Payloads: Circadian Light: The Circadian Light start-of-next-day assessment was performed. The Circadian Light investigation tests a new lighting system to help astronauts maintain an acceptable circadian rhythm. This can help enhance cognitive performance during a long-duration mission and help combat monotony through automated, varied, and gradually changing lighting sequences and settings. Earthshine from ISS: Earthshine …
First RS-25 Engine Installed to NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket
Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have installed the first of four RS-25 engines on the core stage of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. During Artemis II, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian …
Exercise, Science Gear Work on Station as Next Crew Preps for Launch
Tuesday was filled with health research and science hardware maintenance for the Expedition 69 crew. The rocket to launch the next crew to live aboard the International Space Station has also rolled out to its launch pad. Four flight engineers kicked off the day with a health examination checking vital signs such as temperature, blood …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/12/2023
Astronaut Frank Rubio Breaks the U.S. Record for Longest Spaceflight: Yesterday, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio broke the record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending his 355th consecutive day on the ISS. Rubio is scheduled to land on September 27th and will ultimately spend 371 consecutive days in orbit. Payloads: Exploration Environmental …
Calling Music Buffs: Help Make a Playlist for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Sample Delivery
Calling all music buffs! This one's for you. We're gearing up for the Sept. 24 landing of NASA's first asteroid sample and we want you to provide the soundtrack. Your song requests could be featured during a week of live episodes on Third Rock Radio and on the official Return of the Rock playlists. Third …
Boreal Summer
Scientists returned to central Alaska's boreal forests to measure plant activity during the peak of summer.
Webb Confirms Accuracy of Universe’s Expansion Rate Measured by Hubble, Deepens Mystery of Hubble Constant Tension
The rate at which the universe is expanding, known as the Hubble constant, is one of the fundamental parameters for understanding the evolution and ultimate fate of the cosmos. However, a persistent difference called the "Hubble Tension" is seen between the value of the constant measured with a wide range of independent distance indicators and …
Irresistible Gravity: Meet IXPE General Observer Program Lead Kavitha Arur
By Rick Smith A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so relentless that nothing nearby – not stars, not even light – can resist its pull. Astrophysicist Kavitha Arur can't resist it either. She's been fascinated with black holes since childhood. "I always enjoyed mysteries and solving puzzles, and astronomy is …
OSIRIS-REx Adjusts Course to Target Sample Capsule’s Landing Zone
On Sept. 10, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly fired its ACS (attitude control system) thrusters to point itself toward Earth, putting it on course to release its sample capsule, carrying rocks and dust from asteroid Bennu, from 63,000 miles (or 102,000 kilometers) above Earth's surface on Sunday, Sept. 24. Yesterday's trajectory-correction maneuver changed the spacecraft's velocity …