NewSpace Africa Conference 2024 Highlights Growing Commercial Space Activity in Region
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MONDAY☆ Apr 1 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 70 planning to become Expedition 71 this week with departure of Soyuz MS-24 with Oleg Novitsky, Loral O’Hara, Marina Vasilevskaya; crew working with cargo Dragon CRS-30, Progress 86 and 87. ☆ Apr 1 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 17 three-member crew preparing for arrival of next crew in two weeks, monitoring ~150 in-orbit science research and application projects. Highlights… o NewSpace: Exploration Labs of Long Beach CA working toward 2028 mission to deploy 3 cubesats in path of asteroid Apophis ahead of April 2029 close Earth approach; Astrolab to sell advertisements on Flex Moon Rover (launching NET 2026) marketed by Group of Humans agency. ☆ Solar System: 1:25,000 map of Rosalind Franklin rover landing region Oxia Planum created using ExoMars / Mars Reconnaissance orbiters to inform NET 2030 ESA mission; China 1,200-kg Queqiao-2 data relay in 200×100,000 km lunar orbit 3 science payloads ahead of Chang’E-6,7,8 surface missions; JAXA SLIM operates for 3rd lunar day of mission despite frigid nights and scorching days. ☆ Galaxy: Event Horizon Telescope polarized observation of Sagittarius A* reveals magnetic fields similar to those seen in M87*; 3D map Quaia shows location of 1.3B quasars cataloged using ESA Gaia space telescope data. o Global: Ownership case over 14-kg meteorite which geologists located and transferred to Sweden museum may go to supreme court following ruling in favor of land owner; India reusable space plane Pushpak advancing toward orbital operation by end of decade following successful landing test by ISRO. ● USA: Space Development Agency seeking industry proposals to de-orbit defunct satellites in LEO as director urges increased proliferation; 18-member Texas Space Commission including representatives of SpaceX, Firefly, Intuitive Machines, CesiumAstro, Texas A&M, Rice University to promote industry with $350M public funding; Lunar Environment Monitoring Station, Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora and Lunar Dielectric Analyzer are 1st instruments approved by NASA for Artemis 3 science. ● Hawai’i: IfA astronomer Shadia Habbal and ‘Solar Wind Sherpas’ cohort to utilize spectrometer mounted on kite with 4,000-m tether to observe emissions during April 8 solar eclipse; Pan-STARRS, MDM Observatory, XMM-Newton and Chandra data being used to trace supernova observed for 185-days in 1181 to circular nebula Pa 30; ‘Kaulana Mahina: Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around!’ Moon exhibit running at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center until June 9. |
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● = 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: Mercury (W), Jupiter (W), Uranus (W); Morning Planets: Mars (SE).
Four Luna-firma Events Focus on Surface Science, Samples, Transportation, Payloads
NASA will be announcing April 3 the companies selected to develop the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for Artemis human Moon missions. The live broadcast event will take place at Johnson Space Center and feature Vanessa Wyche (JSC Director), Jacob Bleacher (Chief Exploration scientist), and Lara Kearney (Extravehicular Activity & Human Surface Mobility Program Manager). The unpressurized LTV is expected to be completed in time for Artemis 5 in 2029. There were 5 proposals that were made public which included teams of 1) Lockheed Martin, General Motors, MDA and Goodyear; 2) Northrop Grumman, AVL, Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Michelin; 3) Teledyne Brown Engineering, Sierra Space and Bridgestone; 4) Astrolab; 5) Leidos and NASCAR. Also on April 3 is the 22nd Online Lunar Surface Science Workshop themed Science Enabled by the Artemis Base Camp. Sarah Noble will open the meeting which will have Plenary Perspectives, 30 minutes of Lightning Talks, Breakout Sessions and Summaries. The CASA Moon webinar series continues this week with Alexander Nemchin of Curtin University discussing lunar glass and impact ages in “U-Pb systematics of lunar samples” talk on April 4. Expected to wrap up this month is the selection of international payloads (totaling 200 kg) to be included on Chang’E-8. CNSA will be launching the mission to the Moon South Pole region to test in-situ resource utilization in development of International Lunar Research Station NET 2028. (Image Credits: NASA, ESO) |
★ Apr 1 — Deep Space, Interstellar Space: Engineers continue to make progress with Voyager 1 communication issues, hoping its steady radio signal will begin to also transmit accurate data again. ★ Apr 1 — United Launch Alliance, Launch Delta IV Heavy / NROL-70, LC37B, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Last flight of Delta IV heavy rocket carrying mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. ☾ Apr 1 — Moon: At last quarter, 17:15. ☆ Apr 1 — Amor Asteroid 2024 FL: Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU) Ongoing… ☆ NET Apr — X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), ~550-km LEO: XRISM to start science operations to study galactic plasma after ending 6 month check out testing phase. o NET Feb – NET Apr — CNSA, Online / Beijing, China: Primary selection of international payloads for Chang’E-8 mission. TUESDAY☆ Apr 2 — International Space Station, Soyuz MS-24 Return to Earth, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 70 members Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub and Loral O’Hara set to return to Earth; live coverage of undocking available. ● Apr 2-4 — National Science Foundation, NASA, Washington DC: Integrating Ocean Drilling and NASA Science: A Workshop to Explore Missions to Planet Earth; at Centro de Convencoes Talatona. o Apr 2-5 — Space in Africa, Africa Union, et al, Luanda, Angola: NewSpace Conference 2024: The Role of Space in Closing Africa’s Poverty Gap. ☆ Apr 2 — Apollo Asteroid 2024 CZ11: Near-Earth Flyby (0.058 AU) WEDNESDAY● Apr 3 — NASA, LPI, Online / Houston TX: Lunar Surface Science Workshop 22: Science Enabled by the Artemis Base Camp. ● Apr 3 — NASA, Houston TX: Lunar Terrain Vehicle selection for Artemis program to be announced at JSC press conference, 16:00 EDT. o Apr 3 — International Astronautical Federation, IAF Space Communications and Navigation Committee, Paris, France and Online: Webinar on Perspectives of Satellite-Based Quantum Communications. |
● Apr 3 — CASA Moon, SSERVI, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, LPI, Albuquerque NM and Online: CASA Moon Planetary Sample Science Seminar Series: U-Pb systematics of lunar samples; by Alexander Nemchin, Curtin University, 11:00 MDT.
● Apr 3-5 — Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA: MIT Space Week 2024; including SpaceTech Conference, Beyond the Cradle event, and New Space Age Conference.
● Apr 3-6 — American Physical Society, Hybrid / Sacramento CA and Online: APS April Meeting 2024.
☆ Apr 3 — Venus: 0.26° SE of Neptune, 04:00.
☆ Apr 3 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 CC14: Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU)
THURSDAY
● Apr 4 — Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR), Online / Washington DC: WSBR Luncheon with United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs Director Aarti Holla-Maini; 12:00 EDT.
☆ Apr 4 — Aten Asteroid 2023 GC2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.022 AU)
FRIDAY
☾ Apr 5 — Moon: 1.80° SE of Mars, 20:00; with Mars and Saturn within circle of diameter 3.04°, 23:00.
☆ Apr 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 FT2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.090 AU)
SATURDAY
● Apr 6 — University of Hawaii West Oahu, Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council, Kapolei HI: Onizuka Day Of Exploration; 08:00-16:00 HST.
● Apr 6-9 — Yuri’s Night, Cosmic Perspective, Kerrville TX: Total Eclipse Festival; music, science, art and a total solar eclipse.
☾ Apr 6 — Moon: 1.16° SE of Saturn, 01:00; 0.47° ESE of Neptune, 23:00.
☆ Apr 6 — Aten Asteroid 2020 VL: Near-Earth Flyby (0.079 AU)
SUNDAY
● Apr 7 — Space Foundation, Colorado Springs CO: Yuri’s Night 2024.
● Apr 7-12 — American Geophysical Union, American Astronomical Society, Dallas TX: Triennial Earth-Sun Summit (TESS) 2024.
☾ Apr 7 — Moon: 0.51° NNE of Venus, 10:00; Moon at perigee, distance 358,835 km, 07:46.
☆ Apr 7 — Apollo Asteroid 2024 FG: Near-Earth Flyby (0.031 AU)