While I was interviewing University of North Carolina climate scientist Wei Mei about his new research that shows a significant increase in the intensity of land-falling typhoons in the western Pacific, the strongest storm of the 2016 season (Super Typhoon Meranti) was on the verge of slamming into China after grazing Taiwan. “Meranti fits the trend,” […]
ISS Daily Summary Report – 09/15/2016
NanoRack Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) #9 Deployment: Overnight, ground controllers deployed the remaining three of four pairs of Planet Lab DoveSats from the NRCSD #9. This deployment titled “Flock 2” is a fleet of nanosatellites designed, built and operated by Planet Labs Inc., and will enable imagery of the changing planet to be taken on a frequent …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 09/14/2016
Asia Try Zero-G: The crew performed the ASIA TRY ZERO-G experiment. The crew performed science experiments on themes proposed by six different countries throughout Asia. The downlinked video will be used to promote the understanding of space activity for Asian countries. Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) Troubleshooting: The crew is troubleshooting the ELF facility. The crew …
One Word
By Eric Lindstrom A 1960’s movie classic, “The Graduate” (1967), contains a scene where the young Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is given advice about his future by the worldly Mr. McGuire (Walter Brooke): Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Benjamin: Yes, sir. Mr. McGuire: Are you listening? Benjamin: […]
Three Crew Moving Ahead with Variety of Science
The Expedition 49 trio orbiting Earth inside the International Space Station are less than two weeks away from welcoming three new crew members. As the station residents wait for the new arrivals, they continue conducting space science and maintaining station systems. Commander Anatoly Ivanishin with Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi have been living …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 09/13/2016
NanoRack Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) #9 Install: After extending the JEM Airlock (JEMAL) slide table into the cabin, FE-5 installed the NRCSD #9 quad-deployer onto the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform Small Fine Arm Attachment Mechanism (MPEP/SAM) attachments this morning. The crew then retracted the slide table, closed the JEMAL hatch and depressurized the JEMAL in advance of …
Second Half of D-level Platforms Installed for NASA’s Space Launch System
A heavy-lift crane lowers the second half of the D-level work platforms, D north, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, into position Sept. 9 for installation in High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The platform will be installed on the north side of the …
Prepping for First Flight
We finally launched the ER-2 on its first science mission yesterday after two weeks waiting for fuel, parts and equipment. I got the privilege of sitting in the driver’s seat because Greg “Coach” Nelson got to deliver the jet from its last fuel stop in Recifé, Brazil. We’re the two ER-2 pilots here for ORACLES, […]
Visualizing the Warmest August in 136 Years
August 2016 was the warmest August in 136 years of modern record-keeping, according to a monthly analysis of global temperatures by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Although the seasonal temperature cycle typically peaks in July, August 2016 wound up tied with July 2016 for the warmest month ever recorded. August 2016’s […]