International Space Station (Updates)

[chrisj1968]

Generally, we can use NASATV.....various programming on 3 channels....some taped...some live...tv guide there....
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

ISS live location....
http://www.isstracker.com/

ISS on board systems...live......main panel, push a dark green panel, and select subpanels for neat info....
http://isslive.com/displays/index.html

And there are various ustreams...etc...usually blank on dark side orbit....but most not really 24/7...but a good portion available...there are a few others as well..

Draggendrop.. man dude you went above and beyond! nice. thanks a million bro. I love this outer space stuff

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

Draggendrop.. man dude you went above and beyond! nice. thanks a million bro. I love this outer space stuff

Thanx...you might like this ustream......
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdev-payload

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 November 2015

Astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren translate along the port truss structure back to the Quest airlock after completing cooling system servicing work. Credit: NASA.

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren ended their spacewalk at 2:10 p.m. EST with the repressurization of the U.S. Quest airlock. The astronauts restored the port truss (P6) ammonia cooling system to its original configuration, the main task for today's spacewalk. They also returned ammonia to the desired levels in both the prime and back-up systems.

In a minor departure from the planned tasks, the astronauts ran out of time to cinch and cover a spare radiator known as the Trailing Thermal Control Radiator. The radiator, which Lindgren retracted earlier in the spacewalk, was fully redeployed and locked into place in a dormant state.

The radiator had been deployed during a November 2012 spacewalk by astronauts Sunita Williams and Aki Hoshide as they tried to isolate a leak in the truss' cooling supply by re-plumbing the system to the backup radiator. The leak persisted and was subsequently traced to a different component that was replaced during a spacewalk in May 2013.

The 7 hour and 48 minute spacewalk was the second for both astronauts, and the 190th in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Crew members have now spent a total of 1,192 hours and 4 minutes working outside the orbital laboratory.

 

 

Ground Activities
All activities are on schedule unless otherwise noted.
System commanding in support of P6 RTOC EVA

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 11/07: Post EVA Activities
Sunday, 11/08: Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty
Monday. 11/09: Crew Off Duty

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - Off
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Full Up

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-6-november-2015.html

 Outdoor Activity on the Space Station, video is 4:06 min

 

Space to Ground: Happy Anniversary: 11/06/2015, video is 1:43 min

 

 

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SwRI scientists explain why moon rocks contain fewer volatiles than Earth's

Scientists at Southwest Research Institute combined dynamical, thermal, and chemical Moon formation models to explain key differences between the composition of lunar rocks and the Earth's. The Moon's lack of easily vaporized elements provides evidence about how the Earth-Moon system formed 4.5 billion years ago.

Scientists at Southwest Research Institute combined dynamical, thermal, and chemical models of the Moon's formation to explain the relative lack of volatile elements in lunar rocks. Lunar rocks closely resemble Earth rocks in many respects, but Moon rocks are more depleted in volatile elements like potassium, sodium, and zinc, which tend to have lower boiling points and vaporize readily.

"Explaining the Moon's volatile depletion has been a long-standing mystery, and yet it is a key piece of evidence about how the Earth-Moon system formed," said Dr. Robin Canup, associate vice president in SwRI's Space Science and Engineering Division and lead author of the Nature Geoscience paper detailing the findings.

Scientists think the Moon formed from an Earth-orbiting disk of vapor and molten matter produced by a giant impact between Earth and another Mars-sized body approximately 4.5 billion years ago. Previously, scientists had considered that volatiles vaporized by the impact might have escaped before the Moon formed.

"However, few volatiles may have actually been lost because the velocity needed to escape the Earth's gravity is quite high," said Canup. "The new research suggests instead that as the Moon completed its growth, volatile-rich melt was preferentially deposited onto the Earth, rather than onto the growing Moon."

Canup's team - which included researchers from SwRI, Dordt College, and Washington University - began with an existing computer simulation of the Moon's accumulation from the disk. This was combined with models for how the temperature and chemical composition of the disk material evolve with time.

The models show that the Moon acquires about the final half of its mass from melt condensed in the inner portions of the disk, close to the Earth and just inside the Moon's initial orbit. Over time, the Moon's orbit expands due to dynamical interactions with inner disk material. When the Moon is distant enough, it can no longer efficiently accumulate inner disk melt, which is instead scattered inward and assimilated by the Earth.

"We find that the inner disk melt remains hot and volatile-poor as it accretes onto the Moon. Eventually the disk cools and volatiles condense. But by the time this occurs the Moon's accumulation from this inner disk region has essentially terminated," said Canup. "So the final materials the Moon accumulates are lacking in volatile elements, even in the absence of escape."

The authors suggest that the materials the Moon initially accumulates from the outer disk could be volatile-rich, followed by a final 100- to 500-kilometer layer of volatile-poor material. In that case, the Moon's volatile content could then increase with depth, depending on the extent of mixing in the Moon's interior.

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/SwRI_scientists_explain_why_moon_rocks_contain_fewer_volatiles_than_Earths_999.html

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Lego Spaceport Set Is Out of This World: Q&A with Its Designers

Space.com had the chance to build Lego City's new Spaceport set and learn more about how it was designed.
Credit: Jeremy Lips/Space.com

More at........
http://www.space.com/31070-making-of-lego-spaceport.html

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Shoot the Moon: How to Take Lunar Photos Through a Telescope

Owing to its brightness and large apparent size, the full moon is an easy, favorite target for budding lunar photographers. Authors Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre captured this cropped view of the full moon with a Canon EOS 20D digital SLR camera at the prime focus of a Takahashi FS-78 refracting telescope (630 millimeters in focal length). The exposure time was 1/1250 second at ISO 200.
Credit: Imelda B. Joson and Edwin L. Aguirre

Good article on the various ways to capture an image.......
http://www.space.com/31047-how-to-photograph-moon-telescope.html

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Neat shots.....

TAURID FIREBALL SHOWER CONTINUES: For the second week in a row, Earth is passing through a swarm of gravelly debris from Comet Encke, source of the annual Taurid meteor shower. Over the weekend Graeme Whipps observed a pebble-sized fragment of Comet Encke disintegrating over Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

"What a cracking night," says Whipps. "I don't remember seeing so many bright meteors, and the auroras weren't bad either!"

Earth runs unto the debris zone of Comet Encke every year around this time. Usually, the encounter produces a minor meteor shower, but 2015 is different. By some measures, fireball rates are 10x higher than normal. The extra fireballs are coming from a "swarm" of gravelly meteoroids that weaves in and out of Comet Encke's dusty debris zone. In most years, Earth misses the swarm. This year, however, is a hit.

The display is expected to continue until approximately Nov. 10th. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is during the hours around midnight when the constellation Taurus is high in the sky. Got clouds? Listen to Taurid radar echoes on Space Weather Radio.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Astronauts Look Ahead to Next Cygnus Cargo Mission

Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui (left) and NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren celebrated 100 days in space on Oct. 30.

 

A trio of astronauts are still cleaning up after last week’s spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The cosmonauts are working on their suite of advanced space science and maintenance tasks. Also, the crew is preparing for the launch of the next Orbital ATK commercial cargo mission targeted for Dec. 3.

Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui joined NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren for the post-spacewalk cleanup work in the U.S. Quest airlock. The team stowed their spacewalk tools and hardware and scrubbed cooling loops in the U.S. spacesuits.

Kelly and Yui also partnered together to ready the station for the arrival of the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft. The duo reviewed installation procedures for the Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System scheduled to be delivered aboard the Cygnus.

In the Russian segment of the station, three veteran cosmonauts were busy researching a wide variety of subjects and working on Russian station systems. Oleg Kononenko looked at how microgravity affects a crew member’s spacecraft piloting skills. Sergey Volkov explored howvibrations on the station affect experiment results. One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko stowed gear inside an outgoing Progress craft for disposal.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/11/10/astronauts-look-ahead-to-next-cygnus-cargo-mission/

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 Dark Matter and Particle Acceleration in Near Space

CALET          NASA

A new space telescope will soon peer into the darkness of 'near space' (within a few thousand light years of Earth) to seek answers related to the field of high-energy astrophysics

Peering into darkness can strike fear into the hearts of some, but a new space telescope will soon peer into the darkness of "near space" (within a few thousand light years of Earth). Scientists are using the telescope to seek answers related to the field of high-energy astrophysics.

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) investigation will rely on the instrument to track the trajectory of cosmic ray particles and measure their charge and energy. The instrument is optimized for measuring electrons and gamma rays, which may contain the signature of dark matter or nearby sources of high-energy particle acceleration.

"The investigation is part of an international effort (involving Japan, Italy and USA) to understand the mechanisms of particle acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in the galaxy, to identify their sources of acceleration, their elemental composition as a function of energy, and possibly to unveil the nature of dark matter," said CALET principal investigator Dr. Shoji Torii.

"We know that dark matter makes up about a quarter of the mass-energy of the universe, but we can't see it optically and don't know what it is," said Dr. John Wefel, and CALET co-principal investigator for the US team. "If CALET can see an unambiguous signature of dark matter, it could potentially produce a new understanding of the nature of dark matter."

Right now, scientists are much more certain what dark matter is not, rather than what it is. This research may help scientists identify dark matter and fit it, more accurately, into standard models of the universe.

CALET launched aboard the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori" (HTV-5) in August 2015 and was placed on the International Space Station's Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility just days after its arrival.

The instrument is a charged particle telescope designed to measure electrons, protons, nuclei and gamma rays. Unlike the telescopes that are used to pinpoint stars and planets in the night sky, CALET operates in a scanning mode. As it looks upward, it records each cosmic ray event that enters its field of view and triggers its detectors to take measurements of the cosmic ray. These measurements are recorded on the space station and sent to a ground station where they are fed into computers running analysis codes that allow scientists to reconstruct each event.

From the resulting measurements, scientists must then separate electrons from the protons, gamma rays and the higher Z elements (chemical elements with >1 proton in the nucleus). They then sort the particles by energy to extend the existing data to higher energies and search for signatures of new astrophysics processes and phenomena like dark matter and nearby particle acceleration to study cosmic ray propagation in the galaxy.

"The major theoretical model attributes dark matter to weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), whose nature is predicted by various high energy physics models," said Torii. "In these models, a WIMP would be its own antiparticle and, when two of them get together, they annihilate, producing known particles like electron/positron pairs, proton/anti-proton pairs, and gamma rays."

Searching for excess annihilation products (i.e. electrons and gamma rays) is one way to try to identify a dark matter candidate and this is where CALET helps scientists. CALET joins another ISS investigation searching for excess annihilation products, the Alpha Magenetic Spectrometer or AMS, which is looking at positrons and antiprotons to identify dark matter.

"Dark matter is still a puzzle," said Torii. "By measuring with good energy resolution the spectrum of high energy cosmic electrons and photons, CALET may make a discovery or exclude existing models."

"Seeing an appropriate signature in the electron spectrum and/or gamma rays would be extremely important since this would set the mass scale (weight) for the dark matter particles, which would in turn allow theorists to better determine new physics associated with the WIMP," said Torii, adding that it is possible that a signature may be found that is not indicative of dark matter, but rather indicates a nearby source of charged particle acceleration.

"The latter would be [a] huge achievement since no individual sources have ever been positively identified," said Torii. "Such objects seem to be able to accelerate particles to energies far higher than we can achieve on Earth using the largest machines and we want to learn how nature does this, with possible applications here on Earth."

Understanding the location of these sources as well as particle propagation (the time particles spend, and distance traveled, wandering around the galaxy) means scientists can infer the shape of the cosmic ray spectrum at the source. Gaining a better understanding of how cosmic rays originate and the mechanisms of particle acceleration and propagation is important to space travel and for understanding the radiation environment in space and on Earth.

"Basically, CALET is after new information about how our little corner of the universe works," said Torii, who added that the investigation underscores the importance of the space station as a platform for performing investigations and for successful international collaboration.

 http://spaceref.com/astronomy/dark-matter-and-particle-acceleration-in-near-space.html

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Clue to Formation of Magnetic Fields Around Stars and Galaxies

SDO Image of the Sun on January 7, 2014         NASA

An enduring astronomical mystery is how stars and galaxies acquire their magnetic fields. Physicists Jonathan Squire and Amitava Bhattacharjee at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laborator have found a clue to the answer in the collective behavior of small magnetic disturbances.

In a paper published in October in Physical Review Letters, the scientists report that small magnetic perturbations can combine to form large-scale magnetic fields just like those found throughout the universe. This research was funded by the DOE Office of Science.

Squire and Bhattacharjee analyzed the behavior of dynamos, which occur when an electrically charged fluid like plasma swirls in a way that creates and then amplifies a magnetic field. Scientists have known that plasma turbulence can create lots of small magnetic fields, but the mechanism by which those fields could produce a single large field is elusive. "We can observe magnetic fields all over the universe," said Squire. "But we currently lack a sound theoretical explanation for how they are generated."

The puzzle consists of the seeming unlikelihood of small disturbances coming together to form something large and organized. Throughout nature, order tends to dissolve into chaos, not the other way around. For instance, if you add a glob of milk to coffee, the glob will dissolve into a collection of tendrils and continue to dissipate until the milk has mixed with all of the coffee. Though not impossible, it's highly unlikely that the dissipated milk would spontaneously gather and reform the original glob.

This kind of natural organization occurs occasionally in the natural world, however. When a tornado forms, the myriad disturbances in the atmosphere during a severe storm coalesce into one giant vortex. But the tornado eventually collapses and the order disappears.

Like tornados, the large-scale magnetic fields throughout the universe seem to be produced by lots of small disturbances. But unlike tornadoes, these magnetic fields persist. "Something is holding up the universe's magnetic fields for billions of years," said Amitava Bhattacharjee, head of PPPL's Theory Department and co-author of the paper. "But how exactly does the universe get these persistent magnetic properties?"

In the paper, Squire and Bhattacharjee show that under certain conditions small magnetic fields -- instead of small velocity fields, which have been studied more often -- can combine to form one large field. After running computer simulations on a PPPL computer named "Dawson," the scientists found that small disturbances can combine to form one large disturbance when there is a lot of velocity shear -- when two areas of a fluid are moving at different speeds. "We used a variety of computational and analytic methods to approach the problem from a few different angles," said Squire.

The team first used so-called statistical simulations, which create a kind of average of the behavior of the entire system. "Statistical simulations capture the properties of hundreds of simulations without actually running them all," said Bhattacharjee. The scientists also used numerical simulations that begin with initial conditions that are allowed to progress in lengthier runs.

"The results indicate that small-scale magnetic fluctuations can create large-scale magnetic fields that persist," Bhattacharjee said. "But in order to be conclusive about persistence for long times, we must run simulations for very low dissipation," a measure of energy loss. "It is impossible to run simulations for dissipation as low as those of real astrophysical plasmas, but our analytical and computational results, in the range in which they are done, strongly suggest that such dynamo action is possible."

These findings might lead to greater understanding of the behavior of many kinds of astronomical phenomena, including the disks of material that form around black holes and the 11-year solar cycle of our own sun. Computer programs cannot yet simulate these vast astronomical phenomena, so learning how to create simplified models that capture the workings of these large turbulent systems would be helpful.

PPPL, on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro, N.J., is devoted to creating new knowledge about the physics of plasmas -- ultra-hot, charged gases -- and to developing practical solutions for the creation of fusion energy. Results of PPPL research have ranged from a portable nuclear materials detector for anti-terrorist use to universally employed computer codes for analyzing and predicting the outcome of fusion experiments. The Laboratory is managed by the University for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, which is the largest single supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.

http://spaceref.com/astronomy/clue-to-formation-of-magnetic-fields-around-stars-and-galaxies.html

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Looking Down The Space Station's Truss

 

ISS Truss      NASA

A warren of cables and systems outside of the International Space Station are photographed during a spacewalk on Nov. 6, 2015.

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren restored the port truss (P6) ammonia cooling system to its original configuration and eturned ammonia to the desired levels in both the prime and back-up systems. The spacewalk lasted for seven hours and 48 minutes.

 http://spaceref.com/onorbit/looking-down-the-space-stations-truss.html

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U.S. Senate Passes Compromise Commercial Space Bill 

A provision of the final bill gives companies the rights to space resources they obtain from asteroids and other solar system bodies, without granting them ownership of the bodies themselves. Credit: Bryan Versteeg / DSI 

Article at the link...
http://spacenews.com/u-s-senate-passes-compromise-commercial-space-bill/

Highlight....

The bill has a number of additional provisions beyond commercial launch law. It includes a section from the original Senate bill that authorizes NASA to continue operations of the International Space Station through at least 2024. Another section discusses uses of NASA’s Space Launch System, supporting its use not just for human space exploration missions but also other payloads that “substantially benefit from the unique capabilities” of the heavy-lift rocket.

The final bill also includes a revised version of space resource property rights language included in the House bill. The bill states that any U.S. citizen “shall be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained,” including the ability to own or sell that resource. The bill, though, specifically excludes ownership of asteroids themselves, which would violate international treaties.

 

Good news......

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Space Station Scientists Meet This Week 

The American Society for Gravitational and Space Research is holding its 31st annual meeting in Alexandria, VA this week. Topics covered span the range of life science and microgravity research conducted on the ISS, on suborbital rockets, and on the ground. It is the largest such meeting of space station life scientists in the world.

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2015/11/space-station-s-2.html

American Society for Gravitational and Space Research
https://www.asgsr.org/

Itinerary....pdf
https://www.asgsr.org/images/stories/pdf/General_Schedule_2015.pdf

Will try to do a wrap up when this is over...... 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 10 November 2015

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 10 November 2015  NASA

A trio of astronauts are still cleaning up after last week's spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The cosmonauts are working on their suite of advanced space science and maintenance tasks. Also, the crew is preparing for the launch of the next Orbital ATK commercial cargo mission targeted for Dec. 3.

Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui joined NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren for the post-spacewalk cleanup work in the U.S. Quest airlock. The team stowed their spacewalk tools and hardware and scrubbed cooling loops in the U.S. spacesuits.

Kelly and Yui also partnered together to ready the station for the arrival of the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft. The duo reviewed installation procedures for the Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System scheduled to be delivered aboard the Cygnus.

In the Russian segment of the station, three veteran cosmonauts were busy researching a wide variety of subjects and working on Russian station systems. Oleg Kononenko looked at how microgravity affects a crew member's spacecraft piloting skills. Sergey Volkov explored how vibrations on the station affect experiment results. One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko stowed gear inside an outgoing Progress craft for disposal.

 

Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Airlock Interface Kit (AIK) Procedure Review: This week, the crew will be installing the NORS AIK. Today, the crew completed a procedure review and gathered equipment in preparation for the installation starting tomorrow. NORS provides the capability to refill the US Airlock High Pressure Gas Tanks (HPGTs) with nitrogen and oxygen following Shuttle retirement.

Water Sample and Analysis: Today, Lindgren collected four water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) for analysis. This was a regularly scheduled test to verify water quality. He stowed one sample for return on Soyuz 43S. Later he initiated a Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) sample analysis and prepared two samples for incubation prior to microbial and coliform analysis and iodine analysis on Thursday.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Status: On November 3, during a pretreat tank change out, the pretreat bad qual light did not illuminate as expected as plain water from the newly-installed hose passed the sensor. On Saturday, Yui replaced the pretreat bad qual electronics unit and installed a replacement hose containing water between the pretreat tank and the dose pump. He then activated the dose pump and the pretreat bad qual light illuminated as expected when plain water passed the sensor. WHC is now re-connected to the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) and operating nominally.

 

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Support of EVA loop scrub
LA2 MDM EEPROM refresh

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 11/11: NORS AIK Install, HAPTICS-1, Plant Gravity Sensing 2, ExHAM #2 Installation via JEMRMS
Thursday, 11/12: NORS AIK Install, Plant Gravity Sensing 2, SPHERES SLOSH, NORS Leak Check Initiation
Friday, 11/13: IMAX File D/L, Capillary Beverage, NORS Leak Check completion

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - On
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Full Up 

 http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-10-november-2015.html

Space Station Live: The Science of Slosh, video is 7:23 min

 

Stepping Out For The First Time, video is 6:54 min

 

 

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NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 November 2015

Today: Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Airlock Interface Kit (AIK) Installation: Kelly prepared the US Airlock in support of NORS AIK install by removing closeout panels and flexible ventilation ducting.

Yui then assisted Kelly with the installation of the NORS primary and redundant power cables. The NORS AIK activities will continue tomorrow with leak checks extending through Friday. NORS provides the capability to refill the US Airlock High Pressure Gas Tanks (HPGTs) with nitrogen and oxygen following Shuttle retirement.

Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) #2 Deploy: Yui opened the outer hatch and extended the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock slide table external to ISS. The ground operations team then used the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) Small fine Arm (SFA) to retrieve ExHAM#2 from the slide table and set it on the JEM exposed pallet. ExHAM is a cuboid mechanism equipped with a fixture on the upper surface for grappling by the JEMRMS SFA, and has components on the under surface for attaching the ExHAM to the handrail on the Exposed Facility. Up to 7 experiment samples can be loaded on the ExHAM upper surface and 13 on the side surfaces.

Mycological Evaluation of Crew Exposure to ISS Ambient Air (Myco): Shortly after wakeup, Kelly took samples from his nasal cavities, pharynx, saliva and skin for the Myco investigation. This is the third body sample collection for this one year mission crewmember. Analysis of the samples will focus on microflora, particularly fungi, which may cause opportunistic infections or allergies if a crewmember's immunity is compromised on the ISS.

EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack 5 Laptop Software Load: Lindgren supported the ongoing software updates to ISS EXPRESS Rack laptops by copying a software load to the EXPRESS Rack 5 laptop.

Cancellation of Plant Gravity Sensing 2 (PGS2) Experiment Run 2: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) stopped the second PGS2 run due to failure of the investigation's seeds to germinate.

Oxygen Generation System (OGS) Recirculation Loop Sample: Kelly obtained a water sample from the OGS Recirculation Loop for return-to-ground analysis. A sample was also drawn for a later on-orbit conductivity test, in case the return sample is delayed. Periodic water samples are returned for chemical, particulate, and microbial analysis in order to determine when total organic carbon remediation should be implemented to avoid risk of irreversible contamination damage to the OGS.

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
ExHAM #2 installation via JEMRMS

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 11/12: NORS AIK Install, SPHERES SLOSH, NORS Leak Check Initiation
Friday, 11/13: IMAX File D/L, Capillary Beverage, NORS Leak Check completion
Saturday, 11/14: Crew off Duty, Weekly Cleaning

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Full Up

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-11-november-2015.html

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UrtheCast Shelves New ISS Camera To Focus on Satellite Constellation

The pointing system for UrtheCast's Iris high-resolution video camera was defective and required new cabling and a software patch. Full operations are expected to begin in the coming months. 

PARIS — UrtheCast said Nov. 10 it is refocusing its investment away from International Space Station-mounted cameras toward a planned constellation of Earth-imaging satellites.

In an earnings call with investors, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based Earth-observation imagery and services startup said it had 100 million Canadian dollars ($75 million) in firm orders as of Sept. 30, plus 30 million Canadian dollars in options.

UrtheCast said it had signed non-binding memoranda of understanding with two prospective customers for a total of 370 million Canadian dollars. Construction of the 16-satellite constellation will not begin until at least some portion of this amount is transformed into binding commitments.

UrtheCast transformed itself this year with the purchase of Deimos Imaging of Spain and Deimos’ two in-orbit optical Earth-imaging satellites.

The Demos acquisition took effect July 15, giving UrtheCast some 75 days of revenue from the acquisition in the three months ending Sept. 30. During the same period, the company began initial operations of its high-resolution video camera, which was installed on the Earth-facing side of the space station alongside UrtheCast’s medium-resolution still camera.

Deimos had expected to report more than $40 million in revenue for 2015, with the summer months being the most active as is the case for most optical satellite imagery-delivery companies.

UrtheCast officials declined during the Nov. 10 earnings call to say how much of their revenue and backlog came with the Deimos purchase, and how much from the company’s two ISS-mounted cameras.

 

More at the link...
http://spacenews.com/urthecast-shelves-new-iss-camera-to-focus-on-satellite-constellation/

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Space institute funds adjustable power eyeglasses and a smart sleep mask 

Most astronauts experience vision changes that result in decreased visual acuity during spaceflight.

Two small companies developing state-of-the-art medical technologies have been selected to receive grants from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). LumosTech, Inc. is a Stanford University-based startup company developing a programmable mask that uses light therapy during sleep to adjust a person to a new time-zone. eVision Smart Optics, Inc. of Sarasota, Florida is developing electronic smart glasses that can change eye prescriptions, as needed.

Most astronauts experience vision changes that result in decreased visual acuity during spaceflight. NASA needs the ability to adjust the prescription as needed in real-time.

"Liquid crystal lenses can be re-programmed electronically to adapt to an astronaut's changing vision. Additionally, the lens can be programmed with far, near and mid-range sections, or with all sections of the lens at a single focal length," said Tony Van Heugten, Chief Technology Officer of eVision Smart Optics.

LumosTech is developing a smart sleep mask that emits pulses of light while the user sleeps, adjusting the user's sleep cycle. "Both astronauts and ground crew are often required to perform mission critical tasks at times that are at odds with their normal sleep/wake cycle.

This mask will enable them to shift their normal cycle to ensure that they are alert when needed," said Vanessa Burns, CEO of LumosTech. This technology could also benefit international business travelers that must rapidly transition into different time zones. By using this sleep mask, travelers may be able to lessen the effects of jet lag and preserve their ability to perform.

"LumosTech and eVision Smart Optics are advancing new approaches to solve real problems experienced by astronauts as well as people on Earth. Our job is to accelerate promising technologies by providing seed funding and direction," said Dorit Donoviel, Ph.D., NSBRI Deputy Chief Scientist and Industry Forum Lead.

Funding is provided through the Space Medical and Related Technologies Commercialization Assistance Program (SMARTCAP), administered by NSBRI's Industry Forum. "SMARTCAP offers grants that help small companies broaden the reach of their products, open new market opportunities, and simultaneously address the significant challenges faced by humans living and working in space."

Additional information regarding the current SMARTCAP opportunity, BioSHIELD 4 MARS, which focuses on products that can protect healthy tissues from radiation is located here. Grant recipients must secure a 100-percent match in funding. This leveraging of federal funding actively fosters public-private collaborations and partnerships.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space_institute_to_fund_electronic_adjustable_power_eyeglasses_and_a_smart_sleep_mask_999.html

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Medicines do not seem to degrade faster in space

File image.

The results of an opportunistic, pilot-scale study led by Virginia Wotring of the Center for Space Medicine and Department of Pharmacology at Baylor College of Medicine in the U.S. suggest that medication degradation on the International Space Station (ISS) does not differ from what is typically seen on Earth. The study, which used medicine samples sent back to Earth from the ISS, appears in The AAPS Journal, an official journal of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, published by Springer.

While the ISS is regularly resupplied with medicines to replace those which have passed their expiry date, this may not be possible on exploration missions that travel to more distant points. On Earth, medicines degrade over time, particularly when exposed to light, oxygen, or humidity.

Although temperature and humidity conditions on board the ISS are generally within ideal ranges for medicine storage on Earth, until now, there has been little evidence of how medicines might react to factors unique to spaceflight, such as microgravity and constant exposure to elevated radiation levels.

Wotring analyzed nine medications which had been stocked on the ISS and returned to Earth unused after 550 days of storage in spaceflight. The medications included sleeping aids, pain relievers, antihistamines/decongestants, an antidiarrhoeal, and an alertness drug. The medicines were returned to Earth and, upon arrival, they were kept under controlled conditions until analysis three-five months later.

The researchers measured the quantity of active ingredients and degradation products present in the medicines. They then used 2012 United States Pharmacopeia (USP) guidelines (which provide clear requirements of the quantity of active ingredients and limits of degradation products allowed in viable medicines) to determine whether or not the ISS medicines were still viable after being stored in space.

According to the 2012 USP guidelines, one medication met USP requirements five months after its expiration date. Four of the nine drugs were still viable up to eight months after officially expiring.

Another three medications met USP guidelines when they were tested three months before their expiry date. A dietary supplement/sleeping aid did not meet USP requirements 11 months after it had expired. No unusual degradation products could be identified in any of the tests.

The authors note that the opportunistic nature of the study means that the results are based only on measurements made at a single point in time, for a handful of medications. The findings cannot, therefore, be applied to gauge the safety and effectiveness of other medicines, or extrapolated to other storage times.

The findings suggest that further research is necessary before planning long-term space flights--such as missions to Mars--because missions like this won't have the opportunity to restock medicines in the way that the ISS can.

The next step is to conduct rigorous stability studies with appropriate ground control and multiple time points, extended to include additional medicines, and to cover longer periods of time, and see whether they support the initial findings outlined in the present study.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Medicines_do_not_seem_to_degrade_faster_in_space_999.html

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Roving chunk of space junk plunging back to Earth 

WT1190F on Nov. 3. Credit: Bill Ryan at Magdalena Ridge Observatory.

A long-lost fragment of space debris is falling toward Earth for a searing re-entry over the Indian Ocean on Friday, but the widely-watched event poses no risk to people.

Nevertheless, aviation and maritime authorities have cautioned pilots and sailors to steer clear of the expected re-entry zone just south of Sri Lanka.

Re-entry is expected at 0618:34.3 GMT (1:18:34.3 a.m. EDT), plus or minus 1.3 seconds. That is the time the object is forecast to be 100 kilometers, or about 60 miles, above Earth’s surface, the internationally-recognized boundary of space.

Astronomers with the University of Arizona’s Catalina Sky Survey spotted the mysterious object, known as WT1190F, while scanning the sky for near-Earth asteroids. Scientists had already tracked WT1190F twice in 2013, and a computation of the object’s trajectory last month showed it was on a collision course with Earth.

Experts estimated the object’s density by calculating how much solar radiation pressure — a tiny but constant force — changed its path over the last two years.

“It turns out that this body has a mean density that is about 10 percent that of water,” scientists with the European Space Agency wrote in a summary of their findings last month. “This is too low to be a natural space rock, but it is compatible with being a hollow shell, such as the spent upper stage of a rocket.”

The origin of WT1190F is unknown, but it could come from a rocket stage used on one of China’s recent robotic missions, or it could date back to the human voyages to the moon of the Apollo era. The object, about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) across, was left in a highly elliptical orbit around Earth taking it twice as far as the moon during each circuit of the planet.

More data at the link...
 http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/11/12/roving-chunk-of-space-junk-plunging-back-to-earth/

-------------------------------------------------------

Space rains junk on Spain

It's raining space junk in Spain.

Rocket fuel tanks, chunks of satellites or something else entirely... In just over one week, three mysterious objects have fallen from the sky onto the country's southeast, prompting bomb disposal agents and experts in hazmat suits to rush over as puzzled locals looked on.

First up a strange black beehive-like ball was found in Mula, a town in the region of Murcia last week.

Then at the weekend, a similar-looking, smaller object was discovered in Calasparra, just 30 kilometres (19 miles) away in the same region.

"In the early morning of the day when the first object was found, witnesses said they saw between six and seven balls of fire falling from the sky," Maria Jose Gomariz, spokeswoman for Calasparra town hall, said Thursday.

"Maybe there were just two balls of fire and it looked like there were more... or some may have fallen in areas where no one goes."

The discoveries sparked a stir, prompting special agents to rush over and inspect the objects, but in both cases, police determined there was no radioactivity and no danger to human health.

The mysterious space junk was transported to the city of Cartagena where there is a national vocational training centre that specialises in chemistry.

"They could be auxiliary fuel tanks belonging to a rocket," said a source at Murcia's Guardia Civil, the police force that was called to the scene.

- Celestial garbage -

A third object was discovered on Tuesday in Elda in the neighbouring region of Valencia, where a farmer found a long, metal-like object in his field and called the police.

This time, special agents turned up but after determining the item did not present any danger, they took it to the police station in nearby Alicante.

"It looks like a piece from an aerospace vehicle, but not a commercial plane. It could be a piece of satellite or something similar," a spokesman for Alicante police told AFP.

According to NASA, more than 500,000 pieces of debris are currently orbiting Earth, and bits of space junk plummet to our planet every year.

"Houston, we have a problem," quipped an editorial in Spain's El Pais daily.

"Some measures may have been taken to tackle the problem, but we're far from a solution," it said.

"Not only is it expensive, but it's also difficult to devise a garbage collection system to go sweep in space."

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space_rains_junk_on_Spain_999.html

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 12 November 2015

 

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko poses with photography equipment aboard the International Space Station. International crew members have taken more than 2.5 million images throughout the over 15 years humans have been living aboard the orbiting laboratory. Credit: NASA.

Today: Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Slosh: After experiencing issues with SPHERES batteries and a hard drive, the SPHERES Slosh Run today was postponed to a later date. Ground experts are investigating the source of the problems.

Sleep Log: Kelly recorded a Sleep Log entry today. The Sleep ISS-12 experiment monitors ambient light exposure and crew member activity and collects subjective evaluations of sleep and alertness. The investigation examines the effects of space flight and ambient light exposure on sleep during a year-long mission on the ISS.

Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Airlock Interface Kit (AIK) Installation: Kelly continued with NORS AIK installation by rotating the Airlock Cabin Air Rack downward and installing nitrogen and oxygen hoses. He then installed the NORS manifold and connecting the power, nitrogen, and oxygen lines to it. Towards the end of the day, Yui worked with ground teams in order to initiate a leak check of the system, which will continue through Friday afternoon. NORS provides the capability to refill the US Airlock High Pressure Gas Tanks (HPGTs) with nitrogen and oxygen following Shuttle retirement. Two Recharge Tank Assemblies (Oxygen and Nitrogen) are manifested onboard the Orbital ATK (OA)-4 Flight scheduled to launch on December 3rd.

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
NORS Leak Checks

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 11/13: IMAX File D/L, Capillary Beverage, NORS Leak Check completion
Saturday, 11/14: Crew off Duty, Weekly Cleaning
Sunday, 11/15: Crew off Duty

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Full Up 

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-12-november-2015.html

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren plays Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, video is 0:58 min

 

-----------------------------------------------

 End of Week Life Science and Cygnus Mission Preps for Crew

The Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft is seen docked to the International Space Station.

The Expedition 45 crew is wrapping up the work week on biomedical science and Cygnus mission preparations. The orbital residents also worked maintenance throughout the numerous modules inside the International Space Station.

Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui, who both have been in space over 100 days, checked their vision and blood pressure for the long-running Ocular Health study. Yui then worked on experiment hardware inside Japan’s Kibo lab module.  Lindgren explored growing food in space for the Veggie botany experiment.

Commander Scott Kelly continued installing gear to prepare for the early December arrival of the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft.  He also worked on station maintenance tasks and cleaned his crew quarters.

On the Russian side of the orbital lab, One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko explored human digestion in space and sampled the station’s atmosphere and surfaces for microbes. Veteran cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Volkov worked in the Zvezda service module to replace a battery and repair overhead sheets. Volkov is the newest Expedition 45 crew member having been in space 70 days.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/11/13/end-of-week-life-science-and-cygnus-mission-preps-for-crew/

--------------------------------------------------

Cygnus Starts Final Round of Processing for Station Cargo Delivery 

The Cygnus spacecraft arrives in the high bay at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF). In the background are the two halves of the Atlas V payload fairing. Image courtesy NASA/Kim Shiflett. 

The next U.S. cargo delivery to the International Space Station is steadily progressing toward launch. An Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft is at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida undergoing a final round of prelaunch preparations for its December liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. This will be Orbital ATK's fourth commercial resupply flight to the station and will carry more than 7,000 pounds of supplies, equipment and research to keep the station stocked and capable of serving as a platform for studies off the Earth, for the Earth.

The Atlas first-stage booster arrived Nov. 8 aboard the United Launch Alliance barge, the Delta Mariner. The uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft comprises a pressurized cargo module and an attached service module housing the onboard propulsion system and twin power-producing solar arrays.

Processing began with the Aug. 10 arrival of the Cygnus pressurized module, followed by the service module about two months later. Both were delivered by flatbed truck to Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). The pressurized module was loaded with cargo Oct. 19 and 20, rotated to vertical and mated to the service module on Oct. 22, clearing the way for the journey to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility.

The Atlas booster and Centaur will be joined together on the launch pad in time for the arrival of the payload fairing on Nov. 20 - leaving Cygnus poised for liftoff on a new voyage to deliver eagerly awaited supplies and research to the orbiting laboratory.

 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Cygnus_Starts_Final_Round_of_Processing_for_Station_Cargo_Delivery_999.html

In depth info...
http://www.americaspace.com/?p=88544#more-88544

----------------------------------------

Measurement of Hubble constant questioned by Nobel laureate Riess' team

Comparison of different measurements of Hubble constant. Image courtesy Science China Press. For a larger version of this image please go here.

In 1920's Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, showed that the recessional velocity of a galaxy increases with its distance from the earth, known as Hubble's law. Hubble's law is taken as the first observational basis for the expansion of the Universe, and provides strong evidence for the Big Bang model.

The value of the expansion rate is called the Hubble constant. Hubble constant is a critical parameter in cosmology and the measurement of Hubble constant is a key task for the astrophysicists and cosmologists. Recently a Chinese team leaded by Prof. Qing-Guo Huang from the institute of theoretical physics at Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed to utilize the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) datasets to accurately determine the Hubble constant.

Their work, entitled "An accurate determination of the Hubble constant from baryon acoustic oscillation datasets", was published in Sci China-Phys Mech Astron 2015, Vol. 58 No. 9.

The Universe is expanding. One may immediately ask what is the expansion rate of the Universe, i.e. the value of the Hubble constant. Under the framework of general relativity proposed by Albert Einstein one hundred years ago, the total energy density of our Universe can be also determined by the Hubble constant because our Universe is spatially flat.

Usually, according to the Hubble's law, the value of the Hubble constant is estimated by measuring the redshifts of distant galaxies and determining the distances to the same galaxies. For most of the second half of the 20th century, the Hubble constant was estimated to be between 50 and 100 km/s/Mpc. Until Hubble Space Telescope and its Key project released their results, the Hubble constant was measured accurately at the first time. This result was significantly improved by Nobel laureate Adam Riess and his collaborators in 2011.

BAO is considered as a standard ruler in the Universe and is used to explore the expansion history of the Universe. However, usually ones thought that BAO data alone could not be used to determine the Hubble constant. It is true for the low-redshift BAO datasets alone because of the degeneracy. But, "The combination of the low and high-redshift BAO data can be used to precisely determine the Hubble constant", said the authors.

In addition, they found that the low-redshift anisotropic BAO alone could be used to precisely determine the Hubble constant as well. Combining both the isotropic and anisotropic BAO datasets, they achieved a determination of the Hubble constant with around 1.3% precision! However, their result is relatively low compared to that obtained by Riess et al..

On the other hand, the Hubble constant can be also determined by the anisotropies of Cosmic Microwave Background, for example the data from Planck satellite, indirectly. In the cosmological constant and cold dark matter model, the data released by Planck satellite in 2013 imply that the Hubble constant is also lower than that obtained by Riess et al., but consistent with that obtained by this Chinese team. The comparison of different Hubble constant measurements shows up in Figure 1.

Now the result obtained by Riess et al. is questioned. For example, G. Efstathiou reanalyzed the Riess et al. Cepheid data. Based on the revised geometric maser distance to NGC 4258, he found that the Hubble constant was consistent with both Planck satellite and BAO datasets.

It is recognized that an accurate measurement of the Hubble constant has potential to reveal exotic new physics, for example, a time-varying dark energy, additional relativisitic particles, or neutrino mass. The Chinese team leaded by Prof. Qing-Guo Huang made an important contribution to the measurement of the Hubble constant.

 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinese_researchers_questioned_the_measurement_of_the_Hubble_constant_by_Nobel_laureate_Riess_team_999.html

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A new explanation for the explosive nature of magnetic reconnection

Model of a current sheet of plasma with magnetic field lines that are ready to reconnect showing plasmoid instabilities in the center of the sheet. Image courtesy of Yi-Min Huang. For a larger version of this image please go here.

Magnetic reconnection, which occurs when magnetic lines of force break apart and reconnect with a violent burst of energy, gives rise to many beautiful and powerful phenomena in the natural world. These include solar flares, the Northern Lights, and geomagnetic storms that can disrupt cell-phone service or knock out power grids.

Scientists have long known that the Sweet-Parker model typically used to describe magnetic reconnection was unable to explain the speed at which it operates. Now, researchers have gone beyond the framework of that model to include new mechanisms that speed up reconnection, providing new insights into the process.

At the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), researchers found that the Sweet-Parker model itself is flawed. To solve the problem, the researchers turned their attention to plasmoids - instabilities that occur in plasma containing the reconnecting lines of force - as the possible cause of fast reconnection (Figure 1). These instabilities take place very rapidly and change the predictions described by the Sweet-Parker model.

The new model predicts a novel regime in which the fast reconnection rate appears to be independent of the resistivity - or resistance to electrical current - of the system.

"This fundamental discovery has attracted a great deal of interest from theorists as well as experimentalists in laboratory and space plasma physics," said Amitava Bhattacharjee, head of the Theory Department at PPPL. Bhattcharjee will present the findings in a talk to the 57th annual meeting of the American Physical Society-Department of Plasma Physics in Savannah, Georgia.

This new nonlinear model was developed by Bhattacharjee and Yi-Min Huang, a research scholar in Princeton University's Department of Astrophysical Sciences. The model is based on an earlier model of the linear instability by Nuno Loureiro, a former post-doctoral fellow at PPPL.

Loureiro now heads the Theory and Modeling Group at the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion in Lisbon and will receive the Thomas H. Stix Award for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Plasma Physics Research at the APS meeting.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/A_new_explanation_for_the_explosive_nature_of_magnetic_reconnection_999.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA ISS Space to Ground Weekly Report - 13 November 2015

 

NASA ISS Space to Ground Weekly Report - 13 November 2015.   NASA

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.

 http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-iss-space-to-ground-weekly-report---13-november-2015.html

Space to Ground: Tanks Up: 11/13/2015, Video is 1:51 min

 

----------------------------------------

Bolden Addresses Council on Foreign Relations

 

"When I was the age of many of you, much was made about the fact that our country was in a "space race" with the Soviet Union. Today, a child who is 15 years old or younger has lived every day of her or his life while human beings from multiple countries are living and working together in space aboard the International Space Station. I maintain that the Space Station ought be considered for a Noble Peace Prize. Think about this: tens of thousands of people from across 15 countries have been involved in its construction and operations all working toward common goals of discovery, understanding, and human progress."

 http://nasawatch.com/archives/2015/11/bolden-addresse.html

A comment to the above by James Van Laak puts this in perspective....

My, how quickly we forget. Having worked on Freedom, been a big part of the transition to Alpha, co-led Shuttle-Mir, and then led the first 3 years of ISS assembly, it is distressing to see how the ISS story is so enormously misunderstood.

Freedom made a lot of progress on many pieces and parts, but the program was burdened by some very serious leadership problems, largely based on the structure that made the individual centers too independent of Level 2 leadership. Keith knows all about that. For many reasons there were cost and technical problems that kept slowing development.

In 1993 President Clinton decided that his program to balance the budget was incompatible with Freedom and said he would cancel it. Dan Goldin was able to negotiate one more redesign to try to dramatically reduce costs and increase the value of the program. During the same time an increasing number of people pushed for including the Russians. In the end it was this decision to bring the Russians in that saved the program. It also allowed the "inside out" assembly that resolved some serious issues with the old Freedom approach.

Mir was nothing like ISS despite having the same structural center. To say that it was international is to say that the states of the USSR were autonomous countries, which they certainly were not. The Russians ran the Mir as their own station and had some "guest cosmonauts" fly for very short periods. The US failed to understand the limited way these foreigners participated until we put our astronauts on the Mir. It was an extremely painful learning experience.

ISS is vastly more complex and capable than Mir ever was, but that is not the reason it deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. At the beginning of the program the US and Russian had almost no interaction. By the time we put a crew on board we had to be able to work together very well, both in engineering issues and in managing the crew. Along the way we had to overcome the enormous emotional and societal obstacles that kept us apart.

All of this is painfully clear to me as I complete a book on this period. The number of people on both sides who worked tirelessly to bring the program together seemingly was only slightly larger than those who did their best to prevent it. Those who were there know of engineers, managers, astronauts, cosmonauts, flight directors, and others who did not make the transition. They were unable to accept that the cold war was over and it was out job to work together.

ISS and its team are far from perfect. IN that they mirror the humans who make up the program. But they have achieved something that is nothing short of amazing while dealing with deep personal, emotional, and often public conflicts.

To have simply survived 15 years of this incredibly dynamic and challenging work is a miracle. Those who were there in the trenches remember the countless crises when people did not want to cooperate, when the hardware and software conspired to threaten the station, and when politicians lost their stomach for the work. Now that its survival is evident, the new challenge is to grow the new processes and leaders who can make it more effective as a research tool.

And while it is certainly expensive and bureaucratic, it has also been extraordinarily safe even while conducting breakthrough activities in countless areas. After all, when was the last time you built a complex system in flight? Mir was assembled from autonomous elements that could survive more or less independently. ISS passed that threshold when the SM docked to the FGB. Everything after that required that the integrated system continue to function at a very high level of performance. And it has with only short periods of difficulty.

well said.....It's the triumph of science over politics which created international co-operation on the ISS. 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 13 November 2015

The Soyuz TMA-17M is seen docked to the International Space Station. The Russian spacecraft carried Expedition 44/45 crew members Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Kjell Lindgren of NASA and Kimiya Yui of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA.) It docked with the station on July 22, 2015. Credit: NASA.

The Expedition 45 crew is wrapping up the work week on biomedical science and Cygnus mission preparations. The orbital residents also worked maintenance throughout the numerous modules inside the International Space Station.

Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui, who both have been in space over 100 days, checked their vision and blood pressure for the long-running Ocular Health study. Yui then worked on experiment hardware inside Japan's Kibo lab module. Lindgren explored growing food in space for the Veggie botany experiment.

Commander Scott Kelly continued installing gear to prepare for the early December arrival of the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft. He also worked on station maintenance tasks and cleaned his crew quarters.

On the Russian side of the orbital lab, One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko explored human digestion in space and sampled the station's atmosphere and surfaces for microbes. Veteran cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Volkov worked in the Zvezda service module to replace a battery and repair overhead sheets. Volkov is the newest Expedition 45 crew member having been in space 70 days.

 

Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU) 1B Remote Bus Isolator (RBI) 1 Trip - At ~11:55am CST DCSU 1B RBI 1 experienced a trip on Friday taking all power from the 1B Power Channel. Numerous systems were affected including core avionics. Command and Control (C&C) and Guidance Navigation & Control (GNC) Multiplexer/Demultiplexers (MDMs) automatically transitioned to their backups. As a result, the ISS has good attitude control and good communications. The ground team executed standard response procedures to recover and crosstie MBSU 1A and 1B in order to regain equipment that was temporarily powered down. Equipment power ons are continuing. Preliminary indications point to a potential short between Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) 1B and DCSU 1B. Teams will be investigating the issue and working forward plans for recovery.

Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Airlock Interface Kit (AIK) Closeout: Yui and Kelly worked with the ground team in order to perform NORS System leak checks. Leak checks for the Oxygen line were successful. However, the fine leak check associated with the Nitrogen line did not meet the success criteria. ISS is in a safe configuration while ground teams assess a forward plan. NORS provides the capability to refill the US Airlock High Pressure Gas Tanks (HPGTs) with nitrogen and oxygen following Shuttle retirement. Two Recharge Tank Assemblies (Oxygen and Nitrogen) are manifested onboard the Orbital ATK (OA)-4 Flight scheduled to launch on December 3rd. 

 

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
NORS Leak Checks

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 11/14: Crew off Duty, Weekly Cleaning
Sunday, 11/15: Crew off Duty
Monday, 11/16: Stbd Radiator Imagery, Port CQ Cleaning, Ocular Health, Veg-01

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Off
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Off
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Shutdown
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off

 http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-13-november-2015.html

-----------------------------------

Cygnus trio to conduct tests into spacecraft fires

 

Three Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft are to play a major role in understanding the threat of a fire onboard a vehicle in space. The Saffire (Spacecraft Fire Safety Demonstration Project) objectives will be conducted at the conclusion to the ORB-5, 6 and 7 mission, ahead of the spacecraft ending their flights in their own fire of a destructive re-entry.

Saffire:

An onboard fire is one of the obvious threats to spacecraft, with the International Space Station (ISS) well-versed in procedures to protect its crew in the event of such a scenario occurring.

The worst-case scenario would result in the crew evacuating to the two docked Soyuz spacecraft, which also serve the role of lifeboats during their docked phase, prior to returning safely to Earth.

However, that challenge becomes more complex when astronauts are huge distances from Earth, as will be the situation when astronauts head out on deep space missions to asteroids and eventually Mars.

Recent studies have confirmed the fire safety requirements for long-term exploration missions require additional investigation.

Spacecraft fire safety technologies have been identified as “enabling” for some exploration missions, “enhancing” for others, according to NASA scientists.

Preventing a fire occurring in the first place is the first step, but understanding one’s foe is also a primary aim of the Cygnus vehicles that will host the Saffire experiment.

 

The three missions will provide a collection of data points. Saffire-I, riding on ORB-5, will assess the flame spread of large-scale microgravity fire.

 

Saffire-II, flying on ORB-6, will verify oxygen flammability limits in low gravity, while Saffire-III, flying on ORB-7, will provide similar simulation to Saffire-I, but with a different air flow employed.

Data obtained from the experiment will be used to validate modeling of spacecraft fire response scenarios and evaluate NASA’s normal-gravity material flammability screening test for low-gravity conditions.

The data will also help address both the “no ignition” and “no flame spread” criteria involved in passing standard material flammability testing. This will further flesh out data on the materials that can pass the “NASA-STD-6001 Test 1″ – where the ignition energy is not sufficient to start the flame spread process.

The question to be answered is if a material passes NASA Test 1 on the ground, will it pass the test in microgravity. How fire reacts in micro-g, on certain materials, is required information.

The test – initiated by ground controllers and with Cygnus in free drift – will run for a maximum of six minutes, within a window of 2.5 hours, monitored by thermocouples (6 total shared by all 9 samples), a Radiometer (two sides) and Camera (front view). The primary test to assess material flammability will be to monitor “Upward Flame Propagation”.

More data at the link...
 http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/11/cygnus-test-spacecraft-fires/

------------------------------------------------

Space-Grown Flowers Will be New Year Blooms on International Space Station

Flowers could be blooming on the International Space Station after the New Year.

This morning, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren activated the Veggie plant growth system and its rooting “pillows” containing Zinnia seeds on the space station.

It is the first time that a flowering crop experiment will be grown on the orbiting laboratory. Growing Zinnias in orbit will help provide precursory information about other flowering plants that could be grown in space.

“Growing a flowering crop is more challenging than growing a vegetative crop such as lettuce,” said Gioia Massa, NASA Kennedy Space Center payload scientist for Veggie. “Lighting and other environmental parameters are more critical.”

Lindgren will turn on the red, blue and green LED lights, activate the water and nutrient system to Veggie, and monitor the plant growth. The Zinnias will grow for 60 days, which is twice as long as the first and second crop of Outredgeous red romaine lettuce that grew on the space station.

During the growth cycle, the LED lights will be on for 10 hours and off for 14 hours in order to stimulate the plants to flower.

“Growing the Zinnia plants will help advance our knowledge of how plants flower in the Veggie growth system, and will enable fruiting plants like tomatoes to be grown and eaten in space using Veggie as the in-orbit garden,” said Trent Smith, Veggie program manager at Kennedy.

Researchers also hope to gather good data regarding long-duration seed stow and germination, whether pollen could be an issue, and the impacts on crew morale. Growing tomato plants on the space station is planned for 2017.

The Veggie system was developed by Orbital Technologies Corp. (ORBITEC) in Madison, Wisconsin, and tested at Kennedy before flight. Veggie, along with two sets of pillows containing romaine seeds and one set of zinnias, was delivered to the station by SpaceX on the third cargo resupply mission in April 2014.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2015/11/16/space-grown-flowers-will-be-new-year-blooms-on-international-space-station/

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Crew Observes Moment of Silence for Paris Attack Victims 

Paris, France is seen from the International Space Station in this photograph from 2005. View Flickr image

The six-member Expedition 45 crew paused for a minute of silence today in tribute to the victims of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren bowed his head in the middle of experiment work while Commander Scott Kelly said the crew “was shocked and saddened” by the events.

A backup power system kicked in Friday night after a power channel tripped on the International Space Station. There were no impacts to crew activities, the station maintained orbital control and communications remained in good condition. Ground teams are discussing future repair plans after all the systems powered back up operating normally.

The orbital residents kicked off Monday with the Veggie botany experiment as NASA learns to grow food in space. There were more vision and blood pressure checks helping scientists understand microgravity’s effects on vision. As usual, the crew also continued the upkeep of the orbital laboratory with some plumbing work, battery replacements and cleaning duties.

 

Astronaut Kjell Lindgren observes a moment of silence in tribute to the victims of Friday’s attacks.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/11/16/crew-observes-moment-of-silence-for-paris-attack-victims/

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SHOCK, DISMAY AND A TERRIBLE SADNESS

A world without borders. Image credit: Eumetsat.

I had originally intended to spend this weekend writing a blog post describing events involving ESA over the last few weeks in which I would have communicated my personal judgements, points of satisfaction and concerns. But now the events of 13 November 2015 in Paris have taken my breath away and left me with a sense of sadness, utter dismay and shock:

More than 120 people have lost their lives in a wave of terror attacks across Paris. While the match was being played out between the French and German national football teams at the Stade de France, terrorists were carrying out attacks at various locations inside Paris. The wave of violence leaves one truly speechless, pushing everyday concerns and problems firmly into the background. Once again, it is the public and civil society that has the task of facing up to this situation and sending the terrorists and those who pull their strings a clear message of solidarity: all struggles for personal advantage are set aside as we stand united in defence of the notion of peaceful coexistence regardless of borders, nationality, religion and culture. ESA, on account of its international nature, serves as a positive role model in this. The senseless carnage of Friday night must serve as a constant reminder that we must be bearers of these values and represent them at all times in our dealings with the rest of the world. It is our privilege to work in the space domain, which does so much to promote a world without borders.

We must now channel the deep shock and sorrow we feel at Friday’s appalling attacks into promoting, even more strongly than ever before, values of peaceful coexistence. We have a special responsibility in this regard, which transcends any form of self-interest, since it is our society and its values that have been attacked at their very core.

Let me conclude by extending our deepest, heartfelt sympathies to the friends and families of the victims.

http://blogs.esa.int/janwoerner/2015/11/14/shock-dismay-and-a-terrible-sadness/ 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Space station power short circuits, system repairs needed

On Friday, a short circuit caused one of the space station's eight power channels to shut down. Several devices running on the channel powered off. The affected power systems have since been switched to alternate channels.

As SpaceFlight101 reported, most the systems that went down were redundant. No vital components completely lost power.

NASA told reporters that none of the astronauts are in danger and that the rest of power channels are functioning properly, but the damage may require spacewalk repairs. Astronauts must first wait for a new piece of electrical equipment to be delivered via a resupply rocket. A SpaceX rocket and cargo capsule will likely deliver the part early next year.

 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space_station_power_short_circuits_system_repairs_needed_999.html

CRS-8 will take care of that....

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Spacewalk snapshots show recent station EVAs

Clad in white spacesuits, astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren recently floated outside the International Space Station on a pair of spacewalks, and the duo carried cameras with them to document the excursions.

NASA has released pictures from the Oct. 28 and Nov. 6 spacewalks showing Kelly and Lindgren snapping space selfies and working near the end of the space station’s 357-foot-long (109-meter) truss to reconfigure an ammonia coolant loop.

The spacewalkers also laid cables for future commercial crew capsule docking ports and lubricated the latching end effector of the research lab’s Canadian-built robotic arm.

The excursions marked the first spacewalks of Kelly and Lindgren’s careers. The astronauts logged 15 hours and 4 minutes on the two EVAs.

 http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/11/16/spacewalk-snapshots-show-recent-station-evas/

More shots at the link...here are a few, to put the size of the ISS into perspective...

Astronaut Kjell Lindgren photographed at the P6 worksite Nov. 6. Credit: NASA

 

Astronaut Kjell Lindgren on his second spacewalk Nov. 6. Credit: NASA

 

Spot the astronaut. Kjell Lindgren works at the P6 truss at the end of the space station’s structural backbone on Nov. 6. Credit: NASA

 

A maze of cables and wires along the space station’s truss backbone is seen in this view captured by one of the astronauts on a Nov. 6 spacewalk. Credit: NASA

 

Dwarfed by the enormous power truss of the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly works outside the complex Nov. 6. Credit: NASA

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 November 2015

 

The six-member Expedition 45 crew paused for a minute of silence today in tribute to the victims of Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris. Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren bowed his head in the middle of experiment work while Commander Scott Kelly said the crew "was shocked and saddened" by the events.

Engineers continued to troubleshoot station systems after 1 of the 8 station power channels went down last Friday. There were no impacts to crew activities, the station maintained orbital control and communications remained in good condition. Ground teams are discussing future repair plans and are currently able to manage the power balance for the foreseeable future.

The orbital residents kicked off Monday with the Veggie botany experiment as NASA learns to grow food in space. There were more vision and blood pressure checks helping scientists understand microgravity's effects on vision. As usual, the crew also continued the upkeep of the orbital laboratory with some plumbing work, battery replacements and cleaning duties.

 

Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU) 1 Remote Bus Isolator (RBI) 1 Trip Status: Friday evening and into the weekend, Flight Controllers worked to successfully restore power to the systems normally powered by the 1B channel. In review of telemetry, the ground team revealed indications that the Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) 1B may not be able to regulate voltage, therefore should not be used to provide power to downstream equipment. The ground team is currently able to manage the power balance for the foreseeable future. Teams continue to assess how to configure ISS for the best risk posture and are working SSU 1B recovery plans.

Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (Sally Ride EarthKAM): Kornienko wrapped up a week-long imaging session of the Earth by shutting down the EarthKAM software and stowing the equipment. An estimated 20,000 students from 247 schools in 28 countries are participating in EarthKAM. Well over 10,000 images are expected to be captured and downlinked from the ISS. Students are able to remotely control a digital camera mounted on the ISS to take photographs of coastlines, mountain ranges and other interesting features. The EarthKAM team posts the students' images on the Internet, where the public and participating classrooms can view these images of the Earth taken from the ISS.

Veggie Hardware Validation Test (Veg-01): Lindgren installed a Veg-01 Root Mat and Plant Pillows in the Veggie facility and watered the root mat to start the VEG-01 Experiment. For this run, Zinnias will be grown on the ISS for 60 days and are expected to produce flowers. The primary goal of Veg-01 testing will be to demonstrate plant growth in the Veggie facility. Lettuce was previously grown and harvested as part of Veg-01 testing.

Russian Joint Research (RJR) Microbiological Sampling: Kornienko used the Microbial Air Sampler (MAS) and Surface Sample Kit (SSK) to take surface and air samples to support a microbiological assessment of the ISS. These activities are performed as part of a joint cooperative research program between NASA and the Russian Space Agency. The results of incubation and analysis of these samples will be used to identify ISS locations and surfaces prone to microbial contamination and will provide a scientific basis for decisions about future microbial monitoring on ISS and on future spacecraft used for human exploration.

 

 

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Starboard FGB Survey

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 11/17: EVA Tools Stow, Ocular Health, MCC-21 BCC Test
Wednesday, 11/18: Ocular Health, Port Solar Array Mast Survey, FGB Diagnostics
Thursday, 11/19: C2V2 Aft Cable Routing, Haptics 1

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Manual
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off

 http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-16-november-2015.html

Recap article...
https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2015/11/16/ss-daily-summary-report-111615/

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Airbus Defence and Space delivers first ACES Ground Terminal

File image: ACES (Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space).

Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the first ACES Ground Terminal to the German National Metrology Institute (Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB) in Braunschweig (Germany).

All around the world scientists are getting ready to challenge what is known today about time and space. A rigorous test of Einstein's theory of relativity is the aim of the ACES (Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space), developed by Airbus Defence and Space for the European Space Agency ESA.

Airbus Defence and Space will deliver nine Ground Terminals needed to compare their ultra-accurate atomic clocks to the ACES "super clock" that will orbit Earth on the International Space Station.

Several times a day the ISS appears over the horizon, and the Ground Terminals then autonomously track the Space Station and compare the ACES clock ensemble to the ground atomic clocks in the institutes.

The first Ground Terminal is now been readied for installation at PTB in Braunschweig (Germany). It will be followed by similar units installed in France, the UK, Japan, and the USA.

Delivering a performance equivalent to losing only one second every 300 million years, ACES will help scientists carry out research into such exotic phenomena as relativistic time shifts and drifts of the fundamental constants defining the Universe. The mission will start with the launch of the ACES clock ensemble scheduled for Spring 2017.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Airbus_Defence_and_Space_delivers_first_ACES_Ground_Terminal_999.html

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Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight Tonight: What to Expect 

Photographer Scott Tully captured this photo of a Leonid meteor over rural Connecticut in the predawn hours of Nov. 17, 2012.
Credit: Scott Tully

The Leonid meteor shower, one of the most celebrated of the year's annual "shooting star" displays, will peak overnight tonight (Nov. 17) and early Wednesday morning. 

You can see the famous Leonids this year even if clouds or bright city lights spoil your skies: The online Slooh Community Observatory will air a free Leonids webcast Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday) featuring live views from locations on four continents. You can watch this broadcast by joining Slooh and also gain access to the observatory's archive of past shows.

You can also watch the Leonid meteor shower webcast on Space.com, courtesy of Slooh. The mere mention of the Leonids usually elicits mental images of shooting stars pouring down through the sky like rain. Such "meteor storms" have indeed occurred with the Leonids, such as in 1833 and 1966, when meteor rates of tens of thousands per hour were observed. In more recent years — most notably, 1999, 2001 and 2002 — lesser Leonid displays of "only" a few thousand meteors per hour took place.

More data at the link...
http://www.space.com/31134-leonid-meteor-shower-outlook.html

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 Space Tech Meets Earth-Based Industry in SpaceCom Conference

Technologies developed in orbit can be of use to companies on the ground. This week in Houston, the Spacecom meeting will nurture that exchange. Pictured here, the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft is seen docked to the International Space Station. 
Credit: NASA

Leaders and innovators of the commercial space industry will descend on Houston this week for a meeting aimed at demonstrating how technologies developed in space can help build business on Earth.

The first annual Space Commerce Conference and Exposition (SpaceCom) will "showcase the real, viable links between space technology and Houston's major industries," according to a statement released by the event organizers. The five industries targeted by the conference organizers are advanced manufacturing, communications, energy, medical and transportation.

In addition, the conference also aims to assist space tech companies in growing their business opportunities in space and on the ground. The conference, which will run from Nov. 17 to 19, will feature presentations, an exhibition hall and networking opportunities for attendees.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will deliver the opening keynote address on Tuesday (Nov. 17), and is expected to speak about NASA's role in the growing commercialization of space.

More data at the link...
 http://www.space.com/31126-spacecom-space-tech-industry-conference.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Crew Explores Human Research and Cleans Orbital Lab

 

The Expedition 45 crew is continuing more biomedical and psychological research today. Ground controllers are also remotely operating the Canadarm2 robotic arm for a video scan of Russian solar arrays.

Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui were back at work Wednesday with more Ocular Health science conducting eye scans and cardiac exams. Lindgren also worked on gear that fuels combustion science experiments while Yui talked to his Japanese support team and cleaned inside the Kibo laboratory module.

Commander Scott Kelly collected and stowed a urine sample for the Twins study then participated in research that explores how international space crews operate under stress. Kelly also replaced Trace Contaminant Control System gear inside the Tranquility module.

Cosmonaut Sergey Volkov explored the effect of micro-vibrations in the Russian segment of the station. He also explored the relationship between a crew and Mission Control during a long term spaceflight. One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko studied chemical reactions in Earth’s upper atmosphere. He, Volkov and cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko also worked on Russian cleaning and maintenance tasks.

 https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/11/18/crew-explores-human-research-and-cleans-orbital-lab/

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The "Omics" of Space Travel

During an unprecedented 1-year mission to the International Space Station, scientists are studying how astronauts' bodies respond to long-duration space travel.

The human body is incredibly complex. Every part of us-from our bones to our blood cells-is subject to a host of chemical reactions and molecular interactions that, without our conscious effort, keep us alive. But what happens to these processes when we leave the planet?

In Earth orbit and beyond, where gravity is counteracted by a constant state of freefall and cosmic radiation intensifies, the molecular inner-workings of the human body may change. To find out how, NASA has entered a realm of bio-research known as "-omics."

"Omics" refers to the collection of data on the medley of microcosms that regulate our bodies at a molecular level. Things that work with the metabolism are grouped underneath the term "metabolome." All of the lipids in the body are called the "lipidome." All of the proteins? You guessed it-"proteome."

"We have launched a one-year study to understand the omics of space travel," says Craig Kundrot, Ph.D. in the Office of the Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters. "Astronauts are spending a year on the International Space Station, and we are looking at what happens to them on the molecular level."

This project is really two projects
First, there is the "Twins Study. NASA has twin astronauts: One of them, Mark Kelly (retired), is staying on Earth while his brother, Scott Kelly, orbits Earth. For one year, Mark and Scott will be poked, prodded, and questioned to learn if the omics of identical twins show more signficant differences than normal aging would cause after one of them spends a year in space.

At the same time, Scott Kelly is involved in a separate project called the "One Year Mission." Unlike previous expeditions to the space station, which lasted only 6 months, Scott Kelly is spending a full year onboard the station alongside Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko. This One Year Mission has its own battery of tests designed to reveal the physiological effects of long-term space flight.

Why 1 year?
"NASA knows a lot about what happens to astronauts after 6 months in orbit," says Kundrot. "Deep space missions are going to take much longer than that. A round trip to Mars, for instance, might take thirty months or more. This 1-year experiment is the next, natural step in that direction." Kundrot also notes the intangible significance of 1 year to humans.

"When we leave home for 6 months, it's like a long business trip. Leaving home for a year is a different thing. We are going to miss every birthday, anniversary, graduation and many other milestones. It feels like a big chunk of life-and this could affect the mood or behavior of the space travelers."

Indeed, some of the studies focus the astronauts' psychological state. At the same time that blood is drawn and other samples are taken, the astronauts will be filling out questionnaires about their mood, thoughts and dreams. This approach could reveal links between the astronaut's mental state and their molecular state.

In total, more than 30 research proposals have been approved for the Twin Study and the One Year Mission-and they are well underway. The experiments began on March 27, 2015, when Kelly and Kornienko blasted off onboard a Russian rocket for their year in space.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/The_Omics_of_Space_Travel_999.html

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 Progress cargo spacecraft to be launched Dec 21

file image

The State Commission chaired by the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos announced on Saturday the Russian Progress-MS cargo spaceship will be launched on December 21.

"The launch of Progress-MS is scheduled for December 21, 2015 from Baikonur," the space agency said in a statement.

Initially, the launch of the spaceship was scheduled for November 21, but the experts insisted on conducting additional checks.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Progress_cargo_spacecraft_to_be_launched_Dec_21_999.html

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No "impacts" to Expediton 45 Crew due to Cnannel 1B Fault 

The S-6 truss and its two expansive Solar Array Wings (SAWs) are deployed during the STS-119 shuttle mission in March 2009. “Channel 1B,” one of the two power channels aboard the S-6 truss, is believed to have fallen victim to a power short, which tripped its Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU). The cause has been traced to the failure of the channel’s Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU), for which a replacement is expected to be launched and installed in 2016. Photo Credit: NASA

The incumbent Expedition 45 crew of the International Space Station (ISS)—Commander Scott Kelly of NASA, Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, Oleg Kononenko, and Sergei Volkov, U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgren, and Japan’s Kimiya Yui—continues to function normally, just a matter of days after one of eight power channels on the expansive Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) went down on Friday, 13 November.

“Channel 1B,” one of the two power channels aboard the S-6 truss, is believed to have fallen victim to a power short, which tripped its Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU). The cause has been traced to the failure of the channel’s Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU), for which a replacement is expected to be launched and installed in 2016. Parallels have been drawn with a similar SSU failure in May 2014, on Channel 3A aboard the S-4 truss, which was later replaced by Expedition 41 spacewalkers Reid Wiseman and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. It is understood that, since Friday’s incident, the station has lost some systems redundancy, but that normal operations for the crew have been unaffected.

more data at the link below...

Indepth article at....historical look as well...
http://www.americaspace.com/?p=88677#more-88677 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Crew Focuses on Life Science Research

 

Russian spacecraft are seen docked to the International Space Station as it orbits over the Earth during the day. Credit:NASA TV

The six-member Expedition 45 crew continued exploring more life science Thursday.

Commander Scott Kelly, who is comparing his space-borne body with his ground-based twin brother and ex-astronaut Mark Kelly, collected and stored blood and urine samples for the ongoing Twins study. Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren explored using a joystick that transmits sensitive vibrations to control a rover on the ground from a spacecraft. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui studied the atrophy of skeletal muscle cells caused by the lack of gravity while living in space.

Kelly and Yui later partnered up to install and route cables in the U.S. Destiny lab module. Those cables will standardize and increase the efficiency of video, audio and telemetry data links with future crew and cargo vehicles docking to the station.

In the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory, cosmonaut Sergey Volkov studied thedepletion of calcium in a crew member’s bones. He then joined Oleg Kononenko to researchacoustic methods for detecting micrometeoroid impacts on the station. Kononenko also got together with One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko to explore microgravity’s effects on thehuman cardiovascular and respiratory system.

At about 2:14 a.m. Central time this morning, a Potential Fire Alarm sensor was triggered aboard the International Space Station and was traced to the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) experiment in Express Rack 3 in the Columbus module. The experiment is enclosed and no smoke or fire was detected. Sensors indicated a slight rise in carbon monoxide inside EMCS, while background readings in all surrounding areas remained normal. The crew was never in any danger and the event only lasted a few minutes. As a precautionary measure, Express Rack 3 was temporarily powered down.  The rack has since been repowered with the exception of EMCS. There was no impact to station science.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/11/19/crew-focuses-on-life-science-research/

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Next Generation Astronaut, Meet Next Generation Spacecraft 

The next class of astronauts NASA hires may fly on any of four different U.S. vessels during their careers: the International Space Station, two commercial crew spacecraft currently in development – the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and the SpaceX Crew Dragon — and NASA’s Orionspacecraft that will launch aboard the Space Launch System with astronauts to conduct missions in deep space.

SpaceX designed its Crew Dragon to accommodate technological advances in numerous ways to perform the mission of taking astronauts safely to the International Space Station. The launch abort system is integrated into the sidewall of the Crew Dragon. It boasts eight hypergolic-powered engines designed to lift the spacecraft and astronauts inside to safety at any point during launch and ascent. Inside the Crew Dragon, touchscreens replace the myriad of dials and barber poles that defined earlier spacecraft instrument panels. The company developed its cargo-transport version of the Dragon with an eye on carrying crews into space. SpaceX has used its experiences to refine the crew version and provide essential opportunities to automatically perform critical functions, such as rendezvous with the space station and flying through the atmosphere safely to come back home.

If you think you have what it takes to fly this new generation of spacecraft, NASA will start taking applications Dec. 14 for its next astronaut class.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/11/19/next-generation-astronaut-meet-next-generation-spacecraft/

-----------------------------------

Synthetic muscle experiment will likely return to Earth in March 

Photo by Astronaut Scott Kelly of a sample of the synthetic muscle experiment floating in the International Space Station.

A synthetic muscle experiment on board the International Space Station (ISS) that was developed with the help of Princeton Plasma Physicists Laboratory scientists is now tentatively scheduled to return to earth in March of 2016 on a new SpaceX-10 rocket. It would be returning eight months later than originally planned after an unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket headed for the ISS exploded a few minutes after liftoff in late June.

The rocket, carrying the Dragon capsule with 4,000 pounds of foods and supplies, was on its seventh resupply flight to the ISS. It was the third loss of a rocket bound for the ISS in the past year. In April, a Russian resupply ship exploded and in October an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus cargo craft exploded shortly after liftoff.

The Synthetic Muscle material, developed by scientist Lenore Rasmussen at Ras Labs in Quincy, Massachusetts, lifted off on April 14 aboard the same rocket, which was carrying the Dragon spacecraft and some 4,300 pounds of supplies and payloads, including materials for research experiments to the U.S.

National Laboratory. The experiment was slated to return to earth aboard the capsule in mid-July. But the material must now remain in space through March while Space X investigates the explosion and takes steps to prevent any future problems.

The additional time on board the Space Station means the material will be exposed to much more space radiation after several months in space than it would be in three months. "I would like to get the experiment back to see what happened but from a scientific point of view it's good to get the longer exposure," Rasmussen said. "It's not really a setback. It's just a delay."

Rasmussen worked closely with PPPL scientists to develop the material's ability to adhere to metal. She also tested the material for radiation resistance at PPPL laboratories last year when scientists exposed the material to 300,000 RAD of gamma radiation. The tests showed there was no change in the material integrity or electroactivity of the selected materials when exposed to high doses of radiation.

"There have only been 1,200 experiments on the whole planet that made it to the International Space Station and her package, with us helping, was one of them," said Charles Gentile, who collaborated with Rasmussen on the experiments at PPPL.

"It shows PPPL is able to support collaborations on a broad spectrum in addition to fulfilling the needs of our mission to develop fusion energy."

Rasmussen was back at the Laboratory in late July to discuss future collaborations with Gentile and other scientists. One possibility would be to expose the material to extreme cold temperatures of 400 millikelvin by using a dilution refrigerator that is being used in the PTOLEMY project at PPPL that seeks to detect Big Bang neutrinos.

The temperature is much colder than the temperature of space and is even colder than the temperature of liquid helium of about 4 kelvin.

Astronauts on the Space Station continue to take the material from its floating locker in the U.S. laboratory once a month and send back photographs to Rasmussen. "Everything looks good so far," Rasmussen said.

With the material still in space, Rasmussen must wait for research results that will tell her how well the material withstands the high radiation levels in space. If the material holds up well, it could be useful in developing robots for deep-space exploration such as trips to Mars. It could also be used for robots remediating sites on earth contaminated with high radiation that are too dangerous for humans.

While the material remains on the ISS, Rasmussen has also had to push back the deadline on a chapter in a book she is editing on electroactive polymers, which will include contributions from various experts in the field.

In the meanwhile, Rasmussen has been busy working on developing the synthetic material for use in prosthetic limbs and other applications. "Now I'm trying to make the materials even more electroactive but maintain that robustness," she said.

Rasmussen has also been developing a prototype of a self-adjusting prosthetic liner made from the material through a grant from the Pediatric Medical Device Consortium at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The electroactive polymer could make prosthetics more comfortable because the material would be capable of automatically adjusting as the vestigial limbs of amputees expand and contract during the day.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Synthetic_muscle_experiment_will_likely_return_to_Earth_in_March_999.html

Research with a real meaning...good work and hope this progresses....

-------------------------------------------------------

 NASA WANTS SPACE TO GET SUPER COMMERCIAL

The first Space Commerce Conference and Exposition (known as Spacecom for short) kicked off on Tuesday morning with more than 1,500 people — all dressed in dark suits, because that seems to be the space industry dress code — packed into a ballroom at the George R. Brown Convention Center to talk about all the latest commercial possibilities of space. After all, what good is a final frontier if you can't use it to cultivate business interests? 

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden set the tone with his keynote address on Tuesday morning. The speech had a Pollyanna-like quality, in that Bolden managed to talk a lot about how NASA has come to rely on commercial space companies without ever acknowledging why or what that reliance has cost them or any of the other problems that the federal space agency has grappled with in recent years. And he made it clear that this trend will likely continue. NASA is all about Mars these days, and the federal space agency isn't interested in missions that might take it away from it's main goal to land on the red planet by the 2030s. 

That leaves a whole lot of space open to the commercial side of things, Bolden told the audience. As NASA forges ahead with it's big Mars plan, Bolden made it clear that the other non-Martian exploration won't be a NASA problem. "It will likely be commercial companies and interested parties will be the ones who are doing the lunar exploration and taking us back to the moon," Bolden said.

He gave a short, buoyant little speech, name-checking all of the recent NASA accomplishments — theNew Horizon flyby of Pluto, the discovery of liquid water on Mars and the way solar winds have been stripping the planet, the successful Orion launch last year. As he went along, Bolden took every opportunity to underline that none of this would have happened if NASA had not started farming out some of its duties to the commercial space industry.

more data at the link....
http://www.houstonpress.com/news/nasa-wants-space-to-get-super-commercial-7934467

NASA is the knowledge base...keep helping the young pups to walk on their own.......

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CME ARRIVES, SPARKS AURORAS: A coronal mass ejection (CME) swept past Earth during the late hours of Nov. 18th, and when the CME's flank hit Earth's magnetic field it sparked a bright display of Arctic auroras. Runólfur Hauksson witnessed the outburst over Hornafjörður, Iceland:

 

According to Hauksson, "they were nice and bright" -- a comment which both describes the auroras and provides an example of Icelandic understatement.

The auroras are subsiding now, but they could flare up again as Earth moves through the turbulent wake of the CME. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of renewed geomagnetic storms on Nov. 19th.

 http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Draggendrop Veteran]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 11/19/15

 

Columbus A1 Express Rack 3 (ER3) Combustion Event:   This morning at approximately 2:14AM CST, a Potential Fire Alarm associated with Columbus A1 Express Rack 3 (ER3) came into alarm.  The crew sampled the fire port associated with the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) since the crew had been working at that location minutes earlier.  Fire port Compound Specific Analyzer (CSA)-Combustion Products (CP) readings for EMCS showed elevated Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels of 19ppm, increasing to 22ppm. The Crew and Ground executed Emergency Book fire procedures and obtained background readings in Columbus and Node 2, which were all negative.  During the event, lockers in the rack were all unpowered and the crew switched the Rack Power Switch to off.  The CO readings in the EMCS fire port stabilized at 22ppm.  Ground Teams conducted a controlled repower of ER3, with the exception of EMCS, to support the Veggie payload.

 

Cognition:  Yui performed his Flight Day 122 session of the Cognition experiment today.  The Individualized Real-Time Neurocognitive Assessment Toolkit for Space Flight Fatigue (Cognition) investigation is a battery of tests that measure how spaceflight-related physical changes, such as microgravity and lack of sleep, can affect cognitive performance. Cognition includes ten brief computerized tests that cover a wide range of cognitive functions, and provides immediate feedback on current and past test results. The software used allows for real-time measurement of cognitive performance while in space.

 

Biochemical Profile:  Kelly collected his Flight Day 240 Biochemical Profile blood sample and stowed it in a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return on a later flight. The Biochemical Profile experiment tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight. Specific proteins and chemicals in the samples are used as biomarkers, or indicators of health. Post-flight analysis yields a database of samples and test results, which scientists can use to study the effects of spaceflight on the body.

 

Story Time:  Yui read from the books “Begin” and “Color,” discussing the subject of the book on camera and demonstrated the scientific principles involved.  Kelly obtained a picture of Yui while he is reading the book, with the Cupola in the background.  The video recording will be downlinked to the ground and used for educational purposes.

 

Twins Study:  In support of the Twins Study, Kelly completed a 24 hour period of collecting and stowing urine samples in a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI).  This investigation is an integrated compilation of ten different studies led by multiple investigators.  The studies take advantage of a unique opportunity to look at the effects of space travel on identical twins, with one of them experiencing space travel for a year while the other remains earth-bound for that same year.  The study looks at changes in the human body that are important in the fields of genetics, psychology, physiology, microbiology, and immunology.

 

Sleep Actiwatch Configuration:  Kelly configured Kornienko’s Actiwatch Spectrum for active data collection. The actiwatches have a photodiode that measures ambient light and an accelerometer to measure the movement of the arm or leg that the watch is attached to.  The actiwatch data recorded on the watch supports the Sleep ISS-12 experiment, which assesses the effects of space flight and ambient light exposure on sleep during a year-long mission on the ISS.

 

Veggie (Veg-01) Wick Opening:  Lindgren opened the wicks for the Veg-01 experiment which was started on Monday, November 16th.  For this run, Zinnias will be grown on the ISS for 60 days and are expected to produce flowers.  The primary goal of Veg-01 testing will be to demonstrate plant growth in the Veggie facility.  Lettuce was previously grown and harvested as part of Veg-01 testing.

 

Haptics-1:  Lindgren set up equipment and performed experiment protocols for the vest-mounted configuration of European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Haptics-1 investigation. The Haptics-1 experiment is performed in two different configurations to evaluate hardware and human performance under varying mounting conditions: wall-mounted on rack seat tracks and body-mounted in a vest assembly.  Haptics-1 supports analysis of engineering parameters and the merits of body-grounded versus non-body grounded force feedback to a crewmember within a microgravity environment.  The physiological property analysis will identify changes in human kinesthetic perception and performance in position and force-torque control tasks and in cognitive performance.

 

EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack 1 Laptop Software Load: Lindgren supported the ongoing software updates to ISS EXPRESS Rack laptops by copying a software load to the EXPRESS Rack 1 laptop.

 

Sleep Log:  Kornienko recorded a Sleep Log entry today.  The Sleep ISS-12 experiment monitors ambient light exposure and crew member activity and collects subjective evaluations of sleep and alertness.  The investigation examines the effects of space flight and ambient light exposure on sleep during a year-long mission on the ISS.

 

Common Communications for Visiting Vehicle (C2V2) Cable Route:  Kelly and Yui removed Lab Aft Closeout Panels, temporally closed the Lab Aft Hatch, then routing the W2687 cable through the Aft Endcone and Port/Deck Standoffs.  Once the cable was routed, they opened the Lab Aft Hatch and re-installed the closeout panels.  C2V2 is an integrated communications system to be used specifically for communicating with future visiting vehicles. This system will utilize both an S-Band based radio frequency system, and hard-line connections to visiting vehicles such that secure, reliable communications will be available for all phases of rendezvous, docking, and mated operations.

 

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) Routine Maintenance:  Yui performed a change out of the WHC UR and insert filter. Following the change out, a WHC functionality test was successfully performed.

 

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 11/20:  PEPS Audit, SSRMS LEE-B Inspection, MPEP Removal from JEMAL Slide Table

Saturday, 11/21:  Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty

Sunday, 11/22: Crew Off Duty

 

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component	Status
Elektron	On
Vozdukh	Manual
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”)	On
[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”)	Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab	Operate
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3	Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab	Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3	Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)	Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)	Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab	Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3	Off

 

This entry was posted in 

November

 on 

November 19, 2015 by cosbourn

.

 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2015/11/19/iss-daily-summary-report-111915/

---------------------------------

 Soyuz TMA-17M Crew to Return from ISS Early to Accommodate Increased Space Station Traffic

The Soyuz TMA-17M and its crew of U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui will descend to the steppe of central Kazakhstan on 11 December, 2015, marking the end of their current mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: Michael Galindo / AmericaSpace

The Soyuz TMA-17M crew of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgren and Japan’s Kimiya Yui are expected to return to Earth in three weeks’ time, touching down on the desolate steppe of central Kazakhstan at 7:10 p.m. local time (8:10 a.m. EST) on Friday, 11 December. An on-time landing is expected to produce a total duration for their Expedition 44/45 increment of more than 141 days, coincidentally almost equaling that of Expedition 1, the 15th anniversary of whose pioneering mission they observed whilst in orbit.

The three men—of whom Kononenko is wrapping up his third long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and will position himself as the world’s 13th most seasoned spacefarer—will alight on terra firma almost two weeks sooner than originally manifested. According to NASA and Roscosmos, the early return is being conducted in response to increasingly busy Visiting Vehicle (VV) traffic through December, notably the maiden voyage of Russia’s new Progress-MS unpiloted cargo ship.

Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan last 22 July, the voyage of Kononenko, Lindgren and Yui had already been postponed by almost two months past its original 26/27 May launch target, principally due to the April failure of Russia’s Progress M-27M cargo vessel and subsequent booster inspections. As a result, their scheduled return to Earth was correspondingly moved back from 5 November to 22 December, in order to maximize the amount of on-orbit time for their Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft. Upon docking smoothly at the Earth-facing (or “nadir”) Rassvet module of the ISS, about six hours after launch, Kononenko, Lindgren and Yui formed the second half of the Expedition 44 crew, which consisted of One-Year crewmen Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko, commanded by spaceflight endurance world record-holder Gennadi Padalka. This crew had been launched from Baikonur aboard Soyuz TMA-16M in late March

more data at the link...
http://www.americaspace.com/?p=88711#more-88711

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 Kids Quiz One-Year Astronaut on Life in Space

Students from East Side Middle School in New York City gathered to talk with astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren aboard the International Space Station during a special event Nov. 19.
Credit: Sarah Lewin/Space.com

NEW YORK — Astronauts aboard the International Space Station fielded rapid-fire questions from curious middle schoolers this morning (Nov. 19), delving into life on the orbiting lab and the everyday strangeness that invites.

Sixty-five students from East Side Middle School in New York City, chosen for its science, technology, engineering and math focus, got the chance to talk with NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren aboard the station as part of an event hosted in the Time-Life building by the publication Time for Kids. The students also talked with Matt Pearce, an education program specialist from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, as well as Time magazine science editor Jeff Kluger and multimedia editor Jonathan Woods, who is developing a series of videos documenting Kelly's yearlong mission to the space station called "A Year in Space."

"This is [Time for Kids'] 20th anniversary, so we think this is a fantastic way to celebrate 20 years of bringing the world to kids — and now, bringing 'outside the world' to kids," Nellie Gonzalez Cutler, Time for Kids' editor in chief, told Space.com. [One Year in Space: Epic Space Station Mission in Photos]

Along with the question-and-answer sessions, the students passed around samples of space station food and a diaper like those worn on spacewalks, and one kid got to try on an astronaut sleeping bag. The students peppered all of the speakers with questions about the space station's construction, how the space program works in general and climate change's effects on Earth, but most of their questions to the astronauts focused on the daily experience of living on the space station.

more data at the link...
 http://www.space.com/31169-kids-quiz-astronauts-life-in-space.html

--------------------------------

Student Image of Northwest Australia Taken by the Sally Ride EarthKAM

Northwest Australia   NASA

This stunning image of the northwest corner of Australia was snapped by a student on Earth after remotely controlling the Sally Ride EarthKAM aboard the International Space Station.

The EarthKAM program allows students to request photographs of specific Earth features, which are taken by a special camera mounted on the space station when it passes over those features. The images are posted online for the public and students in participating classrooms around the world to view.

EarthKAM is the only program providing students with such direct control of an instrument on a spacecraft orbiting Earth, teaching them about environmental science, geography and space communications.The project was initiated by Dr. Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, in 1995 and called KidSat; the camera flew on five space shuttle flights before moving to the space station on Expedition 1 in 2001. In 2011, NASA and Sally Ride Science installed a new camera system in a downward-pointing window on the station. This camera system is responsible for taking and downloading student image requests.

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/student-image-of-northwest-australia-taken-by-the-sally-ride-earthkam.html

----------------------------

 Gravity, who needs it

File image: Scott Kelly.

What happens to your body in space? NASA's Human Research Program has been unfolding answers for over a decade. Space is a dangerous, unfriendly place. Isolated from family and friends, exposed to radiation that could increase your lifetime risk for cancer, a diet high in freeze-dried food, required daily exercise to keep your muscles and bones from deteriorating, a carefully scripted high-tempo work schedule, and confinement with three co-workers picked to travel with you by your boss.

Scott Kelly will be the first American to spend nearly one year in space aboard the International Space Station, twice the normal time. Researchers are eagerly awaiting results of the mission to see how much more the body changes after a year in space. One year is a stepping stone to a three-year journey to Mars, and Scott's data will help researchers determine whether the solutions they've been developing will be suitable for such long, onerous journeys.

But what, exactly, happens to your body in space, and what are the risks? Are risks the same for six months on the space station versus three years on a Mars mission? No. There are several risks NASA is researching for a Mars mission. The risks are grouped into five categories related to the stresses they place on the space traveler: Gravity fields, isolation/confinement, hostile/closed environments, space radiation, and distance from Earth.

more at the link...
 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Gravity_who_needs_it_999.html

-----------------------------

ISS EarthKAM ready for student imaging request

This week saw the return of an investigation on the International Space Station inspired by the first American woman in space, connecting students on Earth with a camera in space. The orbiting laboratory has proven to be a valuable platform for Earth observation, circling the Earth approximately 230 miles overhead once every 90 minutes. This vantage point not only provides good images for working scientists, but for the budding scientist as well.

Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency) cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko completed setting up the Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (Sally Ride EarthKAM) camera for the program's autumn 2015 session on the space station. The Sally Ride EarthKAM program - created by the veteran astronaut who was America's first woman in space - allows students to request photographs of specific Earth features when the station passes over that area.

The images are posted online for the public and students in participating classrooms around the world to view. The first image of the new session was the area just north of the Brazilian capital of Brasilia in South America. More than 20,000 students representing 247 schools in participated in the latest session. EarthKAM is the only program providing students with such direct control of an instrument on a spacecraft orbiting Earth, teaching them about environmental science, geography and space communications.

The environment of the space station removes gravity from the equation when it comes to examining how different states of material mix together, making it easier to see the finer points of how various phenomenon occur.

The final round of the Soret Facet investigation was successfully completed. Results from this JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) investigation can be applied to mass transport phenomena, including planet formation, the movement of items in the ocean, and the refinement of crude oil. Soret Facet observes the effect of microgravity on the thermal diffusion process, the Soret effect, in the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF).

Named after Swiss physicist Charles Soret, the Soret effect is a phenomenon observed in liquid mixtures of particles where the different particle types exhibit different responses to the force of a temperature gradient, where temperatures can change in different areas and in different directions.

The investigation will help better understand the effect, including the supercooled liquid phase, which may be the first verification linking Soret physics and thermodynamics. These results can be applied to studies of mass transport, including heat and energy in Earth's interior, oceans and atmosphere. The investigation also applies to refinement of crude oil, which is crucial for transportation and many other uses on Earth.

In future exploration of planets or other terrestrial bodies, astronauts may rely on rovers controlled from orbit. Investigations into the early stages of this technology are underway on the space station. NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren completed the first half of a new session of ESA's (European Space Agency) Haptics (ESA-Haptics-1) investigation. This investigation examines the viability of using a remote control to guide planetary rovers from orbit.

It could lead to methods to control advance-scouting rovers on asteroids, moons, or planets from nearby orbit, relying on human control of a remote vehicle when landing a crew is not necessary. The hardware is a basic joystick lever that can be moved freely to play simple computer games.

An intricate system of servomotors generates counterforces or vibrations that crewmembers can feel through the joystick, just like a standard video gaming controller when a player encounters an in-game obstacle. To prevent the joystick's force feedback pushing its free-floating user around, it is mounted to a body harness that can be fixed to station equipment.

Ideally, astronauts circling a planet would have as much feedback as possible to help control the robots exploring below them. An important aspect of this is called haptic feedback - transferring touch and vibrations to the controller mechanism. Haptics is looking at developing robots that transmit touch information to the astronaut, but until now, no research has been carried out to see how people in space respond to physical feedback. It is unknown if astronauts can feel and react in space as they would on Earth and transfer vibrations to the controller, or how the feedback even feels in space to the astronauts.

The station is an ideal laboratory for studying fluid motions in a microgravity environment. NASA is performing a series of slosh dynamic experiments on the space station to explore the coupling of liquid slosh with the motion of an unconstrained tank in microgravity, collecting data that will improve the safety and efficiency of future rockets.

Lindgren and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui connected a video camera to a Slosh tank to make some high-definition recordings of liquid settling and reaction force physics as part of the SPHERES Slosh investigation. SPHERES stands for Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites. As the SPHERE moves around the lab, sensors can measure how the fluid moves in the slosh tank.

Many satellites launch on rockets powered by liquid fuel, and improved understanding of these propellants could enhance efficiency, potentially lowering costs for satellite launches. More generally, the investigation's results provide new data for fluid dynamics simulations.

Other investigations with significant activity this week included Myco, IMAX, ISS Ham, JAXA EPO 13, Story Time from Space, Capillary Beverage, ExHam, Radi-N2,and SPHERES Slosh.

Progress made on human research investigations this week included Biochemical Profile/Repository, Fine Motor Skills, Habitability, Journals, Reaction Self-Test, Sleep ISS-12, Space Headaches, and Sprint.

 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/ISS_EarthKAM_ready_for_student_imaging_request_999.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA Orders SpaceX Crew Mission to International Space Station

 

NASA took a significant step Friday toward expanding research opportunities aboard the International Space Station with its first mission order from Hawthorne, California based-company SpaceX to launch astronauts from U.S. soil.

This is the second in a series of four guaranteed orders NASA will make under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contracts. The Boeing Company of Houston received its first crew mission order in May.

“It’s really exciting to see SpaceX and Boeing with hardware in flow for their first crew rotation missions,” said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’sCommercial Crew Program. “It is important to have at least two healthy and robust capabilities from U.S. companies to deliver crew and critical scientific experiments from American soil to the space station throughout its lifespan.” 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/11/20/nasa-orders-spacex-crew-mission-to-international-space-station/

---------------------------------------

SpaceX Receives First Order For Space Station Crew Exchange Missions from NASA

View inside the piloted Crew Dragon, previously known as the “Dragon V-2”. Image Credits: Robert Fisher / AmericaSpace / SpaceX

Both of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program partners—Boeing and SpaceX—now have mission orders to deliver their first long-duration crews to and from the International Space Station (ISS) in the coming years, thereby restoring the capability to launch U.S. astronauts aboard U.S.-built vehicles, and from U.S. soil, for the first time since the end of the Space Shuttle era in July 2011. Both companies are already tasked with staging an unpiloted demonstration flight and a crewed test flight of their Starliner and Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS, no sooner than 2017, but now both have also received initial orders to fly a “dedicated” crew-rotation mission to the multi-national orbiting outpost.

More at the link....
 http://www.americaspace.com/

--------------------------------------------

Epic Video Simplifies 'How to Go to Space'

MinutePhysics teamed up with the Web comic xkcd to explain how to go to space, using just the most common 1,000 words in the English language.

http://www.space.com/31176-go-to-space-simple-epic-video.html

How To Go To Space, video is 2:57 min 

[BetaguyGZT]

Yaaaaaaay! 

(And there was much rejoicing ....)

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA Selects Made in Space to Develop Advanced 3D Printing in Space

Made in Space employees on a Zero G research flight.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., November 19, 2015 (Made in Space PR) – NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate announced its selection of the Made In Space project proposal for utilizing public-private partnerships to advance Tipping Point Technologies. The NASA funded project, designated “Archinaut,” is designed to develop the necessary technologies and subsystems which will enable the first additive manufacturing, aggregation, and assembly of large and complex systems in space without astronaut extravehicular activity.

“Archinaut is being designed from the ground up to be a truly cross-cutting technology, providing entirely new space capabilities for NASA and other government missions as well as both pre-existing commercial satellite manufacturers and emerging commercial space platforms,” said Andrew Rush, President of Made In Space.

To capitalize on this NASA provided opportunity, Made In Space is teaming up with Northrop Grumman and Oceaneering Space Systems in order to leverage their unique expertise. Made in Space will lead the team, applying their established space-based additive manufacturing technology. Northrop Grumman will provide expertise in electronic interfaces and external thermal control analysis. Oceaneering Space Systems will design and build the manipulator arm.

“In addition to transforming the current state-of-the-art for space manufacturing, the development of the Archinaut capability will be a great opportunity for Made In Space to collaborate with established space companies which possess complimentary resources and proven expertise,” said Mike Snyder, Co-Founder and Chief Engineer.

The full vision of Archinaut will enable spacecraft which manufacture and assemble unlaunchable structures once on orbit, enabling new mission capabilities such as large antennas and base stations. The initial Archinaut Phase I program will perform a series of technology demonstrations in order to bring the final technical hurdles beyond the tipping point for commercial feasibility.

Archinaut follows Made in Space’s previous work with NASA in developing additive manufacturing for space, including the demonstrator, “3D Printing in Zero-G Experiment,” currently deployed aboard ISS, and the commercially operated Additive Manufacturing Facility, scheduled for launch in the first half of 2016.

“Archinaut is a major milestone on the roadmap for bringing large scale manufacturing to space. This announcement is a result of the technology development that has been underway since our company’s inception and sets the stage for what is to come in both the public and private sectors,” said Jason Dunn, Co-Founder and CTO Jason Dunn.

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2015/11/20/nasa-selects-space-develop-advanced-3d-printing-space/

-----------------------------

NASA selects Northeastern for humanoid robot research 

NASA's humanoid robot. Photo courtesy of NASA

NASA has its sights set on sending astro­nauts to Mars, a space mis­sion for which North­eastern Uni­ver­sity will now play a key role.

On Tuesday, NASA announced that North­eastern and the Mass­a­chu­setts Insti­tute of Tech­nology will per­form advanced research and devel­op­ment work on humanoid robot pro­to­types, a project that could help astro­nauts suc­cess­fully touch down and work on the red planet.NASA envi­sions these robots, one day, proving them­selves worthy in deep space explo­ration, as well.

Under the direc­tion of prin­cipal inves­ti­gator Taskin Padir, an asso­ciate pro­fessor in the Depart­ment of Elec­trical and Com­puter Engi­neering, the North­eastern team will work to advance the autonomy of the Humanoid Robot R5. MIT will receive and work on a sep­a­rate robot.

“We were very pleased to hear that our team was selected and we are looking for­ward to col­lab­o­rating with NASA and MIT,” Padir said, an expert in mod­eling and con­trol of robotic systems.

The North­eastern team will work on the robot’s ability to com­plete mission-specific tasks such as exiting an air­lock, using a ladder to reach Mars’ sur­face, repairing equip­ment, and col­lecting rock from the planet.

Padir will col­lab­o­rate with Robert Platt, an assis­tant pro­fessor in theCol­lege of Com­puter and Infor­ma­tion Sci­ence and an expert in machine learning and robot manipulation.

This oppor­tu­nity is the latest example of the university’s inter­dis­ci­pli­nary approach to use-inspired research, where mul­ti­dis­ci­pli­nary teams focus on solving the greatest chal­lenges in health, secu­rity, and sustainability.

The robot is slated to arrive early next year, and will be housed at the New Eng­land Robotics Val­i­da­tion and Exper­i­men­ta­tion Center at the Uni­ver­sity of Mass­a­chu­setts Lowell. Holly Yanco, a pro­fessor of com­puter sci­ence at UMass Lowell, is also part of the team.

“This is a unique oppor­tu­nity for the robotics com­mu­nity,” Padir noted. “Hosting R5 at the NERVE Center, the largest indoor robot test facility in New Eng­land, will make this cutting-edge humanoid robot acces­sible to many robotics researchers. It also gives our team both at North­eastern and UMass Lowell an oppor­tu­nity to advance the research on humanoids.”

According to NASA’s announce­ment, these robots could be sent to Mars or into other extreme space envi­ron­ments to per­form duties before humans arrive or work along­side human crews.

North­eastern was chosen after a rig­orous selec­tion process, which included par­tic­i­pating in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Robotics Challenge.

The team will receive up to $250,000 a year for two years and have access to onsite and vir­tual tech­nical sup­port from NASA.

As prin­cipal inves­ti­gator, Padir will serve as a crit­ical partner in NASA’s upcoming Space Robotics Chal­lenge, where the R5 robots will com­pete in a phys­ical competition.

http://www.northeastern.edu/news/2015/11/nasa-selects-northeastern-for-humanoid-robots-research/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Spaceref and NASA blogs have gotten a bit behind and put out a slew of updates for the last week, these will be edited to relevant data, in order to "catch up"

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 November 2015

Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) Glycerol/Water Fill: Due to a malfunction with the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) slide mechanism that allows the MSG work volume to be extended for crew access, Kononenko was unable to inject glycerol and water into the current OASIS sample under study. While an investigation had begun to resolve the MSG problem, the OASIS ground experts decided to continue the investigation with the untreated OASIS sample. OASIS studies the unique behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity, including their overall motion and the merging of crystal layers known as smectic islands. Liquid crystals are used for display screens in televisions and clocks, and they also occur in soaps and cell membranes. The experiment allows detailed studies of the behavior of these structures, and how microgravity affects their unique ability to act like both a liquid and a solid crystal.

Soyuz 43 Imagery: Yui configured a D4 camera in order to obtain high resolution imagery of the Soyuz 43 Descent Module, currently docked to Mini-Research Module (MRM)-1. The images will be downlinked to the ground and used for Micrometeoroid/Orbital Debris (MMOD) risk mitigation.

Lab Window Cleaning: Lindgren cleaned the inboard surface of LAB Primary Pressure Pane. The cleaning was performed in preparation for the METEOR Payload which will be installed in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) targeted to arrive early 2016 onboard SpaceX-9.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Overnight, Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and performed a survey of the Functional Cargo Block (FGB) Starboard Solar Array Wing (SAW). FGB SAW surveys will continue tomorrow.

 

 

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 11/18: Ocular Health, Port Solar Array Mast Survey, FGB Diagnostics
Thursday, 11/19: C2V2 Aft Cable Routing, Haptics 1
Friday, 11/20: PEPS Audit, SSRMS LEE-B Inspection, MPEP Removal from JEMAL Slide Table

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - On
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Manual
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off

More at the link...
http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-17-november-2015.html

-------------------------------

 NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 18 November 2015

NanoRacks Platform-3 Biorack Installation: Yui installed BioRack Experiment Controllers into NanoRacks Platform-3 today. NanoRacks Platforms provide a multipurpose research facility on board the ISS that supports NanoRacks Modules installed in EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) racks by providing power and data transfer capabilities for investigations in microgravity.

FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2J: Lindgren replaced the last FLEX-2J Fiber Arm and the Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) fuel reservoir today as part of routine maintenance for the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR). FLEX-2J studies the interactions of flames on the motion and ignition of millimeter-sized droplets. Results can provide fundamental insight into the physics of fuel burning, which improves computer models designed to reduce emissions and improve fuel consumption efficiency in space and on Earth.

Large Format Motion Picture Camera (IMAX) Video Downlink: Yui connected the IMAX Codex to a Station Support Computer (SSC) for downlink of recorded video files. IMAX filmmakers intend to produce a three dimensional movie called A Perfect Planet, using ISS-based video and images to show how natural and human forces shape planet Earth. The film will also showcase NASA's exploration efforts and highlight the ISS as a platform for scientific research and a stepping stone to deep space exploration.

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Maintenance: Kelly replaced the Charcoal and Sorbent Beds on the Node 3 TCCS. The Node 3 TCCS has been in service since delivery to ISS in 2009. Charcoal and Sorbent Beds have limited operational life with preventative maintenance schedule to ensure contaminant removal capabilities. The Lab TCCS is currently active while this maintenance activity is being performed.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Maintenance: Kelly was scheduled to replace the Usage Rate Counter on the control panel within the WHC Rack. During the installation, he encountered a clearance issue with the new unit. The old unit was then re-installed and counter was reset. Ground teams will be developing a forward plan for installing the new unit. The Crew had reported that the counter was getting stuck between numerals on occasion. An accurate usage rate count is required as maintenance and consumables are tracked based on these numbers.

Return Air Grill Cleaning: As part of preventative maintenance, Yui removed and cleaned the return grille mesh covers within the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and Japanese Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section (JLP). This maintenance is performed every 180 days.

Port Solar Array Wing (SAW) Survey: Lindgren configured a D4 camera in order to obtain photographs of the masts on the Port SAW. The photographs were taken from the Docking Compartment (DC)-1 window point of view and will be downlinked for ground team to assess.

Functional Cargo Block (FGB) Solar Array Photogrammetry: Today, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) cameras were used to complete the second part of the photogrammetric survey for the retracted Starboard FGB solar array. The purpose of these surveys is to measure the absolute position of the current "as-retracted" state of the both the Starboard and Port FGB solar arrays in order to correct ground CAD models.

 

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 11/19: C2V2 Aft Cable Routing, Haptics 1
Friday, 11/20: PEPS Audit, SSRMS LEE-B Inspection, MPEP Removal from JEMAL Slide Table
Saturday, 11/21: Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Warm Up 

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-18-november-2015.html

Space Station Live: Station Fosters New Drug Therapies, video is 4:40 min

 

 

---------------------------- 

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 November 2015

 

In the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory, cosmonaut Sergey Volkov studied the depletion of calcium in a crew member's bones. He then joined Oleg Kononenko to research acoustic methods for detecting micrometeoroid impacts on the station. Kononenko also got together with One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko to explore microgravity's effects on the human cardiovascular and respiratory system.

At about 2:14 a.m. Central time this morning, a Potential Fire Alarm sensor was triggered aboard the International Space Station and was traced to the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) experiment in Express Rack 3 in the Columbus module. The experiment is enclosed and no smoke or fire was detected. Sensors indicated a slight rise in carbon monoxide inside EMCS, while background readings in all surrounding areas remained normal. The crew was never in any danger and the event only lasted a few minutes. As a precautionary measure, Express Rack 3 was temporarily powered down. The rack has since been repowered with the exception of EMCS. There was no impact to station science.

Columbus A1 Express Rack 3 (ER3) Combustion Event: This morning at approximately 2:14AM CST, a Potential Fire Alarm associated with Columbus A1 Express Rack 3 (ER3) came into alarm. The crew sampled the fire port associated with the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) since the crew had been working at that location minutes earlier. Fire port Compound Specific Analyzer (CSA)-Combustion Products (CP) readings for EMCS showed elevated Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels of 19ppm, increasing to 22ppm. The Crew and Ground executed Emergency Book fire procedures and obtained background readings in Columbus and Node 2, which were all negative. During the event, lockers in the rack were all unpowered and the crew switched the Rack Power Switch to off. The CO readings in the EMCS fire port stabilized at 22ppm. Ground Teams conducted a controlled repower of ER3, with the exception of EMCS, to support the Veggie payload.

EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack 1 Laptop Software Load: Lindgren supported the ongoing software updates to ISS EXPRESS Rack laptops by copying a software load to the EXPRESS Rack 1 laptop.

Common Communications for Visiting Vehicle (C2V2) Cable Route: Kelly and Yui removed Lab Aft Closeout Panels, temporally closed the Lab Aft Hatch, then routing the W2687 cable through the Aft Endcone and Port/Deck Standoffs. Once the cable was routed, they opened the Lab Aft Hatch and re-installed the closeout panels. C2V2 is an integrated communications system to be used specifically for communicating with future visiting vehicles. This system will utilize both an S-Band based radio frequency system, and hard-line connections to visiting vehicles such that secure, reliable communications will be available for all phases of rendezvous, docking, and mated operations.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) Routine Maintenance: Yui performed a change out of the WHC UR and insert filter. Following the change out, a WHC functionality test was successfully performed.

 

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 11/20: PEPS Audit, SSRMS LEE-B Inspection, MPEP Removal from JEMAL Slide Table
Saturday, 11/21: Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty
Sunday, 11/22: Crew Off Duty

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - On
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Operate
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off 

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-19-november-2015.html

---------------------------------

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 20 November 2015 

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 20 November 2015. NASA

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock Operations for Closeout of Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) #2: Yui opened the inner JEM Airlock hatch and then, with assistance from Lindgren, removed the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) from the Small Fine Arm (SFA) Airlock Attachment Mechanism (SAM) on the Slide Table and then removed the SAM from the Slide Table. ExHAM#2 was installed on the JEM Exposed Facility (JEF) on Wednesday, November 11th.

Radiation Neutron Field Study (Radi-N): Lindgren retrieved the eight bubble detectors from their deployed locations in the ISS and handed them over to a Russian crewmember. The objective of RADI-N is to characterize the neutron environment of the ISS. The data produced is used to define the risk posed to the crewmembers' health and support development of advanced protective measures for future space flight.

EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack 2 Laptop Software Load: Yui supported the ongoing software updates to ISS EXPRESS Rack laptops by copying a software load to the EXPRESS Rack 2 laptop.

Latching End Effector B (LEE-B) Survey: Overnight, (GMT 323), the Robotics Ground Controllers maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to stow the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) on Mobile Base System (MBS) Power Data Grapple Fixture 2 (PDGF2). They then walked the SSRMS off MBS PDGF1 onto the Node 2 PDGF and maneuvered the SSRMS to position LEE-B near the Cupola ready for ISS Crew photography of LEE-B. Today Yui took imagery of the LEE-B to inspect the snares and latches, and imagery of the lubrication as a follow-up to the LEE lubrication activity from US EVA #32.

Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPs) Audit: Lindgren conducted an audit of the PEPs hardware to verify the emergency response hardware is in the expected location and is free of damage. He audited Portable Fire Extinguishers (PFEs), and Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA) including Quick Don mask Assemblies (QDMAs) and Pre-Breathe Masks. This audit is performed once per year.

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

SPDM Stow and SSRMS Walkoff to Node 2
SSRMS LEE-B Survey
OPALS Downlink
Lab CDRA Monthly Activation

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 11/21: Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty, ICU R3 Transition
Sunday, 11/22: Crew Off Duty
Monday, 11/23: OASIS, VEG-01, SPRINT VO2, Cygnus Rendevous OBT

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off 

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-20-november-2015.html

Expedition 46/47 Crew Undergoes Final Training Outside Moscow, video is 3:56 min 

 

-------------------------------

MDA to Continue Development of High Performance Camera Systems for the International Space Station

 

Press Release From: MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. 
Posted: Wednesday, November 18, 2015

 

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (“MDA” or the “Company”) (TSX:MDA), a global communications and information company, today announced that it has signed a contract amendment for CA$3.1 million with the Canadian Space Agency authorizing the procurement of long lead items for the new camera systems for the Mobile Servicing System (MSS). The original contract was previously disclosed in June 2015.

The MSS performs a variety of on-orbit operations ranging from resupply, maintenance, and servicing tasks that are critical to the on-going operations of the International Space Station. The MSS comprises Canadarm2, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator and the Mobile Base System.

About MDA

MDA is a global communications and information company providing operational solutions to commercial and government organizations worldwide.

MDA’s business is focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, primarily in the Communications sector and the Surveillance and Intelligence sector. In addition, the Company conducts a significant amount of advanced technology development.

MDA’s established global customer base is served by more than 4,800 employees operating from 11 locations in the United States, Canada, and internationally.

The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MDA.”

Related Websites
www.mdacorporation.com

 

// end //

http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=47384

----------------------

Highly Logical! 'Star Trek'-Inspired Vulcan Ale Makes US Debut

Vulcan Ale, a beer inspired by Star Trek, has made its way to the United States.
Credit: Federation of Beer

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Even a veteran Starfleet officer would have a hard time turning down a pint of Vulcan Ale, a new "Star Trek"-inspired IPA perfect for a crisp autumn night of stargazing.

In "The Conscience of the King," the 13th episode of the original series of "Star Trek," Dr. McCoy asks Mr. Spock if he'd care for a drink. "My father's race was spared the dubious benefits of alcohol," the stoic half-Vulcan replies. But perhaps he would make a rare exception for Vulcan Ale, the latest "Star Trek"-themed Federation of Beer collaboration.

I had a chance to boldly go where no Starfleet officer has (presumably) been before: an October launch party for the new beer at The Way Station, a "Doctor Who"-themed bar in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights. This marked the first time the beer was available in the United States. While it's only logical to discuss the beer itself, a few words about how the beverage came to be might help set the scene. [Ring in Oktoberfest with These Space Beers]

Federation of Beer is not a brewer, but rather a marketing outfit that specializes in beer. Back in 2012, Federation of Beer co-founder Vern Raincock had the idea to make a "Star Trek"-themed beer, and used his knowledge of the industry to do so. The original Vulcan Ale was an Irish red ale from Harvest Moon Brewing Co. in Montana. The new iteration, Vulcan Ale — The Genesis Effect, comes from the Shmaltz Brewery in upstate New York. (Shmaltz also brews the delightfully irreverent He'brew beer.)

When I asked Raincock why he wanted to create Vulcan Ale, he simply responded, "It was logical,"in true Vulcan fashion. While brewing, distributing and consuming beer is not exactly the same thing as exploring the galaxy in a starship, Raincock still saw some similarities between the two. For both enterprises, you need courage, curiosity and good friends backing you up, he said.

Vulcan Ale — the Genesis Effect is a red IPA, and as such, it's a fairly hoppy beer. (Appropriately enough, some of the hops included in the brew are called Galaxy, Warrior and Comet.) However, the hops are not overwhelming, and it has a rich, slightly sweet flavor underneath. Like most red ales, The Genesis Effect has a full body but feels surprisingly drinkable, even to this Starfleet cadet's lager-seasoned palate. The only part of the beer that I didn't find pleasant was the aftertaste — more flowery hops, although this will be a plus rather than a minus to the IPA crowd.

I also spoke with Andy Heidel, owner of The Way Station, who eagerly volunteered his space for the beer's U.S. debut. "We have the best collection of nerds in the tristate area," he said, gesturing to the packed bar full of costumed patrons watching (and quoting) "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." "We all grew up with Star Trek in one form or another," he said.

I pointed to the TARDIS-shaped bathroom in the back and asked whether Heidel himself prefers "Star Trek" or "Doctor Who." "They're entirely different animals," he replied with Sarek-like diplomacy. 'Doctor Who' is fantasy-set in a sci-fi world. Star Trek is pure sci-fi."

A fascinating response.

 http://www.space.com/31182-vulcan-ale-star-trek-beer-debut.html

That's all we need...drunk Vulcans ticking off everyone with math puzzles.......

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 November 2015

#EarthArt Turquoise in East #Asia #YearInSpace. Credit: Scott Kelly/NASA.

The next cargo mission to the International Space Station is set to launch Dec. 3 at 5:55 p.m. EST. The Orbital ATK Cygnus commercial cargo craft will arrive Dec. 6 when it will be grappled with the Canadarm2 and berthed to the Unity module.

Commander Scott Kelly joined Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui and trained for Cygnus arrival. They used computer training software and practiced the rendezvous and grapple techniques they will use while operating the Canadarm2 from inside the cupola.

The crew was back at work Monday conducting more science to benefit life on Earth and astronauts in space. They explored a variety of subjects including human research, botany and physics.

Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Troubleshooting: Kelly and Lindgren attempted to restore full functionality to the slide mechanism that allows the MSG work volume to be extended for crew access but were not successful. The MSG Ground Team is working with a ground unit to develop additional procedures for correcting the problem. The slide mechanism initially malfunctioned last Tuesday, November 17th.

EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack 7 Laptop Software Load: Yui supported the ongoing software updates to ISS EXPRESS Rack laptops by copying a software load to the EXPRESS Rack 7 laptop. These software updates include enhanced security with the Windows 7 operating system, new features and support for new capabilities.

Cygnus/Orbital ATK (OA)-4 Preps: Kelly, Yui, and Lindgren participated in a conference with Robotics Ground Controllers to discuss rendezvous operations for the OA-4 flight. Following the conference, the crew completed a procedure review and then Kelly and Lindgren performed a Computer Based Training session.

Russian Joint Research (RJR) Microbiological Sampling: On Saturday, Kornienko used the Microbial Air Sampler (MAS) and Surface Sample Kit (SSK) to take surface and air samples in the ISS to support a microbiological assessment of the ISS. These activities are performed as part of a joint cooperative research program between NASA and the Russian Space Agency. The results of incubation and analysis of these samples will be used to identify ISS locations and surfaces prone to microbial contamination and will provide a scientific basis for decisions about future microbial monitoring on ISS and on future spacecraft used for human exploration.

Water Processing Assembly (WPA) Fault: Over the weekend on Saturday, WPA experienced a fault associated with the pre-heater in the Catalytic Reactor unit not staying above the required temperature. Ground Teams assessed then modified temperature limits in order to allow WPA operations to continue, while longer term plans are discussed.

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Nominal ground commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 11/24: SPRINT, Cygnus Robotics OBT, FIR Switch Reconfiguration, Fundoscope
Wednesday, 11/25: Cygnus Robotics OBT, 44S Emergency OBT, HAPTICS-1 Ops, Port TRRJ Survey, ISS Reboost
Thursday, 11/26: Crew Holiday

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - On
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off 

 http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-23-november-2015.html

Malenchenko, Kopra and Peake Conduct Ceremonies in Russia
video is 3:43 min

 

---------------------------------

New Crew to Stay Aboard ISS for 7 Months Instead of 6

The launch of the new crew including Malenchenko (Roscosmos), Timothy Kopra (NASA) and Timothy Peake (European Space Agency) is scheduled for December 15 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on board the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft.

The period of service of a new International Space Station (ISS) crew in orbit has been increased from six to seven months due to update of the flight program, the new space expedition commander said Monday.

"Our flight will last more than six months. It has indeed been extended for one month due to the program update. We will have a lot of work. We are expecting a very difficult, intense but interesting expedition," Yuri Malenchenko told journalists at a press conference at the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center.

The ISS crew will work with new cargo ships Progress M-M and Progress M-C. In addition, the crew are expected to carry out a spacewalk and receive the American cargo ships Dragon and Cygnus and perform works on equipping the Russian and American ISS segments.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/New_Crew_to_Stay_Aboard_ISS_for_7_Months_Instead_of_6_999.html

--------------------------------------

SAGE III Leaves Langley for Journey to ISS

Technicians inside a clean room at NASA's Langley Research Center work on the SAGE III instrument, preparing it to ship to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for launch to the International Space Station. The ozone- and aerosol-measuring instrument is the latest in a long line of atmospheric science experiments designed at NASA Langley. Image courtesy NASA/David C. Bowman.

An autonomous, Earth-observing, ozone-measuring instrument is taking its first steps toward a new home in space. Thursday evening, the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station, or SAGE III on ISS, rolled out of the gates at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, aboard a specially outfitted delivery truck.

It traveled south toward NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it is scheduled to blast into orbit next year aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. SAGE III has an important job to do. The project will give NASA a new way to monitor Earth's protective ozone layer and document its ongoing recovery.

The thin layer of ozone in the upper troposphere and stratosphere acts as a chemical shield, defending life on the planet against the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. SAGE III will help scientists check the layer's health, which has shown signs of improving since 1987's Montreal Protocol. That international agreement called for a ban on ozone-eating chlorofluorocarbons.

More at the link....
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/SAGE_III_Leaves_Langley_for_Journey_to_ISS_999.html

-----------------------------------------------

NASA Announces Early Stage Innovations Space Technology Research Grants

SPHERES in Space      NASA

NASA has selected 15 university-led proposals for the study of innovative, early stage technologies that address high priority needs of America's space program.

The Early Stage Innovations awards from NASA's Space Technology Research Grants Program are worth as much as $500,000 each. Universities have two to three years to work on their proposed research and development projects.

"The agency's space technology research areas lend themselves to the innovative approaches U.S. universities can offer for solving tough science and exploration challenges," said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington. "NASA's Early Stage Innovations grants align with NASA's Space Technology Roadmaps and the priorities identified by the National Research Council, helping enable NASA's exploration goals including robotic missions to Mars and the outer planets, and ultimately human exploration of Mars."

The proposals selected under the Early Stage Innovations 2015 solicitation address unique, disruptive or transformational technologies, including: payload technologies for assistive free-flyers; robotic mobility technologies for the surfaces of icy moons; integrated photonics for space optical communication; computationally guided structural nanomaterials design; and atmospheric entry modeling development using flight data from the Orion's first flight test in space last December called Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1).

more at the link....
http://spaceref.com/nasa-hack-space/nasa-announces-early-stage-innovations-space-technology-research-grants.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Young Explorers’ Creativity Needed

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program wants you to help draw our future in space exploration.

We are looking for your artistic vision for this year’s 12 categories, ranging from rockets to experiments in space, and Florida Space Coast launches to NASA’s journey to Mars. Can you help?

We are producing our 2016 calendar in a few weeks and we need your drawings to fill its pages. Children ages 4-12, regardless of NASA affiliation, can submit their artwork. Selections may be featured on the Commercial Crew website!

The deadline for submissions is Dec. 4 at noon EST. We’re looking for the best artwork related to the following themes:

See link for categories and permission slip for the kids....
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/11/24/young-explorers-creativity-needed/

------------------------------------------

Russian-US Space Collaboration Intact Despite Chill in Bilateral Ties 

After four decades of rivalry, the construction of the ISS gave a powerful impetus to space cooperation between Moscow and Washington in 1998. Also, Russia started sending American astronauts to the space outpost in 2011 following the closure of the US shuttle program.

Despite the deterioration of relations between Russia and the United States here on Earth, the two countries continue to cooperate when it comes to space exploration, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Moscow and Washington remain close allies in the space sector despite the cooler relationship between Russia and the US, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported.

According to the newspaper, despite the "nascent" rapprochement between Russia and the United States over Syria, Moscow's alleged "interference" in the Ukrainian conflict has caused diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington to reach a post-Cold War low.

Earlier this year, Washington imposed sanctions against Russia, and tried to isolate Moscow on the international arena.

However, this failed to prevent the two countries from developing a "close partnership" in the space exploration sector, the newspaper said, adding that Washington needs Russia because the latter helps it send its astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

In addition, US rockets are still equipped with Russian engines and will continue to use them until at least 2017, the newspaper recalled.

After four decades of rivalry, the construction of the ISS gave a powerful impetus to space cooperation between Moscow and Washington in 1998. Also, Russia started sending American astronauts to the space outpost in 2011 following the closure of the US shuttle program, according to El Pais.

When the people of Crimea, who are predominantly ethnically Russian, voted to rejoin Russia last year following a violent coup in Ukraine, NASA announced the suspension of all "minor" contacts with its Russian counterparts, but this decision did not affect ISS flights, the newspaper said.

The United States has repeatedly tried to hammer out its own program to send astronauts to ISS, with Washington insisting on the need to avoid using Russian engines in US rockets.

Understandably, Washington is concerned over its current dependence on Russia in the space sector, something that US authorities are unlikely to resolve in the near future, the newspaper concluded.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russian_US_Space_Collaboration_Intact_Despite_Chill_in_Bilateral_Ties_999.html

----------------------------------

Construction of China's mega radio telescope enters final stage 

Construction of the FAST began in March 2011 with an investment of 1.2 billion yuan.

Chinese scientists on Saturday tested the installation of the "retina" of the world's largest ever radio telescope to be completed in September next year.

Technicians lifted a 30-tonne feed cabin of the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope - or FAST - above a half-finished dish-like reflector measuring 500 meters in diameter and 1.6 kilometers in perimeter.

Once completed, the cabin, home to a feed source which collects signals from the universe, will be suspended 140 to 160 meters above the reflector made up of 4,450 panels.

Each panel is an equilateral triangle with a side length of 11 meters, and has cables fixed to the back of it so that it could adjust angles and positions in synchronization with the source cabin, which is driven by cables, servomechanisms in additional to a parallel robot as a secondary adjustable system.

"If you compare the FAST to an eye, then the feed source is its retina," said Sun Caihong, a chief engineer with the FAST program, "All signals we collect eventually comes here."

Sun said control of high-precision and long-distance movements of the source cabin using steel cables had been a serious challenge for experts, but they managed to narrow down maximum error to less then 10 millimeters.

"This is one of our greatest innovations," he said.

Construction of the FAST began in March 2011 with an investment of 1.2 billion yuan.

The installation of the test feed cabin means the construction of FAST has enter its final stage.

Technicians are still continuing the work that started months ago to assemble the reflector, which is hung over the ground supported by thousands of steel pillars and cables in a valley deep in southwest China's mountainous Guizhou Province.

The Karst formation in the local landscape is good for draining rainwater underground and protecting the reflector, Sun said.

The surrounding area has "radio silence" as there are no towns and cities within a sphere of five km and only one county center within a sphere of 25 km, he said.

Upon completion, the telescope will be the world's largest of its kind, overtaking Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory, which is 300 meters in diameter.

It will also be 10 times more sensitive than the steerable 100-meter telescope near Bonn, Germany, according to Zheng Xiaonian, deputy head of the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"FAST will be the top level facility in the world for at least 20 to 30 years," Zheng said.

Unlike optical telescopes used to observe the universe by visible light, a type of electromagnetic radiation, radio telescope operate in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum where they can detect and collect data on radio sources.

The key science goals of FAST are based on observables between 70MHz and 3 GHz, including the 21 cm HI hyperfine structure line, pulsar emissions and radio continuum.

Earlier reports said it will enable astronomers to jumpstart many science goals. For example, they could survey natural hydrogen in distant galaxies, detect faint pulsars, look for the first star shining, or even hear possible signals from other civilizations.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Construction_of_Chinas_mega_radio_telescope_enters_final_stage_999.html

---------------------------------------

Supercomputing the strange difference between matter and antimatter 

Supercomputers such as Brookhaven Lab's Blue Gene/Q were essential for completing the complex calculation of direct CP symmetry violation. The same calculation would have required two thousand years using a laptop. Image courtesy Brookhaven National Laboratory.

An international team of physicists including theorists from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has published the first calculation of direct "CP" symmetry violation - how the behavior of subatomic particles (in this case, the decay of kaons) differs when matter is swapped out for antimatter.

Should the prediction represented by this calculation not match experimental results, it would be conclusive evidence of new, unknown phenomena that lie outside of the Standard Model - physicists' present understanding of the fundamental particles and the forces between them.

The current result - reported in the November 20 issue of Physical Review Letters - does not yet indicate such a difference between experiment and theory, but scientists expect the precision of the calculation to improve dramatically now that they've proven they can tackle the task. With increasing precision, such a difference - and new physics - might still emerge.

"This so called 'direct' symmetry violation is a tiny effect, showing up in just a few particle decays in a million," said Brookhaven physicist Taku Izubuchi, a member of the team performing the calculation. Results from the first, less difficult part of this calculation were reported by the same group in 2012.

However, it is only now, with completion of the second part of this calculation - which was hundreds of times more difficult than the first - that a comparison with the measured size of direct CP violation can be made. This final part of the calculation required more than 200 million core processing hours on supercomputers, "and would have required two thousand years using a laptop," Izubuchi said.

More at the link....
 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Supercomputing_the_strange_difference_between_matter_and_antimatter_999.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 24 November 2015

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 24 November 2015. NASA

Crews and cargo shipments will be coming and going at the International Space Station during a busy December in space. Two resupply ships will arrive, one cargo craft will leave and an Expedition 45 trio will head home before an Expedition 46 trio replaces it.

Commander Scott Kelly teamed up with Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren for more robotics training before the Dec. 3 launch and Dec. 6 arrival of the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft. When Cygnus arrives it will be captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and berthed to the Unity module.

Meanwhile, Lindgren along with Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko are preparing for their Dec. 11 landing. On the ground in Russia, their Expedition 46 replacements Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineers Timothy Kopra and Timothy Peake are counting down to their Dec. 15 launch. A docked Progress 61 resupply ship will fire its engines Wednesday raising the station's orbit to accommodate the mid-December crew swap.

The Cygnus cargo craft is in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center being processed before its early December launch atop an Atlas V rocket. Russia's Progress 60 (60P) cargo craft will undock from the Pirs docking compartment Dec. 19. A new Progress 62 resupply ship will replace the 60P when it arrives at Pirs Dec. 23.

 

 

EXPRESS (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack 6 Laptop Software Load: Yui supported the ongoing software updates to ISS EXPRESS Rack laptops by copying a software load to the EXPRESS Rack 6 laptop. These software updates include enhanced security with the Windows 7 operating system, new features and support for new capabilities.

Crew Handover Conference: Kelly, Volkov, and Kornienko conducted a video conference with Soyuz 45 Crew (Malenchenko, Kopra, and Peake) in order to pass along lessons learned. The purpose was to begin the handover process prior to the arrival on orbit through video conferences and data exchanges between the current crew and the upcoming crew. Soyuz 45 is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 15 December 2015.

Cygnus Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session 1: Kelly, Lindgren, and Yui utilized a Robotic Trainer in order to practice nominal and off nominal Cygnus rendezvous and capture scenarios. Orbital ATK (OA)-4 is scheduled to launch on December 3rd with rendezvous and berthing occurring December 6th.

Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS): Today robotic ground controllers commanded the SSRMS to grapple the PMM Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture (FRGF) using Latching End Effector (LEE) B in support of the investigation into the rigidize mechanism anomaly that occurred during HTV-5 release. Unloaded checkouts were performed on October 23rd. Loaded checkouts were successfully performed today and the data gathered will be assessed by the team. Then controllers performed LEE-B diagnostics on the prime string and SSRMS brake and joint diagnostics on both strings, in preparation for OA-4 capture and berthing in December.

 

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
SSRMS LEE-B Grapple of PMM FRGF and Data Gather
NORS Heater Test

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 11/25: Cygnus Robotics OBT, 44S Emergency OBT, HAPTICS-1 Ops, Port TRRJ Survey, ISS Reboost
Thursday, 11/26: Crew Holiday
Friday, 11/27: RRM Transfer Cage Install, HAPTICS-1 Ops, Crew Departure Prep, Stbd CQ Cleaning, IMAX File D/L

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status
Elektron - On
Vozdukh - Manual
[СКВ] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off
[СКВ] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Norm
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off 

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-24-november-2015.html

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NASA astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving with food and football 

Two of the six residents on the International Space Station will miss being with their families during the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving on Thursday, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a little turkey.

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren listed some of the things they are thankful for in a video posted on Wednesday. One of the things Kelly might be thankful for is that he now has less than 100 days left before he returns to Earth from his one year in living in space.

Lindgren says he is thankful for the international collaboration of the International Space Station. The Expedition 45 crew includes two Americans, three Russian cosmonauts and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui.

“Being on the space station here and looking down on our incredibly beautiful planet gives us a different perspective on what it means to be citizens of planet Earth,” said Kelly. He said he is thankful for being able to live on the space station and represent the U.S.

 

The astronauts showed off their Thanksgiving “space food” including all your standard carb-loaded American grub with turkey, cornbread dressing, potatoes and candied yams. You can get the recipe for the "Out Of This World Cornbread Dressing" from NASA here.

In this video watch how turkey is warmed up using a rehydrating system on the International Space Station.

The astronauts plan on enjoying their Thanksgiving meal and watching football just like the rest of us down on Earth. Kelly and Kjell end the video in style with effortless synchronized somersaults.

Happy Thanksgiving, Earthlings!

 http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/go-for-launch/os-astronauts-celebrate-thanksgiving-food-football-20151125-post.html

Thanksgiving in Space: How Astronauts Celebrate the Holiday
video is 1:00 min

 

---------------------------

NASA FISO Telecon: Astrobee: A Free-Flying robot for the International Space Station

Category: Aeronautics and Astronautics

Event Format: Webinar

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Location: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD US

The next Future In-Space Operations (FISO) colloquium will be Wednesday, December 2, when we will host Terry Fong (NASA ARC), who will speak on "Astrobee: A Free-Flying robot for the International Space Station."

As always, the colloquium will be at 3pm ET. And please note that there is a new dial-in number for the colloquium as NASA has migrated to a new service: TEL: 844 467 4685 PC: 442398

The University of Texas-hosted home page for FISO colloquium materials,http://spirit.as.utexas.edu/~fiso/telecon.cgi (orhttp://spirit.as.utexas.edu/~fiso/telecon.htm), has over the years been released to social media and as result it has been getting a flood of somewhat anti-social attacks by bots that want to harvest the invitation-only data on it.

A bot-control algorithm has been instituted that will test whether you are human before letting you in. We appreciate your patience.

If participants are having difficulties in connecting with the FISO server, please contact my co-chair, Dr. Dan Lester (dfl@astro.as.utexas.edu ).

Please note that the colloquia are being audio recorded and the recordings are being archived with the presentation materials.

Harley Thronson
Senior Scientist for Advanced Concepts
Astrophysics Science Division
Science and Exploration Directorate
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

 

Web Site Address: http://spirit.as.utexas.edu/~fiso/telecon.cgi

Contact Email Address: < harley.a.thronson@nasa.gov >

http://spaceref.com/calendar/calendar.html?pid=8956

--------------------------------

House Science Committee: Live from the International Space Station

Category: Aeronautics and Astronautics

Event Format: Hearing

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Location: 2318 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, US

9:30 a.m. Exhibits of research occurring aboard the International Space Station

10:00 a.m. A live downlink with astronauts:

- CAPT Scott Kelly, U.S. Navy (Retired), NASA Astronaut, Commander-Expedition 45, International Space Station

- Dr. Kjell Lindgren, NASA Astronaut, Flight Engineer-Expedition 45, International Space Station

http://spaceref.com/calendar/calendar.html?pid=8962

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Space Station completes scheduled Reboost

New York seen from ISS – Photo: NASA

The International Space Station successfully completed a scheduled reboost on Wednesday, slightly raising its orbit to optimize its trajectory for heavy visiting vehicle traffic inbound before the holidays.

The thrusters of the Progress M-29M spacecraft, currently docked to the aft end of the Station’s Zvezda Service Module, were ignited at 19:31 UTC and increased the Station’s velocity by 1.95 meters per second, raising its orbital mean altitude by 3.4 Kilometers.

The reboost was done to set up phasing for the upcoming visiting vehicle operations on the Russian segment of ISS, notably the return of a crewed Soyuz spacecraft, the arrival of another and the launch and docking of a Progress cargo ship. Soyuz TMA-17M is set for its departure on December 11 for a short free flight ahead of re-entry and a parachute assisted touchdown on the steppe of Kazakhstan in a rare evening landing of the Soyuz, returning Oleg Kononenko, Kimiya Yui and Kjell Lindgren to Earth.

The next Soyuz in line, Soyuz TMA-19M, is set for an overnight launch and docking on December 15 to deliver Yuri Malenchenko, Tim Kopra and Tim Peake to ISS for a mission that was recently extended from six to seven months. Finally, bearing holiday gifts and new supplies, Progress MS will launch atop a Soyuz 2 rocket on December 21 for a two-day link up with ISS in the first mission of the upgraded Progress craft.

 

 http://spaceflight101.com/space-station-completes-schedule-reboost/

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Thanksgiving Dinner On Orbit

Cornbread   NASA

View of a food package containing cornbread dressing, a planned Thanksgiving meal item

ISS042E007084 (Nov. 23, 2014) -- larger image

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/thanksgiving-dinner-on-orbit.html

Thanksgiving 2015 on the International Space Station 
video is 3:44 min

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Expedition 45 Crew to Celebrate Thanksgiving With Turkey and Candied Yams Aboard Space Station

Today’s Thanksgiving celebrations will feature not one, but as many 16 “dawns”, for the incumbent Expedition 45 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: NASA

As millions of Americans the world over tuck into their Thanksgiving meals today (Thursday, 26 November), spare a thought for the six-strong Expedition 45 crew—Commander Scott Kelly of NASA, Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Volkov, U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgren and Japan’s Kimiya Yui—as they observe the holiday from their perch aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Although the day is a particularly significant one for Kelly and Lindgren, it has become customary for all nationalities to celebrate each other’s special occasions and the crew is expected to share a dinner of turkey, candied yams, rehydratable corn and potatoes au gratin.

more at the link...
http://www.americaspace.com/?p=88995#more-88995

-----------------------------

How astronauts prepare their Thanksgiving meal in space 
video is 0:52 min

 

A few years ago....

A Thanksgiving decoration, as seen in space in November 2001, on board the International Space Station.

http://www.space.com/13809-photos-space-holidays-astronauts-christmas.html

Happy holiday from "my team"

Boston Bruins     NHL

[Draggendrop Veteran]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 11/25/15

Robonaut 2 Troubleshooting:   Lindgren continued troubleshooting Robonaut’s Compact Peripheral Component Interface today.    Robonaut 2 is a two-armed humanoid robot designed with the versatility and dexterity to manipulate hardware, work in high risk environments, and respond safely to unexpected obstacles. Robonaut is currently mounted inside the ISS.  In the future, it will perform tasks both inside and outside the ISS.

44 Soyuz (44S) Emergency Egress Drill:  The 44S Crew (Kelly, Volkov, and Kornienko) participated in an emergency decent drill.  This training session focuses on off-nominal procedures that would be used in the event the crew needs to egress the ISS and perform an emergency descent.  The drill is scheduled when the crew has been aboard the ISS for 12-14 weeks, then once every 2.5 months.

Port Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint (TRRJ) Survey:  Kelly configured a D4 Camera in order to perform a periodic imagery survey of the port TRRJ from the Docking Compartment 1 window. During this task, the Radiator was rotated to two different angles to photograph both sides of the TRRJ. This survey is conducted yearly for data gathering purposes.

ISS Reboost: This afternoon the ISS performed a reboost using 61 Progress (61P) thrusters.  Delta-V was 1.946 meters/second, burn duration was 15 minutes 32.8 seconds. This reboost sets up conditions for the 43S landing on December 11 and the 45S 4-orbit rendezvous on December 15.

 

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Thursday, 11/26: Crew Holiday

Friday, 11/27:  RRM Transfer Cage Install, HAPTICS-1 Ops, Crew Departure Prep, Stbd CQ Cleaning, IMAX File D/L

Saturday, 11/28:  Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty

 

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component	Status
Elektron	On
Vozdukh	Manual
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”)	Off
[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”)	Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab	Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3	Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab	Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3	Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)	Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)	Norm
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab	Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3	Off

 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2015/11/25/iss-daily-summary-report-112515/

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 NASA ISS Space to Ground Weekly Report - 27 November 2015

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-iss-space-to-ground-weekly-report---27-november-2015.html

Space to Ground: Space Thanksgiving : 11/27/2015 

video is 1:53 min

 

--------------------------------

An Orbital Sunrise

Orbital Sunrise    NASA

Sunrise as viewed from the International Space Station Nov. 17, 2015.

Framing the brilliant edge of sun is the Soyuz TMA-17M (front) which brought NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko to the station and the ISS Progress 60 (back) cargo craft which arrived back on July 5 with supplies, equipment & experiments.

ISS045E108823 (11/17/2015) - larger image

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/an-orbital-sunrise-1.html