5,000 hours will be dedicated to the selected programs between July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. Webb’s predecessor, the venerable Hubble Space Telescope, has spent nearly 34 years in LEO, and is expected to continue its science observations until at least the 2040s. The Milky Way mapper, Gaia, is also at Sun-Earth L2 and began its 11th year in space on Dec 19. In its extended mission phase, Gaia continues its work to plot more than 1 billion stars, while the Parker Solar Probe investigates our star from Heliocentric Orbit and reaches its 18th perihelion on Dec 19. The findings from these stellar, interstellar and astrophysics missions will be shared between the science communities at the upcoming American Astronomical Society 243rd Meeting on Jan 7-11 in New Orleans LA. Over 2,500 astronomers and affiliates will participate in technical sessions, special sessions, town halls, workshops and splinter meetings. In 2024, AAS will be celebrating its 125th (Quasquicentennial) year since founding in 1899. The Royal Astronomical Society will be observing its 204th year since founding in 1820 on Jan 12. (Image Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA-ASC, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team, AAS, NSF, NOIRLab)
|
MONDAY☆ Dec 25 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 70 seven-member crew performing ongoing work, experiments, cargo transfers, maintenance and exercise; taking time out to celebrate Holidays and New Years in space with family and friends via video comms. ☆ Dec 25 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-17 three-member crew expecting to receive Tianzhou 7 craft carrying >14,000 kg of cargo mid-January; Shenzhou 18 and 19 missions, and the launch of Xuntian Space Telescope to TSS should occur in 2024. Highlights… o NewSpace: Innospace of S. Korea advancing reusable launch vehicle development following successful altitude control test of 3.6-m hybrid-propellant demonstrator; Rocket Lab now second only to SpaceX for USA domestic launch frequency as ULA slips to third place; Lynk Global expects to raise US$800M for direct-to-smartphone constellation by offering public shares via SPAC. ☆ Solar System: Video of Taters the cat streamed from NASA Psyche at 267 Mbps shows proof of concept of laser communication for future deep space missions; Tel Aviv University study finds single radio antenna on Moon far side could be used to test Standard Model of Cosmology; NASA Near-Earth Object tracker NEOWISE expected to reach end of mission life in early 2025 due to increasing solar weather as maximum approaches. ☆ Galaxy: 541 hours of observation with SETI Institute Allen Telescope Array shows novel FRB with frequency lacking mid-range; Gaia telescope Milky Way discoveries highlighted in ESA report; researchers to perform follow up observations of Large Magellanic Cloud 100,000-light-year wide bow shock thought to be near Milky Way Halo. o Global: Deep Blue Aerospace planning orbital launch and first stage sea recovery of Nebula-1 rocket from Wenchang SLC in 2024; Artemis landing mission to include international astronaut per VP Kamala Harris comments at NSC meeting; New entity created from merger of UAE satellite companies Bayanat and Yahsa expected to be valued at $4B. ● USA: White House policy framework for regulating private space activities envisions Commerce Dept / FCC dual responsibility, establishes interagency steering group; SpaceX expected to fall just short of 100 launch / year goal at 97 before EOY; Congressional committee recommends permanent placement of DoD assets at Lagrange points. ● Hawai’i: ILO-X astronomy instruments for ILOA Hawai’i are now set to launch to Moon NET mid-February 2024 and land on surface ~6.5 days later via Intuitive Machines; Rich Matsuda to become first Hawai’i-born director of W. M. Keck Observatory effective Jan 1; Journey Through the Universe 20th year being planned for February. |
 |
● = Terrestrial and… o = International terrestrial events
☾ = Moon activity ★ = Space and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’). |
Weekly Planet Watch – Evening Planets: Jupiter (SE), Saturn (SW), Uranus (SE), Neptune (S); Morning Planets: Venus (SE), Mars (E).
India Finishing 2023 with PSLV Launch, Starting 2024 with 109th Indian Science Congress
ISRO is working to prepare X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) for launch on PSLV-DL from Satish Dhawan Space Center First Launch Pad on Dec 28. This mission will be the 4th launch of PSLV in the DL configuration, which features just 2 strap-on boosters rather than the 6 typically utilized on XL variant – saving fuel and expense on missions with lift requirements <1,257 kg to 600 km SSO. Developed by U R Rao Satellite Centre in collaboration with Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru, 480-kg XPoSat is the first polarimetry mission from India and second in the world after NASA / ASI Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), which will enter 3rd year of operation on Jan 10, 2024. XPoSat will be used to study polarization of luminous x-ray sources, allowing researchers to infer magnetic structure of astronomical objects e.g. active galactic nuclei, neutron stars, and black holes. Payload instruments are Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX), a Thomson X-ray polarimeter designed for 8-30 keV observations and X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT), which measures soft X-rays. Kicking off 2024, the 109th Indian Science Congress is scheduled to be held at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab Jan 3-5 under theme The Global Perspective on Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future. Women’s, Children’s, Tribal, and Farmer Science Congresses are to address diverse approaches to sustaining world population estimated to reach 9B by 2050. (Image Credits: ISRO, ISCA) |
☾ NET Dec 25 — Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), Lunar Orbit Trajectory: Projected date for SLIM Moon mission to enter lunar orbit before planned landing east of Shioli crater (13.2°S, 25.2°E) on Moon near side equatorial region ~Jan 19. ☆ Dec 25 — Mars Express, Mars Orbit: ESA spacecraft reaches 20 full years / enters 21st year in Mars orbit today; will continue to study Mars atmosphere & climate, planet structure, mineralogy, geology, and to search for traces of water; launched June 2, 2003. ☆ Dec 25 — James Webb Space Telescope, Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange Point: NASA (STSci) / ESA / CSA infrared astronomy telescope reaches 2nd full year / enters 3rd year in space since launching on this day via Ariane 5 ECA rocket in 2021. ☆ Dec 25 — Roscosmos, Launch Soyuz-2 / Meteor-M 2-4, Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia: Soyuz rocket to launch new generation of meteorology satellites replacing the Meteor-3M series. ☆ Dec 25 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 XK16: Near-Earth Flyby (0.022 AU) Ongoing… ☾ Sep 6 – NET Jan 20 — Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), Lunar Landing Trajectory: SLIM Moon mission 4-6 month trajectory to soft land east of Shioli crater (13.2°S, 25.2°E) on Moon near side equatorial region. ☆ Sep 6 – NET Mar — X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), ~550-km LEO: XRISM undergoing 6 month check out testing phase before start of science operations to study galactic plasma. ● Dec 15-30 — Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, KSC FL: 2023 Holidays in Space; nightly projected show of a voyage through the stars, Earth and beyond. TUESDAY● Dec 26 — The Space Show, Online / Las Vegas NV: Dr. David Livingston hosts Bob Zimmerman, science journalist and historian. ☾ Dec 26 — Moon: 3.8° N of M35 cluster, 10:00; Full Cold Moon, 14:33. ☆ Dec 26 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 XO7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU) WEDNESDAY☾ Dec 27 — Moon: 5.1° S of Castor, 21:00. ☆ Dec 27 — Mercury: 3.6° N of Mars, 12:00. |
THURSDAY
☆ Dec 28 — ISRO, Launch PSLV / XPoSat, Satish Dhawan Space Center, India: India first dedicated polarimetry mission (XPoSat) to launch aboard PSLV to 650-km LEO; 07:30 local time.
★ Dec 28 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon Heavy / X-37B Spaceplane, LC39-A, Kennedy Space Center FL: Seventh mission of X-37B, designated USSF-52, to undergo new orbital regimes, experiment with space domain awareness tech, and investigate radiation effects on materials provided by NASA.
☾ Dec 28 — Moon: 1.71° S of Pollux, 03:00.
☆ Dec 28 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 YD: Near-Earth Flyby (0.004 AU)
FRIDAY
★ Dec 29 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon / Starlink Group 7-9, SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB CA: Next batch of Starlink satellites for Generation 2 network to be launched.
★ Dec 29 — Parker Solar Probe, Heliocentric Orbit: Spacecraft reaches 18th perihelion today.
☾ Dec 29 — Moon: 3.5° NNE of Beehive Cluster, 06:00.
SATURDAY
★ Dec 30 — Juno, Perijove 57 / 56th Science Flyby, Jupiter Orbit: NASA craft to perform Jupiter flyby during Perijove 57, its 57th close flyby of Jupiter and 56th science flyby with instruments turned on; will also perform 1,500-km flyby of Io, soon reducing orbital period from about 38 days to 33 days.
● Dec 30 – Jan 2 — Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, KSC FL: Meet Astronaut John Fabian.
☆ Dec 30 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 YM: Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU)
SUNDAY
o Dec 31 — CNSA, Online / Beijing, China: Letters of Intent Due: Announcement of Opportunity: Soliciting for Payloads Onboard Chang’E-8 Mission.
● Dec 31 — NASA, Online / Washington DC: Last Day: Message in a Bottle Program; have your name engraved on NASA Europa Clipper spacecraft, aiming to launch October 2024.
☆ Dec 31 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 XE12: Near-Earth Flyby (0.037 AU)
MONDAY
☆ NET Jan 1 — JUICE, Jupiter Trajectory: ESA Jupiter Icy moons Explorer spacecraft to awaken for instrument checks after entering quiet mode in July 2023.
☾ Jan 1 — Moon: At apogee (distance 404,885 km), 05:00.
TUESDAY
● Jan 2 — The Space Show, Online / Las Vegas NV: Dr. David Livingston hosts Susan Jewell to talk about the Mars Moon Astronautic Academy.
☆ Jan 2 — Earth: At perihelion (0.9833 AU), 14:38.
WEDNESDAY
☾ Jan 3 — Chang’E-4 Lander and Yutu-2 Rover, Statio Tianhe (Milky Way Base), Von Kármán crater, Moon South Pole–Aitken Basin: Spacecraft reach 5 full years / enter 6th year on Moon far side, landed 2019.
☆ Jan 3, 4 — Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak: Appearing to radiate from constellation Quadrans Muralis; can produce up to 50-100 meteors per hour.
o Jan 3-5 — Indian Science Congress Association, Punjab, India: 109th Indian Science Congress.
☾ Jan 3 — Moon: At last quarter, 17:32.
☆ Jan 3 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 KK5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU)
THURSDAY
● Jan 4-7 — Planetary Experience Consulting LLC, New Mexico and El Paso TX: Intro to Lunar and Planetary Analog Field Geology for Managers, Engineers, and Students; deepening knowledge for Moon, Mars, and planets via analog terrains visits.
☾ Jan 4 — Moon: 1.78° NE of Spica, 16:00.
FRIDAY
● Jan 5 — The Space Show, Online / Las Vegas NV: Dr. David Livingston hosts Deniz Civay, Deputy Director of Aerospace and Defense at GlobalFoundries.
SATURDAY
● Jan 6-7 — NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group, New Orleans LA: ExoPAG 29th Meeting.
☾ Jan 6 — Venus: 6.3° N of Antares, 22:00.
SUNDAY
● Jan 7-11 — American Astronomical Society, New Orleans LA: 243rd Meeting of the AAS; at New Orleans Morial Convention Center.