Observation Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) Sample Exchange: Kononenko performed an OASIS sample exchange today, installing the fourth of four sample cartridges into the experiment hardware housed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). OASIS studies the unique behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity, including their overall motion and the merging of crystal layers …
Studying Microscopic Bugs Require, Well…More Than a Microscope!
Plankton are microscopic yet they play a big role in the cycle of elements fundamental to life on earth. The NAAMES project is a testimony to their importance in our ability to predict how the oceans may mediate the Earth’s future climate. I’ll be joining the cruise to measure rates of phytoplankton growth and mortality, the latter […]
ISS Daily Summary Report – 11/2/15
Neuromapping: On Saturday Kelly completed a NeuroMapping Neurocognitive test on a Human Research Facility laptop. The Neuromapping experiment studies whether long-duration spaceflight causes any changes to the brain, including brain structure and function, motor control, and multi-tasking; as well as measuring how long it takes for the brain and body to recover from those possible …
Satellites as Superheroes
Usually, comic book heroes wear tight pants and have superhuman strength. In the new educational manga Raindrop Tales from NASA, one of the heroes (Mizu-chan) evaporates water with her hair. The other (GPM) rides on a 3,900-kilogram satellite that observes rain and snow. Look carefully at the art in the screenshots above, and you will find some […]
Station Hosts Crews Conducting Science for 15 Years Today
Today marks 15 years of continuous habitation aboard the International Space Station. Expedition 1, the first station crew, docked Nov. 2, 2000 after launching two days earlier inside the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft. The young space station at the time consisted of just three modules including the Zarya module, the Zvezda service module and the Unity …
Introducing OLYMPEX, A Ground Validation Field Project in the Pacific NW
I live in Seattle, part of the Pacific Northwest in the NW corner of the continental United States. We have the reputation of being a very rainy place, but it’s nothing compared to the Olympic Peninsula, just to my immediate west. Starting next week, we begin the Olympic Mountain Experiment, or OLYMPEX. It is a […]
In the Shadows of Pluto and Charon
Today’s post is written by Josh Kammer, a New Horizons postdoctoral researcher at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado. Josh came to SwRI directly after his PhD in planetary science from Caltech; his undergrad work in chemistry was at Texas A&M. Josh’s work on New Horizons focuses on analysis of ultraviolet spectra acquired …
Astronauts Set Up for Next Spacewalk as Research Continues
NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren are now looking ahead to their second spacewalk scheduled for Friday Nov. 6 at 7:10 a.m. EST. They will work outside for six-hours, 30-minutes to return a port truss cooling system to its original configuration after repair work during a previous spacewalk in 2012. Kelly and Lindgren are inspecting …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 10/29/15
Post Extravehicular Activity (EVA): Due to the EVA yesterday, the US crew was scheduled for a half duty day. This morning, Kelly and Lindgren completed post-EVA health assessments. Kelly, Yui and Lindgren then participated in an EVA debrief session with ground specialists. Later, Kelly remated wire harness W0142 to the Node 1 Starboard Gore Panel. …
Scott Kelly Breaks NASA Single Spaceflight Record Today
Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly has been in space longer than any other NASA astronaut. Today he exceeds Michael Lopez-Alegria’s record of 215 days on a single spaceflight. He passed Michael Fincke’s record of 382 cumulative days in space on Oct. 16. Kelly also completed his first spacewalk along with Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren on …