March 21-27, 2022 / Vol 41, No 12 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Satellite 2022 Creating Opportunity, Expanding Horizons to Host Thousands in Washington, DC

Ongoing March 21-24 the expanded Satellite 2022 conference, held since 1981, will see over ~1,500 companies representatives from space and satellite communities at Walter E. Washington Convention Center. There are various sessions, keynote series, networking activities, an extensive exhibition hall, and award ceremony. Some of speakers >260 include Gwynne Shotwell / SpaceX, James Antifaev / Spaceflight, Sirisha Bandla / Virgin Galactic, Luc Riesbeck / Astroscale, Meagan Crawford / SpaceFund, Kenneth Harris II / Aerospace, Mike Gold / SpaceRedwire, Tanya Harrison / Planet, and people from MDA, Telesat, Amazon, NOAA, Virgin Orbit, Maxar, Momentus, Viasat, Rocket Lab, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. The SGx Lightning Talks, organized by Space Generation Advisory Council and Future Space Leaders, will feature sessions on Government and Policy, Technology and Science, Human Spaceflight, and Institutional Culture. A multitude of press is expected from the event considering the access to latest tech innovations and engaging collaborations which take place. The first Satellite 2022 media release (announced October 2021) was the Space Frontier Foundation “Inclusive Innovation” a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 3-session program to be held during Satellite 2022. The 6th Annual Startup Space session will bring together 8 investors / judges and 10 entrepreneur pitches from agents of startup enterprises: OrbitsEdge, Scout, ReOrbit, Aquarian Space, AV SpaceTech, Ubotica, Tensor Tech, Vyoma, GeoJump, and Rogue Space Systems. (Image Credits: Satellite 2022 sponsors, et al)

MONDAY

☆ Mar 21 — ISS, ~405-km LEO: Expedition 66 crew of 10 with newly arrived Cosmonauts working with cargo from Soyuz MS-21, Cygnus NG-17, Progress 80P; planning U.S. Spacewalk #80 this week.

☆ Mar 21 — Tiangong Space Station, ~370-km LEO: While Shenzhou 13 will become first 6-month crewed mission, follow up longer-duration, international and commercial crew and activities being considered.

☆ Mar 21 — ISS, In-Flight Education Event, ~405-km LEO: NASA Astronaut Tom Marshburn to speak with Orville Wright Middle School students, 12:30 EDT, live coverage available.

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’).

Space Tourism Moves into Mainstream with Regular Blue Origin / New Shepard Suborbital Flights: NS-20 Upcoming March 29

Blue Origin is set to resume launch of space tourists aboard NS-20 New Shepard to an altitude just past the Karman line (flights have averaged ~107km) on March 29 – its 4th such passenger excursion since the July 20, 2021 first crewed mission of RSS (Reusable Space Ship) First Step. Living up to organization motto Gradatim Ferociter (‘Step by Step, Ferociously’), New Shepard utilizes the 3rd iteration of Blue Engine, BE-3, powered by cryogenic liquid hydrogen / oxygen, features fully autonomous operation with an advanced launch escape system, and has established a steady albeit cautious launch cadence. 14 people have experienced the weightlessness, gravitational forces, and overview effect of spaceflight, looking down on the ‘pale blue dot’ of Earth. Paying customers (clockwise) Marty Allen, Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, George Nield, and Jim Kitchen will be accompanied by an undecided goodwill ambassador flying gratis. The only other space enterprise to have joined Blue Origin and Roscosmos in offering space tours is SpaceX, with Inspiration4 reaching 585-km LEO September 19, 2021 and planning the first non-Soyuz commercial ISS mission, Axiom-1, on April 9. Virgin Galactic still striving for commercial passenger spaceflight with SpaceShipTwo on track for Q4 2022 per CEO Michael Colglazier. Space Perspectives, World View Enterprises and others working towards stratospheric dirigible-based space tours. (Image Credits: Blue Origin, SpaceX, Virgin Galactic)

● Mar 21 — Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Titusville FL: Opening of ‘Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex’.

● Mar 21 — Celestis Inc., Houston TX: CEO Charles Chafer to share details 18:00 CDT, about upcoming spaceflights over next 15 months including Earth orbit Ascension flight June 30.

● Mar 21-24 — Hughes, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Iridium, Maxar, MDA, ULA, Virgin Orbit, OneWeb, NG, et al, Washington DC: Satellite 2022: Creating Opportunity, Expanding Horizons; at Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

● Mar 21-25 — Space Studies Board (SSB), Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) of National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, Washington DC: SSB-ASEB Space Science Week.

● Mar 21-25 — Alliance for Space Development, National Space Society, Space Frontier Foundation, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, Online / Washington DC: 2022 Virtual March Storm Event.

☆ Mar 21 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 SQ: Near-Earth Flyby (0.007 AU)

☆ Mar 21 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 EE4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU)

☆ Mar 21 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 DG3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 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, international crew of 6 participating in 8-month space / lunar simulation mission SIRIUS-21 (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station).

● Mar 1-23 — Intuitive Machines, Online / Houston TX: Kerbal Space Program Challenge: A Nova-C Lunar Lander Challenge Contest; grand prize trip to Houston to join IM in mission control for Nova-C Moon landing, winner announced Mar 31.

● Mar 11-20 — South by Southwest, Hybrid / Austin TX and Online: 2022 SXSW (South by Southwest) Conference and Festivals.

TUESDAY

☆ Mar 22 — Zenit-2 Rocket Body Bright Pass: Body of Rocket (COSPAR ID 1999-039-B) used to launch joint Ukraine-Russia Okean-O remote sensing satellite in July 1999 to reach magnitude 1.6 at 645-km altitude, circling from WSW, 19:11:05 UTC.