Category Archives: Space participation

Asteroids & Comets, Events, Space participation

Asteroid Day – June 30, 2018

Saturday June 30th is Asteroid Day: 

Asteroid Day is a global awareness campaign where people from around the world come together to learn about asteroids, the impact hazard they may pose, and what we can do to protect our planet, families, communities, and future generations from future asteroid impacts. Asteroid Day is held each year on the anniversary of the largest impact in recent history, the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia. 

In this brief video, Neil deGrasse Tyson tells the story behind Asteroid Day.

Here is a list and map of Asteroid Day events around the world: Plan your Event | Asteroid Day.

All around the globe, regionally organised events are held on Asteroid Day. These events range from live concerts and community events, to lectures and other educational programmes, to raise public awareness of the need for increased detection and mapping of asteroids.

Check out the set of resources including infographics, class lesson plans, paper models, etc : Asteroid Day Resources.

Submit a question to the Asteroid Day Expert Panel:

The Asteroid Day Expert Panel is chaired by Physicist Dr. Mark Boslough (left) and consists of 16 world–class asteroid experts. They oversee the scientific information Asteroid Day is publicising to guarantee accuracy.  They are always happy to answer any asteroid related questions you may have.

Get updates at

Here is the movie 51 Degrees North which

 inspired Asteroid Day. It was directed by co-founder Grigorij Richters and the music was composed by Dr. Brian May. We are proud to present to you this alternate version of the film, by Discovery Science. As an event organiser you can have access to download both the full length film (88 minutes) or the 45 minute (Discovery Science) version. Event organizers must fill out this form to download the movie.


51 Degrees North – Full movie, free. from Asteroid Day on Vimeo.

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Activism, Education, Space participation

Video: Planetary Post with Robert Picardo – “Mojave Test Flight”

Here is the latest episode of The Planetary Post with Robert Picardo courtesy of the Planetary Society:

Our PlantVac performed well in its test flight on the Xodiac rocket in the Mojave desert, but first Robert takes us to D.C. for the first Planetary Science Caucus event.

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Rockets, Space participation, Spaceflight & Parabolic Flight

Videos: Virgin Galactic’s “Unity” rocketplane makes second powered flight

Virgin Galactic is carrying out a series of test flights of the VSS Unity suborbital rocketplane. Each test is going faster and higher with the aim of reaching space (greater than 80 km height as they define it) before the end of this year. On Wednesday, Unity made the second flight with its hybrid motor firing: Richard Branson Welcomes VSS Unity Home from Second Supersonic Flight – Virgin Galactic.

The focus of today’s flight was to expand our understanding of the spaceship’s supersonic handling characteristics and control system’s performance with vehicle parameters that were closer to the ultimate commercial configuration. This involved shifting the vehicle’s center of gravity rearward via the addition of passenger seats and related equipment. The rocket motor burned for the planned 31 seconds and propelled Unity to a speed of Mach 1.9 and an altitude of 114,500 ft.[34.9 km]. As will be the case for future commercial flights, Unity’s unique re-entry feathering system was deployed for the initial descent before the final glide home to a smooth runway landing.

If all goes well, commercial flights would begin next year with flights from Spaceport America in New Mexico taking 6 passengers at a time on the trip of a lifetime. Over 700 customers have paid up to $250,000 to ride a rocket to space and back.

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Activism, Mars, Space participation

The 21st Annual International Mars Society Conference

The 21st Annual International Mars Society Convention will be held this year in Pasadena, California, August 23-26, 2018.

The four-day International Mars Society Convention brings together leading scientists, engineers, aerospace industry representatives, government policymakers and journalists to talk about the latest scientific discoveries, technological advances and political-economic developments that could help pave the way for a human mission to the planet Mars.

The Conference Flyer lists the wide variety of sessions with something for anyone with an interest in Mars, regardless of technical or non-technical background:

Mars Society founder and President Robert Zubrin recently said,

From a technical point of view, we are much closer today to sending humans to Mars than we were to sending men to the Moon in 1961, and we were there eight years later. 

Go to the conference to understand the justification for that statement.

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Activism, Events, Space participation

International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2018)

The National Space Society is holding its annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2018) this week in Los Angeles, California at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, May 24-27, 2018. There is still time to sign up.

The big list of speakers includes many top movers in NewSpace including Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX engine development leader Tom Mueller.

The packed schedule begins each day with a plenary talk and then splits into multiple parallel tracks covering most any topic of interest in space exploration, development, and settlement.

On The Space Show, Thursday, 05/17/2018, Aggie Kobrin and Dave Dressler talked about the “ISDC 2018 programming, logistics, keynote speakers, exhibits, space settlement and much more”.