Suggested Searches

Blogs

    Space Station Upkeep a Priority as Astrobee Sweeps the Interior

    This long-exposure photograph from the International Space Station was taken during an orbital night period and reveals the Milky Way glittering above a bright but exaggerated atmospheric glow that blankets the Earth's horizon. Credits: NASA

    As a free-flying, cube-shaped robot dubbed Astrobee zipped through the International Space Station today, the Expedition 63 trio aboard was occupied with upkeep and experiment maintenance tasks. Astrobee is autonomous, and therefore no additional burden to the busy schedule of Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. Masterminded to …

    Read Full Post

    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/09/2020

    Payloads Confocal Space Microscopy: The crew performed a partial Setup of the Confocal Space Microscopy in the JAXA Module. The Confocal Space Microscope (Confocal Microscope) is a JAXA facility that provides fluorescence images of biological samples aboard the International Space Station. Confocal microscopy uses spatial filtering techniques to eliminate out-of-focus light or glare in specimens …

    Read Full Post

    Scans and Housekeeping Tasks Dominate with an Eye for the Future

    Astronaut Chris Cassidy sequences microbial DNA samples

    The three Expedition 63 crewmates continued working on tasks aboard the International Space Station that will not only extend the outpost beyond its current 20-year tenure maximizing science in space, but also facilitate human travel deeper into the solar system. Commander Chris Cassidy was again in the JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Kibo laboratory module …

    Read Full Post

    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/08/2020

    Payloads Confocal Space Microscopy: The crew removed optical lenses from the Confocal Space Microscope hardware. The Payload Control Box Hard Drive was also reconfigured for the Confocal Space Microscope. The Confocal Space Microscope (Confocal Microscope) is a JAXA facility that provides fluorescence images of biological samples aboard the International Space Station. Confocal microscopy uses spatial …

    Read Full Post

    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/04/2020

    Payloads Astrobee: The crew performed various localization and mobility operations for the Astrobee satellite.  This was performed in support of the upcoming Kibo Robot Programming Challenge.  The Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Robo-Pro Challenge), also known as Kibo-RPC, allows students to create programs to control Astrobee, a free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This …

    Read Full Post

    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/03/2020

    Payloads NREP Hardware Remove: Following the extension of the slide table into the JEM pressurized volume and removal of NREP from the slide table, the crew removed External Platform Module-7 (Craig-X) and External Platform Module-12 (Astrileux) from NREP.  NREP was then placed back on the slide table and will be returned to its external location. …

    Read Full Post

    Sky Watching Highlights for September 2020

    This month spot the Moon together with Mars and Venus, along with the flickering star Fomalhaut, which had itself a planet…until it didn’t! Check out the video below produced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to learn more.

    Read Full Post

    Heart Studies, AC and Plumbing Work Fill Orbital Schedule

    An Expedition 63 crew member aboard the space station photographed the well-lit, highly populated areas of Pakistan and northern India during an orbital night period.

    The three-person Expedition 63 crew focused its attention today on Japanese science hardware and Russian cardiac studies. The International Space Station trio also serviced air conditioning and plumbing systems. The Kibo laboratory module from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) enables a multitude of space science taking place both inside and outside the orbital lab. Kibo …

    Read Full Post

    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/02/2020

    Payloads EXPRESS Rack Relocation:  Following the relocation of EXPRESS racks 8, 10B, and 11B, the crew mated the umbilicals, adjusted the flow control valve, and assisted with the initial checkout of EXPRESS rack 11B.  EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Racks are multipurpose payload rack systems that store and support research aboard the …

    Read Full Post