5th IAA Planetary Defense Conference Convenes in Tokyo

International Academy of Astronautics is holding its 5th bi-annual Planetary Defense Conference at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo, Japan on 15-19 May. Bringing together experts from around the world with the theme Gathering for Impact the event seeks to evaluate and mitigate the threat to Earth posed by asteroids and comets. Areas of focus for the program include Key International and Political Developments, Advancements in NEO Discovery, New NEO Characterization Results, Deflection & Disruption Modeling and Testing, Mission & Campaign Design, Impact Consequences, Disaster Response, Impact Risk Assessment and Decision to Act, and Public Education and Communication. Program Committee Co-Chairs are William Ailor of The Aerospace Corporation, Brent Barbee of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Gerhard Drolshagen of ESA. There will be Monday morning Keynote presentations by Saku Tsuneta, Director of Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (Japan) and Johann-Dietrich Woerner, Director General of ESA. Another feature of the event is the hypothetical NEO/Earth impact emergency response scenario. Participants will be responding to an imagined asteroid about 100-250 meters with the potential to cross paths with Earth on July 21, 2027. (Image Credit: IAA, NASA, ESA, ISAS, Miraikan)

MONDAY

May 15 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Inmarsat 5 F4, Cape Canaveral AFS FL: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch Inmarsat 5 F4 communications satellite for Inmarsat of London.

Return to Deep Space Event Features Expert Speakers; NASA Proposes Deep Space Gateway

The Atlantic Magazine is hosting a four-hour event in Washington DC at Knight Conference Center May 16 titled ‘On the Launchpad – Return to Deep Space.’ It features acting administrator for NASA Robert Lightfoot, Executive Director for Coalition for Deep Space Mary Lynne Dittmar, CEO Explore Mars Chris Carberry, Founder of Mars Society Robert Zubrin, Former NASA scientist Ellen Stofan, Senator Ted Cruz, HI SEAS 4 participant Sheyna Gifford and representatives from George Washington University School of Medicine, Hewlett Packard Labs and The Atlantic. A lively discussion will highlight public and private companies’ next-gen technologies for human Space travel and Red Planet goals. The journey to the Moon, Venus, Mars, Asteroids, and Beyond may utilize an international Deep Space Gateway in cislunar space at Earth-Moon L1 providing a refueling / resource station for craft and crew as the first step into the Solar System. The NASA proposed concept would launch a power bus on Orion / SLS flight ~2021 with additional component assembly finishing 2026. Missions to Moon surface could be conducted from this location, as well as lunar research and lunar robotics. Crews could refresh at the Gateway and prepare for 2-year duration Mars missions, perhaps as early as 2033. (Image Credit: NASA, The Atlantic)

May 15-16 — SMi Group, Ciena, Hughes, SES, Eutelsat, Singapore: MilSatCom Asia Pacific Conference: Enhancing MilSatCom Capabilities and Assets in the Asia-Pacific Region.

May 15-17 — Lund University, Lund Observatory, Lund, Sweden: Meeting: Impacts in Planetary Systems.

May 15-18 — Space Telescope Science Institute, NASA, ESA, CSA, Baltimore MD: Meeting: JWST Proposal and Planning Workshop.

May 15-19 — University of Colorado, ESA, NASA, Boulder CO: International Conference on Mars Aeronomy 2017; discussing Mars missions and all aspects of Mars aeronomy, including pertinent observations, analyses, theoretical models and results.

May 15-19 — International Academy of Astronautics, Tokyo, Japan: 2017 IAA Planetary Defense Conference; at National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan).

May 15-19 — Green Bank Observatory, National Science Foundation, Green Bank WV: Green Bank Observatory’s Observer training school; an introduction to general radio astronomical techniques as well as onsite training for GBT observers.

May 15 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 JM2: Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU).

May 15 — Apollo Asteroid 2017 HL1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.054 AU).

Continued from…

Apr 13 – May 16 — NASA, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Deep River, Ontario, Canada: Eyes on the Universe; interactive exhibit in Deep River Town Hall.