Observation Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) Sample Exchange: Kononenko performed an OASIS sample exchange today, installing the third of four sample cartridges into the experiment hardware housed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). OASIS studies the unique behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity, including their overall motion and the merging of crystal layers …
NASA Tests Crew Recovery for Orion
When astronauts come home in Orion from deep-space missions, they’ll need a strategy for a safe and efficient exit. At NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, teams performed a series of tests Oct. 6-8 to evaluate the most efficient way for astronauts to get out of the spacecraft after …
October Puzzler
Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. The October 2015 puzzler is above. Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us what part of the world we are looking at, when the image was acquired, what the image shows, and why the scene is interesting. How to answer. Your answer can be a […]
October Puzzl
Biomedical Studies and Spacewalk Review Start the Crew Week
The crew continued more biomedical studies today so scientists can learn how long-term missions affect humans in space. The International Space Station residents also reviewed procedures for a pair of upcoming spacewalks and conducted an emergency training session. Commander Scott Kelly joined his fellow One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui for …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 10/19/15
Ocular Health: One year crewmembers Kelly and Kornienko initiated their Flight Day 210 Ocular Health testing by completing vision and tonometry tests and taking blood pressure measurements with the assistance of Yui. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the risk of microgravity-induced visual impairment/intracranial pressure in ISS …
Annual Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week
Orionid meteors appear every year around this time when Earth travels through an area of space littered with debris from Halley’s Comet. This year the peak will occur on the night of Wednesday, Oct. 21 into the morning of Thursday, Oct. 22. “The Orionids will probably show weak activity this year,” says Bill Cooke of the …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 10/16/15
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock Safing: Today Kelly prepared the JEM Airlock for the return of NanoRack Cubesat Deployer 6 (NRCSD#6) from the exterior of the ISS to the JEM next week. He pressurized the Airlock and performed a leak check. Because Deployer #6 contains two unlaunched cubesats, he removed the Lamp Housing Assembly from …
Commander Scott Kelly Breaks Time-in-Space Record
International Space Station Commander Scott Kelly set a new record today becoming the NASA astronaut with the most cumulative days in space, 383 days and counting. Mike Fincke, a two-time space station resident, was the previous record holder at 382 days. Kelly is scheduled to return to Earth on March 2, 2016, for a total …