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Category Archives: Space Station

Crimea crisis comes at touchy time for US-Russia space program

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The political crisis in Crimea comes at a touchy time in the joint Russian-U.S. space program. Two cosmonauts, one of them from Crimea, and an American astronaut are scheduled to touch down on Russian soil on March 10 after months aboard the International Space Station.

One American and two cosmonauts are headed back into space in a few weeks. In a teleconference with reporters Tuesday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said there are no problems. "Everything is nominal right now in our relationship with the Russians, " he said.

But since the retirement of the American space shuttle program, the U.S. relies entirely on Russia for human transport to and from the International Space Station and pays $70 million for every astronaut trip.

House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) said in a statement on Tuesday, that the U.S. needs to back away from the arrangement with Russia's space program.

"With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, America currently has no domestic capability to transport our astronauts to and from the International Space Station," The statement reads. "Our international space partnerships, including our partnership with Russia, are strong and have historically endured political division. But after decades of leadership in space, it is unacceptable for America to pay the Russians $70 million per seat for each of our astronauts to hitch a ride to space. NASA needs to develop a vehicle to launch American astronauts onboard American rockets from American soil. Leadership in space exploration is a goal worthy of a great nation."

Former astronaut Tom Jones says that NASA is intent on keeping ISS missions from becoming a political football.He points to the Apollo/Soyuz missions of the mid-70s, during the height of the Cold War, as evidence that the two countries cooperated in a spirit of detente.

Today, Jones says, the two space partners are more inter-dependent than ever. "What they lack for example, is all the control software that we use to point, maneuver and control the space station," he says. "So, they would not be wise to deny us access, because they would be denying themselves access to all the utilities and supplies they need for the space station."

Russians have an agreement with the U.S. that they are allowed to keep a gun in their possession on space missions.

Russian spacecraft have traditionally touched down on land. In the early space days, some cosmonauts occasionally had to fend off wolves while they awaited rescue crews.

Doug McKelway joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in November 2010 and serves as a Washington-based correspondent.

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Crimea crisis comes at touchy time for US-Russia space program

Space to Ground – What’s happening aboard the International Space Station 02/28/14 – Video

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Space to Ground - What #39;s happening aboard the International Space Station 02/28/14
NASA #39;s Space to Ground is your weekly update on what #39;s happening aboard the International Space Station. Got a question or comment? Use #spacetoground to tal...

By: w1TenMinutes

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Space to Ground - What's happening aboard the International Space Station 02/28/14 - Video

Russia Crisis Raises Space Station Questions

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HOUSTON Thanks to its reliance on Russia, NASA is once again confronted with the nightmare of a diplomatic roadblock in a project originally made possible by diplomacy: the U.S.-Russian partnership in space exploration.

And if Russia's confrontation with Ukraine and the West turns into the worst diplomatic crisis of our generation, as feared, it could have equally profound and disturbing consequences for space exploration.

This month's comings and goings at the International Space Station highlight the interdependence of the U.S. and Russian space efforts: Next week, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is due to return from the space station aboard a Russian capsule, alongside two Russian cosmonauts. A couple of weeks after that, NASA's Steven Swanson is to ride another Russian Soyuz craft up to the station, again in the company of two Russians.

Under the current arrangement, NASA astronauts cannot get to and from the station without Russian help, due to the retirement of the space shuttle fleet. The ticket price for each astronaut is $70 million, payable to the Russians.

The United States and Russia are not just "joined at the hip" on the space station. Numerous other rocket projects rely on either Russian or Ukrainian space hardware and services. Even U.S. national security satellites are powered into orbit on an American rocket with a Russian-built rocket engine.

What if the Soyuz spacecraft suddenly became unavailable for use by American astronauts, contract or no contract? Would it be the end of U.S. human spaceflight? Would it kick off a new round of extortionary price-gouging, both fiscal and diplomatic?

Well, maybe not.

Moving away from co-dependence

Its cold comfort that the Russians rely on NASA almost as much as NASA relies on the Russians. If Russia monopolizes up-down transport, the United States essentially controls the only space destination: Russia's orbital hardware couldn't function without U.S. electrical power and communications services.

However reluctant the partners may be in such an awkward "space marriage," it has until now provided an astonishing degree of robustness and flexibility.

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Russia Crisis Raises Space Station Questions

Russia Crisis Raises Space Station Questions, But NASA Has Options

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HOUSTON Thanks to its reliance on Russia, NASA is once again confronted with the nightmare of a diplomatic roadblock in a project originally made possible by diplomacy: the U.S.-Russian partnership in space exploration.

And if Russia's confrontation with Ukraine and the West turns into the worst diplomatic crisis of our generation, as feared, it could have equally profound and disturbing consequences for space exploration.

This month's comings and goings at the International Space Station highlight the interdependence of the U.S. and Russian space efforts: Next week, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is due to return from the space station aboard a Russian capsule, alongside two Russian cosmonauts. A couple of weeks after that, NASA's Steven Swanson is to ride another Russian Soyuz craft up to the station, again in the company of two Russians.

Under the current arrangement, NASA astronauts cannot get to and from the station without Russian help, due to the retirement of the space shuttle fleet. The ticket price for each astronaut is $70 million, payable to the Russians.

The United States and Russia are not just "joined at the hip" on the space station. Numerous other rocket projects rely on either Russian or Ukrainian space hardware and services. Even U.S. national security satellites are powered into orbit on an American rocket with a Russian-built rocket engine.

What if the Soyuz spacecraft suddenly became unavailable for use by American astronauts, contract or no contract? Would it be the end of U.S. human spaceflight? Would it kick off a new round of extortionary price-gouging, both fiscal and diplomatic?

Well, maybe not.

Moving away from co-dependence

Its cold comfort that the Russians rely on NASA almost as much as NASA relies on the Russians. If Russia monopolizes up-down transport, the United States essentially controls the only space destination: Russia's orbital hardware couldn't function without U.S. electrical power and communications services.

However reluctant the partners may be in such an awkward "space marriage," it has until now provided an astonishing degree of robustness and flexibility.

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Russia Crisis Raises Space Station Questions, But NASA Has Options

International Space Station Astronauts Congratulate Gravity On Oscars 2014 Wins From Space [VIDEO]

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Alfonso Cuaron won for Best Director and the movie took home seven Academy Awards including for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. It was enough to draw the attention of fans who escaped Earth's gravitational pull.

Expedition 38 crew members Richard A. Mastracchio and Michael S. Hopkins, from NASA, and Koichi Wakata, from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, congratulated Gravity and the films crew from the ISS. Hopkins, Wakata and Mastracchio took turns discussing life in space, complete with Hopkins tumbling in the background, as well as the movie itself.

Wakata said the stunning visuals and stark imagery of Gravity was what most impressed the astronauts aboard the space station. During the message, Hopkins completed seven full flips and was halfway through his eighth before the end of the video.

Even if Gravity did not win big at the Oscars it would have been easy to call the film a success, in part due to its box office take as well as furthering awareness of space exploration and helping foster curiosity about NASA and their programs. According to Box Office Mojo, Gravity grossed $704.9 million worldwide, $270.5 domestically and $434.4 million overseas, with an estimated budget of $100 million.

During the filming of the movie, Sandra Bullock consulted NASA astronaut Catherine Cady Coleman to prepare for the role of an astronaut. Coleman discussed what movement was like in microgravity and talked to Bullock about life aboard the ISS.

NASA also points to the International Space Station as another star in Gravity. Much like the real ISS mission, Gravity features several scenes where Bullock is conducting experiments. On the ISS there are hundreds of experiments that are assigned to the crew.

During the Oscars 2014 broadcast, NASA launched the #RealGravity campaign on Twitter which highlighted photo galleries of the ISS, the Hubble Space Telescope and views from space. The space agency used the hashtag to highlight upcoming missions to Mars and its asteroid initiative.

You can watch the ISS crew, as well as NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, congratulate "Gravity" below.

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International Space Station Astronauts Congratulate Gravity On Oscars 2014 Wins From Space [VIDEO]

Let’s Play Space Engineers – Episode 91: Space Station Project Part 20 – Video

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Let #39;s Play Space Engineers - Episode 91: Space Station Project Part 20
On this episode of Space Engineers, we continue the Space Station Project. Today we make a small drilling ship, or blasting ship actually. Then we use that t...

By: Sleepless Knights Studios

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Let's Play Space Engineers - Episode 91: Space Station Project Part 20 - Video

International Space Station Crew Discusses Life in Space with Temple University – Video

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International Space Station Crew Discusses Life in Space with Temple University
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 38 Flight Engineers Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio of NASA and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exp...

By: NASA

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International Space Station Crew Discusses Life in Space with Temple University - Video

International Space Station Crew Discusses Life in Space with Missouri Students – Video

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International Space Station Crew Discusses Life in Space with Missouri Students
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 38 Flight Engineers Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio discussed life and research aboard the orbital labor...

By: NASA

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International Space Station Crew Discusses Life in Space with Missouri Students - Video

Space Story Time: Kids' Book Author Jeffrey Bennett Talks Max the Dog in Orbit

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It's not every day that a dog helps save astronauts in space, but that's exactly what happens in author Jeffrey Bennett's latest tale of a pooch named Max and his trip to the International Space Station. And there's a twist: The science-themed children's book is actually in space today in the cosmic library aboard the real-life space station.

Bennett's "Max Goes to the Space Station" (Big Kids Science, 2013) launched into space earlier this year on a commercial cargo ship alongside other vital supplies for astronauts on the space station. That set the stage for "Story Time From Space," an educational outreach project in which astronauts will read "Max Goes to the Space Station" and Bennett's other works in space to encourage children on Earth to learn about space and science. One of the books, "Max Goes to the Moon," has flown in space before and was read in orbit by NASA astronaut Alvin Drew, one of the creators of Story Time From Space.

Space.com recently caught up with Bennett who received the 2013 American Institute of Physics Science Communications Award in January for "Max Goes to the Moon" to discuss the launch of "Max Goes to the Space Station" and his other books (which sent Max to the moon, Mars and Jupiter). Another of Bennett's books, "The Wizard Who Saved the World," also hitched a ride to the station with the launch. Here's what Bennett revealed on the origin of Max the Dog, the pooch's trips into space and what it means for kids:

Space.com: "Max Goes to the Space Station" is the latest in a series of books that send Max on a space adventure. What led you to use a dog to share space exploration with kids?

Jeffrey Bennett:I wanted to write science books that would appeal not only to kids who were already into science, but also to kids who might not otherwise pick up a science book. Since kids love dogs, sending a dog on the adventures seemed like a natural way to create stories that would hold kids' attention so that I could teach them some science at the same time. [Animals in Space: 10 Cosmic Tales]

Space.com: Did you ever think the books would eventually be launched into space? Or be read from space?

Bennett: When I first starting writing, I had all sorts of delusions of grandeur about how much my books would sell and so on, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that they'd really go into space. Indeed, when Patricia Tribe (an educator who came up with the Story Time From Space idea along with astronaut Alvin Drew) first called me and told me they'd selected my books, I thought it had to be a prank phone call.

Space.com: Is Max based on a real dog? Are you a dog owner now? Any other pets?

Bennett: Yes, Max is real. My wife and I got the original Max as a puppy, and it was completely her doing; at the time, I had no interest in having a dog. But Max won me over quickly, and the inspiration for "Max Goes to the Moon" actually came to me one day while I was out walking with Max and my infant son and looked up at the moon in the morning sky. Max lived to be 9 1/2 (there's a page honoring him at the end of "Max Goes to Mars"), and he served as the model for Alan Okamotos artwork in "Max Goes to the Moon" and "Max Goes to Mars."

We then got another Rottweiler, Cosmo, who was painted as Max in "Max Goes to Jupiter" by artist Michael Carroll; readers will notice that he is introduced in the story as the grandson of the original Max. Because "Max Goes to the Space Station" is a prequel to "Max Goes to the Moon," Carroll worked mainly from photos of the original Max, but also paid some attention to Cosmo, since the two dogs look very similar. [Pioneering Animals in Space: A Photo Gallery]

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Space Story Time: Kids' Book Author Jeffrey Bennett Talks Max the Dog in Orbit

Space talk: The reality of 'Gravity'

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Unlike Sandra Bullocks predicament in the movie, left to fall at the mercy of the laws of physics until rescued by George Clooney, we have one last option available. The US spacesuit that is used for conducting spacewalks is equipped with a jetpack called SAFER. This discharges high-pressure nitrogen gas to 24 small thrusters located around the spacesuits backpack. The astronauts control the thrusters using a hand controller and if you think that sounds like something from an early James Bond movie, then you wouldnt be far wrong.

Thankfully, the chances of finding ourselves in such a situation are slim. During a spacewalk, astronauts are protected from becoming detached by a retractable safety tether, anchored to the space station at one end and attached to the spacesuit at the other. However, this thin steel wire is a double-edged sword and astronauts must remain constantly vigilant so as not to get tangled up. In addition, theres a mantra drilled into all of us rookie astronauts: You stop, you drop meaning that as soon as you stop moving from A to B, you drop another tether, a short strap securing you to the nearest handrail.

Under other circumstances, flying around in space with a thruster pack must rank up there as one of the most exhilarating feelings imaginable. Only a handful of astronauts have experienced this. I think one of the most inspirational photographs taken from space was during the first of these untethered spacewalks, of Nasa astronaut Bruce McCandless. This image, taken from the Shuttle, shows McCandless floating against the empty blackness of space above a stunning blue Earth. The feelings of isolation and exposure must have been immense.

However, I have no time to dwell on these thoughts. My emergency rescue scenario is extremely challenging, and the small quantity of nitrogen available for propulsion means that you only get one shot no mistakes.

Thankfully, the SAFER is equipped with an automatic attitude hold that stops the nauseating tumbling motion that will occur if you do not smoothly detach from structure. This happened to Sandra Bullocks character in Gravity when high-speed debris knocked her from her shuttle and left her tumbling through space. If youre lucky, when the tumbling ceases, you will be able to see part of the space station, or maybe Earth, as a reference point. Not so lucky, and precious nitrogen has to be expended in searching for the space station.

Having successfully located it, the nitrogen remaining is already likely to be down to around 50 to 60 per cent, and although the tumbling motion will have stopped, you are still drifting away from structure. As you get further from the space station, other factors such as orbital dynamics complicate matters.

In a nutshell, objects in higher orbits travel more slowly and those in lower orbits travel faster. This explains why our TV satellites are way out at nearly 36,000km (22,369 miles), where they orbit the Earth only once every 24 hours, matching an Earth day and therefore remaining geostationary. In contrast, the space station at only 350km (218 miles) altitude travels at 17,500 miles per hour in order to remain in orbit and circles the Earth every hour and a half. These orbital effects become apparent even at relatively short distances, and it is unnerving to watch the space station slipping further away as you drift into a different orbit. Time is of the essence.

My first two self-rescue attempts went well, which was a relief in more ways than one since my instructors had commented that helicopter pilots (such as me) are usually pretty good at this sort of thing no pressure, then! For my third attempt, the stakes were raised and I was ejected into space at a faster rate and from a more remote part of the space station. Worse still, my SAFER took three attempts to initialise, by which time the space station was beginning to look awfully far away.

As I recovered the situation, a quick check of nitrogen showed a worrying 10 per cent remaining. The nearest handrail to me was off to the right and I was not convinced I was going to make it. With an arm outstretched, I decided to go in hard and fast. It worked, but only just, and I could hear my instructors in the background chuckling at their console. It had been a close call but thats exactly what these training sessions are for.

Gravity is based on a scenario whereby a Russian satellite incurs a missile strike, causing a cascading collision cloud of space debris. This is not such a far-fetched concept and is in fact known as the Kessler Syndrome. Space debris is a big deal. There are currently more than 600,000 pieces of debris larger than 1cm orbiting the Earth.

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Space talk: The reality of 'Gravity'

The potential for human spaceflight increasing at Virginia spaceport

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WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -

The regional spaceport on Virginia's eastern shore is now sending cargo to the International Space Station. And one day, humans could be heading into space from the launch pad on Wallops Island. Bigelow Aerospace is now developing an expandable module for the International Space Station.

And the company hopes to use the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport to deploy an independent, free-flying commercial space station. The company says human spaceflight could have a huge economic impact on the entire state, including southwestern Virginia.

Mike Gold is the Director of D.C. Operations and Business Growth for Bigelow Aerospace. We spoke with him recently via Skype. " I think southwestern Virginia, Virginia Tech, a lot of the companies and certainly educational institutions that you have down there would be absolutely involved at a very high level," Gold told WDBJ7, "because in the end this isn't about just sending people to space, it's about what you do there. "

Another company, Orbital Sciences, has completed the first of 8 resupply missions to the International Space Station.

Human spaceflight from Wallops Island will depend on funding from NASA, but Gold says he believes the regional spaceport is ready to take the next step.

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The potential for human spaceflight increasing at Virginia spaceport


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