Continuing efforts to upgrade the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the first half of the G-level work platforms arrived today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The G platforms are the fourth of 10 levels of platforms that will support processing of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the journey to …
Two astronauts are preparing a pair of U.S. spacesuits to get ready for next week’s spacewalk to continue the maintenance of the International Space Station. In the midst of those preparations, the six-member Expedition 46 crew is proceeding with ongoing space science to improve life on Earth and benefit future astronauts. Tim Kopra from NASA …
Kubik-6 Ebox Exchange: Kelly unstowed the European Space Agency (ESA) Kubik-6 facility and exchanged the centrifuge and thermal eBoxes in preparation for the Kubik-6 commissioning. He then performed an activation and checkout of the unit. Kubik is a small controlled-temperature incubator / cooler used to study biological samples in a microgravity environment. It is equipped …
Astronauts Tim Peake and Tim Kopra are getting ready for a spacewalk next week to replace a failed voltage regulator. The duo are scheduled to work outside for 6.5 hours on Jan. 15 for the replacement work and other tasks. In preparation, Kopra worked on the U.S. spacesuits today that he and Peake will wear …
NASA’s All Sky cameras captured this image of a Quadrantid meteor overnight, the meteor was moving at 93,000 miles per hour. This 1 inch diameter member of the Quadrantid meteor shower leaves a brilliant streak in the north Georgia skies before burning up 44 miles above Earth’s surface. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks overnight on …
Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts): This morning, Kelly began his Return-45 (R-45) Fluid Shifts Dilution Measurements. Upon wakeup he collected saliva, blood and urine and inserted them into the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) prior to …
The Expedition 46 crew begins its first full week of the New Year planning for a spacewalk scheduled for Jan. 15. The orbiting residents are also busy with numerous science experiments benefitting life on Earth and future astronauts. A pair of spacewalkers will replace a failed voltage regulator to return power to one of eight …
Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Fuel Oxidizer Management Assembly (FOMA) Remove and Replace: Kopra changed out the CIR FOMA which is the first step in the calibration and recertification required prior to the start of the FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 experiment scheduled for January. The calibration and certification is scheduled for next week. FLEX-2 uses small …
Cardio Ox Ultrasound: Kopra, with Peake assisting, performed his first (Flight Day 15) of three ultrasound and blood pressure measurement sessions for the Cardio Ox experiment. The objective of Cardio Ox is to determine whether biological markers of oxidative and inflammatory stress are elevated during and after space flight and whether this results in an …
Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint (TRRJ) Repositioning for Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS)-02: Due to the high negative beta angle, the AMS team requested that the Starboard-Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint (S-TRRJ) be moved to a better angle to provide a more optimal temperature for the Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) pump. Ground teams will continue to monitor the …
