Blogs

Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory (SABL):  Today, for the NASA SABL facility,  Peake set up two SABL units in in the US Laboratory module and configured power, data, and thermal connections to the rack.  SABL is an upgrade to the long standing ISS incubator, Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA). SABL supports a wide variety of experiments in …

The crew of Expedition 46 was engaged in a variety of repair tasks today across the orbiting laboratory. ESA astronaut Tim Peake replaced cables in the station’s Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, the primary tool for astronaut resistive exercise vital for maintaining bone and muscle mass while in microgravity. NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra …

Cygnus Destructive Re-Entry:   On Saturday, Cygnus completed its De-Orbit Delta-V (DDV)-1 burn at 4:32 am CST.  The spacecraft then crossed the Entry Interface and destructively re-entered the atmosphere at approximately 9:53 am CST.   Urine Processing Assembly UPA Status:  On Sunday, UPA faulted out due to belt slippage between the distillation assembly and its motor.  …

Over the weekend, Expedition 46 commander Scott Kelly worked with ground controllers to successfully checkout the Sidekick device and internet connectivity. The project, which makes use of Microsoft’s HoloLens device, aims to enable station crews with assistance when and where they need it. This new capability could reduce crew training requirements and increase the efficiency …

Cygnus Departure:  Today, Robotics Ground Controllers used the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to unberth Cygnus from the Node 1 nadir berthing port and maneuvered the spacecraft to its release position.  Kopra and Kelly subsequently released Cygnus at 6:26 am CST and monitored its nominal departure.   Cygnus is scheduled for a destructive re-entry tomorrow, …

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards visited NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and slid behind the wheel of an entirely different kind of car: a Mine-resistant, Ambush-protected vehicle better known as MRAP. The agency’s Ground Systems Development and Operations Program selected the MRAP to serve as an upgraded version of an armored escape vehicle that would …

The Expedition 46 crew took out the trash today when it released the Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft from the grips of the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. In less than two weeks, another spacecraft will leave returning three crew members back to Earth. The Cygnus was filled with trash and discarded gear over the …

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida received another work platform that will be used to modernize the massive Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), which is where the agency will test and process the SLS for flight before it is rolled out onto the launch pad. The agency’s Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy …

NASA Television is providing live coverage now of the departure of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station. Release from the space station’s Unity module is scheduled for 7:25 a.m. EST / 12:25 p.m. UTC. Watch the departure live on NASA TV or at: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv. The Cygnus spacecraft arrived at the International Space …

  Preparation for Cygnus Unberth and Release:  The Crew has configured Cygnus and the Node 1 vestibule in preparation for Cygnus departure tomorrow. This morning, the Crew removed Intermodule Ventilation, Power/Data Jumpers, and closed the Cygnus hatch.  Once the hatch was closed, the Crew installed the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Center Disk Cover and four …