Blogs

Launch day has arrived for the Cygnus cargo craft which is scheduled to liftoff aboard the Orbital ATK Antares rocket today at 7:40 p.m. EDT. Two days later, three new crew members will launch aboard a Soyuz rocket for a two-day trip to the International Space Station. Watch the launch on NASA TV… https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv Cygnus …

Today’s launch of Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket is postponed  24 hours  due to a ground support equipment (GSE) cable that did not perform as expected during the pre-launch check out. We have spares on hand and rework procedures are in process. The Antares and Cygnus teams are not currently working any technical issues with the …

63 Progress (63P) Undock: 63P undocked successfully from the Service Module (SM) aft port this morning at 4:37 AM CDT. Deorbit burn was completed at 7:50 AM CDT followed by atmospheric entry and destruction.  Vascular Echo Resting Ultrasound: FE-5 performed Vascular Echo resting ultrasound and blood pressure measurements this morning.  With assistance from ground remote …

The Orbital ATK Antares rocket rolled out to its launch pad in Virginia Thursday night carrying the American-made Cygnus cargo craft. Cygnus is scheduled to launch no earlier than Sunday at 8:03 p.m. EDT. If Cygnus launches on time it will arrive at the station Wednesday morning and deliver about 2,400 kilograms of crew supplies …

Cardio Ox Ultrasound Operations: With remote guidance from the Cardio Ox ground teams, FE-5 assisted FE-6 in conducting an ultrasound scan after configuring the Voice-Activated Communication (VOX), attaching the Electrocardiograms (ECG) Electrodes, and marking the arteries; followed by blood pressure measurements using the Cardiolab Holter Arterial Blood Pressure Unit. The goal of the Cardio Ox …

NASA and Orbital ATK mission managers are tracking Hurricane Nicole before finalizing a Cygnus cargo craft launch to the International Space Station no earlier than Oct. 16. Officials are securing a spacecraft tracking station in the Bermudas and monitoring the facility threatened by the category three storm. Two astronauts – Kate Rubins from the United …

Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts): Following yesterday’s Dilution Measurements, today, FE-5 performed Day 2 of his final Fluid Shifts collection.  With assistance from FE-6, the crew performed various collections and measurements including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions …

A pair of spaceships are on opposite sides of the world gearing up for missions to the International Space Station next week. Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is getting ready for its sixth Orbital ATK mission aboard a Cygnus resupply ship no earlier than Oct. 16. NASA and Orbital ATK mission mangers are monitoring Hurricane …

Human Research Facility (HRF) Ultrasound Status: Over the weekend ground teams and the crew were able to successfully troubleshoot the data files on the HRF Ultrasound and to upgrade the backup unit.  The data files for the CDR were downlinked and evaluated by specialists, and a repeat of the Fluid Shifts Baseline Imaging is not …

Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES)-Slosh: FE-6 configured the SPHERES-Slosh experiment setup using two SPHEREs satellites and the slosh assembly. With ground team support, the crew executed off of the predetermined test matrix.  The SPHERES-Slosh investigation examines the way liquids move inside containers in a microgravity environment. The phenomena and mechanics associated with …