The last of three motors required to assemble the Launch Abort System for NASA’s Artemis II mission–the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft–arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 28. The attitude control motor (ACM) was delivered by truck from Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility in Maryland, to the Launch Abort System Facility …
The Expedition 63 crew kicked off the work week exploring space agriculture and spacecraft technologies. The trio also split the day on upcoming mission preparations and International Space Station maintenance. Ongoing botany studies on the station have been teaching scientists, engineers and astronauts how to grow crops in space, so crews can feed themselves farther …
Payloads MSRR/MSL (Materials Science Laboratory) SCA exchange: The crew removed the processed calibration cartridge and inserted the first ESA batch-2b Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA). Batch-2b serves two projects investigating how different phases organize in a structure when metallic alloys are solidified. The project Metastable Solidification of Composites (METCOMP) studies the phase formed by the reaction of …
Mission controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center are returning to normal operations today after setting backup control centers at remote locations. The International Space Station support team returned to Houston after setting up remote operations earlier this week when Hurricane Laura neared the Texas-Louisiana border. The three Expedition 63 crew members continued their standard science …
Payloads Combustion Integrated Rack/Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (CIR/ACME): The crew performed the steps necessary to reconfigure the CIR/ACME hardware components from the completed s-Flame part 2 experiment to BRE part 2 (Burning Rate Emulator), which is one of the ACME suite of five experiments. Although the crew was not able to locate and install …
Jumping headfirst into the Artemis program has been one of the highlights in my transition as the associate administrator for human spaceflight. With an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there was little time for a transition period as mission essential work needed to continue as safely as possible. Already within my short time on the job, NASA …
Payloads Combustion Integrated Rack/Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (CIR/ACME): The crew replaced the Gas Chromatograph (GC) helium bottle, GC check gas bottle, and manifold bottles 2 and 4. During these bottle exchanges they also performed quick-disconnect (QD) lubrication to prevent the potential for any future leaks at the QD interfaces. The bottle exchanges are in …
The first piece of the Orion spacecraft’s pressure vessel for Artemis III – the mission that will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 – has arrived at NASA. The cone panel that will house the windows astronauts will use to view the Moon was designed by Orion’s lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, and manufactured …
Payloads Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor (SCRAM): The crew removed the MCA (Major Constituent Analyzer) plug from the SCRAM and powered it up. The MCA plug is used to protect the SCRAM’s sensor when the unit is powered off. SCRAM demonstrates the capabilities of a small, reliable, portable gas chromatograph mass spectrometer instrument aboard the ISS to …
The Expedition 63 crew ended its stay isolated in the Russian segment of the International Space Station this morning after an extended leak test. Mission Control also deployed remote teams to maintain 24/7 support for the station and its crew as Hurricane Laura approaches the Texas Gulf Coast. Commander Chris Cassidy started the day reopening the hatches to the U.S. segment …
