After delivering almost 7,400 pounds of cargo to support dozens of science experiments from around the world, the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft has departed the International Space Station. At 8:11 a.m., Expedition 53 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA gave the command to release Cygnus. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, ground …
The Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft is set to leave the International Space Station on Wednesday, Dec. 6. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of Cygnus’ departure beginning at 7:45 a.m. EST. Cygnus arrived to the space station Nov. 14 with nearly 7,400 pounds of cargo to support dozens of science …
SpaceX has delayed the launch of its next Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station to no earlier than Dec. 12. Back on orbit, the Cygnus cargo craft is getting ready to leave the orbital lab and an experimental module has its stay in space extended for at least another three years. NASA and …
Cygnus unberth: This morning, the crew egressed Cygnus. They then configured the vestibule and prepared to depressurize the vestibule. Ground teams identified EMI as the cause of the pressure probe anomaly and successfully depressurized the vestibule. Later, the Cygnus vehicle was unberthed and positioned it for the GPS shadowing (“photobomb”) Developmental Test Objective (DTO). Cygnus …
Earth Imagery from ISS Target Operations: Over the weekend, the crew captured images and video footage of Japan, the Sahara Desert, the India-Himalayas-Tibetan Plateau, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and Ireland to Moscow at night. Today the crew captured images of the Himalayas, facing northwest up the mountain range. The Earth Imagery from ISS investigation …
A pair of commercial resupply missions are coming and going this week at the International Space Station. Meanwhile, a new crew has arrived at its launch site to prepare for a Dec. 17 liftoff to the orbital laboratory. All missions to and from the station this month will be televised live on NASA TV. NASA …
Circadian Rhythms: A 52S crewmember removed and stowed the Double Sensors and Thermolab Unit equipment that was used to complete a 36-hour Circadian Rhythms session that began on Wednesday. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the “biological clock,” and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle …
Probiotics Operations: Today a crewmember conducted the second half of the third sampling phase for the JAXA Probiotic investigation that began on GMT 331 with fecal sample collections. Today’s activities included saliva sample collections and a questionnaire. Some species of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella grow stronger and more virulent in the microgravity environment of …
The next crew to launch to the International Space Station is in Russia today for traditional ceremonies before heading to the launch site in Kazakhstan. Back in space, the Expedition 53 crew is preparing for the departure and arrival of a pair of cargo ships next week. Three new crew members from Russia, the United …
Rodent Research 6 (RR-6): During the installation of four Rodent Habitats yesterday, the crew noticed a leak on the outside of the first two habitats. The crew successfully installed the third and fourth habitats, but were instructed to temporarily stow the first two habitats until ground teams could develop a forward plan. Earlier today, the …
