The Hindu | What it takes to bake bread at the International Space Station - The ... The Hindu A German commercial Space start-up is working on innovative ways to engineer crumb-free bread so astronauts can bake in space. |
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What it takes to bake bread at the International Space Station - The ... - The Hindu
An uncrewed Russian cargo ship launched toward the International Space Station today (June 14), kicking off a two-day trip to deliver tons of fresh food and other supplies.
The automated Progress 67 spacecraft launched into orbit atop a Russian Soyuz rocket at 5:20 a.m. EDT (0920 GMT). The mission lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where the local time was 3:20 p.m., NASA officials said.
The Progress spacecraft is carrying nearly 3 tons of fresh food, fuel and other vital supplies for the space station's Expedition 52 crew. It will arrive at the space station on Friday (June 16) at 7:42 a.m. EDT (1142 GMT), NASA officials said. [The Space Station's Robotic Cargo Ship Fleet (Photo Guide)]
"Less than 10 minutes after launch, the resupply ship reached preliminary orbit and deployed its solar arrays and navigational antennas as planned," NASA officials wrote in a mission update. "The Russian cargo craft will make 34 orbits of Earth during the next two days before docking to the orbiting laboratory at 7:42 a.m. Friday, June 16."
The Progress 67 launch comes on the heels of a two other cargo ship events at the space station. On Sunday (June 11), an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo ship burned up in Earth's atmosphere to end its own recent resupply mission for NASA. On June 5, a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the station two days after launching into orbit. Dragon will stay linked to the orbiting laboratory until July 2, when it will return to Earth to make an ocean splashdown.
An international fleet of robotic cargo ships periodically deliver supplies to the International Space Station. That fleet includes Russia's Progress spacecraft, the U.S. commercial vehicles like SpaceX's Dragon and Orbital ATK's Cygnus, as well as Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle.
The European Space Agency also flew five cargo missions to the station using its huge Automated Transfer Vehicles. The last European cargo ship flew in 2015.
Of all these robotic spacecraft, only SpaceX's Dragon is capable of returning cargo to Earth. The rest are disposed of by being intentionally burned up in Earth's atmosphere. Progress 67 will stay docked at the International Space Station until December, when it will depart to meet its fiery end in Earth's atmosphere.
NASA will stream live video of Progress 67's space station arrival on Friday. The webcast will begin at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) ahead of the docking. You can watch the docking live here, courtesy of NASA TV.
Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him@tariqjmalikandGoogle+.Follow us@Spacedotcom,FacebookandGoogle+. Original article onSpace.com.
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Russia Launches Robotic Cargo Ship to Space Station - Space.com
In 1969, astronaut Buzz Aldrin showed a TV audience back on Earth how to make a sandwich in zero gravity.
The aroma and warmth of freshly baked bread are such sensory delights.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station may soon enjoy this elusive reminder of home if a new food experiment succeeds.
A German company calledBake In Space is testing both a new dough mixture for German bread rolls and an oven specially designed for the ISS and microgravity.
"We are working to produce a bread machine that will be capable of baking bread rolls and a dough mixture that will be suitable for the space environment," the Bake In Space site states.
While bread on the space station may not sound all that exciting, astronauts must worry about any food that creates crumbs or particles that can float around and damage equipment.
In fact, when astronauts on NASA's 1965 Gemini 3 mission ate a corned beef sandwich smuggled on board, crumbs of rye bread began to float around the cabin, jeopardizing the gear and potentially the astronauts themselves -- think crumbs in eyes. Bread has always been banned from the ISS, though currentlytortillas are allowed.
The baking experiment will take place next April during the European Space Agency's Horizon mission on the ISS. Ground crew will monitor live video feeds from inside the oven, so astronauts won't have to worry about their loaves while performing their regular duties.
As space tourism takes off and people spend more time in space, we need to allow bread to be made from scratch," Sebastian Marcu, CEO and founder of Bake In Space, told New Scientistlast week.
Perhaps cookies and brownies are next.
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Baking crumb-free bread on the International Space Station - CNET
Enlarge / SpaceX launches a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office on May 1.
About six weeks ago, SpaceX launched a spy satellite into low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. As is normal forNational Reconnaissance Office launches, not much information was divulged about the satellite's final orbit or its specific purpose in space. However, a dedicated group of ground-based observers continued to track the satellite after it reached outer space.
Then something curious happened. In early June,the satellite made an extremely close pass to the International Space Station. One of the amateur satellite watchers, Ted Molczan,estimated the pass on June 3 to be 4.4km directly above the station. Another, Marco Langbroek, pegged the distance at 6.4km. "I am inclined to believe that the close conjunctions between USA 276 and ISS are intentional, but this remains unproven and far from certain," Molczan later wrote.
In recent days, Ars has run these observations by several officials and informed sources. They are credible, these officials say, and curious indeed. "This is strange," said one astronaut who hascommanded the International Space Station. "I don't really believe in coincidences. But I can't really think of anything that would be worth highlighting a close approach."
One expert in satellite launches and tracking, Jonathan McDowell, said of the satellite's close approach to the station, "It is not normal." While it remains possiblethat the near-miss was a coincidence due to the satellite being launched into similar orbit, that would represent "gross incompetence" on the part of the National Reconnaissance Office, he said. Like the astronaut, McDowell downplayed the likelihood of a coincidence.
Another option is that of a deliberate close flyby, perhaps to test or calibrate an onboard sensor to observe something or some kind of activity on the International Space Station. "The deliberate explanation seems more likely, except that I would have expected the satellite to maneuver after the encounter," McDowell said. "But it seems to have stayed in the same orbit."
Another question, if the maneuver was deliberate, is whether the US government informed Russia or other international partners on the space station. The Russian segment of the station controls the thrusters that generally are used to maneuver the station away from orbital debris, so such coordination might seem prudent.
In regard to these questions, so far the US government has declined to provide answers. A NASA spokesman offered to look into the matter on Monday but as of Wednesday afternoon had nothing to say. A query sent to public affairs at theNational Reconnaissance Office went unanswered. We will update this story if we receive any official responses.
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A spy satellite buzzed the space station this month, and no one knows why - Ars Technica
New frontiers for recycling
NanoRacks
By Leah Crane
A long-dormant plan for a space station built in space from recycled parts may be getting new legs. NASA has signed an estimated $10 million contract to study the possibility of turning used rocket stages into functioning labs with support for a crew.
Before Skylab, the first US space station, went into orbit in the 1970s, Wernher von Braun proposed to separately send parts for a space station and astronauts aboard two Saturn IB rockets, which would launch within a day of one another. Launching separate payloads would be key to saving weight, given the rockets capacity limitations.
When both rockets were in orbit, astronauts would remotely vent any remaining fuel from the uncrewed rockets hydrogen tank, install life-support equipment, and move in. This would reuse a fuel tank that would otherwise be discarded.
Although von Brauns idea was eventually abandoned in favour of launching Skylab fully equipped, the cost-saving benefits of this low-Earth-orbit manoeuvre have once again become attractive.
A group of three US companies NanoRacks, United Launch Alliance and Space Systems Loral has now been contracted to examine whether building a recycled space station will work, amid a push from other private spaceflight companies for reusable rockets.
United Launch Alliance will provide the used second stages of Atlas V rockets, for which NanoRacks will prefabricate a lab and living space, with robotic outfitting from Space Systems Loral. As with the previous plan, the idea is to use two rockets, with the astronauts assembling the lab equipment in space once the fuel tank is used.
This innovative approach offers a pathway that is more affordable and involves less risk than fabricating modules on the ground and subsequently launching them into orbit, wrote NanoRacks founder and CEO Jeff Manber in a blog post. The upper stages of Atlas V rockets are currently discarded after a single use, so turning them into mini space stations could be free money in the bank.
Although the financial risks are lower, the human ones may not be. Turning spent shells into environments capable of supporting both astronauts and experiments will be a challenge, as will asking astronauts to retrofit them for life and use while in orbit. But if NanoRacks and its partners can manage this, reviving von Brauns concept could significantly lower costs for space stations, either in orbit or further into deep space.
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NASA revives 50-year-old idea to recycle space stations in orbit - New Scientist
GREENVILLE, S.C.
If you looked up at the right time Monday night, you might have been able to see the International Space Station fly over.
The space station was visible starting at 9:43 p.m. in Greenville and Asheville and the surrounding areas. Weather permitting, it was visible in the northwest sky for about three minutes.
It moved across the sky and pass out of sight at 9:47 p.m.
The space station looked like a small, bright star moving across the sky. It was traveling at more than 17,000 mph as it passes by. It only takes 90 minutes for the laboratory to make a complete circuit of Earth. Astronauts working and living on the station experience 16 sunrises and sunsets each day.
The Expedition 52 crew of two NASA astronauts and one cosmonaut from Russia's space corporation, Roscosmos, is in its second week aboard the International Space Station.
To track the International Space Station, click here.
The tracker, developed by the European Space Agency, shows where the space station is right now and its path 90 minutes ago and 90 minutes ahead. Because of the Earth's rotation the space station appears to travel from west to east.
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Space station flyover visible from Greenville, Asheville Monday night - WYFF Greenville
Carol Vaughn, cvaughn@delmarvanow.com Published 5:56 p.m. ET June 12, 2017 | Updated 11 hours ago
Wallops executives give an update concerning Antares and Cygnus missions. Produced by Ralph Musthaler
Dan Givens, Anteres Field Site Manager, speaks to the media during a press event at the Horizontal Integration Facility on Wallops Island on Monday, June 12, 2017. (Photo: Staff photo by Ralph Musthaler)Buy Photo
Orbital ATK's next cargo supply mission to the International Space Station, OA-8, is set to launch from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia in September, officials said at a briefing thereMonday.
Another mission, OA-9, is slated for later this year, likely in November.
Orbital ATK currently has contracts with NASA for a total of 10 cargo missions, all of which are set to be launched from Wallops.
"Right now, all the missions we have on the schedule are intended to go on the Antares (rocket) and go out of the Wallops Flight Facility," said Frank Culbertson, Orbital ATK Space Systems Group president.
Orbital ATK's most recent cargo supply mission, OA-7, was launched from Florida in April.
The Wallops facility is one of two spaceports in the United States from which the commercial cargo supply missions are launched, along with Cape Canaveral in Florida.
READ MORE: NASA Wallops: Predawn sounding rocket launch a success
The date set for the launch of the OA-8 mission is Sept. 12, but the rocket could be ready for launch earlier than that if NASA needs to bump up the date, said Kurt Eberly, Orbital ATK Antares vice president.
The last mission to the International Space Station launched from Wallops was OA-5 in October 2016.
That mission was the first to the space station launched from Wallops since an Antares rocket exploded shortly after liftoff on Oct. 28, 2014, after amotor malfunction happenedas the spacecraft began to clear the launchpad. After that, Orbital ATK replaced the first-stage engines on the rocket.
Dale Nash, executive director of Virginia Space, speaks to the media in front of a launch pad on Wallops Island on Monday, June 12, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Ralph Musthaler)
"Wallops continues to be a neat place where we do a wide variety of things for both commercial and government customers," said Bill Wrobel, NASA Wallops Flight Facility director.
The facility "at any given time (has) about 50 different missions" in the works, ranging from balloon missions to sounding rocket launches, among others.
Wrobel called Orbital ATK "a strong partner with us here for a number of years now," noting the company, in addition to the more widely publicized missions to the International Space Station, also handles the sounding rocket and balloon programs at Wallops.
Wrobel also noted the first small satellite built at Wallops recently was deployed off the International Space Station.
"We look forward to a lot more of these things coming up in the future," Wrobel said of the upcoming cargo mission.
"It is a real pleasure to be back here at Wallops ... It's a great place to be," Culbertson said.
The company is "very much committed to completing our CRS-1 contract," Culbertson said, noting there are four more flights to be completed under that contract.
Additionally, six flights are slated to happen under the CRS-2 contract with the first of those planned for 2019.
A view of the inside of the Horizontal Integration Facility on Wallops Island on Monday, June 12, 2017. (Photo: Staff photo by Ralph Musthaler)
The company in that second phase will be able to carry more cargo on each mission, he said. "That's going to really help ... keep things here at Wallops moving," Culbertson said.
The Horizontal Integration Facility on Wallops Island currently holds two Antares rockets slated for the OA-8 and OA-9 missions.
Orbital's plan is "to build two at a time, basically, and we plan to have them ready in advance of when they are needed," Eberly said.
The rocket for the OA-8 mission is ready for the Cygnus cargo module to be installed, putting it at about the three-week mark from readiness for launch.
"We're at that milestone now, so we'll be ready for September; we'll even be ready a little earlier if they need us in the August time frame," he said.
Data from the last ISS mission launched from Wallops in October the first mission using the Antares' new stage one engines has been analyzed and the verdict is "it was a very clean mission," Eberly said.
The engines have 13 percent higher thrust than the ones formerly used on Antares and they come with 10 seconds of additional specific impulse a measure of how efficiently the propellants are burned.
The improved performance will allow each future mission to carry more cargo the next two missions are each scheduled to carry 3,350 kilograms of cargo and by the OA-11 mission, the goal is to carry 3,500 kilograms.
In addition to the cargo supply missions, the company is hoping Antares will be on track to perform other NASA missions in the future, Eberly said.
Dale Nash, executive director of Virginia Space, said the launch pad for OA-8 should be in launch configuration by the end of July.
"The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport ... is ready to support the upcoming OA-8 mission," said Nash.
READ MORE:1st in flight: Va. governor opens Wallops drone facility
Launch pad O-A, the pad used for the Antares launches, after the last mission in October, "came through that very well," Nash said, adding, "There's always some wear and tear as you come through the mission, but it came through in remarkably good shape."
Among reasons for the good result is that with the new, more powerful engines, the rocket got off the launch pad "very fast the faster it can get off, the less damage you have," Nash said.
Additionally, the spaceport goes through a thorough analysis after each launch, including looking at where the pad was damaged, and "we harden the launch pad."
The spaceport advertises that it can support a 30-day turnaround between launches from both launchpads it operates one for liquid-fueled rockets like Antares and the other for solid-fueled rockets.
"We probably could have done it quicker on the last one," Nash said.
The spaceport is at the point now where it has proven performance under its belt.
Nash mentioned by way of example two successful high-profile missions launched there within days of each other in September 2013.
"We have already proven that we can launch off launchpad A to the International Space Station and then, 12 days later, launch a mission to the moon off launchpad B."
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Next Wallops mission to International Space Station set for September - Delmarva Daily Times
GREENVILLE, S.C.
If you looked up at the right time Monday night, you might have been able to see the International Space Station fly over.
The space station was visible starting at 9:43 p.m. in Greenville and Asheville and the surrounding areas. Weather permitting, it was visible in the northwest sky for about three minutes.
It moved across the sky and pass out of sight at 9:47 p.m.
The space station looked like a small, bright star moving across the sky. It was traveling at more than 17,000 mph as it passes by. It only takes 90 minutes for the laboratory to make a complete circuit of Earth. Astronauts working and living on the station experience 16 sunrises and sunsets each day.
The Expedition 52 crew of two NASA astronauts and one cosmonaut from Russia's space corporation, Roscosmos, is in its second week aboard the International Space Station.
To track the International Space Station, click here.
The tracker, developed by the European Space Agency, shows where the space station is right now and its path 90 minutes ago and 90 minutes ahead. Because of the Earth's rotation the space station appears to travel from west to east.
Read more here:
Space station flyover visible from Greenville, Asheville tonight - WYFF Greenville
At 9:43 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2017 the ISS will fly over Asheville, and if you know where to look, you can see it fly by. It will look like a bright, fast-moving star. (Image credit: MGN)
At 9:43 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2017 the ISS will fly over Asheville, and if you know where to look, you can see it fly by.
It will look like a bright, fast-moving star.
If skies are clear in your area, look northwest at 9:43 and wait for the ISS to clear the horizon. This pass will move out of sight into the southeast, and the ISS will be visible for about three minutes.
The ISS travels at about 17,150 mph as it flies by, and you can view how many people are aboard it right here.
You can track where the ISS is here. There's even a livecam on the ISS, and you can see what the international astronauts are seeing here.
(If you're seeing this story ahead of the flyover, a good way to remember to watch the ISS is to set an alarm on your cell phone.)
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LOOK UP! The International Space Station flies over Asheville Monday night - WLOS
Sometimes the stars align just right and for Graham Truelove, a fan of both music and the International Space Station, this week is one of those times.
By happenstance, the ISS will be traveling above Chattanooga every night of Riverbend, meaning fans watching the show can look to the heavens at just the right time to see the ship fly over, weather permitting, of course. It will happentonightat9:42and will be visable for four minutes. There will be another good opportunityon Wednesday.
"We saw iton Fridayduring Boz Scaggs," Truelove said.
"I told everyone around us and they didn't believe me, but they were impressed. People like science I guess."
Tonight, the ISS will come from the north traveling towards the east. Riverbend moves to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevardtonight, so you will have to turn around to see it. "When the music is on the Coke Stage, you just have to look up," Truelove said.
Normally, the ISS is viewable a couple a nights a month. It's rare to see it this many days in a row, Truelove says.
"It's just an accident of science that it is viewable during the entire Riverbend festival."
He said his family has been following the ISS for 25 years. You can check for information and the station's path atspotthestation.nasa.gov.
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View the International Space Station during Riverbend - Chattanooga Times Free Press
BBC News | Space station pictured crossing sun from Guernsey BBC News A rare series of clear photos of the International Space Station (ISS) crossing the face of the sun have been taken in the Channel Islands. David Le Conte took the five images from an observatory in Guernsey on 10 June. He managed to take the pictures ... Incredible image shows International Space Station passing in front of the sun INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Astronauts can soon bake crumb-free bread on International Space Station |
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Space station pictured crossing sun from Guernsey - BBC News
China will open its space station to scientists worldwide after the station is completed around 2022, according to a Chinese space expert.
Wei Chuanfeng, a researcher at the Institute of Manned Space System Engineering under the China Academy of Space Technology, said the China Manned Space Engineering Office has drafted a strategic framework with United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to offer opportunities on the application of Chinese space station to members of United Nations.
Wei made the remarks on Thursday at the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference, which was held in Beijing.
Under the framework, China will open its experimental resources on the Chinese space station to serve payloads from other countries. UN members, especially developing countries, could conduct scientific and technological experiment on Chinese space station, Wei said.
China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, who is also deputy director of China Manned Space Engineering Office, said the nation would launch the first core module of the space station in 2019, followed by two experiment modules. The space station will enable astronauts to stay in space for up to six months.
At the conference, the designers behind the Chinese space station proposed possible technical approaches that could help scientists from other countries utilize and perform experiments on the space station. China will also help astronauts and payloads specialists from developing countries to enter into space, Wei said.
The Chinese space station will be composed of three modules, including a core module and two experiment modules. The space station will have three docking sites, enabling the dock and berth of the "Shenzhou" manned spacecraft, the "Tianzhou" cargo spacecraft and other vehicles, according to Wei.
Source: Xinhua News
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China to open space station to scientists worldwide - Space Daily - Space Daily
China will develop and launch a two-meter-caliber space telescope, which will share the same orbit with the country's future space station, said Yang Liwei, deputy director of China Manned Space Agency.
The telescope will dock with the co-orbital space station for refueling as well as maintenance and exchange, Yang revealed at the ongoing Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2017) which began Tuesday in Beijing.
Used for large-scale, multi-color imaging and seamless spectroscope surveying, the space telescope is expected to provide observation data for astronomical and physical studies, said Yang, who is also China's first astronaut.
China will launch the core module of the country's manned space station in 2019 as the first step in completing the country's first space outpost.
The station, expected to begin operation by 2022 and orbit for at least 10 years, will be composed of three modules: core module, experiment module I and experiment module II. Each module will weigh more than 20 tonnes and together the three will be structured in a T shape, with the core module in the middle and an experiment module on each side.
The three modules will be equipped with advanced multipurpose facilities for scientific experiments in many fields, including space life science and biotechnology, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, and material science in space, Yang said.
With the International Space Station set to retire in 2024, the Chinese space station will offer a promising alternative, and China will be the only country with a permanent space station.
The station, orbiting 340 to 450 kilometers above the Earth's surface, will usually accommodate three crew members, with a maximum crew capacity up to six during rotations, Yang said.
The crew will be transported to the station by Shenzhou spaceships, and airtight cargo, large extravehicular payloads and experiment platform will be delivered by cargo ships, he said.
China sent its first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 into space in April. Cargo ships will be sent to help maintain a space station.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.
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China's space station to help maintain co-orbital telescope - Space Daily
SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Dragon spacecraft for its eleventh commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station June 1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center's historic pad 39A. Dragon will lift into orbit atop the Falcon 9 rocket carrying crew supplies, equipment and scientific research to crew members living aboard the station. The flight will deliver investigations and facilities that study neutron stars, osteoporosis, solar panels, tools for Earth-observation, and more.
New solar panels test concept for more efficient power source
Solar panels are an efficient way to generate power, but they can be delicate and large when used to power a spacecraft or satellites. They are often tightly stowed for launch and then must be unfolded when the spacecraft reaches orbit. The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA), is a solar panel concept that is lighter and stores more compactly for launch than the rigid solar panels currently in use. ROSA has solar cells on a flexible blanket and a framework that rolls out like a tape measure. The technology for ROSA is one of two new solar panel concepts that were developed by the Solar Electric Propulsion project, sponsored by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate.
The new solar panel concepts are intended to provide power to electric thrusters for use on NASA's future space vehicles for operations near the Moon and for missions to Mars and beyond. They might also be used to power future satellites in Earth orbit, including more powerful commercial communications satellites. The demonstration of the deployment of ROSA on the space station is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Investigation studies composition of neutron stars
Neutron stars, the glowing cinders left behind when massive stars explode as supernovas, are the densest objects in the universe, and contain exotic states of matter that are impossible to replicate in any ground lab. These stars are called "pulsars" because of the unique way they emit light - in a beam similar to a lighthouse beacon. As the star spins, the light sweeps past us, making it appear as if the star is pulsing. The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) payload, affixed to the exterior of the space station, studies the physics of these stars, providing new insight into their nature and behavior.
Neutron stars emit X-ray radiation, enabling the NICER technology to observe and record information about its structure, dynamics and energetics. In addition to studying the matter within the neutron stars, the payload also includes a technology demonstration called the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT), which will help researchers to develop a pulsar-based, space navigation system. Pulsar navigation could work similarly to GPS on Earth, providing precise position for spacecraft throughout the solar system.
Investigation studies effect of new drug on osteoporosis
When people and animals spend extended periods of time in space, they experience bone density loss, or osteoporosis. In-flight countermeasures, such as exercise, prevent it from getting worse, but there isn't a therapy on Earth or in space that can restore bone that is already lost. The Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for osteoporosis (Rodent Research-5) investigation tests a new drug that can both rebuild bone and block further bone loss, improving health for crew members.
Exposure to microgravity creates a rapid change in bone health, similar to what happens in certain bone-wasting diseases, during extended bed rest and during the normal aging process. The results from this ISS National Laboratory-sponsored investigation build on previous research also supported by the National Institutes for Health and could lead to new drugs for treating bone density loss in millions of people on Earth.
Research seeks to understand the heart of the matter
Exposure to reduced gravity environments can result in cardiovascular changes such as fluid shifts, changes in total blood volume, heartbeat and heart rhythm irregularities, and diminished aerobic capacity. The Fruit Fly Lab-02 study will use the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to better understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity on the heart. Flies are smaller, with a well-known genetic make-up, and very rapid aging that make them good models for studying heart function. This experiment will help to develop a microgravity heart model in the fruit fly. Such a model could significantly advance the study of spaceflight effects on the cardiovascular system and facilitate the development of countermeasures to prevent the adverse effects of space travel on astronauts.
Investigation shapes the way humans survive in space
Currently, the life-support systems aboard the space station require special equipment to separate liquids and gases. This technology utilizes rotating and moving parts that, if broken or otherwise compromised, could cause contamination aboard the station. The Capillary Structures investigation studies a new method of water recycling and carbon dioxide removal using structures designed in specific shapes to manage fluid and gas mixtures. As opposed to the expensive, machine-based processes currently in use aboard the station, the Capillary Structures equipment is made up of small, 3-D printed geometric shapes of varying sizes that clip into place.
Using time lapse photography, on-ground research teams will observe how liquids evaporate from these capillary structures, testing the effectiveness of the varying parameters. Results from the investigation could lead to the development of new processes that are simple, trustworthy, and highly reliable in the case of an electrical failure or other malfunction.
Facility provides platform for Earth-observation tools
Orbiting approximately 250 miles above the Earth's surface, the space station provides views of the Earth below like no other location can provide. The Multiple User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) facility, developed by Teledyne Brown Engineering, hosts Earth-viewing instruments such as high-resolution digital cameras, hyperspectral imagers, and provides precision pointing and other accommodations.
This National Lab-sponsored investigation can produce data to be used for maritime domain awareness, agricultural awareness, food security, disaster response, air quality, oil and gas exploration and fire detection.
These investigations will join many other investigations currently happening aboard the space station. Follow @ISS_Research for more information about the science happening on station.
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The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the Earth, and it's visible when it flies over Asheville, if you know where and when to look. (Photo credit: MGN)
The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the Earth, and it's visible when it flies over Asheville, if you know where and when to look.
At 10:42 p.m. on Friday, June 9, 2017 the ISS will fly over Asheville and be visible as it crosses overhead, but only for only a minute. (If you're seeing this story ahead of the flyover, a good way to remember to watch the ISS is to set an alarm on your cell phone.)
If skies are clear in your area, look northwest and wait for the ISS to become visible over the horizon. It will look like a bright, fast-moving star, and will travel overhead and move out of sight into the north-northeast.
The ISS travels at about 17,150 mph if you can believe that, and you can view how many people are aboard it right here.
You can track where the ISS is here. There's even a livecam on the ISS, and you can see what the international astronauts are seeing here.
Read more here:
LOOK UP! The International Space Station flies over Asheville Friday night - WLOS
SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket during the CRS-11 resupply mission on June 3. (SpaceX Photo)
SpaceX impressed the world yet again last week with a flawless ground landing of the Falcon 9 rocket and the fact that it became the first commercial space company to send a vehicle, the Dragon cargo capsule, into orbit twice.
Dragon delivered 6,000 pounds of cargo on its CRS-11 resupply mission to give the astronauts living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) a refresh of supplies in addition to some equipment for scientific research. Here is some of the cargo SpaceX delivered:
1. A bone-rebuilding drug
A common side effect of spending time in space is an osteoporosis diagnosis the weakening of the bones. NASA researchers dont know why, but the phenomenon has been found in both humans and animals in microgravity.
While the astronauts do take measures to prevent bone density loss like exercising for hours a day and taking dietary supplements, there is no known way to get bone density back after its gone.
The Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for osteoporosis (Rodent Research-5)investigation builds on previous research testing a drug that not only prevents bone loss, but rebuilds it, too. Researchers hope the drug could help millions of people on Earth who suffer from osteoporosis.
The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is expected to be fired up on the ISS June 14 to study the composition of neutron stars.
According to Johnson Space Center in a statement, neutron stars are the densest objects in the universe, and contain exotic states of matter that are impossible to replicate in any ground lab. Theyre left behind after a star explodes as a supernova. They emit X-rays that NICER can observe and record.
The Fruit Fly Lab-02 flew to the space station to understand why microgravity causes changes in the heart. According to the statement, reduced gravity can cause changes in heartbeat, total blood volume and lower aerobic capacity.
The fruit flies make good test subjects because they age quickly and have well-understood genetics. Researchers want to use the experiment to make a microgravity heart model to advance further cardiovascular studies and help prevent adverse heart effects from happening in the future.
This new solar panel concept could give power to thrusters on NASA spacecraft headed near the moon or even to Mars.
Traditionally, solar panels are tucked away for launch and unfolded in orbit. The ROSA solar panels are less rigid, roll out like a tape measure and are much lighter and more compact.
In the future, this technology could give more power to commercial communication satellites orbiting Earth, NASA said.
Dragon will leave the ISS and splash back down to Earth in July and return some crew supplies and thousands of pounds worth of experiments.
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From drugs to fruit flies: What SpaceX took to the International Space Station - GeekWire
WOODTV.com (blog) | Great View of the Intl. Space Station WOODTV.com (blog) There are many views of the International Space Station here in early June. Here's the complete schedule here. Tonight's flyover really stands out. It's at 9:49 pm. We'll still be in twilight. The space station appears halfway up from the horizon to ... |
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The five photographs of flowers sent by Dr Hersh Chadha, an Indian national, will now remain displayed in the ISS, making them the first-ever permanent photography exhibition in space.
Ever thought of a photo exhibition in space? A Dubai-based photographer was honoured in Moscow by cosmonauts who returned from the International Space Station (ISS) for sending a series of photographs.
The five photographs of flowers sent by Dr Hersh Chadha, an Indian national, will now remain displayed in the ISS, making them the first-ever permanent photography exhibition in space.
"To me a flower symbolises the beauty of life. Well, I can't give you a flower to take to space but I would like to give these pictures of flowers, that I took from around the world, so that when you look at them, even in space, you get that feeling and truly experience 'your world'.
"It's hard to imagine that three or four people sacrifice their entire lives for humanity and civilisation. What do we give back to them? I wanted to give them a piece of home to take with them," he said in his note to the cosmonauts.
Cosmonaut Sergey Rzhikov was in agreement. "It was a part of the support that we had on board," he said.
It all began more than 15 years ago, when Dr Chadha went to study at Harvard Business School and his fellow student spoke to him about her late father, Stuart Allen Roosa, who was the Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 14 mission.
Dr Chadha was inspired by him and wanted to send his pictures to space. He kept trying till Col Valery Korzun, the chief for the first administration of Cosmonaut Training Centre from Star City in Moscow, arranged for five of his pictures of flowers to be taken to space last year.
"I think I achieved what I wanted. Finally five of my pictures are at the ISS. I want to share my happiness with people so that they can keep pursuing their dream, even if it takes 15 years to come true," said Dr Chadha.
Along with the five photographs, Dr Chadha had sent his book, Visions of Nature, published by Assouline Inc., as a gift for the training centre.
Col Valery Korzun said: "It is a very beautiful book with wonderful pictures taken by a real photo artist, and it is you. Your book will be used as a training manual for taking pictures of the earth from the ISS by the cosmonauts."
Dr Chadha gave a hard disk containing 500 photographs to be used for their training manual.
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This Dubai-based lensman has rarest photo exhibition... in a space station - Khaleej Times
SpaceX's Dragon cargo craft is pictured in the grips of the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm on June 5, 2017. A Chinese DNA experiment rode to the station aboard the Dragon.
A Chinese experiment is now on the International Space Station (ISS), having reached the orbiting lab Monday (June 5) aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.
NanoRacks, a Houston-based company that helps other companies and institutions make use of the ISS, worked with the Beijing Institute of Technology to fly Chinese DNA research to the orbiting outpost.
No commercial Chinese payload had ever flown to the orbiting lab before.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday (June 4) that the 8-lb. (3.5 kilograms) experiment is designed to answer questions such as: Do "space radiation and microgravity cause mutations among antibody-encoding genes, and how does it happen?"
The experiment will be installed on the U.S. side of the ISS. Xinhua noted that astronauts there will conduct studies using the device in about two weeks, and data from their studies will be sent back to the Chinese researchers on Earth.
"There is a U.S. law in place, known as the Wolf amendment, that bans cooperation between the U.S. space agency NASA and Chinese government entities, but this [DNA experiment] deal is purely commercial and therefore considered legal," Xinhua said.
Deng Yulin, who is leading the Chinese research, said that this is the first time an ISS experiment has been independently designed and fabricated in China.
"This cooperation does not violate any laws and regulations, including the Wolf amendment. We do it in an open and visible way," Deng told Xinhua. "This is a new model of cooperation that we can follow in the future."
"We were careful to honor not only the Wolf Amendment, but [also] the spirit of the concerns of some towards working with the Chinese," NanoRacks CEO Jeff Manber told Inside Outer Space. "But via the commercial pathway, we are able to craft a world-class research project that demonstrates the leadership of NASA and the space station in low-Earth orbit."
Manber said he was pleased to have this first commercial project from China underway and that he "looks forward to carefully building a program that enhances the commercial competitiveness of American companies in space. I also look forward to one day soon working on board the Chinese space station," he added.
Leonard David is author of "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet," published by National Geographic. The book is a companion to the National Geographic Channel series "Mars." A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. This version of this story was posted on Space.com.
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Chinese Experiment Reaches Space Station in Historic First - Space.com
Normal bread banned from the ISS because it could ruin delicate instruments and start fires
ASTRONAUTS aboard the International Space Station will soon be baking their own loaves using new crumb-free bread.
A German space firm is preparing to test a new dough mixture and baking oven that are specifically designed to make typical weekend German bread rolls on the ISS.
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Bread is banned from the ISS because of the risk of stray crumbs clogging up sensitive instruments or starting a fire.
Nasa first introduced a baked goods ban after itssecond manned space flight in 1965, when an astronaut smuggled a contraband corned beef sandwich onto the Gemini 3 mission.
When John Young whipped out the sarnie, the zero gravity conditions caused bread crumbs and beefy bits to spread through the spaceship.
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Astronauts are allowed to munch on tortillas, but bread is strictly prohibited- until now.
A firm called Bake In Space will test out its new dough and oven aboard the ISS in April 2018.
As space tourism takes off and people spend more time in space we need to allow bread to be made from scratch, founder Sebastian Marcu told New Scientist.
His firm is working to build a small oven which maintains heat well.
They will test a variety of approaches, but it is likely that the oven will bake bread without needing much human interference and cook at a low pressure, which could make rolls extra fluffy.
If the technique is successful, it could be used during trips to Mars.
Jennifer Levasseur of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum said: The comforts of home, like the smell of freshly baked bread, could energise astronauts physically and psychologically."
Nasa recently published a terrifying video showing asteroids circling Earth after it spotted 10 "potentially hazardous" space rocks which could smash into Earth one day.
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