Interstellar Studies and R&D Advance at WSU Seminar Commencing 2023 in Ad Astra State, as Interstellar University Evolves
The interstellar community continues efforts for long-term sustainable activities toward achieving interstellar travel, a recent development of which is an inaugural course being held in the ‘Ad Astra’ State of Kansas at Wichita State University starting January 18, 2023 with registration open now. Interstellar Seminar ‘LASI 150G’ will be a 16-week, 1-credit hour, in-person and online series course led by biological sciences Professor Mark Schneegurt. The course will introduce students to current research topics in interstellar space sciences, survey topics related to crewed interstellar missions from life support systems to propulsion to social issues, will include diversity content, and allow for interactions with scientists from SETI, JPL, other organizations and Universities. This Interstellar Seminar was catalyzed by the ‘Interstellar University’ initiative introduced by Ad Astra Kansas Foundation Co-founder Steve Durst, who advocates for an IU in Kansas due to its mid-way USA center locale, Ad Astra Per Aspera upward-looking spirit, Capitol building in Topeka with the ‘Ad Astra’ statue, world class Cosmosphere housing >13K spaceflight artifacts, 7 Observatories, manufacturing / engineering capabilities and its history of aero- and astronautics with Mercury & Apollo. AAKF has published a 20-year compilation of Interstellar R&D features. The Interstellar Research Group’s first international Interstellar Symposium, the 8th in the series, is set for Montreal, Quebec, Canada July 10-13 under theme In the Light of Other Suns in coordination with International Academy of Astronautics at McGill University. (Image Credits: AAKF, IRG, IAA, WSU, McGill University, K. Teramura / UH IfA, NASA)
MONDAY
☆ Dec 5 — ISS,~415-km LEO: Expedition 68 seven-member crew transferring 3,500 kg of cargo from Dragon CRS-26, working with suture behavior and wound healing experiment, EVAs continue through end of year.
☆ Dec 5 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 15 crew Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, Zhang Lu work with Chen Dong, Liu Yang, Cai Xuzhe – until end of this week when Shenzhou 14 may return to Earth.
☾ Dec 5 — Orion,Flyby of Moon: Orion Uncrewed Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and ESA Service Module on Artemis 1 mission planned to perform a return powered flyby of Moon 11:43 EST on return transit route to Earth; live coverage of media events available.
Highlights…
o NewSpace: ICON to develop ISRU lunar infrastructure technology under US$57.2M NASA SBIR award; Rocket Factory Augsburg to test Helix engine at DLR site mid-2023; Asteroid mining company Karman+ relocates from Netherlands to Denver CO, drawn by space workforce, $1.3M tax credit.
☆ Solar System: ESA Estrack and commercial Goonhilly ground station to support ispace lander when en route to Moon; University of Alberta analysis of 2-m diameter meteorite discovered in Somalia reveals 2 new minerals ‘elaliite’, ‘elkinstantonite’.
☆ Galaxy: Gaia at Sun–Earth L2 heads into 10th year since launch this month; Budapest 1-m telescope and NASA TESS help estimate variable star GD 99 parameters: 0.8 solar masses, effective temperature 13,500° K, 110 LY away.
o Global: CNSA to construct validation modules with TSS robotic arm, precursor to space solar power station ~NET 2028; S Korea to double space budget (currently $523M) in 5 years, land uncrewed missions on Moon (2032) and Mars (2045); Satoshi Furukawa to remain on ISS Crew-7 (Q3 2023) mission roster following JAXA investigation of 2016-7 long-duration psych study data falsification.
● Hawai’i: Mauna Kea Observatories testing sky observations while Mauna Loa eruption / safety remains priority; Landsats 8 and 9 continue to image Hawaii Islands, add to data sets / millions of Earth images; Keck Observatory plans net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.
● = 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’).
SpaceX Continues Transporter SSO Rideshare Series as Rocketlab Works Towards First USA Launch from Wallops, ABL Attempts Inaugural Flight
Launching from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to sun-synchronous orbit mid-December, the 6th Transporter dedicated rideshare mission further cements SpaceX as world’s leading commercial launch service. Notable booked customers include Hawthorne CA-based Launcher, Bronco Space (Cal Poly Pomona), ISILAUNCH (Delft, Netherlands), D-Orbit (Italy), Momentus (Santa Clara CA), Skykraft (Canberra, AU), Alba Orbital (Glasgow, UK), Tomorrow.io (Boston MA), DARPA, Gama (Paris, FR), Lynk Global (Falls Church VA), PredaSAR (Boca Raton FL), Umbra (Santa Barbara CA) and Open Cosmos (Catalonia, ES). Launcher is lofting their 400-kg capacity orbital transfer vehicle Orbiter carrying 3 payloads. Orbiter features ethane / nitrous oxide propulsion capable of 500 m/s ΔV in-space maneuvers. Transporter 7-12 are scheduled to follow between Feb 2023 – Q4 2024, with rideshare prices starting at US$275,000 for first 50 kg + $5,500 per additional kg. Meanwhile Rocket Lab, founded in New Zealand (2006) and incorporated in USA (August 2021) is launching for the first time from an American spaceport. Electron rocket is to loft the first 3 of 15 contracted HawkEye 360 geospatial RF satellites from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island on Dec 7. Relative newcomer to the launch provider industry ABL Space Systems is also striving for Dec 7 launch of RS1 from Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island AK, carrying VariSat-1A / 1B to a 200 x 350 km orbit with 87.3° inclination. (Image Credits: SpaceX, Rocket Lab, ABL Space Systems)
● Dec 5 — SpaceNews,Washington DC: SpaceNews Fireside Chat; former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver to discuss commercial space with reporter Jeff Foust.
☆ Dec 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WB5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.014 AU)
☆ Dec 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 VP1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.044 AU)
☆ Dec 5 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 XK4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU)
Continued From…
☾ Aug 4 – Dec 16 — Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), Lunar Trajectory: South Korea ‘Danuri’ to search for lunar resources & test technologies; performing 3 highly elliptical Earth orbits to initiate a trans-lunar injection and arrive at 100-km lunar orbit.
●Oct 29 – Dec 31 — Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, W.M. Keck Observatory, Maunakea Observatories, Kamuela HI: Waimea Solar System Walk for 2022; combining in-person and self guided walks, along Ala ‘Ōhi’a Road.
☾ Nov 15 – Dec 11 — Orion,Circumlunar Trajectory: Orion Uncrewed Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and ESA Service Module on 25 day, 11 hour, 36 minute mission; total distance to be traveled ~2.1M km (1.3M miles); to re-enter Earth atmosphere at 39,429 kph (24,500 mph, Mach 32).
☆NET Nov 27 — CNSA, Launch Jielong-3 / CAS-5A & CAS 5B,Off-shore Platform,Yellow Sea, China: First launch of Jielong-3 (Smart Dragon 3) solid rocket booster from floating vessel Tai Rui in the Yellow Sea; to loft Chinese Amateur Radio Satellites: 6U CAS-5A nanosatellite which will deploy CAS-5B weighing 0.5 kg; other satellites including Huoju-1.
●Dec 1 – Jan 31 — JPL, NASA,Online / Pasadena CA: Prepare for the Science Fair; video series for students in grades 3-12, teachers and parents.
TUESDAY
☆ NET Dec 6 — TSS, Shenzhou 14 Return to Earth, ~390-km LEO: Three-member crew Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang set to return to Earth, landing in Inner Mongolia, China after 6-month mission aboard Tiangong Space Station.
☆ NET Dec 6 — ISS,Russian EVA #57,~405-km LEO: Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin to perform 7-hour Russia Spacewalk 57 to relocate an Airlock from Rassvet module to Nauka multipurpose laboratory; live coverage available, starts 02:20 EST.
★ Dec 6 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / OneWeb 15, SLC-39A, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: 40 OneWeb satellites, part of planned 1,240-strong communications constellation, to be lofted into LEO by SpaceX.
● Dec 6 — Tech Crunch, Los Angeles CA:Tech Crunch Sessions; featuring representatives from Aerospace Corporation, Quantum Space, NASA Science Mission Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Air Force.
☆ Dec 6 — Puppid Meteor Shower Peak: Appearing to radiate from constellations Puppis, Vela and Carina, up to 10 meteors per hour expected (some very bright) seen from southern hemisphere; followed closely by Monocerotid meteors which offer ~2 per hour at most; 14:00.
☆ Dec 6 — Moon: 2.54° SE of Pleiades, 13:00.
☆ Dec 6 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WA6: Near-Earth Flyby (0.011 AU)
☆ Dec 6 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WF8: Near-Earth Flyby (0.022 AU)
☆ Dec 6 — Aten Asteroid 2021 WO1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.095 AU)
WEDNESDAY
☆ Dec 7 — Akatsuki, Venus Orbit: JAXA first successful planetary orbiter imaging Venus atmosphere, monitoring weather changes reaches 7 full years / enters 8th year at Venus today, reached Venus 2015.
★ Dec 7 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / HawkEye 360, Launch Complex 2, Wallops Island VA: Launch window opens for Rocket Lab first launch attempt from USA, mission dubbed ‘Virginia is for Launch Lovers’, carrying HawkEye 360 satellites.
★ Dec 7 — ABL Space Systems, Launch RS1 / Inaugural Flight, Pacific Spaceport Complex, Kodiak Island AK: ABL to attempt first flight of RS1 rocket carrying communications CubeSats VariSat-1A and VariSat-1B for VariSat LLC.
● Dec 7 — Apollo 17 50th Observation, Nationwide USA: The launch of the eleventh and final crewed Apollo mission, Astronauts Ronald E. Evans, Harrison H. Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan – the “Last Man on the Moon” – are honored today as international and commercial efforts for lunar return are well underway.
☆ Dec 7 — Moon: 7.8° N of Aldebaran, 06:00; Full Cold Moon, 18:09; 0.66° NNE of Mars, 19:00.
☆ Dec 7 — Mars: At opposition in longitude, 20:00.
THURSDAY
● Dec 8 — National Space Society, Online / Washington DC: 2022 Space Year in Review; with Chicago Society for Space Studies VP Larry Boyle, moderated by Jim Plaxco; 21:00-22:15 EST.
o Dec 8 —Alba Orbital, Glasgow University, Glasgow, UK: PocketQube Workshop 2022; Bringing academia and industry together to advance pico-satellite technologies.
☆ Dec 8 — Aten Asteroid 2017 RO17: Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU)
☆ Dec 8 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WW1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU)
☆ Dec 8 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 UL21: Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU)
☆ Dec 9 — Amor Asteroid 2022 VJ2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.088 AU)
☆ Dec 9 — Apollo Asteroid 162474 (2000 LB16): Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU)
SATURDAY
★ NET Dec 10 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Transporter-6, SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Falcon 9 to launch dedicated smallsat rideshare mission to sun-synchronous orbit; may include MethaneSat.
☆ Dec 10 — XMM-Newton, VeryEccentric Elliptical LEO: ESA craft studying X-ray emissions, star-forming regions, galaxy clusters, environment of supermassive black holes, mapping dark matter, reaches 23 full years / begins 24th year in space today, launched 1999.
☆ Dec 10 — Moon: 3.0° N of M35 cluster, 03:00; 1.82° S of Pollux, 22:00.
☆ Dec 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2019 XY: Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU)
☆ Dec 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 WW: Near-Earth Flyby (0.049 AU)
☆ Dec 10 — Amor Asteroid 2022 WZ7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.071 AU)
SUNDAY
☾ Dec 11 — Orion,Return to Earth: Orion Uncrewed Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and ESA Service Module on Artemis 1 mission planned to perform return transit corrections, followed by Crew Module separation from Service module, and Crew Module raising for targeted re-entry of Earth atmosphere at 24,500 mph (Mach 32), splashing down off the Pacific Coast near San Diego ~09:40 PST; total distance traveled ~209M km (1.3M miles); live coverage of media events available.
★ Dec 11 — Parker Solar Probe, Heliocentric Orbit: Spacecraft reaches 14th perihelion today.
☆ Dec 11 — Moon: At apogee (distance 405,906 km), 15:00.
☆ Dec 11 — Amor Asteroid 2022 WJ2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU)
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