66th IAC in Jerusalem to Host 3,000 Space Exploration Leaders
The International Astronautical Federation, IAA and IISL are holding the 66th International Astronautical Congress with the theme Space: The Gateway for Mankind’s Future, October 12-16 in Jerusalem, Israel. World space agency representatives, scientists, Astronauts, industry, the press and public will participate in 9 technical sessions, 7 plenary, 3 highlight lectures, an exhibition, social program and associated events. IAC 2015 will begin with a 2-hour opening ceremony, heads of agencies session and a Buzz Aldrin press conference. Every aspect of Space Exploration will be explored including international current / future missions, launch services, life-support systems, commercial space, policies, safety and space debris. Some sessions are The Moon – a Continent and a Gateway for our Future and Fifty Years of Spacewalking. Bilateral meetings will be conducted by NASA, CNSA, ESA, ISRO, JAXA, Lockheed Martin Corp., CNES, DLR and OHB. Israel Space Agency is expanding Israel scientific and technological capabilities for peaceful space purposes through R&D support via international partnerships. The 2016 IAC will be held in Mexico, 2017 in Australia and the 2018 IAC host country will be selected Oct 16 by the IAF General Assembly. Associated events include: Space Generation Congress, IAA Academy Day, IPMC Young Professionals Workshop, Cross Cultural Workshop, IPC General Meeting and Space University Administrative Committee International Student Workshop. (Image Credit: IAF, ESA, NASA, JPL, JAXA) |
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MONDAY
 Oct 12 — ISS, LEO: Six-member Expedition 45 preparing pair of spacesuits for EVA Oct 28 & Nov 6, transferring cargo from Progress 61P, working on studies for micrometeoroid impacts, Earth observation techniques, crystal magnetism, human blood circulatory system; CubeSat deployment from Kibo airlock continues; ISS has been in orbit more than 6,170 days.
Oct 12 — Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), Mars Orbit: India orbiter with 5 science instruments collecting data on atmospheric processes, surface geology, morphology & temperature; has collected more than 1,000 images from attitudes varying between 400-70,000 km.
 Oct 12 — Chang’e-3 Lander, Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W, Moon Surface: In Lunar Night 23, craft collecting data & sending to Earth, has been operating on Moon surface since Dec 13, 2013; China to send Chang’e-4 advanced “twin” lander & rover to Moon far side before 2020, perform lunar sample return with Chang’e-5 mission launching 2017.
 Oct 12 — Sierra Nevada Corp., Louisville CO: NewSpace company with 2 DreamChaser craft under development: Atmospheric Engineering Test Article which will undergo suborbital / atmospheric flight testing early 2016, and Advanced Composite Orbital Vehicle.
Oct 12 — Orbital Outfitters, Washington DC & Midland TX: Being contracted by SpaceX to develop NextGen spacesuits; scheduled to deliver mechanical counter-pressure glove for NASA by summer 2016; setting up facility at Midland Spaceport including 2.5×5-meter acrylic & steel altitude chamber for testing equipment at sub-orbital & orbital pressures.
Oct 12 — Google Lunar XPRIZE, Culver City CA: Challenging private teams to get to the Moon, contender SpaceIL has first confirmed launch contract with SpaceX, reviewing Moon Express contract with Rocket Lab; competition officially extended to Dec 31, 2017.
Oct 12 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Lecture: Why Saturn Probe? presented by Jonathan Lunine.
 Oct 12-16 — International Astronautical Federation, IAA, International Institute of Space Law, Jerusalem, Israel: 66th International Astronautical Congress: Space – The Gateway for Mankind’s Future; multidisciplinary congress that covers all space sectors and topics; at the Jerusalem International Convention Center (ICC).
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= 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: Saturn (SW), Uranus (E), Neptune (SE); Morning Planets: Mercury (E), Venus (E), Mars (E), Jupiter (E).
New Worlds and New Wonders, Homes for Humanity Beyond Earth
The people, companies and institutions opening space to human development and settlement are gathering for focused work, exploration, art and culture on creating the future, now. New Worlds 2015 occurs October 16-17 at the Palmer Event Center in Austin TX, USA. It is the inaugural annual space conference and celebration of the New Worlds Institute, a project of the Texas based non-profit EarthLight Foundation, lead by Rick Tumlinson. Featured experts include Jeff Greason (XCOR), Bill Bruner (LLNL), Richard Garriott (Private Astronaut), Robyn Gatens (NASA), Michael Laine (Liftport), Bryan Versteeg (Space Artist), Dan Durda (SwRI), John Lewis (Author “Mining the Sky”), Theodore W. Hall (Space Habitat Design), Pat Rawlings (Space Artist) and Vera Mulyani (MarsCityDesign) among a very diverse group. The conference is organized into STAR Talks (Science, Technology, Art, Research) Ted-style talks to “blow your mind”; Worlds of the Frontier in-depth presentations on the questions of Where, Why and How; Discussion Sessions; Keynote Speeches including John Mankins on Space Solar Power; and Lift Off! a musical and visual, motivational and inspirational experience featuring performance art groups Arc Attack, BogTrotter, Nadis Warriors and The Clergy. (Image Credit: NWI, Arc Attack, NASA)
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Oct 12-16 — ESA, Noordwijk, The Netherlands: Conference: Exploring the Universe with JWST; at European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC).
Oct 12-16 — Lagrange Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research, Nice Observatory, Nice, France: Workshop: Exoplanetary Atmospheres and Habitability.
Oct 12-16 — Center for Theoretical Physics of the Universe (CTPU), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea: 12th Conference on Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics.
Oct 12-20 — International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India: Program: Extragalactic Relativistic Jets – Cause and Effect.
Oct 12 — Moon: New Moon, 14:06; 4.1° NNE of Spica, 23:00.
Oct 12 — Mercury: At perihelion (0.3075 AU from Sun), 08:00.
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.
TUESDAY
Oct 13 — RSA, Launch Proton / Turksat 4B, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: International Launch Services Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage to deploy Turksat 4B communications satellite.
Oct 13 — Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ: Lecture: Pluto, Up Close and Personal; presented by Dr. Veronica Bray. |
Oct 13-16 — Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO), Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS), Astronomical Society of Iran (ASI), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Byurakan, Armenia: 1st Armenian-Iranian Astronomical Workshop.
WEDNESDAY
Oct 14 — Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt MD: Colloquium: The State of Magnetars; presented by Chryssa Kouveliotou from George Washington University, 15:30.
Oct 14-15 — ASTech Paris, Proximum Group, Paris, France: AeroSpace Days – Europe; at Paris Orly Airport.
Oct 14-16 — National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Shanghai, China: 4th China – U.S. Workshop on Radio Astronomy Science & Technology.
THURSDAY
Oct 15 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Building the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) – a new paradigm radio telescope to map dark energy; presented by Matt Dobbs, McGill University.
Oct 15-16 — The National Academies of Sciences, Arecibo, Puerto Rico: Meeting: Committee on Radio Frequencies.
FRIDAY
Oct 16 — The Space Show, Online / Tiburon CA: Dr. David Livingston talks with Debra Facktor Lepore, Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
Oct 16-17 — New Worlds Institute, Austin TX: New Worlds 2015; to focus on settling the Moon, Mars and Free Space.
Oct 16-17 — Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center, NASA, KSC FL: NASA’s Innovation Expo; featuring expert presentations, prototype of Robonaut, NASA’s six campaigns including Earth Right Now, Technology, International Space Station, Aeronautics, Mars and the Solar System and Beyond.
Oct 16 — Moon: 2.9° N of Saturn, 04:00; 9.5° N of Antares, 18:00.
SATURDAY
Oct 17 — INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), LEO: Detecting some of the most energetic radiation in Space, ESA spacecraft enters 14th year of operations in Space.
Oct 17 — Moon: 0.38° NNE of Jupiter, 13:00.
SUNDAY
Oct 18 — International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Israel Institute of Technology – Technion, Asher Institute, Jerusalem, Israel: 2015 International Astronautical Federation (IAF) – Space University Administrative Committee (SUAC) International Student Workshop.
Oct 18-23 — University of Hawaii – Manoa, Honolulu HI: Workshop: Solar Energetic Particles, Solar Modulation and Space Radiation – New Opportunities in the AMS-02 Era; at Queen Kapiolani Hotel.
Oct 18 — Aten Asteroid 2014: Near-Earth flyby (0.010 AU).
Oct 18 — Apollo Asteroid 2011 SE97: Near-Earth flyby (0.031 AU).