Category Archives: Transhuman News

NASA Set for a Big Year in Earth Science
For the first time in more than a decade, five NASA Earth science missions will be launched into space in the same year, opening new and improved remote eyes...

By: NASA

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NASA Set for a Big Year in Earth Science - Video

Expedition 39 Crew News Conference Introduction
Members of the Expedition 39/40 Crew are introduced at the Expedition 39 Crew News Conference on January 22, 2014 from Johnson Space Center. NASA astronaut S...

By: ReelNASA

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Expedition 39 Crew News Conference Introduction - Video

Swanson and Skvortsov have both been in space while it will be the first space mission for Artemyev. Swanson previously completed two space shuttle missions and will take over as the Expedition 40 commander in May. Ahead of the March launch, the Expedition 39/40 crew members discussed their upcoming ISS mission with the International Business Times.

Skvortsov was previously an Expedition 23/24 crew member and served as the Expedition 24 commander. Discussing what being a commander entails, Skvortsov said, "As a station commander I have the greatest responsibility of all. Of course, all crew members are professionally prepared but the commander has two significant jobs to do. The first is to make sure all tasks are completed and the second is being fully responsible for the safety of all the crew members."

For his second ISS mission, Skvortsov said his role will be different but will rely on his past experience to aid his fellow crew members. It will be Swanson's first time as commander and he says the role requires an individual to focus on the entire operation as well as the happiness of each of crew member.

"This time I won't be the commander of the entire station, I'll be the commander of the Russian segment so the scope of my responsibilities is slightly diminished. Since I've had the experience of being commander of the space station I'll do my best to assist Steve Swanson and his job as the ISS commander," Skvortsov continues, "I think my experience as commander will be invaluable because I'll be able to assist him in certain issues and, hopefully, my advice will help him and help our crew resolve any issues that may arise and I understand that this mission is going to be intensive for both the Russian and American sides."

Swanson said, "For being a commander the big difference, I think, in that aspect, is keeping the big picture of what's going on, how the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and all the consumables. Talking to ground about any issues and keeping all of that going and making sure everyone is up to date and on the same page and making sure your crew is happy and everything is going smoothly."

As for how he will spend his time aboard the ISS, Skvortsov and Swanson both discuss the various tasks and daily jobs that are required of each crew member. "We have a list of jobs to be done and I hope that all of them will be completed and that we'll be able to fulfill this mission without any extraordinary events or situations, especially given the circumstances of the previous mission when we had a problem, with the pump failure, that led to three spacewalks," said Skvortsov.

Swanson agrees, saying, "The responsibilities are pretty much the same for all crew members and that is to maintain the station and do the science we are assigned to do. That can involve many different things depending on what task you get each day but it will range from fixing things that are broken to cleaning the station on a weekly basis."

For Swanson, he will use his previous shuttle mission experience during the upcoming station mission but he said there are some important differences between the two types of space missions.

"The big difference between a shuttle mission and a station mission is, of course, a time difference but it's very alike to going to a foreign country," Swanson continues,"You stay there for two weeks, you get to vacation there and you know it a little bit and you get to cruise around but you don't really get to see the details or feel the real culture of it, I think, versus living there for six months. That's the same thing with the station, you're there for six months, you really get to know what it is to live and adapt to an environment like that because you are doing it for so long. For two weeks, you can do it relatively quickly and you can live through almost anything but for six months you have to adapt and become comfortable in that environment."

Artemyev said he is lucky to have his first space mission with astronauts who have several missions under their belt. "I will be there as a flight engineer and will be working closely with Steve and Alex. I've been blessed because those are very experienced astronaut and cosmonaut, who have a wealth of experience and I've been able to learn from them and will be very happy to be on the same crew as them," said Artemyev.

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International Space Station Expedition 39 Crew Members Discuss Upcoming Mission [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

WASHINGTON After the White House decided recently to prolong the life of the International Space Station until 2024, the nation's top science official declared that the four-year extension would help NASA get a big return on its $100 billion investment.

The station is "proving to be an amazingly flexible laboratory," said John Holdren, chief science adviser to President Barack Obama.

Yet despite his endorsement, critics ranging from space bloggers to official NASA watchdogs say the agency still has work to do before the station reaches its scientific potential.

"The old adage is that if you build it, they will come," said Keith Cowing, a former NASA space station payload manager who runs the popular website NASA Watch. "Well, it's there, but NASA has a lot of catching up to do in terms of fully utilizing the capability of the space station."

Billed as the "largest spacecraft ever built," the football-field-sized observatory began in 1998 with the launch of a bus-sized module from Russia. Since then, the station's two major partners the U.S. and Russia have steadily added pieces and equipment, along with contributions from Japan, Canada and Europe.

Astronauts have lived there continuously since 2000, but as recently as 2008 crew members were spending only about three hours a week on science. Now NASA officials say it's up to about 50 hours a week, due largely to the crew size doubling from three to six members in 2009. But about 15 percent of the U.S. racks for experiments onboard the station sat empty as of Dec. 31, and in a report issued last July, NASA's internal watchdog raised questions about the "real world" benefit of station science.

"A vast majority of the research activities conducted aboard the ISS have related to basic research as opposed to applied research," wrote investigators for NASA's inspector general.

It's the difference, they noted, between figuring out the biology of life in space and developing "more efficient materials" for products that could be used on Earth.

"While discoveries made as a result of basic research may eventually contribute to 'real world' applications, investors and for-profit companies may be reluctant to allocate funds to basic research especially when the likelihood of profitable results is unknown," the authors added.

Much of the research done so far on the station has focused on astronaut health, and that's partly by design. More than 200 space travelers have visited the station since 2000, and the steady flow has provided NASA scientists with plenty of test subjects to study risks to the body from muscle atrophy to vision problems.

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Critics doubt value of space station science

What does one do for fun while living in space? How do astronauts cope with loss of bone density in microgravity?

Sixteen students. Sixteen questions.

The answers came from qualified sources: astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins, who could be seen on a big screen, floating inside the International Space Station (ISS), by 130 aerospace students at Alamo Heights High School.

The live television downlink was arranged by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, who said it was the second one his office has taken part in and the first in the San Antonio area. Principal Linda Foster called it a historic event.

There are lots of technical issues to address, and NASA gets lots of requests, Smith told the students. I hope this inspires you to continue studying science, engineering and technology.

We exercise quite a bit. We run on a treadmill. We wear a harness that straps us to the treadmill, Mastracchio said, responding to a question by Sara Downing. He arrived at the ISS in November.

That puts a load on our shoulders and legs, and it helps put a load on our muscles and our bones. We also lift weights. We have a pneumatic system that allows us to do squats and dead lifts. That, a good diet and exercising two hours a day helps to minimize the loss of bone density while we're up here.

Students also asked the astronauts how they eat in space and whether they lack rest in such an extreme environment.

I found I'm sleeping as much up here as I do on the ground, about six or seven hours a night, Hopkins said, replying to a question by Anne Wang. He's been on the space station since September and is due to return to Earth this March.

We sleep in sleeping bags, but as we don't sleep on the ground, we tie a sleeping bag to a wall or an overhead compartment and slip in there. I find it pretty comfortable.

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Students make call to International Space Station

January 21, 2014

Image Caption: The 2013 Spheres competition trophy backdropped by replicas of the Spheres. The ultimate robot game challenges youngsters to write algorithms to control Spheres, short for Synchronised Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites. Spheres are volleyball-sized satellites that hover around the International Space Station using 12 jets powered by compressed gas. These autonomous robots have their own power, propulsion and navigation. Credit: ESA

[ Watch The Video: Zero Robotics Competition 2013 ]

ESA

A comet heading towards Earth threatens humanitys existence that was the virtual scenario of this years Zero Robotics tournament. Secondary-school students from across Europe controlled miniature satellites on the International Space Station in a competition to save our planet.

The Space Station was turned into a playing field for the finals. The ultimate robot game challenged youngsters to write algorithms that controlled the Spheres, short for Synchronised Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites.

The Spheres are volleyball-sized satellites that hover around the Station using 12 jets powered by compressed gas. These autonomous robots have their own power, propulsion and navigation.

Last Friday was the fourth time European contenders ran their commands in space, and each year the competition has grown. Over 140 European students joined the US competitors, writing code to redirect an incoming comet while taking space debris and limited laser resources into account.

European finalists met at the ESA Technical Centre in the Netherlands to follow the competition live from space. The US teams were connected at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

On the Station, NASA astronaut Richard Mastracchio and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov monitored the robotic battle. ESA astronaut Andr Kuipers, who monitored in 2012 from space, said These finals are a great combination of gaming, science and technology. Robotics have a promising future to help us in orbit.

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Space Droids Battle To Save Our Planet