International Space Station (Updates)

13,804 · July 9, 2016

Good dock. Always loved watching RCS firings.

6,181 · July 9, 2016

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The docking probe on the front of Soyuz has retracted, allowing the hooks and latches to close and form a seal between the capsule and station. Pressure and leak checks will be performed over the next orbit before the hatchway is opened for the crew to enter into the station in a couple of hours.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/07/06/live-coverage-new-space-station-crew-counting-down-to-liftoff/

6,181 · July 9, 2016

NASA TV will broadcast the hatch opening, program starts at 2:00 am, EDT and the "opening" time will be approx 2:50 am EDT.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public

6,181 · July 9, 2016

Soyuz MS-01 docking

video is 4:45 min.

6,181 · July 10, 2016

Soyuz brings three to space station

Cm5SEveUMAA55Ai.jpg-large-768x527.jpeg

The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft approaches the Rassvet docking port for docking early Saturday. Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now

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A Russian Soyuz spacecraft featuring a variety of avionics upgrades and other changes to improve reliability and performance docked with the International Space Station early Saturday after a two-day orbital chase, bringing three fresh crew members to the lab complex.

With commander Anatoly Ivanishin monitoring a flawless automated approach, flanked on the left by Japanese flight engineer Takuya Onishi and on the right by NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, the Soyuz MS-01 ferry craft eased in for smooth docking at the Earth-facing Rassvet module at 12:06 a.m. EDT (GMT-4).

After residual motions damped out, hooks and latches engaged, pulling the spacecraft firmly into the docking mechanism before extensive leak checks to verify a tight seal.

Finally, at 2:26 a.m., hatches were opened and a half-hour later, after waiting to establish a video link back to mission control near Moscow, station commander Jeffrey Williams, Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin welcomed their new crewmates aboard with hugs and handshakes.

All six crew members then gathered in the Russian Zvezda module for a traditional video conference with mission managers, family and friends.

“You guys look great, you guys had a great flight up it looks like,” called Michael Magnani, Rubins’ husband. “You seem to be a pro already floating out of the hatch.”

“Not as good as these guys!” Rubins said, laughing. “But yeah, we had a good flight. It was fantastic.”

“Everybody looks good,” Magnani said. “Congratulations Anatoly and Tak, also. Wish you guys a safe and productive mission. And Kate, I look forward to talking to you in a couple of days. I’ll be sure to bring the camera over to show you Belka and Strelka.”

He was referring to the couple’s two dogs, named after a pair of Russian canines that were launched into space in 1960.

The International Space Station now hosts a six-person crew. Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now

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Mark Bowman, a NASA engineer familiar with the Soyuz and its systems, said the upgrades were intended “to increase the reliability of the spacecraft (and) enhance performance and technical specifications.”

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The two most recent Progress supply ships included “all of the modifications comprehensively so that they’ll have two positive flights and positive test results on Progress vehicles, giving them great confidence that the Soyuz will be fine,” Bowman said.

Even so, the next MS-series vehicle, scheduled for launch in September, also will take 34 orbits — two days — to reach the station to allow time for additional in-flight testing.

“Going to 34-orbits gives them lots of time to test the new unified, integrated command and telemetry system,” Bowman said. “It gives them a chance to do some flying quality assessments with the new thruster configuration and it gives them a chance to test communications using the new Luch satellites as well as the ground systems that have been upgraded to work with the S-band telemetry.”

more at the link...

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/07/09/soyuz-brings-three-to-space-station/

Rubins, Ivanishin and Onishi arrives to Space Station

video is 2:54 min., (hatch opening)

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Hatches Open and Station Crew Grows to Six

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NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) joined their Expedition 48 crew members aboard the International Space Station officially at 2:26 a.m. EDT July 9 when the hatches opened between their Soyuz MS-01 and the space station.

Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos welcomed the trio aboard their orbital home.

In the coming months, the crewmates are scheduled to receive multiple cargo resupply flights delivering several tons of food, fuel, supplies and research.

SpaceX’s ninth commercial resupply services mission under contract with NASA is scheduled to launch to the space station no earlier than July 18 at 12:45 a.m. Research aboard the Dragon cargo spacecraft will include experiments to test the capabilities for sequencing DNA, understand bone loss, track heart changes in microgravity and regulate temperature aboard spacecraft. The first of two international docking adapters is also headed to station in Dragon’s unpressurized trunk, which will allow commercial spacecraft to dock to the station when transporting astronauts in the near future as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Williams and Rubins are scheduled to install the adapter during a spacewalk later this summer.

Rubins, Ivanishin and Onishi are scheduled to remain aboard the station until late October. Williams, Skripochka and Ovchinin will return to Earth in September.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/09/hatches-open-and-station-crew-grows-to-six/

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Photos of the first manned spacecraft docking of a new series # SoyuzMS with # ISS by cosmonaut Oleg fiddle.

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NASA: Mystery syndrome impairs astronauts’ vision
One major theory is that fluid in the skull builds up from lack of gravity in space, increasing pressure on the brain and the eye.

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In 2005, astronaut John Phillips took a break from his work on the International Space Station and looked out the window at Earth. He was about halfway through a mission that had begun in April and would end in October.

When he gazed down at the planet, the Earth was blurry. He couldn’t focus on it clearly. That was strange – he’d always had 20/20 vision. He wondered: was his eyesight getting worse?

“I’m not sure if I reported that to the ground,” he said. “I think I didn’t. I thought it would be something that would just go away, and fix itself when I got to Earth.”

It didn’t go away.

MYSTERIOUS CONDITION

During Phillips’ post-flight physical, NASA found that his vision had gone from 20/20 to 20/100 in six months.

Rigorous testing followed. Phillips got MRIs, retinal scans, neurological tests, and a lumbar puncture. The tests showed that not only had his vision changed, his eyes had changed as well.

The back of his eye had gotten flatter, pushing his retina forward. He had choroidal folds, which are like stretch marks on the back of the eye. His optic nerve was inflamed.

Phillips became the first widely recognized case of a mysterious syndrome that affects 80 percent of astronauts on long-duration missions in space. The syndrome could interfere with plans for future crewed space missions, including any trips to Mars.

Visual Impairment Intracranial Pressure syndrome (VIIP) is named for the leading theory to explain the syndrome. On Earth, gravity pulls bodily fluids down toward the feet. That doesn’t happen in space, and it’s thought that extra fluid in the skull increases pressure on the brain and the back of the eye.

At first, NASA thought that Phillips was an isolated case. But then researchers found evidence of VIIP in other astronauts. VIIP has now been recognized as a widespread problem, and there has been a struggle not only to understand its cause, but to study it at all.

INVASIVE RISKS TO PROVE THEORY

The theory that fluid builds up in the skull during space flight hasn’t actually been tested. The only proven methods of measuring intracranial pressure are invasive: a lumbar puncture or drilling a hole into the skull.

“There’s the risk for infection and just doing the procedure, quite frankly, in space is difficult,” said J.D. Polk, a senior flight surgeon at NASA. “Having to anchor somebody and do a spinal tap in space is not something we would relish.”

Here on Earth, the most similar condition is idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Patients with this condition also have increased pressure in their heads, and they experience visual changes like the astronauts.’ Another condition, papilledema, involves optic nerve swelling.

But they’re not perfect models for the astronauts’ disorder. IIH is idiopathic, which means no one knows what causes it. It comes with a deluge of other symptoms, like nausea, dizziness, and severe headache, that astronauts with VIIP don’t experience. And the medication for papilledema doesn’t work on astronauts with VIIP.

Karina Marshall-Goebel at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Germany is trying to study VIIP using a head-down tilt test. Participants’ entire bodies are tilted slightly to simulate the fluid shift in space, but she said it’s not ideal. The study is still affected by gravity, and they can’t keep people tilted for as long as astronauts live in space.

“It’s a unique environment, you can’t replicate it without going into space,” she said. “And you always have to keep that in the back of your head.”

Other researchers are searching for less invasive ways to assess brain health on Earth and potentially in space. Eric Bershad, an intensive care neurologist at the Baylor College of Medicine, is working on a way to measure brain pressure using ultrasound of an eye artery.

Other devices currently being developed use sound waves and radio waves to try and measure the brain through the skull, ears and eyes.

“So far, none of the non-invasive technologies are accurate enough to replace the invasive measurement, but I think within the next few years there is a good chance there will be,” Bershad said.

Ross Ethier, a biomedical engineer at Georgia Tech, is using models to simulate what happens in the body when intracranial pressure goes up. He’s looking at a potential mechanical solution: a device that could draw fluid back down to the legs in space.

Michael Barratt, the former head of NASA’s Human Research program and space medicine specialist, argues for a more radical approach.

Barratt thinks solving the puzzle of VIIP will take testing intracranial pressure in space.

VIIP could be the first sign of greater dangers to the human body from microgravity. “We’re seeing the visual and neural, ophthalmic manifestations of it,” said Barratt. “I’m fairly certain this is a bit more global than that.”

http://www.pressherald.com/2016/07/09/nasa-mystery-syndrome-impairs-astronauts-vision/

Hence my insistence of an artificial gravity ring, and i feel that this is just the tip of more unknowns. We have the technology, just the will is needed to incorporate one in a new station or orbital outpost. It should be done for everyone's health and to enhance medical trials in space.

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Great Barrier Reef, Australia July 7, 2016

Tidal channels cut through unnamed reefs off the coast of Queensland. These corals are part of the enormous Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for 1,400 miles along the coast of mainland Australia in the Coral Sea. credit Planet.com

https://www.planet.com/gallery/reef-20160708/

13,804 · July 10, 2016

@DraggendropTheir RCS is interesting.

You can see it before it "charges" (or whatever it is called)

and then it looks like this for about 4 seconds before they puff.

You can see it on the video you posted above between :04 - :12

Guess they use Nitrogen Tetroxide and Dimethylydrazine? Just haven't seen thrusters that stay "charged" (or glowing or whatever) that long. Noticed it last night while watching it dock.

6,181 · July 10, 2016

Propulsion system for the Soyuz MS spacecraft

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Integrated Propulsion System, KDU

The placement of the 28 attitude control thrusters, DPOs, (including 16 large 13-kilogram and 12 smaller 3-kilogram thrusters), which are part of the Integrated Propulsion System (Kombinirovannaya Dvigatelnaya Ustanovka, KDU) was rearranged on Soyuz-MS to provide full redundancy between the two independent propellant manifold loops, which feed the engines with oxidizer and fuel. Only high-thrust engines were left in the DPO system of Soyuz-MS. With 14 pairs of DPO engines available with each thruster in each pair connected to a different manifold, the system obtained much higher reliability.

In addition, the aft section of the spacecraft now has eight (four pairs) of high-thrust engines instead of four, giving the crew more backup capability in case of the main engine failure, including during the critical deorbiting operations.

In a related upgrade, the electronic generator of propellant consumption signals, known as EFIR, was modified to eliminate possible false counting when the propellant was not being really used.

DPO avionics

Due to rearrangement of the attitude control thrusters, DPO, the avionics unit, known in Russian as Blok Avtomatiki, had to undergo respective changes on all of the ships of the MS series.

DPO thrusters for the Soyuz MS spacecraft during pre-launch processing.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-kdu.html

@jjkusaf The 2 color lamps in the DPO assemblies may be for manifold "states", ie one manifold active and the other on standby, will have to check on this...interesting

Edited July 10, 2016 by Draggendrop
spelling

6,181 · July 10, 2016

misc data

Soyuz MS-01 launch trajectory/phases

credit in image

Soyuz MS-01 launch, credit in image

Soyuz MS-01 prior to docking at the ISS, credit in image.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-01.html#docking

13,544 · July 11, 2016

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Phillips became the first widely recognized case of a mysterious syndrome that affects 80 percent of astronauts on long-duration missions in space. The syndrome could interfere with plans for future crewed space missions, including any trips to Mars.

6,181 · July 13, 2016

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 July 2016

nasa_iss_on_orbit_status_report_071116_9

On this photo by cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka you can see a process of docking of first Soyuz MS spacecraft with the International Space Station. Spacecraft delivered the crew of Roscosmos cosmonaut Anatoli Ivanishin, NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins and JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi. Credit: Roscosmos.

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Dose Distribution Inside the ISS - 3D (DOSIS 3D): Over the weekend, the crew installed passive radiation detectors in the Columbus module in support of European Space Agency's (ESA's) DOSIS 3D investigation. Data from the various active and passive radiation detectors installed in the ISS are used in the determination of the radiation field parameters absorbed doses and dose equivalents inside the ISS. A concise three dimensional (3D) dose distribution map of all the segments of the ISS will be developed based on this data as well as data from JAXA and NASA monitoring devices.

Space Headaches: Over the weekend and today, the European Space Agency (ESA) Space Headaches questionnaire was completed to provide information to help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crew members in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crew members which can influence performance during a space mission.

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Mouse Epigenetics Setup Operations: In preparation for the Mouse Epigenetics experiment which arrives on SpaceX-9, the crew set up the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit and installed the food cartridge, odor Filter, water fill-up, and the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) filter caser. The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space, and also examines changes in the DNA of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space.

EarthKAM Module Installation and Activation in Service Module (SM): The Russian crew set up the EarthKAM payload components in SM which begins a week-long imaging session. The objective of Sally Ride EarthKAM is to integrate Earth images with inquiry-based learning to enhance curricula in support of national and state education standards; to provide students and educators the opportunity to participate in a space mission and to develop teamwork, communication, and problem solving skills; to engage teams of students, educators, and researchers in collaborative investigations using remotely-sensed data; and to incorporate the active use of Web-based tools and resources in support of the learning process.

Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew recorded and submitted a walk-through video documenting observations of an area or activity providing insight related to human factors and habitability. The Habitability investigation collects observations about the relationship between crew members and their environment on the ISS. Observations can help spacecraft designers understand how much habitable volume is required, and whether a mission's duration impacts how much space crew members need.

47S Crew On Board Training (OBT): The newly arrived crew reviewed and practiced emergency mask don and purge technique. They also performed emergency hardware familiarization to review locations of equipment and valve positions in the event of an emergency. During these training sessions the crew consulted and coordinated with specialists from all control centers.

SSRMS Mobilt Transporter (MT) Translate: Today, the MT was translated from worksite 4 to worksite 6 in preparation for SpaceX-9 arrival OBT and capture.

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Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
RoBOT OBT support
MT translate from WS6 to WS4
Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 07/12: Mouse HU prep, EarthKAM ops, Dragon OBT, ARED/CEVIS crew handover
Wednesday, 07/13: JPM Cabin smoke detector cleaning, 3D Printer experiment stow, RaDI-N sensor uninstall, EarthKAM ops, Dragon OBT, 47S unpack
Thursday, 07/14: Emergency Book update, Dragon OBT, Heart Cells hardware setup, STRATA card changeout, EarthKAM ops

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

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-11-july-2016.html

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Expanded Crew Trains for SpaceX Dragon Capture

The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft is pictured docked to the Rassvet module after its arrival Saturday morning.

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The newly-expanded Expedition 48 crew is preparing for next week’s arrival of the ninth SpaceX mission. In the meantime, the International Space Station’s newest trio is getting used to their new home in space and conducting science and maintenance with their crewmates.

New astronauts Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi joined Commander Jeff Williams and trained for the robotic capture of the SpaceX Dragon. The Dragon cargo craft is scheduled to launch early July 18 from Florida and arrive at the station two days later. Dragon will deliver an international docking adapter and new science experiments to sequence DNA and understand bone loss.

Meanwhile, Rubins and Onishi along with veteran cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin are familiarizing themselves with the orbital laboratory and its systems. The trio arrived Saturday morning after a two-day trip inside the upgraded Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft. Rubins and Onishi are on their first space mission. Ivanishin is on his second mission and was last aboard the station from November 2011 through April 2012 as an Expedition 29-30 Flight Engineer.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/12/expanded-crew-trains-for-spacex-dragon-capture/

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NanoRacks to Launch Second Generation Plate Reader to NASA's ISS

NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 NANORACKS

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NanoRacks Plate Reader is a laboratory instrument designed to detect biological, chemical or physical events of samples in microtiter plates. Microplate readers are widely used in research, drug discovery, bioassay validation, quality control and manufacturing processes in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry and academic organizations.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/542.html

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NanoRacks, LLC, a leading provider of commercial pathway solutions aboard the International Space Station, is launching the NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 to the International Space Station.

In May 2011, NanoRacks launched the first-ever microplate reader in space providing researchers the ability to conduct microplate reader experiments in microgravity for the first time.

The NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 is a reconfigured SpectraMax M5e, one of Molecular Devices' most reliable, durable, and feature-rich microplate readers, and has been configured to operate comfortably in the microgravity environment of the space station. The self-funded NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 features a wide range of high-performance multi-mode reader capabilities ideal for life science research including absorbance, fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, and fluorescence polarization modes with full spectral range detection for 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, 96-, and 384-well microplates. Researches can also utilize the CuvettePlate microplate adapter for cuvette samples.

This second generation platform now includes temperature control, allowing researchers to extend their experiments to long durations, and the ability to configure every aspect of the researcher's experiment from an Earth-based workstation using SoftMax Pro, the industry's leading data acquisition and analysis tool. With these improvements, NanoRacks is able to offer scientists the same flexibility they have with their experiments in their own laboratories.

"The quality of microgravity research continues to increase with commercial partnerships on the International Space Station. This newer version of the NanoRacks Plate Reader is even better as a result of listening closely to our customers and astronauts' suggestions" said Dr. Carl Carruthers, Chief Scientist for NanoRacks. "From monitoring bacterial growth or gene expression to changes in material properties, the NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 provides researchers access to the same type of hardware and microplate format found in their lab, allowing a smooth continuation of their ground-based research to the microgravity environment of the ISS."

The NanoRacks Plate Reader-2 is scheduled to launch aboard the SpaceX-9 Mission.

http://spaceref.biz/company/nanoracks-to-launch-second-generation-plate-reader-to-nasas-iss.html

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Economic Development of Low Earth Orbit

leo-cover.jpg?itok=jjnURdx8

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Edited by Patrick Besha and Alexander MacDonald

This collection of papers identifies a number of important policy questions that will be of rising importance as NASA transitions human spaceflight in LEO to the private sector, as well as a number of economic analysis methods for addressing those questions. Life off of the Earth is a new field of social and economic organization that will have vast implications for our evolution and our future. Economic development in orbit is necessary for that future growth. It is our hope that this volume may serve to guide decisions and spark the intellectual curiosity of space policy makers, NASA program managers, economic researchers, and all others interested in the continued economic development of human spaceflight.

https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/economic_development_of_low_earth_orbit_detail.html

144 page pdf EPUB or MOBI at the link ^

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Baikonur spent Designers inspection of the ship # ProgressMS03 and performed operations knurled fairing.

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Rock of Gibraltar, Mediterranean Sea July 8, 2016

The enormous Rock of Gibraltar juts into the Mediterranean Sea. The iconic limestone promontory, formed in the Jurassic Period, shelters various migratory bird species and a thriving colony of Barbary macaques. Image: RapidEye Satellite.

https://www.planet.com/gallery/gibraltar-20160708/

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Power for Soyuz MS spacecraft

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One of the latest challenges in upgrading the Soyuz was the limitation of the ship's power-supply system. Many new features were coming with an increasing demand for electricity that solar panels and storage batteries had increasingly hard time to provide.

credit in image

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Power Supply System, SEP

According to estimates made around 2010, the power consumption of around eight amperes aboard the Soyuz-T variant introduced at the beginning of the 1980s, was expected to grow to as much as 14.2 amperes on the Soyuz-TMA-M spacecraft (then still in development under a designation Series 700). (780)

One of the ways to address the problem was to install more efficient solar panels, which could have their own guidance mechanism capable of rotating them toward the Sun independently from the position of the spacecraft in orbit.

By the time the Soyuz MS reached the launch pad in 2016, solar panels remained in fixed position, but an overall area for the placement of electricity-producing photovoltaic cells was increased by 1.1 square meters. In addition, the efficiency of the cells was increased from 12 to 14 percent.

Finally, the spacecraft was upgraded with an extra (fifth) power-storage battery, known as 906V, with a capacity of 155 ampere-hour. Like four existing batteries, the new one was installed in the aggregate compartment, in the aft section of the spacecraft.

An upgraded solar panel of the Soyuz-MS spacecraft.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-sep.html

6,181 · July 14, 2016

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/12/16

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3D Printing in Zero-G Experiment: After two consecutive weeks of successful 3D printer operations, today the ground team remotely operated the 3D printer to produce the final 3D printed test coupons in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). The crew removed and stowed all but the last batch, which will remain on the print tray, which will be returned on SpaceX-9 along with the rest of the coupons. Today’s operations bring the total number of coupons printed to 34, which includes a variety of 3D printed test coupons, including calibration, tensile, compression, and layer specimen coupons. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment demonstrates that a 3D printer works normally in space. A 3D printer extrudes streams of heated plastic, metal or other material, building layer on top of layer to create 3 dimensional objects. Testing a 3D printer using relatively low-temperature plastic feedstock on the ISS is the first step toward establishing an on-demand machine shop in space, a critical enabling component for deep-space crewed missions and in-space manufacturing.

Mouse Epigenetics Setup Operations: In preparation for the Mouse Epigenetics experiment arriving on SpaceX (SpX)-9, the crew completed setup operations by reconfiguring the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) video cable from the Image Processing Unit (IPU) to Video Compression and Recording Unit 2 (VRU2) and refilling the washer fluid of the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit before removal from the CBEF. The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space, and also examines changes in the DNA of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that occur after exposure to the microgravity environment of space.

NanoRacks Plate Reader Locker Preparation and Hardware Relocate: In preparation for the arrival of the NanoRacks payload investigations on SpX-9, the crew relocated NanoRacks hardware from the NanoRacks Plate Reader installation location before removing and stowing the locker. NanoRacks Plate Reader is a laboratory instrument designed to detect biological, chemical or physical events of samples in micro-titer plates. Micro-plate readers are widely used in research, drug discovery, bioassay validation, quality control and manufacturing processes in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry and academic organizations.

Space Headaches: The crew completed the European Space Agency (ESA) Space Headaches questionnaire to provide information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crew members in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crew members which can influence performance during a space mission.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pump Separator: Yesterday, the WHC pump separator light annunciated suggesting a malfunction of the pump. The crew brought the WHC to internal EDV and ran the separator for 3 minutes to drain any excess liquid. Following that drain, the light cleared and WHC was nominal for 3 uses while still on internal EDV. The crew reconfigured back to Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) and performed troubleshooting where the ground teams ruled out blockage in the UPA and cleared WHC for nominal operation. This morning the crew reported a high pitch noise coming from the WHC. Ground teams believe this could be an indication that fluid has traveled into the pump separator bearings. Crew performed an inspection of the interior of the rack and of the pump separator, which did not reveal any leaked fluid. The WHC continues to be go for nominal use. The installed separator pump has been in operation since January. Two spares are available on-orbit. Teams continue to monitor performance.

Dragon On-Board Training (OBT): In preparation for SpX-9 arrival scheduled for July 20, the USOS crew participated in a conference with ground teams prior to performing proficiency training on the Dragon mission profile, rendezvous crew procedures and crew interfaces for monitoring and commanding.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Yesterday, Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) into position for the start of the ISS Crew SpX-9 Offset Grapples Practice on July 15. Next they translated the Mobile Transporter (MT) from Worksite 6 (WS6) to WS4. At the completion of preparing the MT for the translation, Controllers noticed that Umbilical Mating Assembly 1 (UMA1) showed a status of both mated and demated on Channel A so they performed the MT translation on Channel B. They are investigating the issue.

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Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Dragon OBT support
Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 07/13: JPM Cabin smoke detector cleaning, 3D Printer experiment stow, RaDI-N sensor uninstall, EarthKAM ops, Dragon OBT, 47S unpack
Thursday, 07/14: Emergency Book update, Dragon OBT, Heart Cells hardware setup, STRATA card changeout, EarthKAM ops
Friday, 07/15: Emergency Roles & Responsibilities review, MSPR VRU SSD replace, Dragon OBT Offset Grapple/debrief conference, GLACIER2 dessicant pack swap

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component

Status

Elektron

On

Vozdukh

Manual

[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”)

Off

[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”)

On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab

Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3

Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab

Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3

Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)

Standby

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)

Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab

Off

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3

Full Up

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2016/07/12/iss-daily-summary-report-071216/

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Pair of Cargo Ships Getting Ready for Launch to Station

Expedition 48-49 crew members Kate Rubins (left) and Anatoly Ivanishin are pictured during their first day aboard the orbital laboratory.

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The Expedition 48 crew is getting ready for next week’s arrival of a pair resupply ships. The station residents are also continuing space research benefitting life on Earth and future crews.

The first cargo craft due next week is the Progress 64 (64P) resupply ship and will launch Saturday at 5:41 p.m. EDT. The 64P will take a two-day trip, or 34 Earth orbits, and dock Monday at 8:22 p.m. to the Pirs docking compartment.

SpaceX will launch its ninth commercial cargo mission Monday at 12:44 a.m. delivering the first of two international docking adapters. The Dragon cargo craft will also be carrying new science gear to enable DNA sequencing and a bone loss study. Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi are setting up communications gear and training for the robotic capture of Dragon when it arrives early Wednesday.

Back inside the orbital lab, the six station residents continued ongoing human research to understand how living in space affects the human body. A Russian experiment looked at how weightlessness affects blood flow in the carotid artery. A U.S. study is exploring the efficacy of medicine, symptom relief and side effects during long-term space missions.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/13/pair-of-cargo-ships-getting-ready-for-launch-to-station/

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SpaceX CRS-9 Carrying Crucial Port to Station

NASA

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The CRS-9 mission slated to launch Monday morning at 12:45 EDT will carry an International Docking Adapter that will provide a vital link between the International Space Station and the new spacecraft in development with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Big enough for astronauts to float through, the segment is outfitted with sensors and devices that are designed to allow arriving spacecraft to dock automatically without astronauts steering them in themselves. Spacewalkers will position the docking ring on the end of the station where it will be in place for the first flight tests by the new generation of human-rated spacecraft.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2016/07/13/spacex-crs-9-carrying-crucial-port-to-station/

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NASA Launches New Analog Missions Webpage

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NASA’s Human Research Program launched Phase 1 of the NASA Analog Missions website, a site devoted to studies around the world that help prepare for long duration human spaceflight. With the website launch comes the resurrection of the NASA analogs blog, renamed “AnaBlogs.”

An Analog is a situation on Earth that produces affects on the body similar to those experienced in space, both physical and emotional. The site, www.nasa.gov/analogs is a one-stop website for all analog missions linked to NASA.

How real is an analog mission? Andy Self, Flight Analog Project operations lead at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston explained, “When we set up an analog research investigation, we try to mimic as many spaceflight conditions as possible. Obviously, they are not in microgravity, but confinement and the stress that goes along with spaceflight can be mimicked.”

NASA is associated with at least 15 analog missions throughout the world, including Antarctica, Germany, Russia, Canada, Florida, Houston, and Hawaii. The new webpage gives an overview of the analogs, including a description of the habitats and the types of research conducted, along with a link to each analog mission.

The Human Exploration Resource Analog (HERA) mission site shows a 360-degree photo of the outside and inside of the HERA habitat which is located at JSC . It also has photos from previous missions and tweets from current missions.

Details as to how to apply to be a crewmember, or test subject, for an analog research mission may be found on the “Want to Participate” page on the website. Researchers can find links to calls for research and instructions on how to submit proposals on the “For Researchers” page.

Future phases of the Analog Missions webpage will give more details for each analog, more 360-degree experiences, and more history and education on analog missions.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/analogsfieldtesting/2016/07/13/new-analog-missions-site/

Analogs website

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Today, cargo ship # ProgressMS03 as part of the headunit transported to the general assembly with a rocket # Union .

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Bay Bridge, California, USA July 10, 2016 & December 16, 2015

Before credit Planet.com

After credit Planet.com

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As commuters drive over the San Francisco Bay Bridge’s new eastern span, the old span—originally built in the 1930s—is in the middle of a long demolition process. The original bridge’s systematic demolition began at the start of 2014 and will take 3-5 years to complete.

https://www.planet.com/gallery/bay-bridge/

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The EKTS communications system for Soyuz MS spacecraft

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For many years, the Soyuz spacecraft employed the Kvant-V radio-command system, BRTS, (for Bortovaya Radio-tekhnicheskaya Sistema) developed at AO RKS in Moscow. However the system had a major drawback -- no ability to communicate via satellites. As a result, Soyuz was able to contact mission control and receive commands only within direct view of ground stations on the Russian territory, for a maximum of around 20 minutes per orbit, and that is when the orbit actually goes over the Russian territory, when many orbits do not. In contrast, the new EKTS system enables either direct communications with ground stations or links with mission control via dedicated relay satellites.

The operation of the ground segment within the EKTS network.

The operation of the "via-satellite" segment within the EKTS network.

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EKTS radio-command system

New antennas of the EKTS radio-command system replaced an older Kvant-V system onboard Soyuz-MS and Progress-MS vehicles. The EKTS hardware aboard the spacecraft includes an S-band receiver-transmitter system and a digital processing unit.

The new communications gear will enable a real-time contact with mission control via Russian Luch-5 data-relay satellites and, possibly, via American TDRSS and European DRS data-relay satellite networks.

Using all three available Luch satellites, the transport ship can theoretically maintain communications with ground control for up to 83 percent of the time each day. However, communications via satellite would require to keep the Soyuz in certain orientation in orbit, in order to make sure its fixed antenna points directly at one of the relay spacecraft in the geostationary orbit. Unfortunately, such a flight mode comes into conflict with a common practice of spin-stabilizing the Soyuz during most of its passive flight in orbit to save propellant and even out its heating by the Sun. During spin stabilization, the ship's flight control system is turned off.

In addition, the pointing of the Soyuz toward the relay satellite would also have to be abandoned within 15 minutes from any orbital maneuvers, which require their own attitude control modes. (783)

Even with the availability of relay satellites, all the commands from mission control to the spacecraft, as well as telemetry downlinks were still expected to go exclusively via direct contact with ground stations.

As a backup, the ship's onboard computers were also pre-programmed to boost its altitude after reaching orbit, in case of a complete loss of communications with mission control to guarantee at least 12 days in space before its natural reentry as a result of air friction in the upper atmosphere.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-ekts.html

6,181 · July 15, 2016

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 13 July 2016

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The Expedition 48 crew is getting ready for next week's arrival of a pair resupply ships. The station residents are also continuing space research benefitting life on Earth and future crews.

The first cargo craft due next week is the Progress 64 (64P) resupply ship and will launch Saturday at 5:41 p.m. EDT. The 64P will take a two-day trip, or 34 Earth orbits, and dock Monday at 8:22 p.m. to the Pirs docking compartment.

SpaceX will launch its ninth commercial cargo mission Monday at 12:44 a.m. delivering the first of two international docking adapters. The Dragon cargo craft will also be carrying new science gear to enable DNA sequencing and a bone loss study. Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi are setting up communications gear and training for the robotic capture of Dragon when it arrives early Wednesday.

Back inside the orbital lab, the six station residents continued ongoing human research to understand how living in space affects the human body. A Russian experiment looked at how weightlessness affects blood flow in the carotid artery. A U.S. study is exploring the efficacy of medicine, symptom relief and side effects during long-term space missions.

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Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutron (RaDI-N) Retrieval: A USOS crewmember retrieved all 8 of the Space Bubble Detectors that were deployed last week around the ISS for the Radi-N experiment and handed them over to the Russian crewmember to be processed in the Bubble Reader. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) RaDI-N investigation measures neutron radiation levels while onboard the ISS. RaDI-N uses bubble detectors as neutron monitors which have been designed to only detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation.

3D Printer Removal: Following two weeks of successful 3D printer operations, the crew disassembled the 3D Printer in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and stowed the hardware. A total of 34 coupons were printed including calibration, tensile, compression, and layer specimen coupons. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment demonstrates that a 3D printer works normally in space. A 3D printer extrudes streams of heated plastic, metal or other material, building layer on top of layer to create three dimensional objects. Testing a 3D printer using relatively low-temperature plastic feedstock on the ISS is the first step toward establishing an on-demand machine shop in space, a critical enabling component for deep-space crewed missions and in-space manufacturing.

Dragon On-Board Training (OBT) and Preparation: In preparation for SpX-9 arrival planned for July 20, the USOS crew practiced a 30 meter approach, two Capture Point hold runs and two meter runs. They also installed the Crew Command Panel (CCP) and activated the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communication Unit (CUCU).

Quote

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Dragon OBT support
CUCU ops
Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 07/14: Emergency Book update, Dragon OBT, Heart Cells hardware setup, STRATA card changeout, EarthKAM ops
Friday, 07/15: Emergency Roles & Responsibilities review, MSPR VRU SSD replace, Dragon OBT Offset Grapple/debrief conference, GLACIER2 dessicant pack swap
Saturday, 07/16: 64P launch, crew off duty, housekeeping

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

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-13-july-2016.html

Astronauts Talk about Research on the ISS

video is 9:50 min.

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Crew Training for the Arrival of Two New Spaceships

Astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins talk to journalists from La Crosse, Wis., and Reuters Science. Credit: NASA TV

Quote

A Russian Progress 64 (64P) cargo craft is getting ready for a Saturday launch to the International Space Station. A private U.S. space freighter, the SpaceX Dragon, is also getting prepared for a launch early Monday morning.

Both spacecraft will take two-day trips to the orbital laboratory. Cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin are practicing manual docking techniques in the unlikely event the 64P is unable to dock automatically Monday night. Commander Jeff Williams is also training for the robotic capture of Dragon when it arrives Wednesday morning.

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins set up the Heart Cells experiment in the Microgravity Science Glovebox today. That study is exploring how living in space affects heart muscle tissue changing its shape and gene expression. Results may improve the health of future space crews and benefit cardiovascular research on Earth.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/14/crew-training-for-the-arrival-of-two-new-spaceships/

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Exposed to space and back on Earth

Expose R-2 samples ESA–A. Shavchenko

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In the excitement of watching Tim Peake, Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra land on Earth on 18 June after 186 days in space, all attention was focused on the astronauts and their bumpy ride. But also hitching a ride in the Soyuz capsule were 46 species of small organisms and more than 150 organic compounds. Their voyage was even more intense than the astronaut trio's - these samples spent 18 months in space, bolted to the outside of the International Space Station.

This 'Expose-R2' is a miniature photochemistry laboratory that exposes samples to the harsh environment of space. Subjected to the full blast of the Sun's energy as well as vacuum, radiation and temperature swings, they are helping researchers investigating how chemicals and microbiological life react to unprotected spaceflight - on a comet, for example.

Previous Expose experiments have already shown that 'water bears' and a species of lichen can survive a trip into space.

Expose-R2 was returned inside the Station by Yuri Malenchenko and Sergei Volkov during a spacewalk on 3 February and stored ahead of return to Earth. The samples were held in sealed compartments and covered to block out all light.

With the samples having travelled around the world more than 8500 times, researchers are now eager to see how they have endured their trip.

The last leg of an epic voyage

Once the astronauts were safely outside, the trays were retrieved quickly to protect them from the heat of the Sun at the landing site, and a temperature-logger began monitoring them.

The samples arrived at ESA's Moscow office on 19 June ahead of travelling to Munich, Germany. From there, they were carried to the DLR German Aerospace Center in Cologne, Germany, where they were removed from their containers.

Most have now been distributed to the 30 researchers from 11 laboratories in the Netherlands, Italy, France and USA, who are eager to probe how they have reacted to living in space.

A ground-based set of control samples will continue running for another two months, subjected to much the same conditions as their counterparts in space but without the cosmic radiation and weightlessness, which are unique to the Space Station.

The scientists will convene in November to discuss the initial results.

ESA has a long history of 'exposure' experiments. This third sortie for Expose is the last for now, but many new research proposals have been submitted for review to continue exploring the limits of life in our Solar System and how spaceflight can change organic chemicals.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Exposed_to_space_and_back_on_Earth_999.html

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NASA Television to Air International Space Station Cargo Ship Launch, Docking

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WASHINGTON, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of a Russian cargo spacecraft delivering three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 16.

Launch of the unpiloted Russian Progress 64 is scheduled for 5:41 p.m. Saturday (3:41 a.m. Baikonur time July 17) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The spacecraft is set to dock to the Pirs docking compartment of the space station at 8:22 p.m. Monday, July 18. NASA TV coverage of rendezvous and docking will begin at 7:45 p.m. The Progress 64 will spend more than six months docked at the station before departing in mid-January for its deorbit into the Earth's atmosphere.

Check out the full NASA TV schedule and video streaming information at:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/prnewswire-space-news.html?rkey=20160712DC44778&filter=1639

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Prelaunch Briefings and Launch Day Details

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SpaceX is scheduled to launch its ninth Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station Monday, July 18. Our continuous countdown coverage here on the Launch Blog and NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 11:30 p.m. EDT, Sunday, July 17.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is targeting liftoff on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 12:44 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying science research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory in support of the Expedition 48 and 49 crew members. You can read more details about the International Docking Adapter, pictured, that will be carried into orbit during the mission here.

As part of prelaunch activities, NASA TV will air a prelaunch briefing conducted by mission managers on Saturday, July 16, at 2 p.m. The briefing also will stream live on the agency’s website at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

more at the link...

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2016/07/14/prelaunch-briefings-and-launch-day-details/

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Critical Science, Commercial Crew Hardware Headed to Space Station Aboard CRS-9 Dragon

The International Docking Adapter (IDA)-2 will be one of two connection points for Commercial Crew spacecraft visiting the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: NASA/Charles Babir

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Forty-five minutes after midnight EDT on Monday, 18 July, SpaceX aims to deliver its 10th Dragon cargo ship toward the International Space Station (ISS). Conducted under the language of the initial $1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, next week’s CRS-9 mission will follow on the heels of its eight predecessors and the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Demo of May 2012 and will mark the ninth overall Dragon to successfully reach the orbital outpost. Launching atop SpaceX’s Upgraded Falcon 9 booster from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., CRS-9 will be laden with a Boeing-built International Docking Adapter (IDA)—to be attached to the space station in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew ambitions—and a variety of critical research payloads and supplies for the incumbent Expedition 48 crew.

Earlier today (Wednesday), NASA and other officials gathered at the midpoint of the three-day ISS Research and Development Conference—hosted by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) in San Diego, Calif.—to discuss almost 4,900 pounds (2,220 kg) of payloads and hardware which will be delivered by CRS-9.

Unsurprisingly, a principal focus was upon IDA-2, which will form the primary docking adapter for Commercial Crew vehicles and will be installed onto Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA)-2 at the forward “end” of the station’s Harmony node. In so doing, IDA-2 will replace the original IDA-1, which was destroyed last June when SpaceX’s CRS-7 cargo mission failed to achieve orbit. Two IDAs are needed to provide primary and backup docking interfaces for Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon piloted vehicles, although with IDA-2 now pushed into the “primary” role a replacement adapter is currently being fabricated as a new backup. IDA-3 has been assembled from around 300 already extant spares—representing about 70 percent of the whole—which enabled Boeing to press ahead rapidly with its construction. According to NASA ISS Program Manager Kirk Shireman, a precise date for the launch of IDA-3 has not been determined, although it may fly aboard SpaceX’s CRS-16 Dragon, which Novosti Kosmonavtiki places in summer 2018. However, he added that the program was “carrying the possibility” of launching IDA-3 sooner.

more at the link...

http://www.americaspace.com/?p=94400

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New Photos of IDA-2 Loading into Dragon

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SpaceX provided these photos of engineers and technicians loading the International Docking Adapter into the trunk of the Dragon spacecraft for launch to the International Space Station. Known as IDA-2, the docking ring is tailored to the international docking standard for future human-rated spacecraft and is outfitted with sensors and instruments designed to accommodate new spacecraft carrying astronauts to the orbiting laboratory.

SpaceX

more at the link...

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2016/07/15/forecast-90-percent-go/

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Space Station ready for Cargo Deliveries, Progress MS-03 to lead the Way

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A busy week is coming up for the International Space Station with a pair of cargo craft inbound to keep up a steady chain of supplies for the six crew members living and working in orbit, circling the Earth 400 Kilometers in altitude.

First up is the Progress MS-03 spacecraft, set for liftoff atop a Soyuz U rocket on Saturday to begin a two-day trek to ISS while – half a world away – SpaceX will put its Falcon 9 rocket through a Static Fire test to set up for a Sunday night liftoff with the Dragon SpX-9 spacecraft.

Progress MS-03, loaded with 2,400 Kilograms of food, fuel and supplies, is working towards liftoff on Saturday at 21:41 UTC, gearing up for a nine-minute ride into orbit to begin a 34-orbit rendezvous with ISS for docking at 0:22 UTC on Tuesday. If launching on time at 4:44 UTC on Monday, Dragon – carrying 2,257kg of cargo – will be inbound for a capture by the Station’s robotic arm at 11 UTC Wednesday.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/progress-ms-03-set-for-liftoff/

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SpaceX prepares to static fire Falcon 9 rocket ahead of CRS-9 launch

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SpaceX is preparing for a critical test firing of all nine core stage engines of its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of an early-Monday/late-Sunday scheduled launch of the CRS-9 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The mission will deliver food and supplies to the Station crew as well as vital experiments and a new commercial vehicle docking adaptor to the orbital lab.

more at the link...

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/07/spacex-static-fire-falcon-9-rocket-crs-9-launch/

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Launch Schedule

Quote

July 16 Soyuz • Progress 64P
Launch time: 2141 GMT (5:41 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 64th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. Delayed from April 22, July 4 and July 7. [June 7]

July 18 Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 9
Launch time: 0445 GMT (12:45 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 11th Dragon spacecraft on the ninth operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Delayed from Dec. 9, June 24, June 27 and July 16. [June 23]

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

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Progress MS-03 to resupply the ISS

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A fresh cargo ship is scheduled to lift off from Baikonur on July 17, 2016, on its way to the International Space Station, ISS. It will deliver more than 2.4 tons of various supplies for the 48th long-duration expedition on the station. In the ISS flight manifest, the Progress MS-03 spacecraft has a designation 64P denoting the 64th Russian cargo mission heading to the outpost, while in production documentation it was designated No. 433.

A Soyuz-U rocket with Progress MS-03 on the launch pad at Site 31 in Baikonur.

Quote

Preparations for launch

The launch of Progress MS-03 was originally scheduled for April 30, 2016, but was postponed as a result of an overall reshuffle of the flight manifest for the International Space Station, ISS. At the beginning of June, the mission was rescheduled from July 4 to July 17, 2016.

The cargo ship's launch campaign began with the arrival of the vehicle to the launch site on Jan. 25, 2016. The irreversible process began with the fueling of the ship with propellants and loading of pressurized gases completed by July 8, 2016. Progress MS-03 was then transported back to its processing building at Site 254 for final operations. On July 11, RKK Energia team completed integration of the spacecraft with its launch vehicle adapter. Next day, specialists conducted the final inspection of the ship and it was rolled inside its protective shroud.

On July 13, the fully encapsulated upper composite with the Progress MS-03 was transferred from Site 254 to Site 31 for integration with its Soyuz-U launch vehicle. The operation was completed on July 14. On the same day, the State Commission overseeing the launch cleared the vehicle for the rollout to the launch pad at Site 31 at 04:30 Moscow Time on July 15, 2016.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-03.html

Final integration of the Soyuz-U rocket with Progress MS-03 on July 14, 2016.

Progress MS-03 is being integrated with its payload fairing on July 12, 2016.

A Soyuz-U rocket with the Progress MS-03 spacecraft leaves the assembly building at Site 31 on July 15, 2016, for a trip to the launch pad.

Soyuz-U with Progress MS-03 shortly after arrival at the launch pad on July 15, 2016. Click to enlarge.

ISS Progress 64

video is 3:59 min. good video....

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Quote

Carrier rocket "Soyuz-U" with a cargo ship # ProgressMS03 exported to the launch facility Baikonur Cosmodrome pl.№31

Quote

Insurance protection start-up carrier rocket "Soyuz-U" with a cargo ship # ProgressMS03 -http: // the www. roscosmos.ru/22453/

6,181 · July 16, 2016

Just a reminder....Progress MS-03 launches at 5:41 pm EDT, coverage is on NASATV, starting at 5:30 pm EDT onward to 7:00pm EDT

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public

International Space Station Calendar

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Date Event

July 16, 2016 Progress MS-03 Launch atop Soyuz U

July 18, 2016 Dragon SpX-9 Launch atop Falcon 9

July 19, 2016 Progress MS-03 Docking to Pirs

July 20, 2016 Dragon SpX-9 Rendezvous, Capture & Berthing to Harmony

July/August 2016 U.S. EVA-36 – IDA-2 Installation

NET August 2016 Cygnus OA-5 Launch atop Antares 230

2016 Relocation of Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 from Node 3P to Node 2Z

http://spaceflight101.com/iss/iss-calendar/

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Quote

Ready for the launch of the carrier rocket "Soyuz-U" with a cargo ship # ProgressMS03 1 hour -http: // the www. roscosmos.ru/317/ .

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Launch profile

Quote

A Soyuz-U rocket carrying the 7,290-kilogram Progress MS-03 cargo ship is scheduled to lift off from Pad 6 at Site 31 in Baikonur on July 17, 2016, at 00:41:46 Moscow Time (5:41 p.m. EDT on July 16).

Following a vertical liftoff, the launch vehicle will head eastward from Baikonur to match an orbital inclination of 51.66 degrees. Four boosters of the first stage will separate nearly two minutes into the flight, while the second stage will continued firing until 4.7 minutes into the flight.

The third stage will ignite moments before the separation of the second stage through a lattice structure connecting the two boosters and ensuring the continuous thrust during the entire ascent to orbit.

Less than 10 seconds after the separation of the second stage, the payload fairing protecting the spacecraft will split into two halves and fall off. A fraction of a second later, the aft cylindrical section of the third stage will also split into three segments and drop off, ensuring the fall of all the debris into the same drop zone 1,576 kilometers from the launch site.

In the meantime, the third stage will keep firing until almost 9 minutes into the flight. Progress MS-03 will separate from the third stage of the launch vehicle at 00:50:31.17 Moscow Time (5:50 p.m. EDT), just over three seconds after the third stage engine shutdown.

At the time when the Progress-MS-03 reaches its initial orbit, the ISS was projected to be in a 401.66 by 421.26-kilometer orbit, 328.8 degrees away from the cargo ship in the so-called phasing angle. Without any additional maneuvers, the spacecraft would remain in orbit for around 30 hours or 20 revolutions around the Earth.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-03.html

credit in image

6,181 · July 16, 2016

Fresh Cargo en-route to Space Station after flawless Soyuz U Launch with Progress MS-03

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Russia’s Soyuz rocket made a pre-dawn liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Sunday morning, flying toward the sunrise to deliver the Progress MS-03 cargo spacecraft to orbit for a resupply flight to the Space Station.

Progress MS-03 is the second of three planned Progress missions this year, primarily dedicated to resupply of the Russian Segment of ISS but also delivering important commodities such as fuel for the Station’s engines. The mission comes in a busy period for ISS with Soyuz MS-01 having just arrived with three crew members last week and the next SpaceX Dragon ready for an early Monday liftoff.

Progress MS-03 is the 155th Progress mission in a program dating back to 1978. Over its four-decade career, Progress visited Russia’s Salyut and Mir space stations and, to date, performed 66 missions in support of the International Space Station Program (including MS-03). It is the third flight of the new Progress MS line of spacecraft featuring a number of improvements primarily focused on the Navigation, Control and Communications system of the spacecraft.

Loaded with 2,400 Kilograms of food, fuel and supplies, Progress MS-03 utilized the third-to-last Soyuz U rocket for its launch into orbit. Looking back at a 43-year career, Soyuz U is the longest serving rocket in spaceflight history with over 780 missions, setting the gold-standard for flight heritage and reliability at a success rate of over 97%.

Soyuz U is being discontinued in favor of the modern Soyuz 2 version, also due to the fact that the launcher’s older analog Flight Control System requires parts to be imported from the Ukraine.

As per the current plan, Progress MS-4 will lift off atop a Soyuz U later this year to be followed by the final launch of the Soyuz U in February 2017 with the Progress MS-05 spacecraft.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/progress-ms-03-launch-success/

ISS Progress 64P/Progress MS-03 launch

video is 2:08 min.

6,181 · July 18, 2016

Pair of Space Deliveries Racing Towards Station

Quote

One cargo spacecraft begins its resupply mission to the International Space Station as another one prepares to dock tonight to the orbital laboratory.

Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, launched its 64th Progress spacecraft to resupply the station Saturday afternoon from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Progress is closing in on the space station today with more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies, and will dock to the Pirs docking compartment at 8:22 p.m. EDT tonight. NASA TV will cover the rendezvous and docking live beginning at 7:45 p.m.

SpaceX launched its Dragon space freighter early Monday from Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket for a two-day delivery mission. Dragon is carrying nearly 5,000 pounds of science, supplies and hardware including the first of two international docking adapters. A pair of space experiments, among others, aboard Dragon include a DNA sequencing study and an investigation of the human heart and how it adapts to living in space.

Dragon will approach the station early Wednesday, when it will be captured by the Canadarm2 and installed to the Harmony module. Astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins will be inside the cupola operating the robotic controls for capture of the spacecraft. Mission controllers on the ground will then take over and guide Dragon to its port on the Earth-facing side of Harmony.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/18/pair-of-space-deliveries-racing-towards-station/

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Cargo Traffic inbound to Space Station – Progress MS-03 sets up for Overnight Docking

CnhT5KzUMAAwZbo.jpg-orig-512x341.jpg

Exhaust of the Soyuz U third stage seen from the International Space Station to the backdrop of an orbital sunrise over Asia – Photo: NASA/Jeff Williams

Quote

Two spacecraft are en-route to the International Space Station after successful launches from Russia and the United States to keep up a steady chain of supplies for the six crew members living and working in orbit.

Russia’s Progress MS-03 spacecraft is first in line to pull into port Monday night after a pre-dawn liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sunday utilizing the Soyuz workhorse for its ride to orbit. Next up will be the SpaceX Dragon, lofted into orbit in the early hours on Monday by a Falcon 9 rocket.

Loaded with 2,405 Kilograms of cargo, Progress MS-03 lifted off atop a Soyuz U rocket at 21:41 UTC on Saturday for a nine-minute ride into orbit.

Soyuz U – approaching the end of a career of over four decades – delivered a flawless performance and released the 7,280-Kilogram Progress into an orbit of 193.8 by 242.5 Kilometers at an inclination of 51.65 degrees – very close to the 193 x 245 km target.

Dropped off well below the Station’s 400-Kilometer orbit, Progress had to catch up almost an entire lap around the planet, starting out in an orbit at a 329-degree phase angle to the Space Station.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/cargo-traffic-inbound-to-space-station-progress-ms-03-sets-up-for-overnight-docking/

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More than Two Tons of New Equipment Bound for Station Following Blazing Liftoff

img_0336.jpg?itok=WEavkeaV

The SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft lift off on the CRS-9 mission.
Credits: NASA/Frank Michaux

Quote

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station can expect almost 5,000 pounds of new hardware and experiments in two days following Monday's early-morning liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. The launch lit up the skies over Florida's Atlantic coast at 12:45:29 a.m. EDT as the nine engines of the Falcon rocket ignited to push the stack away from its launch pad and place the Dragon on a course to catch up to the station in two days.

Packed tightly inside the unpiloted Dragon spacecraft are a host of supplies for the station crew along with critical materials for dozens of the more than 250 scientific investigations slated to take place during the next several months. As an orbiting laboratory, the space station offers a unique platform to conduct research focused on improving aspects of life on Earth, decoding the challenges of long-duration spaceflight for astronauts traveling to deep-space in the future and for monitoring global changes on our home planet.

Dragon also carries a component for the station that will set it up for a new era of human spaceflight: international docking adapter, or IDA. The hardware is a ring weighing more than 1,000 pounds that will provide a standardized connection point to the station for visiting spacecraft including the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon, both now in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Engineered to an international docking standard and with numerous sensors and instruments attached, the adapter is designed to work with automated guidance systems on arriving spacecraft so they can safely dock to the station with little, if any, involvement from the crew in the spacecraft. The station's robotic arm will retrieve the IDA from the unpressurized trunk of the Dragon and spacewalkers will complete the installation of the adapter in August.

The rest of the cargo, including the research payloads, is riding inside the Dragon's pressurized compartment. Once berthed to the station, the Dragon's hatch will be opened so station crew members can move inside to gather the supplies.

more at the link...

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/more-than-two-tons-of-new-equipment-bound-for-station-following-blazing-liftoff

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Quote

July 17, 2016 marks the '41 the famous "handshake in space" - http: // the www. roscosmos.ru/22458/

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Kashagan Oil Field, Kazakhstan July 14, 2016

This enormous facility in the Caspian Sea was built to draw oil and gas from the Kashagan Oil Field—one of the largest contemporary oil discoveries. The facility, plagued by logistical delays and malfunctioning equipment, has yet to begin normal operations. credit Planet.com

https://www.planet.com/gallery/kashagan-oil-field-20160714/

6,181 · July 19, 2016

Progress MS-03 has docked, 8:20 pm EDT.

I will post the docking video when available.....Job well done today....

6,181 · July 20, 2016

NASA daily reports are a bit behind, but will post what I have.....

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/18/16

Quote

EarthKAM Service Module (SM) De-activation Removal: Over the weekend, Russian crewmembers shut down the EarthKAM payload components before disconnecting and stowing the equipment, concluding a week of imagery sessions in the SM. The objective of Sally Ride EarthKAM is to integrate Earth images with inquiry-based learning to enhance curricula in support of national and state education standards; to provide students and educators the opportunity to participate in a space mission and to develop teamwork, communication, and problem solving skills; to engage teams of students, educators, and researchers in collaborative investigations using remotely-sensed data; and to incorporate the active use of Web-based tools and resources in support of the learning process.

Mouse Epigenetics Setup Operations: The crew continued setup activities for the Mouse Epigenetics experiment by replacing MSPR VRU SSD installed in Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Video Compression and Recording Unit (VRU). The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space, and also examines changes in the DNA of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space.

Strata-1 Card Change-out: Four Strata secure digital (SD) cards were replaced and the data was downlinked. The Strata-1 experiment investigates the properties and behavior of regolith on small, airless bodies. Regolith is the impact-shattered “soil” found on asteroids, comets, the Moon, and other airless worlds, but it is different from soil here on Earth in that it contains no living material. Strata-1’s goal is to give us answers about how regolith behaves and moves in microgravity, how easy or difficult it is to anchor a spacecraft in regolith, how it interacts with spacecraft and spacesuit materials, and other important properties.

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Separator Plumbing Assembly (SPA) Samples: Last week the crew configured the system with the SPA output disconnected to obtain distillate samples for return to ground to better understand the recent UPA high conductivity. The UPA will continue to process in this configuration for at least a week. A longer term configuration to connect a CWC-I to the SPA output is in work.

Waste & Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pump Separator Remove & Replace (R&R): On July 11, the WHC Check Separator fault light illuminated. Subsequent troubleshooting steps led ground teams to conclude that the separator, which has been in operation since January of this year, was at its end of life. Today the Check Separator fault light illuminated again and the crew was directed to R&R the unit. After completion of that activity, the WHC was successfully recovered and is go for nominal use.

Quote

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Tuesday, 07/19: Personal CO2 Monitor recalibration/data collection, Human Research sample collections, CardioOx/Ultrasound, Dragon transfer conference
Wednesday, 07/20: SpX-9 berth, Dragon Vestibule outfitting, Circadian Rhythms
Thursday, 07/21: Dragon ingress, Mouse Epigenetics reconfig and setup, Heart Cell CO2 insert, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval, Polar and DCB transfers

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component

Status

Elektron

On

Vozdukh

Manual

[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”)

Off

[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”)

Off

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab

Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3

Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab

Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3

Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)

Standby

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)

Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab

Off

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3

Full Up

formatting a bit off today...

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2016/07/18/iss-daily-summary-report-071816/

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Progress 64/Progress MS-03 docking highlights

video is 3:43 min.

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

ISS Crew captures Dragon Spacecraft for Delivery of Science Experiments, Docking Adapter

Quote

The crew aboard the International Space Station successfully tamed a Dragon on Wednesday when the SpaceX cargo spacecraft was captured by the Station’s robotic arm under control of Expedition 48 commander Jeff Williams.

Launched early on Monday, Dragon completed a flawless rendezvous and will be berthed to the Station later on Wednesday to mark the start of a five-week stay facilitating the delivery of 2,257 Kilograms of cargo.

Dragon is the third spacecraft to arrive at the International Space Station in a period of one and a half weeks, following a pair of Russian missions: Soyuz MS-01 that carried Anatoli Ivanishin, Takuya Onishi and Kate Rubins to ISS July 7-9 and the Progress MS-03 cargo ship that pulled into its orbital parking spot Monday night after a two-day link-up with the complex.

Stowed in the pressurized cargo carrier of the Dragon spacecraft are 930 Kilograms of science hardware supporting dozens of experiments conducted in the one-of-a-kind laboratory that is ISS.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/dragon-spx-9-arrives-at-iss/

SpaceX CRS-9 Dragon capture highlights

video is 3:17 min.

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Dragon Arrives at Station with Docking Adapter

Quote

The Dragon spacecraft that SpaceX launched early Monday morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida arrived at the International Space Station today carrying a docking adapter that is crucial to future spacecraft including those in development with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The International Docking Adapter-2 will be pulled from the trunk of the Dragon by the station’s robotic arm Aug. 16. Then astronauts will make a spacewalk two days later to permanently connect the adapter to the end of the station’s Harmony node.

The adapter – a 1,020-pound metal ring big enough for astronauts to move through – has been built with a host of sensors that visiting spacecraft will use to help them dock to the station autonomously. Another docking adapter currently in assembly at Kennedy Space Center will be flown to the station on a future flight and connected to give the orbiting laboratory a second updated docking location. Currently, supply craft such as the Dragon have to be captured by the robotic arm and placed at a hatch. That process requires extensive work by the astronauts aboard the station. With the adapter in place however, automated systems on the spacecraft can steer towards the station and make a safe connection.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon are designed with computerized guidance and navigation systems that will conduct the flight plan by themselves even when astronauts are aboard. Of course, the both spacecraft also include the ability for astronauts to take over if needed.

NASA

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2016/07/20/dragon-arrives-at-station-with-docking-adapter/

Illustration of adapter unloading...

Image link

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NASA

13,544 · July 20, 2016

3D video

6,181 · July 21, 2016

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 July 2016

nasa_iss_on_orbit_status_report_071916_9

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 July 2016.

Quote

The SpaceX Dragon is chasing the International Space Station and the Expedition 48 crew is getting ready for its approach and capture Wednesday morning. This follows Monday evening's rendezvous and docking of the Progress 64 resupply ship from Roscosmos.

Dragon is delivering several science experiments including a DNA sequencing study and the Heart Cells investigation. The private space freighter is also carrying one of two International Docking Adapters. The adapters will enable future crewed vehicles from Boeing and SpaceX to dock to the space station.

The research, hardware and other supplies stowed inside Dragon total nearly 5,000 pounds. Dragon will be robotically attached to the Harmony module after astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins capture it with the 57.7 foot long Canadarm2. This will be the second cargo mission to arrive at the station in less than two days.

The Progress arrival Monday night brought more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 48 crew. Progress automatically docked to the Pirs docking compartment after launching Saturday evening from Kazakhstan.

Williams, Rubins and Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi prepared for the Dragon's arrival on Tuesday and participated in a variety of research and maintenance activities. The three cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka, Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin slept in Tuesday after a long day Monday preparing for the Progress delivery.

Quote

Personal Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitor Installation and Operations: Before performing data collections from the Personal CO2 Monitor, the crewmember first performed a single point calibration of the Personal CO2 Monitor using the iPad app and readings from the minimum circuit amps (MCA) sample port. The Personal CO2 Monitor was then paired to the iPad, before being attached to the crewmember's clothing, and worn for several hours. The data collected will be uploaded to the Space Station Computer via the iPad app before being powered off and stowed. The Personal CO2 Monitor demonstrates a system capable of unobtrusively collecting and downlinking individual crew members' CO2 exposure for weeks to months. This investigation evaluates wearability principles in microgravity and also demonstrates Modular Wearable Architecture Base Board, allowing rapid certification of future wearable devices.

Marrow Blood, Breath, and Ambient Air Sample Collection: Upon waking this morning, the crew took breath and ambient air samples to measure carbon monoxide concentration for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Marrow experiment which investigates the effect of microgravity on human bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the marrow. The extent of this effect and its recovery are of interest to space research and healthcare providers on Earth.

Space Headaches: The crew completed a European Space Agency (ESA) Space Headaches questionnaire to provide information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crew members in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crew members which can influence performance during a space mission.

Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) 2 & 3 Nitrogen (N2) Pressure Checks: The crew completed nitrogen checks on MELFIs 2 and 3 to verify that the nitrogen pressure in both MELFIs is within acceptable range. The MELFI is a cold storage unit that maintains experiment samples at ultra-cold temperatures throughout a mission. It supports a wide range of life science experiments by preserving biological samples (such as blood, saliva, urine, microbial or plant samples) collected aboard ISS for later return and analysis on Earth.

Quote

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Cardio Ox/Ultrasound support
Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 07/20: SpX-9 berth, Dragon Vestibule outfitting, Circadian Rhythms
Thursday, 07/21: Dragon ingress, Mouse Epigenetics reconfig and setup, Heart Cell CO2 insert, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval, Polar and DCB transfers
Friday, 07/22: Polar 3 hardware install, Heart Cells media change, Biological Rhythms 48 start Circadian Rhythms, OBT Dragon emergency review

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) - Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Full Up

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-19-july-2016.html

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

SpaceX Dragon Docked with the International Space Station

SpaceX Dragon Docked with the International Space Station. ROSCOSMOS/OLEG SKRIPOCHKA

Quote

On July 20, two days after the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida ground controllers in Houston sent commands instructing the robot arm to install Dragon on the Earth-facing side of the station's Harmony module.

During the next five weeks, crew members will unload the spacecraft and reload it with cargo to return to Earth.

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/spacex-dragon-docked-with-the-international-space-station.html

SpaceX Dragon Attached to the Space Station

video is 3:48 min.

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

Hatches Between Dragon and the Station are Open

Quote

The hatches between Dragon and station were opened at 2:27 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 20. The crew entered to document the interior and will begin unloading cargo this afternoon.

Quote

The spacecraft delivered nearly 5,000 pounds of science, hardware and supplies, including instruments to perform the first-ever DNA sequencing in space, and the first of two identical international docking adapters (IDA). The IDAs will provide a means for commercial spacecraft to dock to the station in the near future as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station Aug. 29 when it will return critical science research back to Earth. It is the second cargo spacecraft to arrive on station this week. On Monday, July 18, a Russian ISS Progress 64 cargo craft docked to the Pirs docking compartment of the space station at 8:22 p.m., where it will remain for about six months.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/20/hatches-between-dragon-and-the-station-are-open/

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

having issues with twitter.......

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Manhattan, New York, USA July 15, 2016

The skyscrapers of the Financial District and Midtown cast long shadows across Manhattan and the Hudson River. The enormous buildings are supported by strong, shallow bedrock, known as the Manhattan schist. Planet.com

https://www.planet.com/gallery/manhattan-20160715/

6,181 · July 22, 2016

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 20 July 2016

nasa_iss_on_orbit_status_report_072016_9

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 20 July 2016. ROSCOSMNOS/OLEG SKRIPOCHKA

Quote

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was bolted into place on the Harmony module of the International Space Station at 10:03 a.m. EDT as the station flew about 252 statute miles over the California and Oregon border.

The spacecraft is delivering nearly 5,000 pounds of science, hardware and supplies, including instruments to perform the first-ever DNA sequencing in space, and the first of two identical international docking adapters (IDA). The IDAs will provide a means for commercial spacecraft to dock to the station in the near future as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

The hatches between Dragon and station were opened at 2:27 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 20. The crew entered to document the interior and will begin unloading cargo this afternoon.

Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station Aug. 29 when it will return critical science research back to Earth. It is the second cargo spacecraft to arrive on station this week. On Monday, July 18, a Russian ISS Progress 64 cargo craft docked to the Pirs docking compartment of the space station at 8:22 p.m., where it will remain for about six months.

Quote

SpaceX (SpX)-9 Capture: The Dragon vehicle was successfully captured by the SSRMS at 5:56AM CDT today. Ground teams then berthed the vehicle to the Node 2 Nadir (N2N) port at approximately 9 AM, after which the crew performed vestibule pressurization and outfitting. Thanks to the crew and ground operators getting ahead of the timeline, they were able to ingress the vehicle today instead of waiting until tomorrow as previously planned.

Thermolab Instrumentation for Circadian Rhythms: The crew began the first of a three-day European Space Agency (ESA) Circadian Rhythms experiment by performing instrumentation with the Thermolab Double sensors, mounting the Thermolab Unit in a belt and connecting and powering on the Thermolab Unit before beginning a 36 hour continuous measurement. After the measurement is complete, the data will be transferred and the hardware will be stowed. The objective of the experiment is to get a better understanding of any alterations in circadian rhythms in humans during long-term space flights. Such knowledge will not only provide important insights into the adaptations of the human autonomic nervous system in space over time, but also has significant practical implications by helping to improve physical exercise, rest and work shifts, as well as fostering adequate workplace illumination in the sense of occupational healthcare in future space missions.

Mouse Epigenetics Pre-experiment Transfer Overview: In preparation for the Mouse Epigenetics experiment that arrived on SpX-9, the crew reviewed reference material on transferring mice from the transportation Cage Unit to the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit and installing the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit to Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Incubator Unit (IU).

Double Coldbag Unpack and Polar Transfer Overview: The crew reviewed reference material and procedures to understand the timing and choreography of unpacking the Double Coldbags from SpX-9 and transferring and installing the Polars from Dragon into the Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) racks.

Quote

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Dragon capture/berth
Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 07/21: Mouse Epigenetics reconfig and setup, Heart Cell CO2 insert, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval, Polar and DCB transfers
Friday, 07/22: Polar 3 hardware install, Heart Cells media change, Biological Rhythms 48 start Circadian Rhythms, OBT Dragon emergency review
Saturday, 07/23: Crew off duty, housekeeping, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval

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 - Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Full Up

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-20-july-2016.html

SpaceX Dragon Attached to the Space Station

video is 3:48 min.

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

Five Years After Shuttle, Missions Near for Commercial Crew

Quote

A new era of human spaceflight in America is approaching on the horizon five years after the space shuttle era ended with the touch down of Atlantis on the runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Built from the best of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program’s expertise plus the innovation of top American aerospace companies, spacecraft and rockets designed and built using a new approach to development are taking shape inside factories across the nation. Intensive test programs are underway on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon transportation systems, both built to take astronauts to the International Space Station from the United States. A lot has happened during the past five years, and the pace is picking up: http://go.nasa.gov/24QDPuA

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2016/07/21/five-years-after-shuttle-missions-near-for-commercial-crew/

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Tropical Storm Estelle Seen From Space

Tropical Storm Estelle EUMETSAT

Quote

Composite image of Tropical Storm Estelle, off the Mexican coast, from 06:00 UTC on Monday, 18 July 2016

Hurricane Darby is still active to the West of Estelle.

Infrared data from the geostationary satellites of EUMETSAT, JMA and NOAA overlays a computer-generated model of the Earth, containing NASA's Blue Marble Next Generation imagery.

Copyright: 2016 EUMETSAT

http://spaceref.com/earth/tropical-storm-estelle-seen-from-space.html

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One Year on Earth – Seen From 1 Million Miles

video is 2:46 min.

Quote

Published on Jul 20, 2016

On July 20, 2015, NASA released to the world the first image of the sunlit side of Earth captured by the space agency's EPIC camera on NOAA's DSCOVR satellite. The camera has now recorded a full year of life on Earth from its orbit at Lagrange point 1, approximately 1 million miles from Earth, where it is balanced between the gravity of our home planet and the sun.

EPIC takes a new picture every two hours, revealing how the planet would look to human eyes, capturing the ever-changing motion of clouds and weather systems and the fixed features of Earth such as deserts, forests and the distinct blues of different seas. EPIC will allow scientists to monitor ozone and aerosol levels in Earth’s atmosphere, cloud height, vegetation properties and the ultraviolet reflectivity of Earth.

The primary objective of DSCOVR, a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Air Force, is to maintain the nation’s real-time solar wind monitoring capabilities, which are critical to the accuracy and lead time of space weather alerts and forecasts from NOAA.

6,181 · July 23, 2016

NASA ISS Space to Ground Weekly Report - 22 July 2016

nasa_iss_space_to_ground_report_072216_9

NASA ISS Space to Ground Weekly Report - 22 July 2016. NASA

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-iss-space-to-ground-weekly-report---22-july-2016.html

Space to Ground: Double Down: 07/22/2016

video is 2:07 min.

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

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 July 2016

nasa_iss_on_orbit_status_report_072116_9

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 July 2016. NASA

Quote

Today: Dragon Operations: The crew was scheduled to ingress and configure Dragon for on-orbit operations today, however, these tasks were completed yesterday.

Today they transferred critical cargo and unpacked double cold bags to retrieve science as well as transferring 2 "Polar" freezers from Dragon into the EXPRESS rack locations that had been prepared for them.

Mouse Epigenetics Setup Operations: Crewmembers reconfigured the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) to establish an alternate power resource from the Utility Outlet Panel (UOP) and transferred the mice from the Transportation Cage Unit (which was used to house them during launch) into the Mouse Habitat Cage Units onboard ISS. The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space and also examines changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space.

NanoRacks Platform-1 Module Install: Six NanoRack Modules were installed on NanoRacks Platform 1. NanoRacks Modules 41 (Awty-BE-HDPE Rad Shielding), 43 (Slime Mold), and 44 (Awty-Yeast Cell Growth in a Microgravity Environment) were configured on the left side of the NanoRack Platform and Modules 45 (Duchesne-Light Wavelengths on Algae Production), 46 (Duchesne-Plant Growth Chamber), and 69 (Silver Electrolysis/ Eagelcrest) were configured on the right side. The NanoRack Platform is a multipurpose research facility that supports NanoRacks Modules by providing power and data transfer capabilities to operate investigations in microgravity.

NanoRacks Module 9: The crew performed tasks for the NanoRack Module-9 experiment by activating, deactivating, and shaking the mixture tubes. This experiment is a collection of student research projects utilizing the NanoRacks Mixsticks. Student teams from across the United States design their own experiments using flight approved fluids and materials.

Fluids Integration Rack (FIR) RPC trip troubleshooting - RPCM LA2A3B-G RPC-2 (FIR Main Power) tripped in late June. The payload that was running inside FIR at the time (MicroChannel Diffusion) was able to complete their operations on auxiliary power. Troubleshooting on the RPC trip was completed today. FIR was initially powered using auxiliary power, but gradually transitioned to main power. FIR was then deactivated and re-activated in a nominal configuration. No RPC trips were seen throughout the troubleshooting. FIR was deactivated upon completion. There are currently no liens on future use of FIR main power.

Quote

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

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 07/22: Polar 3 hardware install, Heart Cells media change, Biological Rhythms 48 start Circadian Rhythms, OBT Dragon emergency review
Saturday, 07/23: Crew off duty, housekeeping, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval
Sunday, 07/24: Crew off duty

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

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-21-july-2016.html

Space Station Live: Big DNA Science in a Small Package

video is 5:38 min.

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

New Heart and DNA Studies Begin after Dragon Delivery

The Sun’s rays illuminate the SpaceX Dragon after it was attached to the International Space Station’s Harmony module. NASA

Quote

The Expedition 48 crew is beginning work on new science delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon space freighter. More cargo is also being unloaded from the new Russian Progress 64 resupply ship.

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins has begun work on the new Heart Cells study that will observe how heart muscle tissue adapts to microgravity. Rubins also partnered with Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi for the Body Measures experiment that researches how the body shape changes in outer space. Onishi later setup Mouse Epigenetics gear that will enable research into genetic expression and DNA in mice and their offspring.

Commander Jeff Williams worked on plumbing activities in the U.S. segment of the International Space Station. He also worked on biological research hardware before moving on to cargo transfers from the new Dragon cargo craft.

Cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin are unloading gear from the new Progress cargo craft today. The duo also looked at cell cultures for the Kaskad study. Fellow cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka worked on Russian maintenance tasks and joined Ovchinin for the Korrektsiya bone loss study.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/22/new-heart-and-dna-studies-begin-after-dragon-delivery/

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Zinnia Flowers from International Space Station Yield Seeds for Future Experiments

Zinnia flowers were dissected inside the Veggie flight laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Quote

A baker’s dozen of zinnia flowers that were grown on the International Space Station were unpacked and recently dissected inside the Veggie flight laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An additional dozen zinnias were given to the six crew members on the space station as souvenirs.

A team of NASA and contractor scientists in the ISS Ground Processing and Research Project Office carefully removed the seeds from each of the thirteen zinnia plants and the zinnias from a ground control experiment. The seeds were examined under a microscope and then packaged in small vials and labeled for further analysis.

At Kennedy, the seeds will undergo a microbial analysis and a germination test to determine if they could be sent to the space station for another growth cycle in the Veggie system.

The zinnia seeds were delivered to the space station as part of the Veg-01 experiment in April 2014. The plant pillows containing the zinnia seeds were activated Nov. 16, 2015, in the Veggie plant growth system by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly during his one-year mission. The zinnias were watered and their growth was monitored for 90 days. The plants were harvested on Feb. 14, 2016, packaged and returned to Earth on the SpaceX CRS-8 Commercial Resupply Services Mission. Funding for Veggie is provided by the Space Life and Physical Sciences Research Applications Division at NASA Headquarters.

NASA is maturing Veggie technology aboard the space station to provide future pioneers with a sustainable food supplement – a critical part of NASA’s Journey to Mars. As NASA moves toward long-duration exploration missions farther into the solar system, Veggie will be a resource for crew food growth and consumption. It also could be used by astronauts for recreational gardening activities during long-duration space missions.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2016/07/22/zinnia-flowers-from-international-space-station-yield-seeds-for-future-experiments/

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Photos: Dragon Cargo Spacecraft arrives at ISS

Quote

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft links up with the International Space Station for a robotic capture to mark the start of a five-week stay facilitating the transfer of over two metric tons of cargo including the robotic installation of International Docking Adapter 2 to prepare the Station for the start of commercial crew traffic.

images at the link, all credit Roscosmos...

http://spaceflight101.com/photos-dragon-cargo-spacecraft-arrives-at-iss/

Roscosmos

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Researching 3D Printing Technology on the Space Station

Quote

Crew members on the International Space Station re-installed the first 3D printer in orbit, during the week of June 27, 2016, to continue research on the developing technology and how it can be used in space. NASA astronaut Jeff Williams installed the printer in the Microgravity Science Glovebox to begin another round of sample builds.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/images/index.html

iss048e015246.jpg?itok=EXm7iIcr

credit NASA

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Durban, South Africa July 18, 2016

Durban, with its popular beach spot, the Golden Mile, attracts throngs of tourists. 1.45 million visited the city and nearby attractions over the course of 45 days last summer. Moses Mabhida Stadium, visible just behind the beach, played host to several games of the 2010 World Cup. Planet.com

https://www.planet.com/gallery/durban-20160718/

13,804 · July 23, 2016

This year's official space station lab patch.

700400p570EDNmain2016-internation-space-

6,181 · July 24, 2016

Bits and bytes.....

Baikonur, Kazakhstan As Seen From Orbit

Baikonur, Kazakhstan NASA

Quote

When flying over the semi-desert grasslands of Kazakhstan, crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) usually follow the long line of the Syr Darya (river) to find the spaceport from which they launch.

Situated along a major bend in the river, the town of Baikonur is home to the Cosmodrome, the world's "first and largest space launch facility."

The straight road going north from Baikonur takes the astronauts and cosmonauts to the launching area (top margin of the image). The railroad that crosses the photo brings rocket parts to Baikonur from Russia. The highway between Orenburg, Russia, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, follows a roughly parallel route. For scale, the airstrip is 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) long.

The dark areas at image lower left are wetlands that indicate the old bed of the Syr Darya-where the river used to flow in a more southerly course to the Aral Sea. The semi-desert landscape around Baikonur is a mix of dry lakes, sand dunes, and vegetation-free patches of dirt and bare rock.

The most recent crew members to pass through Baikonur on the way to the space station were Kate Rubins (USA), Anatoly Ivanishin (Russia), and Takuya Onishi (Japan). They arrived at ISS on July 11, 2016, for their months-long stay. At the end of their flight, the astronauts will land on these same plains in a capsule assisted by parachute.

Astronaut photograph ISS047-E-53582 was acquired on April 10, 2016, with a Nikon D4 digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 47 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by M. Justin Wilkinson, Texas State University, Jacobs Contract at NASA-JSC. Instrument(s): ISS - Digital Camera

http://spaceref.com/onorbit/baikonur-kazakhstan-as-seen-from-orbit.html

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Western Cuba and Gulf of Batabanó

jsc2016e055921.jpg?itok=aXsQKkN2

Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA captured photographs of western Cuba and the Gulf of Batabanó as the International Space Station flew overhead. Williams shared this composite image on social media, writing, "Wow! Look at how the navy blue contrasts with the aqua, Gulf of Batabano Cuba."

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/images/index.html

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St. Louis, Missouri, USA July 21, 2016

The Mississippi River divides southern Illinois from urban St. Louis. Forest Park—1.5 times larger than New York City’s Central Park, and one of the United States’ largest urban parks—can be seen on the left-hand edge of town. Planet.com

https://www.planet.com/gallery/st-louis-20160721/

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ESA Euronews: Canada’s Robot Masters

Quote

Video Caption: Robots are an essential companion to mankind in space, and many of the modern-day masters of these robots are to be found in Montreal, home to the Canadian Space Agency.

Euronews Space has unique access to the team, among them operations engineer Mathieu Caron, who can steer the Canadarm 2 directly from his control room, or instruct astronauts piloting it in space.

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2016/07/22/esa-euronews-canadas-robot-masters/

ESA Euronews: Canada's robot masters

video 8:33 min. (last few minutes covers Exomars)

6,181 · July 26, 2016

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 July 2016

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The Expedition 48 crew is beginning work on new science delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon space freighter. More cargo is also being unloaded from the new Russian Progress 64 resupply ship.

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins has begun work on the new Heart Cells study that will observe how heart muscle tissue adapts to microgravity. Rubins also partnered with Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi for the Body Measures experiment that researches how the body shape changes in outer space.

Onishi later setup Mouse Epigenetics gear that will enable research into genetic expression and DNA in mice and their offspring.

Commander Jeff Williams worked on plumbing activities in the U.S. segment of the International Space Station. He also worked on biological research hardware before moving on to cargo transfers from the new Dragon cargo craft.

Cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin are unloading gear from the new Progress cargo craft today. The duo also looked at cell cultures for the Kaskad study. Fellow cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka worked on Russian maintenance tasks and joined Ovchinin for the Korrektsiya bone loss study.

Quote

Dragon Transfer Operations: The crew has unloaded the entire center stack and port rack, all of the coldbags, a large portion of the soft-stow cargo, all powered cargo including both powered Polars and the JAXA Mouse Habitat Unit Transportation Cage Unit with 12 mice from Dragon to the ISS. Fifty seven percent of the launched cargo has been transferred.

Dragon On-Board Training (OBT): With the arrival of SpX-9, all 6 crew members participated in an Emergency Response review including emergency hatch closure. The USOS crew also participated in a capture debrief with ground teams.

Water Processor Assembly (WPA) Successful Process: Overnight the WPA successfully completed a process run. Recently, the WPA has been continuously reprocessing due to high conductivity but has faulted out due to high pressure faults of the Microbial Check Valve (MCV). The MCV is tentatively scheduled to be removed & replaced (R&Rd) next week.

Quote

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

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 07/23: Crew off duty, housekeeping, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval
Sunday, 07/24: Crew off duty
Monday, 07/25: Mouse cage maintenance, vision testing, FMK deploy, EMU swap/launch reconfig/return prep, PWD filter R&R

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

http://spaceref.com/international-space-station/nasa-international-space-station-on-orbit-status-22-july-2016.html

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New Spacesuit and Science Unloaded From Dragon

Quote

Expedition 48 is moving ahead with preparations for an upcoming spacewalk. New science also is under way aboard the International Space Station after being delivered last week.

A new U.S. spacesuit was unpacked from inside Dragon and will be used during an August spacewalk to install a Commercial Crew docking port. An older U.S. spacesuit will be returned to Earth inside the Dragon for refurbishment.

Housed inside the trunk of the Dragon space freighter is the International Docking Adapter. The new docking adapter will be installed to the Harmony module during next month’s spacewalk. It will enable future crew spacecraft from Boeing and SpaceX to dock to the station.

The new Heart Cells study got under way last week to observe how heart muscle tissue adapts to microgravity. Another life science experiment, Mouse Epigenetics, is being set up this week to explore how living in space affects gene expression. The hardware and mice for both experiments were delivered last week inside Dragon.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2016/07/25/new-spacesuit-and-science-unloaded-from-dragon/

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NASA Establishes Institute to Explore New Ways to Protect Astronauts

Quote

NASA is joining with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to operate a new institute charged with researching and developing innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans on long-duration exploration missions, including NASA's Journey to Mars.

Work under the Translational Research Institute Cooperative Agreement, overseen by NASA's Human Research Program, begins Oct. 1.

Translational research is an interdisciplinary model of research that focuses on translating fundamental research concepts into practice, with appreciable health outcomes. The NASA Translational Research Institute (NTRI) will implement a "bench-to-spaceflight" model, moving results or methods from laboratory experiments or clinical trials to point-of-care astronaut health and performance applications.

The goal of the research is to produce promising new approaches, treatments, countermeasures or technologies that have practical application to spaceflight.

more at the link...

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Establishes_Institute_to_Explore_New_Ways_to_Protect_Astronauts_999.html

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Return to the underwater Space Station

Quote

This year, NASA's underwater training mission for astronauts promises to be longer and better than ever. Starting on 21 July, space agencies will test technologies and research international crew behaviour for long-duration missions using a permanent underwater base off the coast of Florida.

The 21st NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, sortie will enact a mission to Mars to test equipment for astronauts. The six 'aquanauts' will spend 16 days 20 m underwater in their habitat and perform 'waterwalks' - by adjusting their buoyancy, the aquanauts can simulate Mars gravity.

ESA is sending Herve Stevenin and Matthias Maurer from the European Astronaut Centre to take part in the mission. Herve explains: "We have taken part in previous NEEMOs facing the challenges of future space exploration missions. Each time we improve our operational concepts for spacewalks and our interactions with ground control for a future Mars mission - but what we learn here is also fully applicable to a manned Moon mission."

Matthias will stay the full 16 days with NASA astronaut Megan McArthur. They will be accompanied by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and research scientist Marc O'Griofa, who will change half way through for research scientists Dawn Kernagis and Noel DuToit.

Beneath the sea for outer space

As on the International Space Station, NEEMO missions are international and the crew will test new equipment and run experiments. The Japanese Multi-Omics experiment is also being conducted on the Space Station - ESA astronaut Tim Peake is one of the test subjects.

The aquanauts will also be testing a new version of ESA's mobiPV, a wearable prototype that gives astronauts access to hands-free instructions with audio and video that only they hear and see. The equipment was tested on previous underwater sorties as well as by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen in space during his 10-day mission.

Based on the results of this year's mission, a second flight version is expected to fly to the Space Station in 2017.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Return_to_the_underwater_Space_Station_999.html

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Forest and Fields, Brazil July 18, 2016

Farms and pastureland carve their way into tropical forestland in the Western Brazilian State of Rondônia. The state is one of the Amazon’s most deforested regions. Planet.com

https://www.planet.com/gallery/forest-and-fields-20160718/

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