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Heads of National Space Agencies plenary session – IAC2018. Bremen, Germany.

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Heads of Space Agencies: Plenary Session IAC2018

This is my recording of the Heads of Space Agency plenary session on 1st October – the first day of the IAC2018. It was not recorded with the intention to publish online. However, here it is unedited – for anyone who may benefit from it.

In Attendance:

  • Dmitry Loskutov in place of Dmitry Rogozin – (Roscosmos)
  • Hiroshi Yamakawa – (JAXA)
  • Johann-Dietrich Woerner – (ESA)
  • Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Moderator – BBC)
  • Jim Bridenstine – (NASA)
  • K. Sivan – (ISRO)
  • Sylvain Laporte – Canadian Space Agency
  • ZHANG Kejian China National Space Administration

Some of my notes below – Timeline (mins:Sec)

04:50    Jan Woerner – ESA  
10:28    K Sivan – ISRO
15:16    Zang Kejian – CNSA (speaking via translator)
26 Launches since Jan 2018
Chang-e-4 Lunar rover before end of year (Relay sat already
launched)
5 More GNSS satellites before the end of year
Willing to collaborate internationally
Social, economic, climate change – support Asian – Asia and African
nations
China joint projects – Brazil, France, ESA, (Chang-e4 Sweden,
Germany, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia)
An announcement of opportunity 10kg payload available for
international partners on the Chang’e6 Sample return mission
CSS will be completed by 2022. Also, welcome international
cooperation on the CSS
Welcome international partners in its growing commercial space
market.
Established “Space Day” in China to encourage the younger generation
25:40 Hiroshi Yamakawa (JAXA)
Hayabusa 2 – Rover Minerva landed on Ryugu.  Lander Mascot (built
by DLR/CNES)
MMX Mission to Mars
Asia Specific Forum – 25th anniversary in Singapore
JAXA welcomes international partners.
The combined budget of all space agencies around the world. 42.5
Billion (21.5=NASA).
30:18 Dmitry Loskutov (Roscosmos)
35:05 Sylvain Laporte Canadian Space Agency
44:10 Jim Bridenstine (NASA)
 Hope to get 10k attendance in Washington IAC2019
Lunar gateway – Back to the Moon to stay. Sustainable open architecture open to commercial and international partners. It will also serve as a deep space transport to Mars.

53:10 Q&A

1:18:26 End

Heads of National Space Agencies Press Conference: IAC2018 Bremen, Germany

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Heads of Space Agency Press Conference IAC2018

This is my recording of the Heads of Space Agency press conference 1st October – the first day of IAC2018. This video was not initially intended to be published. But here it is unedit – some may find it of interest.

In Attendance:Left to right

  • Dmitry Loskutov in place of Dmitry Rogozin – (Roscosmos)
  • Hiroshi Yamakawa – (JAXA)
  • Johann-Dietrich Woerner – (ESA)
  • Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Moderator – BBC)
  • Jim Bridenstine – (NASA)
  • K. Sivan – (ISRO)
  • Sylvain Laporte – Canadian Space Agency (not present)
  • Zhang Kejian China National Space Administration (not present)

Some notes

Head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin – prevented by sanctions against Russia to travel to Germany. Replaced by Dmitry Loskutov.

Bridenstein:

  • Experiments on ISS from 103 countries
  • Gateway – Open architecture, a fraction of the size of the ISS. is not in LEO so has no radiation protection from the Van Allen Belts
  • Reduced electromagnetic radiation from Earth. May allow new experiments in astrophysics
  • Multiple trips to lunar surface from the Gateway and hence potential for new science experiments on the surface.
  • Question: Is NASA subsidising SpaceX?  Did not deny it outright at the outset.
  • Nasa’s goal is in establishing a capability, lower cost and enhanced innovation. Ultimately more customers for SpaceX not just Nasa and more service providers – not just SpaceX.
  • My question on when the US law that prohibits US/China collaboration in space will end? 
  • Answer: The law expires and is renewed every year. (Left it open ended really). 
  • Question: Is China space programme is too close to Chinese military? Answer: This is a concern for US government and Nasa will do what its government permits it to do 

Sivan

  • Indi ahs no plans for human missions to the Moon.
  • Regarding India cooperating with China on human spaceflight training, he left it open-ended. I think he was aware of the deal for Modi administration was making with Russia (announced a few days later) but could not say anything at this press conference.

Woerner:

  • ESA Astronauts are learning Chinese. Will fly with China in the future but no date yet.

Episode 75: China -back to the Moon with Chang’ E 4

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Ye Quan-ZhiOne mission two spacecraft, China is going back to the Moon with Chang’E 4 mission that I think is the most exciting lunar mission since the 1970s. By the end of 2018, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) will launch Chang’E 4 that will explore the far side of the Moon with a lander and a rover. Since it is on the other side of the Moon, it will be totally out of sight from the Earth. To facilitate communication, a relay satellite will be launched in advance of the lander/rover’s arrival at the Moon.

In addition to engaging private sector companies in China, Chang’E 4 will include a significant level of international collaboration in this mission with payloads from Germany, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Sweden.

Ye Quan-Zhi is a postdoc astronomer who specialises in small bodies in the solar system. Like me, he started off as an amateur astronomer but now uses telescopes with apertures measured in meters rather than inches!  In addition to his research, he writes about space in the Planetary Society’s blog.   As a Chinese national, Quan-Zhi has an interest and an insight into the Chinese Space Programme and in this episode, we spoke about the upcoming Chang’ E 4 mission and the prospects of collaboration between India and China in space.

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Change’ E 4 Mission – An overview

Relay Satellite
Named as “Queqiao” or magpie bridge will be launched in May 2018 and placed in the Earth/Moon L2 orbit (also known as a halo orbit) about 60,000km from the Moon (450,000 km from the Earth) in the opposite direction of the Earth. From there it will always have a line of sight of the far side of the Moon and Earth at the same time. Its primary purpose is to act as a relay providing all the communications from the Lander/Rover that will land on the Moon in late 2018 or early 2019.

The two microsatellites from the Netherlands are called “Longjiang-1″ and “Longjiang-2”. The will enter an elliptical lunar orbit and conduct low-frequency radio astronomy experiments.

Lander & Rover
Due for launch in December 2018 or early 2019

The lander and rover are the backup lander and rover to the highly successful 2013 Chang’E 3 mission. Whilst identical in most respects, lessons learnt from Chang’E 3 have been incorporated in modifications to Chang’E 4.

Lander
• Landing Camera (LCAM)
• Terrain Camera (TCAM)
• Low-Frequency Spectrometer (LFS) to investigate radiation burst from the sun and cosmos.
• Lunar Lander Neutrons and Dosimetry (LND), a neutron detector from the University of Kiel University in Germany
• A mini “lunar biosphere” experiment designed by 28 Chinese universities consisting of a 0.8 litre capacity enclosure weighing 3 kilograms. The biosphere contains silkworm eggs, and seeds fro cress and potatoes. Once on the lunar surface, this mini biosphere will maintain a humidity and temperature (1 to 30 degrees centigrade) whilst the lunar surface temperature varies from +100 to -100 degrees centigrade. A HD camera will live stream from the lunar surface the hatching eggs and sprouting seeds during the first two weeks of the mission.

Rover
• Panoramic Camera (PCAM)
• Ground penetrating radar (LPR) to investigate the lunar crust and mantle
• Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS), for imaging spectroscopy
• Advanced Small Analyser for Neutrals (ASAN), to investigate how solar particles interacts with the lunar surface.

Shenzhou-9 Launched!

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Today’s Shenzou-9 made a text book launch atop the Long March 2F  rocket from the northern Gansu province based Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China.  Following the Soviet era like secrecy on launch date and identity of the crew, the actual launch was covered live by CCTV including feeds from the launch centre, control centre in Beijing and live images of the crew from inside the spacecraft.  Remarkably open live coverage continued from before ignition, during launch including stage separation up to solar array deployment. China looks confident and seems to wants to demonstrate that it knows what it is doing.

In an almost nonchalant approach to launch at T- 30 minutes prior to evacuate the launch site, the departing engineers lined up in front of the launch tower for pictures. The whole thing was tinged with an unusual aura of routine rather than the historic event in space history.

Launch itself did not generate the large quantity of dark smoke common with NASA Atlas and space shuttle. Perhaps because the booster rockets used liquid not solid fuels. The crew looked sombre and did not communicate much with each other or mission control. They hardly smiled preoccupied instead by their manuals in hand. Military presence was always there. Crew saluting at launch, capcom shouting orders and the first congratulatory message was announced by a senior official in military garb.

Shenzhou-9 crew Liu Yan, Jing Haipeng & Liu Wang

Before docking with Tiangong-1 the space station launched in September last year, the crew will have to endure the living quarters not much larger than that of the command module of the Apollo era. But then they were all men. The Shenzhou-9 crew, confirmed only yesterday,  consists of crew three astronauts, female Liu Yan and two males Jing Haipeng & Liu Wang.  There is speculation that Liu Yan will undertake a spacewalk during this mission. Today’s launch coincides with the 49th anniversary of the launch of Vostok 6 with cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.

Shenzhou-9 will make 5 orbital manoeuvres before an automatic docking with Tiangong-1  on Monday June 18th. It will remain docked for 8 days. Following another but manual docking manoeuvre, the crew will return after 11 days in space.