On July 16, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 385-400 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .99 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).
Payloads: Advanced Nano Step: Sample Cartridges, specimen Cell4, and the Nano Step Circuit Box were installed into the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF). The Temp Logger data was transferred to Payload Laptop Terminal 4 (PLT4). The Effects of Impurities on Perfection of Protein Crystals, Partition Functions, and Growth Mechanisms (Advanced Nano Step) experiment monitors and …
A Russian cosmonaut and an Italian astronaut are finalizing preparations for a spacewalk on Thursday to configure the International Space Station’s third and newest robotic arm. As the pair was being assisted by two cosmonauts the rest of the Expedition 67 crew ensured ongoing advanced space research was proceeding full speed ahead aboard the orbiting …
On July 19, Psyche’s independent review board met for the first time. The focus is on understanding technical issues that led to the delay, how the risk of delay was or was not understood and communicated within the project, as well as to those charged with oversight of the mission at JPL in a timely …
Payloads: Fiber Optic Production-2 (FOP-2): FOP 2.0 hardware was installed into the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Work Volume. FOP-2 builds on previous work to manufacture commercial optical fibers in microgravity using a blend of elements called ZBLAN. Earlier theoretical and experimental studies suggest that ZBLAN optical fibers produced in microgravity exhibit qualities superior to those …
A variety of new space science is under way aboard the International Space Station following Saturday’s delivery aboard the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship. The Expedition 67 crew members are helping researchers on the ground take advantage of weightlessness to reveal new phenomena potentially benefitting humans on Earth and in space. NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines …
Sounding rockets provide a fast and cheap route to prove the viability of cutting-edge instrumentation.
SpaceX-25 (SpX-25) Docking: The SpaceX-25 Cargo Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS on Saturday at 11:21 AM CT. Since its launch on Thursday evening, the spacecraft successfully performed a series of maneuvers and docked to the Node 2 (Harmony Module) forward docking port of the ISS. Payloads: European Physiology Module (EPM): EPM FCC troubleshooting was …
New science experiments continue to be unpacked from inside the newly-arrived SpaceX Dragon resupply ship. The seven Expedition 67 crew members also ensured the International Space Station continues orbiting Earth in tip-top shape. NASA Flight Engineers Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines spent Monday unloading some of the more than 5,800 pounds of science experiments and …
While the International Space Station was traveling more than 267 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 11:21 a.m. EDT today, with NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins monitoring operations from the station. The Dragon launched on SpaceX’s 25th …
