January 27 – February 2, 2020 / Vol 39, No 4 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Ad Astra per Aspera: Astronaut Remembrances Look Forward to 21st Century Artemis Accomplishments Honored Astronauts are celebrated during January 27 to February 1, while NASA and international entities prepare for the future of Humans in Space. Apollo 1 on Jan 27, 1967 is remembered for Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee (TL). Jan 28, 1986 is observed for Challenger STS-51L loss of (BL) Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Hawai’i-born Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnick, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis and teacher Christa McAuliffe. Columbia STS-107, Richard Husband, William McCool, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, and llan Ramon of Israel (BR) in 2003 are remembered on Feb 1 and by Memorial Grove growing at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Day of Remembrance is usually observed the last Friday of January, recalling Alan Shepard’s famous cry to “Light this Candle”. Also during this period, the successful Apollo 14 launch on Jan 31, 1971, commanded by Shepard, is a part of lunar history after overcoming many challenges following Apollo 13. The Outer Space Treaty (TR) signed by the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union on Jan 27, 1967 limits the Moon to peaceful uses. This week both the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System are preparing for tests to send the First Women and Next Man to the Moon. (Image Credits: NASA, Johnson Space Center)

MONDAY Highlights… Jan 27 — ISS, 405-km LEO: Andrew Morgan and Luca Parmitano planning for EVA repairs on Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer; Expedition 61 crew working with Food Acceptability Survey and preparing ESA-Roscosmos Plasma Kristall-4 experiment for Earth return; NASA considering extending SpaceX Demo-2 crewed flight to six months. Jan 27 — NewSpace: SpinLaunch receives investment from Airbus Ventures for 2022 launch; Krypto Labs partnering with UAE Space Agency on NewSpace Innovation Program; Dawn Aerospace building small launch vehicle, signs agreement to launch from Oamaru Airport in New Zealand. Jan 27 — Solar System: Chang’e-4 in 14th lunar day releases images of lunar farside; Curiosity Mars rover loses attitude orientation; ALMA observations contribute to study of solar system divide between inner and outer planets. Jan 27 — Galaxy: Scientists from Oxford and Princeton Universities agree that inflation idea of universe has failed; Spitzer Space Telescope mission to end soon while data usage and studies continue; LIGO and Virgo interferometers analyzing burst of gravitational waves from unknown source. Jan 27 — Global: China / Zhongguo space station module and crewed spacecraft arrive at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center; ESA builds prototype plant to extract oxygen from lunar regolith; Arianespace to launch UAE Falcon Eye 2 satellite on Soyuz booster. Jan 27 — USA: NASA to release cost estimates of Artemis program in February; Honeywell and Collins Aerospace to provide Orion spacecraft systems; NASA announces selected Commercial Moon Delivery experiments for CLPS program. Jan 27 — Hawai’i: Kahea nonprofit opposing Big Telescope construction being investigated by Hawaii Attorney General; Maunakea Coin contest begins while summit visitors enjoy ~0.5 meter of snow; Keck Observatory contributes to survey of Type Ia supernovae. Jan 27 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 3, LC-40, Cape Canaveral AFS FL: Launch of fourth batch of ~60 satellites for SpaceX Starlink broadband network, 09:49 EST

= 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’).

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Weekly Planet Watch – Evening Planets: Venus (SW), Mars (SE), Jupiter (SE), Uranus (SW), Neptune (SW).

Federal Aviation Administration Hosts 23rd Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference The Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC will be the site of 2020 FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference, Wednesday, January 29th and Thursday, January 30th. CST is organized by the FAA in conjunction with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry group, and the Office of Space Commerce, a division of the US Department of Commerce. 450 individuals from over 150 companies are expected to participate in the conference this year, while 50 keynote speakers such as US Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson will address the assemblage on commercial spaceflight. Sponsors include major companies in the American spaceflight industry, both established and NewSpace: SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Blue Origin, ULA, Virgin Orbit and Sierra Nevada. Panels led by Beth Moses, Astronaut Instructor for Virgin Galactic, Andy Aldrin, Director of Aldrin Space Institute and others will focus on commercial astronauts, commercial astronautical regulatory reform, spacecraft and rocket manufacturing processes, nuclear powered spacecraft, space economics and Moon exploration by enterprise. The Patti Grace Smith Memorial Fund, established 2017 in honor of the former Associate Administrator of the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, will support student and young professional conference scholarships to “empower recipients to become Commercial Space industry leaders of tomorrow”. (Image Credits: FAA, Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America, Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Office of Space Commerce, Boeing)

Jan 27 — Apollo 1 53rd Observation, Nationwide USA: Increasing space awareness and education, remembrances and events honor three Apollo 1 crew members lost during a launch pad test: Command Pilot Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. Jan 27-31 — Indian Institute of Technology at Indore, Indore, India: School: International Conference: Observing The First Billion Years of the Universe Using Next Generation Telescopes. Jan 27 — NASA, JPL, Online: Due date to vote for naming contest for Mars 2020 Rover. Jan 27 — Venus: 0.07° SE of Neptune, 11:00. Jan 27 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 AL12: Near-Earth Flyby (0.018 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. Jan 18-31 — ESA / ILEWG, PISCES, International MoonBase Alliance, 2,500 meters, Mauna Loa HI: 3rd EuroMoonMars Mission (EMMIHS-III) in HI-SEAS Habitat for simulated Moon-Mars mission with 6-member crew.

TUESDAY

Jan 28 — Challenger STS-51L 34th Observation, Nationwide USA: Educational and ceremonial events held worldwide to advance space technology / education and honor 7 crew members killed in Shuttle accident 28 January 1986: Commander Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Astronaut Christa McAuliffe (the 1st ‘Teacher in Space’), Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnick and Ronald E. McNair, along with Payload Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis.

Jan 28-30 — National Center for Space Studies (CNES), Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), University Institute of France, et al, Paris, France: ExoSystems Workshop.

Jan 28-31 — International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), Group of Astrodynamics for the Use of Space Systems (GAUSS), Rome, Italy: 5th IAA Conference on University Satellite Missions and CubeSat Workshop.

Jan 28 — Moon: 3.8° SE of Neptune, 00:00; 3.8° SE of Venus, 01:00.

Jan 28 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 BO2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU)

WEDNESDAY

Jan 29 — Parker Solar Probe, Heliocentric Orbit: Spacecraft reaches 4th perihelion today.

Jan 29 — Israel Space Agency, Israel Ministry of Science and Technology, Tel Aviv, Israel: 14th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference.

Jan 29 — Secure World Foundation, ISS National Labs, Mountain View CA: Examining the Socioeconomic Benefits of the International Space Station, 13:00-15:30.

Jan 29 — Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt MD: Colloquium: Searching for Potentially Earth-Impacting Asteroids and Comets.

Jan 29-30 — Federal Aviation Administration, Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Washington DC: 23rd Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference; panels, speakers and networking; at Ronald Reagan Building.

Jan 29 — Moon: At apogee (distance 405,394 km), 11:00.

Jan 29 — Moon: 4.2° SE of Uranus, 21:00.

Jan 29 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 BJ1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU)

THURSDAY

Jan 30 — Spitzer Space Telescope, 1-AU Earth Trailing Orbit: Spacecraft reaches end of mission after 16 full years in space, launched 2003.

Jan 30 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Colloquia: Detecting and Characterizing Nearby Habitable Worlds; by René Doyon from University of Montréal, 16:00.

Jan 30 — Institute of Physics East Anglia Branch, Chelmsford, United Kingdom: Lecture: Adventures in Developing Space Technology.

Jan 30 — NASA Science Mission Directorate, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Science and Technology Mission Directorate Denver CO: Abstracts Due: Lunar Surface Science Workshop 2020; to be held Apr 28-30.

Jan 30 – Feb 5 — American Astronautical Society Rocky Mountain Section, Breckenridge CO: 43rd Annual AAS Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference.

Jan 30 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 AL12: Near-Earth Flyby (0.047 AU)

FRIDAY

Jan 31 — International Space Station, Russia EVA #47, 405-km LEO: Cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos will work outside ISS; live coverage available.

Jan 31 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / NROL-151, Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Rocket Lab Electron rocket 11th flight dubbed “Birds of a Feather” to launch undisclosed payload for USA National Reconnaissance Office; launch window opens 13:00 local time.

Jan 31 — 62nd Observation of 1st USA Satellite Launch: Explorer-1 launch 31 Jan 1958 with its primary science instrument cosmic ray detector celebrated today for its success as international Solar System landings, exploration, sample return missions advance significantly in this New 2020 Decade.

Jan 31 — International Astronautical Federation, Roscosmos, Online / St. Petersburg, Russia: Abstracts Due for Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX) 2020; being held June 9-11.

Jan 31 – Feb 1 — Astronomy Now, London, United Kingdom: European Astrofest 2020.

Jan 31 – Feb 2 — International Space University (ISU), Adelaide, Australia: ISU Adelaide Conference.

SATURDAY

Feb 1 — Columbia STS-107 17th Observation, Nationwide USA: Annual international conferences and events take place to further space exploration efforts in remembrance of Columbia 7 loss: Commander Richard D. Husband, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the ‘1st Israeli Astronaut’) and Astronauts: William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown and Kalpana Chawla (the ‘1st Indian American astronaut’ and ‘1st Indian woman in space’).

Feb 1 — JPL, Caltech, NASA, Pasadena CA: Educators Workshop: Rocketry and Flight; for teachers of grades 4-12.

Feb 1 — Mars: At descending node through the ecliptic plane, 08:00.

Feb 1 — Moon: At first quarter, 15:42.

Feb 1 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 AE5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU)

SUNDAY

Feb 2-5 — Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, APEX / ESO, et al, Ringberg Castle, Germany: Workshop: Science with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX).

Feb 2 — Apollo Asteroid 2018 BU1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.049 AU)