Preparations continue for Thursday’s spacewalk to replace hardware on the International Space Station. The Expedition 69 crew also stayed focused on ongoing cargo transfers while conducting a variety of lab maintenance on Wednesday. Two cosmonauts are completing their task reviews and spacesuit configurations ahead of a spacewalk set to begin about 10:20 a.m. EDT on …
Payloads: General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER): The Glacier trays (two), tray support structures, and desiccants were removed and stowed. The GLACIER refrigerators are ultra-cold freezers that will store samples at temperatures as low as -160°C (-301°F). ISS Ham Radio: An ISS Ham pass contact was made with Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, …
Cargo operations are under way aboard the International Space Station amidst a variety of physics and microbiology research activities. The Expedition 69 crew members are also preparing for another spacewalk later this week as they cleanup following last week’s spacewalk. The SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle is due to undock from the orbital outpost and return …
The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 1:09 p.m. EDT on June 20, 2023. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact high-frequency (HF) radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose …
Payloads: Fluid Dynamics in Space (FLUIDICS): FLUIDICS hardware was installed and recording system troubleshooting was performed. The troubleshooting efforts were unsuccessful, but will be re-attempted. The measurement of liquid displacement within a sphere in microgravity relates to a given kinematic representation of a spacecraft’s fuel tank. The FLUIDICS investigation evaluates the Center of Mass (CoM) …
The final crew member for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission, currently targeted to launch to the International Space Station in mid-August, has been announced. Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly as a mission specialist on SpaceX’s seventh rotational mission to the orbiting laboratory for NASA. Borisov joins previously named crew members NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European …
ISS Reboost: Last night, the ISS performed a reboost using the Aft Progress 83P rendezvous and docking (R&D) thrusters. This reboost was one in a series of reboosts to set up proper phasing conditions for the upcoming 85P 34-orbit rendezvous in August. The burn duration was 12 minutes 39 seconds with a delta-V of 1.2 …
The International Space Station residents are going into the weekend following a busy week of spacewalk activities. The Expedition 69 crew members finished one spacewalk this week and are gearing up for another one next week. NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg and Stephen Bowen completed installing the orbital outpost’s sixth roll-out solar array during a spacewalk …
USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #88 ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) 1B Install: Today, Woody Hoburg and Steve Bowen conducted USOS EVA #88 to install and deploy the IROSA 1B. Operators Frank Rubio and Sultan Al Neyadi provided SSRMS M1/M2 support during the EVA. The IROSA will augment power generation for the 1B power channel on …
Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Woody Hoburg and Steve Bowen of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 2:17 p.m. EDT after 5 hours and 35 minutes. Hoburg and Bowen completed their major objective to install an IROSA (International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array) to augment power generation for the 1B power channel on the station’s starboard truss structure. The …
