February 28 – March 6, 2022 / Vol 41, No 9 / Hawai`i Island, USA

USA Pathfinding 1st Women on the Moon, Mars and 21st Century Solar System Complete

Washington DC will host numerous USA Administration and Space Advocacy events this week, staring with the State of the Union Address 2022 on March 1 by President Joe Biden. Alongside First Woman VP Kamala Harris, the SoU Address will highlight American priorities which may include Artemis human lunar return, landing the first woman and first Person of Color on the Moon, exploring the Moon South Pole and Earth Observation / climate change. Keeping an eye toward Mars while establishing a sustainable lunar base will lay the foundation for human exploration beyond the inner Solar System Zone 1. Various divisions of NASA will also be holding the Advisory Council Meeting (Mar 1-2), the Space Weather Council / Heliophysics Advisory Committee Meeting (Mar 2), and the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee Meeting (Mar 4). Explore Mars Inc webinar Mar 4 on ‘Artemis 1: Next Gen Tech for Our Next Adventure to the Moon’ will discuss sending the first human rated to orbit the Moon (NET April 2022) since Apollo 17 in 1972, and look forward to the crewed Artemis 2 mission slated for Sep 2023. The AIAA Congressional Visits Day 2022, virtual this year, will occur Mar 14-18 connecting AIAA members with national decision makers to advocate policy issues relevant to the space, science, engineering and technology communities. (Image Credits: NASA, CNBC, AIAA, Explore Mars)

MONDAY

☆ Feb 28 – ISS, ~405-km LEO: Expedition 66 seven-member crew to work with cargo from Cygnus NG-17, Progress 80P; Shkaplerov, Dubrov, Vande Hei to remain aboard for 1 more month.

☆ Feb 28 – Tiangong Space Station, ~370-km LEO: Shenzhou 13 to be first to attempt rapid return to Earth in April; Long March 5B-Y3 to launch Wentian module soon shipping to Wenchang launch center.

o = International terrestrial events in local time.

★ = Space events, and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).

ISRO Works to Commercialize, Achieve Ambitious 2022 Launch Schedule While Engaging International Partnerships

ISRO on track to conduct ~19 launches this year per comments given by Director S Somnath with first / second uncrewed Gaganyaan flights (NET Q3/Q4) and Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 (NET August) highly anticipated. 4 Gaganauts initially trained at Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Center in Moscow continue preparation in Bengaluru. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle orbital test and first commercial mission lofting satellites for Blacksky are also slated, a harbinger, ISRO hopes, for the future direction of the organization. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre established to streamline regulatory processes working with NewSpace India Limited to promote India launch services to global markets. Internationally, ISRO SSA Control Centre to collaborate with Combined Space Operation Center at Vandenberg SFB on Space Situational Awareness (with UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand) while developing US$1.5B NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (launching on PSLV NET 2023). India is being courted by USA-led Artemis coalition and China-Russia International Lunar Research Station, having pledged “enhanced cooperation” between Roscosmos and ISRO per India-Russia joint statement. India also coordinating as part of Quad Fellowship (Australia, India, Japan, USA) including on space norms; continues contributing data to Sentinel Asia and is working with Japan on Lunar Polar Exploration mission (NET Jan 2024). (Image Credits: NASA, White House; Pictured (Clockwise): ISRO Chair S Somnath, Former ISRO Chair K Sivan, Director of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme V R Lalithambika, NASA Astronaut Raja Chari, NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy Bhavya Lal, VP Kamala Harris)

● Feb 28 – NASA, Axiom, Online / Washington DC: News Conference: Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) briefing; features Kathy Lueders, Robyn Gatens, Phil McAllister, Michael Suffredini; starts 11:00 EST.

o Feb 28 – Mar 4 – The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, International Academy of Astronautics, Beppu, Japan: 14th IAA Low-Cost Planetary Missions Conference; with 33rd International Symposium on Space Technology and Science, and 10th Nano-Satellite Symposium.

● Feb 28 – Mar 4 – Gemini Observatory, NSF, NOIRLab, Maunakea Observatories, Online / Hilo HI: 18th Journey Through the Universe.

☆ Feb 28 — Moon: 3.6° SE of Mercury, 13:00; with Mercury, and Saturn within circle of diameter 4.19°, 15:00; 4.1° SE of Saturn, 17:00.

☆ Feb 28 — Mercury: At aphelion, 0.4667 AU from Sun, 13:00.

☆ Feb 28 — Aten Asteroid 2020 UO4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.047 AU)

Continued From…
o Nov 4 – Jun 29 – Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Problems, NASA Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), Moscow, Russia: Mixed gender crew of 6 participating in 8-month space / lunar simulation mission SIRIUS-21 (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station).

o Dec 20 – Mar 4 – JAXA, Online / Tokyo, Japan: Accepting applications for Japan Astronaut Candidates.

o Feb 10 – Mar 9 – JAXA, Online: Astronaut Hoshide ISS Mission Report Virtual Expo; sharing never-before released video of the interior of the ISS and activities.

o Feb 11 – Mar 8 – International Astronomical Union, Global: Women and Girls in Astronomy.

☆ NET Feb 27 – Rocket Lab, Synspective, Launch Electron / StriX-β, Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: 14-day launch window opens for Mission ‘The Owl’s Night Continues’ to add second synthetic aperture radar satellite to constellation of Tokyo-based Synspective.

TUESDAY

☆ Mar 1 — Deep Space, 41 LY from Earth: Scientists eager to study 7 planets of Trappist-1 system (particularly Trappist-1e) with James Webb Telescope for atmosphere / habitability data.

★ Mar 1 – United Launch Alliance, Launch Atlas 5 / GOES-T, SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Launch scheduled for GOES-T, third next-generation geostationary weather satellite for NASA and NOAA.