India Planning 1st Indigenous Human Spaceflight 2022, Future Moon, Mars, Venus Robotic Missions
India Space Research Organization, chaired by S Somanath, is paving the way for India to achieve advanced human and robotic spaceflights and science in a few short years. Executing the mission “in a highly systematic manner” (Somanath) the human spaceflight program is working toward its first uncrewed Gaganyaan G-1 test flight Q1 2023, arranging international agreements for ground-station tracking, verifying launch vehicles integration, and engineering life support / environmental systems – hopefully leading to successful first human flights before 2024. Looking forward to Chandrayaan-3 Moon south pole lander, its propellant and other testing should be upcoming – with a potential launch in August if safe, diligent verifications are made. Major spacefaring power India is operating multiwavelength Astrosat in LEO and at Mars with Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission / MOM), while planning Aditya L1 to study the Sun, Shukrayaan-1 to study Venus, NISAR for Earth remote sensing, and Lunar Polar Exploration Mission with JAXA. Counting to expand its launchers, ISRO is also planning Q3 2022 the first flight of its new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) while developing a new spaceport near Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu. Upscaling industry participation in India space programs is the 2019 established NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) under leadership of Radhakrishnan Durairaj (Chair), while Antrix established 1992 (former Chair Shri Rakesh Sasibhushan) continues as the commercial / marketing arm for products and services from ISRO. (Also pictured: Seetha S, Director ISRO Space Science Programme Office; Image Credits: ISRO, Antrix, NSIL, TOI)
MONDAY
☆ May 16 — ISS, ~405-km LEO: Expedition 67 seven-member crew preparing to receive CST-100 OFT-2 and cargo, working with acoustic monitors, calibrating Organic Carbon Analyzers, performing Cerebral Autoregulation experiment; Cold Atom Lab continues research and data downlinks.
☆ May 16 — Tiangong Space Station, ~370-km LEO: Tianzhou-4 docked with ~7 tons of supplies and experiments, awaiting Shenzhou-14 three-member crew expected to launch in early June from Jiuquan Launch Center.
☆ Solar System: NASA and CNES analyzing Insight data indicating magnitude 5 seismic event on Mars; Nanjing University researchers demonstrate ‘extraterrestrial photosynthesis’ process using Chang’e-5 lunar samples, deriving Oxygen, Hydrogen, Methane, Methanol.
☆ Galaxy: Event Horizon Telescope first image of MWG Sgr A* black hole being viewed around world; JWST astro imagery release expected by mid-July, Quanta Magazine receiving Pulitzer for mission reporting.
o Global:India advancing HS200 SRB for Gaganyaan flight, working with France on secure space access; Chinese Academy of Sciences to secure approval for 7-telescope Earth 2.0 observatory operating at Sun-Earth L2 NET 2026; Innospace of South Korea to launch HANBIT-TLV suborbital precursor from Alcântara, Brazil NET Q4.
●USA: Lone Tree Co to host 53-acre Star Harbor Academy astronautical training campus NET 2026; USSF to award 125 groups $250k/ea through orbital debris mitigation program Orbital Prime; NASA partnering with Epic Games to create VR for Mars exploration training.
● Hawai’i: Keck Observatory spokesperson Rich Matsuda says HB2024 signals ‘new era’ for Hawaii Astronomy while UH President David Lassner hopes to ‘build relationship’ with proposed new Mauna Kea authority.
● = Terrestrial events, and…
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’).
Boeing / NASA to Attempt Starliner CST-100 Uncrewed Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2)
Starliner OFT-2 is now set for May 19, after being postponed from August 2021 due to an oxidizer-related valve corrosion issue since mitigated. The 13,000-kg, 4.57-m diameter vessel features a crew capsule with 7-person max capacity, designed to be reused up to 10x. OFT-2 is to lift off from KSC at 18:54 via ULA Atlas-V, and dock with ISS Harmony module ~24 hours later, where will remain 5-10 days before returning to Earth with 227+ kg of freight. Slated for Q4 2022 is Crewed Flight Test, the last hurdle to human-rating certification required to begin contracted (US$4.3B) Commercial Crew Program (CCP) operations ferrying NASA / partner country Astronauts to / from ISS. CFT crew will include Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and an as-yet unannounced replacement for Nicole Mann, who is now assigned to SpaceX Crew-5 launching NET September. Regular CCP missions Starliner 1-6 are scheduled 2023-26. Boeing is a leading USA space contractor – second only to Caltech in 2020, the last year figures are available from NASA Office of Small Business Programs – and recently announced headquarters move from Chicago to Arlington VA, in the Washington DC area. Along with a consortium including Blue Origin, Sierra Space and Redwire, Boeing is working on commercial space station Orbital Reef, planned to launch NLT 2030, which will utilize Starliner and Sierra Dream Chaser. (Image Credits: Boeing, ULA, NASA)
★ May 16 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 4-15, SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Falcon 9 to launch batch of Starlink internet satellites, 20:10; first stage booster to land on a drone ship in Atlantic.
☆ May 16 — Amor Asteroid 2022 HG2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU)
☆ May 16 — Amor Asteroid 2022 JC1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.016 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).
☆ NET May — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / NASA CAPSTONE, Launch Complex 1A, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment to pathfind near rectilinear halo orbit planned for Lunar Gateway.
● Mar 24 – May 26 — International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawai’i),Online / Hawai’i Islands:ILO-X Moon Camera Naming Contest for HI Schools.
☆ May 17 — Moon: At perigee (distance 360,302 km), 05:29.
☆ May 17 — Mercury: 4.9° SE of Pleiades, 17:00.
☆ May 17 — Mars: 0.52° SE of Neptune, 21:00.
☆ May 17 — Apollo Asteroid 2013 UX: Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU)
WEDNESDAY
★ May 18 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 4-18, LC-39A, KSC FL: Falcon 9 to launch batch of Starlink internet satellites; first stage booster to land on a drone ship in Atlantic.
☆ May 18 — Amor Asteroid 2022 JF1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.083AU)
☆ May 18 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 WY: Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU)
THURSDAY
★ May 19 — United Launch Alliance, Boeing, Launch Atlas V / CST-100 Starliner Boe-OFT 2, SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Boeing planning to launch second test flight of Starliner to prove technologies prior to first crewed flight; 18:54 EDT.
☆ May 19 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 JH: Near-Earth Flyby (0.084 AU)
☆ May 19 — Aten Asteroid 2021 EP2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.095 AU)
FRIDAY
☆ May 20 — Akatsuki, Venus Orbit: JAXA first successful planetary orbiter imaging Venus atmosphere, monitoring weather changes reaches 12 full years / enters 13th year in space today, launched 2010, entered Venus orbit Dec 2015.
☆ May 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 HD1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.039 AU)
SATURDAY
☆ May 21 — Moon: 4.2° SE of Saturn, 22:00.
☆ May 21 — Mercury: At inferior conjunction with Sun, 09:00.
☆ May 21 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 HN2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU)
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