March 9-15, 2020 / Vol 39, No 10 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Annual Microsymposium 61, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 51 Being Hosted at Woodlands, Texas

Co-Organizers Jack Mustard of Brown University and Vlada Stamenkovic of NASA JPL are expecting broad international participation during Microsymposium 61: Planets Underground – The Next Frontier in Planetary Exploration, set for Mar 14-15 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Input is expected “from Russia, China, ESA, India, Japan, USA, Korea, and other space-faring nations and commercial enterprises” on the topic of non-terrestrial subsurface investigation – a study which holds particular contemporary relevance for long-term off-world habitation. Data collected by GRAIL has shown the Moon interior contains significant amounts of empty space which humans might occupy; shielding residents from cosmic radiation and mitigating thermal extremes and impact risks. Microsymposium 61 is followed by 51st LPSC on Mar 16-20. Founded as Apollo 11 Lunar Science Conference, LPSC has since 1970 gathered a range of physical scientists to focus on lunar and planetary data, research and exploration. LPSC 2020 is sponsored by Universities Space Research Association, LPI and NASA. Conference co-chairs Eileen Stansbery of NASA JPC and Louise Prockter of LPI will welcome ~1,800 participants for 1,300 poster presentations and a plethora of lectures and Public and Scientist Engagement Events. Special Session on Current Lunar Exploration: Chandrayaan 2 and Chang’e-4 and Scientific Exploration of the Lunar South Pole will occur on March 17 and March 18, respectively. (Image Credits: NASA, LPI, Brown University)

MONDAY

Highlights…
 Mar 9 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 62 Russia Commander Oleg Skripochka, USA Astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan expecting Dragon CRS-20 arrival today with transfer of 2,600 kg cargo to follow, imaging 2020 Tokyo Olympic Torch, continuing Earth observation studies with EarthKAM, will remain 3-member crew until April 9 launch of Soyuz MS-16.

Mar 9 — NewSpace: Blue Origin plans suborbital New Shepard flights in 2020, developing New Glenn booster, making additions to KSC for launch; Astra Space still plans satellite launch after recent attempt in Alaska; Bellatrix Aerospace of India working to launch first Chetak 2-stage rocket 2023.

Mar 9 — Solar System: Chang’e-4 and Yutu-2 rover enter 15th lunar night; SpaceX wins NASA contract to launch mission to M-type metallic asteroid Psyche NET July 2022; NASA releases MRO image of strangely symmetrical hole on Mars surface, while new Rover launching this July gets official name: Perseverance.

Mar 9 — Galaxy: Largest explosion ever recorded seen in Ophiuchus Cluster; Voyager 2 interstellar explorer back online after power fault; researchers analyzing ESA Gaia mission data believe Milky Way galaxy is warped.

Mar 9 — Global: UAE 2 new Astronauts to be announced Jan 2021; Indonesia LAPAN space agency building first spaceport, plans satellite launch within 5 years; Argentina ARSAT resumes development of 3rd geostationary satellite; Egypt NARSS Space Agency building satellite assembly facility in North Africa.

Mar 9 — USA: Artemis-1 launch by Space Launch System now expected late 2021; Boeing Starliner to test software before next flight; Orion spacecraft begins radio frequency testing; James Webb Space Telescope launch planned for March 2021.

Mar 9 — Hawai’i: Extension of Mauna Kea construction truce arrangement unclear, while Japan reduces Big Telescope funding for one year; PISCES continues ISRU lava basalt studies for applications relating to USA Artemis humans to Moon program; ILOA and EAO / JCMT Directors advance astronomy initiatives in Thailand at Galaxy Forum Chiang Mai.

Mar 9 — CNSA, Launch Long March 3B / BeiDou, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Xichang, China: China Long March 3B will carry addition to BeiDou satellite constellation; 07:50 local time.

Mar 9-12 — SatShows, Access Intelligence LLC, et al, Washington DC: Satellite 2020; featuring Elon Musk Keynote; at Walter E. Washington Convention Center; planning for ~15,400 attendees from 100+ countries.

= 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: Venus, Uranus (W); Morning Planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars (SE).

Satellite 2020 Conference in Washington DC Simultaneous with WSBR and NAS Astro2020

Washington DC resonates with talk of space technological advances. The Satellite 2020 conference opens March 9-12 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Keynote address will be given by (clockwise from BL) Elon Musk of SpaceX. Other keynote presenters include Ellen Stofan, former NASA Chief Scientist now Director of the National Air and Space Museum, and actor Cas Anvar of “The Expanse”. The panel on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics features Tanya Harrison of Planet Labs and Clare Martin of Astroscale. A roundtable for Global Launch Service Providers includes Peter Beck of Rocket Lab, Tory Bruno of United Launch Alliance, Dan Hart of Virgin Orbit, and Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX. Washington Space Business Roundtable holds an annual flagship luncheon Mar 10 at the Satellite 2020 conference. The National Academy of Science Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, known as Astro2020, will identify priorities for the next decade. An Astro2020 meeting with theme of ‘An Enabling Foundation for Research’ opens Mar 9-11 at the Keck Center in DC. Alliance for Space Development, with sponsorship from the National Space Society and Space Frontier Foundation holds the annual March Storm and Washington DC Blitz Mar 15-19. After one day of training, participants will spend four days visiting members of Congress to support space. A goal of March Storm is to make space settlement and development part of USA national policy. (Image Credits: Satshow, Astroscale, ULA, Virgin Orbit, Alliance for Space Development)

 Mar 9-13 — Eastern Regional University Center, Latin American Center for Physics, Maldonado, Uruguay: Planetary Science Workshop 10.

Mar 9 — Moon: Full / Super / Worm Moon, 07:47; at perigee (distance 357,176.96 km), 20:24.

Continued from…

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

Nov 2019 – Nov 2020 — Hayabusa2, Earth Trajectory: JAXA Hayabusa2 with two samples collected from C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu on trajectory for Earth return.

Mar 2-31 — NASA, Nationwide USA: NASA solicits ‘Artemis Generation’ Astronaut applicants.

TUESDAY

Mar 10 — Washington Space Business Roundtable, Washington DC: WSBR Annual flagship luncheon and silent auction; 11:00-13:30.

Mar 10 — Colorado Chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration, Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Colorado Business Roundtable, Aerospace States’ Association, Colorado Space Coalition, Colorado Space Business Roundtable, Manufacturers Edge, Denver CO: Aerospace Day at the Colorado State Capitol 2020.

Mar 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 RF6: Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU)

Mar 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 CA3: Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU)

Mar 10 — Apollo Asteroid 535844 (2015 BY310): Near-Earth Flyby (0.036 AU)

WEDNESDAY

Mar 11 — British Interplanetary Society, London, United Kingdom: Lecture: ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) – Developing your Business in Space.

Mar 11-13 — National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC: Astro2020 Meeting: Panel on State of the Profession and Societal Impacts.

Mar 11 – May 15 — Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), Hawaii / Online: Accepting Applications for 2020 STEM Aerospace Research Scholars (STAR) Program for July 6-11 space and science vocation camp for Hawaii high school girls.

Mar 11 — Moon: 6.8° NNE of Spica, 15:00.

Mar 11 — Aten Asteroid 2008 UB95: Near-Earth Flyby (0.047 AU)

THURSDAY

Mar 12 — Institute of Physics West Midlands Branch, Keeler, United Kingdom: Lecture: Making a Star in the Lab; by Alison Laird from University of York.

FRIDAY

Mar 13 — Royal Astronomical Society, London, United Kingdom: Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) Ordinary Meeting; Meeting: Novel Astrophysical Probes of Dark Matter; and Meeting: The Near-Sun Solar Wind at Solar Minimum.

SATURDAY

Mar 14 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 5, SLC-39, KSC FL: Falcon 9 rocket to launch sixth batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX Starlink broadband network.

Mar 14 — Germany SGAC, Munich, Germany: Germany Space Generation Advisory Council Event, dedicated to advancing the role of Germany in the space economy during the next decade.

Mar 14 — British Interplanetary Society West Midlands Branch, London, United Kingdom: BIS Talks: Constant Aperture, Solid-State, Integrated, Orbital Phased Array (CASSIOPeiA) by Ian Cash; Mars SERENITY Spacesuit Simulator by Rochelle Velho.

Mar 14 — Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, NYC NY: 7th Annual Girls in Science and Engineering Day; 11:00-15:00, free.

Mar 14 — Pi Day: Worldwide science events celebrate Pi (Greek letter “π”), the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant – the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (~3.14159).

Mar 14 — Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Northrup Grumman, Washington, DC: Women in Aviation and Space Family Day; 10:00-15:00, free.

Mar 14-15 — Brown University, JPL, Vernadsky Institute, The Woodlands TX: Microsymposium 61: Planets Underground – The Next Frontier in Planetary Exploration.

Mar 14 — Gamma Normids Meteor Shower Peak: Meteors offer up to 6 per hour in deep-southern Milky Way appearing to radiate from star Gamma2 Normae in the constellation Norma.

Mar 14 — Moon: 6.7° NNE of Antares, 20:00.

SUNDAY

Mar 15-19 — Alliance for Space Development, National Space Society, Space Frontier Foundation, Washington DC: March Storm 2020; citizen-run congressional advocacy event for space.

Mar 15 — Moon: At last quarter, 23:35.

Mar 15 — Aten Asteroid 2018 GY: Near-Earth Flyby (0.016 AU)