Space life

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft onboard is seen near the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo by NASA/Joel Kowsky NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance now are targeting 1:20 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 3, for launch of the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) with the International Space Station ready for the arrival of the Starliner spacecraft. NASA’s live launch coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. Docking is targeted for 1:37 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4. OFT-2, Boeing’s second uncrewed flight, is designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the new system for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program . Learn more about NASA’s commercial crew program by following the  commercial crew blog ,  @commercial_crew  and  commercial crew on Facebook . Learn more about station activities by following  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  ...

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft onboard is seen near the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo by NASA/Joel Kowsky NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance now are targeting 1:20 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 3, for launch of the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) with the International Space Station ready for the arrival of the Starliner spacecraft. NASA’s live launch coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. Docking is targeted for 1:37 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4. OFT-2, Boeing’s second uncrewed flight, is designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the new system for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program . Learn more about NASA’s commercial crew program by following the  commercial crew blog ,  @commercial_crew  and  commercial crew on Facebook . Learn more about station activities by following  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  ...

NASA and Boeing have decided to stand down from Friday’s launch attempt of the agency’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission. Currently, launch teams are assessing the next available opportunity. The move allows the International Space Station team time to continue working checkouts of the newly arrived Roscosmos’ Nauka module and to ensure the station will be ready for Starliner’s arrival. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts. More details about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the  commercial crew blog ,  @commercial_crew  and commercial crew on  Facebook . from Space Station https://ift.tt/3rFhxzS

July 29, 2021: International Space Station Configuration. Three spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Russia’s Soyuz MS-18 crew ship and ISS Progress 78 resupply ship. The new Nauka Multipurpose Logistics Module (MLM) is now attached to the Zvezda service module’s Earth-facing port. Following the docking of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka, to the International Space Station at 9:29 am EDT, Russian cosmonauts aboard the space station conducted leak checks between Nauka and the service module. At 12:45 pm, the flight control team noticed the unplanned firing of MLM thrusters that caused the station to move out of orientation. Ground teams have regained attitude control and the motion of the space station is stable. The crew was never and is not in any danger, and flight controllers in Mission Control Houston are monitoring the status of the space station. Teams are also monitoring the impact to to...

Nauka approaches the space station, preparing to dock. The uncrewed Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named  Nauka , the Russian word for “science,” arrived at the  International Space Station ’s  Poisk  module on the space-facing side of the Russian segment at 9:29 a.m. EDT, eight days after lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.    Nauka will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations. from Space Station https://ift.tt/2V0EGRA

Nauka module before launch in Baikonur. NASA will provide live coverage of the automated docking of the uncrewed Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) to the International Space Station Thursday, July 29, beginning at 8:30 a.m.   Named  Nauka , the Russian word for science, the 43-foot long, 23-ton module  launched  on July 21 and  will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations.  To follow along live, tune into NASA Television, as well as the  NASA app , and the agency’s  website. from Space Station https://ift.tt/2TKHEcm

Expedition 65 Commander Akihiko Hoshide, pictured inside the Columbus laboratory module, wears virtual reality goggles for a time perception study. Wednesday’s activities aboard the  International Space Station remained focused on science and maintenance. In preparation of Russia’s  Multipurpose Laboratory Module  docking to the outpost the following day, July 29, Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy  located and gathered equipment to set up temporary ventilation for the 43-foot long, 23-ton module. Live coverage of tomorrow’s event begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT on NASA Television, the  NASA app , and the agency’s  website . Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut  Thomas Pesquet took turns participating in a study that explores how astronauts perceive time in microgravity , which can impact physical and cognitive performance. Pesquet, along with NASA Flight Engineers Mark ...

Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei is pictured inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module working on maintenance activities. Following the successful undocking of the Russian Progress 77 cargo spacecraft with the Pirs docking compartment yesterday, the Expedition 65 crew aboard the  International Space Station continued to work on science and maintenance on the station. Today, NASA Flight Engineer  Mark Vande Hei focused on hardware installation of Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) helmet assembly. He installed and inspected the helmet lights and the Rechargeable ExtraVehicular Activity Battery Assembly, or REBA. He also spent time installing a high-definition camera for the EMU helmet. Commander Akihiko Hoshide assisted Vande Hei with the hardware installation. In preparation for science operations later this week, NASA Flight Engineers Shane Kimbrough and  Megan McArthur  prepared the Maintenance Work Area and set up the Plant Wat...

Russia’s ISS Progress 77 (77P) cargo craft is pictured docked to the Pirs docking compartment on the station’s Russian segment. The unpiloted Russian Progress 77 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station while attached to the Pirs docking compartment at 6:55 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft will reenter Earth’s atmosphere and harmlessly burn up over the south Pacific. The mission launched and docked to the space station in February delivering more than a ton of cargo to the Expedition 65 crew. Deorbit and re-entry will not be covered on NASA TV. With the port on the Earth-facing side of the Russian segment station vacated by the departure of Pirs and Progress, Russia’s  Multipurpose Laboratory Module  (MLM) is scheduled to dock at the station Thursday, July 29. Named Nauka, after the Russian word for “science,” MLM launched on July 21 and will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations. from Space S...

Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency is pictured inside the Columbus laboratory module setting up hardware for the GRIP experiment. The  Expedition 65  crew capped off this week’s research activities aboard the International Space Station by making headway with various science experiments related to human health and materials performance. Russian flight controllers continued systems testing Friday on the new Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module as it heads toward the International Space Station for a scheduled docking next week. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut  Thomas Pesquet finished the third part of three GRIP tasks. For the experiment, Pesquet performed a set of movements in the supine position. The GRIP experiment studies the long-duration spaceflight effects on the abilities of human subjects to regulate grip force and upper-limbs trajectories when manipulating objects during different kinds of movements. Commander...

Fresh vegetables float around NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Megan McArthur. She and other astronauts are participating in a study to evaluate the effects of menu fatigue on crew. A delay in the undocking events scheduled for tomorrow gave the crew of Expedition 65  aboard the  International Space Station extra time to focus on training, science, and maintenance today. Russia’s Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) launched on July 21, and to provide more time for Russian flight controllers to check out MLM’s status, the undocking of the Russian Progress 77 and Pirs docking compartment has been postponed until Saturday, July 24. The space station crew has been notified. Progress 77 undocking with the Pirs docking compartment is now scheduled for 8:28 am EDT. Live coverage on NASA TV, the agency’s website, and the NASA app will begin at 8 am. On Thursday, June 29, MLM is scheduled to dock at the station. Named Nauka, after the Russian wor...

The Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) “Nauka” launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:58 a.m. on July 21, 2021. The uncrewed Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) “Nauka” is safely in orbit following launch at 10:58 a.m. (7:58 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The MLM deployed its solar arrays and navigational antennas as planned. After Nauka completes eight days in free-flight to allow Russian flight controllers to evaluate its systems, the 43-foot long, 23-ton module will automatically link up to the port on the Earth-facing side of the Russian segment of the International Space Station , which will be vacated by the departure of Pirs. Docking is scheduled for 9:25 a.m. Thursday, July 29, with live coverage beginning at 8:30 a.m. Nauka will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations. Pirs has been part of the space station since September 2001, functioning as a docking port ...

NASA Television, the agency’s website and the  NASA app now are providing live coverage of a new Russian science module’s launch and automated docking to the International Space Station . The uncrewed Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka, the Russian word for “science,” is scheduled to launch at 10:58 a.m. EDT (7:58 p.m. Baikonur time) Wednesday, July 21, on a three-stage Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Learn more about station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts. from Space Station https://ift.tt/3kFL8I4

The SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon is pictured after maneuvering to the Harmony module’s space-facing international docking adapter. Credit: NASA TV Crew Dragon Endeavour with NASA astronauts  Shane Kimbrough  and   Megan McArthur , JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut  Akihiko Hoshide , and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut  Thomas Pesquet , have re-docked to the International Space Station . Crew Dragon autonomously undocked from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at 6:45 a.m. and relocated to the space-facing port at 7:35 a.m. completing the second space station port change for the crewed spacecraft. Next up for commercial crew , Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station about one day following its launch at 2:53 p.m. Friday, July 30, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The uncrewed flight test, NASA’s Boeing ...

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour approaches the International Space Station on April 24, 2021 NASA Television, the  NASA app , and the agency’s  website are providing live coverage as four residents of the International Space Station prepare to take a spin around their orbital neighborhood in the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, relocating it to prepare for the arrival of the agency’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 . NASA astronauts  Shane Kimbrough  and   Megan McArthur , JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut  Akihiko Hoshide , and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut  Thomas Pesquet  boarded the Crew Dragon spacecraft about 4:30 a.m. and are scheduled to undock from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at 6:45 a.m. The spacecraft will dock again at the station’s space-facing port at 7:32 a.m. This will be the second port relocation of a Crew Dragon spacecraft.  NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission lifted off  April 23 fr...

The SpaceX Crew-1 Dragon maneuvers to another port on the International Space Station on April 5, 2021 NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts on the International Space Station  will relocate their Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft Wednesday, July 21, setting the stage for a historic first when two different U.S. commercial spacecraft built for crew will be docked to the microgravity laboratory at the same time. Live coverage will begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT on NASA Television, the  NASA app , and the agency’s  website . NASA astronauts  Shane Kimbrough  and   Megan McArthur , JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut  Akihiko Hoshide , and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut  Thomas Pesquet  will board the Crew Dragon spacecraft about 4:30 a.m. and undock from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module at 6:45 a.m. The spacecraft will dock again at the station’s space-facing port at 7:32 a.m. The relocation will free up Harmony’s forw...

Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) works with a science experiment within the Microgravity Science Glovebox. Credits: NASA Today, the Expedition 65 crewmates aboard the International Space Station continued down their checklists in preparation for the next day’s planned mission activities — to include a port-relocation maneuver and the launch of a new module that will replace the Pirs Docking Compartment . Pirs has only a few days left in its 20-year length of service to the orbiting outpost, as it will soon be jettisoned, along with the Progress 77 cargo craft , on Friday for a destructive re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere. Investigations in materials science continued in between maintenance and mission prep, with NASA astronaut Megan McArthur conducting runs of the Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Ellipsoids, or InSPACE-4 , study. Using magnetic fields, the experiment studies the assembly of tiny struc...

Expedition 65 Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency reviews procedures on a computer tablet for the InSPACE-4 physics study. Credits: NASA As the week kicked off, the  Expedition 65  crew members spent much of their Monday fine-tuning procedures in anticipation of Wednesday’s port-relocation activity , which will free up the Harmony’s forward port for the docking of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station . That vehicle is scheduled for launch Friday, July 30, as part of NASA’s  Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 mission . Science also continued aboard the orbiting laboratory, with NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei conducting experiment runs throughout the day for Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Ellipsoids, or InSPACE-4 . This investigation studies the assembly of tiny structures from colloids using magnetic fields. Off the Earth and without the constraints of gravity, sc...

Expedition 65 astronauts (from left) Akihiko Hoshide and Shane Kimbrough talked to elementary school students from New York City on June 9. The Expedition 65 crew members focused their Friday space research activities on nanoparticles and free-flying robotics. Their International Space Station maintenance activities included updating science communications hardware and replacing life support components. State-of-the-art space manufacturing techniques being studied on the orbital lab have the potential to improve building technologies on Earth. The new InSPACE-4 study, delivered last moth onboard the SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship, seeks to harness nanoparticles and fabricate new and advanced materials. NASA Flight Engineers Megan McArthur and Mark Vande Hei were conducting more runs of the space physics experiment, that has been ongoing for several days, inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox today. An AstroBee robotic free-flyer was powered up in the Kibo laboratory m...

Flight Engineer Megan McArthur tests augmented reality while wearing the Sidekick headset. Commander Akihiko Hoshide wears virtual reality goggles for a time perception study. Science and maintenance using virtual and augmented reality tools was prominent aboard the International Space Station today. The Expedition 65 crew also made sure life support components remain in tip-top shape aboard the orbiting lab. The universe’s coldest temperatures can be found inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module ’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL). NASA Flight Engineer Megan McArthur replaced components inside the CAL today to improve the operation quality of the device that researches fundamental and quantum physics at extremely low temperatures. She wore the Sidekick headset and used augmented reality to assist her with the complex maintenance work. Commander Akihiko Hoshide switched between a pair of different experiments on Thursday, one looking at space manufacturing and the other exploring astro...