FAA Advancing NewSpace Initiatives at Washington DC Event
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will hold its ‘15th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference’ on February 15-16 in Washington DC. Co-Sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the annual 2-day event will bring together over 400 space industry entrepreneurs, engineers, academics, government regulators, and legislators to discuss this year’s theme, “Commercial: The New Future of Space.” Commercial enterprises will play a critical role in USA space exploration. FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, George Nield, will open the event, followed by Keynote Speaker NASA Associate Administrator for Human Explorations and Operation, William Gerstenmaier (CL). On Thursday, Feb 16, a panel discussion featuring the latest developments in the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program will be moderated by AIAA Executive Director Bob Dickman. The event will also include a special presentation on the Stratolaunch Concept by Stratolaunch Systems Corp CEO Gary Wentz (TL). On Feb 15, the Space Transportation Association will hold a dinner reception with Johnson Space Center Director Mike Coats (BL) from 17:00-19:00 EST. (Image Credit: FAA, AIAA, NASA, Eads Astrium, Stratolaunch Corp.)
Sea Launch Receives Boost From Joint Plans With Roscosmos
Sea Launch operator RSC Energia and Russian space agency Roscosmos announce a joint business plan to build profitability by ensuring at least 3-4 launches from the floating Odyssey platform per year. Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin said in a radio interview “we already have contracts for launches for the next two years.” At least three satellites are docked to fly this year from 154 degrees west longitude in the middle of the Pacific, one Eutelsat and two Intelsat spacecraft. Intelsat 19 and 21(CR) will be the first and second of five launches that were contracted in a 2010 multiple launch services agreement between Intelsat and Sea Launch. Kjell Karlsen, president of Sea Launch said, “We greatly value the trust and confidence placed in the entire Sea Launch team.” After a 2.5-year hiatus, bankruptcy, change of ownership and relocation to Switzerland, the equatorial ocean based launch operation returned to flight on September 24 of 2011. That launch, on the Zenit-3SL(TR), saw the 4,600-kg Atlantic Bird 7 into healthy geostationary transfer orbit. (Image Credit: Sea Launch, Boeing)
= 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;’ Greenwich, England).
Weekly Planet Watch – Morning Planets: Mars (S), Saturn (S) / Evening Planets: Venus (SW), Jupiter (SW).
MONDAY
Feb 13 — International Space Station, LEO: E-30 crew members Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov prepare for their upcoming 6-hr spacewalk on Feb 16 to move 1 of the 2 Strela hand-operated cranes to the Poisk module and install 5 debris shields on the Zvezda service module.
Feb 13 — Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Orbit: NASA LRO continues to function nominally in its 50±15 km near-circular orbit as it makes digital elevation and surface maps that will be a fundamental reference for future human exploration.
Feb 13 — Mars Science Laboratory, En Route to Red Planet: NASA MSL spacecraft continues trek to Mars, having already traveled over 205 million km) of its 567-million-km flight, moving approximately 28,600 km / hr relative to Earth.
NET Feb 13 — Arianespace, Launch Vega / LARES, Kourou, French Guiana: The European Vega rocket set to launch 1st flight with the Laser Relativity Satellite (LARES), a small spacecraft named ALMASat and 9 CubeSat payloads.
Feb 13 — Space Show, Nationwide:This week’s Space Show continues to cover important space issues with informative interviews from space advocates.
Feb 13 — NASA Headquarters, Washington DC: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson to brief reporters about the agency’s fiscal year 2013 budget at 14:00 EST.
Feb 13, 15-16 — Canadian Space Agency, Sarnia, Ontario; Martensville, Saskatchewan; Saint Louis, Prince Edward Island; Montreal, Quebec, Canada: ‘Q&A Session with CSA Astronaut Chris Hadfield.’
Feb 12 — The GLOBE Program, The National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Global: ‘GLOBE at Night: Less of Our Light, More Star Light,’ event to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and submit their observations to a website from a computer or smart phone; through Feb 21.
TUESDAY
NET Feb 14 — ILS, Launch Proton / SES 4, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: An ILS Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage set to deploy the SES 4 satellite to provide telecommunications services over the Americas, Africa, Europe and Middle East.
Feb 14 — NASA, University of Maryland, College Park MD:Free public event with astronauts Mike Fossum, Ron Garan, Cady Coleman to discuss recent International Space Station expedition missions at 17:30 EST.
Feb 14 — Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville AL: ‘Industry / Academia Day,’ event to share information on an upcoming research opportunity relating to the Space Launch System’s (SLS) advanced development at 09:30 CST.
Feb 16 — International Space Station, LEO: E-30 crew members Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov perform 6-hr spacewalk to move 1 of the 2 Strela hand-operated cranes to the Poisk module and install 5 debris shields on the Zvezda service module; NASA TV to broadcast spacewalk at 07:45 CST.
NET Feb 16 — ULA, Launch Atlas 5 / MUOS 1, Cape Canaveral FL: A ULA Atlas 5 rocket set to launch 1st Mobile User Objective System Satellite for the US Navy.
Feb 17 — Asteroid 1993 DA: Near-Earth Flyby (0.041 AU).
Feb 17 — Asteroid 1221 Amor: Closest Approach to Earth (0.736 AU).
SATURDAY
Feb 18 — Zero Gravity Corporation, Las Vegas NV: ‘Zero-G Flight Experience,’ a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience weightlessness onboard a specially modified Boeing 727.
Feb 18 — Asteroid 2012 BJ11: Near-Earth Flyby (0.097 AU).
Includes ~150 meetings covering the fields of COSPAR Scientific Commissions / Panels / Task Groups, such as SC B: The Earth-Moon System, Planets, and...
At the Palais des Nations and online. Outer space is entering a renewed phase of strategic importance, defined by rapid innovation, growing competition and deepening...
This international lunar science meeting has two objectives: to provide a platform for leading experts to review recent advances across lunar research, from the...
At CSIR International Convention Centre. Key topics are Earth Observation, Developing Space Tourism, Space Supply Manufacturing. Cultural tours are offered.
(No earlier than 10 Aug) Japan to launch the MICHIBIKI No. 7 | Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZS-7) navigation satellite. Launch window remains open through...
Participants will receive theoretical and hands-on training in electron imaging and X-ray spectroscopy for application to planetary samples. This training opportunity is targeted at...
"Leading Australia’s Space Future for Our Strategic Advantage". Southern Space 2026 brings together decision-makers who set the direction for Australia’s space sector. It is...
The second test launch of LandSpace's ZQ-3 rocket with undisclosed test payloads. Zhuque-3 first stage booster will attempt to land on its downrange landing...
A total solar eclipse with a magnitude of 1.0386 (greatest eclipse 17:47:06 UTC) will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic...
Includes presentation of the Neil Armstrong Award of Excellence, activities for the new class of Astronaut Scholars, 2-day Technical Conference where Scholars present their...
During U.S. spacewalk 97, two astronauts will replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the orbital complex. The antenna is a critical communication system NASA uses...
Key themes include: Characterizing exoplanet-host solar-like stars; Star-planet interactions; Planet populations around solar-like stars. At University of Liège.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will hold its ‘15th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference’ on February 15-16 in Washington DC. Co-Sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the annual 2-day event will bring together over 400 space industry entrepreneurs, engineers, academics, government regulators, and legislators to discuss this year’s theme, “Commercial: The New Future of Space.” Commercial enterprises will play a critical role in USA space exploration. FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, George Nield, will open the event, followed by Keynote Speaker NASA Associate Administrator for Human Explorations and Operation, William Gerstenmaier (CL). On Thursday, Feb 16, a panel discussion featuring the latest developments in the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program will be moderated by AIAA Executive Director Bob Dickman. The event will also include a special presentation on the Stratolaunch Concept by Stratolaunch Systems Corp CEO Gary Wentz (TL). On Feb 15, the Space Transportation Association will hold a dinner reception with Johnson Space Center Director Mike Coats (BL) from 17:00-19:00 EST. (Image Credit: FAA, AIAA, NASA, Eads Astrium, Stratolaunch Corp.)
Sea Launch operator RSC Energia and Russian space agency Roscosmos announce a joint business plan to build profitability by ensuring at least 3-4 launches from the floating Odyssey platform per year. Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin said in a radio interview “we already have contracts for launches for the next two years.” At least three satellites are docked to fly this year from 154 degrees west longitude in the middle of the Pacific, one Eutelsat and two Intelsat spacecraft. Intelsat 19 and 21(CR) will be the first and second of five launches that were contracted in a 2010 multiple launch services agreement between Intelsat and Sea Launch. Kjell Karlsen, president of Sea Launch said, “We greatly value the trust and confidence placed in the entire Sea Launch team.” After a 2.5-year hiatus, bankruptcy, change of ownership and relocation to Switzerland, the equatorial ocean based launch operation returned to flight on September 24 of 2011. That launch, on the Zenit-3SL(TR), saw the 4,600-kg Atlantic Bird 7 into healthy geostationary transfer orbit. (Image Credit: Sea Launch, Boeing)
= 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;’ Greenwich, England).
Feb 13 — International Space Station, LEO: E-30 crew members Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov prepare for their upcoming 6-hr spacewalk on Feb 16 to move 1 of the 2 Strela hand-operated cranes to the Poisk module and install 5 debris shields on the Zvezda service module.
