Universe Today » Space Station

Spectacular Shuttle Belly Flip As Atlantis Docks to ISS (Video)

Ken Kremer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:07:38 +0000

(Editor's note: Ken Kremer is in Florida covering the STS-129 mission for Universe Today)
The astronaut crews for the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Atlantis united as one team in space on Wednesday when Atlantis successfully docked with the ISS at 11:51PM EST. Preluded by some of the most spectacular footage ever of the shuttle "belly flip" or the Rendezvous Pitch Manuaever (RPM), docking occurred in orbital darkness about 220 miles high above earth and directly between Australia and Tasmania. The shuttle astronauts were welcomed aboard the ISS and the jubilant crews exchanged bear hugs, handshakes and high fives inside the Harmony module.

Thursday morning at 9:24 a.m. EST, STS-129 spacewalkers Mike Foreman and Robert Satcher headed outside for the first spacewalk of the mission.
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A Day in the Life on Board the ISS

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:46:53 +0000

In this video, International Space Station commander Frank De Winne explains what a typical day on board the ISS is like. Today, however, De Winne and his crew of Robert Thirsk, Roman Romanenko, Nicole Stott, Maxim Suraev and Jeffrey Williams are busy getting ready for the arrival of the STS-129 space shuttle crew. They need to set up to take pictures of the incoming shuttle to document the condition of the shuttle’s heat shield as it makes a "back flip" or a rendezvous pitch maneuver during its approach to the station. Plus, if the crew is anything like me, they probably have some last minute tidying to do before company arrives. Docking is scheduled for 11:53 a.m. EST. Watch it live on NASA TV.

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Video Preview of Next Shuttle Mission

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:35:12 +0000

The next space shuttle mission STS-129, slated to launch next Monday Nov. 16, is a "spare parts and stock-up" mission. And the needed extra parts and supplies delivered to the International Space Station by Atlantis will mean spare years on the station’s life once the space shuttle fleet is retired. The mission is a landmark of sorts — not sure if it is a good landmark or bad — but STS-129 is scheduled to be the last space shuttle crew rotation flight. From here on out, crew rotation will be done by the Soyuz and any future commercial vehicle that may come online. Besides the crew, a payload of spiders and butterfly larvae will be on board Atlantis for an experiment that will be monitored by thousands of K-12 students across US. Find out more about the flight with a video preview of the mission, below.
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Post tags: ISS, Space Flight, Space Shuttle

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New Module for ISS Launches

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:05:46 +0000

Soyuz rocket with Poisk. Credit: NASA TV

A new module for the space station blasted off today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan at 9:22 a.m. EST. The Poisk (which means "explore" in Russian) is a combination docking module/airlock/future research module. It will meet up with the ISS on Thursday at 10:44 am. Poisk is the first permanent pressurized module to be added since May of 2008, when the Japanese "JEM" research module became part of the ISS, and is the first major Russian addition to the station since the Pirs docking compartment was launched in 2001. The new module will be used as an additional docking port for Russian vehicles, as an airlock for Russian-based spacewalks and as a platform for external science experiments.
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Space Junk May Force Crew from ISS

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:54:37 +0000

Update #2, 5:30 pm: NASA has now said that after further analysis, the space debris they have been tracking no longer poses any concern or threat to the ISS. Everyone can rest easy tonight! The piece of debris was only 5 cm long, and will not pass within the "pizza box" zone around the station (0.75 x 25 x 25 kilometers) that calls for an alert.

A hard-to-track piece of space junk may come within a half a kilometer of the International Space Station later today, and NASA managers are considering asking the crew to board the docked Soyuz capsules as a precaution. The time of closest approach is at 10:48 p.m. EST, and the object was detected too late for the station to do an evasive maneuver. Depending on the outcome of additional tracking data analysis, the crew may be awakened later and directed to go into the Soyuz vehicles around 10:30 pm or given the option to sleep in Soyuz tonight. NASA says they don't believe the crew is at risk, but precautions are prudent in dealing with space debris.
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Busy Space Station: 3 Soyuz Now Docked to ISS

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:15:06 +0000

One of three Soyuz docked to ISS. Credit: NASA

The International Space Station is taking on the look and feel of a busy space way station, with three Soyuz now docked and a current crew count of nine. Expedition 21 Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Maxim Suraev along with spaceflight participant Guy Laliberté arrived at the ISS, docking their Soyuz TMA-16 to the aft end of the Zvezda service module at 4:35 a.m. EDT Friday. Williams and Suraev are relieving Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Michael Barratt who will depart on Oct. 10 along with the Canadian visitor, Laliberté (the one with the clown nose, below). Watch the docking video below, along with another video of the hatch opening and the new crew members entering the station.
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NASA's Version of Star Trek Replicator Ready for On Orbit Test

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:55:56 +0000

It's not quite like requesting "Tea, Earl Grey, hot" and having a steaming drink appear, but almost. The Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication, developed at NASA's Langley Research Center, is an engineer's version of the science fiction replicator on Star Trek. "You start with a drawing of the part you want to build, you push a button, and out comes the part," said Karen Taminger, the technology lead for NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program.
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ISS Canadarm2 Grabs Resupply Ship

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:50:31 +0000

In a true display of international cooperation, American flight engineer Nicole Stott, using Canada's Canadarm2, captured the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), with help from Belgium's Frank DeWinne and Canada's Robert Thirsk, under the direction of Russian ISS commander Gennady Padalka. The unpiloted HTV arrived at the International Space Station Thursday and later was attached to the Harmony node at 6:26 p.m. EDT. The HTV launched on Sept. 10, and took seven days to reach the ISS so controllers could run various tests and demonstrations on its maiden voyage.
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Japan Launches New Era of ISS Resupply Ships

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:00:44 +0000

Japan successfully launched its first re-supply spacecraft to the International Space Station today. After liftoff at 17:01 GMT (12:01 CDT) from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, flight controllers confirmed the HTV-1 spacecraft separated from the H-2B rocket and now is in its preliminary orbit. The flight profile has the HTV taking seven days to reach the ISS so controllers can run various tests and demonstrations on its maiden voyage before rendezvousing with the space station. Unlike previous re-supply ships that dock directly to the station, the HTV will fly to within 10 meters from the ISS on September 17, and then astronaut Nicole Stott will reach out and grapple the spacecraft with the space station's robotic arm, Canadarm 2, and connect it to the Harmony module on the ISS.
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Great Views of the ISS and Shuttle From Earth and Space

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:57:35 +0000

The ISS and Discovery on Sept. 1, 2009. Credit: Paolo Beltrame

Paolo Beltrame from Italy sent us this amazing montage of images he took of space shuttle Discovery docked to the ISS on September 1, 2009. See the incredible details visible of the space station and docked shuttle! Paolo is with the Circolo AStrofili Talmassons (Amateur Astronomers Club in Talmassons, or CAST) who have an impressive observatory (take a look at Paolo's website). He took these selected images from a 2-minute movie taken with a TourcamPro webcam. As impressive as Paolo's astrophotos are, however, he says his real passion is viewing the night sky with the naked eye. His motto is "Lasciate che i fotoni vengano a me!" (Let the photons come to me!) See a close up of Paolo's best shot of the ISS/shuttle below, as well as images from other astrophotographers of Tuesday evening's pass of the shuttle and ISS as they flew in tandem after Discovery undocked from the station on Tuesday afternoon. There's also video from the shuttle's flyaround.
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Spaceship Sighting Alert!

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:22:39 +0000

The ISS. Credit: NASA

If you catch this post on Monday night, you might have a chance to see the International Space Station and Discovery while the space shuttle is still docked to the ISS. Flying as one, the station/shuttle complex is very bright and very easy to spot. But Tuesday evening you'll be able to see double. The shuttle is scheduled to undock from the station Tuesday at 2:26 pm CDT(19:26 GMT), and if you have clear skies, you should be able to see Discovery slightly trailing the ISS. It will be a great sight — highly recommended!

How do you find out when the duo will be flying over your backyard?
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Top 10 (or so) Images from STS-128

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:12:04 +0000

Christer Fugelsang during the third EVA of STS-128. Credit: NASA

As the crew of the STS-128 mission pack up and prepare to get ready to undock from the International Space Station on Tuesday, it's time to look back at the very successful mission that worked on space station construction. Here's some of the best images of the mission.

Above, ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang works (and waves) during the third and final EVA of the mission. Fuglesang and NASA astronaut John "Danny" Olivas installed several items and did work to prepare for the installation of Node 3, which will take place next year.
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Additional Lab to be Added to ISS

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:04:12 +0000

The Raffaello module attached to the ISS during the STS-114 mission in 2005. Credit: NASA

Apparently the International Space Station is going to get bigger. According to an article on Flight Global, NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) are preparing to sign an agreement to add another laboratory to the ISS by using a modified multipurpose logistics module (Raffaello) during the final Space Shuttle mission. It will be attached in September 2010 during Endeavour's STS-133 mission. The idea had originally been rejected, but earlier this year ISS program manager Michael Suffredini said using an MPLM for an additional module was being reconsidered.
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COLBERT, Leonardo and a Neutralino Heading for Space Station

Nancy Atkinson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:00:29 +0000

Discovery lift off. Credit: flyingjenny on Twitpic. Click image for more of flyingjenny's images

The third launch attempt was a charm for space shuttle Discovery and her crew. The STS-128 mission is now underway with a successful liftoff one minute before midnight, local time, from Kennedy Space Center. Discovery is carrying the Leonardo supply module to the International Space Station, and tucked away inside is the COLBERT treadmill, along with several refrigerator-sized racks of science equipment, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment, an air purification system, and other supplies, plus another unusual object packed in Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang's belongings: a theoretical particle called a neutralino.
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Colbert: "I'm go to launch me — Let's light this candle!"

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:50:49 +0000

Posted for your enjoyment: Just hours before the scheduled launch of the STS-128 mission, NASA TV played a message from comedian Stephen Colbert, namesake of the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT). The treadmill is on board space shuttle Discovery, which will launch at 5:36 GMT (1:36 EDT) Tuesday morning, heading to the International Space Station for a 16 day mission. As of this writing, Discovery’s external tank has been loaded with about 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in preparation for the launch. This will be Discovery's 37th mission to space and the 30th mission of a space shuttle dedicated to the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station.

UPDATE: The launch was scrubbed because of stormy weather. NASA will try again at 5:10 GMT (1:10 a.m. EDT) Wednesday. The most recent forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions at that time.

The launch will be shown live on NASA TV. Here's where to watch it one the web.

Spaceflightnow.com will also be hosting a live webcast with Miles O'Brien, David Waters and former astronaut Leroy Chiao starting at 9 p.m. EDT Monday evening.

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South Korea Launch No Go, Shuttle Launch a Go

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:55:17 +0000

The launch of South Korea's first domestic rocket launch was aborted on Wednesday just minutes before scheduled liftoff because of a technical problem, delaying South Korea's mini space race with North Korea. The two-stage rocket, called the Naro will be South Korea's first launch from its own territory. Officials expect another liftoff will be attempted in a few days. Another launch attempt on July 30 was also aborted. The satellite was domestically built, with help from Russia and will observe the atmosphere and ocean. The launch attempt came about four months after North Korea was widely criticized for firing its own rocket in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

Meanwhile, NASA officials have cleared space shuttle Discovery to launch on August 25 for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. As of now, weather is the only issue that might delay the mission.

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First Tweets from the ISS

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:13:28 +0000

Screenshot of Tim Kopra's Twitter page.

Listen my children and you shall hear
Tweets coming from up above our Earthly sphere.

The newest International Space Station astronaut has started Tweeting from space. Tim Kopra is the first ISS crew member to use the social media tool Twitter to discuss living and working in orbit. Kopra (@Astro_Tim) recently joined the Expedition 20 crew after arriving July 17 aboard space shuttle Endeavour. But the coolest thing is that his first Tweets' origin was "from Mobile Web." Yep, from the ISS, that's really mobile.
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Orbiting Toolbag Will Enter Atmosphere Aug. 3

Nancy Atkinson — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:48:34 +0000

ISS Toolbag. Credit: NASA TV

The most famous toolbag in the world (and space) will soon be no more. The ISS Toolbag will enter Earth's atmosphere and completely burn up. Current estimates say the toolbag should become a fireball on August 3 around 1316 Universal Time. It should be visible over the Pacific Ocean west of Mexico (12.7° N, 257.1° E). Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper dropped the backpack-sized kit on Nov. 18, 2008, while she was working outside the International Space Station. Since then the toolbag has circled Earth over 4,000 times, and has even been visible from the ground. Keep track of the toolbag at Heaven's Above or on SpaceWeather.com's Satellite Tracker.

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Triple Spaceship Sighting Alert!

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:31:49 +0000

A great opportunity tonight (July 28) to see three spaceships cross the sky at once! Endeavour just undocked from the ISS today, so they will be close to each other, plus there's another spaceship lurking nearby: a Progress re-supply ship ready to dock with the ISS. How can you find out when and where to look for the three spacecraft? There are a couple of different websites that provide real-time tracking data and information about the ISS sighting opportunities. See below for more info.

The image above is a screenshot from NASA TV of the ISS as Endeavour undocked. Notice the shadow of the shuttle on the ISS solar arrays!
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STS-127: A Mission in Pictures

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:17:19 +0000

Astronaut Tim Kopra during an EVA. Credit: NASA

As space shuttle Endeavour undocks from the International Space Station today (Tuesday), now is a good time to look back at the very successful STS-127 mission. Here's some great images which tell the story of the mission. Above, astronaut Tim Kopra is pictured in the forward port side area of Endeavour's cargo bay during the first of five planned spacewalks performed by the STS-127 crew. Kopra is now part of the ISS crew, and is staying onboard the space station to serve as flight engineer.
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Long Duration Space Underwear

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:34:34 +0000

Koichi Wakata on board the ISS. Credit: NASA

As Japan's first astronaut to spend long duration missions on board the International Space Station, Koichi Wakata has had the opportunity to do all sorts of interesting experiments the past few months. For example, he conducted several different cellular growth and crystal growth experiments, and has even flown a magic carpet in space. One other experiment has been – shall we say – kept under wraps. Wakata has been wearing the same underwear on board the ISS for two months.

"(For) two months I was wearing these underwear and there was no smell and nobody complained,” Wakata, speaking in Japanese, said through an interpreter during a press conference this weekend from the ISS. “I think that new J-ware underwear is very good for myself and my colleagues."
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Stunning Image of ISS and Endeavour Transitting Sun

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:00:07 +0000

Wow! Take a look at this image captured by award-winning French astrophotographer Thierry Legault. The visible detail of the shuttle and parts of the International Space Stations is absolutely amazing! If you remember, Legault also took images of space shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope transiting the sun back in May during the HST servicing mission.
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Astronauts Don Protective Gear to Fix ISS Toilet

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:58:05 +0000

Tom Mashburn during Monday's EVA. Credit: NASA

Space station astronauts repaired a broken toilet in the U.S Destiny laboratory today, avoiding a potentially messy situation. With the shuttle-space station complex currently home to a record combined crew of 13 astronauts and cosmonauts, fixing the toilet was of utmost importance. ISS crew members Gennady Padalka and Frank De Winne were told to don safety goggles and protective gear before opening the toilet's access panels. They replaced a half-dozen components during work Sunday and Monday repairing the defective toilet with spare parts on the orbiting outpost.

While toilet repairs were going on, shuttle astronauts David Wolf and Thomas Marshburn completed the second spacewalk of the STS-127 mission, during a day filled with remembrances and tributes to the Apollo 11 moon landing.
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De-Orbit the ISS in 2016? Don't Bet On It

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:19:21 +0000

There's been a fair amount of outcry this week regarding a quote in the Washington Post from International Space Station program manager Michael Suffredini that the ISS would be decommissioned, de-orbited and destroyed in 2016. Suffredini made that statement to the Augustine Commission, the presidential panel reviewing NASA's future plans, at a hearing in June. But please don't think ditching the space station is a done deal. Fiscal year 2016 is currently when the existing agreements between the international partners – and the all-important funding – expire. Suffredini also told the panel that discussions with the partners indicate all involved would like to see station operations continue past FY2016. NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries told Universe Today that the heads of the participating space agencies recently reaffirmed their common interest in using the station "to its full capacity for a period that is meaningful for our stakeholders and its users."
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Shuttle is Go For Launch, But is the Weather?

Nancy Atkinson — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:39:12 +0000

The crew of STS-127. Credit: NASA

With the fuel leak apparently fixed, space shuttle Endeavour is '"go" for launch for the STS-127 mission. But the weather could force another delay. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance thunderstorms on Saturday evening at Kennedy Space Center, and Endeavour's launch is scheduled for 7:39:35 p.m. EDT. "Bottom line from the team, everybody's go for launch, we have no major issues at all," said Mike Moses, director of shuttle launch integration at the Kennedy Space Center. "We're in really good shape for launch. We do have some challenges with the weather, but we'll just work through those."
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