Blogs

A pair of space freighters from Russia and Japan docked to the International Space Station are getting attention today as the Expedition 63 crew works on a variety of space experiments. NASA Flight Engineers Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have nearly finished unpacking Japan’s HTV-9 cargo craft which arrived May 25. They have been carefully …

The five-member Expedition 63 crew aboard the International Space Station started the workweek servicing a variety of communications gear. The quintet also worked on spacewalk gear, orbital plumbing and microgravity research. NASA Commander Chris Cassidy started Monday working in the Japanese Kibo laboratory module. The veteran astronaut disconnected and removed an HDTV camera from Kibo’s …

Payloads  High-Definition Television (HDTV) Camera Removal:  The crew removed the HDTV hardware from the JEM Airlock (JEMAL) slide table and stowed it.  This is a continuation of the ops needed to prepare for the installation of the external JAXA integrated Standard Imager for Microsatellites (iSIM) experiment later this week. iSIM is a high-resolution optical binocular …

On May 29, 2020, a family of sunspots — dark spots that freckle the face of the Sun, representing areas of complex magnetic fields — sported the biggest solar flare since October 2017. Although the sunspots are not yet visible (they will soon rotate into view over the left limb of the Sun), NASA spacecraft …

Payloads Electrolysis Measurement (EM): In support of the ongoing EM experiment, the crew performed a series of sample exchanges.  Some minor luer lock issues were experienced yesterday during the final sample cuvette exchange, but were resolved today.  The experiment is expected to process 30 total samples over the next several weeks.  Electrolytic Gas Evolution Under …

NASA has finalized the contract for the initial crew module of the agency’s Gateway lunar orbiting outpost. Orbital Science Corporation of Dulles, Virginia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Space, has been awarded $187 million to design the habitation and logistics outpost (HALO) for the Gateway, which is part of NASA’s Artemis program and …

As it soars off the launch pad for the Artemis I missions, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is powered by two solid rocket boosters. Critical parts of the booster will soon head to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the Artemis I launch. Specialized transporters move each of the 10 solid rocket motor …

The Expedition 63 crew and its two newest crewmates aboard the International Space Station wrapped up the workweek studying a wide range of space phenomena. Commander Chris Cassidy began Friday setting up optical communications gear aboard the Japanese Kibo laboratory module. The new broadband hardware will demonstrate transmitting large amounts of data back and forth …

Payloads Combustion Integration Rack/Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (CIR/ACME):  In support of the on-going s-Flame part 2 investigation, the crew removed a 45% H2/ 55% He fuel bottle and replaced it with a 45% CH4/ 55% He fuel bottle.  The purpose of s-Flame is to advance our ability to predict the structure and dynamics, including …

Parts of Orion’s Artemis III crew module that will carry the first woman and next man to land on the Moon are taking shape at AMRO Fabricating Corp. in California and Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. in Illinois.