On July 24, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 408 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .94 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).
ISS Daily Summary Report – 7/25/2022
Payloads: Fiber Optic Production-2 (FOP-2): FOP-2 operations are concluded, and the hardware was removed from the MSG and stowed. 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 ZBLAN optical fibers produced in microgravity exhibit qualities superior to those …
Mission Specialist Assigned to Crew-6 Space Station Mission
The final crew member for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission, currently targeted to launch to the International Space Station in spring 2023, has been announced. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) named Sultan Alneyadi to spend approximately six months aboard the space station as part of Expeditions 68/69. Mission Specialist …
Prep for New Research and Orbital Plumbing on Crew’s Monday Schedule
The Expedition 67 crew members kicked off their work week setting up for experiments later in the week and completing orbital plumbing duties. NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins and ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti supported the Rodent Research-22 experiment. The space biology experiment observes how microgravity affects tissue regeneration. In the morning, NASA Flight …
Teams Press Ahead Toward Artemis I Launch in Late August
Final work continues to prepare the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Artemis I. Teams have identified placeholder dates for potential launch opportunities. They include: Aug. 29 at 8:33 a.m. EDT (Two-hour launch window); Landing Oct. 10 Sept. 2 at 12:48 p.m. (Two-hour launch window); Landing …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 7/22/2022
Payloads: Astrobee-Zero Robotics: Astrobee Free Flyers were prepared in the JEM and the crew assisted the ground team in conducting multiple test runs of autonomous robotic maneuvering in support of a student robotics competition dry run. For Astrobee-Zero Robotics, students write software to control one of the space station’s Astrobee free-flying robots. The first several …
Spacewalking Crew Sleeps In, Astronauts Work Science and Maintenance
Four Expedition 67 crew members slept in on Friday following a spacewalk the day before at the International Space Station. The other three orbital residents wrapped up the workweek researching a variety of space phenomena, unpacking a U.S. cargo ship, and maintaining orbital lab systems. Commander and six-time spacewalker Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos led ESA …
An Arctic Treasure Hunt
by Kate Ramsayer / PITUFFIK, GREENLAND/ It was a duck that led me to treasure. And a plane that led me to the duck. I set out that afternoon from Thule Air Base, walking down a gravel road with the Greenland Ice Sheet looming in the distance. I was trying to find an interesting view …
Russian, European Spacewalkers Wrap Up Robotic Arm Excursion
Expedition 67 Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) concluded their spacewalk at 5:55 p.m. EDT after 7 hours and 5 minutes. Artemyev and Cristoforetti completed all but one of their major objectives, which included the deployment of 10 nanosatellites designed to collect radio electronics data during the …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 7/21/2022
RS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) ESA: Today, Oleg Artemyev (EV1) and Samantha Cristoforetti (EV2) performed the RS EVA ESA. Hatch opening occurred at 9:50 AM CT. The duo performed several tasks to outfit the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) and to configure the European Robotic Arm (ERA) for operations on the station’s Russian Segment. The crew …