One may think that participation with the International Space Station would be restricted to an exclusive club of high ranking officials and agencies. In actuality, students, teachers and commercial companies have also been taking advantage of the station's unique environment for years. One of those commercial companies, Houston-based Odyssey Space Research, plans to bring the experience to the rest of us via our mobile devices!

International Space Station National Laboratory partner NanoRacks LLC has a collaboration with Odyssey and Apple. This relationship enabled Odyssey to send two iPhone 4's to the space station as part of the STS-135 mission on July 8, 2011. These phones are just like the ones you can find at the store, but with certain alterations to meet NASA flight certification standards. It took less than a year to make the necessary changes and launch the devices to the station.

The iPhone 4 was selected for its mix of features, according to Odyssey CEO Brian Rishikof. "It had a three-axis gyro, and accelerometer, a high resolution camera and screen, and the means to manipulate the image. We had done some projects in the past that used all those features, but of course it was big, dedicated equipment and suddenly here it is in this small little package," said Rishikof.

The smartphones use the same software as their Earth counterparts and Odyssey used standard tools to develop a new app called SpaceLab for iOS, which will enable the planned research aboard the station. The app is also available for people to download to their own devices.

These devices are part of an investigation called NanoRacks Smartphone, which looks at how the phones will operate in space. The hope is to use the compact hardware in future research studies and to augment crew performance and productivity in operational activities. Currently there are four separate experiments that will run on the smartphones via SpaceLab for iOS.

The first study is Limb Tracker, a navigation experiment using photos of the Earth and image overlay manipulation to match the horizon to an arc to give an estimate of altitude and off-axis angles. Next is the Sensor Calibration or Sensor Cal experiment, which uses reference photos and the three-axis gyro and accelerometer for calibration to improve measurement accuracy. The State Acquisition or State Acq experiment also uses photos, but this time to estimate spacecraft orbital parameters. After the first three investigations are complete, the Lifecycle Flight Instrumentation or LFI experiment will operate to track the impact of radiation on the phones. To do this, the devices will monitor radiation-induced single bit upsets, which are unintended changes in memory location values.

One of the other goals in sending the phones to the space station is to engage the public. The SpaceLab for iOS app for users on the ground is identical to the software that was downloaded onto the space devices prior to launch.

According to Rishikof, there is a setting in the application that indicates if the equipment is in microgravity or not. The software operates differently to accommodate the presence of gravity. "There are 200 million devices that run the operating system and could potentially run the application," said Rishikof. "Which means there are 200 million users out there that could get a sense of what it does; a sense of what an experiment in space might look like; a sense of participation."

The investigation is planned to run on the space station in the fall of 2011. The phones are not intended to have the same leisure appeal as they do on Earth, however, given the lack of iTunes, games and Internet or roaming connectivity. "People have asked me if we were loading games on the phones for the crew. No, we did not want them to be distracted, though certainly it would have been fun!" said Rishikof.

Once the investigation completes, the smartphones will return to Earth at the next opportunity. Scientists will then analyze the stored data to better understand how the devices can be used for future research on the space station and how the phones react to the space environment.

Originally posted here:

NASA Space Information,Nasa Space NEWS,nasa information ...

Feb 06, 2015 ATV-5 firing its thrusters on Station approach in 2014.Credit: Roscosmos-O. Artemyev

Next Monday, ESA astronaut Samantha Christoforetti will float into Europe's space ferry to install a special infrared camera, set to capture unique interior views of the spacecraft's break-up on reentry.

"The battery-powered camera will be trained on the Automated Transfer Vehicle's forward hatch, and will record the shifting temperatures of the scene before it," explains Neil Murray, overseeing the project for ESA.

"Recording at 10 frames per second, it should show us the last 10 seconds or so of the ATV. We don't know exactly what we might see might there be gradual deformations appearing as the spacecraft comes under strain, or will everything come apart extremely quickly?

"Our Break-Up Camera, or BUC, flying for the first time on this mission, will complement NASA's Reentry Break-up Recorder.

"Whatever results we get back will be shared by our teams, and should tell us a lot about the eventual reentry of the International Space Station as well as spacecraft reentry in general."

Every mission of ESA's ATV ferry ends in the same way filled with Space Station rubbish then burning up in the atmosphere, aiming at a designated 'spacecraft graveyard' in an empty stretch of the South Pacific.

But the reentry of this fifth and final ATV is something special. NASA and ESA are treating it as an opportunity to gather detailed information that will help future spacecraft reentries.

Accordingly, ATV-5 will be steered into a shallow descent compared to the standard deorbit path.

This ATV's fiery demise will be tracked with a battery of cameras and imagers, on the ground, in the air and even from the Station itself, and this time on the vehicle itself.

Originally posted here:

Camera to record doomed ATV's disintegration from inside

Washington, D.C. Members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee today announced details of the NASA Authorization Act of 2015, legislation intended to reaffirm Congress's commitment to NASA as a multi mission agency with programs in science, aeronautics, exploration, and human spaceflight, and make clear that Mars should be NASA's primary goal. The bill will be introduced in the House the week of February 9th. Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) was joined by Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Space Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Donna Edwards (D-Md.), and Space Subcommittee Vice-Chair Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) in praising the bipartisan bill.

Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas): "For more than 50 years, NASA has made the impossible possible and taken humankind to places we never before dreamed we would go. NASA is the only agency that exists to support our nation's space exploration and advancement. In Congress, we have the responsibility of ensuring that NASA has the resources and direction it needs to continue its mission for the next 50 years.

"The NASA Authorization Act of 2015 maintains sustainability of purpose and budget for NASA's programs. It balances our long-term goal of sending humans to Mars and the furthest reaches of our solar system, with the immediate needs of providing access for our astronauts to the International Space Station. It ensures NASA remains the world's premiere space agency.

"In the last Congress, this bill was approved unanimously by the House Science Committee and passed in the House by a vote of 401-2. The strong support this bill has enjoyed reflects the American public's strong interest in our nation's space endeavors. Next week, the House will have an opportunity to once more reaffirm its commitment to our nation's space programs."

The NASA Authorization Act of 2015 authorizes funding consistent with the Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act of 2015. The bill continues the consistent guidance Congress has given to NASA for nearly a decade by reaffirming a stepping stone approach to exploration. The bill focuses NASA's efforts to develop a capability to access the International Space Station so that America can once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil. It also increases support for the Space Launch System and the Orion Crew Vehicle systems being developed to take astronauts to deep-space destinations like Mars in an attempt to keep the programs on schedule for a 2017 launch date.

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas): "Building on previous NASA Authorization Acts, this bipartisan legislation affirms NASA's responsibility to be a multi-mission agency, one that includes productive programs in science, aeronautics, human spaceflight and human exploration. NASA is a crown jewel of our nation's R&D enterprise. NASA's space and aeronautics programs advance our technological competence and scientific understanding, challenge our industries and workforces in ways that promote their global competitiveness, and inspire the next generation to dream big and gain the skills to turn those dreams into action. That last point cannot be overstated, our children are our future science and technology workforce. They need to be prepared. This NASA bill is the product of intense bipartisan collaboration over the past year, and I am proud to be a cosponsor."

Space Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.): "I am pleased that the House will take up and consider a widely-supported, bipartisan NASA Reauthorization bill so early in this year's session. It shows that once again the House is willing to lead on sustaining our nation's space program. Congress has once again demonstrated support for SLS and Orion. While last year's bill, like so many other pieces of legislation, died in the Senate, I look forward to working with Chairman Ted Cruz and Senate leadership to get this year's version over the finish line. It's time we finally returned to being able to launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil."

Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Donna Edwards (D-Md.): "NASA continues to inspire and is a testament to the innovative American spirit. This bipartisan legislation, crafted during the last Congress and passed overwhelmingly by the House, has been updated and provides NASA with important, timely policy direction to carry out its missions in aeronautics, science, and human exploration. This legislation sets the long-term goal for NASA's human exploration program of sending humans to the surface of Mars and directs NASA to provide a Human Exploration Roadmap outlining the capabilities and milestones required to achieve the goal. NASA needs this direction now to provide the stability that will enable maximum progress on its programs. I want to thank Subcommittee Chairman Palazzo, Chairman Smith, and Ranking Member Johnson for building on this bipartisan effort as we develop a comprehensive, multi-year authorization for NASA to sustain its important missions over the coming years."

Space Subcommittee Vice-Chair Mo Brooks (R-Ala.): "I'm proud to join my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to introduce the NASA Authorization Act of 2015, which is critical for the continued development and operations of America's space program. This bill is another step forward for NASA, strongly supporting human space exploration and groundbreaking scientific missions and research, while promoting our nation's leadership in space. I look forward to working with Chairman Smith and Space Subcommittee Chairman Palazzo as this bill proceeds to the House floor and enactment."

Continue reading here:

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Leaders Announce Bipartisan NASA Bill

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the departure and the arrival of two cargo spacecraft at the International Space Station (ISS) this month. The European Space Agencys (ESA) fifth and final Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-5) cargo craft will departure the station on Saturday, Feb. 14. Launch and docking of a Russian Progress resupply spacecraft will follow on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

NASA TV coverage of the ATV undocking will begin at 8:15 a.m. EST on Feb. 14. The George Lemaitre ATV-5, which arrived at the orbital laboratory last August, will undock from the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module at 8:41 a.m. After it undocks, the Georges Lemaitre will move to a safe distance from the station where it will stay for 13 days until it is deorbited on Friday, Feb. 27.

Georges Lemaitre is the fifth and final spacecraft in the series of European supply vehicles that began servicing the station in the spring of 2008. In all, the ATVs delivered approximately 34 tons of supplies to the complex while docked to the station for 776 days. The ships reentry into the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean will be documented by the Expedition 42 crew on board the station as well as NASA, ESA and other agencies around the world to gather detailed information on the mechanics of the breakup of a spacecraft reentering the Earths atmosphere.

NASA TV coverage of the ISS Progress 58 spacecraft launch will begin at 5:45 a.m. on Feb. 17. Docking coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. The Progress will launch at 6 a.m. (5 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station's Expedition 42 crew. Progress 58 will make its four-orbit, six-hour trip to the space station and dock at about noon.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

NASA TV Live

For more information about the International Space Station, and its crews and research, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Link:

NASA TV Coverage Set For Partner Space Station Cargo Spacecraft Activities

SpaceX plans to try again Sunday night to land its used rocket on an unmanned barge in the Atlantic Ocean after launching it into space, an experiment seen as a big step toward making space launches dramatically less expensive.

The company is scheduled to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:10 p.m., to carry a space-weather monitoring satellite into space.

The satellite, called the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) will help NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Air Force better monitor events such as geomagnetic storms caused by changes in the Sun's wind.

Minutes after the rocket's launch, SpaceX will attempt to land its next big dream, with ramifications for the space industry worldwide. At stake is SpaceX's plan to make its rockets reusable, which would revolutionize launches and reduce costs.

"I don't think it's too strong to say it really is a game-changing event," said Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "I think it's going to have a huge impact on the industry from a cost perspective."

If SpaceX succeeds, Stallmer and others in the industry think a price-driven space competition could spur a new boom in private and government satellite launches. Worldwide, virtually all rockets are used only once, and the rockets themselves are by far the largest factor in launch costs.

SpaceX has been coy about what it expects to save. But industry observers note that the company now charges $61 million for most launches, which already is the industry's lowest rate, and say the company might be able to get that bill to less than $10 million.

Others, however, suggest the actual savings of recycling rockets might not be great because the rockets could need significant overhauls before reuse.

"I've heard a wild range of numbers [for savings] from nothing to an order of magnitude of 10," Stallmer said.

Roger Handberg, a University of Central Florida political science professor who specializes in space policy, noted that NASA and the United Launch Alliance were able to retrieve and reuse portions of the space shuttles' solid rocket boosters, but found little if any savings in doing so. Those boosters, however, landed in the water and were retrieved and towed back to land.

View original post here:

Launch industry watching SpaceX's rocket-landing plans

2015 Blizzard Time-Lapse video from International Space Station #Nasa
NASA Astronaut Terry Virts, aboard the International Space Station, took photos of the 2015 blizzard in the northeast United States during a night pass Wednesday, Jan. 28, as he orbited 260...

By: 10 MINUTES

More here:

2015 Blizzard Time-Lapse video from International Space Station #Nasa - Video

Stunning Flyover of US Eastern Seaboard with Aurora Borealis Meeting Sunrise
http://www.undergroundworldnews.com This is a Vine clip from the Space Station. It catches an Amazing event as the Aurora Borealis Meets the Sunrise On the US Eastern Seaboard! More at Link:...

By: Dahboo777

See more here:

Stunning Flyover of US Eastern Seaboard with Aurora Borealis Meeting Sunrise - Video

ISS Evening Orbit Over Sahara Desert Middle East
Fly over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East with the crew of Expedition 29 on board the International Space Station. This sequence of shots was taken October 6, 2011 during an ascending...

By: Earth Station Alpha

See the article here:

ISS Evening Orbit Over Sahara Desert & Middle East - Video

Space Station Live: Still to Come in 2015
NASA Commentator Amiko Kauderer talks with Kenny Todd, the International Space Station Mission Operations Integration Manager, about some of the highlights of station activities in the coming...

By: ReelNASA

See the article here:

Space Station Live: Still to Come in 2015 - Video

Since the first crew arrived in November 2000, more than 200 astronauts from 15 different countries have visited the ISS. At its core, it's a floating lab, where for six months at a time six crew members work, exercise, sleep -- and eat.

Providing NASA astronauts with a nutritious diet is the job of food scientists at the Johnson Space Center, in Houston. There, Maya Cooper is part of the team responsible for about 40% of the food sent to the astronauts. She says her team tries to strike a delicate balance between providing home comforts and healthy food.

"There are many items that we've had on the menu that were great tasting items but recently we've had a big sodium reduction, trying to get the sodium content on the space menu down," Cooper says. "So we've had to reformulate a lot of those items, preserving the taste and the homely comfort food aspects of the food, while making sure that the nutrition is right where we need for it to be."

If Cooper makes space food sound like a science, that's because it is. Weightlessness requires more energy; your body is never truly at rest at zero gravity, so astronauts must eat accordingly, consuming 3,000 calories a day.

In the controlled environment of the ISS, scientists are able to study the astronauts' physiological processes with great accuracy. "We know exactly what they're eating," Cooper says, "so we have better data in terms of how food actually impacts the body."

Likewise, food is affected by the requirements of space. Food sent into orbit has to be preserved by heat processing which, paired with its long-term storage, causes food to lose some of its nutritional value due to vitamin degradation.

Overcoming these obstacles is one of the challenges facing Cooper, along with how to make such adulterated food appetizing.

Space food in popular culture ranges from liquid meals of various viscosities -- think Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- to a miracle pill containing a day's worth of nutrition.

In the space program's early days, NASA's Project Mercury did indeed experiment with "semi-liquids" in toothpaste-style tubes, and coated bite-sized cubes of solids with gelatine to stop crumbs escaping. Unsurprisingly, astronauts reported that "the food was unappetizing."

Today, space food is more "cordon bleu" than blender.

More:

The NASA diet: It's food, but not as we know it

International Space Station view from earth
International space station ,ISS passed over india at 01/02/2015 at 5.50AM.

By: Venu Unnikrishnan

More here:

International Space Station view from earth - Video

Game Over Professor Green Ft GETAWAY [SPACE STATION:SIRIUS]
Description: PROFESSOR GREEN: FT GETAWAY [FORT BLISS]

By: Johnson July

Follow this link:

Game Over Professor Green Ft GETAWAY [SPACE STATION:SIRIUS] - Video

Hard Night Out Professor Green Ft GETAWAY [SPACE STATION:SIRIUS]
Description: PROFESSOR GREEN: FT. GETAWAY [FORT BLISS] [SIRIUS OUTER SPACE CAMS:SPACE SATELLITE STATION NEWS]

By: Johnson July

Original post:

Hard Night Out Professor Green Ft GETAWAY [SPACE STATION:SIRIUS] - Video

Expedition 42 - Moonset from the ISS
The moonset as seen last Feb 1st, 2015, by the HDEV experiment on board the International Space Station.

By: AstronautiCAST

Continued here:

Expedition 42 - Moonset from the ISS - Video

Large UFO captured above the International Space Station .2 .02 .2015.
You can see how this large UFO appearing above the I S S. and how this UFO disappearing.

By: colourufo

Go here to see the original:

Large UFO captured above the International Space Station .2 .02 .2015. - Video

Freescast MoonQuest Episode 5 - The Secretary
shadow and ndunk finish building the space station with their new secretary. HDX #39;s channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheHDXvideogames Freescast channel: ...

By: Freescast

Continue reading here:

Freescast MoonQuest Episode 5 - The Secretary - Video

KSP Ch.3, Legend of the Kraken, Ep.2: As You Know, Bob...
With apologies for the long delay, the Legend of the Kraken continues. In this episode we find out what Bill Kerman is up to, launch a long range commsat, and make further plans for the space...

By: TheWinterOwl

Continued here:

KSP Ch.3, Legend of the Kraken, Ep.2: As You Know, Bob... - Video

Spacecrafts Fiery Break-Up Seen From Space Station
Europe #39;s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-4 Albert Einstein) met its demise on Nov. 2nd, 2014, carrying 1.6 tons of trash and used clothing from the International Space Station. The...

By: VideoFromSpace

See the original post here:

Spacecrafts Fiery Break-Up Seen From Space Station - Video

HOUSTON, TX/24-7PressRelease/-- Independence Day is not the only important fourth this July. Hot on the heels of the holiday is the fourth annual International Space Station (ISS)Research and Development Conference, which takes place in Boston July 7 to 9. Launching this year's event is a keynote speaker who lives up to one of the core conference themes of gaining a new perspective: Elon Musk, chief executive officer and lead designer atSpaceX.

"To welcome this diverse set of new and existing ISS users we were looking for a keynote speaker whose name is synonymous with the future of innovation," said Brian Talbot, marketing and communications director with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS). "Elon Musk is an ideal fit for this role. Elon's passion for discovery and exploration appeals to business leaders, research and development professionals, and the space community."

Musk was at the helm in designing the Dragon spacecraft--the first commercial vehicle to berth with the space station. SpaceX continues to transport resupply missions to and from the space station multiple times each year, the latest launch having departed on Jan. 10. NASA recently selected SpaceX, along with Boeing, to finalize their vehicle designs capable of ferrying a commercial crew to the station.

The multidisciplinary space station's array of research areas for new and potential users is reflected in the span of topics for the conference's call for papers. This includes biology and medicine, human health in space, commercialization and nongovernment utilization, materials development, plant science, remote sensing/Earth and space observation, energy, STEM education, and technology development and demonstration. The deadline for submissions of abstracts is March 2.

During the conference, attendees will have a chance to build connections, talk innovation with peers and experts, and grow their current knowledge of microgravity research. While visiting sessions at the Boston Marriott Copley Hotel, they also can learn about the latest results, upcoming investigations in orbit, and opportunities to get their ideas from concept to launch.

"The focus of this year's conference is bringing a new population of users to the space station by showing how the orbiting laboratory can be a valuable part of their future," said Christian Maender, NASA's ISS National Laboratory Office deputy manager for commercial utilization at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Now in its fourth year, the conference will explore a wide range of important areas of research and development that leverage the station as an incredible platform for learning, discovery and innovation."

Registration for the ISS Research and Development Conference is now open and additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. The event is organized by theAmerican Astronautical Societyand CASIS in cooperation with NASA. The annual meeting is the only U.S. conference to detail the space station's many capabilities along with an array of research and technology development.

This July the ISS Research and Development Conference will be a fourth to remember, complete with participants interested and already successful in launching more than just fireworks towards the heavens. While quite the impressive display of sparks with each take-off, it's the benefits from space station research and technology that will keep the world watching.

More here:

Elon Musk Headlines Space Station Research and Development Conference

After delivering more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station last month, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to leave the orbiting laboratory on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of Dragon's departure beginning at 1:45 p.m. EST.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to detach from the Earth-facing side of the station's Harmony module and release through commands sent by ground controllers in mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston operating the Canadarm 2 robotic arm. Mission control will maneuver Dragon into place for its release, which is scheduled for 2:09 p.m.

Dragon will execute three thruster firings to move a safe distance from the space station for its deorbit burn at approximately 7 p.m. The capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean around 7:44 p.m. The deorbit burn and the splashdown will not air on NASA TV.

In the event that weather at the landing zone does not permit a Feb. 10 departure, the next available opportunity is on Feb. 11 with a 1:17 p.m. departure time with NASA TV coverage beginning at 12:45 p.m.

Dragon currently is the only spacecraft able to return cargo from the space station to Earth. It will return about 3,700 pounds of cargo, including science samples from human physiology research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations and education activities sponsored by NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) in Melbourne, Florida. CASIS, a nonprofit organization, is responsible for managing research performed in the U.S. national laboratory portion of the space station.

Dragon launched on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Jan. 10 on the companys fifth commercial resupply mission to the station. It arrived at the station Jan. 12.

For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Originally posted here:

NASA TV Coverage Set for U.S. Cargo Ships Departure from Space Station