India Government Aims to Encourage Domestic Space Commerce Ahead of Launches
A second commercial entity is being established under the Indian Department of Space, intended to facilitate the transfer of technologies under license from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to the private sector. Newspace India Limited (NSIL) is to accelerate development of burgeoning India space industry, generating increased demand for existing launch services provided by ISRO. How the NSIL mandate will differ from that of the existing state-owned private arm of ISRO, Antrix Corporation Limited, is at this time unclear. Meanwhile, Radar Imaging Satellite-2B (RISAT-2B) is set to be launched into orbit by the stalwart Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on April 22. RISAT-2B is anticipated to be the 2nd weather observation satellite to utilize radar deployed by ISRO and the 48th launch of PSLV. Launch viewing will be accessible to the general public at Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. A 5,000-capacity stadium style launch viewing gallery was inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Sivan in March. The 2nd India lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, is scheduled to depart for the Moon in July by way of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark 3. In addition to an orbiter, Chandrayaan-2 contains lander and rover modules. If successful, India will become the 4th country to soft land on the surface of the Moon and the first to explore the lunar south pole surface via rover. (Image Credits: ISRO) |
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MONDAY
Highlights…
 May 20 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 59 six-member crew working on experiments including Wisconsin Space Crystals, Kakuda Space Rice Seed imaging,Genes in Space, rodent research, and MicroAlgae – which may supplement diets for future lunar astronauts; performing Dragon cargo transfer operations, preparing for Russia EVA next Wednesday.
 May 20 — NewSpace: Japan Interstellar Technology Corp. plans orbital ZERO rocket to compete for satellite launches; SpaceX Crew Dragon testing reveals parachute failure in addition to explosion anomaly; Sierra Nevada Aerospace continues progress on DreamChaser spaceplane and supports accelerated push for the Moon.
May 20 — Solar System: Yutu-2 rover data suggests parts of Moon mantle may be laying on South Pole-Aitken basin surface; InSight Mars lander engineers study “mole” penetrator stuck 30 cm below surface; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter surpasses 60,000 orbits of Mars.
May 20 — Galaxy: Gaia satellite data reveals a burst of star formation in Milky Way 2-3B years ago; Swiss astronomers find signs of rare earth metals in KELT-9b, the hottest exoplanet found to date; UC Santa Barbara researchers test StarChip Wafersize spacecraft as prototype for interstellar flight.
May 20 — Global: China CASC Long March-11 maiden sea launch attempt and i-Space orbital launch both set for June; 2020 Tokyo Olympics organizers with JAXA to launch ‘G Satellite‘ into orbit; UAE pilot Hazzaa Ali Almansoori training for first flight to ISS in 4 months.
 May 20 — USA: NASA seeking additional US$1.6B for newly named Artemis Moon program; Boeing Starliner completes parachute tests, on track for uncrewed launch in August; Northrop Grumman successful tests of prototype habitat module at JSC move into next phase.
May 20 — Hawai’i: Subaru and Keck image star LkCa15, which resembles an infant version of Earth solar system; CFHT MegaCam observes filaments of gas from galaxy M87, site of supermassive black hole Powehi; EAO astronomers, using JCMT and SMA on Mauna Kea, image jets from black hole V404 Cygni 8,000 light-years away.
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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: Mars (W), Jupiter (SE), Saturn (S); Morning Planets: Venus (E).
USA Space Tech Expo 2019 Ties into National Space Policy Directives and Artemis 2024 Lunar Return
2019 Space Tech Expo USA is set to take place May 20-22 at Pasadena Convention Center, California. Focusing on space-related tech, innovations, launch services, manufacturing, and space situational awareness – many key aerospace entities will present / exhibit including NASA, Boeing, SSL, Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon, Nanoracks, Ball Aerospace, JPL and Virgin Orbit. Session topics will cover next-gen business opportunities, commercialization of LEO + Beyond, and public-private investment developments. Eric Stallmer (L), President of Commercial Spaceflight Federation, will give a Keynote Address titled ‘Linking Commercial Innovation with Public Investment to Maintain a Strong American Position in Space’. The Launch Vehicle Industry panel will discuss early 2020s Lunar Gateway, crewed launches and need for communication constellations. The LEO Commercialization panel maintains the development of LEO in the next decade will help support / sustain future Moon missions providing affordable and efficient access to space. Recent announcement of the requested additional $1.6B for FY2020 NASA budget would increase budget by $1.1B from its current $21.5B, and could help land the 1st Woman on the Moon South Pole by 2024. The additional request is meant to help fund SLS, Orion, a scaled-back or delayed Lunar Gateway, and to support commercial development of lunar landers, various ISRU, science and exploration instruments. (Image Credits: Smartershows, NASA, et al) |
May 20 — Akatsuki, Venus Orbit: JAXA first successful planetary orbiter imaging Venus atmosphere, monitoring weather changes reaches 9 full years in space today, launched 2010.
May 20 — China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Launch Long March 4C / Yaogan-33, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China: China Long March 4C rocket to launch Yaogan-33 reconnaissance satellite
May 20-22 — Smartershows, SSL, Raytheon, et al, Pasadena CA: Space Tech Expo USA; featuring presentations from NASA, Lockheed Martin Corp., Virgin Orbit, Boeing, Raytheon, and Airbus.
May 20-24 — Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA, Laurel MD: 2019 Cassini Science Symposium.
May 20 – Aug 9 — Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA: 31st Annual Planetary Science Summer Seminar.
May 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 JL3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.006 AU)
May 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 JB1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU)
May 20 — Apollo Asteroid 68950 (2002 QF15): Near-Earth Flyby (0.088 AU)
May 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 QP16: Near-Earth Flyby (0.099 AU)
May 20 — Moon: 1.71° NNE of Jupiter, 08:00.
Continued from…
 May 15 – July 28 — Lāhainā Noon: As the Sun passes through the Zenith, directly overhead tropic locations, vertical objects cast no shadows; lā hainā means ‘cruel sun’; Hawaii Islands dates / times available.
May 17-20 — Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, National Time Service Center, Xi’an, China: International Workshop on Astrochemistry 2019.
May 19-21 — USA Dept. of Commerce, Connecticut District Export Council, Hartford CT: International Space Trade Summit. |
May 19-22 — Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), Montréal, Québec, Canada: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope 12th Users’ Meeting.
TUESDAY
May 21 — ISRO, Launch PSLV XL / RISAT 2B, Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, designated PSLV-C46, to launch Earth observation satellite for ISRO.
May 21-22 — Luxembourg Space Agency, Government of Luxembourg, GovSat, EarthLab Luxembourg, et al, Luxembourg: Space Forum Conference; based on the impact of space technologies on Earth businesses; expecting 5,000 attendees.
May 21-23 — School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of The University of Manchester, NASA SSERVI, ESA, Europlanet, Manchester, United Kingdom: 7th European Lunar Symposium 2019.
May 21-24 — International Academy of Astronautics, Dnepr, Ukraine: 7th IAA Conference on Space Technologies: Present and Future.
May 21 — Mercury: 3.7° SSE of the Pleiades, 05:00.
WEDNESDAY
May 22 — British Interplanetary Society, London, United Kingdom: Lecture: Apollo 10 – Dress Rehearsal for the Moon Landing; by Jerry Stone, 19:00.
May 22 — Sally Ride Science, University of California San Diego (UCSD), San Diego CA: Event: Women in Leadership.
May 22 — Space Transportation Association, Washington DC: STA luncheon with Canadian Space Agency President Sylvain Laporte.
May 22-25 — British Interplanetary Society, Beijing, China: 10th China Satellite Navigation Conference (CSNC): Navigation, 10 Years and Beyond.
May 22 — Moon: 0.63° SE of Saturn, 13:00; with Saturn and Pluto within circle of diameter 2.94°, 13:00.
THURSDAY
May 23 — Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX: Seminar: Hayabusa2 at Ryugu; by Driss Takir fro NASA JSC.
May 23-24 — Secure World Foundation, Pretoria, South Africa: Workshop on SocioEconomic Benefits of Space Resources Utilization – African Perspectives.
FRIDAY
May 24 — Space Center Houston, Houston TX: Lunch with an Astronaut, Mary Cleaver, adult US$69.95, child $35.95.
May 24 — Foothill Observatory, Peninsula Astronomical Society, Los Altos Hills CA: Foothill Observatory Public Viewing every clear Friday from 21:00-23:00; free.
May 24 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 JF7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.038 AU)
SATURDAY
May 25 — Mauna Kea Astronomy Outreach Committee, Mauna Kea HI, 2,800-meter level: Malalo o ka Po Lani; presentation covering cultural components that surround Mauna O Wakea, 18:00 followed by stargazing program, at Mauna Kea Visitor Information Center.
May 25 — Mercury: 6.5° NNW of Aldebaran, 08:00.
May 25 — Aten Asteroid 2015 KQ18: Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU)
May 25 — Aten Asteroid 66391 (1999 KW4): Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU)
SUNDAY
May 26-30 — Japan Geoscience Union, Chiba, Japan: Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2019 (JpGU2019).
May 26 – Jun 17 — Aspen Center for Physics, Aspen CO: Workshop: Progress after Impasse: New Frontiers in Dark Matter.
May 26 — Moon: at apogee (distance 403,737 km), 03:00; at last quarter, 06:33.