The sky will put on a show Nov. 11 when Mercury journeys across the Sun. The event, known as a transit, occurs when Mercury passes directly between Earth and the Sun. From our perspective on Earth, Mercury will look like a tiny black dot gliding across the Sun’s face. This only happens about 13 times a …
BioFabrication Facility (BFF): The crew replaced the smart pump bracket and smart pump tip. This is a result of an anomaly during the first run that indicated a need to increase the bio ink flow during operations. The Techshot BioFabrication Facility (BFF) is dedicated to manufacturing human organs and tissues in space, primarily for use …
The Expedition 61 crew serviced a variety of science and life support hardware today aboard the International Space Station. U.S. spacesuits are also being readied for a series upcoming cosmic repair spacewalks. NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan and Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) will enter the vacuum of space on Nov. 15 to …
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer – 02 (AMS): The crew performed an AMS procedure review in support of the upcoming EVA to replace the Tracker Thermal Control System (TTCS) with an Upgraded Tracker Thermal Control System (UTTPS). Over time, the TTCS cooling pumps have slowly degraded and have experienced a loss of coolant (liquid CO2). The UTTPS …
The Expedition 61 crew explored how microgravity is affecting a variety of biological processes in humans and microbes today. Two astronauts are also gearing up for tentatively planned spacewalks to repair a cosmic particle detector. Aging on Earth and living in space impacts an individual’s blood pressure with some astronauts experiencing stiffened arteries after returning …
Standard Measures: The crew collected blood and saliva samples in support of the Standard Measures investigation. The aim of the investigation is to ensure consistent capture of an optimized, minimal set of measures from crewmembers until the end of the ISS Program in order to characterize the adaptive responses to and risks of living in …
A new U.S. resupply ship is open for business and the Expedition 61 crew has begun unloading over four tons of new science experiments and station hardware. Two astronauts are also studying advanced repair techniques for a cosmic particle detector attached the International Space Station. The astronauts opened the hatches on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply …
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft arrived at the Launch and Landing Facility, formerly known as the Shuttle Landing Facility, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard an Antonov cargo plane from Munich, Germany, on Nov. 1. Upon arrival at the Florida spaceport, the spacecraft was offloaded and transported to the Astrotech Space Operations facility in nearby Titusville, where it will spend the next few months undergoing final preparations, tests and checkouts for liftoff.
Where Did that Electron Come From? Tracking Charged Particles into Earth’s Atmosphere with ELFIN By Mara Johnson-Groh NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center On September 2, 2019 — after a year of quiet conditions in space since its September 2018 launch — a NASA CubeSat the size of a large toaster flew straight through a solar …
Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle Schools (EarthKAM): The Crew setup the EarthKam into Node 2 for a weeklong imaging session. EarthKAM allows thousands of students to photograph and examine Earth from a space crew’s perspective. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera mounted on-board the ISS. This enables them to …
