Chemical Gardens: Today the crew removed the Chemical Gardens 2 ampoule kit from a Cargo Transfer Bag, broke the seal between the ampoules and mixed the contents of both. In the Chemical Gardens experiment, selected metal salts are added to an aqueous solution of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), resulting in the formation of inorganic structures that …
Dragon Ready for Return Ahead of Commercial Crew Announcement
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is packed with science and hardware ready for return to Earth on Friday. NASA is also introducing a team of astronauts who will soon fly Boeing and SpaceX vehicles to the International Space Station. The Expedition 56 crew has finished loading Dragon with sensitive research results and station gear for …
Parker Solar Probe Launch Window Extended to August 23
NASA and its mission partners have analyzed and approved an extended launch window for Parker Solar Probe until Aug. 23, 2018 (previously Aug. 19). The spacecraft is scheduled to launch no earlier than Aug. 11, 2018, at 3:48 a.m. with a window of 45 minutes.
Station Teams Are Go For Dragon’s Return To Earth Friday
The International Space Station Partners and mission managers polled “go” for tomorrow’s release of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft for its deorbit and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean to wrap up the CRS-15 mission. With favorable weather conditions forecast in the splashdown zone, Dragon’s hatch will be closed early Friday around 3 a.m. Central time. …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/01/2018
Fluid Shifts: A 55S crewmember performed their Fluid Shifts Dilution Measurements activities today. They collected saliva, blood and urine at multiple points during the day and inserted them into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). Fluid Shifts is a joint NASA-Russian experiment divided into Dilution Measurements, Baseline Imaging, and Baseline Imaging …
Parker Solar Probe Attached to ULA Delta IV Heavy, Prepped for Mission to the Sun
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, secured inside its payload fairing, was moved July 30, 2018, from nearby Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, to Space Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The following day, the spacecraft was lifted and attached to the top of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket in the Vertical Integration Facility.
MISR Where on Earth #30
The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) team at NASA has opened its 30th Where on Earth? quiz. Visit http://climate.nasa.gov/quizzes/misr_quiz_30 Here’s how it works: When you press “start,” you will be presented with nine multiple-choice questions (one question for each of MISR’s nine cameras) about the area shown in the image below. You are encouraged to research […]
Dragon Packing, Eye Science and Spacewalk Preps Today
The Expedition 56 crew has nearly completed loading the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship with cargo for retrieval back on Earth this Friday. The orbital residents are also busy with an intense day of space research and Russian spacewalk preparations. Dragon is due to be released Friday at 12:37 p.m. EDT from the International Space Station …
Engineers Mark Completion of Umbilical Testing at Launch Equipment Test Facility
The team that tested the umbilical lines and launch accessories that will connect from the mobile launcher (ML) to NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 celebrated their achievement during a banner signing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Engineers and …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 7/31/2018
Aerosol Samplers: Today the crew deployed Active Aerosol Samplers (AASs) in Nodes 1 and 3. The battery-powered AASs actively pull in air and collect particles using the principal of thermophoresis. This is accomplished by flowing the sampled air through a large thermal gradient in a narrow channel. During this process, particles are driven to the …