Blogs

After a successful launch at 6:36 a.m. EST Friday on the ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is in an unplanned, but stable orbit. The team is assessing what test objectives can be achieved before a safe return of the spacecraft to land in …

Microgravity Crystals: The crew performed the procedure review, pipetted and mixed solutions of varying viscosities onto the crystallization plates. The crystals will be allowed to develop over a period of 10 days in temperature-controlled conditions.  The investigation crystallizes a membrane protein that is integral to tumor growth and cancer survival. Although crystallization of this protein has …

Boeing’s new CST-100 Starliner crew ship rolled out to its launch pad in Florida today. The Expedition 61 crew is preparing the International Space Station for Starliner’s arrival while continuing advanced space research. The Starliner spacecraft sits atop an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance counting down to a liftoff Friday at 6:36 a.m. …

Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF-L): The crew assisted with the check-out of the Cell Biology Experiment Facility – Left (CBEF-L) Incubation Unit (IU) door sensor and CBEF-L IU2 door lock system. CBEF-L is a new JAXA subrack facility, which is an upgraded facility of the CBEF currently aboard the ISS. CBEF-L provides new capabilities with additional …

Members of the media were given the opportunity to view and photograph the Solar Orbiter spacecraft up close inside the Astrotech Space Operations payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida, on Dec. 16, 2019. Representatives from NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP), the European Space Agency (ESA), United Launch Alliance (ULA), Airbus Defence and Space, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center provided an overview of the mission, spacecraft and launch vehicle.

Two vital pieces of equipment for the Mars 2020 rover were flown from Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, Colorado, and recently delivered to the agency's Kennedy Space Center. The rover's heat shield and back shell arrived at Kennedy's Launch and Landing Facility (formerly the Shuttle Landing Facility) on Dec. 11, 2019, and were then transported …

The International Space Station is gearing up for the arrival of Boeing’s new CST-100 Starliner crew ship this weekend. Meanwhile, the Expedition 61 crew checked out a new baking oven, researched life science and replaced a treadmill belt. Boeing’s first Orbital Flight Test of its first commercial crew vehicle is moving ahead toward launch Friday …

CBEF-L (Cell Biology Experiment Facility – Left): The crew installed the CBEF-L centrifuge and performed the necessary temperature/humidity sensor relocations to support the ground-commanded checkout activities.  CBEF-L is a new JAXA subrack facility, which is an upgraded facility of the original Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS). CBEF-L provides …

Acoustic Diagnostics: The crew set up the appropriate hardware, performed the audio measurements, and used the EveryWear application to answer the questionnaires.  The investigation tests the hearing of ISS crew members before, during, and after flight. This study assesses the possible adverse effects of noise and the microgravity environment aboard the ISS on human hearing. …

Boeing is ramping up for the launch of its first commercial crew vehicle to the International Space Station this week. The Expedition 61 crew is preparing for the new U.S. crew ship’s arrival while working human research and space biology today. Boeing is targeting 6:36 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 20, for the launch of its …