November 2-8, 2015 / Vol 34, No 44 / Hawai`i Island, USA

West / Central Asia Increasingly Active in Civil Space Sector

The Inter Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET) is working in collaboration with Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) to organize a 5-day workshop on student satellites to encourage future space entrepreneurs. The program, coordinated by Abdullah Jamil Khan of SUPARCO includes seminars, interaction with renowned experts in the field and lecture-based hands-on training with software and tools for satellite design and development. Launch of Badr 7 (aka Arabsat 6B) and GSAT 15 (for ISRO) is expected Nov 10 from ELA-3 at Kourou, French Guiana aboard Ariane 5 ECA rocket VA227. Built by Airbus and Thales Alenia for operator Arabsat out of Saudi Arabia, Badr 7 will join a constellation of 3 other Direct-To-Home satellites at the 26° East video “hot-spot”, extending in-orbit capacity for television services. The Dubai Airshow takes place Nov 8-12 at the purpose-built site within Dubai World Central. The newly formed UAE Space Agency, as well as UAE-based companies including Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) and Thuraya Telecommunications Company will be exhibiting. UAE investment in space technologies exceeds US$5.4B and it currently operates 6 commercial satellites. (Image Credit: ISNET, Arabsat, Astrium, Dubai Airshow, UAE Space Agency; Flags L-R: Azerbaijan, Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey)

MONDAY

Nov 2 — International Space Station, LEO: Begins 16th year of continuous Human occupation, first component launched Nov 20, 1998; Expedition 45 preparing for next U.S. EVA, various interviews with schools and news teams, performing ongoing maintenance and science activities, observing plasma & liquid crystal growth.

Nov 2 — MAVEN, Elliptical Mars Orbit: Measuring the rate at which Mars atmosphere is escaping to space, its characteristics of gases & interactions with solar wind; may perform second set of “deep dip” activities to sample atmosphere closer to surface.

Nov 2 — New Horizons, Kuiper Belt Trajectory: Continuing to transmit data from July Pluto system flyby, scientists analyzing images of moons for reflectivity, topography and size; 2 additional maneuvers required to put craft on planned trajectory for selected KBO (2 were already successful).

Nov 2 — XCOR Aerospace, Mojave CA: NewSpace company assembling Lynx suborbital craft, planning for first drop test flights in 2016; constructing Research and Development Center in Midland TX; may also work out of KSC FL.

Nov 2 — Spaceflight Industries Inc., Tukwila WA: Providing launch opportunities for CubeSats to 2,000-kg satellites, mission management and payload integration; developing SHERPA system to deploy multiple satellites, working with SpaceX, Roscosmos, Orbital Sciences, ISC Kosmotras, NanoRacks.

Nov 2 — Open Source Starship Alliance, Multiple Locations / Online: Branch of Global Starship Alliance, planning to create open platform to share research and technology developments for interstellar travel.

Nov 2-5 — Keck Institute for Space Studies, JPL, Caltech, Pasadena CA: Workshop: Optical Frequency Combs for Space Applications; with Kerry Vahala, Stephanie Leifer, Nan Yu, Scott Diddams.

Nov 2-5 — Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, Santa Barbara CA: Kepler’s Second Mission Science Conference (K2 SCI CON).

Celestis 14th Spaceflight to Launch from Spaceport America

The 7th Earth Rise Mission “The Tribute Flight” is set to launch November 6 from Spaceport America at Las Cruces NM via Up Aerospace SpaceLoft XL suborbital launch vehicle. Spaceport America has 18,000 acres and a 3.6-km spaceway. It hosts various suborbital launches, is home to Virgin Galactic and is intended to be the site for SpaceX to test its Falcon 9R Reusable Development Vehicle (F9R Dev2). This will be the 14th spaceflight for Celestis Inc. which provides memorial spaceflight services for cremated remains. The SpaceLoft rocket payload can reach up to 150-km altitude, experience 5 minutes of microgravity and be returned to customers in ~3 hours. Celestis is also offering Luna 02 mission starting at $12,500 for 1 gram, to deliver remains to the surface of the Moon per agreements with Moon Express and Astrobotic Technology, contenders for the Google Lunar X Prize. Luna 01 memorial flight occurred January 1998 with a portion of Dr. Eugene Shoemaker’s remains impacting near the Moon South Pole aboard NASA Lunar Prospector in July 1999. Also on the launch manifest for Celestis are flights to Earth Orbit (remains burn up in Earth atmosphere after possible orbit for 10-240 years) and to deep space, a permanent celestial voyage beyond the Earth-Moon system. (Pictured: Jerry Larson (T) Up Aerospace & Charles Chafer (B) Celestis); Image Credit: Celestis, Up Aerospace, Spaceport America, NASA, Robin Zielinski, Sun-News)

Nov 2-6 — Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences & Technology, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Lahore, Pakistan: ISNET/SUPARCO Workshop on Student Satellites.

Nov 2-13 — International Union of Radio Science (URSI), Bangkok, Thailand: International Reference Ionosphere Workshop 2015; at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL).

Nov 2-27 — International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, Switzerland: World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15).

Nov 2 — Moon: 5.4° SSW of Beehive Cluster, 21:00.

Nov 2 — Venus: 0.68° SSW of Mars, 22:00.

Continued from…

Aug 11 – Oct 31 — International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach, Online: NameExoWorlds Contest; public voting for 15 stars and 32 exoplanets.

Aug 28 – Aug 28, 2016 — NASA, University of Hawai`i at Mānoa, Mauna Loa HI: Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Mission 4; at 2,440-meter altitude.

Sep 14 – Dec 7 — SSERVI, NASA, Online: SSERVI teams at University of Central FL (CLASS) and Brown University/MIT (SEEED) give 13 lectures on Planetary Evolution: Phobos and Deimos, every Monday; live coverage available.

Sep 28 – Nov 27 — Charles Miller, SpaceNews, Online / Alexandria VA: Commercial Space Executive Training course.

Oct 26 – Nov 6 — Committee for Space Research, São Paulo State University (UNESP), JAXA, ESA, IAU, Guaratingueta, Brazil: COSPAR Capacity Building Workshop: Planetary Data Mission Analysis.

Oct 27 – Nov 4 — Institute for Medical & Biological Problems, Moscow, Russia: Six women scientists to participate in Moon mission mock-up to aid planning for future long-duration Moon missions & permanent settlements.