Here is our list of space policy events for the week of October 3-7, 2016 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess until November 14.

During the Week

Happy World Space Week! In 1999, the United Nations declared October 4-10 as World Space Week to commemorate the beginning of the Space Age — October 4, 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite, Sputnik — and the entry into force of the 1967 U.N. Outer Space Treaty (October 10, 1967). Space agencies and other organizations around the world hold events to celebrate the occasion. A list is on the World Space Week website.

Among the various specific space policy events coming up this week, we know of only one that has officially declared itself a World Space Week event, however. That is the International Space University-DC (ISU-DC) U.S. alumni chapter, which is holding its next Space Cafe on Wednesday, October 5, at the The Brixton in Washington, DC. The speaker is Dennis Stone, who is the World Space Week Association President and Project Executive of NASA’s Commercial Space Capabilities Office at Johnson Space Center.

There are many other events that could be, though, including one on Tuesday, the 59th anniversary of Sputnik, that might create quite a bang. Blue Origin will conduct a test of its in-flight escape system for the New Shepard reusable rocket, activating it 45 seconds after launch. Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos said the rocket, which has flown four times already, was not designed to withstand the forces it will experience and is not expected to survive the test (though there is a small chance it might). Assuming it does not, he said the impact with the desert floor of the still almost fully fueled rocket “will be most impressive.” The test will be webcast beginning at 10:50 am ET.

Rice University’s Baker Institute will hold a panel discussion entitled “Lost in Space 2016” tomorrow night (Monday) with a panel of space policy analysts and practitioners. It is a reprise of a panel four years ago at the time of the last presidential election. The panel will be webcast (5:30-7:30 Central/6:30-8:30 pm Eastern) and includes Mark Albrecht, Leroy Chaio, Joan Johnson-Freese, Neal Lane, Michael Lembeck, Eugene Levy, and John Logsdon, with George Abbey as moderator. An impressive line-up.

Speaking of the election, Tuesday night (almost certainly NOT in commemoration of Sputnik’s 59th anniversary) is the one and only Vice Presidential debate between Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Mike Pence. Fireworks are not expected, but it should be interesting nonetheless. It is from 9:00-10:30 pm ET and will be nationally telecast (check local listings).

Those and other events we know about as of Sunday morning are shown below. Check back throughout the week for others that we learn about later and add to our Events Of Interest list.

Monday, October 3

Lost in Space 2016 panel, Rice University’s Baker Institute, Houston, TX, 5:30-7:30 pm Central/6:30-8:30 pm Eastern, webcast

Monday-Tuesday, October 3-4

NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Astrophysics Subcommittee, virtual, 11:00-5:00 pm ET both days (WebEx/telecon)

Tuesday, October 4

Tuesday-Wednesday, October 4-5

National Academies Space Studies Board (SSB) Earth Science and Applications from Space (ESAS) Committee, Keck Center, 500 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC (available by WexEx/telecon)

Tuesday, October 4 – Monday, October 10

World Space Week, events globally

Wednesday, October 5

ISU-DC Space Cafe Featuring Dennis Stone, NASA/JSC and World Space Week Association President, The Brixton, 901 U Street, NW, Washington, DC, 7:00 pm ET

Wednesday-Thursday, October 5-6

National Academies Committee on Large Strategic NASA Science Missions, Keck Center, 500 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC

Wednesday-Friday, October 5-7

National Academies SSB Committee on Solar and Space Physics (CSSP), Keck Center, 500 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC (WebEx/telecon)

Thursday, October 6