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IAC2019 Heads of Space Agency – Press Conference

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This audio recording captures most of the Q&A that took place on Monday 21st October.

Heads of Space Agency Press Conference.
21 October Washington DC

The agencies represented included

  • S. Somanath, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
  • Jim Bridenstine, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
  • Hiroshi Yamakawa, President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan
  • Sergey Krikalev, Executive Director for Piloted Spaceflights, State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS, Russian Federation
  • Johann-Dietrich Woerner, Director General, European Space Agency (ESA)

The audio quality is poor in a few brief instances.

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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

Episode 82: Jaxa and International Collaboration with Professor Fujimoto Masaki

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Prof. Fujimoto Masaki
Prof. Fujimoto Masaki. Credit author

 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was founded in 2003 by the merger of three existing organisations and has an annual budget of around two billion USD. It has a remit for research and development of technology, space exploration and supporting human spaceflight aboard the ISS through collaboration with the European Space Agency. This episode is available in audio and video below.

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In 2003 JAXA launched Hayabusa-1 to explore the asteroid Itokawa. It arrived at Itokawa in 2005 and returned to the Earth with a tiny sample in 2010.  In 2014, Jaxa launched Hayabusa-2 to explore asteroid Ryugu.  Hayabusa2 arrived ta Ryugu on 27 June 2018 and will remain in Ryugu orbit until 2019. It will collect 3 discrete samples (between 0.1g and 1g in each case), store them in separate sealed containers on board for return to Earth in December 2020 in the Woomera test range in Australia.

  • All four rovers. Credit ESA
  • Hayabusu 2 and Ryugu. Credit ESA
  • silhouette of Hayabusa2 on Ryugu. Credit JAXA

Hyabusa2 has four rovers.

  • MINERVA-II-1 contains two rovers, Rover-1A and Rover-1B was deployed on 21 September 2018.
  • Mascot – a rover developed by the German and French space agencies. Deployed on 3rd October 2018.
  • The MINERVA-II-2 contains ROVER-2, a payload developed by several universities in Japan. Planned for deployment in July 2019.

JAXA is also considering

  1. 1 The launch of the world’s smallest lunar lander  intended to be launched on NASA’s Space Launch Systems in the 2020s.
  2. Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) will demonstrate the technology of precision landing. 
  3. Selene-R – a tentative joint JAXA/ISRO Moon mission to soft-land a rover on the Moon. Jaxa would supply the rover and ISRO the lander.
  4. MMX – Martian Moons Exploration. A martian sample return mission. Only possible with international collaboration (US, France, Germany). To be launched around the 2024 timeline. Following a period of 3-years at Mars, it will return to Earth with a sample from Phobos in 2029. 
Prof. Fujimoto Masaki. Credit Author

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.