Blogs

On August 27, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 400 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .88 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).

Vein scans and human research samples comprised the majority of the research schedule for the Expedition 67 crew members on Tuesday. Spacesuit work is also ongoing aboard the International Space Station as the cosmonauts prepare for a spacewalk. Three astronauts took turns on Tuesday morning using the Ultrasound 2 device to scan each other’s neck, …

Payloads: Airborne Particulate Monitor (APM): Experiment data was transferred from the APM for subsequent downlink to the ground. Air quality in crewed spacecraft is important for keeping astronauts healthy and comfortable. Although requirements exist for maximum allowable concentrations of particulate matter, currently no measurement capability verifies whether these requirements are met. The APM demonstrates an …

Engineers are evaluating data gathered during the Artemis I launch attempt Monday, Aug. 29, when teams could not get the rocket’s engines to the proper temperature range required to start the engines at liftoff, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window to continue. The mission management team will convene Tuesday afternoon to discuss …

Space biology kicked off the week for the Expedition 67 crew on Monday to help NASA and its international partners support astronauts on long spaceflight missions. Two cosmonauts are also preparing for a spacewalk to continue outfitting the International Space Station’s third robotic arm. NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines began Monday morning …

The launch director halted today’s Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 8:34 a.m. EDT. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft remain in a safe and stable configuration. Launch controllers were continuing to evaluate why a bleed test to get the RS-25 engines on the bottom of the core stage to the proper temperature …

Teams are in a hold in the countdown at T-40 minutes while engineers evaluate why the bleed test to condition the engines was not successful. Engineers are looking at options to gather as much data as possible. The Artemis I rocket and spacecraft are in a stable, safe condition.

While liquid oxygen loading into the interim cryogenic propulsion stage continues and core stage tanks continue to be replenished with propellants, engineers are troubleshooting an issue conditioning one of the RS-25 engines (engine 3) on the bottom of the core stage. Launch controllers condition the engines by increasing pressure on the core stage tanks to …

The Space Launch System’s core stage liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks are fully fueled and both are being replenished. During replenish, the propellant that naturally boils off is being replaced to ensure the tanks are at full capacity for launch. A “go” has been given for liquid oxygen loading into the interim …

As teams continue to fuel the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage with liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2), teams have been given a go to begin propellant loading operations for the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). The ICPS is the upper stage of the rocket responsible for giving the Orion spacecraft the …