Space policy roundup – March.9.2020

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A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):

Webcasts:

** Space Policy Edition: NASA’s 2021 Budget Request Brings Billions | The Planetary Society

It’s officially budget season! NASA’s fiscal year 2021 budget request is out, and it proposes billions of dollars of new funding for Project Artemis. But not every program is so lucky: the WFIRST space telescope, two Earth Science missions, a Mars mission, and NASA’s STEM engagement program are slated for cancellation. Why is Artemis growing and science shrinking? Will Congress let those cuts happen? The Society’s Chief of D.C. Operations, Brendan Curry, joins Casey Dreier and Mat Kaplan to break down the details and political headwinds facing NASA funding in the coming year.

** The Space Show – Sun, 03/08/2020 – David Livingston led an open discussion of space topics with listeners.

** The Space Show – Fri, 03/06/2020 – Frank White discussed “new Overview Effect projects, programs, a NASA TV channel and more”.

** Hotel Mars/The Space Show – Wed, 03/04/2020 – John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston talk with Anatoly Zak of www.russianspaceweb.com about a “planned Russian super-heavy four stage rocket, lunar landers, Mars, timelines, competing with commercial very large rockets”.

** Space law specialist Michael Listner discusses proposed space legislation in the state of Maine:

** March 3, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

** March 6, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

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Rise of the Space Age Millennials:
The Space Aspirations of a Rising Generation

Activism, Space Policy, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week – Mar.9.2020

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The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, March 9, 202: No special programming on this day this week.

2. Tuesday, March 10, 2020: No programming on this day this week.

3. Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Pre-recorded Hotel Mars Program with John Batchelor. See Upcoming Show on The Space Show website for details.

4. Wednesday, March 11, 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT): We welcome back Professor Madhu Thangavelu of USC for news and updates about his space design class.

5. Thursday, March 12, 2020: No special show today.

6. Friday, March 13, 2020: No show today

7. Sunday, March 15, 2020 12-1:30 pm PST (3-4:30 pm EST, 2-3:30 pm CST): We welcome back Barry DiGregorio for his new Mars book, Discovery on Vera Rubin Ridge: Trace Fossils on Mars?.

Some recent shows:

** Sun, 03/08/2020 – David Livingston led an open discussion of space topics with listeners.

** Tue, 03/03/2020 – Sarah Scoles discussed “Commercial Human Space Flight concerns and issues per the WIRED article by our guest plus we discussed her new book, They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers“.

** Fri, 03/06/2020 – Frank White discussed “new Overview Effect projects, programs, a NASA TV channel and more”.

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

The Space Show - David Livingston — The Space Show – David Livingston

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Alcohol in Space:
Past, Present and Future

General

Carnival of Space #652 & 653 – Everyday Spacer & Universe Today

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Everyday Spacer hosts the Carnival of Space #652.

And Universe Today hosts the Carnival of Space #653.

This image taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows the eastern part of a crater in the East Ius Chasma region. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/UArizona via Universe Today and Carnival of Space.

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More Things in the Heavens:
How Infrared Astronomy Is Expanding Our View of the Universe

In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” ISS report – March.6.2020

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Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** ISS National Lab Mission Overview: SpaceX CRS-20

The International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory is sponsoring more than 20 payloads slated to launch onboard SpaceX’s 20th commercial resupply services (SpaceX CRS-20) mission. These payloads represent a diverse mix of research and development seeking to leverage the unique space-based environment of the orbiting laboratory to improve life on Earth. The SpaceX CRS-20 mission is slated for launch no earlier than March 6 at 11:50 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This video highlights many of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations on this mission.

** “What’s on Board” Science Briefing – SpaceX CRS-20 Mission

This is NASA’s “What’s on Board” science briefing at held on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Kennedy Space Center, FL where the science investigations launching on the next SpaceX commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station are presented.]

** Jessica Meir speaks with students in Seattle

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 62 Flight Engineer Jessica Meir discussed life and research on the orbital laboratory during an in-flight education event March 2 with middle school students from the greater Seattle, Washington region preparing for a Microsoft Education-hosted design challenge at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Meir has been in orbit since September and will return to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in mid-April.

** Expedition 62: Live Interviews Jessica Watkins and Anne Roemer – next astronaut selection.

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Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Radio

Student and amateur CubeSat news roundup – March.6.2020

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A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):

** Killick-1 CubeSat is a undergrad and grad engineering student project at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. The satellite will measure the thicknesses of sheet ices. ‘Launch’ forth: Students designing and building small satellite to collect big data – MUN Gazette

Since the project was announced in 2018, the team has worked on the conceptual design and definition of the cubesat’s mission. They moved on to the design and building phases in the fall of 2019.

When the cubesat is completed in 2022, it will be launched from the International Space Station – something the team is very excited about.

“We have our very own slot to go into space,” said Mr. Power. “That is very cool and exciting.”

When the satellite is launched into space, it will orbit 400 kilometres above Earth and use global navigation satellite system reflectometry to collect sea ice, waves and wind data.

This involves receiving direct and reflected signals from GPS satellites to measure geophysical features of the ocean such as temperature, salinity and wave height.

** Students at Fryeburg Academy, a private high school in Maine, will build a payload for MESAT-1, a CubeSat project supported by the Maine Space Grant Consortium and recently selected by NASA for a ride to orbit (see previous Smallsat Roundup) : NASA Selects MESAT1 Satellite with Fryeburg Academy’s CubeSat Experiment – Fryeburg Academy

Fryeburg Academy is pleased to announce its proposed CubeSat experiment, chosen by the Maine Space Grant Consortium last fall, will launch on the MESAT1 satellite—the very first satellite from the State of Maine. It’s one of 18 small research satellites selected by NASA to carry auxiliary payloads into space between 2021–23, and is part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative that provides opportunities for nanosatellite science and technology payloads built by universities, schools, and nonprofit organizations to rideshare on space launches.

“We began this venture last year with the formation of our Space Raiders club and working with CubeSat simulators,” says FA’s science teacher Dr. Warren Ziegler. “Since then, we’ve partnered with UMaine Orno and The Wells Estuarine Research Reserve and other partners to leverage their resources and knowledge on our chosen experiment that determines water quality and biological markers through imaging coastal estuaries.”

Ziegler and his club will work with Dr. Ali Abedi from UMaine Orno to assemble the CubeSat satellite experiment— aptly named IMAGER— and Dr. Jason Goldstein who leads the Wells Estuarine Research Reserve in Maine. “Our contributions thus far for the project are the remote sensing and spacecraft attitude control sequences that allow the CubeSat to be controlled inflight,” continues Ziegler. “ The goal is to develop a remote sensing tool by modifying a digital camera to image shallow, coastal waters to distinguish water quality properties such as turbidity and phytoplankton concentration.”