Astronomy from the Moon Validation Inspiring Next Steps of Exploration, Science & Enterprise
|
MONDAYFeb 16 — ISS, LEO: Expedition 42 crew to facilitate arrival of Progress 58P resupply ship, perform 2 EVAs this week & prepare for 2 more; working with Force Shoes study of exercise loads in space, Plant Rotation plant growth study, Ocular Health experiment for changes to vision during long duration space missions. Feb 16 — ISS, U.S. EVA 29, LEO: Wilmore and Virts to perform spacewalk to install power and data cables and a communications gear, live coverage available. Feb 16 — Curiosity, Mount Sharp, Mars: Now about 5 months at Mount Sharp, continuing to analyze minerals of ‘Mojave 2’ sample, using cameras & spectrometer instruments to study features of interest at various levels of detail. Feb 16 — New Horizons, Pluto Trajectory: Traveling at ~ 450,000 kph, craft is 147 days from Pluto closest approach; Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager will continue taking images of Pluto system; planning for course-correcting engine maneuver in Mar. Feb 16 — Deep Space Industries, McLean TX: NewSpace company developing concept to use bioengineered microbes injected into space rocks to break down materials over a 10-to-20-year period ahead of mining mission. Feb 16 — Planet Labs Inc., San Francisco CA: With newly raised US$95M investment, continuing to build 30 x 20 x 10-cm Dove Earth-imaging satellites; currently has seventy-three satellites in orbit. Feb 16 — Mishaal Aerospace Corp., Miami FL: Testing M-SV propulsion system for first generation M-OV Orbital Vehicle to launch satellites under 500 kg to LEO; plans to develop M-LV Lunar Vehicle for lunar & inner Solar System missions. Feb 16 — University of Arizona, Tucson AZ: Life in the Universe Lecture Series: Complexity and Evolvability: What Makes Life So Interesting? presented by Anna R. Dornhaus, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Feb 16-20 — Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT), Madrid, Spain: Workshop: Entangle This – Space, Time & Matter. Feb 16 — Moon: 3.6° NNW of Mercury, 18:00. |
= 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 – Evening Planets: Venus (WSW), Mars (WSW), Jupiter (E), Uranus (W); Morning Planets: Saturn (S).
Antarctica ‘McMurdo on the Moon’ Conference to Focus on Models for Human Space Exploration
|
Continued from… Oct 16, 2014 – Jun 11 — NASA, University of Hawai`i, Mauna Loa HI: Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Mission 3.
Dec 20, 2014 – Mar 15 — Cantor Arts Center, Stanford CA: Exhibition: Loose in Some Real Tropics: Robert Rauschenberg’s “Stoned Moon” Projects, 1969–70; 34 large-format lithographs with scenes of Apollo 11 astronauts, machinery, facilities. Feb 2-27 — Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics (MIAPP), Munich, Germany: Dark Matter: Astrophysical probes, Laboratory tests, and Theory aspects (DARK MALT 2015). Feb 12-16 — American Association for the Advancement of Science, San Jose CA: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2015 Annual Meeting. TUESDAYFeb 17 — RSA, Launch Soyuz / Progress 58P, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: An RSA Soyuz rocket set to launch 58th Progress cargo ship to ISS, live coverage available. Feb 17-20 — NASA, San Francisco CA: Destination Station exhibit devoted to ISS education to travel to various SF Bay Area locations. Feb 17-27 — Paris Institute of Astrophysics, Network of European Observatories in the North (NEON), Asiago, Italy: 2015 NEON Observing School. Feb 17 — Asteroid 2015 BF511: Near-Earth flyby (0.028 AU). Feb 17 — Asteroid 2000 AC6: Near-Earth flyby (0.064 AU). WEDNESDAYFeb 18 — Ames Research Center, NASA, Moffett Field CA: Workshop on the Potential for Finding Life in a Europa Plume; to consider strategies to investigate Europa plumes for evidence of life. |
Feb 18 — Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), NASA, Stanford University, Stanford CA: International Space Station Microgravity Research Symposium; at Stanford, North building Room 302, 09:00 – 14:10 PST.
Feb 18-19 — SSERVI, NASA, Brown University, Providence RI: Space Horizons 2015: McMurdo on the Moon; to examine how McMurdo & other Antarctica stations can be studied as models for human bases on Moon & Mars.
Feb 18 — Moon: New Moon, 13:47; at perigee (distance 356,584 km) 21:24.
THURSDAY
Feb 19 — China Lunar New Year, Worldwide: China Lunar New Year 2015 Spring Festival marks the Year of the Goat.
Feb 19 — Oregon L5 Society, United States Parks Service, Vancouver WA: Lecture: Mining the Moon with a Lunar Elevator; presented by Charles Radley, President Oregon L5 Society; at Pearson Air Museum, 18:30 PST, live streaming available.
Feb 19 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Colloquium: Atmospheric circulation and collapse on tidally locked exoplanets; presented by Robin Wordsworth.
Feb 19-20 — Outer Planets Assessment Group, NASA, Moffett Field CA: Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Meeting; at Ames Research Center.
Feb 19-20 — The Earthlight Foundation, New Worlds Institute, SEDS, Heinlein Prize Trust, SFF, NSS, CSF, Washington DC: Pioneering Space National Summit; gathering of national level decision makers, commercial space executives, leaders from space community with goal of creating basic SpaceMap for USA; at Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center.
Feb 19 — Moon: 3.6° NNW of Neptune, 01:00.
FRIDAY
Feb 20 — ISS, U.S. EVA 30, LEO: Wilmore and Virts to perform spacewalk to install power and data cables and a communications gear, live coverage available.
Feb 20 — Moon: 1.9° NNW of Venus, 14:00; 1.4° NNW of Mars, 15:00.
Feb 20 — Asteroid 416151 (2002 RQ25): Near-Earth flyby (0.051 AU).
SATURDAY
Feb 21 — International Lunar Observatory Association, Space Age Publishing Co., Bandung, Indonesia: Galaxy Forum Southeast Asia – Indonesia 2015: Galaxy Education, Exploration and Enterprise in the 21st Century; 09:00 – 13:00 local time at LAPAN Bandung Branch Office.
Feb 21 — Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Washington DC: Lecture: Tracing the Structure of the Universe with Galaxy Surveys: Addressing the Biggest Questions; presented by Cameron McBride, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Feb 21 — Moon: 0.33° N of Uranus, 12:00.
SUNDAY
Feb 22 — The Space Show, Online / Tiburon CA: Dr. David Livingston talks with space historian Dr. Asif Siddiqi.
Feb 22-24 — Space Exploration Alliance, Washington DC: Space Exploration Alliance Legislative Blitz; space advocates from around USA let Congress know that there is strong constituent support for an ambitious space program.
Feb 22 — Venus: 0.41° SSE of Mars, 20:00.