Ken Kremer, Author at Universe Today

Endeavour aiming for on time launch with coolant hose fix ahead of schedule

21 Jan , 2010 by Ken Kremer

[/caption] The crew of Endeavour said on Wednesday (Jan 20) that construction of new coolant hoses required to connect the new Tranquility module, or Node 3, to the space station is running ahead of schedule and they are optimistic for an on time launch of the STS 130 mission currently set for Feb 7. Shortly […]

If Phoenix Arises, Science could flow quickly

17 Jan , 2010 by Ken Kremer

Caption: This mosaic assembled from Phoenix images shows the spacecraft’s three landing legs and patches of water ice exposed by the landing thrusters. Splotches of Martian material on the landing leg strut at left could be liquid saline-water. Larger version on Spaceflightnow.com .Credit: Kenneth Kremer, Marco Di Lorenzo, NASA/JPL/UA/Max Planck Institute and Spaceflightnow.com. If the […]

STS 130 flight pressing forward to launch as NASA resolves coolant hose leak

13 Jan , 2010 by Ken Kremer

Caption: Tranquility and Cupola lowered into canister for transport to Launch Pad 39 A. Credit: NASA NASA managers decided on Tuesday (Jan. 12) to press forward towards an on time liftoff target date of Feb 7 for Space Shuttle Endeavour as engineers developed a workaround solution to the ammonia coolant hose leak issue which has […]

STS-130 Shuttle flight facing delay due to Payload technical glitch

9 Jan , 2010 by Ken Kremer

Caption: Overhead view of Tranquility & Cupola modules inside the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Jan 8, 2010. Tranquility will be attached to ISS by STS 130 astronaut crew. Credit: Ken Kremer (Editor’s Note: Ken Kremer is in Florida for Universe Today covering the pre-launch activities of Endeavour.) The launch of […]

Shuttle Endeavour Rolled to Pad; Countdown to the Final Five Begins

6 Jan , 2010 by Ken Kremer

[/caption] Space Shuttle Endeavour was rolled out to its seaside launch pad today (Jan. 6) at the Kennedy Space Center, officially starting the clock for the ‘Final Five’ flights. These five will close out the Space Shuttle era forever by the end of 2010 or early 2011 unless the program is extended for a few […]

New Year’s Greetings from TEAM ISS and 2010 ISS Calendar

3 Jan , 2010 by Ken Kremer

The newly enlarged crew of Team ISS sends New Year’s greetings welcoming in 2010 to all earthlings over this holiday weekend. “We thank you for your support and interest in this current chapter of human exploration and discovery. We wish you a very fruitful and happy New Year”. New Year’s is one of the few […]

Santa’s Helpers arrive at ISS bearing Christmas Gifts

24 Dec , 2009 by Ken Kremer

In a stunning surprise, Santa’s helpers and elves floated into the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (Dec. 22) bearing a Christmas tree, massive (but weightless) sacks of presents and boundless cheer. They had departed Earth from frigid Baikonur on Dec 20. The supposed cosmonauts and astronauts had apparently been magically transformed just moments before […]

Mars 2016 Methane Orbiter: Searching for Signs of Life

22 Dec , 2009 by Ken Kremer

[/caption] The new joint Mars exploration program of NASA and ESA is quickly pushing forward to implement an agreed upon framework to construct an ambitious new generation of red planet orbiters and landers starting with the 2016 and 2018 launch windows. The European-led ExoMars Trace Gas Mission Orbiter (TGM) has been selected as the first […]

Soyuz Blasts off with International Crew to build out ISS

21 Dec , 2009 by Ken Kremer

An international crew of three astronauts and cosmonauts blasted off Sunday (Dec 20) at 4:52 PM EST in a Russian capsule from the bone chilling Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The crew aboard the Soyuz TMA-17 capsule comprises Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, NASA’s T.J. Creamer, and Soichi Noguchi of […]

What Would NASA Do with an Added Shuttle Flight?

8 Dec , 2009 by Ken Kremer

Space Shuttle Atlantis sits poised for the STS 129 launch from Pad 39 A on 16 November 2009. Atlantis would likely fly a proposed new flight as STS-135. Credit: Ken Kremer The end of the Space Shuttle Era is rapidly approaching and with it some urgent questions including, “How will the US support continued use […]

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