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Viewing Posts from December 2021

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    Biden-Harris Administration Extends Space Station Operations Through 2030

    The space station is viewed from the SpaceX Cargo Dragon during its automated approach before docking. Credit: NASA TV

    NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced today the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to extend International Space Station (ISS) operations through 2030, and to work with our international partners in Europe (ESA, European Space Agency), Japan (JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Canada (CSA, Canadian Space Agency), and Russia (State Space Corporation Roscosmos) to enable continuation of the groundbreaking research being conducted in this …

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    Station Residents Wrap Up 2021 With Spacesuits and Dragon Work

    This mosaic depicts the space station pictured from the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft on Nov. 8, 2021.

    The astronauts and cosmonauts of Expedition 66 worked throughout Wednesday on U.S. and Russian spacesuits. The orbital residents will also end 2021 working on life science and cargo operations aboard the International Space Station. Among the 6,500 pounds of cargo delivered aboard the SpaceX Cargo Dragon on Dec. 22 were a U.S. spacesuit and other …

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    Crew Unpacks Cargo Dragon and Starts New Space Research

    The Prichal, pictured still attached to the Progress delivery vehicle, is docked to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module as the station orbited into a sunrise.

    The Expedition 66 crew members continue unpacking the SpaceX Cargo Dragon vehicle and initiating brand new microgravity investigations. Some of the new science taking place aboard the International Space Station today is looking at plant genetics, human cellular function, and even space laundry techniques. The four NASA astronauts living on the orbital lab took turns …

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    Last Week of 2021 Sees New Space Research Kick Off

    The Soyuz MS-19 crew ship is pictured docked to the Rassvet module as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above southeast Asia.

    The seven-member Expedition 66 crew is going into the final week of 2021 with a host of science experiments exploring numerous space phenomena benefitting astronauts in space and humans on Earth. NASA Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Kayla Barron worked on a pair of space farming studies during Monday afternoon exploring a variety of …

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    Modified Russian Propulsion Module Departs Station

    Dec. 22, 2021: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon vehicles, and Russia's Soyuz MS-19 crew ship and Progress 79 resupply ship.

    A modified Russian Progress propulsion compartment used to deliver the five-ton Prichal docking module to the International Space Station successfully undocked from the Prichal module at 6:03 p.m. EST. The spacecraft arrived and docked to the Nauka module on the Earth-facing side of the Russian segment Friday, Nov. 26, two days after lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Wednesday, Nov. 24. Prichal, named for the Russian word for “pier,” has five available …

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    Crew Unpacks Cargo Dragon and Sets up New Space Research

    The space station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during its departure and flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021.

    The SpaceX Cargo Dragon arrived just in time to deliver holiday treats, crew supplies and new science experiments to the Expedition 66 crew today. NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Thomas Marshburn were on duty Wednesday morning monitoring Dragon’s automated approach and docking to the Harmony module’s space-facing port that occurred at 3:41 a.m. EST. …

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    Cargo Dragon Docks to Station with Brand New Science

    The space station is viewed from the SpaceX Cargo Dragon during its automated approach before docking. Credit: NASA TV

    While the International Space Station was traveling more than 260 miles over the South Pacific Ocean, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing side of the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module at 3:41 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 22. NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Thomas Marshburn were monitoring docking operations for Dragon. The Dragon …

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    Crew Gets Ready for Cargo Dragon after Visitors Leave Station

    The SpaceX Cargo Dragon (top) and Crew Dragon vehicles are pictured on Sept. 12, 2021, docked to the station's Harmony module.

    SpaceX has rolled out its Falcon 9 rocket with the Cargo Dragon vehicle attached to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9 is due to lift off at 5:06 a.m. EST on Tuesday placing the Cargo Dragon into orbit for a docking at the International Space Station at 4:30 a.m. …

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    Trio of Russian, Japanese Station Visitors Back on Earth

    At center, Soyuz Commander Alexander Misurkin and spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa (left) and Yozo Hirano (right) pose for individual preflight portraits.

    Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin along with spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano landed on Earth around 10:13 p.m. EST Sunday, Dec. 19 in Kazakhstan (around 9:13 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20, Kazakhstan time). The trio departed the International Space Station in their Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft at 6:50 p.m. Misurkin, now a three-time space visitor, commanded the …

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    NASA TV Covers Soyuz Crew Ship Trio Landing Soon on Earth

    Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano are pictured aboard the station on Dec. 8, 2021. Credit: NASA TV

    NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app are now broadcasting live coverage of the return to Earth of a veteran Russian cosmonaut and two Japanese private citizens. The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Russian  cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin will join spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano will make its deorbit burn at 9:18 p.m. …

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