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Tag: ISS

  • NASA Issues Contracts For Future Manned Spaceflights

    NASA Issues Contracts For Future Manned Spaceflights

    NASA today announced that it has awarded three different companies contracts to develop technology that will enable commercial manned spaceflight from U.S. soil.

    The Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation Space System, and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) were all contracted for around $10 million. The companies will begin developing integrated crew transportation systems that will launch American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). These programs will end NASA’s recent reliance on Russia for transportation to and from the ISS.

    “These contracts represent important progress in restoring human spaceflight capabilities to the United States,” said Phil McAlister, director of the Commercial Spaceflight Development Division at NASA Headquarters. “NASA and its industry partners are committed to the goal of safely and cost-effectively launching astronauts from home within the next five years.”

    Starting next year, the companies will work with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) to develop spacecrafts, launch vehicles, and ground & mission operations that meet the agency’s safety and performance requirements. In mid-2014, the companies will begin competing with one another to test and verify their systems for crewed demonstration flights to the ISS.

    SpaceX could have a leg up on its competition. The company in October of this year completed the first privatized resupply of the ISS using its Dragon capsule. The capsule carried 882 pounds of supplies to the ISS and brought back 1,673 pounds of used material in a successful mission.

    (Image courtesy SpaceX)

  • Space Station Astronauts Safely Return To Earth

    Three members of the International Space Station’s (ISS) Expedition 33 crew safely touched down on the surface of Earth this weekend. They landed just north of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, in the first pre-dawn landing in darkness for an ISS crew since Expedition 12 returned in 2006.

    Expedition 33 Commander Sunita “Suni” Williams, Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide, and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko spent more than three hours in the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft while descending to Earth. They spent a total of 127 days in space, on a mission that lasted more than four months.

    NASA stated that Expedition 33 advanced research by testing radiation levels on the ISS, assessing how microgravity affects the spinal cord, and investigating melting glaciers, seasonal changes, and human impacts on the ecosystem of Earth. The crew members also participated in the Integrated Resistance and Aerobic Training Study-Sprint, a program designed to evaluate the use of high-intensity, low-volume exercise training to minimize the loss of muscle, bone, and cardiovascular functions while in microgravity. The first contracted commercial resupply mission by SpaceX was also overseen by the Expedition 33 crew.

    Hoshide and Williams performed three spacewalks during their mission to repair ISS equipment. Commander Williams now holds the record for cumulative spacewalk time for a female astronaut, with 50 hours, 40 minutes.

    Expedition 34 has now begun on the ISS, and NASA astronaut Kevin Ford has taken command of the space station. He and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin will operate the ISS themselves for one month until the arrival of three new crew members.

    (Image courtesy NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  • SpaceX Dragon Capsule Docks With the International Space Station

    SpaceX Dragon Capsule Docks With the International Space Station

    The Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) this morning. The docking represents another as-planned step in what is NASA’s first privatized cargo and resupply mission under its Commercial Resupply Services contract, after the launch of the spacecraft went perfectly on Sunday.

    Hours before docking, the Dragon was captured by the Canadian-made, 17.6-meter robotic arm of the space station and maneuvered into position for berthing. “Looks like we’ve tamed the Dragon,” said Suni Williams, ISS Expedition 33 commander.

    The official NASA Twitter account announced the Dragon was guided onto the Earth-facing side of the ISS’s Harmony module this morning, stating that the docking took place at exactly 9:03 am EDT:

    The event was livestreamed on the SpaceX CRS-1 Mission livestream page.

    The Dragon capsule will now be bolted into place for its 18-day stay aboard the ISS. Tomorrow the crew will pressurize the vestibule between the ISS and Dragon, then open the hatch and proceed with the mission.

    Over the next two and a half weeks the crew will unload the 882 pounds of supplies the Dragon is carrying, which includes 390 pounds of scientific research materials. For the trip back, the capsule will be loaded down with 1,673 pounds of used scientific research materials, vehicle hardware, and crew supplies.

  • SpaceX Tests Its New Rocket “Merlin 1D” [Video]

    SpaceX Tests Its New Rocket “Merlin 1D” [Video]

    SpaceX continues to push its space dominating agenda forward with its newest test of the ‘Merlin 1D” rocket propulsion system. Building on the technology from its previous 3 launches, including the historic launch and recovery of the Dragon capsule, the Merlin 1D has achieved a full mission duration firing and multiple restarts at target thrust and specific impulse (Isp). In other words, the test was highly successful.

    “This is another important milestone in our efforts to push the boundaries of space technology,” said SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk. “With the Merlin 1D powering the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, SpaceX will be capable of carrying a full range of payloads to orbit.” The Merlin 1D will indeed knock out 2 birds with 1 stone. It will offer the pure power that the Falcon Heavy needs to do its missions, but it will also offer performance improvements to the Falcon 9.

    With nine Merlins on the first stage, the Falcon 9 rocket will produce nearly 1.5 million pounds of thrust in a vacuum. An enhanced design makes the Merlin 1D the most efficient booster engine ever built, with a vacuum thrust-to-weight ratio exceeding 150, while still maintaining the structural and thermal safety margins needed to carry astronauts. All of this is important going forward because SpaceX really wants the NASA contract to put astronauts on the ISS and maybe even the moon one day.

    The new design of the Merlin also will fulfill an extensive manifest of launches and the new engine is designed for improved manufacturability by using higher efficiency processes. It also has increased robotic construction and reduced parts count. Look for SpaceX to continue to push forward and try to cut costs through improved technology in only the way that a private company can. This is why it is important for the private sector to get involved in things that are extremely expensive like the space program.

    SpaceX

    SpaceX19 hours ago

    Firing of the SpaceX Merlin 1D engine! 
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    photo and video courtesy of SpaceX

  • Stellar Photos From the International Space Station

    These fantastic photos were taken by Flight Engineer Don Petit during the Expedition 31’s current tenure aboard the International Space Station.

    He explains who he capture such stunning images on his flickr account. You know, if you ever happen to be aboard the International Space Station and want to try it yourself:

    “My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then ‘stack’ them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure.”

    The yellow orange trails you see in these photos are actually the lights of cites on Earth. A green aurora can also be seen surrounding the Earth in some of these extended exposure shots. The bluish blips you see on the surface of the Earth are actually lightning strikes. Cool!

    This photo and the lead image remind me of Rainbow Road from Mario Kart. Anyone else?

    You can view the whole collection here.

    [ht: Alltop]

  • China Planning Manned Mission To Its Space Station

    China has a problem. They have such a fairly long history of blatantly stealing technology from other companies, that they were not invited to participate in the International Space Station program. So, to stick their tongues out at everyone, they decide to take the Soviet approach and make their own. Now they are ready to man that space station.

    Today the Chinese news agency called Xinhua is reporting that China is preparing to launch a manned space flight to the station called “Tiangong-1” later this month. According to Wikipedia, Tiangong-1 is an experimental testbed to demonstrate the rendezvous and docking capabilities needed to support a space station complex. It will be deorbited in 2013 and replaced with different modules to make a true space station by 2020.

    This falls in line with China’s pledge to have a greater space presence and their goal of putting a man on the moon by 2017. China’s hunger and wiillingness to spend the massive amount of money on a space program is kind of where we were 45 years ago. I think now is the time to push new manned missions to the Moon and eventually Mars before the Chinese can. Not only would it give Americans a sense of national pride that they havent felt since the 60’s, but it will show that it is going to be a long time before another country can pass the United States technology wise.

    Photo courtesy of english.people.com.cn

  • SpaceX’s Success May Lead To Military Contracts

    SpaceX’s Success May Lead To Military Contracts

    SpaceX made history 2 weeks ago becoming the very first private company to launch a capsule into space and have it dock with the International Space Station. Now that the Dragon has successfully returned to earth, SpaceX can start working on it’s contract through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The resupply contract for the International Space Station has it making 12 runs, and since it is reusable, they will have the ability to ferry items back and forth, not just trash but experiments.

    This launch was the second one for the Falcon 9 and after a third successful one they will be allowed to bid for military contracts to launch satellites into space. “The new entrant criteria did say three launches are required (for Falcon 9) before certification can happen for national security payloads,” said SpaceX Communications Director Kirstin Brost Grantham.

    “If the new entrant has a launch vehicle with a more robust, demonstrated successful flight history, then we may require less technical evaluation for certification. But, it also depends on the risk assessment of the mission,” Air Force spokeswoman Tracy Bunko said. Which basically means that it is at the Air Forces discretion as to whether the launch vehicle (Falcon 9) is sound enough to launch national security payloads into space. If it isn’t then more testing of the technology will take place.

    All of this is great news for the taxpayers because right now there is only one company certified to launch the satellites and that is United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. In the mean time ULA will remain the sole provider of heavy and medium lift commercial launch services to the U.S. military with its Delta 4 and Atlas 5 rockets. But watch for SpaceX to start getting some of those contracts once its Falcon 9 Heavy is ready. Once the Falcon 9 Heavy is ready it will be the most powerful rocket currently in use in the world and the second most powerful rocket of all time behind the Saturn V rockets used to take the astronauts to the moon.

    “The one market that we have not yet been successful with is launching Defense Department satellites, although we’re hopeful that we’ll win one or two demonstration launches this year,” CEO Elon Musk said after Dragon’s return from orbit. “Hopefully the successive flights of Falcon 9 in a row will give them the confidence they need to open up the defense contract for competition.”

    picture courtesy of SpaceX

  • SpaceX Dragon Space Capsule To Return Home

    SpaceX Dragon Space Capsule To Return Home

    Earlier today the Dragon space capsule departed from the International Space Station and began its trip back down from the heavens. The Dragon capsule spent 5 days connected to the ISS and it was able to deliver supplies and is returning nearly 1,400 pounds of old space station equipment and some science samples, a little more than it took up. Because it is a test flight, NASA did not want to load it with anything valuable.

    Last week SpaceX became the first private company to connect to the ISS in a feat that could change spaceflight forever. This is the final testing point for the Dragon and will mean that going forward NASA can further trust SpaceX with experiments and hopefully will be putting people up there soon because the Dragon is capable of moving both cargo and people. In fact, Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder, expects to have astronauts riding his Dragons in three or four years.

    The targeted splashdown zone is 560 miles southwest of Los Angeles and it will parachute down like the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft did way back in the 60’s and 70’s.

    The next Dragon supply mission will be in September and a Falcon 9 rocket is already at Cape Canaveral awaiting launch. This will be part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract through NASA. The resupply contract for the International Space Station has it making 12 runs in total. Mix that in with the news yesterday that SpaceX signed a deal to launch satellites into space, and the future looks very bright for them.

    photo courtesy of SpaceX

  • SpaceX Dragon Capsule From ISS [Photos]

    SpaceX Dragon Capsule From ISS [Photos]

    Last week SpaceX did what had never been done before. They managed to become the very first private company to dock with the International Space Station. The momentous feat was part of an effort to shift some of responsibilities of cargo shipments to and from the ISS away from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and give it to SpaceX which won a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract. This flight is the first of 12 that will ferry experiments, trash, and supplies back and forth.

    One if the astronauts on the ISS is named André Kuipers. Kuipers is a Dutch astronaut flying for the ESA. He is currently stationed as the ISS and snapping a ton of hi-res photos that he puts on his blog. Well he just released an album that has to dea with the Dragon capsule docking and being entered by the crew of the ISS. Kuipers had this to say: “The Dragon mission is the operational highlight of my mission. But it is also a milestone for international spaceflight.”

    Check out some of the amazing photos:

  • SpaceX’s Dragon Docks With ISS [Live Feed]

    SpaceX’s Dragon Docks With ISS [Live Feed]

    So the time is finally here for the SpaceX capsule titled “Dragon” to dock with the ISS. After several tests yesterday NASA deemed that it was indeed ready to go ahead and start docking procedures. Part of these was matching speed with the ISS and moving it closer so it could be grasped with the robotic arm. They will then dock it to the station. Once the hatch is opened the astronauts on the ISS will take out the experiments and supplies inside and put garbage and experiments back in it.

    Here is the live feed from NASA TV:



    Video streaming by Ustream

    The exact amount of time that the Dragon will be docked to the ISS at this time is unknown, but it seems as though SpaceX is passing every test that needs to be done. When they are successful and it seems that they will be, they will begin to fulfill its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract through NASA). The resupply contract for the International Space Station has it making 12 runs, and since it is reusable, they will have the ability to ferry items back and forth, not just trash but experiments.

  • SpaceX’s Dragon Gets Closer To Docking With ISS

    SpaceX’s Dragon Gets Closer To Docking With ISS

    Two days ago, SpaceX started a historic journey to become the first commercial company to dock to the International Space Station. Since the launch the Dragon space capsule has had one task to complete after another and it has done every one of them without complaining once.

    Early this morning, Dragon’s thrusters fired, bringing the vehicle 2.4 kilometers below the International Space Station. The vehicle completed two key tests at that distance. Dragon demonstrated its Relative GPS and established a communications link with the International Space Station using CUCU. Astronauts commanded on Dragon’s strobe light to confirm the link worked. These are the last few tests before the Dragon attempts to dock with the ISS. Here is the video of the Dragon below the ISS:

    There are 2 tasks left in the journey of the Dragon space capsule:

    FRIDAY MORNING

    – Final Approach, Dragon Grapple

    Around 2:00 AM Pacific/5:00 AM Eastern NASA will decide if Dragon is GO to move into the approach ellipsoid 1.4 kilometers around the space station. If Dragon is GO, after approximately one hour Dragon will move to a location 250 meters directly below the station. Dragon will then perform a series of maneuvers to show systems are operating as expected. If NASA is satisfied with the results of these many tests, Dragon will be allowed to perform the final approach to the space station.

    Sometime around 6:00 AM Pacific/9:00 AM Eastern, astronauts on the space station will grapple Dragon with the space station’s robotic arm and the spacecraft will attach to the station.

    SATURDAY MORNING

    – Hatch Opening

    If all goes well, at approximately 2:00 AM Pacific/5:00 AM Eastern, the crew will start procedures to open Dragon’s hatch. It will take around 2 hours to complete all operations leading to the hatch opening. Once the hatch is opened, astronauts will enter Dragon for the first time in space.

    If the mission of docking with the ISS is successful, then SpaceX will begin to fulfill its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract through NASA). The resupply contract for the International Space Station has it making 12 runs, and since it is reusable, they will have the ability to ferry items back and forth, not just trash but experiments.

    Here is a picture of the ISS taken by a thermal camera on the Dragon courtesy of SpaceX:

    Here is a photo from the ISS of the Dragon on approach courtesy of NASA:

  • SpaceX Finally Sets Date For Dragon Launch

    SpaceX Finally Sets Date For Dragon Launch

    On May 19th, private space firm SpaceX, will finally launch its vaunted Falcon 9 rocket into space. Aboard the rocket is the Dragon space capsule. The hopes of this launch is to have the Dragon capsule dock with the International Space Station and both deliver a payload and unload space garbage.

    The launch was originally suppose to take place on May 7th, but was delayed for unknown reasons. Most people believe that it was for the SpaceX engineers to tweak the programming one last time to make sure that the capsule will be able to meet its specified goal.

    If the Falcon 9 launch is successful, and the Dragon capsule is able to dock to te International Space Station, then SpaceX will begin to fulfill its contract through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The resupply contract for the International Space Station has it making 12 runs, and since it is reusable, they will have the ability to ferry items back and forth, not just trash but experiments.

    The Falcon 9/Dragon program is part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement has been worth about $381 million for hitting 37 out of 40 milestones, and that will hit $396 million if SpaceX is able to hit them all.

    Between SpaceX and Virgin, it is nice to see private companies take a risk like this. Even though they do have government grants, the owners did have to take a risk to get SpaceX up and running.

    The launch is set for Saturday, 19 May at 8.55 GMT, with coverage starting on NASA TV at 7.30 GMT.

  • SpaceX Has To Delay ISS Launch….Again

    SpaceX Has To Delay ISS Launch….Again

    SpaceX is trying to be the very first private company to launch a rocket into space and have it link up with the International Space Station to deliver cargo. Well, it has hit another snag. The engineers at Space X have had to delay the launch for the second time.

    On Monday April 30th, SpaceX successfully tested the Falcon 9 rocket propulsion system. In doing so they set themselves up for the first launch to actually try to attach to the ISS with the Dragon module that sits atop the rocket. The Dragon module is the first of it’s kind as it is designed to both support the transportation of cargo and humans.

    They have delayed the launch, that was originally suppose to be on May 7th, to a later unknown date. A software problem seems to be the culprit. “I think we have a got a pretty good shot but it is worth emphasizing that there is a lot that can go wrong on a mission like this,” Paypal Co-Founder Elon Musk said.

    If the Dragon is found capable of doing it’s job, SpaceX will then start to fulfill its Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract for NASA for at least 12 missions to carry cargo to and from the space station.

    Since the space shuttle was retired, only Russia has the ability to shoot astronauts into space. SpaceX wants to give the world a non-Russian alternative to putting people in space.

  • SpaceX Preps Test For May 7th Space Flight

    SpaceX Preps Test For May 7th Space Flight

    On Monday April 30th, 2012, SpaceX will do a static launch test of their rocket propulsion system, called Falcon 9, in advance of their planned launch. The static launch, which is available for viewing here will start at 2:30pm EST with the actual static firing of the rocket boosters taking place at 3:00pm EST. The Firing, which will take place at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, is part of a full dress rehearsal for the real launch to take place shortly thereafter on May 7th.

    The dress rehearsal will also have SpaceX engineers running through all countdown processes as though it were launch day. The exercise will end with all nine engines firing at full power for two seconds. If the test is successful, then SpaceX will launch a Dragon spacecraft into low-Earth orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket. If that launch in May is successful, then the spacecraft will get the approval form NASA to dock with the International Space Station and the crew there will unload the cargo.

    If the Dragon is found capable of doing it’s job, SpaceX will then start to fulfill its Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract for NASA for at least 12 missions to carry cargo to and from the space station. Dragon and Falcon 9 were designed to carry astronauts but this mission will give them valuable experience.

    SpaceX made history in December of 2010 by the first commercial company in history to send a spacecraft to orbit and return it safely to Earth.

  • SpaceX Prepares for Historic Launch This May

    SpaceX Prepares for Historic Launch This May

    After a series of delays, SpaceX is finally expected to launch on May 7th. The event will mark the first time a privately owned vessel has made the long, hard trip to the International Space Station (ISS). Additionally, this adventure represents a return to space travel since NASA famously ended its program last year.

    The Dragon, a transport that will carry supplies to those on-board the ISS, was originally scheduled to make its excursion into the the cosmos on February 7th. However, SpaceX determined that more tests were required before properly launching the capsule, pushing the date back to April. Now that everything appears to be a-okay with the space-bound container, officials have penciled its initial flight for May. The time of the launch is scheduled for 9:38am.

    When the Dragon docks with the ISS, it will bring with it 1,149 pounds of cargo. The return trip home will find the capsule carrying a 1,455 payload back to Earth.

    Privately funded trips into space are expected to become the norm within the next ten years. NASA has dumped an impressive $270 millions into such programs, which they hope will become big business in the near future. These commercial flights will also allow US astronauts to make trips to the ISS without relying on the Russian space program for assistance, the price for which is estimated to skyrocket by 2015.

    Companies such as BlueOrigin LLC, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and Boeing are looking to toss their space-friendly hats into the proverbial ring, as well.

    For an animated look at what’s expected to transpire at the International Space Station this May, take a peek at the video embedded below.

  • International Space Station Stars Look Prettier Than Earth Stars

    Have you ever imagined what stars might look like while aboard the International Space Station? Well, they probably look like stars, right? But beyond that, there’s some added beauty when you have the rim of Earth hovering in the foreground of a canvas of stars. Additionally, from the ISS you wouldn’t have to contend with the heavy light pollution that obscures our terrestrial gaze.

    Anyways, whether you imagine often or rarely at all, here’s your chance to peer the heavens from a place that isn’t Earth. Courtesy of of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, the following video compiles a series of time-lapsed video captured from a low-earth orbit. Aside from the stars, there’s also some stunning imagery of Earth detailing the Lite Brite makeup of the power grid, several captures of electrical storms happening, and some wild activity from the aurora borealis. Beyond the terrestrial imagery, the whirlpool of stars’ light trails from the vantage of the ISS reveal what nearly looks like the galaxy’s vanishing point (a brain-melter of a thought in and of itself).

    To really see the detail in the star trails, I recommend that you enlarge the video to the full screen view.

    The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station. from AJRCLIPS on Vimeo.

  • Unmanned European Rocket Takes Supplies To ISS

    Early this morning the European Space Agency(ESA) launched their 3rd Automated Transfer Vehicle(ATV-3) from a pad in Kourou, French Guiana. The ATV-3 is nicknamed “Edoardo Amaldi” after the famed Italian physicist and spaceflight pioneer who is credited with helping to create the European Space Agency.

    The European ATVs, which are considered the most complex spacecraft ever built in europe, are part of an international fleet of disposable robot cargo ships that are used to transport hardware and critical supplies to the space station. Russia’s unmanned Progress ships and Japan’s H-2 Transfer Vehicles (HTVs) also regularly ferry cargo to the orbiting outpost. The cargo ships then remain attached to the complex for up to six months before they are packed with garbage and deliberately sent to burn up during atmospheric re-entry.

    “We are proud that ESA is providing the most sophisticated vehicle servicing the Space Station,” said Thomas Reiter, ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations. “Based on the capabilities and knowhow that ESA and European industry developed in the context of the ATV programme, we have now the opportunity to further evolve this technology. This will open up a wide range of opportunities for us to contribute to future ventures in space exploration.”

    The spacecraft is 35 feet long and 14.7 feet wide – large enough to fit a double-decker bus inside. Europe’s disposable ATVs are designed to automatically dock to the Zvezda module on the Russian portion of the International Space Station.

    Things between the ESA and NASA have deteriorated in the recent past due to budget cuts at Cape Canaveral.

    Check out these great pictures via the ESA:

  • NASA Astronaut Sends First Real Tweet From Space

    NASA said today astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have received a special software upgrade that allows access to the Internet and the World Wide Web via the "ultimate wireless connection."

    Expedition 22 Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer made first use of the new system Friday, when he posted the first unassisted update to his Twitter account, @Astro-TJ, from the space station. Previous tweets from space had to be emailed to the ground where support personnel posted them to the astronaut’s Twitter account.

    NASA-Twitter

    The personal web access, called the Crew Support LAN, uses existing communication links to and from the station and gives astronauts the ability to browse and surf the web.

    When the station is actively communicating with the ground using high-speed Ku-band communications, the crew will have remote access to the Internet via a ground computer. The crew will view the desktop of the ground computer using an onboard laptop and interact remotely with their keyboard touchpad.
     

     

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