Category Archives: Space Station

Kerbal Space Program [0.18] Part 1: Space Station Deployment
A very wobbly rocket makes it to a high-ish orbit. Turns out my audio doesn #39;t work right on Bandicam. Figuring that out. You can faintly hear me talking at quiet parts, but eh. Mostly boring anyway because it #39;s just a launch and orbit. A quick video I just made testing out Bandicam and the new KSP. I decided to make a vehicle to bring a huge hunk of the space station up at one time, and the next video is going to be docking with it at 500km. With no mechjeb, circularization can be hard, but the basic idea is, burn until apoapsis is at the desired height, then circularize via another prograde burn at the apoapsis to circularize the periapsis and you #39;re done. Other handy things: 1) You can now group different actions under #39;gear #39; or #39;lights #39; to deploy them all at once. No more clicking everything individually. 2) An easy way to get rid of debris is to doubleclick on it to make it active and #39;end flight #39;. Kerbal magical self destruct. Basically cheating, but I don #39;t have enough time on my hands to do rendezvous with every piece of garbage in the universe.From:armrhaViews:9 0ratingsTime:39:34More inGaming

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Kerbal Space Program [0.18] Part 1: Space Station Deployment - Video

Kerbal Space Program Powered decent
Sent first part of my space station to orbit, but when I was returning I noticed that I forgot to put parachutes to my return capsule... So powered decent was my only option. I haven #39;t tried it before which I guess shows from this video...From:JunafaniFINViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:36More inGaming

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Kerbal Space Program Powered decent - Video

Space Florida, the state's aerospace development organization and spaceport authority, and NanoRacks, LLC, today [29 november 2012] announced the winners of the International Space Station (ISS) Research Competition at The American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. A team of 15 independent judges evaluated the proposals based on defined value in the commercial marketplace, potential for future benefits in space travel, and professional qualifications of the applicants. Four (4) winning proposals originated from the commercial field and four (4) in the area of education and research.

The winners will each receive research payload transportation to the ISS via an upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Launch is currently slated for December 2013.

The 8 Competition winners are as follows:

1. Cella Energy - Dr. Stephen Perusich, Cella Energy USA, KSC-SLSL, and Dr. Stephen Bennington, Cella Energy Ltd, Harwell Science Campus, OX, UK - "Evaluation of Cella Energy Hydrogen/Boron-Based Radiation Shielding Materials on the ISS".

2. CSS-Dynamac, Florida & Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland - Dr. Michael Roberts, CSS-Dynamac, and Dr. Gary Stutte, Limerick Institute of Technology - "Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment (SyNRGE II)".

3. Florida Institute of Technology, Florida - Drs. Sam Durrance, Daniel Kirk, and Hector Gutierrez - "Self-Assembly in Biology and the Origin of Life (SABOL) (A study into Alzheimer's)".

4. German Aerospace Center, Germany - Dr. Akram Abdellatif - "Egypt Against Hepatitis C Virus".

5. Stanford University, NASA Ames Research Center and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, California - Dr. Peter Lee, Stanford University; Dr. Sharmila Bhattacharya, NASA Ames Research Center; Dr. Rolf Bodmer, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute; Dr. Karen Ocorr, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute - "HEART FLIES: Heart Effect Analysis Research Team conducting Fly Investigations and Experiments in Spaceflight - a medical experiment to understand the effects of space travel on astronaut cardiovascular systems".

6. Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona, Florida - Dr. Siobhan Malany & Dr. Steve Vasile - "Fluorescent Polarization in Microgravity: Validation of the M5 Microplate Reader Aboard the ISS".

7. University of California-Davis, SciStarter.com, ScienceCheerleader.com, California- Dr. Jonathan Eisen, Ms. Wendy Brown, Ms. Darlene Cavalier, Mr. Russell Neches, Mr. Mark Severance & Summer Williams - "Comparison of the Growth Rate & DNA/RNA Quantitation of Microgravity Exposed Microbial Community Samples Collected by the Astronauts Onboard the International Space Station And by Citizen Scientists & Student Scientists at Public Venues".

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Space Florida Announces ISS Research Competition Winners at ASGSR

The SOLAR instrument located on the exterior of the Columbus module on the ISS. Credit: ESA

Content provided by Nancy Atkinson, Universe Today

This weekend the International Space Station (ISS) will turn itself to face the sun, enabling ESA's SOLAR instrument to capture an entire rotation of the solar surface. This is the first time the Station has changed attitude for scientific reasons alone.

This instrument has been on the space station since 2008, and for the first time will record a full rotation of the sun. It began this effort on Nov. 19, 2012, and on Dec. 1, the Station will spend two hours turning about 7 degrees so that observations can continue. It will hold this angle for ten days before returning to its original attitude.

PHOTOS: An Awe-Inspiring Space Station Odyssey

"We want to record a complete rotation of the sun and that takes around 25 days, said Nadia This, operations engineer at the Belgian User Support and Operations Center that controls SOLAR.

SOLAR needs to be in direct view of the sun to take measurements but the Space Station's normal orbit obscures the view for two weeks every month.

All the international partners had to agree on changing the ISS's orientation.

However, moving a 450-ton orbital outpost the size of a city block isn't a simple undertaking. Aside from calculating the correct orbit to keep SOLAR in view of the sun, other factors need to be taken into account such as ensuring the solar panels that power the Station also face the sun. Additionally, communication antennas need to be reoriented to stay in contact with Earth and other scientific experiments must be adjusted.

PHOTOS: Space Station Astronauts Log One Million Photos

Read more:
Space Station Will Turn to Face the Sun

Let #39;s Play Space Station Silicon Valley - Part 7
Part 7: Rocky Hard Place Evo uses the springy sheep to conquer gravityFrom:voltageman65Views:11 2ratingsTime:07:29More inGaming

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Let's Play Space Station Silicon Valley - Part 7 - Video

What Dose It Feel Like TOo Fly Over Planet Earth. This Is An Amazing Clip
I #39;m normally not into this type of stuff but this caught my eye so thought i would take a look. It is an amazing clip of the earth filmed from space. Inspired by a version of the opening sequence of this clip called Inspired by a version of the opening sequence of this clip called #39;What does it feel like to fly over planet Earth? #39;, I tracked down the original photos taken on the International Space Station via NASA, added some extras, and found a soundtrack that almost matches the awe and wonder I feel when I see our home from above.From:tracymark000Views:0 0ratingsTime:02:30More inEntertainment

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What Dose It Feel Like TOo Fly Over Planet Earth. This Is An Amazing Clip - Video

A University of Central Florida experiment that could help explain how planets formed in our solar system has won a free ride to the International Space Station in 2013.

Physics professor Joshua Colwell's experiment is one of eight winners of the Space Florida International Space Station Research Competition sponsored by Space Florida and NanoRacks, LLC. Space Florida (www.spaceflorida.gov ) is Florida's spaceport authority and aerospace development organization. NanoRacks (www.nanoracks.com) is a private company that operates the first commercial laboratory in low-earth orbit.

Colwell studies the origin and evolution of the solar system, from the earliest stages of planet formation to the rings around Saturn and the evolution of comets and asteroids. He's had twoexperiments fly aboard space shuttles and conducts research with experiments that have flown on parabolic airplane flights and drop towers. He is a co-investigator on the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph of the Cassini mission, a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn since 2004, and since 2011 he has been the associate chair of the Department of Physics and the interim assistant director of the Florida Space Institute.

"The gravity of Earth swamps the kind of collisions of dust particles we are studying, making it difficult to get good data on the ground and even on parabolic flights," Colwell said. "It's exciting to get an opportunity to do this experiment on the space station where we don't have the same gravitational issues and we can observe these collisions over time, giving us information we cannot get on any other platform."

The UCF experiment headed to the space station is designed to explore low-energy collisions in the protoplanetary disk (the disk of dust and gas that surrounds the center of our solar system) to better understand the conditions and processes that lead to the formation of the building blocks of planets. The same kinds of collisions also take place inplanetary ring systems, such as Saturn's rings. The information that will be obtained from the six-inch-box experiment on the space station may also shed light on how Saturn's rings were formed and give clues to the ring's age, something that's still open to interpretation.

The research competition was designed to inspire innovation and enable unique research opportunities and access to the space station. Breakthroughs in material and life sciences, environmental monitoring, complex drugs and other consumer items enabled by space-based research benefit a broad range of emerging markets for government, commercial and academic customers. Research proposals were reviewed and judged by an independent and scientifically qualified team, based on commercial viability and overall benefit to mankind.

"We hope to inspire some significant scientific breakthroughs as a result of this competition, and reach the next generation of researchers and an international array of scientists and international companies," said Frank DiBello, Space Florida president in a press release. A team of 15 independent judges evaluated the proposals based on defined value in the commercial marketplace, potential for future benefits in space travel, and professional qualifications of the applicants.

Colwell's team, which includes post-doctoral associate Addie Dove, is currently assembling the experiment in its lab at UCF with a scheduled launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in December 2013.

"It's very exciting for me," Dove said. "You don't get this kind of opportunity every day. I can't wait to see it go up to the station and then to help analyze the data we get back."

CONTACT: Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF News & Information, 407-823-6120 or zenaida.kotala@ucf.edu Tina Lange, Space Florida, 321-223-1013 or tina@tntcommgroup.com

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UCF Experiment Wins Free Trip to the International Space Station

Published: Nov. 29, 2012 at 5:18 PM

MOSCOW, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The new crew for the International Space Station, preparing for their launch in December, will perform two spacewalks during their stay, Russian officials say.

Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and U.S. astronaut Thomas Marshburn will be lifted into space in a Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan Dec. 19, RIA Novosti reported Thursday.

"The tasks of the Russian spacewalk include installing equipment for a new scientific experiment," Romanenko said.

"We will install an antenna and take samples of materials that will have spent more than a year exposed to cosmic radiation and weightlessness."

During their 147-day mission, the new ISS crew members joining Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin and NASA astronaut Kevin Ford as the Expedition 34 crew will also take part in docking and unloading six spacecraft: four Russian Progress cargo spacecraft, Europe's ATV-4 space freighter and the U.S. SpaceX-2 spacecraft.

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Spacewalks on agenda for new space crew

A similar, but smaller experiment will fly to the International Space Station in 2013.

(Phys.org)University of Central Florida experiment that could help explain how planets formed in our solar system has won a free ride to the International Space Station in 2013.

Physics professor Joshua Colwell's experiment is one of eight winners of the Space Florida International Space Station Research Competition sponsored by Space Florida and NanoRacks. Space Florida is Florida's spaceport authority and aerospace development organization. NanoRacks is a private company that operates the first commercial laboratory in low-earth orbit.

Colwell studies the origin and evolution of the solar system, from the earliest stages of planet formation to the rings around Saturn and the evolution of comets and asteroids. He's had two experiments fly aboard space shuttles and conducts research with experiments that have flown on parabolic airplane flights and drop towers. He is a co-investigator on the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph of the Cassini mission, a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn since 2004, and since 2011 he has been the associate chair of the Department of Physics and the interim assistant director of the Florida Space Institute.

"The gravity of Earth swamps the kind of collisions of dust particles we are studying, making it difficult to get good data on the ground and even on parabolic flights," Colwell said. "It's exciting to get an opportunity to do this experiment on the space station where we don't have the same gravitational issues and we can observe these collisions over time, giving us information we cannot get on any other platform."

The UCF experiment headed to the space station is designed to explore low-energy collisions in the protoplanetary disk (the disk of dust and gas that surrounds the center of our solar system) to better understand the conditions and processes that lead to the formation of the building blocks of planets. The same kinds of collisions also take place in planetary ring systems, such as Saturn's rings. The information that will be obtained from the six-inch-box experiment on the space station may also shed light on how Saturn's rings were formed and give clues to the ring's age, something that's still open to interpretation.

The research competition was designed to inspire innovation and enable unique research opportunities and access to the space station. Breakthroughs in material and life sciences, environmental monitoring, complex drugs and other consumer items enabled by space-based research benefit a broad range of emerging markets for government, commercial and academic customers. Research proposals were reviewed and judged by an independent and scientifically qualified team, based on commercial viability and overall benefit to mankind.

"We hope to inspire some significant scientific breakthroughs as a result of this competition, and reach the next generation of researchers and an international array of scientists and international companies," said Frank DiBello, Space Florida president in a press release.

A team of 15 independent judges evaluated the proposals based on defined value in the commercial marketplace, potential for future benefits in space travel, and professional qualifications of the applicants.

Colwell's team, which includes post-doctoral associate Addie Dove, is currently assembling the experiment in its lab at UCF with a scheduled launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in December 2013.

Originally posted here:
Experiment wins free trip to the International Space Station

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This weekend the International Space Station will turn itself to face the Sun, enabling ESAs SOLAR instrument to capture an entire rotation of the solar surface. This is the first time the Station has changed attitude for scientific reasons alone.

This instrument has been on the ISS since 2008, and for the first time will record a full rotation of the Sun. It began this effort on November 19, 2012, and on December 1, the Station will spend two hours turning about 7 degrees so that observations can continue. It will hold this angle for ten days before returning to its original attitude. We want to record a complete rotation of the Sun and that takes around 25 days, said Nadia This, operations engineer at the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre that controls SOLAR.

SOLAR needs to be in direct view of the Sun to take measurements but the Space Stations normal orbit obscures the view for two weeks every month.

All the international partners had to agree on changing the ISSs orientation.

However, moving a 450-ton orbital outpost the size of a city block isnt a simple undertaking. Aside from calculating the correct orbit to keep SOLAR in view of the Sun, other factors need to be taken into account such as ensuring the solar panels that power the Station also face the Sun. Additionally, communication antennas need to be reoriented to stay in contact with Earth and other scientific experiments must be adjusted.

The SOLAR instrument located on the exterior of the Columbus module on the ISS. Credit: ESA

The SOLAR instrument was originally designed to last about 18 months, but has been going strong for 5 years. It is installed on the outside of the ESAs Columbus module.

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International Space Station Making New Solar Observations