Moon South Pole

July 18-24, 2022 / Vol 41, No 29 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Cargo Dragon Provisions ISS as Crew Prepares for EVA, Tiangong Space Station Receiving New Module

The International Space Station is crowded with Dragon CRS-25 joining docked Crew Dragon 4, Progress 80 / 81 and Soyuz MS-21. In addition to resupply, CRS-25 carries tissue chip investigations on immunology and muscle physiology in space (both sponsored by NIH) and Project Maleth diabetes study – the second space mission from Malta. The 7-member Expedition 67 crew includes 3 Cosmonauts (Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov), 3 USA Astronauts (Jessica Watkins, Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines) and ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. While station longevity is in question due to both technical and geopolitical considerations, international teamwork will be on display July 21, as Artemyev and Cristoforetti enter space together for Russia EVA 54. They will work on European Robotic Arm integration with Nauka module and release 10 3U cubesats. Cristoforetti will don an Orlan spacesuit, becoming the 3rd woman to do so. Later in the week, TSS Shenzhou 14 crewmembers (Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe) will oversee the autonomous docking of 22-ton laboratory cabin module Wentian – with Chinarm grappler providing redundancy. Wentian is to launch from Wenchang SLC on Hainan Island (19°N) on July 24 (local time), and will provide space for experiments / auxiliary quarters as well as backup propulsion and navigation components. Mengtian module is scheduled to launch in October, followed by 3-member Shenzhou 15 crew in December – TSS will accommodate 6 occupants for a 10-day mission overlap. (Image Credits: CNSA, NASA, ESA, Roscosmos)

MONDAY

☆ Jul 18 — ISS, ~415-km LEO: Russia 2-person EVA to be performed on Tuesday; Expedition 67 seven-member crew working with Dragon CRS-25 cargo, holding in-flight events with NPR Baltimore, Boston University and ESA for Farnborough Air Show.

Jul 18 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 14 three-person crew preparing to configure Tianhe core module (22,600 kg, 16.6-m long) with Wentian module (~20,000 kg, 17.9-m long) set to launch on 23 July.

Highlights…

o NewSpace: SpaceFund shares Special Database: Ukrainian Space Startups featuring 10 organizations; Rocket Lab 40,000 ft2 expansion in Littleton CO may bring employee count to 120; Virgin Galactic lead counsel to resign admit ongoing SPAC lawsuit.

☆ Solar System: Mars Ingenuity helicopter to remain grounded for a few weeks avoiding Winter dust storms; China details Venus Volcano Imaging and Climate Explorer 2026 mission to 350-km circular polar orbit; Europe Trisat-R CubeSat begins investigation of Van Allen radiation belts.

☆ Galaxy: JWST begins formal science operations after initial release of images and evidence of H2O / clouds on exoplanet WASP-96b; MIT Kavli Institute researchers characterize relatively slow FRB identified by radio interferometry Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment as heartbeat-like.

o Global: Sohae satellite launch complex in North Korea undergoing renovations ahead of declared satellite launch attempt; ESA ends collaboration on ExoMars / Rosalind Franklin rover; replacement for Roscosmos Head to be found after Rogozin dismissed.

USA: SpaceX to transport Booster 7 from test stand to High Bay for damage evaluation / remediation after static ignition explosion, FCC filing shows attempt to catch Super Heavy may occur during upcoming orbital launch.

● Hawai’i: Stewardship and Oversight Authority to assume control of Mauna Kea over 3-year transition plan following HB2024 signing; Massive Cluster Survey PI and IfA faculty member Harald Ebeling “honored’ that galaxy cluster SMACSJ0723 chosen as first JWST image.

= Terrestrial events, and…

o = International terrestrial events in local time.

= Space events, and… = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).


Weekly Planet Watch Morning Planets: Venus (ENE), Mars (ESE), Jupiter (ESE), Saturn (S), Uranus (E), Neptune (SE).


July 20 First International Moon Day Commemorates Multi World Achievements, Looks Toward Next Steps

Now an official United Nations proclamation submitted by Moon Village Association, the 1st Annual International Moon Day / Apollo 11 human lunar landing on July 20 is being universally fostered for global awareness of sustainable Moon exploration and utilization as space agencies, academia and private enterprise are rapidly capitalizing on the rising lunar tide. “In peace and for all” should be central in planning and governing our 21st Century civilization and culture on the Moon. As the population grows to 8,000,000,000, there are still plenty of acres for each on our nearest celestial neighbor, and on Mars and the Galaxy Beyond. China Chang’e 3-5 craft reside on the Moon near and far side, as NASA veteran LRO continues polar mapping from above. Capstone orbiter is en route to test the planned international lunar gateway near rectilinear halo orbit. South Korea Danuri lunar orbiter to launch August 2. NASA SLS first Artemis 1 flight window opens Aug 23. Roscosmos Luna-25 lander may launch in Sep, followed by ispace Hakuto-R lander with UAE Rashid rover October-November, and CLPS providers Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines by end of year. India Chandrayaan-3 and JAXA SLIM landers may launch early-mid 2023. Highlighting these missions and more is the NASA Exploration Science Forum being held in Boulder CO from July 19-21 with 95 presentations and 73 posters. (Image Credits: International Lunar Observatory Association, M. Carroll, NASA, et al)

Jul 18 — NASA SSERVI, University of Colorado – Boulder, Hybrid / Boulder CO and Online: LunGradCon 2022, Day Two.

Jul 18 — Celestis, Online: Facebook Live: Countdown to the Aurora Flight; with Celestis CEO Charles Chafer, Celestis Ambassador Marc B. Lee, Celestis President Colby Youngblood; 18:00 CDT.

Jul 18-20 — American Astronautical Society, Cleveland OH: 2022 John Glenn Memorial Symposium; at Case Western Reserve University.

o Jul 18-22 — Farnborough International, Farnborough, United Kingdom: 2022 Farnborough International Air Show (FIA2022).

☆ Jul 18 — Moon: 2.02° SE of Jupiter, 18:00.

☆ Jul 18 — Mars and Neptune: At heliocentric conjunction, 04:00.

☆ Jul 18 — Apollo Asteroid 2006 DP62: Near-Earth Flyby (0.062 AU)

☆ Jul 18 — Amor Asteroid 2016 NJ33: Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU)

Continued From…

★ Jun 28 – Nov 13 — CAPSTONE, Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit Trajectory: Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment heading to operating position at NRHO / cislunar space.

o Jul 5 – Aug 2 — KARI, Incheon International Airport, S Korea: South Korea lunar orbiter ‘Danuri’ on its way to Cape Canaveral SFS for integration and testing prior to scheduled August 5 launch on Falcon 9.

Jul 11-29 — National Space Society, Blue Origin Club for the Future, Brownsville TX: Expanding Frontiers’ Space Entrepreneur Summer Academy (SESA); education program for where students interact with scientists and astropreneurs.

o Jul 16-24 — United Nations Committee on Space Research and Associated Events, Athens, Greece: 44th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research and Associated Events (COSPAR 2022).

TUESDAY

Jul 19 — Maryland Space Business Roundtable (MSBR), Greenbelt MD: MSBR Luncheon; featuring Christopher Scolese, Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (and former Director of Goddard Space Flight Center).

Jul 19-21 — NASA SSERVI, University of Colorado – Boulder, Hybrid / Boulder CO and Online: 2022 NASA Exploration Science Forum (NESF2022).

☆ Jul 19 — Pluto: At opposition, 07:00.

☆ Jul 19 — Venus: 1.49° S of M35 cluster, 15:00.

☆ Jul 19 — Apollo Asteroid 349068 (2006 YT13): Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU)

WEDNESDAY

Jul 20 — Apollo 11 53rd Observation, Nationwide USA / Global: First Human mission to land on Moon in 1969; 1st steps by humans on another World taken by Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin; Command Module piloted by Michael Collins.

Jul 20 — Viking 1 Mars Lander 46th Observation, Nationwide USA / Global: First USA spacecraft to successfully land on another planet; originally scheduled for July 4, landing was delayed until this day in 1976 due to rough landing site.

o Jul 20 — International Moon Day / Space Exploration Day, Global: Celebrating the 1st people walking on the Moon / another celestial body – 2022 will be the first year in which International Moon Day is a recognized / endorsed declaration by the United Nations.

Jul 20 — Blue Origin New Shepard Flight 1st Observation, Nationwide USA / Van Horn TX: First crewed commercial suborbital flight NS-16 took Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, Oliver Daemen above the Karman Line on this date in 2021, with 5 other successful flights since then, and looking toward another 2-3 for 2022.

Jul 20 — Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR), Washington DC: WSBR Luncheon and Silent Auction for STEM; featuring Astronaut Michael López-Alegria and Audrey Powers of Blue Origin.

Jul 20 — Human Exploration and Operations Committee of NASA Advisory Council, Washington DC and Online: Meeting of the Human Exploration and Operations Committee.

Jul 20-21 — NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee, Washington DC and Online: Astrophysics Advisory Committee Meeting.

☆ Jul 20 — Moon: At last quarter, 04:18.

☆ Jul 20 — Mars: July ‘Winter’ Solstice for Northern Hemisphere, 20:00.

☆ Jul 20 — Amor Asteroid 2022 NA1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.060 AU)

THURSDAY

Jul 21 — ISS, Russia EVA #54, ~405-km Altitude: Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev and ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to exit International Space Station through Poisk airlock to test European Robotic Arm during ~7-hour spacewalk; live coverage available, starts 10:00 EDT.

Jul 21 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 3-1, LC-39A, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Launch of Starlink satellites to be launched, while first stage booster set to land on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

Jul 21 — Johnson Space Center, NASA, Houston TX and Online: NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) Meeting.

o Jul 21-24 — Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, United Kingdom: Bluedot Festival 2022.

☆ Jul 21 — Moon: 1.01° N of Mars, 07:00, occultation; 0.26° NNE of Uranus, 21:00.

☆ Jul 21 — Amor Asteroid 2018 PY7: Near-Earth Flyby (0.073 AU)

FRIDAY

☆ Jul 22 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / NROL-199, Launch Complex 1B, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Rocket Lab Electron to launch classified payload for National Reconnaissance Office.

Jul 22 — Earth & Space Report, Online / Rockport MA: #28: Postcards from the Universe — Astronomy Picture of the Day’s 27-year Legacy; by Dr. Jerry Bonnell from NASA GSFC.

☆ Jul 22 — Moon: 3.2° SE of Pleiades, 21:00.

☆ Jul 22 — Mercury: 0.50° NNE of Beehive Cluster, 20:00.

☆ Jul 22 — Aten Asteroid 2010 TE55: Near-Earth Flyby (0.051 AU)

☆ Jul 22 — Aten Asteroid 2020 BW12: Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU)

SATURDAY

★ Jul 23 — Chandra X-ray Observatory, HEO: NASA spacecraft in extended mission phase reaches 23rd full year / begins 24th year of operations in Space; instruments able to detect X-ray sources 100 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope; launched 1999.

☆ Jul 23 — Moon: 7.2° N of Aldebaran, 15:00.

☆ Jul 23 — Apollo Asteroid 2012 HN13: Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU)

SUNDAY

☆ Jul 24 — CNSA, Launch Long March 5 / Wentian (Experiment Module 1) for Tiangong Space Station, Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Center, Hainan Island, China (19° N): China Space Station Experiment Module Wentian “Quest for the Heavens” to launch to LEO and connect with Tianhe-1 Core Module; expected to operate until at least 2032; launch 06:15 UT (20:15 HST on July 23).

Jul 24 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink 4-25, LC-39A, Cape Canaveral SFS FL: Next launch of Starlink satellites to be launched, while first stage booster set to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

☆ Jul 24 — Mars and Jupiter: at heliocentric conjunction, 21:00.

☆ Jul 24 — Aten Asteroid 2017 RX: Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU)