China Celebrates 50 Years of Space Exploration Ahead of Vital Upcoming Hainan LM-5 Launches
Space Day of China, April 24, the 5th such annual observance, will commemorate China’s entry into space with launch of satellite Dongfanghong 1. While celebrations of national space achievement in Zhongguo (China) may be muted due to ongoing health concerns, Space Day marks half a century of exploration amid a pivotal time for the China Space Program. Solid fuel Kuaizhou rockets are to take a pair of Xingyun communications satellites to orbit this month – the first of a planned CASIC ‘Internet of Things’ constellation. Expace, developer of the commercial variant 1A is located in hard-struck Wuhan, and will dedicate the launch to victims. China’s newest, largest and most equatorial Spaceport 19° N, Wenchang SLC on the free trade zone Island of Hainan, will be home to the most exciting upcoming mission launches. It is from there that a Long March 5 human-rated variant (LM-5B) rocket is to lift space station core module Tianhe – an uncrewed test flight which is to be carried out in April, perhaps even coinciding with Space Day commemoration. NET July, LM5 is also to launch Huoxing-1 (Mars-1) mission from Wenchang – including orbiter, lander and rover, preparatory for future Mars sample return. No less important in terms of space progression, Chang’e 5 is to begin lunar sample return mission in late October, initiating phase three of the China Lunar Exploration Program. (Image Credits: CNSA, Xinhua, China Daily)
MONDAY
Highlights… Apr 20 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Expedition 63 three-member crew preparing for arrival of Progress 75 this week and HTV-9 Kounotori next month; working with biological studies and samples, studies show changes in Astronaut brains necessitate solution for long-term spaceflight / off-world living.
Apr 20 — NewSpace: Intuitive Machines preparing for Oct 21, 2021 Moon launch to Schroter’s Valley 26.2° N, 50.8° W; Space Pioneer of Beijing working on liquid-propelled Tianhuo-3 engines; Virgin Orbit LauncherOne maiden test flight being planned while 90% of staff work remotely.
Apr 20— Global: India hopes to stay on track for Human Spaceflight, Chandrayaan-3; Japan may launch microprobe to lunar orbit on Epsilon rocket Q2 2020; Russia plans >30 launches this year; IAF selects ESA for 3G Diversity Award 2020; Canadian Space Agency looks for new leadership as Sylvain Laporte moves on.
Kansas Ad Astra State: 2020 AAK Day, Hubble Deployment 30th Anniversary, Interstellar University Proposal
Ad Astra Kansas Day 2020 on April 24, proclaimed by Gov. Parkinson in 2010, will mark the 30th observation of Hubble Space Telescope deployment by Kansas native Astronaut Steve Hawley (pictured). The Kansas Great Seal containing 34 stars, rising Sun and motto Ad Astra per Aspera (To the Stars through Difficulties) well represents Midway USA persevering, upward-looking spirit. A 21st-22nd Century proposal is the planned announcement in Topeka on January 29, 2021 — 160 years to the day of Kansas statehood — of founding an Interstellar University in the Ad Astra State. The first IU course(s) may be possible starting on Ad Astra Kansas Day 2021, perhaps on vital topics of R&D, Observation, Communication and Transportation. Interstellar matters require long-range vision / planning as supported by groups including 100 Year Star Ship, Centauri Dreams, TVIW, Icarus Interstellar and Breakthrough Initiatives – the last of which hopes to develop microsat StarChips to travel at .2c reaching Alpha Centauri 4.27 LY away within 20 years. One of the oldest higher education institutions is University of Oxford in UK founded 1096. Looking forward to the next 100 to 1,000 years, IU in Ad Astra State could build upon in-state resources such as K-State, KU, WSU, Ad Astra Kansas Foundation, Cosmosphere housing >13K spaceflight artifacts, 7 Observatories, manufacturing / engineering capabilities and its history of aero- and astronautics with Mercury & Apollo. (Image Credits: AAKF, NASA, Breakthrough Initiatives, Cosmosphere)
Apr 20-22 — ESA, Nice, France:Hera Workshop 2020; Hera mission to launch 2024 to rendezvous with binary asteroid and measure the outcome of NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission; postponed.
Continued from…
Jan 2019 – Sep 2020 — New Horizons, Kuiper Belt: Full data collected from 7 instruments during KBO Arrokoth flyby to be transmitted to Earth over this time period.
Nov 2019 – Nov 2020 — Hayabusa2, Earth Trajectory: JAXA Hayabusa2 with two samples collected from C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu on trajectory for Earth return.
Apr 21 — Secure World Foundation, Online / Washington DC:Space Cafe WebTalk; on 2020 SWF Global Counterspace Capabilities Report featuring Brian Weeden.
Apr 21-22 — Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute,Online: Lunar Volatiles and Solar System Science: Workshop Without Walls; discussion themes include Critical Questions for the Decade, Lunar Volatiles and Solar System Science, Missions and Measurements.
Apr 21 — Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak: Lyrids derived from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher with period 415 years, are medium-swift (49 km/sec), often bright with persistent trains and can offer 15-20 per hour.
Apr 21 — Moon: 2.87° SE of Mercury, 11:00.
WEDNESDAY
Apr 22 — Earth Day Network,Worldwide: 50th Earth Day 2020; to broaden, diversify & activate the environmental movement worldwide; originally proposed to occur March 21 (first day of Spring) by creator John McConnell.
Apr 22 — March for Science Los Angeles, Multiple Locations:March for Science 2020; cancelled.
Apr 22-23 — NASA, Kuiper Belt, North America, Australia, South America:Seeing Stars in 3D: The New Horizons Parallax Program; longest ever parallax measurement to be conducted from 46+ AU distance, amateur participation welcome on Earth.
Apr 22 — Moon: New Moon, 16:26.
THURSDAY
Apr 23 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 6, SLC-40, Cape Canaveral AFS FL: SpaceX rocket to launch 7th batch of ~60 satellites for Starlink broadband network.
Apr 23 — Pi Puppids Shower Peak: Occurs within the boundaries constellation of Puppis, particles can travel 15 km/s and appear at about 10 per hour.
Apr 23 — Moon: 3.7° SE of Uranus, 00:00.
FRIDAY
Apr 24 — Hubble Space Telescope, LEO: Spacecraft with 2.4-meter diameter main telescope begins 31st year in space today, launched April 24, 1990; expected to continue operations until at least 2022.
Apr 24 — CNSA, Launch Long March 5B / New Generation Crew Spacecraft First Flight, Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Center, Hainan Island, China (19° N): Long March 5B variant Test Flight 2 to launch next-gen crewed spacecraft.
Apr 24 — People’s Republic of China, Nationwide: National Day of Space Flight 2020; commemorating the launch of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 on April 24, 1970.
Apr 25 — Roscosmos State Corporation, Launch Soyuz / Progress 75P,Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: An RSA Soyuz rocket to launch the next cargo resupply mission for ISS Expedition 63.
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At CSIR International Convention Centre. Key topics are Earth Observation, Developing Space Tourism, Space Supply Manufacturing. Cultural tours are offered.
Apr 20 — 
Apr 20 — NewSpace: 
Apr 20 — USA: 
= All times for terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for international terrestrial events in local time unless noted.
= All times for space events, and…
= All times for international space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).
Ad Astra Kansas Day 2020 on April 24, proclaimed by Gov. Parkinson in 2010, will mark the 30th observation of Hubble Space Telescope deployment by Kansas native Astronaut Steve Hawley (pictured). The Kansas Great Seal containing 34 stars, rising Sun and motto Ad Astra per Aspera (To the Stars through Difficulties) well represents Midway USA persevering, upward-looking spirit. A 21st-22nd Century proposal is the planned announcement in Topeka on January 29, 2021 — 160 years to the day of Kansas statehood — of founding an Interstellar University in the Ad Astra State. The first IU course(s) may be possible starting on Ad Astra Kansas Day 2021, perhaps on vital topics of R&D, Observation, Communication and Transportation. Interstellar matters require long-range vision / planning as supported by groups including 100 Year Star Ship, Centauri Dreams, TVIW, Icarus Interstellar and Breakthrough Initiatives – the last of which hopes to develop microsat StarChips to travel at .2c reaching Alpha Centauri 4.27 LY away within 20 years. One of the oldest higher education institutions is University of Oxford in UK founded 1096. Looking forward to the next 100 to 1,000 years, IU in Ad Astra State could build upon in-state resources such as K-State, KU, WSU, Ad Astra Kansas Foundation, Cosmosphere housing >13K spaceflight artifacts, 7 Observatories, manufacturing / engineering capabilities and its history of aero- and astronautics with Mercury & Apollo. (Image Credits: AAKF, NASA, Breakthrough Initiatives, Cosmosphere)
Apr 26 — The Space Show, Online / Tiburon CA: Dr. David Livingston talks with Deana Weibel from Grand Valley State University.
