NASA's Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute will hold the next its "Community of Practice Webinar Series" on December 16, 2020 from 10:00-11:00 am Pacific Time (1:00-2:00 pm ET). The topic is "Cubesats and the Orbital Debris Assessment Report (OADR)." The speaker is Alfredo Colon from NASA HQ. More information is the Institute's website.

The Beyond Earth Institute will hold its next webinar on December 16, 2020 from 2:00-3:00 pm ET. The topic is : Building the Policy Framework to Enable Communities Beyond Earth. The organizers provide the following information: In this special Beyond Earth Institute webinar program, the organization’s founders discuss why it is critical that attention be …

Read More Read More

Correction:  the press conference is at 8:00 am EST (1400 CET). The 295th meeting of the ESA Council will take place December 16-17, 2020.  A media briefing will take place at the end  and is scheduled for December 17, 2020, 14:00 Central European Time (10:00 am Eastern Standard Time). Among its actions is appointment of …

Read More Read More

The Aerospace Corporation will hold the next in its Space Policy Show webinar series on December 17, 2020 at 1:00 pm ET. The topic is "NASA's Artemis Roadshow."  The organizers describe it this way: "Join #TheSpacePolicyShow in an interview with Michael Gold, Acting Associate Administrator, Office of International and Interagency Relations (NASA) and Dr. James …

Read More Read More

(NASA TV)

Vice President Pence will host a birthday party for the U.S. Space Force at the White House on December 18, 2020 at 4:00 pm ET.  The Space Force was created on December 20, 2019 when President Trump signed the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act into law. The event is on the Vice President's schedule for …

Read More Read More

The Space Foundation will air an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station (ISS) on December 21, 2020 from 11:00 am-12:00 pm ET as part of its Space Symposium 365 series.  The event previously aired on NASA TV. It features representatives of the ISS partner countries: United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and …

Read More Read More

The Mitchell Institute will hold its next virtual Space Power Forum on December 21, 2020.  The guest is Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, Chief of Staff, U.S. Space Command. The live webcast is invitation only, but recordings are posted in the Mitchell Institute site usually the same day.

Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close together on December 21, 2020 that it will seem almost as though they are a single star. According to The Planetary Society, they have not been this close in 400 years -- though close is not really close. They will be 733 million kilometers (457 million miles) apart, …

Read More Read More

Update, December 11:  President Trump today signed an Executive Order giving federal workers an extra day (Thursday, December 24)  off this year, so federal offices will be closed December 24-25. Original Entry: December 25, 2020 is a federal holiday, Christmas.  Government offices and most businesses are closed.

The Aerospace Corporation will hold the next in its Space Policy Show series on December 31, 2020 at 1:00 pm ET. The topic is "Future Mapping for Space in 2021." It is described as follows: What critical uncertainties will shape the future of space?  Is it possible to control our own futures by better understanding …

Read More Read More

January 1, 2021, New Year's Day, is a Federal Holiday in the United States. Government offices and most businesses are closed.

The 116th Congress will end, and the 117th Congress will convene, on Sunday, January 3, 2021 at noon. January 3 at noon is the date and time set by the Constitution for the convening of a new Congress every other year.  The date can be changed by law, and often is if the day falls …

Read More Read More

NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (EXOPAG) will meet virtually January 5-6, 2021. The meeting on January 5 is 12:00-4:45 pm ET and on January 6 is 11:40 am - 5:00 pm ET. More information is on the event's website.

The House and Senate will meet in Joint Session on January 6, 2021 beginning at 1:00 pm ET to count the votes of the Electoral College, the final step in the U.S. presidential election contest. The members of the Electoral College, chosen by voters on November 3, 2020, cast their votes on December 14, 2020.  …

Read More Read More

Northrop Grumman's NG-14 Cygnus cargo spacecraft will depart the International Space Station on January 6, 2021 at 10:10 am ET.  NASA TV coverage begins 9:45 am ET. It will remain in orbit conducting other experiments for a period of time.

The Intelligence National Security Alliance (INSA) will hold a webinar on January 6, 2021 at 4:30 pm ET with Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, Director of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, U.S. Space Force. More information is on the event's website, which describes the event this way: Kick off the New Year with Wednesday Wisdom, taking place …

Read More Read More

The Aerospace Corporation will hold a webinar on January 7, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET (in addition to its Space Policy Show event on "Growing the Space Warfighter" that will air at 3:00 pm ET) on "Congress and the Near Future of Space." Jamie Morin, head of Aerospace's Center for Space Policy and Strategy, will …

Read More Read More

The Aerospace Corporation will hold a webinar on January 7, 2021 from 3:00-4:30 pm ET on "Growing the Space Warfighter: Opportunities and Challenges for Space Force Personnel." More information is on the event's website. The organizers provide this information: The Center for Space Policy and Strategy is pleased to invite you to a virtual policy …

Read More Read More

Update, October 27, 2020:  As of today, this has been changed to a virtual format, although organizers were still contemplating holding a small in-person meeting in New Orleans depending on the COVID situation and a day has been added at the end, so it is January 10-15, 2021.  Check the event's website for up to …

Read More Read More