NASA and Northrop Grumman completed a test flight of the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Oct. 28. Carrying Pegasus and NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), the 4-hour, 45-minute flight tested the aircraft’s systems prior to launch. A new launch date for the ICON mission will be determined …
At about 10:54 p.m. EDT, Parker Solar Probe surpassed 153,454 miles per hour — as calculated by the mission team — making it the fastest-ever human-made object relative to the Sun.
Actiwatch Spectrum: Following the discovery of some bad data from a previous Actiwatch spectrum data collection, this activity set up the nine remaining Actiwatch spectrum units to verify they are producing good data. The Actiwatch Spectrum is a waterproof, nonintrusive, sleep-wake monitor worn on a crewmember’s wrist. The device contains an accelerometer for measuring motion …
A pair of Expedition 57 astronauts spent the day exploring how humans think and work while living long-term in space. A cosmonaut also tested a pair of tiny, free-floating satellites operating inside the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor is helping doctors on the ground understand if an astronaut’s brain structure and mental abilities …
NASA and Northrop Grumman will be conducting a flight of the L-1011 carrying Pegasus on Saturday, Oct. 27 to perform further prelaunch testing. Once the flight is completed, the team will review the test data and ensure readiness to proceed with remaining preparations for launch. This includes working with the Eastern Range to determine the new …
Echo External Hard Disk Connection: The crew connected the Echo External Hard Disk and USB Cable to SSC 11 in preparation for a file update and subsequent Echo software update. The purpose of the investigation is to evaluate a tele-operated ultrasound system equipped with motorized probes that are controlled by ground controllers. Additionally, this investigation …
U.S. spacesuits and hot, fiery research kept the Expedition 57 crew busy Friday. The three-member crew from around the world also continued the ongoing upkeep of the International Space Station’s systems. A pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock had their cooling loops scrubbed today by station Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency). …
Veg-03G: Today, the crew installed a Root Mat and Plant Pillows, then powered up Veg-03G and set light intervals. They then filled the Plant Pillows and Root Mat with water in order to initiate the Veg-03G experiment. This is the first day of a 28 day growth cycle for the Red Russian Kale and Dragoon …
Botany science and solar array photography were on the Expedition 57 crew’s schedule today including ongoing maintenance of the orbital lab. The research and photo surveys help scientists and engineers understand how life and International Space Station systems adapt to microgravity. Astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor is helping NASA and its international partners understand how plants grow …
Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) / Light Microscopy Module (LMM) / Biophysics-4: Following an overall successful conclusion of the Biophysics-4 experiment run, the Biophysics-4 plate was removed from the LMM and stowed. The Biophysics-4 experiment contained proteins with both a fast and slow evolutionary period, which were observed by the ground teams. Proteins are important biological …
