Category Archives: Transhuman News

Expedition 39 commander Koichi Wakata, right, turns the International Space Station over to Expedition 40 commander Steven Swanson, front left, during a change of command ceremony Monday. Wakata, Soyuz TMA-11M commander Mikhail Tyurin, middle right, and Rick Mastracchio, back right, planned to return to Earth late Tuesday. NASA TV

A Japanese astronaut, a veteran Russian cosmonaut and a NASA flight engineer boarded their Soyuz ferry craft and undocked from the International Space Station Tuesday, setting their sights on a fiery plunge back to Earth to close out a 188-day stay in space.

Play Video

A Japanese astronaut, a veteran Russian cosmonaut and a NASA flight engineer boarded their Soyuz ferry craft and undocked from the International ...

In the latest space-related tit for tat, Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's deputy prime minister for space and defense, told Russian news agencies future sales of RD-180 engines, which power the first stage of United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket, will not be permitted for launches of U.S. military payloads.

Departing space station commander Koichi Wakata, facing camera, and Soyuz TMA-11M commander Mikhail Tyurin, left, close the hatch to the ferry craft prior to departing the International Space Station. Also on board for return to Earth was NASA flight engineer Rick Mastracchio.

NASA TV

In any case, ULA officials say the company has a two-year supply of RD-180s in hand and it's not yet known what impact Rogozin's statements might have down the road.

Both sides say the station program is not affected by sanctions or other diplomatic hurdles and the Russians continue to honor their lucrative contract with NASA to carry U.S. and partner astronauts to and from the space station aboard Soyuz spacecraft at more than $70 million a seat.

See more here:
Three space station fliers set to return to Earth

A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts rests on the ground after landing in Kazakhstan on May 13, 2014.NASA TV

Three crewmembers of the International Space Station have returned safely to Earth, ending their six-month orbital mission.

A Russian Soyuz capsulecarrying NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, Japanese spaceflyer Koichi Wakata and cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 9:58 p.m. ET Tuesday night (7:58 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 14).

The Soyuz undocked from the space station 3 1/2 hours earlier while the two vehicles were above Mongolia, marking the end of Expedition 39 and the beginning of Expedition 40 aboard the orbiting lab.

[Expedition 39 in Orbit (Photos)]

"What an exciting time we shared in this increment," Expedition 39 Commander Wakata said Monday as he handed the station's reins over to NASA astronaut Steve Swanson. "Congratulations, and best wishes to the crew of Expedition 40 for a successful mission."

Wakata, Mastracchio and Tyurin enjoyed an eventful and historic stint in orbit after arriving at the space station on Nov. 7, 2013. For example, Wakata became the first Japanese person ever to command the station when he took charge of Expedition 39 on March 10.

Just four days later, Wakata and Mastracchio participated in "Live from Space," a two-hour TV event hosted by Soledad O'Brien that aired on National Geographic Channel, as well as Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. "Live from Space" gave viewers in more than 140 countries an idea of what it's like to live and work on the orbiting lab, with Wakata giving a guided tour of the $100-billion complex.

"It is true that it is unprecedented," former NASA astronaut Ron Garan said of the project at the time. "I've never seen any kind of access like this before. Typically, live events from space run 15 minutes, 20 [minutes] tops. Two hours is just unbelievable."

Expedition 39 also oversaw the arrival of SpaceX's robotic Dragon capsule, which launched toward the space station April 18 on the California-based company's third contracted cargo mission for NASA. (SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion deal to make 12 such flights for the agency.)

Originally posted here:
International Space Station crew returns to Earth

By Suzanne Presto, CNN

updated 8:41 PM EDT, Wed May 14, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Russia said it does not plan to use the International Space Station beyond 2020, casting a shadow on U.S. plans to continue cooperation with the country and extend the life of the orbiting laboratory until at least 2024.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told reporters Tuesday that Russia is looking to redirect its attention to other projects after 2020. His comments come as tensions mount over U.S. sanctions on Russia for its role in the crisis in Ukraine.

NASA released a statement saying that the U.S. space agency "has not received any official notification from the Government of Russia on any changes in our space cooperation at this point."

NASA added that cooperation in space has been a hallmark of U.S.-Russian relations, even during the Cold War, and it pointed to the past 13 years of continuous human presence on the orbiting outpost.

International Space Station

International Space Station

International Space Station

View post:
Russia plans to leave International Space Station by 2020, official says

Three astronauts one American, one Russian, and one Japanese ended their six-month mission aboard the space station after their Russian Soyuz capsule touched down Wednesday in Kazakhstan.

Three crewmembers of the International Space Station have returned safely to Earth, ending their six-month orbital mission.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

A RussianSoyuz capsulecarrying NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, Japanese spaceflyer Koichi Wakata and cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 9:58 p.m. EDT Tuesday night (May 13; 7:58 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 14).

The Soyuz undocked from the space station 3 1/2 hours earlier while the two vehicles were above Mongolia, marking the end of Expedition 39 and the beginning of Expedition 40 aboard the orbiting lab. [Expedition 39 Returns to Earth (Photos)]

"What an exciting time we shared in this increment," Expedition 39 Commander Wakata said Monday (May 12) as he handed the station's reins over to NASA astronaut Steve Swanson. "Congratulations, and best wishes to the crew of Expedition 40 for a successful mission."

Wakata, Mastracchio and Tyurin enjoyed an eventful and historic stint in orbit after arriving at the space station on Nov. 7, 2013. For example, Wakata became the first Japanese person ever to command the station when he took charge of Expedition 39 on March 10.

Just four days later, Wakata and Mastracchio participated in "Live from Space," a two-hour TV event hosted by Soledad O'Brien that aired on National Geographic Channel, as well as Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. "Live from Space" gave viewers in more than 140 countries an idea of what it's like to live and work on the orbiting lab, with Wakata giving a guided tour of the $100-billion complex.

"It is true that it is unprecedented," former NASA astronaut Ron Garan said of the project at the time. "I've never seen any kind of access like this before. Typically, live events from space run 15 minutes, 20 [minutes] tops. Two hours is just unbelievable."

See more here:
International Space station crew returns to Earth (+video)

By Suzanne Presto, CNN

updated 8:41 PM EDT, Wed May 14, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Russia said it does not plan to use the International Space Station beyond 2020, casting a shadow on U.S. plans to continue cooperation with the country and extend the life of the orbiting laboratory until at least 2024.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told reporters Tuesday that Russia is looking to redirect its attention to other projects after 2020. His comments come as tensions mount over U.S. sanctions on Russia for its role in the crisis in Ukraine.

NASA released a statement saying that the U.S. space agency "has not received any official notification from the Government of Russia on any changes in our space cooperation at this point."

NASA added that cooperation in space has been a hallmark of U.S.-Russian relations, even during the Cold War, and it pointed to the past 13 years of continuous human presence on the orbiting outpost.

International Space Station

International Space Station

International Space Station

See the article here:
Russia tensions hit space station