2020 NIAC Symposium Features 23 Visionary Concepts for Solar System + Beyond Exploration

The 9th NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium is being held September 22-24. Originally set for Tucson AZ, the event is now virtual, free and open to public. It will feature 23 NIAC Phase 1-3 studies, totaling US$7M, addressing areas relevant to Artemis including Revolutionary Exploration Systems, Novel Propulsion, Human Systems & Architectures for Extreme Environments, Sensors, and Imaging. Part of Space Technology Mission Directorate, NIAC is headed by (L) James Reuter and Prasun Desai. Some 2020 NIAC selections are: Lunar Crater Radio Telescope on the Far-Side of the Moon proposed by JPL to deploy a 1km-diameter wire-mesh telescope in a 3-5km-diameter lunar crater observing in 10-50m wavelength band; MIT-proposed Dynamic Orbital Slingshot for Rendezvous with Interstellar Objects to launch a Statite (satellite with solar sail) to quickly intercept an Interstellar visitor; Heat Exchange-Driven Aircraft for Low Altitude and Surface Exploration of Venus by Planetary Science Institute to investigate a fixed wing aircraft using Venus atmosphere heat for power; JPL-submitted Enceladus Vent Explorer robotic mission to collect samples of ocean water that could contain intact organisms and perform in-situ science. Receiving $2M, the only Phase 3 study of 2020 is Direct Multipixel Imaging and Spectroscopy of an Exoplanet with a Solar Gravitational Lens Mission which could see direct high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of Earth-like exoplanets ‘at a resolution comparable to Apollo 8 Earthrise photo’. (Image Credits: NASA, JPL, MIT, S. Bandyopadhyay, R. Linares, E. N.Dobrea, M. Ono, S.Turyshev)

MONDAY

Sep 21 — MAVEN, Mars Orbit: NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft reaches 6 full years / enters 7th year of operations in Mars orbit after insertion on this day 2014; continuing to study upper atmosphere.

SG[France] 2020: Our Giant Leap Strives to Advance Space Diversity

September 26 SGAC France chapter will host some 60-80 members and mentors in Toulouse, home to National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), to discuss and debate how best to achieve parity within space industry and academia, with emphasis on increasing female representation. The first in a series of ‘Our Giant Leap’ events, with theme Women Of The Aerospace Sector, will feature 2 video submissions on “What does gender equality in aerospace mean to you”, 3 motivational keynotes, artwork and 4 roundtables: Tackling Gender Bias and Discrimination, Mentorship Strategies, Tips to Make Your Work Environment and Conditions More Inclusive and Fill the Gaps in Female-Oriented Space Research. Space Generation Advisory Council, representing 15,000+ space students and professionals between age 18-35 from over 150 countries, holds inclusiveness as a core organizational value – recognized by receipt of the 2018 International Astronautical Federation 3G award. In addition to the organizational work of some 30+ global events annually, SGAC contributes insight to United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space as Permanent Observer from its headquarters in Vienna, Austria and maintains standing project groups on: Commercial Space, NEOs, Ethics / Human Rights, Small Satellites, Space Exploration, Law / Policy, Safety / Sustainability, Medicine, Technologies for Earth Applications and Cyber Security. (Pictured: Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir; Event Managers Yulia Akisheva and Pauline Delande; Image Credits: SGAC, NASA, CNES, HE Space, Association Planète Mars, ISAE-SUPAERO)

Sep 21 — Cornell University, Online / Ithaca NY: Lecture: Simulating Planetesimal Formation in the Kuiper Belt and Beyond; by Dr. Rixin Li from Cornell.

Sep 21-25 — German Astronomical Society, Online / Germany: Virtual Annual Meeting of the German Astronomical Society.

Sep 21-25 — International Astronomical Union – Commission C2, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia: IAU Symposium: Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2020 (CAP2020); reset to February 8-12, 2021.

Sep 21 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 RQ6: Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU)

Continued From…

Nov 2019 – Nov 2020 — Hayabusa2, Earth Trajectory: JAXA Hayabusa2 with two samples collected from C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu on trajectory for Earth return.

Jul 29 – Oct 31 — CNSA, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Online / Beijing, China: Students to submit ideas for payloads for Chang’e-7 lunar south pole craft, and ZhengHe mission that will return samples from Asteroid 2016HO3 and visit Comet 133P.

Sep 11-21 — ESA, Online / Paris, France: First virtual Space App Camp 2020; bringing programmers together to develop creative and innovative apps that make Earth observation data accessible to a wide range of citizens.

Sep 18-21 — Chinese Society of Astronautics, China Space Foundation, Fuzhou, Fujian, China: 2020 China Space Conference; 16 events with 10 specific space engineering and science challenges to be addressed, international participation and cooperation invited.

TUESDAY

Sep 22 — CNSA, Launch Long March 4B / Haiyang 2, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center: Launch of Haiyang “Ocean” Earth observation satellite focused on dynamic marine environment.