Blogs

After abundant precipitation fell in California’s Colorado Desert, satellite and ground-based images show colorful, blooming vegetation.

EXpedite PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack Locker Relocation: Following the successful completion of the Rodent Research-4 experiment during SpaceX-10, this morning the crew reconfigured EXPRESS Racks 1 and 2 to their nominal configuration for upcoming payload operations.  Programmable Isolation Mount (PIM): The crew installed the PIM into EXPRESS Rack 7 in the …

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) took a test drive along the crawlerway at Kennedy Space Center to determine the structural dynamics and loading environments of the crawler’s recent upgrades. The test was performed to ensure that the crawler is ready to support the first integrated flight of the agency’s Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System. …

U.S. Crew Half Duty Day: Following yesterday’s successful EVA, today was a half duty day for the US crew. They executed standard post EVA activities including a Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) water recharge, returning equipment to the Airlock, Metal Oxide (METOX) regeneration, battery maintenance, and a debrief with ground teams.  Habitability Observations: The crew documented …

Aroundup of some of the latest Earth science news from NASA.

U.S. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #41: EV1 Kimbrough and EV2 Whitson completed the following tasks during today’s 7 hour 3 minute External (EXT) Enhanced Processor and Integrated Communications (EPIC) Multiplexer/Demultiplexer (MDM) / Shields Installation EVA.  During the final translation back to the airlock, Whitson’s Helmet Light Assembly came loose from her helmet.  Kimbrough was able to …

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 2:33 p.m. EDT. During the spacewalk, which lasted just over seven hours, the two astronauts successfully reconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of …

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 2:33 p.m. EDT. During the spacewalk, which lasted just over seven hours, the two astronauts successfully reconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of …

At 11:51 a.m. EDT, Peggy Whitson broke the record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, previously held by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. This was Whitson’s eighth spacewalk. So far, Whitson and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough have successfully installed an upgraded computer relay box and hooked up cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized …