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NASA Television to Air Space Station Change of Commander, Return of Three Crew Members

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Three International Space Station crew members are scheduled to leave the orbiting laboratory Wednesday, March 11 after almost six months in space performing scientific research and technology demonstrations.

NASA Television will provide complete coverage of their departure and return to Earth, beginning with the space station change of command ceremony on Tuesday, March 10.

Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore of NASA will hand over command of the station to fellow NASA astronaut Terry Virts. At 6:44 p.m. Wednesday, Wilmore and flight engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will undock their Soyuz spacecraft from the space station and land in Kazakhstan at 10:08 p.m. (8:08 a.m. March 12 Kazakh time).

NASA Television coverage is as follows:

Tuesday, March 10

10:25 a.m. -- Change of command ceremony in which Wilmore hands over station command to Virts

Wednesday, March 11

3 p.m. -- Farewell and hatch closure coverage (hatch closure scheduled at 3:25 p.m.)

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NASA Television to Air Space Station Change of Commander, Return of Three Crew Members

Space smells awful or awesome, depending where you're floating

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There's nothing quite like the smell of space in the morning... until you realize there's no real bacon to go with the scent of it.

Not all space smells would make astronauts gag... NASA

We've yet to make contact with E.T., but human space exploration has given us at least a few surprising revelations, like the fact that the smells of space range from delicious to downright nasty.

Last year, the Rosetta mission taught us that the perfume of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a wretch-inducing bouquet of ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and other nasty gases that would smell like an unholy merger of an outhouse and rotten eggs.

But as the video below from Chemical & Engineering News sums up with an unabashedly geeky flair, not every aroma in space will destroy your appetite. In fact, astronauts returning to the International Space Station after a spacewalk reported smelling bacon and other whiffs of meat. And Apollo astronauts reported a scent on the moon like gun powder. Other astronauts have also described space scents similar to a spent fireplace, welding or burning ozone.

Sounds to me like the vacuum of space is just like gathering around one massive campfire, which is sort of what the sun is, when you think about it.

So what's to keep astronauts in orbit from constantly craving a barbecue bacon cheeseburger? Fortunately, NASA has the means to keep the ISS smelling fresh, although it did take a few hours to filter out the fishy smell of seafood gumbo once.

What's being missed here is the obvious opportunity for NASA to save a little cash on shipping breakfast meats to space. If you actually fried up some bacon in the already seared-pork-scented vacuum of space, you might be able to trick astronauts' noses and palates into believing they got double the serving of bacon. Let's keep this little secret just between you, me and the American taxpayers though, NASA. The astronauts don't need to know...

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Space smells awful or awesome, depending where you're floating

ISS experiment: Why does space change vision?

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NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, Expedition 37 flight engineer, performs ultrasound eye imaging in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station. European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, flight engineer, assists Hopkins. (Credit: NASA)

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com @BednarChuck

A new experiment, scheduled to launch to the International Space Station in the spring, plans to take a long look at vision changes often experienced by astronauts during extended spaceflights, NASA officials announced on Tuesday.

The cause of these vision issues is called visual impairment and intracranial pressure syndrome (VIIP), and according to the US space agency, it involves changes not only in the sense of sight but the structure of the eyes and indirect signs of increases pressure on the brain.

A shift in fluids

The human body is roughly 60 percent fluids, and in space, these fluids shift to the upper part of the body, moving across blood vessels and cell membranes in a different way than they do on Earth. The upcoming Fluid Shifts study will test the relationship between this phenomenon and VIIP, which reportedly affects over half of all US astronauts during extended spaceflights.

Learning more about how blood pressure in the brain affects vision and eye shape could also help those on Earth dealing with conditions that increase swelling and pressure in the eye, as well as though who have been placed on extended periods of bed rest.

[STORY: ISS adding more spaceship parking]

Our first aim is to assess the shift in fluids, to see where fluids go and how the shift varies in different individuals, explained Dr. Michael B. Stenger of the Wyle Science Technology and Engineering Group, one of the principal investigators of the Fluid Shifts project.

The second goal, Stenger added, is to correlate fluid movement with changes in vision, the structure of the eye, and other elements of VIIP syndrome. A third objective is to evaluate the application of negative pressure to the lower body, with the intention of preventing or reversing fluid shifts and determining if this can prevent vision changes from occurring.

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ISS experiment: Why does space change vision?

Seven days: 27 February5 March 2015

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Research | Policy | People | Funding | Trend watch | Coming up

Ebola trial result Scientists reported the first positive results from a human clinical trial of a drug to treat Ebola on 25February. A team led by researchers at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research announced that an antiviral drug, favipiravir, halved the mortality rate among people with low amounts of the Ebola virus in their blood. The death rate in the 40-person trial group was 15%, compared with 30% in the historical control group. But the trial leaders caution that the study numbers are small, among other caveats. The results were announced at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Washington.

Minnesota review An external review commissioned by the University of Minnesota has found that substantial change is necessary in the way in which the university monitors clinical trials. The report, dated 26 February, states that the universitys ethical review committees are not sufficiently staffed or trained, and do not adequately consider the needs of vulnerable research subjects, such as children or people with mental illnesses. The report was intended to address faculty concerns that human-research oversight at the university may not be sufficient after a clinical-trial participant with a psychiatric disorder took his own life in 2004.

Will Burrard-Lucas/naturepl.com

Chinese pandas increasingly isolated Chinas wild pandas have seen an increase in living space, and there are now 1,864of them compared with 1,596 a decade ago all of which sounds like good news. But the results of a four-year survey announced on 28 February are not necessarily cause for celebration, and some experts are still concerned. Although living area has grown, panda populations are increasingly isolated, their habitats fragmented by roads, railways, dams and mines. Climate change threatens their food source, bamboo. And it is not clear that numbers from the latest survey can be directly compared to the previous search around ten years ago. See go.nature.com/h93hle for more.

Placenta project A mysterious but crucial organ, the placenta, is getting its day in the sun thanks to a US$41.5-million investment by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). On 26 February, the agency announced that the Human Placenta Project will fund eight or nine research teams to develop tools to monitor the placenta in real time as a proxy for tracking the developing fetuss health. This could include imaging technologies and ways to detect fetal biomarkers in the mothers blood. Much of the programmes budget is redirected from the NIHs $150-million National Childrens Study, which was cancelled in December. See go.nature.com/ohtjm5 formore.

Russian ISS plan Russias space agency Roscosmos announced on 24February that it will continue its involvement in the International Space Station (ISS) until 2024 a timeline that the United States had committed to last year. Roscosmos also added that after 2024 it will consider taking the Russian-built ISS modules and assembling them into a separate space station. Last year, as USRussian tensions rose over the crisis in Ukraine, Russias deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said that the country would pull out of the ISS by 2020.

UK embryo law Mitochondrial donation will become legal in the United Kingdom after the final vote in a debate on 24February that may set an international precedent. The House of Lords voted overwhelmingly to approve regulations on human fertilization that would allow the creation of embryos with DNA from three people. The technique aims to prevent disease passing from mother to child through the mitochondria the cells energy-producing structures, which have their own genes. Only 48 members of the Lords voted against the regulations, and 280 voted for them. The previous vote in the House of Commons was more closely contested (see go.nature.com/hyirxf).

Green-card spouses Spouses of highly skilled foreign workers will soon be allowed to work legally in the United States, the US government announced on 24 February. The measure, due to take effect on 26 May, will apply to those married to individuals who are in the process of obtaining permanent residency (or a green card) while on an H-1B visamany of whom are scientists or engineers. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services estimate that nearly 180,000 couples will benefit from the policy change in its first year and 55,000 per year after that.

Pipeline veto US President Barack Obama vetoed legislation on 24February that would have authorized the construction of a controversial pipeline intended to carry oil from Canadas tar sands in Alberta to the US Gulf Coast. Republican majorities in both houses of Congress passed the legislation earlier this year, arguing that the Keystone XL pipeline would boost economic development; environmentalists argue that it would increase greenhouse-gas emissions because it promotes a dirty source of energy. The fate of the project now rests with the White House pending an environmental review by the US Department of State, which is expected in the coming weeks.

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Seven days: 27 February5 March 2015

Water found in helmet during astronaut's spacewalk

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Story highlights Spacewalk last more than five hours; crews have spent more than 1,171 hours spacewalking Astronaut Terry Virts found a small amount of water inside his helmet

In a tweet, the space agency said astronaut Terry Virts experienced water inside his helmet, just as he did Wednesday, but "it's a known issue; no concern."

The spacewalk lasted five hours and 38 minutes, NASA said.

"Crews have now spent a total of 1,171 hours and 29 minutes conducting space station assembly and maintenance during 187 spacewalks," the agency said in a release.

NASA previously said the suit worn by NASA astronaut Virts has a history of "sublimator water carryover." Water in the sublimator cooling component can condense when the suit is repressurized after a spacewalk, causing a small amount of water to push into the helmet, NASA said.

NASA said International Space Station managers had "a high degree of confidence" in the suit.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti examines Terry Virts' helmet.

EXPAND IMAGE

On the upcoming spacewalk, Virts and Barry Wilmore installed antennas to provide data to visiting vehicles and deploy 400 feet of cable along the edge of the station.

Virts said he first noticed traces of fluid and dampness in his helmet Wednesday while he was waiting for the crew lock cabin to repressurize.

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Water found in helmet during astronaut's spacewalk

Astronauts finish 5-hour spacewalk despite water found in helmet

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Story highlights Spacewalk last more than five hours; crews have spent more than 1,171 hours spacewalking Astronaut Terry Virts found a small amount of water inside his helmet

In a tweet, the space agency said astronaut Terry Virts experienced water inside his helmet, just as he did Wednesday, but "it's a known issue; no concern."

The spacewalk lasted five hours and 38 minutes, NASA said.

"Crews have now spent a total of 1,171 hours and 29 minutes conducting space station assembly and maintenance during 187 spacewalks," the agency said in a release.

NASA previously said the suit worn by NASA astronaut Virts has a history of "sublimator water carryover." Water in the sublimator cooling component can condense when the suit is repressurized after a spacewalk, causing a small amount of water to push into the helmet, NASA said.

NASA said International Space Station managers had "a high degree of confidence" in the suit.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti examines Terry Virts' helmet.

EXPAND IMAGE

On the upcoming spacewalk, Virts and Barry Wilmore installed antennas to provide data to visiting vehicles and deploy 400 feet of cable along the edge of the station.

Virts said he first noticed traces of fluid and dampness in his helmet Wednesday while he was waiting for the crew lock cabin to repressurize.

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Astronauts finish 5-hour spacewalk despite water found in helmet

H2O in spacewalker's helmet

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Story highlights Spacewalk last more than five hours; crews have spent more than 1,171 hours spacewalking Astronaut Terry Virts found a small amount of water inside his helmet

In a tweet, the space agency said astronaut Terry Virts experienced water inside his helmet, just as he did Wednesday, but "it's a known issue; no concern."

The spacewalk lasted five hours and 38 minutes, NASA said.

"Crews have now spent a total of 1,171 hours and 29 minutes conducting space station assembly and maintenance during 187 spacewalks," the agency said in a release.

NASA previously said the suit worn by NASA astronaut Virts has a history of "sublimator water carryover." Water in the sublimator cooling component can condense when the suit is repressurized after a spacewalk, causing a small amount of water to push into the helmet, NASA said.

NASA said International Space Station managers had "a high degree of confidence" in the suit.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti examines Terry Virts' helmet.

EXPAND IMAGE

On the upcoming spacewalk, Virts and Barry Wilmore installed antennas to provide data to visiting vehicles and deploy 400 feet of cable along the edge of the station.

Virts said he first noticed traces of fluid and dampness in his helmet Wednesday while he was waiting for the crew lock cabin to repressurize.

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H2O in spacewalker's helmet

Electricians dangle in outer space to retrofit the ISS

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Cape Canaveral, Fla. Spacewalking astronauts successfully completed a three-day cable job outside the International Space Station on Sunday, routing several-hundred feet of power and data lines for new crew capsules commissioned by NASA.

It was the third spacewalk in just over a week for Americans Terry Virts and Butch Wilmore, and the quickest succession of spacewalks since NASA's former shuttle days.

The advance work was needed for the manned spacecraft under development by Boeing and SpaceX. A pair of docking ports will fly up later this year, followed by the capsules themselves, with astronauts aboard, in 2017.

Once safely back inside, Virts reported a bit of water in his helmet again for the second time in as many spacewalks. He stressed it was "not a big deal" and said there was no need to hurry out of his suit.

Virts and Wilmore installed two sets of antennas Sunday, as well as 400 feet (122 meters) of cable for this new communication system. They unreeled 364 feet (111 meters) of cable on Feb. 21 and last Wednesday.

It was complicated, hand-intensive work, yet the astronauts managed to wrap up more than an hour early Sunday, for a 5 -hour spacewalk. Their three outings spanned 19 hours.

"You guys have done an outstanding job," Mission Control radioed, "even for two shuttle pilots."

Sunday's 260-mile (418-kilometer)-high action unfolded 50 years to the month of the world's first spacewalk.

Soviet Alexei Leonov floated out into the vacuum of space on March 18, 1965, beating America's first spacewalker, Gemini 4's Edward White II, by just 2 1/2 months. Leonov is now 80; White died in the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad in 1967.

"It's amazing ... to see how far we've come from the very first steps outside," Virts said.

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Electricians dangle in outer space to retrofit the ISS

Northern Lights / Aurora: Night-time Time-lapse Video From the International Space Station / NASA – Video

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Northern Lights / Aurora: Night-time Time-lapse Video From the International Space Station / NASA
OVer 20000 individual photos taken by astronauts on board the ISS have created this night time time-lapse video Bringing you the BEST Space and Astronomy vi...

By: Amazing Space - Astounding Images and Videos

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Northern Lights / Aurora: Night-time Time-lapse Video From the International Space Station / NASA - Video


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