Category Archives: Space Station

A veteran NASA space commander and Russian cosmonaut have signed on for the ultimate space voyage: a yearlong trip on the International Space Station.

American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will launch on the one-year space station flight in spring 2015 and return to Earth in spring 2016, NASA officials announced today (Nov. 26). They will begin their mission training in early 2013.

The mission will help NASA understand how the human body adapts to extremely long space missions, such as voyages around the moon, to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars, NASA officials said.

"Congratulations to Scott and Mikhail on their selection for this important mission," William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations in Washington, said in a statement. "Their skills and previous experience aboard the space station align with the mission's requirements. The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space and will increase our knowledge regarding the effects of microgravity on humans as we prepare for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit." [Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records]

NASA is developing spacecraft and mission plans to send astronauts to visit a near-Earth asteroid by 2025, a goal set by President Barack Obama. The space agency is also reportedly studying potential manned missions back to the moon.

Kelly, 48, is a U.S. Navy captain who has flown on two space shuttle missions and one long-duration expedition on the International Space Station. He commanded the space station's Expedition 26 mission in 2010 during his third spaceflight.

Kelly hails from West Orange, N.J., and joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1996. His identical twin brother Mark Kelly also served as a Navy captain and NASA astronaut before retiring from the military and spaceflight in 2011.

Kornienko, 52, is also a veteran spaceflyer. The native of Syzran in Russia's Kuibyshev region is a former paratrooper officer who joined Russia's cosmonaut corps in 1998. Kornienko spent more than 176 days in space as a flight engineer on the station's Expedition 23 and 24 crews.

NASA and Russia announced plans for the one-year space station voyage earlier this year. Rumors of the flight were circling prior to the announcement, with the Russian news agency Interfax suggesting that veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson a veteran station commander as a potential choice for the American crewmember. Whitson stepped down from her position as NASA's Chief Astronaut earlier this year to rejoin the agency's active spaceflying ranks.

Today's announcement, however, puts that theory to rest.

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US-Russian Crew Picked for One-Year Space Station Flight

To collect data on how the human body reacts and adapts to the space environment, a NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut will spend a full year aboard the International Space Station.

Astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, both veterans of long-duration space flights, will spend a full year aboard the International Space Station to help scientists learn more about how the body reacts and adapts to weightlessness and other aspects of the space environment.

The research is aimed at helping scientists and engineers develop possible countermeasures for future manned missions to deep space destinations including the moon, nearby asteroids and, eventually, Mars.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.

"Congratulations to Scott and Mikhail on their selection for this important mission," William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space flight, said in a statement. "The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space and will increase our knowledge regarding the effects of microgravity on humans as we prepare for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit."

The mission also could free up two seats aboard Russian Soyuz ferry craft for station visits by wealthy space tourists, providing needed cash to the Russian space program.

The Russians launched eight "spaceflight participants" to the station between 2001 and 2008, including one who flew twice. Seven of those were considered space tourists, paying between $20 million and $50 million per flight. The flights were arranged by Space Adventures of Vienna, Va.

Tourist flights have been on hold in recent years with all available Soyuz seats booked for professional astronauts and cosmonauts making up the station's six-member crew.

In early October, however, NASA and the Russians announced plans for an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut to spend a full year aboard the space station, freeing up two Soyuz seats in the normal crew rotation matrix.

Soprano Sarah Brightman announced on October 10 that she was booking a flight to the station through Space Adventures and Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency. Russian space officials said late last week that a final decision is expected next year. If the flight is approved, Brightman likely would fly in the mid to late 2015 timeframe.

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Two space veterans named to yearlong station flight

Astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, both veterans of long-duration space flights, will spend a full year aboard the International Space Station in 2015-16 to help scientists learn more about how the body reacts and adapts to weightlessness and other aspects of the space environment.

The research is aimed at helping scientists and engineers develop possible countermeasures for future manned missions to deep space destinations including the moon, nearby asteroids and, eventually, Mars.

"Congratulations to Scott and Mikhail on their selection for this important mission," William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space flight, said in a statement. "The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space and will increase our knowledge regarding the effects of microgravity on humans as we prepare for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit."

The mission also could free up two seats aboard Russian Soyuz ferry craft for station visits by wealthy space tourists, providing needed cash to the Russian space program.

The Russians launched eight "spaceflight participants" to the station between 2001 and 2008, including one who flew twice. Seven of those were considered space tourists, paying between $20 million and $50 million per flight. The flights were arranged by Space Adventures of Vienna, VA.

Tourist flights have been on hold in recent years with all available Soyuz seats booked for professional astronauts and cosmonauts making up the station's six-member crew.

In early October, however, NASA and the Russians announced plans for an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut to spend a full year aboard the space station, freeing up two Soyuz seats in the normal crew rotation matrix.

Soprano Sarah Brightman announced on Oct. 10 that she was booking a flight to the station through Space Adventures and Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency. Russian space officials said late last week that a final decision is expected next year. If the flight is approved, Brightman likely would fly in the mid to late 2015 timeframe.

"I have met her, she is all set to fly, but Roscosmos has not yet decided on it," Vladimir Popovkin, director of the Russian space agency, said in published accounts. "We have a range of possibilities, including sending young cosmonauts to fly. A final decision will be made in the first half of 2013."

NASA did not announce when Kelly and Kornienko would begin their mission, but sources said earlier they likely will take off in March 2015 aboard the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft, accompanied by a Russian spacecraft commander who would stay aboard the lab for a normal six-month tour.

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Astronaut Scott Kelly to spend year in space

Kerbal Space Station - Forum Challenge 3 - Sattellite Rendezvous
Third forum challenge, my first successful attempt to connect with the sattelite and return. Mission time 2 Hour 49 Min 30 SecFrom:MachineMarkoeZViews:4 0ratingsTime:04:05More inAutos Vehicles

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Kerbal Space Station - Forum Challenge 3 - Sattellite Rendezvous - Video

Woodturning Christmas Ornament - Deep Space Nine in Walnut and Maple
http://www.aswoodturns.com This woodturning resembles the space station on Star Trek - Deep Space Nine. It has a wide, round main section with corridors back to the central hub. The top and bottom finials house docking bays and equipment not subject to gravity. Each is about 7" tall and 3" in diameter. It is about 7" tall and about 3" in diameter. The body is Walnut with Maple Finials. The body is inlaid with brass wire to resemble portholes. It is finished with a friction polish. The walnut body is drilled out to form spokes from the central core to the space station #39;s outer ring. I picked up a tip from Eddie Castelin for this project. To size the tenon, I used an end wrench 5 on one end and 1/4" on the other. I agressively cut the tenon until the 5/16" wrench fit. Then carefully sized it down the rest of the way to 1/4". I made two of these space stations. On the last finial, I started with skew practice and ended up turning the entire finial with a skew instead of a gouge. This ornament is part of the Christmas Ornament Woodturning Challenge 2012. Please view the playlist at http://www.youtube.com Carl Jacobson and I are sponsoring this challenge. If you would like to enter an ornament in this challenge, video yourself making the ornament, upload it to YouTube, and let me know where the video is. I #39;ll then add it to the challenge playlist. Enter your email at http://www.AsWoodTurns.com I #39;ll let you know when the next woodturning project video is ready.From:AsWoodTurnsViews:21 2ratingsTime:08:47More inHowto Style

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This Week @NASA
Onboard the International Space Station NASA #39;s Kevin Ford continues to settle into his role as Commander of the orbiting laboratory. NASA Astronaut Joe Acaba, who recently returned from a four month stay on the International Space Station stopped by the Payload Operations Center at Marshall Space Flight Center. Former astronaut Ellen Ochoa has been chosen to lead NASA #39;s Johnson Space Center into the next era of exploration, following current Center Director Mike Coats #39; announcement that, after guiding Johnson through a dynamic transition, he has decided to retire at the end of the year. Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center finished a circumferential weld of the #39;pathfinder #39; version of an adapter that will eventually connect the Orion spacecraft to NASA #39;s Space Launch System, but will first be used on Exploration Flight Test-1 in 2014, when it will connect Orion to a Delta IV heavy-lift rocket. The SLS Program has wrapped up testing of its buffet model in the Langley Research Center #39;s Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. Popular Science Magazine has named NASA #39;s PhoneSat project as a winner in the Aerospace category of its 2012 Best of What #39;s New Awards. Goddard Space Flight Center took delivery of the second shipment of Beryllium mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA #39;s Mars Curiosity rover has completed its first same-day #39;touch-and-go #39; inspection, using the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer on its arm to touch a rock named #39;Rocknest 3 #39; and collect data about ...From:Kowch737Views:1 1ratingsTime:11:48More inScience Technology

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ISS tour with Expedition 33 commander Sunita Williams
Expedition 33 Commander Suni Williams starts off her tour of the International Space Station with a look at its nodes -- Harmony, Tranquility and Unity -- which include the crew #39;s sleeping quarters and hygiene station. After that is is on to a look at the Destiny, Kibo and Columbus labs as well as the Quest airlock. Suni also shows us the station #39;s observation deck, the cupola, as well as the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device in the Tranquility node, before heading into the Leonardo Permanent Multi-Purpose Module. The tour concludes with a visit to the Russian segment, which includes Zarya, the first segment of the station launched in 1998, and Zvezda, the central command post. She also takes a look at the Poisk and Rassvet modules where Soyuz spacecraft are docked.From:interbartoloViews:14 7ratingsTime:29:39More inScience Technology

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ISS tour with Expedition 33 commander Sunita Williams - Video

Illuminati #39;s International Space Station Retreat. Part 6/10
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Illuminati's International Space Station Retreat. Part 6/10 - Video

Stacked Space Station Time-Lapse Shows Off Beautiful Star Trails
From:wiredViews:0 0ratingsTime:03:43More inEntertainment

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Panic (SFM : Scrapped)
This scene was originally intended to be in my machinima, however I dropped this one since I made a superior scene. Now I #39;m just sharing this to the public. [When this video was on a Private channel] Render Test 5 {--Change-Log--} Animation + Character models [v] Civilians now scramble/turn while running [v] Security team models are now posed to hold weapons properly [v] Smoothed animations [v] Replaced several Civilian models with different clothing [v] Replaced default half life 2 clothing on all civilians [v] Added new antagonist models/textures [v] Mix matched running footage on security soldiers to look smoother Level Design [v] Replaced textures on level [v] Replaced 1/5th brushes on level [v] Replaced original industrial set with a space station [v] Added windows ... Revealed skybox [v] Added monitors onto walls [v] Added floor decals(Colored numbers and letters) [v] Added new hallway for a new set piece [v] Added lighting to several areas [v] Added better optimization for several areas [v] Added useless glass that does nothing but compliment the level [v] Modified layout of level [v] Modified alignment of textures [v] Removed orange holographic terminals [v] Removed unused rooms and hallways [v] Removed three massive set pieces for filming (4/5th of level removed) [v] Removed completely unseen skylights Negative Results [v] Some Civilians look awkward when turning [v] Blur is too powerful and odd on several shots [v] Still didn #39;t add depth of field [v] Didn #39;t add ...From:IGotzNoSkittles78Views:28 1ratingsTime:00:14More inFilm Animation

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Panic (SFM : Scrapped) - Video