Happy equinox, Earthlings! March 20 marks the spring equinox, one of two seasonal markers in Earth’s year-long orbit when the Sun appears to shine directly over the equator, and daytime and nighttime are nearly equal lengths–12 hours–everywhere on the planet. It’s the start of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning more sunlight and longer …
By Sarah Frazier NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center On March 6, 2019, our Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, witnessed a lunar transit — where both the Sun and Moon displayed a little odd behavior. First, there was the transit itself. A lunar transit occurs when the Moon passes between SDO and the Sun, blocking the …
The Expedition 59 crew is busy preparing for the first spacewalk of 2019 set to begin in just two days. Meanwhile, the orbital residents are still exploring the effects of space on their bodies while familiarizing themselves with emergency hardware. NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Anne McClain continued organizing their tools this morning ahead of …
Medical Proteomics: The crew performed a blood collection in support of the JAXA Medical Proteomics investigation which evaluates changes of proteins in blood serum, bone and skeletal muscles after space flight, and also supports identification of osteopenia-related proteins. By combining research results for space mice, astronauts and ground patients, proteins related to osteopenia can be …
The Expedition 59 crew continued gearing up for Friday’s spacewalk amid a variety of human research activities today. Meanwhile, the three newest International Space Station crewmembers found time to get up to speed on lab systems and life in space. Friday’s spacewalkers will be NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nick Hague. The duo started the …
Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) Fuel Oxidizer Management Assembly (FOMA): The crew performed the FOMA calibration preparatory activities which consisted of closing and opening the appropriate valves on manifold bottles and the GIP (gas interface panel). The FOMA calibration is a periodic activity required to support CIR science operations. CIR provides sustained, systematic microgravity combustion research and …
The Expedition 59 crew is getting ready for the first of three spacewalks just days after the arrival of three new crew members to the International Space Station last week. All six crewmates also reviewed emergency procedures today while the new trio becomes accustomed to life on the orbital lab. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and …
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch, and cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos joined NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Expedition 59 commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency aboard the International Space Station when the hatches between the Soyuz spacecraft and the orbiting laboratory officially opened at 11:07 p.m. EDT. The trio’s arrival returns the orbiting …
The Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch, and cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos docked to the International Space Station at 9:01 p.m. EDT while both spacecraft were flying about 250 miles over the Pacific Ocean just west of Peru. Expedition 59 officially began at the time of docking. Aboard the space station, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Expedition …
58 Soyuz (58S) Launch and Docking: The 58S Soyuz launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome this afternoon at 2:14 PM CT and completed a nominal 4 orbit rendezvous and docking to the ISS MRM1 Port at 8:01 PM CT. The 58S crew Aleksey Ovchinin, Nick Hague, and Christina Koch returned ISS to 6-crew operations after hatch …
