SpaceX-5 Launch Status: The static test fire scheduled yesterday was started, but aborted shortly after engine ignition. SpaceX is currently evaluating any impacts to the schedule. Robonaut: Virts reviewed a Robonaut video in preparation for upcoming operations. This was the first time motor power was applied to Robonaut following the addition of the legs and …
Picturing Science: December 17, 2014
Nighttime lights around many major U.S. cities shine 20 to 50 percent brighter during Christmas and New Year’s when compared to light output during the rest of the year. Full story. Related. Kilauea lava flow burning through forest near Pahoa, Hawaii. Full story. Related. Yes, that’s a NASA plane without wings. Its top speed: 1,064 […]
Crew Works Multitude of Advanced Robotics
The International Space Station crew has been working on a variety of robotics activities this week. On Wednesday, they tested a humanoid robot and explored how bowling ball-sized satellites, known as SPHERES, can navigate around objects. Crew members trained earlier in the week for the planned Sunday capture of the Dragon spacecraft using the 57.7 …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/16/14
3D printing in Zero G: Wilmore removed the final print coupon from the 3D Printer, concluding the objectives of the 3D printing in Zero G demonstration. Crew then removed the 3D printing equipment from the Microgravity Glove Box (MSG) and stowed the unit. The 3-D Printing in Zero-G technology demonstration experiment will show that a …
AGU 2014: The Buzz
A record 25,000 researchers and exhibitors descended on San Francisco this week for the 2014 meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). That number of attendees translates to a tremendous amount of Earth science being discussed via presentations and posters, and we can’t possibly cover it all in this blog. Fortunately, this buzz word graphic […]
More Science and 3D Printing Work amid Dragon Training
Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and cosmonaut Elena Serova started Wednesday conducting a test run of basketball-sized satellites, known as SPHERES, which float inside the International Space Station. After checking the nitrogen pressure of science freezers in the afternoon, Cristoforetti joined Commander Barry Wilmore for a robotics training session ahead of the fifth SpaceX Dragon mission …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/15/14
Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2: Virts removed alignment guides to prepare the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) for FLEX-2 Binary-Droplet Array test points. FLEX-2 uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary …
Crew Preps For Dragon Capture and Next Year’s U.S. Spacewalks
Three U.S. spacewalks are planned for early next year and station crew members Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts are preparing spacesuits and spacewalk tools. Wilmore swapped secondary oxygen packs on a pair of spacesuits, while Virts checked the torque on a pistol grip tool. After the spacesuit work, Wilmore joined Italian astronaut …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/12/14
Cardio Ox: Virts setup and configured ultrasound hardware and acted as Crew Medical Officer (CMO) to support Cristoforetti’s flight day 15 Cardio Ox session. With guidance from the Cardio Ox ground team, ultrasound scans and blood pressure measurements were performed on Cristoforetti. The objective of Cardio Ox is to determine whether biological markers of oxidative …