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    CAPSTONE Spacecraft Launch Targeted No Earlier Than June 13

    The capstone spacecraft with solar panels open on either side is lit on one side by the sun. The spacecraft floats in front of a half-darkened lunar surface, with the Earth bright and small in the distant background.

    NASA, Rocket Lab, and Advanced Space are currently targeting no earlier than June 13, 2022, for the launch of the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 (LC-1) on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand. This launch date will support readiness checks for final launch and …

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    ISS Daily Summary Report – 5/31/2022

    Payloads: Behavioral Core Measures (BCM): The crew performed two BCM research sessions consisting of a set of 12 runs/tests each. The Standardized Behavioral Measures for Detecting Behavioral Health Risks during Exploration Missions (BCM) experiment initially examined a suite of measurements to reliably assess the risk of adverse cognitive effects, behavioral conditions, or psychiatric disorders during …

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    Science Full Speed Ahead as Station Preps for Cargo Mission

    The Moon, pictured on May, 21, 2022, the day before going into its Last Quarter phase, is seen from the space station as it orbited 266 miles above the Pacific Ocean.

    A muscle study, a robotics test, and space physics hardware were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 67 crew will also see a Russian cargo craft depart and a new one launch to replace it this week. Scientists have been exploring how an astronaut’s muscles adapt to weightlessness …

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    June 6 Set for Artemis I Moon Rocket to Roll for Next Tanking Test

    Artemis Logo - red rocket trail, blue arch that represents earth, ARTEMIS text, gray half sphere on a white background

    The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are targeted to return to launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 6, for the next wet dress rehearsal attempt ahead of the Artemis I mission.  First motion is currently slated for 12:01a, the morning of the 6th   with tanking operations to …

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    New meteor shower? How many meteors will I see, really?

    This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the broken Comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann 3.

    Astronomers are excited about the possibility of a new meteor shower May 30-31. And that excitement has sparked a lot of information about the tau Herculids. Some has been accurate, and some has not. We get excited about meteor showers, too! But sometimes events like this don’t live up to expectations – it happened with …

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    ISS Daily Summary Report – 5/27/2022

    Payloads: Astrobee: The crew positioned the Astrobee Free Flyer (Bumble) in the JEM, and assisted the ground team in conducting multiple test runs of autonomous robotic maneuvering in support of a future student robotics competition. Astrobee is made up of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots which are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test …

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    End of Week Sees Crew Explore How Space Affects Eyes, Brain and Heart

    Astronauts (from left) Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines are pictured monitoring the approach of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on May 20, 2022.

    The Expedition 67 crew continued its ongoing human research today with ultrasound eye exams and blood flow measurements in the brain. The orbital residents also explored robotics and space navigation techniques. The four astronauts aboard the International Space Station took turns Friday morning scanning each other’s eyes using the Ultrasound 2 device. Flight Engineers Kjell …

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    ISS Daily Summary Report – 5/26/2022

    Payloads: Acoustic Diagnostics: The Acoustic Diagnostics measurements were performed. The Acoustic Upgraded Diagnostics In-Orbit (AUDIO) investigation tests the hearing of ISS crew members before, during, and after flight. This study assesses the possible adverse effects of noise and the microgravity environment aboard the ISS on human hearing. The investigation compares the relationship between the detection …

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    Mars-Jupiter Conjunction Visible May 29

    Sky chart showing how Jupiter and Mars will appear in the pre-sunrise sky on May 28-30.

    Most stargazers will have a prime viewing opportunity to see the planets Mars and Jupiter draw incredibly close in the predawn sky on the nights of May 27-30. The two planets will appear 20 degrees or so above the horizon in the eastern-southeastern sky, against the constellation Pisces, approximately 45 minutes before local sunrise. This …

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    Crew Returns to Space Science Day after Starliner Lands

    Boeing's Starliner spacecraft descends to Earth underneath parachutes for a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

    The seven Expedition 67 crew members are resuming their normal schedule of science and maintenance activities following Wednesday’s departure of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The orbital residents focused on vein scans, robotics, and a host of other space research onboard the International Space Station today. NASA and Boeing completed its Orbital Flight Test-2 mission on Wednesday. …

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