South Korea Launching Danuri 1st Moon Orbiter During Opening Week of IAU GA31 in Busan

Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter “Danuri” (meaning Moon and enjoy), developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute is ready to launch via SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral SFS FL on August 4 EDT / Aug 5 KST. Danuri will use Ballistic Lunar Transfer, performing 3 highly elliptical orbits of Earth initiating a trans-lunar injection and arriving at Luna in ~1 month for a planned 1-year mission at 100-km polar orbit. If successful, it will mark South Korea as the 8th nation to orbit the Moon. The orbiter 6 science instruments totaling ~40 kg will work to survey lunar resources and create a topographic map while communications test new ground control infrastructures. ShadowCam is a high-sensitivity camera supplied by NASA, and the other 5 experiments are indigenously developed: KMAG magnetometer, KGRS gamma-ray spectrometer, communications tech demo Disruption Tolerant Network Experiment Payload, Lunar Terrain Imager, and Wide-Angle Polarimetric Camera. Danuri will also attempt to broadcast back to Earth the BTS “Dynamite” music video. The 31st International Astronomical Union General Assembly, hosted by Korean Astronomical Society and Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute, and Chaired by Prof. Hyesung Kang, will occur Aug 2-11 will bring >1,400 astronomers from 80+ countries to Busan, with hundreds also joining online. There will be thousands of scientific presentations, numerous policy discussions, media events and tours – including visit to Cheomseongdae astronomical observatory which was constructed in the 7th Century. (Image Credits: IAU, KARI, KASI, KAS, NASA, et al)

MONDAY

☆ Aug 1 — ISS, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 67 seven-member crew performing maintenance on Cold Atom Lab compression fittings leaks and jumper hoses, working with health research, equipment upkeep, and cargo transfers.

☆ Aug 1 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 14 exploring and integrating newly docked Wentian module; will set up experiments to grow rice, and variable gravity studies for Moon, Mars; test from now disintegrated Tianzhou-3 will aid future Xuntian space station telescope.

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’).

India Advancing International Commercial Space Access with SSLV, Working to Perfect Chandrayaan-3, Advancing Gaganyaan

ISRO aiming for August 7 first technology demonstration flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), touted as an economic solution to meet customer demand for custom orbital trajectories with a reliable rocket and quick turnover. The 4-stage (3 solid, topped by liquid-fueled Velocity Trimming Module) vehicle is to carry 142-kg IR Earth observation satellite EOS 02 and 11-kg AzaadiSAT education microsat to 350km orbit during SSLV-D1. SSLV-D2 is to loft four 56kg Blacksky Global sats to 500km NET Q4 2022, while X-ray Polarimeter Satellite is slated to be launch for Raman Research Institute of Bangalore by SSLV NET Q2 2023. Frequent commercial launches, brokered by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) with oversight of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), are expected to follow demonstration mission. Initially launching from appropriately named ‘First Launch Pad’ at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (13°N), a permanent Small Satellite Launch Complex on Sriharikota is planned. Launches to SSO will be conducted from a second launch facility, currently under construction in the state of Tamil Nadu near the town of Kulasekarapattinam (8°N). Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander / rover mission to commence Q1 2023 per timetable provided by ISRO to Parliament of India by request. Lander currently undergoing rigorous testing of hardware and sensors upgraded for robustness and redundancy. Aditya L-1 heliophysics observatory also launching in Q1 2023, while human mission Gaganyaan abort system test to occur in Q4 2022, launching Q4 2023. (Image Credits: ISRO, NASA)

☆ Aug 1 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 PP1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.033 AU)

☆ Aug 1 — Apollo Asteroid 2022 MU2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.084 AU)

Continued From…

★ Jun 28 – Nov 13 — CAPSTONE, Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit Trajectory: Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment heading to operating position at NRHO / cislunar space.

TUESDAY

● Aug 2-3 — Earth Science Advisory Committee, NASA, Washington DC: NASA Earth Science Advisory Committee Meeting; 08:30-17:00 EDT.

● Aug 2-4 — Applied Technology Institute (ATI), Online / Riva MD: ATI Course: Rocket Propulsion 101; US$2,090 per person.

o Aug 2-11 — International Astronomical Union, Hybrid / Busan, S Korea and Online: XXXI (31st) IAU General Assembly; at Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO).

☆ Aug 2 — Mars: 1.31° SE of Uranus

☆ Aug 2 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 CC7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.087 AU)

WEDNESDAY

● Aug 3 — NASA, Online / Washington DC: Artemis 1 Mission Briefing; 11:00 EDT, live coverage available.

☆ Aug 3 — Moon: 4.1° NNE of Spica, 16:00.

☆ Aug 3 — Aten Asteroid 2020 PN1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU)

THURSDAY

☆ Aug 4 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Launch of South Korea lunar orbiter ‘Danuri’ to search for / quantify lunar resources, test technologies, operate at 100-km altitude for 1 year; to enter lunar orbit 16 Dec, carrying 6 instruments (1 from NASA) totaling 40 kg.

★ Aug 4 — ULA, Launch Atlas 5 / SBIRS GEO 6, SLC-41, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-097, to launch U.S. Space Force sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous satellite for missile early-warning detection.