Expedition 62/63 Crew to Launch to ISS, Commercial Crew Perhaps in May, Humans to Moon 2024-25
Nominal operations for International Space Station Expedition 62/63 continue with Roscosmos planning Soyuz MS-16 crew launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan April 9. This will be the 1st crewed flight not launching from ‘Gagarin’s Start’, the pad at Baikonur that launched Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1 in 1961. Chris Cassidy of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos are set to join Commander Oleg Skripochka, Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan who are planning to return to Earth April 16, and have been working aboard ISS since Sep 25. Reusable cargo ship Dragon CRS-20, filled with return experiments and hardware, is being readied for April 6 undocking from 405-km altitude and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Crew Dragon carrying Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on Demo-2 test flight to ISS could launch mid-to-late May. Expedition 63 will focus on biology research, space botany and remote robotics work – much of which will support Artemis human Moon missions. The NASA call for ‘Artemis Generation Astronauts’ will see new candidate selections mid-2021 from the 12,000+ applicants. SLS 1st launch 2021 likely will be delayed, yet the National Program to see first women and next men at Moon South Pole in 2024-25, with a sustainable lunar base by 2028, could be possible if the visionary missions have committed funding, focus and urgency. (Image Credits: NASA, SpaceX) |
MONDAY Highlights…
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Apr 6 — 
Apr 6 — NewSpace: 
Apr 6 — USA: Artemis may see Gateway in mid-2020s after human Moon landings, 
= 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’).
Weekly Planet Watch – Evening Planets: Venus (W), Uranus (W); Morning Planets: Mercury (SE), Mars (SE), Jupiter (SE), Saturn (SE).
Human Space Travel Celebrated with Cosmonautics Day / Yuri’s Night, Space Shuttle Colombia Inaugural Launch, Apollo 13@50
Humanity will reach 59 years as a spacefaring species on April 12, the day Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth in 1961 – one of the most indelible marks in history. During a flight lasting 108 minutes, Gagarin was lofted from Baikonur Cosmodrome to an altitude 327 km above the surface of Earth aboard the spherically shaped capsule Vostok 1. This achievement is traditionally celebrated as Cosmonautics Day in Russia. 564 fellow humans have joined Gagarin in the exploration of space, per FAI, including 20 years later (to the day) in 1981 when Columbia took Commander Young and Robert Crippen to orbit on the first space shuttle mission. Another auspicious date, April 11, 1970, saw the launch of attempted Moon landing mission Apollo 13. This confluence of space commemorations is celebrated as Yuri’s Night, founded in 2001 by Loretta Hidalgo (now Whitesides), George Whitesides and Trish Garner. While in-person gatherings have been disrupted by public health concerns, Yuri’s Night organizers are to host a ‘Global Livestream’ Saturday April 11. The online party, an “opportunity for people around the world to connect with each other while avoiding crowds”, will feature appearances by South Korea Astronaut Soyeon Yi, Canada Astronaut Chris Hadfield, USA Astronauts Story Musgrave, Mark Kelly, Nicole Stott and Jessica Meir from the ISS – with surprise guests yet to be announced. Yuri’s Night Global Livestream will utilize the YouTube Live platform, #YurisNight on Twitter and Instagram. (Image Credits: NASA, CSA-ASC, KARI, Roscosmos, Yuri’s Night) |
Apr 6 — NASA, ESA, SETI, et al, Moffett Field CA / Online: Applications Due: 5th Frontier Development Lab 2020; researchers from space sector, AI and data science team up for an intensive research sprint based on a range of challenge area, to occur June-Aug.
Continued from…
TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
Apr 8 — Moon: 6.7° NNE of Spica, 02:00.
THURSDAY
Apr 9 — Roscosmos State Corporation, Launch Soyuz MS-16 / ISS 62S, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: An RSA Soyuz rocket set to launch Chris Cassidy, Anatoly Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner of Expedition 62/63.
Apr 9 — Aerospace Corp., Online: Discussion: Space Grows Faster When It’s Safer: Safety and Sustainability; with Josef Koller and George Nield, 13:00 EDT.
Apr 9 — Amor Asteroid 2020 FL4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU)
FRIDAY
NET Apr 10 — Arianespace, Launch Soyuz / CSO 2, Sinnamary, French Guiana: Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS25, to launch second Composante Spatiale Optique military reconnaissance satellite for CNES and DGA (French defense procurement agency).
Apr 10 — BepiColombo, Earth Flyby: European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (dubbed Mio ‘waterway or fairway’) to perform maneuver while flying by Earth today at 12,700 km to change its trajectory to reach Mercury 2025 after being launched 2018; flyby pass could be visible.
Apr 10 — Juno, Perijove 26 / 25th Science Flyby, Jupiter Orbit: NASA craft in 53-day orbit to come within ~3,500 km of Jupiter cloud tops during Perijove 26, its 26th close flyby of Jupiter and 25th science flyby with instruments turned on, 14:24:34.
Apr 10 — Aten Asteroid 2019 HM: Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU)
SATURDAY
Apr 11 — Apollo 13 50th Observation, Nationwide USA: Seventh crewed Apollo mission and Astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., John L. Swigert Jr., Fred W. Haise Jr. are honored today in educational events and celebrations for the mission which was intended to land on the Moon.
Apr 11 — Yuri’s Night, Roddenberry Foundation, Transparency Wave, Moon Express, Virgin Orbit, et al,, Online: Yuri’s Night Global Live Stream; starts 19:00 EDT, with Astronauts Soyeon Yi, Chris Hadfield, Story Musgrave, Jessica Meir, Mark Kelly, Nicole Stott, more.
Apr 11 — Moon: 6.4° NNE of Antares, 05:00.
Apr 11 — Apollo Asteroid 363599 (2004 FG11): Near-Earth Flyby (0.049 AU)
SUNDAY
Apr 12 — 59th Commemoration of Human Spaceflight / Cosmonautics Day, Worldwide: Celebrating Yuri Gagarin of Russia, the 1st human to orbit Earth on Vostok 1 spacecraft in 1961; the flight lasted 108 minutes at 27,400 kph and 327 km above Earth.
Apr 12 — 39th Observation of STS-1 Columbia Flight, Nationwide USA: Commemorations occur today in honor of 1st ever NASA Space Shuttle Columbia carrying Commander John Young and pilot Robert Crippen around Earth on 54.5-hour mission in 1981.
Apr 12 — Yuri’s Night Celebrations, Global: Yuri’s Night 2020; annual worldwide party to celebrate Yuri Gagarin’s 1st flight into space and promote space exploration.