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    New Robotic Arm Being Set Up Before Crew Ship Switches Ports

    The city lights of northwest America, highlighted by an aurora, are pictured as the space station orbited above.

    Russia’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module continues being outfitted today before operations begin with Europe’s new robotic arm. In the meantime, three Expedition 65 crewmates are preparing to move their Soyuz crew ship to a new port on the International Space Station next week. Soon, there will be three robotic arms from three different countries operating …

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    Release and Retract Test Marks Artemis I Mission Milestone

    A close-up view of the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

    Engineers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs successfully completed the Umbilical Release and Retract Test on Sept. 19 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the Artemis I mission. The umbilicals will provide power, communications, coolant, and fuel to the rocket and the Orion spacecraft while at …

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    September Equinox 2021 is Coming!

    illustration of the March (spring) and September (fall or autumn) equinoxes

    In meteorology, the fall season begins on Sept. 1, however, the September (or fall) equinox gives us the green light to welcome the astronomical fall season in the Northern Hemisphere (and astronomical spring season in the Southern Hemisphere). This happens Sept. 22, 2021, at 19:21 UTC, which is 2:21 p.m. CDT for us in North …

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    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/21/2021

    Payloads Dreams: A crewmember doffed the headband upon wakeup and filled out a questionnaire. The unit was then recharged and redonned prior to sleep later in the day. Sleep plays a major role in human health and well-being. Insufficient sleep or sleep disorders can increase the risk of developing medical conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, …

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    Crew Studies How Space Affects Skin Before Station Traffic Increases

    The Expedition 65 astronauts worked on a biology study today exploring how long-term microgravity affects skin and the healing process. Three other crewmates are gearing up for next week’s relocation of their Soyuz crew ship to the International Space Station’s newest science module. NASA Flight Engineers Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough continued the Rodent Research-1 …

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    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/20/2021

    Payloads Astrobee:  The crew unpacked and visually inspected the Queen Bee Astrobee Free Flyer components.  The Free Flyer was activated, and the crew assisted the ground team with component and communications checkout and calibration. Astrobee is made up of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots which are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies …

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    Crew Kicks off Week With Space Biology and Robotics

    The prominent city lights of Europe from Amsterdam to Paris and London across the English Channel are pictured from the space station.

    Expedition 65 is kicking off the week with a host of space biology and robotics activities aboard the International Space Station today. Five astronauts out of the seven crewmates who comprise the space station crew joined each other today for a review of upcoming research operations with rodents. The quintet reviewed roles and procedures for …

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    ISS Daily Summary Report – 9/17/2021

    Payloads Behavioral Core Measures (BCM): The crew set up the appropriate robotics hardware and performed the BCM testing. These sessions are nominally planned to be completed once per month, starting two weeks after a crewmember’s arrival on ISS. The Standardized Behavioral Measures for Detecting Behavioral Health Risks during Exploration Missions (Behavioral Core Measures, or simply …

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    BEAM Open for Cargo Transfers as Robotics, Eye Checks Continue

    Portions of the space station, including BEAM seen at right attached to the Tranquility module, are seen in this picture taken in August.

    The Expedition 65 crew opened up BEAM today and transferred cargo for return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship. The orbital residents also worked on robotics, continued eye checks, and configured new life support gear. Commander Akihiko Hoshide from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) opened up the station’s first commercial module …

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    NASA Sends Robots to Study Climate Change in the Arctic

    By Emily Fischer, NASA’s Earth Science News Team /GREENBELT, MARYLAND/ On July 7, 2021, NASA sent two robotic explorers to the Arctic to collect sea surface temperature data and improve estimates of ocean temperatures in that region. Pairing up with Saildrone, a designer and manufacturer of non-crewed surface vehicles or USVs, researchers hope to use …

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