Category Archives: Transhuman News

NASA recently wrote that the International Space Station has, during its first 15 years of operations, made 16 space junk collision avoidance maneuvers and been closely threatened another four times.

After a record number of four collision threats in 2012, no ISS collision avoidance maneuvers were required during 2013, reflecting the chaotic nature of the satellite population, said NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office in its quarterly newsletter.

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"In addition, three incidents arose when insufficient time permitted a collision avoidance maneuver, forcing the crew of the ISS to retreat to the Soyuz return craft during the time of closest approach, where they were prepared to undock from the ISS quickly in the event of a collision. In total, the collision avoidance maneuver threshold level has been reached only 20 times for an average of once per year."

That seems like a lot but considering the amount of debris that crosses its path in the course of a year its pretty amazing there have not been more close calls.

"The number of known objects that routinely transit the ISS orbital altitude is significant. In October 2013, the number of cataloged objects that posed potential threats to the ISS was in excess of 800, representing an increase of 60% from the population of November 1998 in an altitude region of ~415-420 km. Of these, 10% were spacecraft (operational and non-functional), a third were rocket bodies, and the remainder were miscellaneous debris. Although the individual masses of these objects varied from less than a kilogram to several metric tons, each was capable of inflicting serious damage to the ISS in the event of a collision," NASA stated.

NASA went on to note that space objects in circular orbits intersecting the ISS altitude normally drop below the ISS orbit very quickly, in days or weeks, but they can cross the space station's orbital plane up to 30 times per day.

In addition to the cataloged satellites, the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) maintains orbits on a large number (on the order of 5,000 or more) of objects that have not yet been officially cataloged. For October 2013, the number of such objects with orbits passing through the ISS altitude regime exceeded 200.

So what exactly triggers a collision avoidance maneuver? NASA says "if a predicted conjunction yields a probability of collision greater than 1 in 10,000, official flight rules call for the execution of a collision avoidance maneuver by the ISS unless such a maneuver would lead to an even greater risk to the ISS or its crew. "

Go here to see the original:
NASA: Space station dodged debris 16 times in past 15 years

Students at Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio and their congressional representative will speak with Expedition 38 crew members aboard the International Space Station at 10:25 a.m. CST Thursday, Jan. 23.

Media are invited to attend and cover the 20-minute Earth-to-space call, which also will be broadcast on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Students will ask NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio questions about life, work and research aboard the space station. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, will open the downlink with a voice check call up to the station.

Media interested in covering the event must contact Colin Lang at 210-820-8850 or clang@ahisd.net. Alamo Heights High School is located at 6900 Broadway in San Antonio.

The students participating in the downlink are involved in SystemsGo, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative developed to promote engineering studies through research. SystemsGo helps students to develop work force skills and encourage them to study subjects that lead to careers in the engineering industries. The school has incorporated NASA activities into classes in preparation for the conversation. Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides them with an authentic, live experience of space exploration, space study and the scientific components of space travel and possibilities of life in space.

This in-flight education downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the United States to improve STEM teaching and learning. It is an integral component of NASA's Teaching From Space education program, which promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of space and NASA's human spaceflight program.

To keep up with Hopkins' research and life on the station through Twitter, follow:

Tweets by AstroIllini

To follow Twitter updates from Mastracchio, visit:

Excerpt from:
Texas High School Students to Talk Live with Space Station Crew Members

What & Who: Astronaut Chris Cassidy, who lived and worked five months as an Expedition 36 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, will visit NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., Jan. 22. Cassidy will share highlights from his 166-day mission in space -- from March 29, 2013, through Sept. 10, 2013 -- as part of the Expedition 35 and 36 crews. His launch was the first expedited trip in the 12-year history of the space station. The Soyuz spacecraft carrying him and his crew members docked to the orbiting laboratory in just six hours instead of the usual two days.

During his time aboard the station, Cassidy worked on hundreds of research experiments and science investigations that will have benefits for future human spaceflight and life on Earth. He also saw the arrival of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 cargo spacecraft, the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle-4 cargo spacecraft and two Russian Progress resupply spacecraft.

When & Where: Wednesday, Jan. 22

10-10:30 a.m. CST -- Astronaut Chris Cassidy will be available for a brief question-and-answer session with news media in Building 4663, in the Payload Operations Integration Center viewing room.

10:30-11 a.m. -- Cassidy will hang his mission plaque in a ceremony in the Payload Operations Integration Center control room.

1-2 p.m. -- Cassidy to present mission highlights to the Marshall team in Building 4200, Morris Auditorium.

To attend: News media interested in covering the event should contact the Marshall Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21. Media must report to the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center at Gate 9, Interstate 565 interchange at Rideout Road/Research Park Boulevard. Vehicles are subject to a security search at the gate. News media will need two photo identifications and proof of car insurance.

Cassidy's biography is available at:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cassidy-cj.html

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Expedition 36 Space Station Astronaut Chris Cassidy to Visit NASA's Marshall Center on Jan. 22; Media Invited