International Space Station

[selvaarchi]

"New solar arrays to power International Space Station Research"

https://www.solardaily.com/reports/N...earch_999.html

Designed for a 15-year service life, the solar arrays have been operating continuously since the first pair was deployed in December 2000, with additional array pairs delivered in September 2006, June 2007, and March 2009.

The first pair of solar arrays has now provided continuous electrical power to the station for more than 20 years as more modules were added and dozens of crews tackled thousands of scientific experiments and continued operations through hundreds of spacewalks, cargo missions, and more.

Though they are functioning well, the current solar arrays are showing signs of degradation, as expected. To ensure a sufficient power supply is maintained for NASA's exploration technology demonstrations for Artemis and beyond as well as utilization and commercialization, NASA will be augmenting six of the eight existing power channels of the space station with new solar arrays.

[Roger E. Moore]

Cargo Dragon undocks from Station and heads for splashdown. On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Dragon will conduct a deorbit burn at 7:37 p.m. to begin its re-entry sequence into Earth's atmosphere. Dragon is expected to splash down west of Tampa off the Florida coast about 8:27 p.m. The splashdown will not be broadcast.

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/C...hdown_999.html

[docmordrid]

"New solar arrays to power International Space Station Research"

https://www.solardaily.com/reports/N...earch_999.html

Space News write-up, and a video of the 2017 Roll Out Solar Array experiment. They'll go up on Cargo Dragon resupply flights.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-to-upgrad...-solar-arrays/

https://youtu.be/FQIboXl0dIA

[Roger E. Moore]

Next-generation Dragon cargo spacecraft returns from space station. The CRS-21 Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico west of Tampa at 8:26 p.m. Eastern. It had undocked from the station a day and a half earlier after original plans for an undocking and splashdown Jan. 11 were postponed by poor weather. The Dragon brought back to Earth about 2,000 kilograms of research payloads and other cargo from the station. The spacecraft, launched Dec. 6, brought nearly 3,000 kilograms of cargo to the station, including the Bishop commercial airlock developed by Nanoracks.

https://spacenews.com/next-generatio...space-station/

[docmordrid]

Commercial Crew update & ISS future presentation (long Twitter thread)

https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1349412603668422656

[selvaarchi]

Do you know there is a space economy up the in the ISS. Astronauts actually trade stuff or services. Listen to a 9 minute video by NASA astronaut Doug "Wheels" Wheelock explain it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/95919...omics-in-space

One of the most common definitions of economics is the study of the allocation of limited resources: how we use what we have, what we value, and why. There have been plenty of studies done on how economics works on earth. But what about in space?

We talk to NASA astronaut Doug "Wheels" Wheelock, who explains how the principles of economics guided trades of goods and services on the International Space Station.

[Noclevername]

Do you know there is a space economy up the in the ISS. Astronauts actually trade stuff or services. Listen to a 9 minute video by NASA astronaut Doug "Wheels" Wheelock explain it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/95919...omics-in-space

Not surprising. On Firefly they bet jobs in card games. I would be shocked if they didn't have something similar on the ISS or any isolated community.

[Swift]

Not surprising. On Firefly they bet jobs in card games. I would be shocked if they didn't have something similar on the ISS or any isolated community.

Heck, we did that as kids when we went to camp, or with our school lunches. "Hey, I'll trade you half my sandwich for your cookie"

[Roger E. Moore]

Jan. 27: NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover are scheduled take a spacewalk together outside the International Space Station, to outfit science hardware on Europe's Columbus laboratory module. They are expected to exit the station through the Quest airlock at 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT) and will spend about 6.5 hours working outside the orbiting lab.

https://www.space.com/32286-space-calendar.html

[Roger E. Moore]

Axiom Space names first private crew to launch to space station. Axiom Space on Tuesday (Jan. 26) revealed its clients for its first privately-funded and operated mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) flight is being arranged under a commercial agreement with NASA. Slated to launch on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are: Larry Connor, an American real estate and technology entrepreneur; Eytan Stibbe, a businessman and former Israeli fighter pilot; Mark Pathy, a Canadian investor and philanthropist; and Michael Lopez-Alegria, a retired NASA astronaut who logged almost 260 days on four prior missions.

http://www.collectspace.com/news/new...-announce.html

[Van Rijn]

Good to see it really looks like it is happening. For some of these things, they talk about what they plan to do, but it never happens, usually because they can’t raise the money, and then you never hear of them again.

[selvaarchi]

"Meet the people paying a reported $55 million to fly on the first private mission to the space station"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/axion-s...space-station/

Sometime in 2022, Axiom Space hopes to send the first flight of private citizens to the International Space Station — and now, we know who those people are. Mission Ax-1 would mark the first for a group of private individuals to a "low Earth orbit" destination, which the European Space Agency defines as an altitude of less than 1,000 kilometers.

[Roger E. Moore]

A pair of astronauts went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Station’s European lab. NASA’s Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover floated out early and headed straight to Columbus, one of the three high-tech labs at the orbiting outpost. They hauled with them a fancy new antenna for Columbus that will provide faster communication with European researchers via satellites and ground stations. The boxy antenna is the size of a small refrigerator.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-eu...21a1bfe14cd96f

[Roger E. Moore]

ISS crew member reveals difficulties of filming virtual reality documentary in space.

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/I...space_999.html

[selvaarchi]

"NASA, SpaceX announce date for Crew-2 mission"

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...n-15908948.php

NASA and SpaceX could launch their next group of astronauts on April 20, the organizations announced Friday.

[Roger E. Moore]

Spacewalkers finishing 4 years of power upgrades for station.

https://apnews.com/article/world-new...7af10c55f7fae6

[Roger E. Moore]

NASA announced Feb. 9 it wants to obtain a seat on the next Soyuz mission to the International Space Station, launching in just two months, to ensure a U.S. presence on the station in the event of any commercial crew delays.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-seeks-sea...ission-to-iss/

[Roger E. Moore]

The First Rule for Sending a Science Experiment to the ISS: keep it simple, stupid.

https://slate.com/technology/2021/02...stronauts.html

[Roger E. Moore]

NASA Assigns Astronauts to Agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 Mission to Space Station in 2022.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/n...-space-station

[Roger E. Moore]

Contest for Crew Dragon seat well short of fundraising goal. One of the three available seats will go the winner of a sweepstakes taking place this month, intended to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. People can purchase entries through the Inspiration4 website through Feb. 28, with a winner selected on or around March 1.

https://spacenews.com/contest-for-cr...draising-goal/

[Roger E. Moore]

NASA fears gap in astronaut crew at multibillion-dollar space station - Having spent well over $150 billion on the International Space Station, NASA fears a potential lack of launch vehicles could leave the orbiting platform without a U.S. astronaut and create a potential safety risk.

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/N...ation_999.html

[Roger E. Moore]

Russian cargo ship docks at International Space Station

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-russia...rnational.html

[Roger E. Moore]

On Saturday, February 20, no earlier than 12:36 p.m. EST, Northrop Grumman is scheduled to launch its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), marking its 15th mission under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program.

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/S...RS_15_999.html

[Roger E. Moore]

Antares rocket loaded with time-sensitive cargo for launch to space station Saturday; liftoff at 12:36:50 p.m. EST (1736:50 GMT)

https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/02/1...tion-saturday/

[Roger E. Moore]

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus supply ship arrived at the International Space Station on Monday with more than 8,000 pounds of cargo, including new astronaut sleeping quarters, parts for the station’s toilet, and numerous biomedical and technology experiments.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/02/2...space-station/

[Roger E. Moore]

Spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year.

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-spacew...ion-solar.html

[selvaarchi]

"ISS Leaks May Be Caused by Metal Fatigue, Micrometeorite Impact, Source Says"

If it is confirmed it is metal fatigue, than the life span of at least the Russian potions of the space station need to be carefully evaluated.

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/I..._Says_999.html

A commission of Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos believes that cracks in Russia's Zvezda module at the International Space Station (ISS) were most likely formed due to metal fatigue or micrometeorite impact, a source in the rocket and space sphere said on Wednesday.

[Roger E. Moore]

NASA has sharply increased the prices it charges commercial users of the International Space Station for cargo and other resources, a move that has left some companies confused and frustrated. The cost to transport one kilogram of cargo up to the station, known as “upmass,” went from $3,000 to $20,000. The cost to bring that one kilogram back down from the station, “downmass,” went from $6,000 to $40,000. One hour of crew member time, previously $17,500, is now $130,000.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-hikes-pri...ial-iss-users/

[selvaarchi]

NASA has sharply increased the prices it charges commercial users of the International Space Station for cargo and other resources, a move that has left some companies confused and frustrated. The cost to transport one kilogram of cargo up to the station, known as “upmass,” went from $3,000 to $20,000. The cost to bring that one kilogram back down from the station, “downmass,” went from $6,000 to $40,000. One hour of crew member time, previously $17,500, is now $130,000.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-hikes-pri...ial-iss-users/

Wonder how much the Chinese will charge when they have their space station up and running?

[Roger E. Moore]

For the second time this week, a pair of astronauts floated outside Friday to get the International Space Station ready for new solar panels. NASA’s Kate Rubins and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi headed toward the unfinished work from Sunday’s spacewalk, located on the far port end of the orbiting lab. They needed to finish installing mounting brackets and struts, and tighten some sticky bolts. The equipment will support the first set of improved solar panels, due to arrive in June.

https://apnews.com/article/technolog...b393c503d1ce80