Uncategorized - Space Station

Expedition 71 Resumes Science, Maintenance After Starliner Scrub

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft atop the Atlas V rocket from ULA (United Launch Alliance) is pictured on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky — Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the Atlas V rocket from ULA (United Launch Alliance) is pictured on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

The Expedition 71 crew is now targeting no earlier than Saturday, May 11, to welcome two astronauts who are due to launch the day prior to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. In the meantime, the orbital septet resumed their normal activities on Tuesday researching a variety of space phenomena and maintaining lab systems.

A technical issue prevented the May 6 launch attempt of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the Atlas V rocket from ULA (United Launch Alliance) to the space station. Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, safely exited Starliner on Monday night and returned to their crew quarters at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

NASA, Boeing, and ULA are now targeting the launch of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test for no earlier than Friday, May 10, pending resolution of the technical issue. Teams are analyzing data to determine whether to replace a pressure regulation valve on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage. Mission managers provided an update during a press conference at Kennedy.

Back on orbit, the four astronauts and three cosmonauts adjusted their shifts and continued studying life science and space physics. The seven outpost residents also serviced life support systems and lab hardware ensuring the station remains in tip-top shape.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick first partnered together on Tuesday for neck, shoulder, and leg vein scans with the Ultrasound 2 device. Next, the duo spent the afternoon transferring cargo in and out of the Cygnus space freighter attached to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

Astronauts Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps, both NASA flight engineers, spent a portion of their day swapping out life support and orbital plumbing gear inside the Harmony and Tranquility modules. Barratt then set up research hardware in the Microgravity Science Glovebox for the Transparent Alloys physics investigation. Epps inspected and serviced multipurpose research hardware that can host many different space experiments.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos started his day monitoring carbon dioxide levels and swapping electronics gear before jogging on a treadmill for a regularly scheduled fitness test in the afternoon. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub installed gear that will monitor the condition of surfaces affected by the external microgravity environment on the outside of the space station, and Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked in the Nauka science module on orbital plumbing duties.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Scrubbed

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is seen on the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, May 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance scrubbed the launch opportunity on Monday, May 6 for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station due to a faulty oxygen relief valve observation on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Centaur second stage.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams exited the Starliner spacecraft at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and will return to astronaut crew quarters.

NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Key Launch Milestones

In less than four hours, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to lift off at 10:34 p.m. EDT aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission is the first crewed flight for the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Here is a look at some key milestones leading up to tonight’s launch:

Time Event (All times approximate)
6:26 p.m. Flight crew begins suit-up operations
7:04 p.m. Crew walkout from the Neil A. Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
7:14 p.m. Crew departs, travels to Space Launch Complex-41
7:39 p.m. Crew arrives at pad, ascends tower, enters white room, and enters Starliner capsule separately
8:57 p.m. Crew inside Starliner capsule complete
9:24 p.m. Hatch closure and leak checks
9:32 p.m. Hatch closure complete
9:44 p.m. Configure White Room for launch
10:09 p.m. Clear for launch check
10:23 p.m. Crew access arm retracts
10:34 p.m. Liftoff!
10:35 p.m. ULA rocket reaches MaxQ
10:40 p.m. Atlas V booster separates
10:48 p.m. Boeing Starliner separates
11:05 p.m. Orbital insertion burn

Starliner will autonomously dock to the station on Wednesday, May 8, and remain at the orbital laboratory for about a week. Although Starliner is designed to dock autonomously, the astronauts aboard the spacecraft will demonstrate manual control processes and capabilities before the spacecraft makes its automated final approach.

Stay tuned for more updates on this blog as the countdown to launch continues.

Expedition 71 Prepares to Welcome Boeing’s Starliner Crew

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft sits atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. — Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft sits atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

It was a light duty day aboard the International Space Station for four Expedition 71 astronauts as they await the launch and arrival of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test. The orbital outpost’s three cosmonauts had their day full as they kept up lab maintenance and researched a variety of microgravity phenomena.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt kicked off Monday morning with a series of biomedical tests to help doctors understand how living in space affects the human body. Dyson first collected her saliva samples then stowed them in a science freezer for later analysis. Afterward, she drew her blood then processed those samples with assistance from Barratt before spinning them in a centrifuge then stowing them in a science freezer.

Next, Barratt joined NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick and set up in-ear sensors that will monitor an astronaut’s sleep patterns in space. Researchers will record the data and compare it to a crew member’s sleep patterns on Earth before and after a space mission. The Sleep in Orbit investigation will help doctors learn how sleep differs on and off the Earth and promote an astronaut’s cognitive well-being.

All three astronauts then joined NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps, who had the entire day off, and relaxed the rest of their shift while also conducting in their daily exercise sessions.

The quartet will work half-a-day on Tuesday then go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep before the arrival of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The Commercial Crew duo is scheduled to launch aboard Starliner atop United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket at 10:34 p.m. EDT today from Florida. Starliner is due to dock to the orbital lab’s forward port on the Harmony module at 12:46 a.m. on Wednesday. Watch live on the NASA+ streaming service via the web or the NASA app. Mission coverage also will air live on NASA Television, YouTube, and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Roscosmos’ three cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin had a full day on Monday tending to ongoing research and ensuring the upkeep of the space station. Kononenko spent his shift servicing life support gear and science hardware. Chub cleaned airducts in the Nauka science module then photographed the condition of windows in the Zvezda service module. Grebenkin worked throughout the day on orbital plumbing duties and computer maintenance while also studying how international crews and controllers con improve communications.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Return of the GEDI: Space Station Instrument Returns to Forest Monitoring

That’s no moon, that’s a space station!

The return of NASA’s GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation) is underway, as the agency’s very own “lightsaber” will soon be back to measuring forests in three dimensions after it was reinstalled on the International Space Station April 22.

Measuring distances with similar principles as sonar, a lidar instrument uses light instead of sound. Rather than working on a forest moon in a galaxy far, far away, the instrument works much closer to home: measuring Earth’s forest structure including the height of the canopy, density of vegetation, and the distribution of branches and leaves.

As an instrument of the light side, GEDI is readying for its second mission aboard the space station.

After completing its extended mission in March 2023, a robotic arm was used to move GEDI temporarily to an exterior storage site on the space station for hibernation. Soon after reinstallation, teams began testing it for any forms of hibernation sickness and expect it will begin gathering data again this summer.

The force is strong with this one

Scientists used GEDI data to map Earth’s biomass and track how forests respond to climate change and land use impacts. Data from GEDI has helped to measure the height of forests across the globe in greater detail than ever before, and also to quantify the impact of protected areas on carbon sequestration.

Learn more about NASA’s GEDI master: https://nasa.gov/GEDI

NASA and Boeing ‘Go’ for Crew Flight Test Mission

Officials from NASA, Boeing, ULA (United Launch Alliance) , and the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron participate in a prelaunch briefing for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Friday, May 3, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) officials discussed final prelaunch details to send two astronauts aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station as the first crewed flight for Starliner. The prelaunch news conference finished at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“We are going to have a whole new adventure. This is very much a part of our exploration of space and what I call the ‘golden age of space exploration,’” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “It’s a historical day. It’s a wonderful day.”

Officials provided updates to the countdown of the 10:34 p.m. EDT Monday, May 6, launch of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, on the Starliner spacecraft as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. The crew is set to dock at the space station on Wednesday, May 8, for about a week-long stay before returning to Earth with a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.

“It’s exciting to bring Starliner and a United launch Alliance Atlas vehicle online,” said Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “We have been striving for commercial crew to have two independent space transportation systems. That’s been our goal from commercial crew since its inception, and we’re very close to reaching that goal with the launch on Monday.”

Brian Cizek, launch weather officer with the 45th Weather Squadron, predicts a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch, with the cumulus cloud rule being the primary weather concern.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team. We’re at peak performance right now and we are really excited to execute this launch. We’re ready to go,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing.

At 3:30 p.m., NASA will host a social media briefing with the following participants:

NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
Ian Kappes, deputy launch vehicle office manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Amy Comeau Denker, Starliner associate chief engineer, Boeing
Caleb Weiss, system engineering and test leader, ULA
Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program

NASA will provide coverage of the social media briefing on Kennedy’s Facebook, X, and YouTube accounts.

On Saturday, May 4, the ULA Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft will roll out to the pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Launch is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. Monday, May 6.

Here is a list of other upcoming events leading up to the mission.

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

Meet NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Crew

Official SpaceX Crew-8 portrait, from right to left, NASA astronauts Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps, Commander Matthew Dominick, and Pilot Michael Barratt, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Aleksandr Grebenkin. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Stafford

Matthew Dominick will serve as commander for Crew-8, his first spaceflight, after being selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2017. He is from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego, California, and a master’s in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is an active-duty U.S. Navy astronaut. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and then served as a test pilot specializing in testing aircraft carriers’ landings and catapult launches.

Michael Barratt is the Crew-8 pilot, making his third visit to the International Space Station. In 2009, Barratt served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 19/20 as the station transitioned its standard crew complement from three to six and performed two spacewalks. He flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2011 on STS-133, which delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier. He has spent a total of 212 days in space. Born in Vancouver, Washington, he considers Camas, Washington, to be his hometown. Barratt earned a bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed residencies in internal and aerospace medicine at Northwestern along with a master’s degree at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. After nine years as a NASA flight surgeon and project physician, Barratt joined the astronaut corps in 2000.

Jeanette Epps was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2009. She serves as mission specialist aboard Crew-8, her first spaceflight, working with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. She is from Syracuse, New York, and earned a bachelor’s in physics from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, and a master’s in science and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park. Prior to joining NASA, she worked at Ford Motor Co. and the Central Intelligence Agency. She has served on the Generic Joint Operation Panel working on space station crew efficiency, as a crew support astronaut for two expeditions, and as lead capsule communicator at NASA Johnson. Epps previously was assigned to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission. NASA reassigned Epps to allow Boeing time to complete development of Starliner while also continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for future mission needs.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, who graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School, Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance, and repair of aircraft radio navigation systems, also is flying on his first mission. He graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television. Grebenkin will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 70/71 aboard the International Space Station.

Details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the Crew-8 blog, the commercial crew blog, X, and Facebook.

A Look at Tonight’s Key Launch Milestones

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen during sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-8 mission, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on top is seen during sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-8 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

We’re just about four hours away from the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission and weather continues to look great for launch, with the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicting an 75% chance of favorable weather conditions at launch.

NASA’s live coverage of the Crew-8 launch is airing now on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website, and you can follow along on the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, X, and Facebook for continuous coverage of important Crew-8 launch activities.

Here’s a look at some of the key milestones and critical events leading up to tonight’s launch and occurring after liftoff. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off at 10:53 p.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida.

Time Event (All times approximate)
6:48 p.m. Crew handoff to SpaceX
6:53 p.m.      Suit donning and checkouts
7:33 p.m.      Crew walkout from Neil A. Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
7:38 p.m.      Crew transportation to Launch Complex 39A
7:58 p.m.      Crew arrives at pad and ascends tower
8:18 p.m.      Crew ingress
8:23 p.m.      Communication check
8:24 p.m.      Seat rotation
8:25 p.m.      Suit leak checks
8:58 p.m.      Hatch close
10:08 p.m.    SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
10:11 p.m.    Crew access arm retracts
10:14 p.m.    Dragon’s launch escape system is armed
10:18 p.m.    RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
10:18 p.m.    1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
10:37 p.m.    2nd stage LOX loading begins
10:46 p.m.    Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
10:48 p.m.    Dragon transitions to internal power
10:52 p.m.    Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
10:52 p.m.    Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
10:52 p.m.    SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
10:53 p.m.    Falcon 9 liftoff
10:54 p.m.    Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
10:55 p.m.    1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
10:55 p.m.    1st and 2nd stages separate
10:55 p.m.    2nd stage engine starts
10:56 p.m.    Boostback Burn Starts
10:59 p.m.    Boostback Burn Ends
10:59 p.m.    1st stage entry burn starts
11:00 p.m.    1st stage entry burn ends
11:00 p.m.    1st stage landing burn starts
11:00 p.m.    1st stage landing
11:02 p.m.    2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
11:05 p.m.    Dragon separates from 2nd stage
11:06 p.m.    Dragon nosecone open sequence begins

Weather Forecast at 75% ‘Go’ for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launch

The Crew-8 and American flags fly over the iconic countdown clock near the NASA News Center at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 launch, Sunday, March 3, 2024. — The Crew-8 and American flags fly over the iconic countdown clock near the NASA News Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch, Sunday, March 3, 2024. Photo credit: NASA Television

For NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch, targeted at 10:53 p.m. EST tonight, the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 75% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for liftoff. The primary weather concerns for the launch area are flight through precipitation and the anvil cloud rule.

The Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, will launch to the International Space Station on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA’s live coverage of Crew-8 activities begins at 6:45 p.m. EST on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Follow along for details about the mission and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program on the Crew-8 blog, the commercial crew blog, X, and Facebook.

Heart Health, 3D Printing, and More Research Pack Station Schedule

The waxing gibbous Moon is pictured above the Earth's horizon in this photograph from the space station as it orbited above a cloudy Western Europe. — The waxing gibbous Moon is pictured above the Earth’s horizon in this photograph from the space station as it orbited above a cloudy Western Europe.

Heart scans, 3D printing, and fire safety were the top research topics aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 70 crew also spent its day on a variety of scientific maintenance and cargo activities.

Astronauts Loral O’Hara and Satoshi Furukawa kicked off their day continuing more experimental work for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations. O’Hara from NASA led the cardiac portion of the biology study scanning the chest of Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) with the Ultrasound 2 device. Doctors on the ground observed the downlinked data for insights into heart health in space.

O’Hara then moved on and uninstalled robotic surgery demonstration hardware from an EXPRESS rack for return to Earth on a future mission. At the end of the day, she swapped out samples and research components supporting a space fire safety experiment inside the Combustion Integrated Rack. Furukawa checked out the operation of a free-flying camera robot then reconfigured the Kibo laboratory module to accommodate new cargo from an upcoming resupply mission.

Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) spent most of his day setting up the Metal 3D printer in the Columbus laboratory module. The device is testing the ability to print parts in space reducing the need to depend on resupply missions or pack spare parts on future exploration missions. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli worked inside the Tranquility module throughout Wednesday replacing orbital plumbing components.

Two cosmonauts, Konstantin Borisov and Nikolai Chub, tested a specialized suit that may speed up a crew member’s adjustment to Earth’s gravity after living in space for several months or longer. The lower body negative pressure suit is designed to counteract the tendency of body fluids to pool in the upper body due to the lack of gravity. Chub later continued unpacking the new Progress 87 resupply ship while Borisov synched station cameras to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) then serviced an oxygen generator.

Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko worked during the morning inspecting structures inside the Zvezda service module. During the afternoon, the five-time station resident checked seat shock absorbers inside the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship then performed a systems check on the Progress 87 with the vehicle’s hatch closed.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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