Category Archives: Space Station

WIAT 42

SpcaeX cargo ship returns from International Space Station Sunday WIAT 42 After delivering about 5,500 pounds of cargo, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to leave the International Space Station on Sunday, March 19. SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft all set to leave space station on ...Zee News all 1 news articles »

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SpcaeX cargo ship returns from International Space Station Sunday - WIAT 42

Astronauts on the International Space Station are swapping out their fluorescent light bulbs for a fancy new set of light-emitting diodes (LEDs)that scientists think will help them sleep better and be more alert. If the new lights work as intended, the technology could help people on Earth sleep better as well.

The intensity and colors of the light emitted by the new Solid-State Light Assemblies (SSLAs) can produce millions of different spectra of light. Three settings will help to create a lighting environment that can either increase alertness, promote sleepiness or provide normal "daylight" that will help astronauts see clearly during normal work hours.

Because the space station circles the Earth every 92 minutes, astronauts on board can see the sun rise and set 16 times in a day. While it might sound delightful to watch pretty sunrises and sunsets all day, this rapid cycle of day and night can throw astronauts' sleep schedules out of whack. Add to that a demanding work schedule with occasional night shifts, and the astronauts are bound to experience some insomnia. [Sleeping in Space: How Astronauts Do It]

Solid-State Light Assemblies (SSLAs) are replacing old lighting technology aboard the International Space Station. These lights offer more efficient, longer-lasting lighting options, as well as provide crewmembers with the ability to adjust lighting intensity based on the time of day, promoting a more conducive environment for both sleep and alertness.

In fact, research has shown that astronauts don't get enough sleep. On average, they sleep about 6 hours per night, while their schedules allot 8.5 hours. As a result, sleeping pills and caffeine are popular commodities among space travelers.

On Earth, the human body naturally operates on a 24-hour schedule called a circadian rhythm. Our biological clocks depend on a regular pattern of sunlight and darkness to keep that rhythm going. In space, astronauts depend on artificial lighting to regulate their sleep-wake schedules. But it's not just the timing of the light that matters on the space station the type of lights used can make a big difference when it comes to keeping sleep schedules on track.

Fluorescent light bulbs and LEDs are prized for being energy-efficient, but the light they produce can contribute to insomnia. Both emit blue light, which promotes alertness while decreasing the amount of the natural sleep hormone melatonin. While blue light may be helpful in the mornings, exposure to blue light closer to bedtime can make falling asleep more difficult.

The new SSLAs that are being installed inside the space station contain LEDs, but with the adjustable light spectrum, blue light at night will no longer pose a problem. Before bedtime, the new lighting system will emit a spectrum of light without the smaller wavelengths of blue and violet light. When it's time to wake up again, the light spectrum will include that element of the spectrum to promote alertness. This can help astronauts reset or maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and, in turn, make them more productive on the job.

Expedition 18 Commander, Mike Fincke, holding an early version of a solid state lighting assembly (the general luminaire assembly or GLA) that is part of the Lighting Effects investigation. Equipment for that investigation will fly toward the space station aboard a Cygnus spacecraft on Oct. 14, 2016.

Astronauts began replacing the old fluorescent General Luminaire Assemblies in August, and the transition is still ongoing. Meanwhile, NASA has been studying how the new lights are affecting the astronauts through the Lighting Effects Study.

"The system can provide millions of different light spectra," Steven Lockley, a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and co-investigator for the Lighting Effects Study, said in a statement. "Were not making the ISS into a disco, but we are going to use three different light settings. We'll use a general light setting that provides a good light to see by during normal work, a higher-intensity blue light enriched setting that elevates alertness and can better shift the circadian clock when needed, and a lower-intensity blue wavelength-depleted 'pre-sleep' setting to calm the brain and promote sleep."

Results from the sleep study will help flight planners optimize lighting schedules for astronauts during spaceflight, but it can also help people on Earth gain control of their sleeping patterns.

"Study results should make it clear exactly when and how to use these various settings of light intensity and spectrum," NASA officials said in the statement. "These results could also lead to Earth-based benefits such as helping manage sleep patterns for shift workers, or even developing treatments for sleep disorders or jet lag."

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookand Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Space Station Shut-Eye: New LED Lights May Help Astronauts (and You) Sleep Better - Space.com

Students at Blair Pointe Elementary experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity last week as they were able to have a live chat with astronaut Shane Kimbrough, who is currently living and working abroad the International Space Station (ISS).

The assembly was held at the Peru High Schools auditorium where seats were filled by the third-through-sixth-graders as well as many community leaders who were in attendance.

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Contacting the space station - Peru Tribune

Long March 7 rocket lifting off June 25, 2016. Credit: CMSE

China is gearing up for the launch of its first cargo spacecraft intended to support a future space station.

The Long March 7 rocket that will launch the Tianzhou-1 spacecraft arrived last week at the Wenchang launch site for a launch planned for the latter half of April.

Tianzhou-1 will dock with the uncrewed Tiangong-2 module currently in orbit and test the ability to transfer propellant between the spacecraft and the module.

The launch will be the first for the Long March 7 since its inaugural flight last June carrying a set of experimental payloads. [gbtimes]

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NASA is planning to make decisions in the coming months on development of a gateway outpost in cislunar space.At a conference last week, NASAs Bill Gerstenmaier said that the agency will make some pretty crisp decisions in the coming months on what kinds of payloads to fly on future SLS missions that could support development of the outpost. The facility is part of NASAs long-term strategy to support human missions to Mars in the 2030s, but companies that have developed their own concepts for such an outpost, as part of NASAs NextSTEP program, say that the outpost could also support human missions to the surface of the moon by the U.S. or other nations. [SpaceNews]

Vice President Mike Pence met with Buzz Aldrinon Fridayto discuss space policy.In a tweet, Pence said he met with Aldrin at the White House as we work to shape the space policy of our administration. Neither Aldrin not the White House provided additional details about the meeting. In policy statements before the election, the Trump campaign said it would re-establish the National Space Council, which in the past has been led by the vice president. [Space.com]

Lockheed Martin has retired the Athena rocket.Steve Skladanek, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, said at the Satellite 2017 conference last week that the company does have one remaining Athena rocket in storage, but is not actively marketing it. The last Athena launch was in 2001, but Lockheed tried to revive the rocket several years ago to tap into the growing smallsat market.Skladanek also said that Lockheed, which markets the Atlas 5 to commercial customers, expects that vehicle to remain available for about five years after the introduction of the Vulcan rocket as the new rocket builds up its flight rate. [SpaceNews]

Planet unveiled an online tool that combines maps with imagery from its satellite constellation.Planet Explorer Beta, a free online tool, is designed to demonstrate the the ability of satellite imagery to track changes in regions over time. Planet currently operates 149 satellites, including 144 Dove cubesats and five larger RapidEye satellites, that collect 50 million square kilometers of imagery a day. [SpaceNews]

Boeing has successfully tested the parachute system for its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle.The test, carried out at Spaceport America in New Mexico, used a balloon to carry a mockup of the CST-100 crew capsule to an altitude of more than 12,000 meters. The capsule then dropped from the balloon and deployed a series of parachutes for a safe landing. Boeing plans a few more drops to complete qualification of the parachutes for flight. [Spaceport America]

Space Florida has approved a loan for OneWebs satellite manufacturing plant.The state space development agency arranged the loan for OneWeb through SunTrust Bank, and the Space Florida board approved the loanFriday. That loan, as well as state incentives, will be used to support construction of the factory outside the Kennedy Space Center gates, where OneWeb will build hundreds of its broadband communications satellites. A formal groundbreaking was planned for earlier this month but postponed because of what the company said was a scheduling conflict. [Florida Politics]

The Space Data Association (SDA) will work with Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI) to upgrade commercial space situational awareness capabilities.SDA announced last week it will partner with AGI tocreate an updated Space Data Center Space Traffic Management service, called SDC 2.0. The updated system is intended to provide more accurate information on the orbital locations of satellites of SDA member companies in order to provide better warnings of potential collisions. [SpaceNews]

Hughes Network Systems has won a contract to provide satellite communications services for British drones.The multi-million-dollar contract covers communications for the British militarys fleet of Predator B drones. The services will initially use X-band frequencies through the U.K.s Skynet 5 satellites, but is also designed to work with other satellites in other frequency bands. [SpaceNews]

Cheap satellite terminals, and not constellations of satellites, may be key to opening new markets for internet access.Executives at the Satellite 2017 conference last week said lowering the price of satellite terminals to less than $100 each is key to providing service in the developing world. Also sought are inexpensive flat-panel antennas that can be used on planes and other vehicles. [SpaceNews]

The movie about the life of Neil Armstrong has a release date, but youll need to be patient.First Man, the film about Armstrong based on the biography of the same name, is set to be released onOct. 12, 2018. The movie will be directed by Damien Chazelle, who won the Oscar for best director last month forLa La Land, and will star Ryan Gosling as Armstrong. [Space.com]

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China gearing up for launch of first cargo spacecraft to support future ... - SpaceNews

March 11, 2017 Dominating the night sky, Earths natural satellite is often the first target to catch the eye of budding astronomers, and now the moon's siren call is pulling the worlds leading space powers too.

The five space agencies responsible for building the International Space Station (ISS) met last month in Tsukuba, home to the Japanese space agency JAXA, to decide what comes after the aging ISS. Discussions advanced an evolving plan to build a lunar space station, settling on a tentative orbit and paving the way for finalized plans that may come in late 2017 or early 2018.

But friction remains around the ultimate goal of the station: Will the ISS successor be a truly lunar space station or a spaceport on the way to Mars?

With the ISSs decommissioning tentatively scheduled for 2024, the International Spacecraft Working Group (ISWG), composed of the American, Russian, Japanese, European, and Canadian space agencies, is looking ahead to the next phase of human space exploration.

This years meeting extends work done last year in Houston, when the team established a number of non-binding recommendations regarding technical details likely to serve as the foundation for future proposals.

Compared with the ISS, a space station orbiting the moon holds greater scientific potential and the opportunity to test technologies needed for deep space missions, but poses significant challenges.

Much of the research done aboard the current ISS focuses on microgravity (commonly, if mistakenly, known as "zero gravity"), which arises from the craft being in a constant state of freefall. A lunar station could carry out similar studies of microgravity phenomena and astronaut health, with the added benefit of lunar proximity making the moon an additional target of study.

Whats more, the station could play an essential role as a steppingstone to Mars, both as a physical spaceport accessible to NASAs upcoming Orion spacecraft, as well as a scientific testing ground for new deep-space technologies. Japanese- and European-built habitats featuring closed-loop life support systems could be one such development. The ISS currently relies on frequent shipments of water and oxygen from Earth, but a less accessible lunar station would likely have no such luxury. For a Mars mission, near-perfect recycling of these resources will be even more of a necessity.

Some wonder why not build a base on the moon itself, rather than a station in orbit. Its true that a base could be more easily shielded from harmful radiation by piling up yards of moondust over the habitats. But extensive lunar construction would require unproven technologies as opposed to the tried and true modular approach to space station building.

Moreover, escaping Earths gravitational pull takes fuel, and the same is true of the moon. Breaking free and staying in orbit, rather than making repeated visits to the surface, may be more efficient.

The ISWG has set the goal of developing common standards that will make it easy for various countries to develop plug and play parts to smooth the construction process. Current designs call for a Russian airlock, the Canadian robotic arm from the ISS, and US-built power and propulsion systems.

Still, the question looms, where is humanity headed next? Russia wants to return to the moons surface, which a station in a low lunar orbit would support. But a higher orbit lends itself to Mars access, an approach preferred by NASA, who reportedly proposed naming the station a "spaceport."

Last months conference seems to have broken NASAs way, with the consortium agreeing on a distant loop known as a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit. As the name suggests, this oval path bulges significantly.

At its closest approach, the craft would be only 900 miles from the moon, but its farthest reach would take it 43,000 miles from the surface, completing arevolution in one week. Thats 4 to 174 times higher from the lunar surface than the ISS sits above the Earths.

In addition to being convenient to Mars, this orbit features a number of advantages including constant sun for solar panels, good communication with Earth, and stability that reduces the need for expensive fuel-consuming height boosts.

Unfortunately, its not ideal for actually visiting the surface of the moon, prompting the Russians to continue their analysis of a lower orbit station.

But NASA may be open to compromiseand is reportedly considering designs for a station that could split in two, one part bound for Mars and one remaining to service lunar activity. Another alternative is to modify the orbit as needed for different missions.

The current timeline suggests construction throughout the 2020s in preparation for Mars- or asteroid-oriented expeditions in the 2030s, although the group's previous construction project suffered significant delays.

Any new ISS in lunar orbit may have company. Chinas nascent but booming space program recently announced plans for a 2036 crewed lunar mission, and private companies are targeting the satellite as well. Space habitat company Bigelow Aerospace envisions an inflatable space station orbiting the moon by 2020, and SpaceX harbors ambitions of an Apollo 8-style shot around the moon in the next couple of years.

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ISS 2.0: Why the next space station could orbit the moon ... - Christian Science Monitor

The International Space Station (ISS), photographed by an astronaut aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on Feb. 10, 2010.

NASA

The International Space Station (ISS) will soon host the coldest spot in the entire universe, if everything goes according to plan.

This August, NASA plans to launch to the ISS an experiment that willfreeze atoms to only one billionth of a degree above absolute zero-- more than 100 million times colder than the far reaches of deep space, agency officials said.

The instrument suite, which is about the size of an ice chest, is called the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL). It consists of lasers, a vacuum chamber and an electromagnetic knife that together will slow down gas particles until they are almost motionless. (Remember that temperature is just a measurement of how fast atoms and molecules are moving.) [Watch a video about the CAL]

Artists illustration of an atom chip for use by NASAs Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), which will use lasers to cool atoms to ultracold temperatures. CAL is scheduled to launch to the space station in August 2017.

NASA

If successful, CAL could help unlock some of the universes deepest mysteries, project leaders said.

Studying these hypercold atoms could reshape our understanding of matter and the fundamental nature of gravity, Robert Thompson, a CAL project scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California,said in a statement. The experiments well do with the Cold Atom Lab will give us insight into gravity and dark energy -- some of the most pervasive forces in the universe.

Attempts to create Bose-Einstein condensates on Earth have been only partially successful to date. Because everything on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity, atoms and molecules tend to move toward the ground. This means the effects can only be seen for fractions of a second. In space, where the ISS is in perpetual freefall, CAL could preserve these structures for 5 to 10 seconds, NASA officials said. (Future versions of CAL may be able to hold on for hundreds of seconds, if technology improves as expected, officials added.)

11 Photos

Stunning views of the distant solar system 40 light-years away that NASA announced Wednesday

The researchers hope CAL observations will lead to the improvement of several technologies, such as quantum computers, atomic clocks for spacecraft navigation and sensors of various types -- including some that could help detectdark energy. The current model of the universe suggests we can only see about 5 percent of whats out there. The remainder is split between dark matter (27 percent) and dark energy (68 percent).

This means that even with all of our current technologies, we are still blind to 95 percent of the universe, JPLs Kamal Oudrhiri, CAL deputy project manager, said in the same statement. Like a new lens in Galileos first telescope, the ultra-sensitive cold atoms in the Cold Atom Lab have the potential to unlock many mysteries beyond the frontiers of known physics.

CAL, which was developed at JPL, is scheduled to fly to the ISS this August aboard SpaceXs robotic Dragon cargo capsule. Final testing is underway ahead of CALs shipment to the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA officials said.

Follow Elizabeth Howell@howellspace, or Space.com@Spacedotcom. Were also onFacebookandGoogle+. Original article onSpace.com.

Livescience.com. All rights reserved.

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International Space Station to host coldest spot in the universe - CBS News

The obvious promise of virtual reality is its ability to take you places you'd never actually be able to go. The International Space Station is a pretty great candidate for that, so it's fitting that Oculus teamed up with NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency to create a VR game based on an astronaut's life aboard the ISS. The best part, of course, is that the game is absolutely free.

The game, called Mission:ISS, is designed to be used with the Oculus Rift's Touch motion controllers, and you use both the VR headset and a pair of disembodied glowing hands to interact with the spacecraft and the objects within. As Oculus describes the experience on its store page, Mission:ISS features a number of "mission-critical tasks" to dutifully carry out in your role as a well-trained and totally not amateur space traveler. Those include things like walking around the outside of the space station and managing crates of cargo.

In a particularly hilarious twist, Oculus also just announced that it's sending one of its virtual reality headsets to the real International Space Station. The hope is that by having an astronaut strap the device to his noggin, they can "test the effects of zero-gravity on human spatial awareness and balance using software developed by the space agencies." If using a VR headset in zero gravity doesn't sound like a recipe for nausea I don't know what does.

As for Mission:ISS, the app will remain free to play for the foreseeable future, so if you've always dreamed of hanging out in space, this might be the closest you'll ever get.

This story originally appeared on BGR.

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This International Space Station simulator for VR will give you vertigo - Fox News

In Brief

Aerospace entrepreneur Robert Bigelow thinks space stations could be orbiting the Moon by 2020. However, he stresses, these giant refueling depots will only be possible by that time if the Trump administration prioritizes the national urgency and funding that such an initiative will need.

The key is going to be how fast the Trump administration can react, Bigelow told Space.com in a March 3 interview, adding that the administration would have to move quickly to energize funds and to galvanize the private sector.

Bigelow, who heads Bigelow Aerospace, understands the industry. His company has already launched three private inflatable space-habitat prototypes into orbit. The most recent is the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) project, which was delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016 via a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship. BEAM is the first inflatable room ever privately built and installed on the space station. It was created as part of a NASA future space habitats test, and thus far, Bigelow reports that it is performing well.

Space tourismis a hot topic for Bigelow and other space entrepreneurs.

On February 26, Elon Musk announcedthat SpaceX will launch a private flight to the Moon in 2018. The charter aboard the Dragon capsule already has two passengers who have made significant deposits. Those private citizens will have the opportunity to orbit the Moon after launching via SpaceXs Falcon Heavy rocket. Also with his eyes on the Moon is Jeff Bezos,who told The Washington Poston March 2 that his private space company, Blue Origin, is making its own plans for a Moon venture.

Habitats for the Moon and beyond and private space stations are goals for Bigelow and his company. He hopes to launch a colossal inflatable space habitat and free-flying private space station into orbit in 2020 and claims that Bigelow Aerospaceaims to provide habitats at a fraction of NASAs cost. As his company and others make space flight cheaper and more accessible, humanity will be able to extend its reach beyond our home planet, perhaps one day visiting and even colonizing new ones.

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Within 3 Years, We Could Have Private Space Stations Orbiting the Moon - Futurism

A new virtual-reality simulation lets users explore the International Space Station, dock cargo capsules, go on spacewalks and perform other tasks high above Earth's surface.

The "Mission:ISS" simulation, released yesterday (March 9), is available for free. It works with the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset and the Oculus Touch motion controllers (reviewed on our sister site Tom's Hardware). Production company Magnopus made the simulation in collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, the Oculus team said in a blog post.

"Mission:ISS" models spacewalks and other space station tasks in 3D.

"Based on NASA Space Station models as well as discussions with multiple astronauts and the VR Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, 'Mission:ISS' recreates the International Space Station in painstaking detail," they wrote.

In addition to performing mission tasks using the Oculus Touch, users will learn about the space station's history and hear astronauts' stories through several included videos.

Users can also dock incoming cargo spacecraft using the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2.

The project also includes two very different types of outreach: A beta program will provide some high school students in the United States access to "Mission:ISS" and the necessary hardware, and the Rift will also be sent to space for astronauts to use on the orbiting lab.

"The Rift will be used for the first time in orbit by European astronaut Thomas Pesquet to test the effects of zero-gravity on human spatial awareness and balance using software developed by the space agencies," the Oculus team wrote. Space station astronauts have also worked with Microsoft's HoloLens headsets, which superimpose virtual-reality elements on the real world to be viewed through the headset, to test a system that guides technical procedures and repairs in orbit.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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'Mission:ISS' Lets You Explore Space Station & Spacewalk in Virtual Reality - Space.com

Raphael Schilling, one of the three student team members who built V3PO, prepared the space station experiment by planting 0.6-inch (1.5 cm) cuttings of Ficus pumila into agar-based nutrient gel four cuttings in each of two compartments.

What started out as an after-school science-club project is now an important experiment aboard the International Space Station.

Astronauts have grown plants from seeds in microgravity before, but three students at the Edith-Stein School Ravensburg & Aulendorf in Germany wondered whether plants could also grow from cuttings. If proven possible, it would be a key development that would help astronauts quickly grow food in space. The students raised money through crowdfunding and industry sponsors to develop their experiment, called V3PO, to fly to the space station.

Maria Koch, Raphael Schilling and David Geray, who started the project about three years ago as 16-year-old students, traveled to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the launch, which was delayed a day before finally lifting off Feb. 19. [Plants in Space: Photos by Gardening Astronauts]

The V3PO team, along with their teacher and two assisting aerospace engineers (l-r) Chriss Bruderrek, David Geray, Maria Birlem, Raphael Schilling, Brigitte Schuermann, Maria Koch handed over the final experiment to NASA's operations team 36 hours before the scheduled launch.

The team was disappointed when the launch was called off with just 13 seconds to go, but were elated the next day when it finally flew, said Sebastian Rohrer, head of fungicide early biology at the German chemical company BASF's crop protection division and a scientific adviser to the students. "We kind of were staring at the skies and couldn't really believe it that it's now really happened," he told Space.com by phone from near the launch site.

"Everybody was standing there, mouths open, and didn't really know what to do, but then we started shaking hands and cheering and from there, it kind of erupted," he added.

BASF was one of the major sponsors of the students' project, and the company also provided materials and equipment for the students to use.

On Feb. 23, the space station crew installed the NanoRacks module with the experiment, which activated lights and a video feed to document the plants' fate. The whole space-borne package will return to Earth along with SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft in about two weeks, and in the meantime monitoring images are sent down daily.

The V3PO team chose a small, decorative plant called Ficus pumila (commonly called the creeping fig) for the experiment. The plant is compact enough to fit in the two compartments of the tiny box sent to space; each compartment measures 1.6 by 1.2 by 1.8 inches (4 by 3 by 4.5 centimeters). It also can withstand the temperature changes inherent in a flight through space; the plants were cooled to 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) beforehand to make sure they wouldn't grow until they were in microgravity. Four cuttings of the plant, along with a nutrient gel, were placed in each chamber.

After the first launch attempt was called off with just 13 seconds left on the clock, the rocket with V3PO aboard finally lifted off Feb. 19. Here, the students (l-r) Sebastian Rohrer, Maria Koch, Brigitte Schuermann, Chriss Bruderrek, Maria Birlem, Raphael Schilling, David Geray celebrate from their nearby viewpoint.

When the experiment lands back on Earth, the students will re-create the atmospheric conditions the plants went through, to see how Earth-bound plants fare in the same circumstances, the students and teacher, Brigitte Schuermann, told Space.com by phone (through a translator).

On Earth, pieces cut from the plants' stems can shoot out their own roots and grow into new plants a behavior that can be used to replicate crops such as tomatoes on Earth. If the little plant cuttings can grow roots without the help of gravity, they could pave the way for easier food growing on long trips through space, like those astronauts will experience when traveling to Mars someday, the students said.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Can Plants Grow from Clippings on the Space Station? Student Project Will Find Out - Space.com