International Space University to Hold First Industry / Alumni Conference in Adelaide, Australia

ISU Adelaide Conference 2020 will convene January 31 – February 2 at Mawson Lakes campus of the University of South Australia. Small Satellite Technologies and Earth Observation Applications: Solutions and Possibilities is the conference theme. While ISU has roots in America (Canada, MIT) and maintains its main campus in Europe (Strasbourg), since 2011 ISU has also conducted a 5-week space studies curriculum in Adelaide, the Southern Hemisphere Summer Space Program (SH-SSP) which seeks to further the ISU credo ‘seek to understand the mysteries of the Cosmos and apply their knowledge to the betterment of the human condition’ south of the equator. Speakers include Dr. Charles Norton, Special Advisor for Small Spacecraft Missions at NASA and Sachidananda Babu, Technology Program Manager at Earth Science Technology Office, also of NASA. Dr. Sarah Pearce, Deputy Director of the Astronomy and Space Science division of The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and ISU president Juan De Dalmau will also give talks. Sponsors include Smartsat Cooperative Research Centre, a public-private consortium which promotes satellite communications industry in Australia; Lot Fourteen, an ‘innovation and cultural neighborhood’, site of the new Australian Space Agency and the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre; and Space Industry Association of Australia. Networking opportunities will follow the official conference end: A gala followed by a space masquerade for alumni will be held at the Italian Centre. (Image Credits: ISU)

MONDAY

Jan 13 — ISS, Cygnus NG-12 Undocking, 405-km LEO: Uncrewed Cygnus resupply craft dubbed S.S. Alan Bean to be released from ISS Unity node by Canadarm2 and disintegrate in Earth atmosphere with waste; live coverage of undocking available.

RAS200 Observes Bicentennial of Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society, oldest professional astronomy organization in the world, enters it’s third century in 2020. It has met since a January 12, 1820 gathering of 14 people at Freemason’s Tavern in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Initially named Astronomical Society of London, the venerable RAS has convened official meetings since March 10, 1820. Every British monarch including Queen Elizabeth II is the patron of the Royal Astronomical Society. The RAS Gold Medal depicts the telescope of William Herschel, the first official president. RAS operates from offices in Burlington House, London, which contain a library of over 35,000 volumes. It publishes the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, one of the most widely-regarded astronomy journals. RAS has awarded the Gold Medal to astronomers Caroline Herschel (L) and Vera Rubin (R), for whom the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will be named. The name of RAS distinguishes it from the Royal Society, the UK scientific organization in operation since 1660, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada meeting since 1868, the American Astronomical Society operating since 1899, and the International Astronomical Union dating from 1919. During 2020 the Society is hosting RAS200 events with themes of Sky and Earth, to celebrate a unique bicentennial. For it’s third century Royal Astronomical Society is establishing a 1.3M USD outreach and engagement fund to support projects creating a buzz about science. (Image Credits: RAS)

Jan 13 — Chang’e-5T1 Service Module

Jan 13-17 — York University, Planetary Science Institute, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientificas, University of Bern, LPI, USRA, et al, Ushuaia, Argentina: 7th International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration.

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 13 — Moon: At perigee (distance 365,062 km), 10:23.

Jan 13 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 AE1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU)

Jan 13 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 AX2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.026 AU)

Jan 13 — Aten Asteroid 2020 AE: Near-Earth Flyby (0.030 AU)

Jan 13 — Apollo Asteroid 2020 AS1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 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 11-14 — European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Center for Fundamental Physics at Zewail City of Science and Technology, Center for Theoretical Physics at the British University in Egypt, Hurghada, Egypt: International Conference on Neutrinos and Dark Matter (NDM-2020).

Jan 12-16 — American Meteorological Society (AMS), Boston MA: 100th Annual Meeting of the AMS.