Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway Commercial / International Partners and Planning Advance via NASA Industry Day

Industry Day for a commercial partnership for the Gateway Lunar Orbital Gateway-Platform Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) is being held at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio on July 10. This first element, targeting launch 2022 on a commercial vehicle, will be 8-9 tons and capable of providing 50-kW solar electric power for the entire Gateway, controls & communications, and maintain its near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) as well as move it between lunar orbits. Other evolving modules include Cislunar Habitation Module launch on EM-3, Gateway Logistics Module on EM-4, and Gateway Airlock Module on EM-5. NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA and Canada are leading the Gateway development; India is expected to participate. This innovative station is driven by Space Policy Directive 1 aiming for a human return to the Moon and USA preeminence in deep space. Some question whether the Gateway will be ‘another ISS’ which is not in optimal orbit to reach the Moon, although it could be used as a refueling depot and stop toward other outposts closer to the Moon or Mars. The new space race may be motivated by China’s continued Chang’e Lunar Program successes, and plans to land people on the Moon. Inviting China to participate on the Gateway would be a great first step toward full international collaboration and establishing a sustainable Human Multi World Civilization. (Image Credits: NASA, Lockheed Martin, ESA)

MONDAY

International Space Science, Astronomy Community Meetings in Pasadena Further Exploration, Research, Leadership

The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) 42nd Assembly will be held in Pasadena, CA July 14-22 initiating start of 50th year of Apollo 11. The event will cover 132 topics such as instruments, exoplanet explorations, planetary atmospheres, dark energy, and policy. Special sessions will be led by (L-R) Bethany Ehlmann of Caltech, Bruce Wielick and Penelope Boston of NASA in addition to ~100 presenters. Over 3,000 participants are expected. Alongside COSPAR, AstroFest is scheduled for July 14-22 at Pasadena Convention Center. The interactive program will feature activities, robotic demos, exhibits, planetarium shows, star gazing, and 5 lectures including Astrophysicist Sara Seager on habitable worlds. International Academy of Astronautics is scheduled to host IAA Academy Day July 14. Bernard Foing of ESA and aerospace attorney Art Dula are among 11 speakers to discuss Moon/Mars villages, Lunar far side, space missions, radiation environment, and policy. National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are set to host the 8th Forum for New Leaders in Space Science July 12-13. Scientists from around the world will discuss their research in astronomy and astrophysics. The von Kármán Lecture Series: Walking on Mars is planned for July 12-13 at JPL and Caltech. NASA Operations Lead Victor Luo will be the primary speaker on virtual reality in space exploration. (Image Credits: NASA, Caltech, MIT, ESA, Art Dula, Victor Luo)

Jul 9-11 — AIAA, Cincinnati OH: AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition 2018.

Jul 9-13 — University of Colorado, Boulder CO: Conference on Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets.

Jul 9-13 — Rencontres du Vietnam, International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science Education, Quy Nhon, Vietnam: Conference: Cosmic Cycle of Dust and Gas in our Galaxy – From Old to Young Stars.

Jul 9-20 — National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder CO: 2018 Boulder Space Weather Summer School.

Jul 9 — Moon: 8.8° SSE of Pleiades, 08:00; 1.1° NNW of Aldebaran, 23:00.

Jul 9 — Venus: 0.99° NNE of Regulus, 19:00.

Continued from…

May 29 – Aug 3 — Lunar and Planetary Society, NASA SSERVI, Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, Houston TX: 2018 Exploration Science Summer Intern Program; students to be involved in activities that support missions to the Moon that utilize Orion crew vehicle, Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, and robotic assets on lunar surface.

Jun 25 – Aug 17 — Frontier Development Lab (FDL), NASA, Online: FDL 2018 Challenges; an AI R&D accelerator that tackles knowledge gaps useful to NASA space program; 2018 topics are space resources, orbital debris, NEOs, Earth observation, space weather, astrobiology.

Jun 25 – Aug 24 — International Space University, ESA, Netherlands Space Office, Delft University of Technology, Leiden University, Noordwijk, The Netherlands: ISU 31st Space Studies Program (SSP 2018); intensive space course and student projects, plus public events, professional meetings, model rocket launch, robotics competition, space masquerade.

Jul 8-11 — European Research Council – Advanced Investigator Project 267219, Windsor, United Kingdom: Conference: Spectroscopy of Exoplanets.

Jul 8-13 — Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark: TESS / Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium (TASC4/KASC11).