How do you launch a satellite into space? It isn’t easy. The simple answer would be to build one, place it on a rocket, and shoot it off. But building and launching satellites turns out to be exceedingly complicated things to do. They’re highly complex machines, requiring profoundly precise levels of craftsmanship, not to mention […]
It’s that Time of Year Monarch butterflies congregate in central Mexico every winter. Sandhill cranes stop at a small section of the Platte River in Nebraska every spring. And earth and planetary scientists congregate in San Francisco each December. More than ten thousand people converged on Moscone Center this week for the the fall meeting […]
External Thermal Control System (ETCS) Loop A Status: ETCS Loop A is still operating without full temperature control. The Loop A Interface Heat Exchangers (IFHX) are still bypassed and isolated, preventing internal heat rejection on loop A. ETCS Loop B continues to operate nominally. Due to the loss of heat rejection for the N2 Moderate …
External Thermal Control System (ETCS) Loop A Shutdown: This morning, ETCS Loop A shut down due to under temperature Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR). Ground specialist have repowered the Loop A pump and is currently cooling external loads at this time. However, the Flow Control Valve (FCV) is not operating as expected and the Loop …
Proximity Communications System (PROX) Checkout: Following yesterday’s successful checkout of PROX String “B”, Flight Engineer (FE)–3 Hopkins worked with ground teams in order to checkout PROX String “A”. Cygnus Launch Commit Criteria Flight Rules require verification of two fully functional ISS PROX equipment strings prior to launch. Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) …
Cygnus Hardware Command Panel (HCP) and PROX Checkout: This morning, Flight Engineer (FE)–3 Hopkins assembled the HCP and routed power and data cables from JEM to the Cupola. Later in the day, he worked with ground teams in order to checkout the HCP and string “B” of the Proximity Communications System (PROX). PROX is a …
Ocular Health (OH) Cardiac and Ocular Ultrasounds: FE-6 Wakata and FE-5 Mastrachhio, alternating as the Crew Medical Officer, conducted ocular ultrasound scans of each other as part of each of their Flight Day 30 OH sessions. Mastrachio then performed a cardiac ultrasound of Wakata. Remote guidance was provided by ground experts to ensure proper positioning …
Ocular Health (OH) Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Test and Fundoscope Examination: FE-3 Hopkins, supporting as Crew Medical Officer (CMO), performed OCT tests as part of FE-5 Mastracchio’s and FE-6 Wakata’s Flight Day 30 OH sessions which will continue over the next three days. Following the OCT examination, Mastracchio and Wakata applied drops to their eyes …
The choreography rivals precision aerial acrobats. The teamwork reflects the forward line of a pro football team. This is the vanguard of NASA’s mechanical engineering corps, and to experience them at their full operational power is to gain a profound appreciation for how much more goes into spaceflight than big, booming rockets. Ages range from […]
Thermolab Control Unit Battery Compartment Repair: Flight Engineer (FE)-5 Mastracchio successfully repaired the battery compartment of the Thermolab Control Unit which is used to support ESA’s Circadian Rhythms experiment. Wakata will be scheduled Friday for his Circadian Rhythms session. Cosmo Shoot Live Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event: FE-6 Wakata set up the JAXA 4K camera …
