As of Nov. 29, 2022, InSight is generating an average between 290 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .95 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).
Payloads: Biological Research In Canisters-26 (BRIC-26): BRIC-26 hardware was inserted into the BRIC-LED facility and activated to begin the experiment. Previous research shows that exposure to microgravity affects microbial characteristics such as virulence and environmental resistance, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes are unclear. BRIC-26 measures the effect of exposure to microgravity on three …
Life science and space physics filled the research schedule on Tuesday for the four Expedition 68 astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts spent the day servicing Orlan spacesuits while maintaining electronics and life support systems. Following a day off on Monday, the space station’s four astronauts turned their attention to …
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is on course for its return to Earth on Sunday, Dec. 11. The spacecraft made its second and final close approach to the Moon at 10:43 a.m. CST Monday, Dec. 5, just before its return powered flyby burn, passing 80.6 miles above the lunar surface. The burn, which used the spacecraft’s …
USOS 3A ISS Roll Out Solar Array (IROSA) Install Extravehicular Activity (EVA): This past weekend on Saturday EV1 (Josh Cassada) and EV2 (Frank Rubio) conducted USOS EVA #82. The main goal of this EVA was to install and deploy the 3A IROSA and perform a 1B cable demate. Hatch opening occurred at 6:16 AM CT. …
Four Expedition 68 crew members took Monday off following a busy weekend of spacewalk activities. The rest of the International Space Station crew focused on electronics, life support, and Orlan spacesuit maintenance. NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio are relaxing today following a spacewalk on Saturday that saw the successful installation of a roll-out …
Orion performed the second return trajectory correction burn on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 10:43 a.m. CST, using the auxiliary thrusters and increasing the spacecraft’s velocity by 1.16 mph (1.71 feet per second). Shortly after acquiring signal with the Deep Space Network’s Canberra ground station at 12:41 a.m. CST, Orion experienced an issue with a …
Orion re-entered the lunar sphere of influence at 4:45 p.m. CST Saturday, Dec. 3, making the Moon the main gravitational force acting on the spacecraft. Entry into the lunar sphere of entry occurred when the spacecraft was about 39,993 miles from the lunar surface. It will exit the lunar sphere of influence for a final …
Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 2:21 p.m. EST after 7 hours and 5 minutes. Cassada and Rubio completed their major objectives for today to install an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA) and disconnect a cable to ensure the 1B channel can be reactivated. …
Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio of NASA began a spacewalk at 7:16 a.m. EST to install an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA) to augment power generation for the 3A power channel on the station’s starboard truss structure. In addition to installing an iROSA, the spacewalkers will disconnect a cable …
