Blogs

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and cosmonaut Elena Serova started Wednesday conducting a test run of basketball-sized satellites, known as SPHERES, which float inside the International Space Station. After checking the nitrogen pressure of science freezers in the afternoon, Cristoforetti joined Commander Barry Wilmore for a robotics training session ahead of the fifth SpaceX Dragon mission …

Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2:  Virts removed alignment guides to prepare the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) for FLEX-2 Binary-Droplet Array test points.  FLEX-2 uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning characteristics of fire in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies the rate and manner in which fuel is burned, the conditions that are necessary …

Three U.S. spacewalks are planned for early next year and station crew members Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts are preparing spacesuits and spacewalk tools. Wilmore swapped secondary oxygen packs on a pair of spacesuits, while Virts checked the torque on a pistol grip tool. After the spacesuit work, Wilmore joined Italian astronaut …

Cardio Ox:  Virts setup and configured ultrasound hardware and acted as Crew Medical Officer (CMO) to support Cristoforetti’s flight day 15 Cardio Ox session.  With guidance from the Cardio Ox ground team, ultrasound scans and blood pressure measurements were performed on Cristoforetti.  The objective of Cardio Ox is to determine whether biological markers of oxidative …

Commander Barry Wilmore and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti brushed up Friday afternoon on robotics skills necessary to capture an approaching spacecraft with the Canadarm2. The duo will be inside the Cupola carefully monitoring the SpaceX Dragon as it approaches the International Space Station next week. Wilmore will be at the Canadarm2 controls to capture Dragon. …

Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR):  Virts gathered hardware and tools then replaced the Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) Avionics Package on the back of the CIR Optics Bench.  This completes the planned CIR maintenance and readies the facility for continuing the Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 experiment.  Nanoracks Module 27:  Virts utilized the Plate Reader to scan …

Commander Barry Wilmore completed spacesuit maintenance work Thursday and began testing the spacesuit to return it to service. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti cleaned up and stowed the spacesuit hardware and tools. The next U.S. spacewalk is targeted for early 2015. After the spacesuit work Wilmore joined Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti and Terry Virts to review …

Ocular Health:  Virts performed his first (flight day 10) Ocular Health ultrasound and cardiac sessions.  Wilmore helped perform ultrasound scans on the eyes of Virts. The ultrasound images will be used to identify changes in globe morphology, including flattening of the posterior globe, and document optic nerve sheath diameter, optic nerve sheath tortuosity, globe axial …

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for spotting a Geminid meteor! The 2014 Geminid meteor shower is forecast to be a lively meteor shower with great views in the skies over Earth. The week of Dec. 8 is a good window for Geminid-watching, but the night of Dec. 13-14 is the anticipated …

NASA astronaut and Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts worked on medical science Wednesday morning and later set up commercial research gear for an experiment to be delivered on the next SpaceX mission. Meanwhile, station Commander Barry Wilmore and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti continued this week’s maintenance work on a U.S. spacesuit. During the morning …