SpaceX-4 Dragon Capture, Berth, and Ingress: After a nominal Dragon rendezvous with ISS, the Crew successfully captured Dragon at 5:52am CDT utilizing the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). The Dragon capsule was subsequently berthed to the Node 2 Nadir Port at 8:15am CDT. Once berthed, the Crew completed pressurization and outfitting of the Node …
SpaceX-4 Launch: Weather prevented SpaceX from launching their Falcon 9 Rocket on Saturday from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40. After a 24 hour scrub, they were able to launch on Sunday at 12:52am CDT. Once in orbit, the spacecraft’s solar arrays were successfully deployed and its Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) bay door was opened. …
Ocular Health: Gerst and Wiseman setup ultrasound-2 hardware for use in Gerst’s FD 120 (day 3 of 3) eye ultrasound exam. The crew configured camera equipment, Ultrasound 2, and performed an echocardiogram with guidance from the Ocular Health ground team. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the …
Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) hardware replacement: Wiseman performed Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) rack maintenance and MDCA hardware replacement. After the CIR doors were opened, the MDCA Chamber Insert assembly (CIA) was removed from the CIR Combustion Chamber and restrained to the MWA Work Surface Area. The crew replaced two …
Eielson Air Force Base, Fairbanks, Alaska, day 9 of our deployment: We are currently sitting together in our mission support and flight planning room, next to the Thunderdome Hangar on base. We have appropriately named this room, where we dedicate up to 10 hours each day, our WAR room – where we passionately discuss which […]
NanoRack Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) Operations: With Deployers inside the JEMAL, Gerst secured doors of NRCSD Deployers 4 and 8. He then engaged the loading latches and applied tape to prevent further inadvertent deploys. Ocular Health: Gerst conducted his Flight Day 120 Ocular Health vision test and completed a questionnaire. With Wiseman as the operator, the …
Editor’s note: The following is a first-hand account of ARISE survey flights by one of the mission’s researchers. Day 1 (Sep-11-2014) My first ARISE day started early in the morning after a late arrival into Fairbanks on the night before. This important mission’s goal is to map the sea ice and understand the relation between […]
FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 Operations: Gerst removed the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) alignment guides, isolating the rack and allowing ground teams to conduct another FLEX-2 test point via ground commanding. This week’s samples are 100% toluene and a bi-component fuel mixture of 50% heptane and 50% toluene. FLEX-2 uses small droplets of fuel to study …
These images compare averaged yearly nitrogen dioxide concentrations over the Ohio River Valley region from 2005 [top] to 2011 [bottom]. Image credit: NASA Goddard’s Scientific Visualization Studio/T. Schindler Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the NASA Earth Science in the News column published in the May/June issue of The Earth Observer newsletter. You can download the current […]
FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 Operations: Gerst removed the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) alignment guides, which isolates the rack and allows ground teams to conduct another FLEX-2 test point via ground commanding. 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 …
