2019 May See Great Steps Toward First Women on the Moon 

This could be a pivotal year to advance women’s domain and leadership in Space with landing the first women on the Moon as a priority and focus for National Space Agencies, independent organizations and individuals alike. Among organizations which would do well to see Women on the Moon and network this 2019 initiative are the UN, IAF, Moon Village Association, World Space Week, LEAG, American Astronautical Society, AIAA, National Space Society, and Space Frontier Foundation. Expanding the sphere of women’s activity by more than a billion times and lending toward a more inclusive vision of “We Came in Peace for All”, the first footsteps of women on the Moon in the 21st Century could be as significant as landing the first men on the Moon in the 20th. Pursuing this new dimension in returning people to the Moon may highlight the shortcomings of the nearly 50-year gap from Apollo 17, and inspire an accelerated program to re-establish Humans as a Multi World Species. Some of the initiatives supporting women on the Moon have come from Wally Funk, ILOA First Women on the Moon essay contest, IAF First Woman on the Moon 3G Breakfast, Stanford on the Moon Lunar Exhibit, Ad Astra Magazine, and others. Only 62 women have been in Space out of 560 Astronauts. This year could launch at least 3 more women in space, and perhaps, with continued attention, an announcement / naming of the First Women planned to orbit and land on the Moon. (Image Credits: ESA, Foster + Partners, Moon Express, Astrobotic, ISRO, CNS, Golden Spike Company, ILOA, C-Span)

MONDAY

Secure World Foundation Meets with Korean Space Agency

The Secure World Foundation and the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) are co-hosting a Space Situational Awareness Workshop in Seoul January 24-25. Participants will examine the growing field of Space Situational Awareness and orbital debris. Peter Martinez (TR), Director of Secure World Foundation, has a goal of working with governments and industry to promote secure and peaceful uses of space. Brian Weeden (BR) of SWF tells South China Morning Post that “threat” of Asia competition is used to get more funding for NASA. South Korea’s first astronaut is a woman, Soyeon Yi (TL), who has traveled to ISS aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. KARI, headquartered in Daejeon, is headed by Gwang-Rae Cho (BL) and officially designated by the S Korean government as a National Space Agency. With a yearly budget of about US $590M, KARI has an implementation agreement with NASA and is building the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter to launch in 2020. The orbiter will contain 5 payloads developed in S Korea and one built in USA. While successful satellite launch in 2013 is reliant on Russian engine technology, Korea Space Launch Vehicle 2 (KSLV-2) is entirely built in S Korea. At a cost of US $1.75B, KSLV-2 has successful suborbital test, intended for orbital flight in 2021. S Korea space plans, which include lunar landings, are based on cooperation among nations. (Image Credits: NASA, KARI, Secure World Foundation)

Jan 21-22 — Royal Society, London, United Kingdom: Scientific Discussion Meeting: Advances in Hydrogen Molecular Ions: H3+, H5+ and beyond.

Jan 21-25 — Sexten Center for Astrophysics, ASI, National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), INFN, Sexten, Italy: Workshop: The Growth of Galaxies in the Early Universe – V.

Continued from…

Jan 3-25 — International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India: Workshop: Cosmology – The Next Decade.

Jan 9-27 — Sydney Arts and Cultural Festival, Sydney, Australia: Annual Sydney Arts and Culture Festival; featuring Fly Me to the Moon cycling competition and 5 Moon themed installations.

NET Jan 17 — NASA, Online: Request for Proposals due: Step Two: Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads; due date changed to TBD / affected by government shutdown.

Jan 20-23 — Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, UCLA, USRA, et al, Ringberg, Germany: Workshop: Spectroscopy with SOFIA – New Results & Future Opportunities.

TUESDAY

Jan 21 — ISS, Canadian Space Agency, Broadcast: Astronaut David Saint-Jacques aboard ISS to launch web-based activity along with discussions from Earth from Roberta Bondar and Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, 11:20 ET.

Jan 22 — British Interplanetary Society, London, United Kingdom: Lecture: The Tools of The Apollo; by Physicist Mark Yates.

 Jan 22 — Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ: Lecture: Understanding the Unseen Universe; Professor Feryal Özel from University of Arizona, 19:00.