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The International Heliophysical Year (2007 - 2009) is a United Nations sponsored scientific program to promote studies of physical phenomena within the heliosphere. Following 50 years after the very successful International Geophysical Year (IGY), it expands the domain of study from the Earth to the extended solar system. IHY |
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On 29 Nov 1967 the first Australian satellite was launched into low Earth
orbit from Woomera in South Australia by a US Redstone rocket. The satellite
was built in 11 months by the Weapons Research Establishment and was
named WRESAT. Australia thus became the fourth country to launch its own
satellite from its own territory, following the USSR, the USA and France.
The scientific equipment and satellite transmitter were powered by onboard batteries and sent data back to the Earth for the first 73 orbits. The satellite reentered the atmosphere on 10 January 1968 after 642 revolutions of the Earth. For more details on the satellite see: ASRI |
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The United Nations General Assembly has declared this
time in October as World Space Week "To celebrate each year
at the international level the contributions of space science and
technology to the betterment of the human condition".
World Space Week |
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The 4th of October 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the
launch of Sputnik 1 into low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union.
This was the first artificial satellite placed in space, and marked
the start of the 'Space Age'. For more details on the satellite see:
Sputnik-1 |
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Australia Post releases six space theme stamps to celebrate
50 years of space activities. The stamps are available from
Australian Post Offices or may be ordered on-line for overseas
customers. Packs of 50 used space stamps from various countries
are also available for only $A2.20 . The Post Master Gallery
in Melbourne will host a free exhibition entitled "Blast Off!
50 years in Space" from 29 Sep 2007 to 8 Feb 2008. The Perth Mint is also producing a Silver Proof "orbital" coin. 
For more details and ordering information see:
Australia Post Space and Perth Mint Space |
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The 7th Australian Space Science Conference will be held in
Sydney. Presented by the National Committee for Space Science
and the National Space Society of Australia, it will feature 12
invited speakers and many oral and poster presentations. Topics
covered include magnetospheric, ionospheric and atmospheric science,
the US Moon-Mars Global Exploration Strategy, space propulsion,
education and outreach, space business, planetary science,
astrobiology, remote sensing, medical aspects in space, and spacecraft
technology. More details can be found at:
Australian Space Science Conference |
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An auroral art exhibition, titled Painted Sky will open 18 September
at the Scitech Horizon Planetarium in Perth, Western Australia.
The exhibition is a collaboration
between David Carson, David Buchanan, Brian McClave, George Millward
and Thomas Ulrich. John Kennewell, the Australian Space Academy
director, will be giving the opening talk. For more details visit:
David Carson - Painted Sky |
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A total lunar eclipse will occur between 07:53 UT and 13:21 UT.
This eclipse will be visible from Australia, although not all of
it will be visible from all of Australia. In central and western
Australia the eclipse will be in progress at moonrise. For more
details of this and other eclipses in 2007 see:
Sun-Earth at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |