International Astronautical Federation Hosts GLIS 2016 in Geneva

The Global Conference on Space and the Information Society is the newest major event under the annual IAF global program, co-organized with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva Switzerland on June 6-7, and directly preceded by an informal “SpaceUp” conference on June 5. There are 5 Plenary Sessions: The ITU and its Impact on Space Activities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Contributions of Satellite Communications, Space Economy Meets Information Economy, Space Services and Security, and Big data – Information Society. The Opening Ceremony includes remarks by Houlin Zhao (ITU), Kiyoshi Higuchi and Chris Welch (IAF) as well as Keynote Addresses by Head of Cyber Policy Coordination at Germany Federal Foreign Office Karsten Geier, VP from Lockheed Martin Jennifer Warren, Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Communications and Navigation at NASA Badri Younes, and President of CNES Jean-Yves Le Gall. A Women in Aerospace – Europe Breakfast before the Opening Ceremony is moderated by WIA-E Executive Director Elena Feichtinger and includes a welcome by WIA-E President and Head of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs Simonetta di Pippo. On a related note, June 16 marks the 53rd observation of the 1st Woman in Space, Valentina Tereshkova of the former Soviet Union, who orbited Earth 49 times in 1963 aboard Vostok 6. (Image Credit: IAF, NASA)

MONDAY

Jun 6 — ISS, LEO: Expedition 47 preparing for Orbital ATK OA-6 craft release and Expedition 47/48 Change of Command Ceremony next week, using Dose Tracker Application to track & assess effectiveness of medications taken in Space, BEAM undergoing temperature and pressure checks after two attempts / 7.5-hour inflation process, Astronauts to enter module several times a year over next 2 years.

 Jun 6 — Rosetta, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Orbit: Craft ‘unambiguously detecting amino acid Glycine on comet’ states Katherin Altwegg PI of ROSINA instrument, along with organic molecules & phosphorus, which supports the theory comets / asteroids deliver key molecules for life throughout Solar System.

 Jun 6 — Cassini, Saturn Orbit: In 236th orbit around Saturn, changing trajectory to climb higher over planet poles from equator / ring plane in preparation for final observations before planned Sep 2017 atmospheric impact.

 Jun 6 — Blue Origin LLC, Kent WA: NewSpace company to launch New Shepard vehicle on 4th flight, executing additional maneuvers to increase vehicle accuracy and test capsule safety / landing with deliberately failed parachute; BE-4 engine may be ready for flight by 2019.

 Jun 6 — Canadensys Aerospace Corp., Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Reviewing Lunar Lander Site Characterization work for ILOA ILO-1 craft, working on Advanced Thermal & Energy Storage Technologies for Survival & Operations of Low-Cost Missions in Deep Space for Canadian Space Agency, providing hardware & support to Canada students to track / receive images from STMSAT-1 satellite.

 Jun 6 — Planet Labs, San Francisco CA: Working to have more than 100 Dove satellites in orbit to image the entire Earth every day, 24 remaining satellites from Flock 2e and Flock 2e’ to be deployed from ISS over coming months, has launched 135 satellites successfully; CEO Will Marshall.

Jun 6 — Women in Aerospace – Europe, Geneva, Switzerland: WIA-E Networking Breakfast at GLIS 2016.

2016 International Lunar and Planetary Science Symposium Furthering Data Exchange at Wuhan, China

The International Symposium on Lunar and Planetary Science is being held Jun 9-10 in Wuhan, China at the Kingdom Hotel in Optical Valley by National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China University of Geosciences, and Macau University of Science and Technology. Distinguished international speakers, conference co-chairs and speakers include (L-R) Ziyuan Ouyang (NAOC), Aoao Xu (Macau University), James Head III (Brown University), Clive Neal (University of Notre Dame), Noriyuki Namiki (NAOJ), Young-Jun Choi (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), Chunlai Li (NAOC), Wing-Huen Ip (Macau University), Mark Wieczorek (IPGP, Paris), Long Xiao (University of Geosciences, Wuhan), Goro Komatsu (University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy) and Timothy D. Glotch (Stony Brook University). Data from LRO, Kaguya, Moon Mineralogy Mapper, Chang’e program, Dawn, Hayabusa, Rosetta, Stardust-NExT and Cassini will be discussed in 8 Sessions, 3 of which focus on the Moon, 2 on Mars, and 1 each on Small Bodies, Mineralogy and Geochemistry, and Atmosphere and Space Physics. The pre-conference Summer School for Planetary Science and Exploration in East Asia will be mostly led by Clive Neal and James Head on June 5-8 for students and early career scientists. China’s path to deep space is strategically placed with Tiangong-1 being deactivated and Tiangong-2 human space lab to launch end of 2016, Chang’e Moon missions advancing from orbiters to sample return and Moon pole research, and plans for Human Moon missions, Mars, asteroids and Jupiter missions. (Image Credit: NAOC/CAS, Office of Zhongshan Municipal Government, NASA/Sean Smith, ND, NOAJ, JPL, LPI, Washington University)

 Jun 6 — National Science Foundation,

 Jun 6 — Cornell University, Ithaca NY: Lecture: Extreme Makeover – Titan Edition; Catherine Neish from University Western Ontario.

Jun 6-7 — United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Vienna, Austria: Intersessional Meeting of the Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.

Jun 6-7 — International Astronautical Federation, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Geneva, Switzerland: Global Conference on Space and the Information Society – GLIS 2016.

Jun 6-10 — Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Albena, Bulgaria: 1st Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact (VarSITI) General Symposium.

Jun 6-11 — National Observatory of Athens, Crete, Greece: Conference: Supernova Remnants – An Odyssey in Space after Stellar Death.

Jun 6 — Venus: At superior conjunction with Sun (1.735 AU from Earth), 11:00.

Jun 6 — Aten Asteroid 2006 JF42: Near-Earth flyby (0.092 AU).

Continued from…

May 23 – Jul 29 — The Lunar and Planetary Institute, Johnson Space Center, NASA, Houston TX: Exploration Science Summer Intern Program.

May 29 – Jun 24 — Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, Italy: 2016 Summer School in Astrophysics: Water in the Solar System and Beyond.

Jun 1-8 — National Radio Astronomy Observatory, ALMA, Associated Universities Inc., National Science Foundation, New Mexico Tech, The University of New Mexico, Socorro NM: 15th Synthesis Imaging Workshop.

Jun 5-8 — National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China: Summer School for Planetary Science and Exploration in East Asia (SSPSEEA 2016); preceding International Symposium on Lunar and Planetary Science.