Blogs

Group Combustion Leak Check: CDR retrieved the Combustion Chamber from the Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Work Volume and installed a top plate on the Combustion Chamber.  The crew then installed a gas bottles and air supply lines to configure for a leak check.  Ground specialists are focusing the leak check on the Group Combustion …

The new Expedition 50 crew is in its first week aboard the International Space Station after a trio of Expedition 49 crew members left for Earth Saturday night. Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko are the sole occupants of the station right now awaiting three more crewmates due to launch …

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Maintenance:  The crew performed a half water dump and fill on EMU 3006 feedwater tanks and a full water dump and refill of EMUs 3003 and 3010 feeedwater tanks. These activities satisfy maintenance requirements for on-orbit stowage of the EMUs.  Urine Processing Assembly (UPA):  Last week, the crew demated the connection …

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency safely landed their Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft in Kazakhstan southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan at 11:58 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Oct. 29. Russian recovery teams are helping the crew exit the Soyuz spacecraft and adjust …

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency undocked from the International Space Station at 8:35 p.m. EDT to begin their journey home. Ivanishin, the Soyuz commander, is at the controls of the MS-01 spacecraft. The trio’s spacecraft completed …

At 5:12 p.m. EDT, the Soyuz hatch closed between the International Space Station and MS-01 spacecraft. Expedition crew members Kate Rubins of NASA and her crewmates Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are preparing to undock at 8:35 p.m. NASA Television will provide coverage …

Progress continues to upgrade the flame trench at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Construction workers with J.P. Donovan of Rockledge, Florida, are on an elevated work stand to install new heat-resistant bricks on the north side of the flame trench. The Pad B flame trench is being refurbished to support …

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough assumed command of the International Space Station from Commander Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian Federal Space Agency at 3:37 p.m. EDT Friday in a traditional Change of Command ceremony. Expedition 50 will officially begin under Kimbrough’s command when the Soyuz spacecraft carrying Ivanishin, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi of …

Veg-03 Wick Opening: FE-3 opened the wicks on the plant pillows to allow for better growth capability.  The overall goal of Veg-03 is to further demonstrate proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. Future long-duration missions into the solar system, finally culminating on Mars, will require a fresh food supply …

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and her crewmates, Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are scheduled to return to Earth on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11:59 p.m. EDT (9:59 a.m. Oct. 30, Kazakhstan time). NASA Television will air coverage of the departure and landing …