Preparation for Cygnus Unberth and Release: The Crew has configured Cygnus and the Node 1 vestibule in preparation for Cygnus departure tomorrow. This morning, the Crew removed Intermodule Ventilation, Power/Data Jumpers, and closed the Cygnus hatch. Once the hatch was closed, the Crew installed the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Center Disk Cover and four …
To research the wintry tundra near Denali National Park, scientists often turn to a four-legged mode of transport to reach their field — sled dogs. At Eight Mile Lake, just outside the Park boundaries, lies an important study site for NASA. Dr. Ted Schuur from the University of Northern Arizona operates a suite of instruments […]
The laboratory for ABoVE is vast. The field campaign – the Arctic Boreal and Vulnerability Experiment – covers 2.5 million square miles of tundra, mountains, permafrost, lakes, and forests in Alaska and Northwestern Canada. ABoVE scientists are using satellites and aircraft study this formidable terrain as it changes in a warming climate, but remote sensing […]
Congratulations, Thomas Goldammer, for being the first to solve our January Puzzler. As Thomas noted, the image highlighted coral reefs immediately north of Palau’s Babeldaob island. Tyler Johnson chimed in the next day with some additional details and insight. Though more than 100 people weighed in on Facebook, reefs in Palau never came up. Interestingly, several Facebook readers guessed that […]
The crew aboard the International Space Station is set to say farewell to a pair of spaceships over the next several days. The first spaceship, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo craft, is being readied for its release Friday morning. After that, the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft will return to Earth March 1 bringing home three crew members. …
Biological Rhythms 48-Hour: Kelly began his third and final Biological Rhythms experiment today, preparing and starting the Actiwatch and donning a Holter Monitor to collect Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements for 48 hours. Biological Rhythms 48 hours studies the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on heart function by analyzing an astronaut’s electrocardiogram for 48 hours. While the …
The International Space Station raised its orbit again today as three crew members prepare for a March 1 landing while another trio gets ready for a March 18 launch. Meanwhile, advanced research continued inside the orbital laboratory to improve life on Earth and for future space residents. Today’s orbital reboost places the station at the …
Burning and Suppression of Solids – Milliken (BASS-M): Today Kopra completed the final session of BASS-M operations, preparing and testing different samples with ground assistance from the Principal Investigator. The BASS-M investigation tests flame-retardant cotton fabrics to determine how well they resist burning in microgravity. Results benefit research on flame-retardant textiles that can be used …
The crew aboard the International Space Station is getting ready for a busy traffic month set to begin March 1. Meanwhile, advanced microgravity research and spacesuit work continues inside the orbital lab. One-Year crew members Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko are preparing to come home March 1 after 340 days in space. Flight Engineer Sergey …
