Focus on the Moon: 11th European Lunar Symposium in Padua, CAPSTONE One-Year Observation
11th European Lunar Symposium to take place June 27-29 at Polo Multifunzionale di Psicologia in Padua, Italy with five major themes: “Science of the Moon,” “Science on the Moon,” “Science from the Moon,” “Future lunar missions,” and “Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU),” along with 62 posters. Event co-sponsored by Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), with participants from NASA, ESA, ASI, ISRO, UAE, KIGAM, ISA, JAXA. Topics to include Moon as Observation and Communication Platform, with Parcec by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Crescent Space, ESA Lunar Pathfinder Network of Communications, and NASA ShadowCam onboard Korea Aerospace Research Institute Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter satellite with Dawoon Jung, Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Other topics include Astronomy and Astrophysics from Moon by ESA Scientist Bernard Foing, and Advances in Lunar Exploration Concepts in Europe. Trent Martin and Ben Bussey of Intuitive Machines, Jack Burns University of Colorado to speak on Commercial Lunar Payloads. Ian Crawford from University of London, Angela Stickle of Johns Hopkins University will also speak. Event to coincide with lunar orbiter CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) marking one year in space. A 12-unit CubeSat, Capstone’s main mission to pave way for Lunar Gateway, an in-planning stage space station by NASA, ESA, CSA-ASC among others in conjunction with Artemis program. (Image Credits: AAS Nova, Wikipedia, Johns Hopkins University, Intuitive Machines) |
MONDAY☆ Jun 26 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 69 seven-member crew working with final procedures for SpaceX Dragon CRS-28 before undocking this week (return payload capacity ≤ 3,000 kg), also working with breathing, blood pressure, hearing experiments. ☆ Jun 26 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 16 three-member crew monitoring exterior mounted 13-sample box radiation biology payload set to aid future human Moon missions. Highlights… o NewSpace: Space Engine Systems developing spaceplanes HELLO-1 (P2P, LEO, LLO) and HELLO-2 (lunar surface); Celestis planning 3 memorial spaceflights, including 1 to lunar surface, before 2024; PLD Space working to determine cause of reusable rocket Miura 1 scrub and reset launch date. ☆ Solar System: 1.5 g lunar samples retrieved by Chang’E-5 to be analyzed by CNES, University of Paris-Sorbonne and other French research institutions for 5-7 years; Juno may capture more images of lightening like the green flash uncovered by a citizen scientist from JunoCam image from 31st flyby; ESA / JAXA early release images taken by BepiColombo on 3rd Mercury flyby being shared globally. ☆ Galaxy: Galileo Project Expedition collecting ‘anomalous’ fragments composed of Fe, Mg, Ti thought to be from interstellar meteorite for analysis at Harvard; University of Geneva paper suggests particle mass fluctuations, not acceleration of universe expansion, responsible for cosmological constant discrepancies; NAOC astronomers propose use of double-period RR Lyr stars to gauge of galactic distances. o Global: Bangladesh, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, UAE, and Thailand are now signatures to China-led International Lunar Research Station; Cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov to join ESA, NASA and JAXA astronauts on Crew-7 mission to ISS in mid-August; Ecuador and India and are 26th and 27th Artemis signatories. ● USA: ULA working to correct too-thin steel on tip of Vulcan Centaur upper stage; Rocket Lab expecting strong DoD demand for HASTE hypersonic testbed following successful launch from Wallops; Boeing CEO emphasizes SLS and Orbital Reef while insisting company will not “shut door” on indefinitely-delayed Starliner. ● Hawai’i: Space-based commercial broadband for standard mobile devices closer to reality following 10.4Mbps d/l test from BlueWalker 3 in LEO to Hawaii; Keck being used to monitor ZTF SLRN-2020, an apparent stellar engulfment of a planet ~10x mass of Jupiter first thought to be a binary star merger; Ad Astra IfA Astronomer Nick Kaiser, founding PI of Pan-STARRS.
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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: Venus (W), Mars (W); Morning Planets: Jupiter (E), Saturn (SE), Uranus (ENE), Neptune (SE)
Euclid Space Observatory to Probe Fundamental Structure and History of Universe
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o Jun 26 — AAC Clyde Space, Online / Uppsala, Sweden: Extraordinary General Meeting for Shareholders; 13:00 CEST. ● Jun 26-29 — NSMMS, CRASTE, Tucson AZ: National Space & Missile Materials Symposium (NSMMS) / Commercial and Government Responsive Access to Space Technology Exchange (CRASTE). o Jun 26 – Aug 25 — International Space University, ESA, Netherlands Space Office, Delft University of Technology, Leiden University, São José dos Campos, Brazil: 35th ISU Space Studies Program (SSP 2023). ☆ Jun 26 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 ME1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.032 AU). Continued From… ● Jun 12 – Aug 12 — Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators at University of California Observatories, University of Hawai’i, Hilo HI: Akamai Internship Program 2023. TUESDAY★ Jun 27 — Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), Sun-Synchronous Orbit: NASA observation satellite investigating the physical conditions of the chromosphere of Sun reaches 10 full reaches / enters 11th year in space, launched 2013. ☆ Jun 27 — Roscosmos, Launch Soyuz 2.1b / Meteor-M no. 2-3 / PHI-Demo, Site 1S,Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia: Meteor-M meteorological satellite with MBRSC / UNOOSA Payload Hosting Initiative demo, 11:34 UTC. ★ Jun 27 — Virgin Galactic, Launch VMS Eve / VSS Unity, Spaceport America NM: 4-day launch window opens for Galactic 01, first Virgin Galactic commercial spaceflight, to carry 3 crewmembers from Italian Air Force and National Research Council of Italy. ● Jun 27 — The Space Show, Online / Las Vegas NV: Dr. David Livingston hosts Gary Barnhard of National Space Society Director of Strategic Relationships. ● Jun 27-28 — NASA, Washington DC: Moon to Mars Architecture Workshop. o Jun 27-29 — The Open University, NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), Padua, Italy: 11th European Lunar Symposium (ELS) 2023; at Polo Multifunzionale di Psicologia. ☆ Jun 27 — Moon: 2.75° NNE of Spica, 13:00. ☆ Jun 27 — Mercury: At perihelion, 0.3075 AU from Sun, 09:00; 0.08° SE of M35 cluster, 17:00. ☆ Jun 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 MS2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU). ☆ Jun 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 MO2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.037 AU). |
WEDNESDAY
★ Jun 28 — Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE), Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit / Cislunar Space: NASA 12-U CubeSat Capstone acting as pathfinder for planned International Lunar Gateway reaches its 1st full year / enters 2nd year in space since launch 2022 via Rocket Lab Electron Rocket.
● Jun 28 — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Online / Reston VA: Space 2050: Our Future Shaped by Today’s Space Technology Advances; with Lockheed Martin and Crescent Space representatives, 13:00-14:00 EDT.
● Jun 28 — NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Online / Washington DC: Entrepreneurs Challenge, round 1 submission deadline; up to 20 awards of US$16,000 each.
● Jun 28-30 — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel MD: Second Near-Earth Object Workshop: Reconnaissance for Planetary Defense, NEO WARP 2.
☆ Jun 28 — Apollo Asteroid 2013 WV44: Near-Earth Flyby (0.023 AU).
THURSDAY
● Jun 29 — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Online: Webinar: Functional Planning for Construction of Lunar Base; Robert Muller, PI and Chief Technologist (NASA Kennedy Space Center Swamp Works) to present 16:00 EDT.
● Jun 29 — George Washington University Space Policy Institute (SPI), Aerospace Corporation Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS), Hybrid / Washington DC and Online: Public-Private Synergy in the Space Sector: Risks and Rewards; 10:00-13:30 EDT.
☆ Jun 29 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 MN1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.024 AU).
☆ Jun 29 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 MR1 : Near-Earth Flyby (0.015 AU).
☆ Jun 29 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 MX2 : Near-Earth Flyby (0.003 AU).
☆ Jun 29 — Aten Asteroid 2022 MM1 : Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU).
FRIDAY
o Jun 30 — Asteroid Foundation, Global: Asteroid Day 2023; education, events, films and entertainment hosted by organizations and individuals to increase awareness about asteroids.
● Jun 30 — The Space Show, Online / Las Vegas NV: Dr. David Livingston hosts Angie Bukley and Joseph Koller of Aerospace Corporation.
☆ Jun 30 — Moon: 1.47° NNE of Antares, 23:00.
☆ Jun 30 — Mercury: At superior conjunction with Sun, 19:00.
☆ Jun 30 — Venus: 3.6° W of Mars, 22:00.
SATURDAY
☆ Jul 1 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Euclid, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: European Space Agency spacecraft with 1.2-meter telescope, projected 6-year lifetime to launch to Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2; will measure accelerated expansion of Universe, aid in understanding of dark energy / dark matter. 11:12 EDT.
☆ Jul 1 — Deep Space, Jupiter Orbit: Juno to soon surpass its 7th full year at Jupiter, heading toward Perijove 57 and 1,500-km flyby of Io later this year.
☆ Jul 1 — Aten Asteroid 2023 LG2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.014 AU).
SUNDAY
☾ Jul 2 — Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) P1, Moon Orbit: Craft reaches 12 full years / enters 13th year in Moon orbit today; originally launched with constellation of 5 satellites in 2007 to study Earth magnetosphere, NASA craft collecting data on Moon interaction with Sun; reached Moon 2011.
☆ Jul 2 — ISS, Progress 83P Undocking, ~415-km LEO: Russia Progress 83P (MS-22) resupply cargo ship filled with waste to undock from ISS and disintegrate in Earth atmosphere; live coverage of undocking available.
☆ Jul 2 — Aten Asteroid 2020 NC: Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU).