CNES EnVision Mission to Venus Conference Opens in Paris

The first international conference on the EnVision mission to Venus will be held in Paris at CNES headquarters February 12-14. EnVision is a proposed orbiter with a mission of understanding the planet’s mysterious geological activity. The conference begins Feb 11 with a welcoming reception at the historic Paris Observatory. Venus is Earth’s nearest and most similar planetary neighbor. The planet’s high average temperature of 462 degrees C is thought to be due to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, though very recent evidence reveals that Venus has active volcanoes. EnVision is expected to launch on an Ariane 6.2 booster in 2032 for a 5-month journey to Venus orbit. The orbiter will carry 5 main instruments: an S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar, a Subsurface Radar Sounder, and three spectrometers. A radio science experiment will investigate the Venus gravity field. EnVision would be the first ESA mission to the planet since Venus Express of 2006-2014. The Japan ‘Akatsuki’ Venus Climate Orbiter has been in operation since 2015. NASA is studying a CubeSat Ultraviolet Experiment to study the atmosphere, and the Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging (DAVINCI) concept for a probe into the planet’s atmosphere. No spacecraft has entered the Venus atmosphere or landed since the Soviet Vega 1 and Vega 2 in June 1985. NASA High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) foresees future cloud settlements in giant Venus airships. (Image Credits: ESA)

MONDAY

Feb 10 — NASA, Online / Multiple Locations: State of NASA Events; President FY2021 budget request including ~ $3B for human lunar landers is to be submitted today to Congress, NASA 10 field centers around the country to welcome selected social media followers.

AAAS Convenes Annual Meeting and Detecting Extraterrestrial Technologies and Life Symposium

Comprised of 120,000+ members from 91 countries, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has been furthering its mission to “advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people” since 1848 through several efforts: publication of Science academic journal, AAAS Office of Government Relations, which works to inform congress of scientific thought, and by holding one of the most wide ranging and well attended annual scientific conferences in the world. Sponsored by European Union, UK Research and Innovation, and University of Washington, the 2020 AAAS Meeting is being held February 13–16 in Seattle. With theme ‘Envisioning Tomorrow’s Earth’, conference topics of Climate Change, Innovation, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Public Engagement, Technology, Diversity, Psychology, Global and Public Health, Chemistry, Natural Hazards and Disasters, and Big Data are to be addressed. Plenary Sessions include addresses from AAAS president, former Energy Secretary and Nobel awardee Steven Chu, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft. 10 Topical Lectures, 120 Science Sessions, 9 Town Halls and 12 Screenings, as well as numerous Expo Events, Career Workshops, Special Events and E-Posters comprise the program. Jill Tarter (L) of Center for SETI Research, Victoria Meadows (R) of University of Washington and Andrew Siemion of Berkeley SETI Research Center will give presentations on the renewed excitement and latest efforts in academic, enterprise and nonprofit communities to pursue signs of exoplanet life and technology during Detecting Extraterrestrial Technologies and Life Symposium, being held Saturday February 15. (Image Credits: AAAS, NASA)

Feb 10 — Caltech, Los Angeles CA: Astronomy on Tap; talks by Dr. Men-Andrin Meier and Rachel Theios of Caltech, free and open to public, 19:30.

Feb 10-14 — University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia: Workshop: Expanding the Science of TESS.

Feb 10 — ISS, Hawaii Islands: Weather permitting, ISS extra bright and visible pass over the islands today rising in NW at 19:23, passing above Venus and Mercury and descending toward S horizon 19:28.

Feb 10 — Moon: At perigee (distance 360,492 km), 10:31.

Feb 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 BC10: Near-Earth Flyby (0.039 AU)

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.

Jan 13 – Feb 14 — International Space University, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia: Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2020; live-in experience built around an International, Intercultural and Interdisciplinary (3 “I”s) educational philosophy.

Feb 3-14 — UNOOSA, Vienna, Austria: 57th Session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Office of Outer S pace Affairs.