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Vol 29, No 8
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ISRO Symposium to Focus on India Space Achievements

On February 24-27, the 16th National Space Science Symposium will be held at Saurashtra University in Rajkot, India. Sponsored by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), in association with the Astronomical Society of India, the event will provide a scientific forum for participants to present recent developments in space science, planetary exploration and advances in space / ground based projects in India. The symposium will commence with a Presidential address by former ISRO Chairman Professor U.R Rao (TR) followed by an inaugural address by ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan (TL). Over 60 of the top scientists from India will discuss topics in lunar science from Chandrayaan-1, the role of small satellites for infrared astronomy and space based meteorology and topography.  India has stepped to the forefront with its own aspirations for lunar exploration. ISRO plans to launch the Chandrayaan-2 lander / rover (BL), its 2nd robotic mission to the Moon, by 2013.  (Credit: ISRO, Saurashtra University, latimes.com)

San Diego 'Unconference' to Address Space Advancements

The 1st ‘unconference’ devoted to space exploration will take place this week at the San Diego Air and Space Museum on February 27-28. Organized by the San Diego Space Society (SDSS), ‘SpaceUp’ is expected to bring together 200 participants from the space community.  Not your average conference, ‘SpaceUp’ will allow participants to decide the topics and overall structure of the event. Discussion will cover all space related topics, especially recent advances made by NewSpace companies such as SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, the Google Lunar X Prize and the new direction of NASA. Lead organizer and chairman for 'SpaceUp' is SDSS member Chris Radcliff (LC). Other advocacy events taking place this week include 'March Storm 2010' on Feb 28- March 2 and 'Space Exploration Alliance 2010 Blitz' already in progress in Washington DC. (Credit: SDSS, NSS, ProSpace, SpaceX, NASA, SDASM, SEA, Virgin Galactic, Google Lunar X Prize)

THIS WEEK
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
LEGEND
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 – Morning Planets: Saturn (S) / Evening Planets: Venus (WSW), Mars (E), Saturn (E).
 

MONDAY
Feb 22 — 'Reduce National Deficit by Utilizing Space Resources:' Dr. Phillip Harris outlines 3 key objectives: Raise public awareness / investment of space through global conferences, find innovative ways for space financing and create a Global Space Administration;' http://rbrtfrnt.edublogs.org/what-are-scholars-have-written/.
Feb 22 — International Space Station, LEO: E22 crew to progress with maintenance activities and ongoing science experiments in fully functional Tranquility Node; http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html.
Feb 22 — NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Orbit: LRO functioning nominally from lower mapping orbit (50 km) as scientists continue to analyze data and images; http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html.
Feb 22 — Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), Red Planet: Imagery from MRO HiRISE camera of Mojave Crater reveal information about the impact process, including ejecta, melting and deposits; http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=971.
Feb 22 — The Institute of Engineering and Technology, London, England: 'Satellite Delivery for Digital Britain;' http://www.theiet.org/events/2010/satellite-delivery.cfm.
Feb 22-24 — The National Academies, Irvine CA: 'Steering Group Meeting 3 of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey;' http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/ssb_052412.
Feb 22 — Moon: 8.8° N of Aldebaran; 04:00.
Continued from . . .
Jan 30 — Museum of Science and Industry, Confucius Institute / University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom: 'Exhibition: From Gunpowder to Space Rockets - The China Space Program,' includes models of ancient rockets, recent satellites, rockets, space ships and a lunar rover; through Aug 7; http://www.mosi.org.uk/whats-on/china-space-exhibition.
Feb 21 — National Space Society, Space Exploration Alliance, Washington DC: 'Space Exploration Alliance 2010 Blitz;' through Feb 23; https://www.nss.org/cgi-bin/register/tdregister?$Origin=Blitz10.
TUESDAY
Feb 23-25 — NASA Aerospace Education Services Project, Charlotte NC: '2nd Annual NASA STEM Educator's Workshop Series;' http://aesp.psu.edu/register/.
Feb 23-25 — Institute for Advanced Studies in the Space, Propulsion and Energy Sciences, Laurel MD: 'Space, Propulsion & Energy Sciences International Forum;' http://www.ias-spes.org/SPESIF.html.
Feb 23 — Cassini OTM-237, Saturn Orbit: Spacecraft conducts Orbital Trim Maneuver #237 today; http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/.
Feb 23 — Comet 94 / P Russell: Closest Approach to Earth (1.275 AU).
WEDNESDAY
Feb 24 — The SETI Institute, Mountain View CA: Colloquium Series Lecture: 'The Habitability of the Phoenix Landing Site,' Carol Stoker; http://www.seti.org/csc/lectures.
Feb 24-26 — University of California Los Angeles, Marina Del Ray CA: '9th UCLA Symposium on Sources and Detection of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe;' http://www.physics.ucla.edu/hep/dm10/index.html.
Feb 24-27 — Indian Space Research Organization, Rajkot, India: '16th National Space Science Symposium 2010;' http://www.nsss2010.org/.
THURSDAY
Feb 25 — Launch Dnepr / CryoSat2, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: ISC Kosmotras Dnepr rocket set to launch ESA CryoSat 2 Earth observation satellite which will monitor changes in polar ice caps and floating sea ice to determine the rate the planet's ice cover is diminishing; DELAYED; http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html.
Feb 25 — US Committee on Science and Technology, Washington DC: ' NASA’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request and Issues;' http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?newsid=2746.
Feb 25 — Alliant Tech Systems, NASA, Promontory UT: Last horizontal ground test firing of 4-segment solid rocket motor for Space Shuttle program; http://www.spaceref.com/calendar/calendar.html?pid=5826.
Feb 25 — Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX: 'LPI Seminar Series: Ejecta Blocks as Tracers of the Formation and Evolution of Asteroid Regoliths,' Dan Durda; http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/seminars/#1411.
Feb 25 — AIAA San Francisco, San Francisco CA: 'AIAA-SF Dinner Meeting and Job Interviews,' Steven Cerri; http://aiaa-sf.org/.
Feb 25-26 — NASA Headquarters, Washington DC: 'Centennial Challenges Technical Symposium and Recongition Ceremony,' event to honor achievements of 2009 Centennial Challenges prize winners; http://www.redorbit.com/news/space.
Feb 25 — Moon: 7.0° SSW of Pollux, 04:00; 5.1° SSW of Mars, 16:00.
FRIDAY
Feb 26 — International Institute of Space Law, Online: 'Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition,' Deadline for Submission of Memorials for all teams participating in the Indian Domestic Funding Rounds, Asia-Pacific; http://www.spacemoot.org/currentfinal.htm.
Feb 26 — Moon: 2.8° SSW of Beehive Cluster; 03:00.

Feb 26 — Asteroid 2009 FY4: Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU).

Feb 26 — Asteroid 3808 Tempel: Closest Approach to Earth (0.974 AU).

SATURDAY
Feb 27 — The Planetary Society, Cambridge, England: 'Exploring the Cosmos,' special event to honor physicist Stephen Hawking; http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/space_information/cosmosaward0210.html.
Feb 27 — Zero Gravity Corporation, Las Vegas NV: Commercial weightless flight onboard G Force One at McCarran International Airport; http://www.gozerog.com/.
Feb 27-28 — San Diego Space Society, San Diego CA: 'Space Exploration Unconference: SpaceUp;' http://spaceup.org/.
Feb 27-28 — Planetary Geosciences Group, The Woodlands TX: 'Brown-Vernadsky Microsymposium 51: Compositional Structure of the Lunar Crust -The New View from the Moon;' http://www.planetary.brown.edu/html_pages/micro51.htm.
Feb 27 — Cassini OTM-238, Saturn Orbit: Spacecraft conducts Orbital Trim Maneuver #238 today; http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/.
Feb 27 — Mercury: 1.7° SSE of Neptune; 03:00.
Feb 27 — Moon: At Perigee (Distance: 56.10 Earth-radii); 11:00; 3.8° SSW of Regulus; 14:00.
SUNDAY
Feb 28-Mar 2 — The National Academies, Irvine CA: 'Astro 2010 Meeting: The Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2010; http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/meetingview.aspx?MeetingID=4047.
Feb 28-Mar 2 — Pro Space, Washington DC: 'March Storm 2010,' Training day set for Feb 28 followed by meetings with Congressional staff members on Mar 1-2; http://www.prospace.org/about-march-storm.
Feb 28 — Moon: Full Moon; 06:37.
 
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