Happy equinox, Earthlings! Sept. 22 marks the fall equinox, when day and night are nearly equal. “However, that day/night length depends on where you are on Earth,” said NASA solar scientist Mitzi Adams. “For example, at the North and South Poles, the length of the day and night is six months!” At the North Pole, …
Payloads ISS HAM: The crew initiated an ISS HAM contact with Avellaneda Ikastetxea school, Sodupe, Spain. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground HAM radio units. Packed …
A set of free-flying robotic helpers buzzed around the International Space Station today for visual tests. Meanwhile, the Expedition 63 trio conducted a variety of advanced space research and maintained the upkeep of the orbiting lab. Astrobee is the name given to a trio of small cube-shaped, autonomous robots being tested on the station for …
Payloads Genes in Space-6: The crew performed a checkout of the miniPCR16s S/N 001 and S/N 002 with updated software on SSC 6 and miniPCR16 S/N 002 on SSC13. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage caused by increased exposure to radiation can affect the long-term health of astronauts. Genes in Space-6 determines the optimal DNA repair mechanisms …
Thursday’s science schedule aboard the International Space Station focused primarily on DNA and physics research including ongoing Earth photography sessions. The Expedition 63 trio also maintained life support gear and packed a Russian cargo ship. The space environment affects a variety of biological and physical phenomena adapted and designed for Earth’s gravity and atmosphere. Organisms …
Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians have extended one of the Artemis I solar array wings on Sept. 10, 2020. Prior to installation on the Orion spacecraft, the team performed an inspection to confirm proper extension and to ensure all of the mechanisms functioned as …
Payloads MUSES (Multiple User System for Earth Sensing Facility): The crew performed the MUSES Server Vent Cleaning. MUSES is an Earth imaging platform, as part of the company’s new commercial space-based digital imaging business. MUSES hosts earth-viewing instruments (Hosted Payloads), such as high-resolution digital cameras, hyperspectral imagers, and provides precision pointing and other accommodations. It …
The International Space Station’s advanced microgravity research systems continue to be serviced today ensuring innovative results and insights to benefit humans on and off the Earth. The Kibo lab module from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) contains an airlock used to transfer science experiments into the vacuum of space. Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy installed …
Just over a month after Parker Solar Probe marked two action-packed years in space, the mission to “touch” the Sun released another trove of data to the public on Sept. 15.
Payloads ELF (Electro-static Levitation Furnace): The crew configured cables to allow ground teams to initiate a software updates to the ELF Z-book. ELF is an experimental facility designed to levitate, melt and solidify materials by containerless processing techniques using the electrostatic levitation method. With this facility thermophysical properties of high temperature melts can be measured …
