International Space Station (Updates)

6,181 · December 16, 2015

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/15/15

Quote

45 Soyuz (45S) Launch and Dock:  45S successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 5:03 am CST this morning with Malenchenko, Peake, and Kopra onboard. 45S executed a nominal 4 orbit rendezvous and docked to the ISS Mini-Research Module (MRM)-1 at 11:33 am CST. Docking was completed in manual mode following a failed thruster message during the initial automated approach. With the arrival of the 45S crew, the ISS crew complement increased from 3 to 6 crewmembers.

Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS):  Kelly exchanged the OASIS samples in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) today. 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.

Russian Pilot-T Experiment:  Kelly performed a session of the Russian experiment Pilot-T today. The goal of Pilot-T is to improve methods and develop equipment to assess and predict crewmember performance reliability during the execution of complex operator tasks (such as piloting a space vehicle or controlling transport and robotic equipment on the surface of a spacecraft) during various stages of long-term spaceflight.

Vozdukh Status:   Vozdukh experienced an anomaly on Thursday of last week. Several attempts to reactivate the system had been unsuccessful. Russian Life Support Specialists suspected a failure of the vacuum pump and scheduled additional troubleshooting. On Monday, the Russian Crew performed the troubleshooting in order to verify the failed component and then successfully performed a vacuum pump change out. Vozdukh is now operating nominally.

Quote

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 Startup

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle

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

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2015/12/15/iss-daily-summary-report-121515/

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

Source: Russian spacecraft manual docking to ISS caused by engine lack of thrust

Quote

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. Russia's Soyuz TMA-19M manned spacecraft with a new orbital expedition crew docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in a manual, and not automatic mode, because of the lack of thrust in one of the docking and orientation engines, a source in the rocket and space industry told TASS on Wednesday.

The Soyuz-TMA19M crew comprises Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, and the UK astronaut Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (ESA).

"The reason for switching to the manual mode was the lack of thrust in one of the docking and orientation engines," the source said.

Another source reported previously that the Kurs-A automatic docking system glitch occurred due to interference of the radio signal from the US cargo spacecraft Cygnus (docked to the ISS since December 9).

Launched on December 15, the Soyuz TMA-19M nominally docked to the ISS on the same day, six hours after blast-off, in a manual mode. The Soyuz ship several times approached the docking port using the rendezvous system Kurs and moved away from the station, after which the astronauts had to switch to manual docking. Commander Yuri Malenchenko took manual control of the spaceship.

Trained for manual flying and building on extensive flight experience, Malenchenko guided the Soyuz back to is docking port after the spacecraft started backing away in its initial approach to ISS. Stabilizing the spacecraft, Malenchenko lined up with the Rassvet module and conducted a manual docking at 17:33 UTC, marking the crew’s arrival at their home in space for the next six and a half months. Experienced Soyuz Commander Malenchenko, ISS veteran Tim Kopra and Tim Peake, the first British Astronaut to visit ISS, have a busy schedule outlined for their seven-month stay living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory.

This is Malenchenko’s sixth mission in space. Kopra has been in space once. Peake is in orbit for the first time. The crew are scheduled to return on June 5, 2016. Malenchenko is to spend in space 174 days. This will take to 815 days the overall duration of his space missions. He will become the world’s number two by this parameter. The current record holder is Russia’s Gennady Padalka with five flights in space, which have lasted 878 days.

http://tass.ru/en/science/844405

6,181 · December 18, 2015

NASA ISS Space to Ground Weekly Report - 18 December 2015

Quote

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---18-december-2015.html

Space to Ground: New Arrival: 12/18/2015

video is 1:49 min

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

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 December 2015

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko manually docked the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft on Dec. 15, 2015 to the International Space Station's Rassvet module after an initial automated attempt was aborted. Malenchenko took control of the Soyuz, backed it away from the station to assess the Soyuz' systems, then re-approached the complex for the manual docking. Credit: NASA.

Quote

Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko was in the Russian segment of the orbital lab getting the Progress 60 resupply ship ready for its undocking early Saturday morning. Malenchenko transferred gear and supplies from the new Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft that arrived Tuesday. Malenchenko, who is on his fourth station mission, also photographed the condition of the Soyuz docking cone for inspection on the ground.

Quote

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Status: Today, Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Serving System (MSS), surveyed the Mobile Transporter (MT) translation path and performed MT Checkouts. The MSS was then powered down for the MT translation from Worksite 4 (WS4) to WS2. The Translation Drive (TD) Integrated Motor Controller Assembly (IMCA)-A experienced an error shortly after the MT left WS4 which caused motion to stop. Another error was experienced while trying to translate back to WS4. Several attempts in different configurations were performed to move the MT back to WS4, but were unsuccessful. The team has powered down the MT and powered up the MSS to Keep Alive using the Mobile Transporter Relay Assembly (MTRA). The MT is currently braked but not latched. Ground teams have completed surveys of the MT and surrounding areas, and are analyzing the video. MCC-H and MCC-M are currently assessing impacts for upcoming Progress operations this weekend.

Quote

Electromagnetic Levitation (EML) Operations: Processing of samples in the European Space Agency's (ESA's) EML facility continues for the fourth week. The ongoing EML Batch 1 science experiments that are supported by EML utilize hardware that is ground commanded. The multi-user facility EML electromagnetic levitator is designed for containerless materials processing in space. It covers research in the areas of meta-stable states and phases (e.g., investigations of nucleation and solidification kinetics in undercooled melts and the developing microstructure) and thermophysical properties of liquid metallic alloys at high temperatures.

Cygnus Cargo Operations: Today, the USOS Crew participated in a Cygnus cargo conference with ground specialists. Once complete, all three worked on transferring cargo from the Cygnus vehicle to ISS.

Crew Handover: The 45S crew participated in a handover from Kelly regarding lessons learned, and suggested on-orbit practices related to ISS systems and payloads. Kelly also provided some generic safety reminders and a review of the exercise equipment.

Quote

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
MT Translation troubleshooting

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 12/18: VEG-01, CIR Ops, Cygnus Cargo Ops
Saturday, 12/19: 60P Undocking, Crew Off Duty, Weekly Cleaning
Sunday, 12/20: 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 - Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Idle
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-17-december-2015.html

Space Station Live: Recycling Milestone on Orbit

video is 16:14 min., very interesting

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

Sunset On The Space Station's Back Porch

JEM Exposed Facility NASA

Quote

Scott Kelly @StationCDRKelly Day 265. Soon will I rest. Earned it I have. Twilight is upon me.~#Yoda #GoodNight from @space_station! #YearInSpace

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/sunset-on-the-space-stations-back-porch.html

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

NASA Reviving Effort To Put Spare Orbiting Carbon Observatory Sensor on ISS

NASA once again plans to track carbon dioxide from the ISS using an instrument left over from the campaign to build the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, shown above entering a thermal vacuum chamber at Orbital ATK's Gilbert, Arizona, spacecraft factory prior to the satellite's 2014 launch. Credit: NASA

Quote

SAN FRANCISCO — With funding in the 2016 omnibus spending bill approved by House and Senate appropriators, NASA will be able to revive Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3, a dormant effort to measure carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere.

The OCO-3 program, using an instrument leftover from NASA’s campaign to build the free-flying Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 launched in 2014, will track carbon dioxide from its perch on the exterior of the International Space Station.

The project, which was on hold due to a lack of funding, is back in the budget because NASA’s Earth Science Division will receive nearly eight percent more money in 2016 than it did in 2015 if the congressional budget pact is signed by President Barack Obama. “We hopefully will launch OCO-3 in the 2018 timeframe,” Michael Freilich, NASA’s Earth Science Division director said Dec. 16 during his annual Town Hall meeting at the American Geophysical Union conference here.

It’s a timely programmatic change given the recently concluded United Nations COP 21 climate conference, the Paris meeting where NASA representatives used a high-resolution Hyperwall in the U.S. section of the venue to share the space agency’s observations on the changing climate.

NASA’s Earth observation capabilities will play a role in helping international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the wake of the conference, although it is too early to say exactly what that role will be, said Jack Kaye, NASA Earth science associate director for research, who attended the Paris meeting. “The science we have been doing leaves us well-positioned to contribute in a significant way to what is going to happen internationally,” he said.

Freilich added that NASA is “uniquely suited to accurately and transparently monitor all aspects of the Earth system. We are often the credible and open provider of information to show policymakers if policies are working or not.”

If the new NASA budget is signed into law, the Earth Science Division will receive $1.92 billion in 2016 compared with $1.77 billion appropriated in 2015. That money will allow NASA to begin building one or two space station instruments to demonstrate key technologies of the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory, a high-priority mission identified in the Earth Science Decadal Survey of 2007. Those instruments could be sent to the space station “perhaps as soon as 2019,” Freilich said.

more at...

http://spacenews.com/nasa-reviving-effort-to-put-spare-orbiting-carbon-observatory-sensor-on-iss/

6,181 · December 18, 2015

Docking Problems being Analyzed

Quote

Although there was no immediate official explanation for the aborted automated rendezvous between the Soyuz TMA-19M and the ISS, a commentator with the Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine quickly narrowed down a culprit in the failure of the DPO-B No. 20 attitude-control thruster. This small engine is a part of the two independent engine clusters known as Circuit 1 and Circuit 2. Distributed around the ship's instrument module, PAO, both groups of small engines are used to fine-tune the spacecraft's orientation in space and to conduct low-thrust maneuvers. The particular engine provides a sideway thrust along -Y axis in the ship's coordinate system.

As the available video and audio footage reveals, at a distance of around 17 meters from the station, an alarm sounded in the Soyuz's cockpit, while the overlay display on the rendezvous camera showed "No SDK (combustion chamber pressure or valve signal) along -Y axis (K1B)." The K1B likely stands for Collector 1 (Circuit 1). That alarm was followed by another warning, which can be translated as "Total failure of the K1B circuit." In addition, the "A: DPOB 20" message, indicating a problem with the particular thruster and the numeric code for the failure type was also displayed.

Immediately thereafter, the Soyuz began backing away from the station still under the automated control. Malenchenko reported to mission control that the crew received the DPOB 20-type failure.

For a reason yet to be explained, the automated system apparently failed to switch to a backup circuit available just for such a contingency.

After switching to manual controls, it took the Soyuz commander two attempts to put the spacecraft into right orientation and complete the docking. During the first try, the spacecraft began a seemingly faster-than-normal approach to the station and then, suddenly, turned sideways just meters from the docking port and deviated from its approach.

Fortunately, Malenchenko quickly managed to stabilize the spacecraft, restore its alignment with a docking port on the Rassvet module and complete the second manual docking attempt.

Shortly after docking, Malenchenko explained mission control that during his first manual approach attempt he could not see the docking port clear enough and only realized the problem at the last minute.

According to the Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine, a similar problem with DPO thrusters also prevented an automated docking of the Progress M-05M cargo ship in 2010 and required the crew onboard the station to use the remote control to complete the process.

Close-call docking scrutinized

According to veterans of the Russian space program who witnessed the failed manual docking attempt between the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft and the ISS, a potential disaster was narrowly avoided which is reminiscent of the nearly catastrophic collisionbetween the Mir space station and a Progress cargo ship in 1997.

Although the investigation of the incident during docking on December 15 identified the technical problem that had caused the failure of the automated rendezvous process, serious questions are also being raised about the actions of the crew and mission control in emergency, industry sources said.

The Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko, one of the most experienced space flyers in the Russian cosmonaut corps, took over controls immediately after the automated system had commanded the Soyuz to back away from the station after bringing the ship within just 17 meters from its destination.

Not surprisingly, Malenchenko's actions during his initial nearly disastrous manual docking attempt came under scrutiny to identify possible pilot errors. According to industry sources, the Soyuz commander's problems likely stem from poor lighting, which prevented him from clearly seeing docking targets on the MIM1 Rassvet module. Yet, instead of waiting for better conditions, the pilot pressed ahead with a nearly blind approach only to find his ship positioned out of alignment with the docking port and moving above the speed limit for safe berthing, sources said. The ship's Kurs rendezvous antenna also apparently lost its lock on the target. Critics suggest that the pilot might have been under pressure from mission control to complete docking as soon as possible.

At the time of the aborted automated approach, the Soyuz was around three minutes from entering Earth's shadow, which would require to conduct all manual operations under night-time conditions. Moreover, in another 15 minutes, the Soyuz and ISS would go out of range of communications with the mission control in Korolev.

At the peak of the crisis, the flight director for the Russian segment of the ISS Vladimir Soloviev, himself a veteran of two space missions and a towering figure in the Russian space establishment, called on the crew, essentially jumping over both, the head of the on-duty team, SRP, and the chief communications officer. Although Soloviev is well known for his hands-on management style, critics charged that his involvement could place an undue sense of urgency on Malenchenko, at a time when a calm and collected response was needed. In any case, Malenchenko failed to do something he had done hundreds of times in the simulator, critics charged. Fortunately, within minutes after the near collision, Malenchenko was able to stabilize the spacecraft and complete the second manual docking attempt successfully.

Engineers are now analyzing all the available telemetry, as well as video and audio data in order to recreate the exact sequence of events and to model the Soyuz' approach trajectory during the botched docking attempt.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/iss-soyuz-tma19m.html#probe

6,181 · December 18, 2015

Astronauts May Take Surprise Spacewalk to Fix Space Station: NASA

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is seen during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Nov. 6, 2015. He and crewmate Tim Kopra will likely perform a surprise spacewalk on Monday, Dec. 21, to repair the station's stuck Mobile Transporter.
Credit: NASA

Quote

Astronauts on the International Space Station will likely take an unplanned spacewalk next week to fix a stuck railcar used by the orbiting lab's robotic arm, NASA officials said today (Dec. 18).

The surprise spacewalk could occur as early as Monday (Dec. 21) and would send NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra outside the space station to free the outpost's Mobile Transporter railcar, which stopped moving on Wednesday (Dec. 16) while under remote control by flight controllers on Earth. The problem must be fixed before the arrival of an unmanned Russian Progress cargo ship on Dec. 23.

NASA engineers suspect the stalled railcar is the result of a stuck brake handle, according to Kenny Todd, the station's Mission Integration and Operations Manager at NASA's Mission Control center in Houston.

The space station's Mobile Transporter is a rail-based platform that runs much of the length of the space station's main truss, allowing the station's robotic arm to reach most of the orbiting lab. Right now, the railcar is just 4 inches (10 centimeters) from its intended latch point — near the center of the station's main truss — where it can be securely locked into place and powered ahead of the Progress cargo ship arrival.

The robotic cargo ship, called Progress 62, is scheduled to launch toward the space station from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 3:44 a.m. EST (0833 GMT). It is due to dock itself at the station two days later, on Dec. 23, at 5:31 a.m. EST (1031 GMT).

In a NASA TV interview, Todd said engineers will evaluate the stuck railcar and devise a plan to free it over the weekend. The space station management team will meet on Sunday (Dec. 20) to decide whether to go ahead with the spacewalk on Monday, or push it to Tuesday (Dec. 22).

NASA will televise the spacewalk live.

The spacewalk repair should take up to 3.5 hours, Todd said.

The surprise spacewalk next week will be the 191st dedicated to space station assembly or repair. It will also be the third career spacewalk for Kelly and the second for Kopra.

The space station is currently home to six crewmembers: two Americans (Kelly and Kopra), three Russians and British astronaut Tim Peake, who represents the European Space Agency. Kopra, Peake and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko arrived at the space station on Tuesday (Dec. 15). They joined Kelly and cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov, who were already aboard.

Kelly and Kornienko are in the midst of a yearlong space mission that will end in March.

http://www.space.com/31416-surprise-spacewalk-repair-space-station.html

6,181 · December 19, 2015

Russian Cargo Spaceship Departs Station

The departure of the P60 this morning leaves four spacecraft docked to the orbital laboratory. Credit: NASA

Quote

A Russian resupply ship left the International Space Station today after 166 days attached to the Pirs docking compartment. The trash-filled Progress 60 (60P) undocked from Pirs at 2:35 a.m. EST/7:35 a.m. UTC and will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere a few hours later for a fiery destruction over the Pacific Ocean.

Pirs will remain vacant until Wednesday morning when a new delivery spaceship arrives and docks to it filled with science and supplies replenishing the Expedition 46 crew. Russia’s Progress 62 (62P) will take a two-day trip to the space station after launching Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:44 a.m. EST/8:44 a.m. UTC (2:44 p.m. Kazakh time).

Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Tim Kopra are expected to conduct a spacewalk a few hours after the launch to reposition the mobile transporter and lock it in place in advance of the 62P’s arrival to the station Wednesday morning. Live NASA Television Monday will resume at 6:30 a.m. in advance of the spacewalk expected to begin at approximately 8:10 a.m.

The departure of the 60P this morning leaves four spacecraft docked to the orbital laboratory. The Soyuz TMA-18M crew spaceship is docked to the Poisk module. The Soyuz TMA-19M is docked to the Rassvet module. A Progress 61 cargo craft is docked to the Zvezda service module. The Cygnus private space freighter from the U.S. company Orbital ATK is berthed to the Unity module.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/12/19/russian-cargo-spaceship-departs-station/

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

Quote

Progress M-28M undocked from ISS on December 19, 2015, at 10:35 Moscow Time (2:35 a.m. EST). The deorbiting maneuver was initiated at 13:42 Moscow Time (5:42 a.m. EST) with its surviving debris predicted to fall into the Pacific Ocean at 14:28 Moscow Time (6:28 a.m. EST).

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-m28m.html#deorbit

ISS: Progress M-28M cargo spacecraft undocks from space station

video is 2:30 min.

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

Expedition 45 Astronauts Kelly and Kopra to Perform 'Unplanned' EVA on Monday

Spaceewalker Steve Smith works near the Mobile Transporter (MT), shortly after its installation on STS-110 in April 2002. Photo Credit: NASA

Quote

Only days after his successful launch into orbit and safe docking at the International Space Station (ISS), newly-arrived Expedition 46 resident Tim Kopra of NASA is expected to join Commander Scott Kelly tomorrow (Monday, 21 December) for an “Unplanned EVA” lasting somewhere between three and 3.5 hours to secure the stalled Mobile Transporter (MT). The transporter was in the process of being moved between two worksites on the expansive Integrated Truss Structure (ITS), when it stalled late on Wednesday, and needs to be secured in readiness for station maneuvers in support of the launch and arrival of Russia’s Progress-MS cargo ship early next week. As noted in a previous AmericaSpace article, the increment of Kopra, his Russian crewmate Yuri Malenchenko and Britain’s first “official” astronaut, Tim Peake, was expected to involve multiple EVAs, but not quite so soon after their arrival at the station.

In fact, with the exception of visiting shuttle construction flights, Monday’s EVA will mark one of the soonest into a mission that a long-duration ISS crew member has ever performed a spacewalk. During STS-102 in March 2001, incoming Expedition 2 astronauts Jim Voss and Susan Helms ventured outside the nascent ISS for a record-breaking eight hours and 56 minutes, just three days after leaving Earth. Several years later, in December 2006, Expedition 14 resident Suni Williams participated in an EVA, a week into her six-month increment, and was followed by newly-arrived Expedition 16’s Dan Tani during the STS-120 mission in October 2007. More recently, Tim Kopra himself undertook an EVA with STS-127 astronaut Dave Wolf on 18 July 2009, just three days after launch, on the cusp of his two-month Expedition 20 increment. So too did fellow astronaut Nicole Stott, in the days after she flew to the station aboard STS-128, later that same summer.

Kopra, launched last Tuesday aboard Soyuz TMA-19M with Malenchenko and Peake, has accrued five hours and 32 minutes from his STS-127 spacewalk and would thus have been in prime position to undertake an already planned series of U.S. EVAs in the opening months of 2016. As detailed last week by AmericaSpace, U.S. EVA-34 is tentatively planned for 15-19 January and will involve the removal and replacement of the failed Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU), belonging to Power Channel 1B on the S-6 truss segment. Depending upon SpaceX’s Dragon launch manifest, this would be followed by two more U.S. EVAs in April to install and activate NASA’s International Docking Adapter (IDA)-2 at the forward port of the station’s Harmony node and perform other as-yet-unconfirmed tasks.

more at the link...

http://www.americaspace.com/?p=89844#more-89844

6,181 · December 20, 2015

Photos: Soyuz Rocket rolls to Pad with first Progress MS Spacecraft

Quote

A Soyuz 2-1A rocket rolls to the launch pad at Site 31/6 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 19, 2015 in preparation for the launch of the first Progress MS cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.

http://spaceflight101.com/photos-soyuz-rocket-rolls-to-pad-with-first-progress-ms-spacecraft/

Roscosmos

RSC Energia

Many more images at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/photos-soyuz-rocket-rolls-to-pad-with-first-progress-ms-spacecraft/

ISS Progress 62 assembly in hanger, video is 2:24 min.

Quote

Dec. 21Soyuz • Progress 62P

Launch time: 0844 GMT (3:44 a.m. EST)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 62nd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Moved forward from Feb. 12. Delayed from Nov. 19 and Nov. 21. [Nov. 29]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

Quote

Today, December 17, the first cargo transportation spacecraft of the new series Progress MS developed and built by RSC Energia was transported as a part of the upper composite to the site where it will be integrated with the launch vehicle Soyuz-2.1.

The transportation was done by rail. Final assembly operations are scheduled for December 18 (Friday) in the launch vehicle processing facility with the framework of preparations for a launch under the International Space Station (ISS) Program.

Taking part in the activities at Baikonur launch site are specialists from RSC Energia and other leading companies in the rocket and space industry involved in the development and processing of the Soyuz-2.1/Progress MS stack.

The launch of launch vehicle Soyuz-2.1 carrying the Progress-MS logistics spacecraft is scheduled for December 21 from Area 31 of the Baikonur launch site. This will be the first launch of a transportations spacecraft belonging to the new series “MS”.

The upgraded cargo spacecraft will deliver to the ISS about 2.5 tons of cargo, including dry cargo, propellant, water and compressed oxygen.

The new-series transportation spacecraft Progress MS and Soyuz MS were developed as a result of a radical upgrade of Progress M and Soyuz TMA spacecraft.

Most of the engineering solutions incorporated into the design of Soyuz MS and Progress MS spacecraft will be used in the design of the new-generation Crew Transportation Spacecraft (CTS), which is currently under development at RSC Energia.

http://spacefellowship.com/news/art46650/the-new-series-progress-ms-is-sent-to-final-integration.html

6,181 · December 21, 2015

Rocket Ready to Launch for Final Christmas Delivery

The Progress 62 Rocket stands at its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: RSC Energia

Quote

Beginning Monday, Dec. 21 at 3:30 a.m. EST, NASA Television will provide live coverage of the launch of a Russian Progress spacecraft carrying more than three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 46 crew aboard the International Space Station. Launch of ISS Progress 62 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is planned for 3:44 a.m. (2:44 p.m. local time in Baikonur).

Following a 34-orbit, two-day trip, Progress 62 is scheduled to arrive at the Pirs Docking Compartment of the International Space Station at 5:31 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23. The two-day rendezvous was deliberately planned to enable Russian flight controllers to test new software and communications equipment on the vehicle that will be standard for future Progress and piloted Soyuz spacecraft. The Expedition 46 crew will monitor key events during Progress 62’s automated rendezvous and docking.

The Progress will spend more than six months at the station before departing in early July 2016.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/12/20/rocket-ready-to-launch-for-final-christmas-delivery/

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

Upgraded Progress MS set for ISS launch

Quote

The first of the upgraded Russian Progress resupply vehicles is set to launch atop the Soyuz 2-1A from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 08:44 UTC. The Progress 62 (Progress MS 431) spacecraft will deliver 2.5 tons of cargo, including dry cargo, propellant, water and compressed oxygen – with docking expected to take place on Wednesday.

Progress MS Launch:

Progress resupply vehicles have been making important logistical runs throughout the lifetime of the International Space Station. Their history ranges back as far as the 1970s.

The Progress has received several major upgrades over its lifetime, with the Progress launching Monday the first of the MS range.

This revamped vehicle now sports an external compartment that enables it to deploy small satellites, improved MMOD (Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris protection, improved redundancy, communication links and navigation.

It also has a new TV camera which should aid views of the vehicle arriving at the Station, which will also have practical uses for controllers and those on board the Station, especially if manual control is required, should the Kurs NA digital system – also new for the Progress – fails.

An automated docking failure during the recent arrival of the latest Soyuz (TMA-19M) resulted in Yuri Malenchenko taking control of the spacecraft prior to a successful docking last week.

Unlike Soyuz TMA-19M – and a number of recent Progress vehicles – this latest resupply run won’t be docking six hours after launch. Instead, it will utilize the usual two-day rendezvous, which will also make way for an unplanned EVA that will take place on Monday.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/upgraded-progress-ms-iss-launch/

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

Unscheduled spacewalk on tap Monday

Quote

An unexpected, quickly-planned spacewalk is on tap Monday to troubleshoot a problem preventing the International Space Station’s robot arm transporter from reaching a worksite where it can be locked down, a requirement before a Russian Progress cargo ship can dock later in the week.

The Progress MS-01/62P supply craft is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:44:39 a.m. EST Monday (GMT-5; 2:44 p.m. local time). It is the first of two planned flights by Russian space freighters utilizing a full suite of upgraded avionics and navigation gear. If all goes well, the new hardware and software will be used aboard piloted Soyuz spacecraft starting next summer.

The Progress launched Monday will dock at the station’s Pirs module around 5:31 a.m. Wednesday, after Russian engineers check out the operation of the new systems during a 34-orbit rendezvous.

But first, a mobile transporter that runs along rails on the forward side of the station’s U.S. power truss must be locked in place. The lab’s robot arm currently is mounted on the mobile transporter and the shaking, or loads, imparted to the station during a docking could damage sensitive systems.

Flight controllers uplinked commands to move the transporter from worksite No. 4 to worksite No. 2 on the power truss last week, but the wheeled transporter stalled after moving about 4 inches. Engineers believe the brakes on one of two so-called CETA carts coupled to the transporter may be engaged, preventing the MT from moving.

To resolve the issue, Expedition 46 commander Scott Kelly and newly arrived flight engineer Timothy Kopra plan to venture outside the station Monday to make sure the brakes are disengaged and, if that fails to fix the problem, look at other possible solutions.

During a spacewalk Nov. 6, Kelly tied down a brake handle on the starboard CETA cart to minimize potential interference and it’s possible the brake somehow became re-engaged.

If that turns out to be the problem, the spacewalkers will simply release the brake and stand by while flight controllers send commands to move the mobile transporter back to worksite No. 4.

If the brake cannot be disengaged, the cart will be uncoupled and secured. Either way, the goal is to get the transporter back to work site No. 4 and firmly locked in place to clear the way for the Progress docking Wednesday.

The spacewalk is expected to take about three hours to complete. Depending on how it goes, flight controllers may add a few “get-ahead” tasks to the crew’s timeline. One possibility is ongoing installation of power and data cables that are part of a long-range plan to add new docking mechanisms to the station.

This will be the 191st spacewalk devoted to station assembly and maintenance since construction began in 1998, the seventh so far this year, the third for Kelly in the past month and a half and the second for Kopra, who carried out an EVA in 2009 during an earlier station mission.

For identification, Kelly, wearing a spacesuit with red stripes, will use the call sign EV-1. Kopra, call sign EV-2, will be wearing an unmarked suit. The spacewalk is expected to begin around 8:10 a.m. Monday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/20/unscheduled-spacewalk-on-tap-monday/

EVA approved to free stuck CETA cart outside ISS

indepth analysis os the system and repairs approaches....

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/nasa-eva-free-stuck-ceta-cart-iss/

6,181 · December 21, 2015

Modernized Russian cargo ship heads for space station

Quote

Russia’s Progress supply ship got an upgrade with a successful cargo launch to the International Space Station on Monday.

The Progress MS spacecraft enclosed within the Soyuz rocket’s nose shroud lifted off at 0844:39 GMT (3:44:39 a.m. EST) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, beginning a two-day chase of the International Space Station set to conclude with an orbital linkup at 1031 GMT (5:31 a.m. EST) Wednesday.

The cargo capsule blasted off from the snow-covered cosmodrome on a Soyuz-2.1a rocket, a configuration of the venerable Soyuz launcher featuring a digital flight control system and a modified third stage.

The supply ship’s launch marks the first flight of the Soyuz-2.1a with a Progress spacecraft since an April launch failure Russian investigators blamed on the the botched separation of the logistics carrier. Engineers concluded a design flaw led to out-of-bounds loads that led to the structural failure of the third stage.

The problem is apparently only a concern on Soyuz-2.1a launches with Progress cargo carriers. Flights of the modernized rocket with other satellites have not encountered the same phenomenon.

Russian dispatched Progress cargo ships in July and October on an older version of the Soyuz rocket without incident.

The Progress MS spaceship had no trouble with its trip into orbit Monday, and a NASA spokesperson confirmed it was released into orbit as scheduled less than 10 minutes after departing Baikonur. The craft’s solar panels and navigation antennas extended as planned moments after separating from the Soyuz rocket’s third stage, the spokesperson said.

The automated Progress MS spacecraft is the first Russian supply ship to test several upgrades that engineers plan to eventually fly on crewed Soyuz capsules.

The changes include an upgraded command and telemetry system, new digital communications equipment to improve video links with the space station during its rendezvous with the outpost, and a backup motion control system for the Progress spacecraft’s manual control system, which cosmonauts on the station would use to take over if its autopilot failed during docking.

The Progress MS series of spacecraft also carry an improved Kurs rendezvous radar, which feeds range closure rate data to the capsule’s computers during approach to the space station. A radio link with Russian data relay satellites in geostationary orbit is also installed on the new generation of Progress vehicles, allowing communications between the spacecraft and ground controllers even when it is flying outside the range of ground stations on Russian territory, according to Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.

The spaceship’s navigation system, space debris shielding and spotlight also see improvements, along with the mechanism that firmly latches the cargo capsule to the space station after docking.

But the Progress spaceship launched Monday bears little difference from previous Progress cargo spacecraft in outward appearance.

The Progress supply ship is an uncrewed variant of the human-rated Soyuz capsule, which will fly with the same upgrades for the first time with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard in June.

Russian managers delayed Monday’s launch a month from Nov. 21 to finish reviews into the April launch failure and ensure the Progress MS mission would not encounter the same issues.

The Progress MS mission, also known as Progress 62P in the space station program’s flight sequence, will deliver 5,753 pounds of supplies — about 2.6 metric tons — to the space station’s Expedition 46 crew.

The cargo manifest includes 1,918 pounds of propellant to be pumped into the space station’s Zvezda service module, 57 pounds of oxygen and 48 pounds of air to replenish the research lab’s atmosphere, 926 pounds of water, and 2,804 pounds of dry cargo, such as crew provisions, food, spare parts and experiments.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/21/russian-cargo-ship-launching-to-space-station-monday/

The 2 day (34 orbit) route was used instead of the 6 hour, to allow multiple tests on the new progress ship. This will include multiple engine starts and avionics checks....good decision to be thorough....

ISS Progress 62 - Soyuz-2.1а launches Progress MS

video is 1:54 min.

Quote

Progress-MS to embark on its first mission

The Soyuz-2-1a rocket carrying the 7,290-kilogram Progress MS cargo ship lifted off from Pad 6 at Site 31 in Baikonur on December 21, 2015, at 11:44:39.465 Moscow Time (3:44 a.m. EST).

Following the vertical liftoff, the launch vehicle headed eastward from Baikonur to match an orbital inclination of 51.66 degrees. The spacecraft separated from the third stage of the launch vehicle into a 193 by 245-kilometer parking orbit at 11:53:26.93 Moscow Time (3:53 a.m. EST). At the time, the ISS was in a 399.18 by 416.14-kilometer orbit, separated by 334.3 degrees from the cargo ship.

Progress-MS will follow a two-day rendezvous profile to test its new electronics and communications systems. It will conduct two engine firings during its third orbit on the first day of the mission one additional maneuver on the 18th orbit, on the second day of the flight.

The docking at the Pirs Docking Compartment, the part of the Russian segment of the ISS is scheduled for December 23, 2015, at 13:31:29 Moscow Time (5:31 a.m. EST).

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms.html

6,181 · December 21, 2015

Astronauts Make Quick Work of Short Spacewalk

Spacewalkers Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra work to move stalled robotic transporter before moving on to “get-ahead” tasks. Credit: NASA TV

Quote

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra ended their spacewalk at 11:01 a.m. EST with the repressurization of the U.S. Quest airlock after accomplishing all objectives. They released brake handles on crew equipment carts on either side of the space station’s mobile transporter rail car so it could be latched in place ahead of Wednesday’s docking of a Russian cargo resupply spacecraft. The ISS Progress 62 resupply mission launched at 3:44 a.m. EST this morning (2:44 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

After quickly completing their primary objective for the spacewalk, Kelly and Kopra tackled several get-ahead tasks. Kelly routed a second pair of cables in preparation for International Docking Adapter installment work to support U.S. commercial crew vehicles, continuing work he began during a November spacewalk. Kopra routed an Ethernet cable that ultimately will connect to a Russian laboratory module. They also retrieved tools that had been in a toolbox on the outside of the station, so they can be used for future work.

The three-hour and 16-minute spacewalk was the third for Kelly, who is nine months into a yearlong mission and the second for Kopra, who arrived to the station Dec. 15. It was the 191st in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Crew members have now spent a total of 1,195 hours and 20 minutes working outside the orbital laboratory.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/12/21/astronauts-make-quick-work-of-short-spacewalk/

EVA successfully frees stuck CETA cart outside ISS

Quote

An unplanned spacewalk has been completed on the ISS, successfully fixing a stuck transportation cart outside the station. The hardware was preventing the movement of a robotic transporter along the station’s Truss. While not a critical safety issue, the situation was highly undesirable, hence a quick resolution was required. The EVA lasted three hours and 16 minutes.

Quote

EVA:

Following a meeting (20 December), the ISS Mission Management Team (IMMT) gave a GO for an EVA to attempt to free the stuck CETA cart, to occur Monday (21 December).

This EVA was planned to last around 3.5 hours, conducted by NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra.

The plan was to have the spacewalkers check that all the brake handles on the starboard CETA cart are not engaged, and if they are engaged, to release them.

That proved to be the case, as Kelly worked to put one of the brake handles back into a nominal configuration – allowing the MT to return to action.

The spacewalkers had to go about their work carefully, ensuring the CETA cart did not suddenly “jolt” when the brakes were disengaged, due to stored mechanical energy.

Once the spacewalkers verified that none of the brake handles were no longer engaged, ground controllers moved the MT back to WS-4, which indicated that the problem has been resolved. The MT is now back in a nominal configuration, with electrical power confirmed by the ground controllers.

Alternative options – no longer required – would have included the removal of the CETA cart from the Truss rails completely.

It was also possible to remove and replace each of the four Wheel/Brake Assemblies on the CETA cart.

It wasn’t known whether any of these methods would be attempted as a next step, had they been necessary.

With the stuck CETA cart resolved quickly, get-ahead tasks were available to the spacewalkers.

These included routing some International Docking Adapter (IDA) cables, and opening the Starboard Station Power Distribution Assembly (SPDA) doors to allow future robotic replacement of Remote Power Control Modules (RPCMs).

The shorter-than-usual spacewalk was completed with a Phase Elapsed Time (PET) of three hours and 16 minutes.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/nasa-eva-free-stuck-ceta-cart-iss/

6,181 · December 22, 2015

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 December 2015

NASA astronaut is seen floating during a spacewalk on Dec. 21, 2015. NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra released brake handles on crew equipment carts on either side of the space station’s mobile transporter rail car so it could be latched in place ahead of Wednesday’s docking of a Russian cargo resupply spacecraft. Kelly and Kopra also tackled several get-ahead tasks during their three hour, 16 minute spacewalk. Credit: NASA.

Quote

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra ended their spacewalk at 11:01 a.m. EST with the repressurization of the U.S. Quest airlock after accomplishing all objectives.

They released brake handles on crew equipment carts on either side of the space station's mobile transporter rail car so it could be latched in place ahead of Wednesday's docking of a Russian cargo resupply spacecraft. The ISS Progress 62 resupply mission launched at 3:44 a.m. EST this morning (2:44 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

After quickly completing their primary objective for the spacewalk, Kelly and Kopra tackled several get-ahead tasks. Kelly routed a second pair of cables in preparation for International Docking Adapter installment work to support U.S. commercial crew vehicles, continuing work he began during a November spacewalk. Kopra routed an Ethernet cable that ultimately will connect to a Russian laboratory module. They also retrieved tools that had been in a toolbox on the outside of the station, so they can be used for future work.

The three-hour and 16-minute spacewalk was the third for Kelly, who is nine months into a yearlong mission and the second for Kopra, who arrived to the station Dec. 15. It was the 191st in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory. Crew members have now spent a total of 1,195 hours and 20 minutes working outside the orbital laboratory.

Quote

62 Progress (62P) Launch: 62P successfully launched from the Baikonur, Kazakhstan Cosmodrome today at 2:44am CST. The vehicle will perform a 34-orbit rendezvous, with docking scheduled for Wednesday December 23 at 4:31am CST.

Quote

Ground Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

EVA Support
MT Translation

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Tuesday, 12:22: Cardox, EVA Debrief, Ocular Health, Circadian Rhythms
Wednesday, 12/23: 62P Docking, OCT Exams, EMU Loop Scrubs, SSU Test Setup
Thursday, 12/24: Ultrasound 2 Scan, Circadian Rhythms, NeuroMapping

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 - Idle
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-21-december-2015.html

Two whacks is all it takes for spacewalk repair

Quote

Two solid whacks to a stuck brake handle was all it took for a spacewalking American astronaut to fix a stalled rail car outside the International Space Station, NASA said Monday.

"That was pretty easy," Commander Scott Kelly said, according to a live broadcast of the spacewalk on NASA television, after he hit the stuck brake handle and got the car moving again.

Kelly and his fellow spacewalker, US flight engineer Tim Kopra, made swift work of the job and accomplished their main mission in less than an hour.

The mobile transporter rail car carries the robotic arm from one location to another on the outside of the orbiting lab.

It was fully latched back into place at 8:35 am (1335 GMT), just 50 minutes after the spacewalk began.

The rail car's brake was believed to have become stuck unexpectedly last week after it moved about four inches (10 centimeters) from its starting point.

The car needed to be latched in place so as not to interfere with the arrival of the Russian Progress supply ship on Wednesday.

After Kelly and Kopra moved the rail car, they routed cables to prepare for a new docking adapter for commercial cargo ships.

The shorter-than-usual spacewalk ended after three hours and 16 minutes, about half the duration of a regular outing.

Kelly is spending a year in space, along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, in order to study the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and mind.

The duo will return to Earth in March.

Monday's spacewalk was Kelly's third for his career, and was Kopra's second.

It was the 191st spacewalk in the history of building and maintaining the ISS.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Two_whacks_is_all_it_takes_for_spacewalk_repair_999.html

6,181 · December 23, 2015

Progress spaceship docks with International Space Station

The Progress MS-01 spacecraft is seen on final approach to the space station’s Pirs docking compartment. Credit: NASA TV

Quote

The first spacecraft in a new generation of Russian Progress cargo vehicles parked at the International Space Station on Wednesday, bringing a holiday delivery of more than 5,000 pounds of fuel, water and supplies for the research lab’s six-person crew.

The Progress MS-01 supply ship arrived at the space station’s Pirs module at 1027 GMT (5:27 a.m. EST) Wednesday after a two-day transit from a launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Docking occurred as the space station sailed 407 kilometers (253 miles) over western Mongolia.

The uncrewed cargo carrier took 2,436 kilograms, or about 5,370 pounds, of equipment and fluids to the space station for the outpost’s last supply delivery of the year.

According to a cargo manifest provided by Roscosmos — the Russian space agency — the Progress MS-01 mission took 880 kilograms (1,940 pounds) of propellant to the space station for refueling of the Zvezda service module and reboosts of the orbiting complex.

Also delivered Wednesday: 1,252 kilograms (2,760 pounds) of supplies and equipment in the Progress craft’s pressurized cargo hold, 420 kilograms (926 pounds) of water, 24 kilograms (52 pounds) of oxygen and 22 kilograms (48 pounds) of air.

The cargo mission, known as Progress 62P in the space station’s flight sequence, carried 379 kilograms (835 pounds) of Russian food rations, 199 kilograms (438 pounds) of napkins, waste containers and other sanitary equipment, 162 kilograms (357 pounds) of parts for the Russian power supply system, 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of medical and hygiene gear, and 35 kilograms (77 pounds) of batteries, hard drives and other support equipment.

The spacecraft blasted off aboard a Soyuz-2.1a rocket at 0844 GMT (3:44 a.m. EST) Monday, entering orbit less than 10 minutes later. The Progress MS-01 logistics freighter took a two-day trip to the space station — not the six-hour journey favored by Russian managers — to allow extra time test out new technologies installed on the spacecraft.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/23/progress-spaceship-docks-with-international-space-station/

LIVE: Progress cargo spacecraft docking to ISS

video is 37:25 Min.

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

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 December 2015

Quote

A pair of spacewalkers are cleaning up and reporting back to ground controllers after a short spacewalk Monday morning. A Christmas delivery is also due at the International Space Station Wednesday at 5:31 a.m. EST/10:31 a.m. UTC.

Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Tim Kopra quickly prepared over the weekend for the spacewalk to release a stalled robotic transporter. As the pair suited up in the Quest airlock Monday, a Progress 62 (62P) cargo spaceship launched on a two-day trip to deliver 2.8 tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 46 crew.

The stalled robotic transporter needed to be moved then latched to its worksite ahead of the Progress arrival triggering Monday's spacewalk. The Progress is a modified design and Russian mission controllers are testing its upgraded software and telemetry systems during its flight to the Pirs docking compartment.

Cosmonauts Yuri Malenchenko and Sergey Volkov are preparing for the Progress arrival by testing the TORU tele-robotic rendezvous system. The TORU system would be used in the unlikely event it would be necessary to manually guide the vehicle to a docking.

The crew also had time set aside for advanced space science today. The orbiting lab residents explored plant growth and life science as humans learn to live longer and farther in space.

Quote

Veg-01 Anomaly: Kelly refilled the Veg-01 plant pillows with water today. He noted an unexpected growth on the plants and sent pictures for ground experts to evaluate. In coordination with those experts he subsequently removed affected plant areas and double bagged and inserted them into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return to the ground. He also increased the Veggie facility fan speed to compensate for extra moisture observed in the pillows and on the plants. The Veg-01 investigation is used to assess on-orbit function and performance of the Veggie facility, focusing on the growth and development of seedlings in the spaceflight environment and the composition of microbial flora on the plants and the facility. For this run, Zinnias will be grown for 60 days and are expected to produce flowers.

Post-Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Activities: Today, USOS crewmembers participated in an EVA #34 debrief with ground specialists to discuss details of yesterday's EVA. In addition, Kelly and Kopra deconfigured the US Airlock following EVA operations and prepared Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) and equipment for stowage.

Quote

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 12/23: 62P Docking, OCT Exams, EMU Loop Scrubs, SSU test Setup
Thursday, 12/24: Ocular Health, Ultrasound 2 Scan, Circadian Rhythms, NeuroMapping
Friday, 12/25: Crew Holiday

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status

Elektron - Off
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 - Idle
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-22-december-2015.html

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

Docking analysis articles

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/upgraded-progress-ms-iss-launch/

and

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms.html

Quote

Event
Moscow Time

First contact
13:27:02

Mechanical capture
13:27:02

Movement of the docking mechanism probe (374.447 millimeters)
13:27:12

Connection of electric interface No. 1
13:30:29

Connection of electric interface No. 2
13:30:29

Connection of electric interface No. 3
13:30:29

Connection of electric interface No. 4
13:30:29

Peripheral interface closure
13:30:32

Docking port sealed off
13:31:28

Hooks locked
13:32:01

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms.html

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

Light Show in Las Vegas Skies – Soyuz Rocket Stage burns up over United States

Quote

Just days after the blazing re-entry of the rocket from the launch of a three-man crew to the International Space Station dazzled observers in Newfoundland and Labrador, another Soyuz rocket stage was spotted re-entering over North America. The fiery demise of the Block I third stage from this week’s Progress MS cargo craft launch was seen around 2:10 UTC on Wednesday from the west coast of the United States with sightings confirmed from California, Nevada and Arizona.

Soyuz Block I rocket stages are often seen re-entering the atmosphere because of the rapid launch rate of the Russian workhorse, having made 16 launches this year, and due to the fact that these rocket bodies often end up in short-lived orbits, especially for crewed Soyuz missions and Progress cargo flights to ISS. Being a sizeable object, the spent third stage puts on a spectacular show when re-entering in darkness, breaking up in a bright fireball that remains visible for around one minute.

http://spaceflight101.com/light-show-in-las-vegas-skies-soyuz-rocket-stage-burns-up-over-united-states/

Monster Fireball over Las Vegas

video is 0:48 min.

6,181 · December 24, 2015

Zinnia Flowers Starting to Grow on the International Space Station

Zinnia Flowers Starting to Grow on the International Space Station. NASA

Quote

Zinnia flowers are starting to grow in the International Space Station's Veggie facility as part of the VEG-01 investigation. Veggie provides lighting and nutrient supply for plants in the form of a low-cost growth chamber and planting "pillows" to provide nutrients for the root system.

These plants appear larger than their ground-based counterparts and scientists expect buds to form on the larger plants soon.

The Veggie facility supports a variety of plant species that can be cultivated for educational outreach, fresh food and even recreation for crew members on long-duration missions. Previously, the facility has grown lettuce -- which was consumed by the crew earlier this year -- and now investigators are attempting to grow Zinnia flowers. Understanding how flowering plants grow in microgravity can be applied to growing other edible flowering plants, such as tomatoes.

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/zinnia-flowers-starting-to-grow-on-the-international-space-station.html

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

University researchers test prototype spacesuits at Kennedy

Travis Nelson, a graduate researcher at the University of North Dakota, adjusts the sleeves on the NDX-1 spacesuit while Pablo De Leon, left, of the university's Department of Space Studies adjusts the neck ring. Image courtesy NASA and Dmitri Gerondidakis. For a larger version of this image please go here.

Quote

The spacesuits astronauts will wear while exploring the surface of Mars will protect the person inside, supply air and water, and be flexible enough that astronauts can dig samples and do the other tasks required. Those are big jobs for a device that sounds like something someone might pick out of a closet and zip on like a heavy parka. That's why engineers from the University of North Dakota who are evaluating their suit design at Kennedy would really prefer a different term.

"'Suit' is really kind of a misnomer," said Pablo De Leon, the researcher leading this week's evaluations. "Containing a human being into anything is very complex, so we have a spacesuit which is really a miniaturized spacecraft, and it has to be built in a way that is mobile, fairly comfortable and lets you work. It's really much more of a machine."

The prototype De Leon and his team are analyzing is called the NDX-1. The suit is good for trying different technologies but is not necessarily a product that would work as-is on another world. That's why researchers are taking deliberate and innovative steps to test carefully to show different possibilities. During the suit performance tests, the team also will evaluate self-developed surface sampling tools that were based on Apollo-era designs.

NASA's Johnson Space Center designed and built two spacesuit prototypes, known as the Prototype Exploration Suite (PXS), for use in low- and zero-gravity, and the Z-2, which is testing mobility technology for surface exploration of Mars. NASA's prototype suits focus on technology demonstrations for a planetary surface suit, improving suit fit and performance, and upgrades to the life support systems while minimizing the amount of equipment required to keep the suit operational.

Using modern, lightweight materials, the NDX-1 is meant to be a self-contained machine that could protect astronauts from the cold Martian atmosphere and dust storms. With a rusty orange color and black ribbing, the prototype suit also is designed to let them drill into the surface to gather samples, excavate rocks and generally conduct the first human explorations of the Red Planet.

"Our intention is to advance the state-of-the-art in spacesuit designs and engineering and try to provide solutions for tomorrow's explorers," De Leon said. "We are just trying to help NASA and the contractors to get an easier task when they start to look at other designs. If it's a new joint that we contribute, or a way to close a suit or a new boot, then we will feel happy because we have played our part."

After conducting tests throughout the American southwest and other desert areas, the researchers came down to Florida to try it out in the regolith simulant bin at Swamp Works, an enclosed area filled with soil that is similar to that found on worlds other than Earth. It carries the same fine, talcum powder texture that was found on the moon and holds up well in comparison to materials known to be on Mars.

"We're glad to open our doors to the NDX-1 team," said Jack Fox, chief of Kennedy's science and technology projects division. "Swamp Works is a one-of-a-kind facility, and we're happy to help the team advance this technology that could ultimately benefit NASA and future explorers."

Enabling this kind of advance testing of technologies fits with NASA's history of developing and testing transformative capabilities and cutting-edge exploration technologies, maturing them from early stages to drive innovation.

For designers, the regolith bin offers a realistic simulation as joints and other components could become contaminated during a real mission with astronauts far from home.

"What you guys have here is an amazing asset for all future exploration," De Leon said. "We really believe that a trip to Mars will require the best abilities of the nation. The students and researchers are getting real training in a real-world scenario and doing research. They will become better prepared, and they will be ready."

The tests at Kennedy will compare the NDX-1 suit and a second prototype that is somewhat heavier and moves a bit differently but offers a different kind of protection. Engineers want to see if the difference in designs wears people out quicker, is perhaps too awkward for some work or, in fact, functions substantially better.

"The design of the suit is something that takes time," De Leon said. "Normally, we need two to three years to go from first preliminary concept to having a spacesuit in a preliminary test. You're never finished. We will always be trying to improve to make it better and better."

Some of the funding for the University of North Dakota's spacesuit research has been provided through NASA's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, which establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, research and development capacity, and hence, its national research and development competitiveness.

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/University_researchers_test_prototype_spacesuits_at_Kennedy_999.html

6,181 · December 24, 2015

Space Station Receives New Space Tool to Help Locate Ammonia Leaks

The IRELL tool could help mission operators sniff out and locate potential leaks that might occur on the space station thermal control system. Image courtesy NASA/Chris Gunn. For a larger version of this image please go here.

Quote

Nobody wants a spacecraft to spring a leak - but if it happens, the best thing you can do is locate and fix it, fast. That's why NASA launched the International Space Station (ISS) Robotic External Leak Locator (IRELL), a new tool that could help mission operators detect the location of an external leak and rapidly confirm a successful repair.

The IRELL launched to the space station aboard the fourth Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services Flight (CRS-4). The tool will be put through a series of tests to evaluate its performance and determine its capabilities as a leak locator for the orbiting space laboratory.

If IRELL's concept is proven successful, the robotic tool could potentially greatly reduce the time that astronauts spend on spacewalks finding and repairing external leaks on the ISS. Future versions of IRELL could also potentially support other programs and vehicles operating in low Earth orbit and beyond.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/progress-ms-inbound-for-docking/

Cargo manifest...

Quote

“Refueling Propellant for Transfer to ISS Tanks 718kg

Pressurized Oxygen for ISS Repressurization 24kg

Pressurized Air for ISS Repressurization 22kg

Water inside Rodnik Tank 420kg

Total Dry Cargo Mass 1,252kg

Atmospheric Maintenance System (gas analysis equipment, carbon monoxide sensor & filter etc.) 5kg

Water System Components (purification columns, water separator, EDV Tank, Rodnik Tank accessories, filter, hoses, etc.) 196kg

Sanitary & Hygiene Equipment (Russian Toilet Replaceable Parts, solid waste containers, pump separator hardware, wipes, etc.) 199kg

Medical Supplies (medical aid kits, medical monitoring system, crew clothing, cleaning supplies, countermeasures, etc.) 60kg

Food Provisions (food containers, fresh food, etc.) 379kg

Thermal Control System Hardware 6kg

Electrical Power System Hardware (Battery Block) 162kg

Personal Protective Gear (Replaceable elements…) 17kg

Fire Extinguisher 7kg

Maintenance supplies (cargo bags, liners, batteries, etc.) 8kg

Crew Support (flight data files,care packages for the crew, video & still cameras, etc.) 35kg

Science Payloads 19kg

Zarya Module Equipment (Dust Collectors, Sanitary Wipes for surface disinfection) 8kg

Pirs and Poisk Module Outfitting Hardware (Fire Protection, Sanitary Wipes, Fire Protection 28kg

American Cargo for Russian Crew (food, clothing, hygiene items, crew preference items) 85kg

American Cargo for USOS Crew (Food, Waste Disposal System Components, Hygiene Equipment, ESA Hardware) 38kg

Total Cargo Upmass 2,436kg

http://spaceflight101.com/progress-ms/progress-ms-cargo-manifest/

Progress MS Spacecraft Details

http://spaceflight101.com/spacecraft/progress-ms/

6,181 · December 28, 2015

slow day...bits and bytes

Quote

The time in the EXIF data of the photo and the position exactly matched with where the ISS was located at that time. That means I managed to make a self-portrait with the Milk Way, the Perseid shower AND the ISS all in a capture of only 20 seconds.

http://petapixel.com/2015/08/10/how-i-accidentally-captured-the-iss-in-a-self-portrait/

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

Quote

Astrophotographer Laura Austin captured this stunning image of the ISS streaking through Orion's Belt on Sept. 10, 2015 from Sarnia, Ontaria, Canada.

http://www.space.com/30803-101-best-night-sky-photos-2015.html

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

here is an "oldie"...but a great shot...

Quote

Image of the solar transit of the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Atlantis (50 minutes after undocking from the ISS, before return to Earth), taken from the area of Mamers (Normandie, France) on september 17th 2006 at 13h 38min 50s UT.

Takahashi TOA-150 refractor (diameter 150mm, final focal 2300mm), Baader helioscope and Canon 5D. Exposure of 1/8000s at 50 ISO, extracted from a series of 14 images (3 images/s) started 2s before the predicted time.

http://www.astrophoto.fr/iss_atlantis_transit.html

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

mmmmmmmm.........

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

Quote

Here’s one you won’t see in the book, at least until we figure out a way to render gifs on paper. Ever the Canadian, Hadfield plays with a hockey puck in orbit. No word on whether any space agency has figured out a way to send Labatt Blue into orbit.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/g1662/12-gorgeous-pictures-from-the-iss/?slide=8

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

Scott Kelly caught a sprite on August 10th, 2015

http://www.techinsider.io/red-sprite-lightning-photographed-from-space-2015-8

here is a shot of a sprite, taken from a plane...

http://www.techinsider.io/red-sprite-lightning-photographed-from-space-2015-8

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

Quote

A montage of images taken during the lunar eclipse on September 28, 2015, as see from Rambouillet, France. ISS transit duration (total): 1.7 seconds. This is the first time an ISS transit has been photographed during an eclipse. Credit and copyright: Thierry Legault.

http://www.universetoday.com/122573/first-lunar-eclipse-ever-photographed-with-a-transit-of-the-iss/

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

Rare 'Sun That Didn't Set' Seen From Space Station | Time-Lapse Video

video is 0:52 min

All Alone in the Night - Time-lapse footage of the Earth as seen from the ISS

video is 2:29 min

Quote

Using images from the original time-lapse sequence on the International Space Station (ISS), editor David Peterson assembled an awe-inspiring montage of what it looks like to fly over planet Earth at night.

In order, the geography you are seeing here is the western coast of North and South America, the north to south area over Florida, the Bahamas and Caribbean islands, Southeast Asia and Philippine sea, Western Europe (France through Italy, Greece and Turkey). The last three auroras, the bright glows, are Aurora Austalis, going firstly over the Indian Ocean and approaching Australia, then over a wider space of the Indian Ocean, then somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

http://www.wimp.com/spacecamera/

unrelated to the above...but...neat

Curiosity Sees Earth and Moon From Mars | Video

video is 1:19 min.

6,181 · December 28, 2015

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/24/15

Quote

Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Status: This morning, crew reported that one of the two Vibration Isolation System dashpots on the left side of ARED was broken at the rod end. As a result, the crew was unable to perform morning session ARED exercises. Kopra and Kelly subsequently changed out the left and right side dashpots utilizing newer, more robust designed replacements to restore ARED functionality.

Spare Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) Checkout Teardown: Following yesterday’s successful checkout of the spare SSU, Peake removed power and data cables, then stowed the spare SSU. In addition, he relocated the Station Support Computer (SSC) used for the checkout back to its original location in Node 3. The SSU was declared GO to replace SSU 1B during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) planned for January 15th

Quote

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 12/25: Crew Holiday

Saturday, 12/26: Crew Off Duty, Weekly Cleaning

Sunday, 12/27: 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 Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle

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

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2015/12/24/iss-daily-summary-report-122415/

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

Buffalo students launching spud into space with NASA

Quote

Three Buffalo middle school students have posed an intriguing question that’s getting attention in the most prominent scientific circles: Can potatoes grow in space?

The students will get the chance to find out – with NASA’s help.

The pupils from Hamlin Park School 74 – Gabriella Melendez, Toriana Cornwell and Shaniylah Welch – recently won a competition to send their science experiment into space. It will be launched to the International Space Station next year.

Their project, “Tuber Growth in Microgravity,” will test whether a potato can sprout in a small tube inside the orbiting laboratory and survive the return to Earth for planting – a particular area of interest these days for NASA.

Not only was this a big win for these three “Spud Launchers” – as the girls call themselves – but also for Hamlin Park School, where academic accolades are few and far between.

And in a way, this was a small victory for the field of science, which is desperately trying to spark more interest among the next generation, particularly among girls and minorities, like Gabriella, Toriana and Shaniylah.

“I’m so proud of them and the dedication they put into this,” said Hamlin Park teacher Andrew Franz, their adviser for the project.

“Just the curiosity that they brought to this,” Franz said. “I, quite frankly, kind of know what I’m doing from stuff I’ve read recently, but they’ve pushed me to learn more.”

The competition is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program sponsored by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, which partners with NASA and NanoRacks, a leader in the commercial space industry.

more at the link...

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/buffalo-public-schools/buffalo-students-launching-spud-into-space-with-nasa-20151227

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

The first doll to ever travel into space is Irish

Stargazer Lottie, the space-travelling doll, was developed on a suggestion from a six-year-old Canadian girl. Photo by: Arklu

Quote

The first doll to ever travel to outer space is from none other than Co. Donegal.

On December 6, Stargazer Lottie traveled a long way from her Irish home to the International Space Station to spend a few months with three astronauts from the UK, America and Russia, much to excitement of the young Canadian doll designer, Abigail, who dreams of following in her creation’s footsteps as soon as she’s old enough.

Shooting for the stars aboard Orbital ATK's “S.S. Deke Slayton II” Cygnus cargo spacecraft, the planet-hopping doll is the latest adventurer developed by Lottie Dolls from Donegal-based company Arklu, which develops toys based on suggestions of young children, encouraging them to develop these interests further and to pursue them in their adult lives.

The idea for Stargazer Lottie came to the company from Abigail when her mother, Zoe, emailed to thank Arklu for the Lottie dolls she had already bought for her daughter. She was very impressed in the company’s ideas for their toys saying that they focused “on what the doll can do, take part in, rather than the way it looks.”

more at the link...

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/travel/The-first-doll-to-ever-travel-into-space-is-Irish-from-Donegal-VIDEO.html

and before anyone says anything, yes....it is a slow news day...

6,181 · December 28, 2015

/s Okay...I am officially "miffed". Why has there not been a G I Joe on the ISS. How could this have happened? G I Joe is space rated...see below...

Original Hasbro GI Joe Astronaut TV Commercial 1967-69 Retro Toy Ad Mission Splashdown Space Capsule

video is 0:59 min.

ooops...forgot....

Manned Mercury Space Flight - GI Joe

video is 4:01 min.

:woot:

Edited December 28, 2015 by Draggendrop
added second video

6,181 · December 28, 2015

And before anyone says anything...the second video has a frame (3:05 min.) of the seven astronauts, after "survival training", but it sure catch's people off guard now days and would probably not be published...

6,181 · December 29, 2015

NASA Delivers New Video Experience On ISS

Rodney Grubbs leads a team of NASA imagery experts who evaluate different cameras and technologies for imaging and recording activities occurring on the International Space Station and on the ground. Grubbs works in an imaging laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and interacts with imaging experts across NASA and around the world. Image courtesy NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given.

Quote

NASA is partnering with Harmonic, a worldwide leader in video delivery based in San Jose, California, to bring you the experience of riding a rocket to space or living and working on the International Space Station. The agency is launching NASA TV UHD to deliver new ultra-high definition (UHD) video, providing views from an astronaut's perspective while supplying NASA with valuable data from space missions.

"We really want the public to experience the clarity of detail seen in UHD whether the camera is focused on Earth or space," said Fred Brown, executive producer for NASA TV. "Having major satellite service providers and cable television content distributors carry the channel is key to that objective. Partnering with Harmonic may help us achieve that level of viewership."

NASA began the Harmonic partnership in July to create the channel, the first non-commercial consumer UHD channel in North America. The UHD video is also known as 4K because images are four times the resolution of the average high-definition television.

Quote

NASA posts 4K videos to the ReelNASA YouTube channel every few weeks for users who have television screens or computer displays that can show footage of that resolution.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Delivers_New_Video_Experience_On_ISS_999.html

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

The day when three NASA astronauts staged a strike in space

The strikers of Skylab 4 before taking off in 1973: from left, Jerry Carr, Ed Gibson and William Pogue. (NASA)

Quote

Blows on behalf of fair labor treatment don't always have to come from factory workers. Sometimes they're delivered by unionized professors or even multimillionaire ballplayers. On Dec. 28, 1973, or 42 years ago Monday, one was delivered by three U.S. astronauts orbiting the globe in NASA's Skylab -- a one-day sit-down strike in space.

As Erik Loomis retells the story, mission commander Jerry Carr, science pilot Ed Gibson and pilot William Pogue were in the midst of what would become a record 84-day mission, the last before the spacecraft was to be decommissioned, when they rebelled against NASA's remorseless work schedule.

They knew before going up that the pace would be punishing -- 84 days of 16 hours each without a break, filled with minute-by-minute scheduling for observations of the sun and Comet Kohoutek, medical tests, photographing of the Earth below, and four spacewalks.

Other astronauts on the ground team, including the commanders of the previous two Skylab missions, advised NASA that the plans were unreasonable. None of the three astronauts on the Skylab 4 mission had been in space before, but NASA hadn't factored in any time for them to become acclimated to conditions aloft. They were plainly overscheduled. In fact, Pogue almost immediately came down with debilitating nausea.

Relations between the crew and mission control started off on the wrong foot. The crew treated Pogue's spacesickness as a passing bug (they were right) and didn't bother to report it to Houston, which turned out to be secretly eavesdropping on their onboard conversations and upbraided them for keeping secrets.

Almost instantly the crew fell behind schedule, and with no give in the workload, couldn't catch up. After a month, Gibson was grousing that the mission resembled "a 33-day fire drill." Carr informed ground control, "We would never work 16 hours a day for 84 straight days on the ground, and we should not be expected to do it here in space."

The crew gained the reputation of "complainers," and their exchanges with Houston lost their civility. Finally, a couple of days after Christmas, Carr wired a manifesto earthward: "We need more time to rest. We need a schedule that is not so packed. We don’t want to exercise after a meal. We need to get things under control."

Houston's response was chilly: The crew had to meet its schedule. On Dec. 28, the crew staged its strike. (In some accounts, it's called a "mutiny," which is surely too harsh.) Carr turned off the radio link with the ground and crew members spent a full day relaxing, taking things at their own pace and pursuing projects of their own.

The ground crew, stuck at the far end of a dead radio hookup, had no choice but to fume impotently. When Skylab came back online, NASA was much more amenable to discussion. Houston agreed to afford the crew full rest and meal breaks, and replace its minute-by-minute schedules with a list of tasks to be completed, leaving it to the crew to manage its own time.

Interspace relations improved from then to the end of the mission in February, but the crew's strike plainly rankled; none of the three ever was assigned a spaceflight again. Pogue, who died last year, danced around the episode in his 2011 memoir, "But for the Grace of God," mentioning that the Skylab work was "sometimes tiresome and tedious, but the view was spectacular." Asked at a post-mission debriefing how he and his crew mates got along, he recollected, he replied: "We got along together just fine. We were bound by a common enemy: Mission Control."

But the one-day strike did force a lasting reconsideration of crew management upon NASA, contends Samir Chopra of Brooklyn College. NASA treated the crew as expendable instruments of its schedule, but Skylab 4 showed that when push came to shove the astronauts had all the control in their own hands.

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-that-day-three-nasa-astronauts-20151228-column.html

6,181 · December 29, 2015

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/28/15

Quote

Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint (TRRJ) Repositioning for Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS)-02: Due to the high negative beta angle, the AMS team requested that the Starboard-Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint (S-TRRJ) be moved to a better angle to provide a more optimal temperature for the Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) pump. Ground teams will continue to monitor the TRD pump temperature, and will be required to activate the pump if the temperature reaches 7° Celsius resulting in a loss of science. AMS-02 has collected and analyzed billions of cosmic ray events, and identified 9 million of these as electrons or positrons (anti-matter). The number of high energy positons increases steadily rather than decaying, conflicting with theoretical models and indicates a yet to be identified source of positrons. Researchers also observed a plateau in the positron growth curve and need additional data to determine why. Results suggest that high-energy positrons and cosmic ray electrons may come from different and mysterious sources. Solving the origin of cosmic rays and antimatter increases understanding of our galaxy.

ISS RapidScat: The RapidScat payload, located on the nadir Columbus Exposed Facility Unit (EFU) went into a Digital Interface Bridge (DIB) only mode on 24 December, with no science collection or antenna spinning due to a combination of the high negative beta and the ISS attitude with a yaw-bias for Service Module shadowing. Ground teams reactivated RapidScat today to the nominal wind-gathering observation mode. ISS RapidScat is a space-based scatterometer that measures wind speed and direction over the ocean, and is useful for weather forecasting, hurricane monitoring, and observations of large-scale climate phenomena. The ISS RapidScat instrument enhances measurements from other international scatterometers by cross-checking their data, and demonstrates a unique way to replace an instrument aboard an aging satellite.

Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPS) Inspection: Peake conducted a regular inspection of the Portable Fire Extinguisher (PFE), Extension Hose Tee Kit (EHTK), Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA), and Pre-Breathe Masks. Pre-Breathe Masks are not emergency equipment, but have similar maintenance requirements and are included in this inspection.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: Kelly configured a lithium-ion battery charger and initiated an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) charge cycle. The activity was performed in preparation for the Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) EVA planned for January 15th.

Quote

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 Idle

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/2015/12/28/iss-daily-summary-report-122815/

The SSU that will be worked on is displayed here...

Screen shot shortly after failure of power channel...

International Space Station Lunar Transit

video is 0:12 min.

6,181 · December 30, 2015

International Space Station crew to celebrate New Year 15 times

ISS NASA

Quote

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. The International Space Station (ISS) crew will be able to celebrate the New Year for 15 times in a row, the Russian mission control center told TASS on Tuesday. "The new year will come 15 times on the ISS," official said.

For the first time the crew will celebrate the New Year flying over New Zealand.

The ISS crew lives on Greenwich Mean Time, so the station will be above the Pacific Ocean when the New Year comes to Greenwich.

The New Year in Moscow, where the mission control center is located, will come when the crew will be between the South America and Africa.

The astronauts will be flying over the Pacific when the NASA control center in Houston will meet 2016.

The 15th celebration may take place to the south-east of New Zealand. The ISS crew includes Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Korniyenko, Sergey Volkov and Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronauts Timothy Kopra and Scott Kelly, and European Space Agency’s Timothy Peake.

http://tass.ru/en/science/847724

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

Scott Kelly is No Mark Watney

Quote

Scott Kelly reported that the six zinnia plants “aren’t looking too good.” The plants are being grown in the same experiment unit on the station that successfully grew lettuce earlier this year, but some of the zinnia plants are wilting, while others aren’t growing at all.

“Would be a problem on Mars. I’m going to have to channel my inner Mark Watney,” Kelly tweeted, referring to the main character of The Martian.

http://spacenews.com/scott-kelly-is-no-mark-watney/

and.....

Quote

This sad tangle of wilted greens are part of NASA’s Veg-01 experiment, designed to train astronauts to grow food in space and become less reliant on resources from Earth — an expensive (and chancy) process. The crops are grown in a small “veggie facility” that provides the seedlings proper amounts of light, water, and nutrients.

Kelly and his fellow astronauts had their first harvest of crops — some species of robust lettuce — back in August. The vegetables tasted great back then.

It’s a different story here. The test crops in question — Profusion zinnias — were being grown in the same growth contraption. Zinnias are flowers that are technically edible, though they are usually grown as decor. Not that it matters — as you can see in the picture above, they’re neither edible nor beautiful.

Turns out, the zinnias are dying not because of any real negligence on the astronauts’ part or because of problems with the veggie facility. As reported by Popular Science, they’re simply reaching the end of their natural 60-day lifespans.

emphasis mine....

https://www.inverse.com/article/9661-nasa-s-space-station-plants-are-dying-but-space-gardening-is-coming

6,181 · December 31, 2015

News Conference Features Next Space Station Crew; Interviews Available

Quote

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA will host a news conference for the next crew launching to the International Space Station, featuring NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA Television will broadcast the news conference live at 2 p.m. EST after airing b-roll video of crew training at 1:30 p.m. Both can be seen online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

This will be Williams' third long-duration stay on the space station. Joining him for Expedition 47 and 48 will be cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency). Williams will be the commander of Expedition 48.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/prnewswire-space-news.html?rkey=20151230DC89403&filter=1639

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

Tim Peake to send message from space to Edinburgh Hogmanay

Quote

A message from space will welcome in the new year for revellers at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party.

The British astronaut Tim Peake will beam a message from the International Space Station on to screens at the event just before midnight on Thursday.

As many as 75,000 revellers from more than 80 countries are expected to attend the celebrations, enjoying entertainment across four stages and seven screens along the length of Princes Street.

Peter Irvine, the director of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said: “This is a truly global event with revellers joining us from around the world. This year we’ve gone one better and will be visited from space.”

The event will work with the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA) to deliver Peake’s message.

Dr Simon Gage, the science festival’s director, said: “In the few hours that revellers enjoy Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party, the International Space Station, travelling at five miles per second, will orbit the Earth three times.

“With UK astronaut Tim Peake aboard, 2016 will be a remarkable year for UK space science, with more for us all to follow and be inspired by.”

Peake, 43, a former Army Air Corps officer and helicopter test pilot, is the first Briton aboard the space station and the first fully British professional astronaut employed by a space agency.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/dec/30/tim-peake-message-from-space-edinburgh-hogmanay

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

The Alps in Winter As Seen From Orbit

The Alps ESA/NASA

Quote

ESA astronaut and Expedition 46 Flight Engineer Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) photographed the Alps from his vantage point aboard the International Space Station on Dec. 27, 2015.

He later shared the image with his social media followers, writing, "There may not be much snow in the Alps this winter but they still look stunning from here! #Principia"

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/the-alps-in-winter-as-seen-from-orbit.html

larger image at...

http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-alps-in-winter

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

Testing A University-Designed Spacesuit at NASA

NDX-1 spacesuit NASA

Quote

University of North Dakota graduate researcher Travis Nelson, wearing an NDX-1 spacesuit, practices scooping up objects and placing them into containers inside the SwampWorks regolith bin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The university team is analyzing the prototype suit's ability to protect astronauts while allowing them the flexibility to dig samples and perform other tasks in regolith, a fine, powdery soil similar to that found on Mars.

Image: KSC-2015-3573 Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

http://spaceref.com/nasa-hack-space/testing-a-university-designed-spacesuit-at-nasa.html

larger image at...did it again.....rrrrrr

(( https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/23704344722/in/dateposted/ ))

I may have the same "boots", that I use in the bush...... :woot:

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

2015 in Review: A Year of Success, Disappointment and Recovery

Quote

As the world bids farewell to 2015, we can reflect upon a dozen months which have seen success and failure in equal measure for America’s space program. High above our heads, unprecedented activity has been undertaken aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as NASA and its partners reconfigured the U.S. Orbital Segment (USOS) in readiness for Commercial Crew operations, whilst simultaneously running hundreds of experiments, staging seven EVAs, welcoming U.S., Russian, European and Japanese cargo ships and beginning the first one-year manned mission of the 21st century. Cumulative, national and empirical world endurance records have been set by astronauts and cosmonauts from Russia, the United States, Italy, Denmark and—having recently seen the launch of its first “official” astronaut, Tim Peake—the United Kingdom.

Elsewhere, despite a run of Congressional funding shortfalls which prompted a frustrated NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden to appeal in August directly to the leadership of the committees responsible for NASA’s budget, the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) now stands on the threshold of launching Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon on their first piloted voyages a little over a year from now. After the Senate Appropriations Committee exacted a 27-percent cut from the CCP budget in June, Gen. Bolden denounced the continued lack of adequate funding for the program and announced a $490 million modification to the uneasy contract with Russia, which currently provides the United States with its sole means of getting astronauts to the ISS.

Continued....

This is a long article, full of explanations, images and a video......very informative, covers it all....

"Been a busy year"

http://www.americaspace.com/?p=90274#more-90274

6,181 · January 1, 2016

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/30/15

Quote

Cardio Ox Ultrasound: Kopra, with Peake assisting, performed his first (Flight Day 15) of three ultrasound and blood pressure measurement sessions for the Cardio Ox experiment. The objective of Cardio Ox is to determine whether biological markers of oxidative and inflammatory stress are elevated during and after space flight and whether this results in an increased, long-term risk of atherosclerosis in astronauts. Twelve crewmembers provide blood and urine samples to assess biomarkers before launch, 15 and 60 days after launch, 15 days before returning to Earth, and within days after landing. Ultrasound scans of the carotid and brachial arteries are obtained at the same time points, as well as through 5 years after landing, as an indicator of cardiovascular health.

On Board Training (OBT) Emergency Procedures Review: The USOS crew practiced/reviewed emergency mask don/purge technique and demonstrated the ability to communicate with Mission Control Center-Moscow (MCC-M) from the Soyuz wearing an emergency mask. The crew also reviewed locations of equipment and positions of valves used in emergencies. During training, crewmembers consulted and coordinated with specialists at MCC-Houston, MCC-M, Columbus Control Center (COL-CC) and JAXA Space Station Integration and Promotion Center (SSIPC).

Quote

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Thursday, 12/31: Ocular Health, EVA Preparations, CIR Operations, ISS Safety Video Survey

Friday, 01/01: Crew holiday

Saturday, 01/02: Crew off duty; housekeeping

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component Status

Elektron Off

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 Idle

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/2015/12/30/iss-daily-summary-report-123015/

6,181 · January 1, 2016

New Year Video's from ISS

ISS: Russian ISS crew give 'happy New Year' wishes

video is 1:16 min.

Happy New Year from the International Space Station

video is 0:50 min.

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	Startup
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab	Idle
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

Event	Moscow Time
First contact	13:27:02
Mechanical capture	13:27:02
Movement of the docking mechanism probe (374.447 millimeters)	13:27:12
Connection of electric interface No. 1	13:30:29
Connection of electric interface No. 2	13:30:29
Connection of electric interface No. 3	13:30:29
Connection of electric interface No. 4	13:30:29
Peripheral interface closure	13:30:32
Docking port sealed off	13:31:28
Hooks locked	13:32:01

“Refueling Propellant for Transfer to ISS Tanks	718kg
Pressurized Oxygen for ISS Repressurization	24kg
Pressurized Air for ISS Repressurization	22kg
Water inside Rodnik Tank	420kg
Total Dry Cargo Mass	1,252kg
Atmospheric Maintenance System (gas analysis equipment, carbon monoxide sensor & filter etc.)	5kg
Water System Components (purification columns, water separator, EDV Tank, Rodnik Tank accessories, filter, hoses, etc.)	196kg
Sanitary & Hygiene Equipment (Russian Toilet Replaceable Parts, solid waste containers, pump separator hardware, wipes, etc.)	199kg
Medical Supplies (medical aid kits, medical monitoring system, crew clothing, cleaning supplies, countermeasures, etc.)	60kg
Food Provisions (food containers, fresh food, etc.)	379kg
Thermal Control System Hardware	6kg
Electrical Power System Hardware (Battery Block)	162kg
Personal Protective Gear (Replaceable elements…)	17kg
Fire Extinguisher	7kg
Maintenance supplies (cargo bags, liners, batteries, etc.)	8kg
Crew Support (flight data files,care packages for the crew, video & still cameras, etc.)	35kg
Science Payloads	19kg
Zarya Module Equipment (Dust Collectors, Sanitary Wipes for surface disinfection)	8kg
Pirs and Poisk Module Outfitting Hardware (Fire Protection, Sanitary Wipes, Fire Protection	28kg
American Cargo for Russian Crew (food, clothing, hygiene items, crew preference items)	85kg
American Cargo for USOS Crew (Food, Waste Disposal System Components, Hygiene Equipment, ESA Hardware)	38kg
Total Cargo Upmass	2,436kg

Sign In

International Space Station (Updates)

Recommended Posts

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

EVA approved to free stuck CETA cart outside ISS

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Modernized Russian cargo ship heads for space station

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Draggendrop Veteran

Link to comment

Share on other sites