March 2-8, 2026 / Hawai`i Island, USA
Vol 45, Week 9: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition
Hawaiʻi Space Ambitions: Bonds Proposed to Fund Fenix Horizontal Launch at Hilo
Recently introduced Hawaiʻi House Bill 1608 would authorize issuance of US$40M worth of special-purpose revenue bonds to assist Fenix Space Incorporated, a California aerospace firm specializing in towed-glider air-launch systems. If approved, the bond issue would support planning, design and construction of a Fenix launch platform and Hilo flight operations facility at Hilo International Airport, including offices, payload integration clean rooms and specialized hangars. Fenix horizontal launches tow winged boosters to 40,000 feet via commercial aircraft, and boosters take payloads to 60,000 feet for rocket release, minimizing environmental impact. Additionally, Hawaiʻi House Bill 1904 proposes establishment of a Hawaiʻi Orbital Sustainability and Space Traffic Board within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and would establish an orbital tracking and traffic management system, authorize grants for workforce development, require operator registration, and mandate compliance with environmental, historic preservation and Native Hawaiian consultation laws. These initiatives would support ongoing infrastructure improvements at Hilo Airport and position Hawaiʻi as a Pacific equatorial hub for aerospace cooperation. The global space economy reached US$626B USD in 2025. With 12% compound annual growth rate, it is projected to exceed US$1T dollars annually by 2034. Aiming to distinguish itself from previously proposed intrusive vertical launches that caused resident resistance and opposition in Puna and Kaʻū, Fenix looks to pioneer reusable tech that enables affordable access to space from the Aloha state. (Image Credits: Fenix Aerospace, Hawaii DOT)
CubeSat Conference Fosters Continuance of Canada Space Contributions
The inaugural Canadian CubeSat Conference (CCC 2026) is March 7-8 and aims to be Canada’s premier technical conference for small satellites. This 2-day in-person conference in Montreal brings together academia, researchers and industry to share knowledge, showcase research / projects and foster connections. Supported by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA-ASC) and company MDA Space, CCC 2026 is organized by the Canadian CubeSat Network (CCN), which began in December 2025 as an initiative of SEDS-Canada, a student-led nonprofit. Students for the Exploration and Development of Space-Canada is a student-led non-profit dedicated to nurturing the next generation of aerospace professionals. Joining CCN gives access to a Discord community, curated knowledge repository (“wiki”) and mentorship, helping students turn passion for space into an aerospace engineering career. Canada was the 3rd country to reach orbit (91+ now have) and ranks 9th in operational satellites with 70+. Small orbiters comprise more than 90%. CubeSats are nano- (1-10 kg) or picosatellites (0.01-1 kg) built in “IU” units measuring 10x10x10 cm, designed with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, and are cost-effective for university research, tech demos and Earth observation. Canadarms on the ISS are Canada’s most-famous space contribution, soon to be surpassed by Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen as member of the Moon-flyby Artemis II mission, launching NET April 1, 2026. (Image Credits: Jeff Geerling, NanoAvionics, NASA, CSA-ASC)
Humans in Space
International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 crew continue science research in the orbiting laboratory, much of it concerned with the human body’s reaction to weightlessness. Roscosmos Cosmonauts Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev wore VR goggles to test sense of balance / orientation; Astronauts Adenot of ESA and Hathaway of NASA continue to familiarize themselves with living and working in the ISS, including use of exercise gear and safety equipment, and medical procedures such as processing blood samples and doing ultrasound scans. NASA and ESA astronauts precisely positioned 4 cameras to record exercise sessions, enabling muscle and bone analysis. Cosmonaut Fedyaev set up a physics experiment using molecular beams to measure semiconductor growth and installed Earth observation gear that uses a variety of wavelengths. NASA Astronauts Williams and Meir along with Adenot used UV light and measured its inhibition of microbial growth within the station. All 7 continue ongoing housekeeping, including trash collection, vacuuming up dust and wiping down surfaces with disinfectant, and monitoring the Elektron oxygen generator for proper operation.
Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 crew uses an aeroponic cultivation system that vaporizes water into a fine mist, significantly improving the efficiency of water usage, and has an LED light array enhancing energy usage, allowing them to grow tomatoes as China Spring Festival travel season continues through March 13. Future plans for the Tiangong Space Garden include trial plantings of wheat, carrots and medicinal plants. An unexpected but welcome side-effect of the Space Garden is a psychological boost. Taikonaut Zhang Lu said, “To see such a vibrant splash of green in the vastness of space is incredibly healing.”
Lunar Enterprise News: Data scientist Chandra Tungathurthi of India now produces Digital Elevation Modeling (DEM) images of the Moon surface at 30 cm resolution, using data from the camera on the Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter (highest-resolution of any at the Moon) and combining it with open-source software from NASA and US Geological Survey to produce DEM images of landing sites of Chandrayaan-3 (Shiv Shakti), IM-2 Athena and Japan’s SLIM. DEM produces slope maps and identifies safe landing zones, among other benefits.
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon Mar 2: Aten Asteroid 2011 EH17 (0.040 AU); Tue Mar 3: Apollo Asteroid 2026 CD1 (0.016 AU); Tue Mar 3: Apollo Asteroid 2026 CX4 (0.019 AU); Fri Mar 6: Aten Asteroid 2021 ER (0.016 AU)
First Woman FLIES to the Moon …
NET (no earlier than)
First Woman LANDS on the Moon …
Loading Moon data for your location...
Loading planet data...
Land your name on the Moon!
Have your name sent to the Moon for FREE on the ILO-1 lunar mission via Astrolab FLEX rover (NET 2027). You will automatically be signed up for our weekly Space Calendar.
Ongoing Events:
Mar 1-3 — University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Huntsville AL, USA: Business of Space Conference
Events
-
-
Technologies Transforming Aerospace Webinar
OnlineCarissa Christensen, CEO of BryceTech, takes a deep dive into ten technologies outlined in the AIAA report on Technologies Transforming Aerospace; 12:00-13:00 EST (07:00-08:00 HST)
-
IAU Symposium 404: Advancing the Search for Technosignatures
OnlineCoordinating Division: Division F Planetary Systems and Astrobiology
-
Satellite Building Workshop
SingaporeFor undergraduates in STEM-related courses. At Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
-
Worm / Blood Moon, Total Eclipse of Moon
Moon OrbitMaximum eclipse 11:33 UTC (01:33 HST); visible across North America, the Pacific, East Asia, and Australia. The total phase (totality) lasts from 11:04 to 12:02 UTC.
-
Amsterdam Space Symposium
Amsterdam, NetherlandsIncludes focus on in-orbit refueling, speakers from ESA, Arianespace, Airbus and Novaspace. At Beurs van Berlage, Damrak 243.
€350 -
Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) Workshop
North Logan UT, USAThis workshop at Space Dynamics Laboratory aims to unite USA government, commercial and academic entities interested in discussing RPO best practices, identifying technology gaps, and pioneering new solutions. At 416 East Innovation Avenue. Participants can share knowledge, experience and expertise about flight and developmental programs, associated technologies and challenges.
-
2026 NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop
OnlineFor more information, visit the NASA Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop event page; this year's event will be held in a virtual format only. Continue to visit the page provided above for registration details. ASP members have the option to attend the event as a group.
-
Launch KAIROS / Flight 3
Spaceport Kii, ~33.5N, Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, JapanLaunch window 11:00-11:20 UTC+9 (16:00-16:20 Mar 3 HT) for 4 satellites to Sun-Synchronous Orbit, TATARA-1R, SC-Sat1a, HErO and AETS-1, launching on a 4-stage all-solid-fuel small-satellite vehicle Space One is a private launch service founded in 2018 by Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu (construction company) and Development Bank of Japan (supported […]
-
Astronaut Curt Brown Welcomes Awardees of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
Starkville MS, USACurtis L. "Curt" Brown Jr. flew on 6 Space Shuttle Missions, twice worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, and has made 904 Earth orbits. At Mississippi State University Mitchell Memorial Library, 13:00 CST.
-
Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-40
SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USALaunch window 01:58-05:58 EST (20:58 Mar 3 - 00:58 Mar 4 HST) for 29 internet satellites; 1st stage Booster B1080 expected to land on ASDS ASOG after this flight, its 25th re-use.
-
Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-18
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USALaunch window 13:00-17:00 PST (11:00-15:00 HST) for 25 internet satellites; booster B1097 expected to land after this 7th re-use on ASDS barge OCISLY.
-
Space-Comm Expo Europe 2026
London, United KingdomAt ExCel London; expecting ~6,000 participants, 200+ speakers, 250+ exhibitors. Keynote speakers include Greg Autry. Connect, collaborate and explore cutting-edge technologies across upstream, downstream and space services. With live demonstrations and expert panels, an opportunity to forge meaningful partnerships and drive commercial growth in the rapidly evolving space sector.
-
Payload Space 5-Year Anniversary Happy Hour
El Segundo CA, USACelebrate, connect, and talk space with us at 17:00 PST, Lil' Simmzy's on the Deck – 850 South Sepulveda Boulevard. After a little weather-induced reschedule, we’re back—bringing together the community for drinks, light bites, and the conversations that keep this industry moving. Plus, help us raise a glass to Payload’s […]
-
US Senate Confirmation Hearing for NASA Deputy Administrator
Online / Washington DC, USAMatthew Anderson of Colorado, USA is nominated. 10:00 EST hearing will stream live on YouTube and on the website of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
-
Abstract Submissions Due for 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)
OnlineFinal extension. Congress will be in Antalya, Türkiye, October 5-9, 2026, under the ambitious and forward-looking theme: “The World Needs More Space”, and invites bold thinking, across disciplines, across sectors and across traditional boundaries. Creative crossovers and fresh perspectives are not only welcome but encouraged. Conference website: https://www.iac2026.org/ Info video: […]
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee Meeting
OnlineOnline 13:00-17:00 EST (08:00-12:00 HST) U.S. National Science Foundation committee meets to provide advice and recommendations to NASA, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE). The committee will hear presentations by representatives from NSF, NASA, DOE and other agencies relevant to astronomy and astrophysics. The primary purpose of […]
-
Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-18
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USALaunch window 02:59-06:58 PST (00:59-04:58 HST) for 25 internet satellites; after this 7th re-use, booster B1097 expected to land on ASDS barge OCISLY in the Pacific Ocean.
-
Wales and West Spacefest
Bristol, United Kingdom09:30-17:00 UT at Aerospace Bristol Museum; The BIS will have a stand at this event, as astronomy societies from Bristol and Cardiff, and Bath Astronomers, alongside the Museum itself and the Herschel Museum present a full day of talks, lectures, children’s activities and show space hardware from the Museum’s collection.
-
BIS West Midlands Branch: Pets in Space
Online14:00-15:15 UT; For almost twenty thousand years, human beings have shared their lives with their animal companions. Cats and dogs have accompanied explorers and settlers wherever they have ventured, across deserts, through deepest jungles, to the frozen extremes of the poles and across (and even below) the world’s oceans. Cats […]
-
Launch RV-X VTVL / Test flight
Noshiro Rocket Testing Center (~40°N), Akita Prefecture, Japan1st test flight of vertical-takeoff-and-vertical-landing RV-X small rocket (6.76 m tall, 1.83 m dia., 3,138 kg); 2nd test flight planned for March 14. RV-X is the first of two flight experiments planned by JAXA in developing a reusable 1st stage for a next-generation launch vehicle. A 2nd vehicle planned to […]
-
Goddard: 100 Years Anniversary Celebration
Greenbelt MD, USAGoddard named his rocket "Nell"; celebrate the 100th anniversary of its flight. 13:00-15:00 EST, at NASA Goddard Visitor Center, ICESat Road. Opportunity to launch your own model rocket with the NARHAMS Rocket Club; rain date March 14.
-
Canadian CubeSat Conference (CCC 2026)
Montréal, Quebec, CanadaInaugural conference aims to enable resource sharing and collaboration while building next-gen engineers. Canadian Space Agency offers grants for attendance to postsecondary students to attend. At John Molson School of Business, Concordia University.
C$75 – C$150 -
47th IEEE Aerospace Conference (2026)
Big Sky MT, USAThe international IEEE Aerospace Conference, with AIAA and PHM Society as technical cosponsors, is organized to promote interdisciplinary understanding of aerospace systems, their underlying science and technology, and their applications to government and commercial endeavors. The annual, week-long conference is set in a stimulating and thought-provoking environment.
-
Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-31
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USALaunch window 03:58-07:58 PDT (00:58-04:58 HST) for 25 internet satellites; booster B1071 after this 32nd re-use is expected to land on ASDS OCISLY.
