NASA Sets Coverage for Two Russian Spacewalks Outside Space Station

 

ROSCOSMOS - Russian Cosmonauts patch.

Aug 30, 2021

Two Russian cosmonauts will venture outside the International Space Station Friday, Sept. 3, and Thursday, Sept. 9, to conduct the first pair of up to 11 spacewalks to prepare the new Nauka multipurpose laboratory module for operations in space. NASA will provide live coverage for both spacewalks, or extravehicular activities (EVA), on NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency’s website.

Image above: Expedition 65 flight engineer and Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, pictured during a spacewalk to perform work on the Pirs docking compartment. Image Credit: NASA.

Coverage Friday, Sept. 3, will begin at 10 a.m. EDT, with the spacewalk scheduled to begin at approximately 10:35 a.m., and coverage Thursday, Sept. 9, begins at 10:30 a.m. with the spacewalk expected to begin about 11 a.m. The first spacewalk, called Russian EVA 49, could last up to seven hours, while the second spacewalk, Russian EVA 50, is scheduled to last about five hours.

Expedition 65 Flight Engineers Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos will exit the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the station’s Russian segment. During the spacewalks, the cosmonauts will install handrails on Nauka and connect power, ethernet, and data cables between the recently arrived module and the Zvezda service module.

Image above: Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky prepare the Orlan MKS spacesuits. Image Credit: Roscosmos.

Novitskiy, who is designated as extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1), will wear the Russian Orlan spacesuit with the red stripes. Dubrov will wear the spacesuit with the blue stripes as extravehicular crew member 2 (EV2). These will be the second and third spacewalks for both cosmonauts; the 242nd and 243rd spacewalks in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades; and the 10th and 11th spacewalks at the station in 2021.

Nauka launched on a Russian Proton-M rocket July 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and docked automatically  to the Earth-facing Zvezda port July 29.

Related links:

NASA Television: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Robert Margetta/Monica Witt/Stephanie Schierholz/JSC/Courtney Beasley.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Brilliant, Hot, Young Stars Shine in the Small Magellanic Cloud

 

NASA - Hubble Space Telescope patch.

Aug 30, 2021

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), located 210,000 light-years away, is one of the most dynamic and intricately detailed star-forming regions in space. At the center of the region is a brilliant star cluster called NGC 346. A dramatic structure of arched, ragged filaments with a distinct ridge surrounds the cluster.

A torrent of radiation from the cluster's hot stars eats into denser areas creating a fantasy sculpture of dust and gas. The dark, intricately beaded edge of the ridge, seen in silhouette by Hubble, is particularly dramatic. It contains several small dust globules that point back towards the central cluster, like windsocks caught in a gale.

Energetic outflows and radiation from hot young stars are eroding the dense outer portions of the star-forming region, formally known as N66, exposing new stellar nurseries. The diffuse fringes of the nebula prevent the energetic outflows from streaming directly away from the cluster, leaving instead a trail of filaments marking the swirling path of the outflows.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

The NGC 346 cluster at the center of this image from the Hubble Space Telescope contains dozens of hot, blue, high-mass stars, more than half of the known high-mass stars in the entire SMC galaxy. A myriad of smaller, compact clusters is also visible throughout the region.

For more information about Hubble, visit:

http://hubblesite.org/

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble

http://www.spacetelescope.org/

Image, Animation Credits: NASA, ESA and A. Nota (STScI/ESA)/Text Credits: NASA/Yvette Smith.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

SpaceX Cargo Dragon Successfully Docks to Station

 

SpaceX - Dragon CRS-23 Mission patch.

August 30, 2021

Image above: Aug. 30, 2021: International Space Station Configuration. Five spaceships are parked at the space station including Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter; the SpaceX Crew and Cargo Dragon vehicles; and Russia’s Soyuz MS-18 crew ship and ISS Progress 78 resupply ship. Image Credit: NASA.

While the International Space Station was traveling about 260 miles over the Western Australia, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the forward-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module at 10:30 a.m. EDT, Monday, Aug. 30. Flight Engineers Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA monitored operations.

SpaceX CRS-23 Dragon docking

Among the science experiments Dragon is delivering to the space station are:

Building bone with byproducts

REducing Arthritis Dependent Inflammation First Phase (READI FP) evaluates the effects of microgravity and space radiation on the growth of bone tissue and tests whether bioactive metabolites, which include substances such as antioxidants formed when food is broken down, might protect bones during spaceflight. The metabolites that will be tested come from plant extracts generated as waste products in wine production. Protecting the health of crew members from the effects of microgravity is crucial for the success of future long-duration space missions. This study could improve scientists’ understanding of the physical changes that cause bone loss and identify potential countermeasures. This insight also could contribute to prevention and treatment of bone loss on Earth, particularly in post-menopausal women.

Keeping an eye on eyes

Retinal Diagnostics tests whether a small, light-based device can capture images of the retinas of astronauts to document progression of vision problems known as Space-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). The device uses a commercially available lens approved for routine clinical use and is lightweight, mobile, and noninvasive. The videos and images will be downlinked to test and train models for detecting common signs of SANS in astronauts. The investigation is sponsored by ESA (European Space Agency) with the German Aerospace Center Institute of Space Medicine and European Astronaut Centre.

Robotic helpers

The Nanoracks-GITAI Robotic Arm will demonstrate the microgravity versatility and dexterity of a robot designed by GITAI Japan Inc. Results could support development of robotic labor to support crew activities and tasks, as well as inform servicing, assembly, and manufacturing tasks while in orbit. Robotic support could lower costs and improve crew safety by having robots take on tasks that could expose crew members to hazards. The technology also has applications in extreme and potentially dangerous environments on Earth, including disaster relief, deep-sea excavation, and servicing nuclear power plants. The experiment will be conducted inside the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, the space station’s first commercial airlock.

Putting materials to the test

MISSE-15 NASA is one of a series of investigations on Alpha Space’s Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility, which is testing how the space environment affects the performance and durability of specific materials and components. These tests provide insights that support development of better materials needed for space exploration. Testing materials in space has the potential to significantly speed up their development. Materials capable of standing up to space also have potential applications in harsh environments on Earth and for improved radiation protection, better solar cells, and more durable concrete.

Helping plants deal with stress

Plants grown under microgravity conditions typically display evidence of stress.  Advanced Plant EXperiment-08 (APEX-08) examines the role of compounds known as polyamines in the response of the small, flowering plant thale cress to microgravity stress. Because expression of the genes involved in polyamine metabolism remain the same in space as on the ground, plants do not appear to use polyamines to respond to stress in microgravity. APEX-08 attempts to engineer a way for them to do so. Results could help identify key targets for genetic engineering of plants more suited to microgravity.

Easier drug delivery

The Faraday Research Facility is a multipurpose unit that uses the space station’s EXPRESS payload rack systems, which enable quick, simple integration of multiple payloads . On this first flight, the facility hosts a Houston Methodist Research Institute experiment and two STEM collaborations, including “Making Space for Girls” with the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council in Orlando, Florida.

The Faraday Nanofluidic Implant Communication Experiment  (Faraday-NICE) tests an implantable, remote-controlled drug delivery system using sealed containers of saline solution as surrogate test subjects. The device could provide an alternative to bulky, cumbersome infusion pumps, a possible game changer for long-term management of chronic conditions on Earth. Remote-controlled drug delivery could simplify administration for people with limitations.

A partnership between Faraday and Girls Scouts allows troops to play a role in conducting the control experiments, including providing them with images of the same experiments that are happening in space. The studies involve plant growth, ant colonization, and the brine shrimp lifecycle.

These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars through Artemis.

Related links:

REducing Arthritis Dependent Inflammation First Phase (READI FP): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8426

Retinal Diagnostics: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8547

Space-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/iss-20-evolution-of-vision-research

Nanoracks-GITAI Robotic Arm: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8321

Bishop Airlock: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/spinoff/New_Doorway_to_Space/

MISSE-15 NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8585

Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7515

Advanced Plant EXperiment-08 (APEX-08): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8300

Faraday Research Facility: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7938

EXPRESS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=598

Faraday Nanofluidic Implant Communication Experiment  (Faraday-NICE): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8422

Harmony module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/harmony

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Norah Moran/NASA TV/SciNews.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall in Louisiana & Tropical Storm Ida Passes Over the Southern U.S.

 

Weather logo.

Aug 30, 2021

Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall in Louisiana

Hurricane Ida is seen in this image taken aboard the International Space Station. The dangerous hurricane made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, or 241 kilometers per hour. The image was shared on European Space Agency astronaut and Expedition 65 crew member Thomas Pesquet's Twitter account, as the storm churned in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of its landfall.

From space, our Earth-observing satellites have a unique view of storms. These observations provide data that help us work with partner agencies, including the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to better understand hurricanes, and support preparation and disaster response. Learn more about hurricane monitoring. Image Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)/Thomas Pesquet.

Tropical Storm Ida Passes Over the Southern U.S.

In this image, captured in the early morning hours of Monday, Aug. 30, Tropical Storm Ida is seen moving inland over portions of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and southern Alabama. A NOAA GOES-East ABI GeoColor imagery layer has been applied over this image for additional visibility. Explore more images and data via NASA Worldview. Image Credit: NASA.

Related links:

GOES Imagery Viewer - NOAA / NESDIS / STAR: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/index.php

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Andres Almeida/Michael Bock.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

The Riddle of Comet Holmes

 

Moscow Planetarium logo.

August 29, 2021

As it approaches the Sun, the comet begins to glow. A coma forms around its core - a light bowl-shaped shell and a glowing tail that can stretch for millions of kilometers. Sometimes, however, comets flare up so brightly that it baffles scientists. Comet Holmes belongs to such objects.

Comet Holmes (17P / Holmes) was discovered by British amateur astronomer Edwin Holmes. The period of its revolution around the Sun is about seven years. On November 6, 1892, while observing the Andromeda Nebula galaxy, Holmes discovered an object with a brightness of about five magnitudes, which turned out to be a comet. The comet's brightness continued to increase and reached three magnitudes by the end of November. In December, it began to fade and was no longer visible to the naked eye.

Image above: Holmes' comet. Snapshot November 4, 2007. Holmes' comet. Snapshot November 4, 2007.

Later, Holmes's comet was observed in 1899 and 1906, then it was lost and rediscovered by the American astronomer Elizabeth Roemer only in 1964, after which it was observed regularly. In 2007, after passing the perihelion in early May, the comet gradually faded from 14.0 m to 17.0 m. This continued until October 25, when an unexpected outburst on the surface of the comet in just a few days increased its brightness to three magnitudes (it became brighter almost half a million times). This outburst was the largest in the history of cometary observations.

Until the end of October, the comet could be observed as a bright yellow star in the constellation Perseus, the third brightest among all the stars in the constellation. In November, observers reported slight extinction of the comet, while the size of the coma continued to increase. The comet was visible until the end of February 2008. Based on calculations of the comet's orbit and brightness made before the 2007 outburst, the diameter of its core is approximately 3.4 km. A similar flash of brightness up to four magnitudes occurred in January 2015, but then the comet was too far away, and it could only be observed through a powerful telescope.

Image above: The position of the comet in the sky from October 25, 2007 to March 9, 2008. The position of the comet in the sky from October 25, 2007 to March 9, 2008.

The data obtained from various sources around the world still do not allow us to understand the nature of the mysterious processes taking place on the comet. Some researchers believe that a giant luminous cloud of dust and gas could have appeared when a comet collided with an asteroid, but many comets pass through the asteroid belt without any consequences. Holmes's comet, according to this version, should have collided with asteroids three times, which is unlikely. Perhaps the anomalous brightness is associated with explosions of gas vapors under the influence of sunlight, but the comet explodes each time not at perihelion, but much further. The symmetry of the cloud formed after the explosion is also puzzling. Scientists still do not have a clear answer to these and many other questions.

Source: Moscow Planetarium.

Related links:

ROSCOSMOS Press Release: https://www.roscosmos.ru/32333/

Moscow Planetarium: https://www.roscosmos.ru/tag/moskovskiy-planetariy/

Comet: https://www.roscosmos.ru/tag/kometa/

Images, Text, Credits: ROSCOSMOS/Moscow Planetarium/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

Astra Rocket 3.3 launch test

 

ASTRA Space logo.

August 29, 2021

Astra Rocket 3.3  engine-firing and shutdown test

Astra Space’s Rocket 3.3 launch vehicle (LV0006) was launched from Pad LP-3B, at the Pacific Spaceport Complex - Alaska (PSCA), Kodiak Island, on 28 August 2021,  at 22:35 UTC (15:35 local time).

Astra Rocket 3.3 launch (LV0006)

According to  Astra Space: “One of the five main engines shut down less than one second after liftoff, causing the vehicle to slowly lift off the pad before resuming its trajectory. After approximately two minutes and thirty seconds of flight, the range issued an all engine-shutdown command, ending the flight. The vehicle achieved an altitude of approximately 50 kilometers, before safely returning to Earth.”

Aerospace | ASTRA: http://www.astraspace.net/

Image, Video, Text, Credits: Astra Space/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Cutting-Edge Science Launches on NASA’s SpaceX Cargo Resupply Mission

 

SpaceX - Dragon CRS-23 Mission patch.

Aug 29, 2021

The latest SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft is bound for the International Space Station after launching at 3:14 a.m. EDT Sunday on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying more than 4,800 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and spacecraft hardware.

Image above: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped with the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft, soars upward after lifting off from NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida at 3:14 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. Dragon will deliver new science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceX’s 23rd commercial resupply services mission. Image Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

The cargo Dragon, launched on SpaceX’s 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission, is scheduled to autonomously dock at the station around 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 30, and will remain at the station for about a month. NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough will monitor arrival of the spacecraft. Coverage of the arrival will begin at 9:30 a.m. on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app.

SpaceX CRS-23 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing

The science experiments Dragon will deliver include:

Building bone with byproducts

REducing Arthritis Dependent Inflammation First Phase (READI FP) evaluates the effects of microgravity and space radiation on the growth of bone tissue and tests whether bioactive metabolites, which include substances such as antioxidants formed when food is broken down, might protect bones during spaceflight. The metabolites that will be tested come from plant extracts generated as waste products in wine production. Protecting the health of crew members from the effects of microgravity is crucial for the success of future long-duration space missions. This study could improve scientists’ understanding of the physical changes that cause bone loss and identify potential countermeasures. This insight also could contribute to prevention and treatment of bone loss on Earth, particularly in post-menopausal women.

Keeping an eye on eyes

Retinal Diagnostics tests whether a small, light-based device can capture images of the retinas of astronauts to document progression of vision problems known as Space-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). The device uses a commercially available lens approved for routine clinical use and is lightweight, mobile, and noninvasive. The videos and images will be downlinked to test and train models for detecting common signs of SANS in astronauts. The investigation is sponsored by ESA (European Space Agency) with the German Aerospace Center Institute of Space Medicine and European Astronaut Centre.

Robotic helpers

The Nanoracks-GITAI Robotic Arm will demonstrate the microgravity versatility and dexterity of a robot designed by GITAI Japan Inc. Results could support development of robotic labor to support crew activities and tasks, as well as inform servicing, assembly, and manufacturing tasks while in orbit. Robotic support could lower costs and improve crew safety by having robots take on tasks that could expose crew members to hazards. The technology also has applications in extreme and potentially dangerous environments on Earth, including disaster relief, deep-sea excavation, and servicing nuclear power plants. The experiment will be conducted inside the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, the space station’s first commercial airlock.

Putting materials to the test

MISSE-15 NASA is one of a series of investigations on Alpha Space’s Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility, which is testing how the space environment affects the performance and durability of specific materials and components. These tests provide insights that support development of better materials needed for space exploration. Testing materials in space has the potential to significantly speed up their development. Materials capable of standing up to space also have potential applications in harsh environments on Earth and for improved radiation protection, better solar cells, and more durable concrete.

Helping plants deal with stress

Plants grown under microgravity conditions typically display evidence of stress.  Advanced Plant EXperiment-08 (APEX-08) examines the role of compounds known as polyamines in the response of the small, flowering plant thale cress to microgravity stress. Because expression of the genes involved in polyamine metabolism remain the same in space as on the ground, plants do not appear to use polyamines to respond to stress in microgravity. APEX-08 attempts to engineer a way for them to do so. Results could help identify key targets for genetic engineering of plants more suited to microgravity.

Easier drug delivery

The Faraday Research Facility is a multipurpose unit that uses the space station’s EXPRESS payload rack systems, which enable quick, simple integration of multiple payloads . On this first flight, the facility hosts a Houston Methodist Research Institute experiment and two STEM collaborations, including “Making Space for Girls” with the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council in Orlando, Florida.

The Faraday Nanofluidic Implant Communication Experiment  (Faraday-NICE) tests an implantable, remote-controlled drug delivery system using sealed containers of saline solution as surrogate test subjects. The device could provide an alternative to bulky, cumbersome infusion pumps, a possible game changer for long-term management of chronic conditions on Earth. Remote-controlled drug delivery could simplify administration for people with limitations.

A partnership between Faraday and Girls Scouts allows troops to play a role in conducting the control experiments, including providing them with images of the same experiments that are happening in space. The studies involve plant growth, ant colonization, and the brine shrimp lifecycle.

These and other cutting-edge investigations join the hundreds of ongoing experiments in biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science aboard the International Space Station. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars through NASA’s Artemis program. To learn more, check out our SpaceX CRS-23 research highlights story.

Learn more about SpaceX’s missions for NASA at: https://www.nasa.gov/spacex

Related links:

REducing Arthritis Dependent Inflammation First Phase (READI FP): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8426

Retinal Diagnostics: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8547

Space-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/iss-20-evolution-of-vision-research

Nanoracks-GITAI Robotic Arm: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8321

Bishop Airlock: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/spinoff/New_Doorway_to_Space/

MISSE-15 NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8585

Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7515

Advanced Plant EXperiment-08 (APEX-08): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8300

Faraday Research Facility: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7938

EXPRESS: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=598

Faraday Nanofluidic Implant Communication Experiment  (Faraday-NICE): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8422

Commercial Resupply: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Sean Potter/Monica Witt/JSC/Dylan Connell/NASA TV/SciNews.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch