There is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather for launch of DSCOVR, NOAA's new deep space satellite to monitor space weather. DSCOVR is a partnership between NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Air Force. The spacecraft is targeted for launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 6:10:12 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 8, from …
NASA TV to Air DSCOVR Briefing
NASA TV will provide live coverage of a news briefing on the DSCOVR mission, NOAA's new satellite to monitor space weather, at 1 p.m. EST Saturday, Feb. 7 from the Press Site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing also will stream live on the agency's website here. NASA TV's and the DSCOVR launch blog coverage of countdown …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 02/05/15
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (JSSOD) Status: Cristoforetti activated the JEMRMS Robotics Laptop (RLT), opened the JEM Airlock (JEMAL) outer hatch and extended the slide table. Ground operations teams then performed the robotic operations to succesfully deploy the JSSOD satellite. The JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) small fine Arm (SFA) was guided …
January Puzzler Answer: Arrecife Alacranes
The January 2015 puzzler (top image) might look like bacteria in a petri dish—many guesses played off some variation of that theme. However, if you answered “coral reef,” you were on the right track. Alexandre Mathieu was the fist to submit a comment to our Earth Matters blog suggesting that the image was a reef. There […]
Space Freighters Prepped for Departure During Troubleshooting Activities
Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicle-5 (ATV-5) is operating with one less electronics chain that provides power to its batteries after it failed Wednesday. The other three electronics chains are operating normally as flight controllers and the station crew prepare the ATV-5 for its departure Feb. 14. Cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Anton Shkaplerov set up gear in …
Launch Forecast: 90 Percent ‘Go’
Weather forecasters from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron are predicting a 90 percent chance of favorable weather for launch of DSCOVR, the new NOAA satellite to monitor space weather. The primary concern is for thick clouds at launch time. DSCOVR is a partnership between NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Air Force. The spacecraft …
NOAA’s DSCOVR Press Kit Available
NOAA's Satellite and Information Service has posted this press kit for that agency's DSCOVR mission due to launch Sunday at 6:10 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida adjacent to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A SpaceX Falcon 9 will be used to lift the spacecraft to the L1 point in space a million …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 02/04/15
Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)-5 Status: Yesterday, ATV experienced a failure with Battery Power Chain #4. ATV ground teams have confirmed the failure is real and not a sensor issue. The ground teams have taken the necessary precautions and are continuing their investigation. The vehicle has a total of four power chains. Should a second power …
Crew Reviews Spacewalk Procedures
Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts reviewed spacewalk procedures Wednesday. They are scheduled to start the first of three spacewalks Feb. 20. The duo will set up cables and communication equipment allowing the future installation of International Docking Adapters accommodating commercial crew vehicles. A CubeSat delivered to the International Space Station in January …