7 International Space Station EVAs Include First All-Female EVA

7 extravehicular activities are planned at the International Space Station in October. The first 5 EVAs will install new lithium-ion batteries on the P6 truss to replace older nickel hydrogen batteries, extending the life and power capacity of ISS. The new batteries are carried to orbit aboard Japan ‘Kounotori’ H-II Transfer Vehicles, including the HTV-8 docked since Sep 29. US Spacewalks 56 and 57, respectively on Oct 6 and Oct 11, both feature Christina Koch (L) and Andrew Morgan. US Spacewalk 58 on Oct 16 will feature Morgan and Jessica Meir. Spacewalk 59 on Oct 21 will be the anticipated first all-female EVA with Koch and Meir. Spacewalk 60, last in the battery series, on Oct 25 will team Meir with ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano (R). Morgan and Parmitano will conduct a sixth EVA on a date TBD for upgrading the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. AMS, launched on the penultimate Space Shuttle flight in 2011, will continue to collect high-energy cosmic rays to explore new realms of physics. On Oct 31 Cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka (R) and Alexander Skvortsov (L) will perform an additional EVA. Russia has awarded NASA Astronaut Nick Hague, currently aboard ISS, the Order of Courage for his recovery from the aborted Soyuz MS-10 launch in Oct 2018. Hague wears an Artemis logo on his spacesuit. The S6 truss batteries will be replaced following the planned May 2020 launch of Japan HTV-9, last flight of the current model HTV. (Image Credits: NASA, ESA)

MONDAY

Oct 14-16 — Asgardia, Darmstadt, Germany: First Asgardia Space Science and Investment Congress (ASIC) 2019; at ESA Operations Center (ESOC).

The Largest Gathering of Off-World Travelers in the World: 32nd Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers

Representing 70%+ of all space travelers – those who have broken the 100-km Kármán line, as defined by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale – ASE is the world’s preeminent organization composed of members who have made this incredible journey. ASE hosts its 32nd annual Planetary Congress October 14-18; events will be held throughout Houston. With 119 astronauts, cosmonauts, and space explorers from 18 countries confirmed as of 3 October, ASE Congress functions as a repository of the collective first-hand experience of humanity in space. Astronauts will report on the latest developments in spacefaring and reflect on past achievements, with theme “Celebrating Apollo – Inspiring the Future”. Sponsored by Texas A&M University and Saudi Aramco, the highest valued company in the world, ASE is uniquely positioned to speak with authority on a subject which has captured the world’s imagination for the better part of the last century – and to marshal the resources necessary to achieve the intergenerational goal of Moon return and build-out. This rarefied event features notable delegates, including Apollo 11 Moonworker Buzz Aldrin, ASE co-founder Rusty Schweickart, and Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins. Ken Bowersox of NASA Human Exploration and Operations Directorate and Christian Feichtinger, Executive Director of International Astronautical Federation will chair a technical session, ‘Forward to the Moon’. Representatives from NASA, JAXA, ESA, ROSCOSMOS and CSA will speak on national efforts to return humanity to the Moon. (Image Credits: ASE, NASA)

Oct 14-18 — Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope, Yichang, Hubei, China: Conference: The Milky Way 2019 – LAMOST and Other Leading Surveys.

Oct 14-18 — Atacama Large Millimeter Array, Cagliari, Italy: Conference: ALMA2019 Science Results and Cross-Facility Synergies.

Oct 14 — Moon: 4.1° SSE of Uranus, 18:00.

Continued from…

Jan 2019 – Sep 2020 — New Horizons, Kuiper Belt: Full data from spacecraft 7 instruments during KBO Ultima Thule flyby to be transmitted to Earth over this time period.

NET Aug – Nov — Hayabusa2, Asteroid 162173 Ryugu: JAXA Hayabusa2 with 2 sample returns planned to remain at Asteroid for observations during this time period, then return to Earth.

Oct 13-18 — American Astronomical Society, Cloudcroft NM: RR Lyrae and Cepheid Conference 2019: Frontiers of Classical Pulsators – Theory and Observations.

TUESDAY

Oct 15 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron Rocket / Astro Digital Mission, Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Rocket Lab to launch its 9th Electron Mission dubbed “As The Crows Flies” to loft Astro Digital Corvus Platform; 14-day launch window.

Oct 15 — Institute of Physics at Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom: Lecture: The Great Moon Hoax; in this 50th Apollo 11 anniversary year Dr. Steve Barrett will explore hoax claims.

Oct 15-16 — Planet, ESRI, L3Harris, San Francisco CA: Planet Explore 19 Event.

Oct 15-17 — National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Irvine CA: Astro2020 Meeting: Panel on Galaxies.

Oct 15 — Aten Asteroid 2018 PK21: Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU)