Mars Leads First Half of 2021 with UAE, China, USA Craft Arrivals; 5 Moon Missions to Launch Q4

Remarkable interplanetary missions are underway as UAE Hope probe is set to enter Mars orbit February 9 – making it the 5th nation to reach the Red planet, followed by China Tianwen-1 orbiter, lander, rover on Feb 10 – becoming 6th nation, and NASA Perseverance rover planning Feb 18 landing. In time for Lunar New Year and having traveled ~500M km, they will join active orbiters Mars Odyssey, MRO, Maven, Mars Express, ExoMars, MOM / Mangalyaan, and Curiosity rover and InSight lander. Spreading great optimism, Hope is a 2-year mission with 3 science instruments to study weather events, while UAE is designing a 2100 Mars city. The successful Chang’e lunar landings bode well for Tianwen-1 (“Heavenly Questions”) touchdown on Utopia Planitia ~110°E, 24°N scheduled for May. Though Perseverance EDL (Entry, Descent, Landing) at Jezero Crater ~78°E, 18° N will induce another ‘7 minutes of terror’ – Mars landings are nearly routine at this point for NASA: Perseverance could be its 10th successfully landed craft which will also attempt to deploy Ingenuity helicopter to make the 1st UAV flight on another world. These deep space missions collecting unique data / inspiring images and performing advanced technology feats will soon be followed by 5 significant Moon missions: Astrobotic lander launch (likely Q4), Intuitive Machines NET October, Roscosmos Luna-25 Oct 1, Artemis 1 NET November, and ISRO Chandryaan-3 late 2021. (Image Credits: UAE Space Agency, CNSA, Xinhua, NASA, Roscosmos, IM, Astrobotic)

MONDAY

International Space Station Crew Works on Modernizing Power System Ahead of New Arrays

The farthest outpost of humanity is currently occupied by 7 crewmembers busily preparing for station augmentation: 6 solar arrays are to be delivered via 3 SpaceX Cargo Dragon 2 resupply flights starting in May. Preparations to deploy the US$103M, Boeing-built auxiliary photovoltaic panels (20-kW/ea, a 20 to 30 percent increase in power relative to existing 8 arrays) are well underway, with 24 new space grade lithium ion batteries and an equal number of circuit-closing adaptor plates awaiting installation of the new arrays to power the system. In addition to weight savings and increased energy density, these advanced battery systems integrate Thermal Runaway Shield, a technology developed by San Diego-based KULR Technology via NASA Technology Transfer (barrier separating electrolyte fluid between positive and negative electrodes) which may have broad application for electric mobility. The project will require 2 spacewalks per array, 12 total – a setup EVA + an EVA to place each array. U.S. EVA-71, 235th total spacewalk in support of ISS assembly and maintenance, set for February 8, will see Astronauts Kathleen Rubins and Victor Glover begin the first setup spacewalk, installing a modification kit to accommodate first new array. On February 16, U.S. EVA-72, Rubins will work with Soichi Noguchi on Japanese Experiment Module, attached to Harmony. These upgrades will help to ensure continuity of off-world habitation throughout 2020s. (Image Credits: NASA)

Feb 8 — Caltech Astronomy, Los Angeles Chapter of Astronomy on Tap

Feb 8-11 — GK Launch Services, Online: 6th Annual SmallSat Symposium.

Feb 8-12 — ESA, ArianeGroup, MOOG, CNES, ASI, Bradford Space, DLR, Online: 7th Space Propulsion 2020+1 Conference; international forum supporting the preparation of space propulsion future activities and roadmaps; expecting 700 professionals from over 30 countries.

Feb 8 — Mercury: At inferior conjunction with Sun; 0.652AU from Earth, 04:00.

Continued From…

Nov 4, 2020 – Feb 28, 2021 — International Astronautical Federation, Online: Abstracts Submission Open: 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2021); being held Oct 25-29.

Jan 20 – Feb 28 — CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, Online / Beijing, China: Global Campaign soliciting nominations for the name of Tianwen-1 Mars rover.

TUESDAY

Feb 9 — Hope Orbiter, Mars: UAE Hope to reach Mars today, prepare for orbital insertion, making UAE the 5th entity to successfully send a mission to Mars.

Feb 9 — SpaceBase, Online: Webinar: Lessons Learned from the Silicon Valley of Space; by Doug Messier, Founder of Parabolic Arc; 19:00 NZT.

Feb 9 — National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Online / Washington DC: Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032 – Panel on Mars Meeting #9.

Feb 9-11 — NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group, Online: OPAG Meeting.