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Post-Launch Status of Next Space Station Supply Mission

NASA

Опубликовано: 14 авг. 2017 г.

On August 14, a post-launch status briefing was held at Kennedy Space Center, following the launch of the twelfth SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station. SpaceX launched its Dragon spacecraft aboard the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at KSC.

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http://spaceflight101.com/dragon-spx12/falcon-9-launches-dragon-spx-12-first-stage-landing-success/

Successful Monday Commute to Orbit for Dragon Cargo Craft, Falcon 9 aces another Landing
August 14, 2017


Photo: NASA TV

Mice, a supercomputer, small satellites and a new state-of-the-art particle detector roared into clear skies over Florida's Space Coast on Monday aboard the twelfth regular Dragon cargo spacecraft launching atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

The 65-meter tall rocket lifted off fr om Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 16:31 UTC, turning to the north east to deliver Dragon into the orbital plane of the Station for a two-day rendezvous. Embarking on its eleventh flight of the year, the third in support of ISS logistics, Falcon 9 fired its nine first stage engines for just under two and a half minutes before the first stage booster dropped away and made an immediate U-turn to accelerate back toward Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1, coming in for a powered landing eight minutes after launch reaching its culmination with a gentle touchdown on four fold-out landing legs that had been recycled fr om a previous rocket.

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Photo: NASA TV

As the first stage went through its propulsive return, the rocket's second stage fired its single MVac engine for six and a half minutes to dispatch Dragon into Low Earth Orbit, separating from the launch vehicle ten minutes after launch to begin its chase of the International Space Station. Set for a robotic capture on Wednesday, Dragon is booked for a 35-day stay at ISS to facilitate cargo transfers and experiments.

Dragon SpX-12 is setting a new record for the amount of research on an ISS visiting vehicle with 75% of the vehicle's total cargo load dedicated to experiments and research gear. This is made possible by excellent systems performance and consumable levels on the Space Station, allowing cargo upmass budgeted for maintenance hardware and supplies to be re-assigned to science investigations to support a very busy science program aboard ISS with some 300 active investigations over the next six months.

>> Dragon SpX-12 Cargo Overview


Photo: SpaceX

The Dragon SpX-12 spacecraft is loaded with 2,910 Kilograms of cargo, making it one of the heavier Dragons heading to the International Space Station. Bolted into the spacecraft's trunk section is the 1,258-Kilogram Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Instrument (CREAM) – the newest addition to the Space Station's astrophysics instrument suite that, among others, comprises the recently launched NICER studying ultra-dense neutron stars, CALET as a high-energy detector for X- and gamma-rays, and the AMS-2 particle detector as the flagship, having detected its 100 billionth particle earlier this year.

CREAM, housing a stack of five detectors working in unison, is designed to measure ultra-high-energy particles, expanding the AMS-2 energy range by several orders of magnitude to help explain some of the peculiarities in the cosmic energy spectrum – in particular an unexplained decline in the observed spectrum wh ere particle theory would not predict such a decrease, a question that has been puzzling scientists for decades.


Photo: ISS-CREAM

The overall goal of the CREAM experiment is stated as 'extending the energy reach of direct measurements of cosmic rays to the highest energy possible to investigate cosmic ray origins, acceleration and propagation.'

The collection of such measurements is inherently difficult given the low flux of particles with ultra-high energies – meaning particles with energies of interest are few and far in between, requiring either large detectors or long exposures to collect statistically relevant data. CREAM has amassed 161 days of measurements as part of high-altitude balloon missions and the re-packaged sensor headed to ISS will deliver the long-term measurements needed to provide a definitive quantitative assessment of the high-energy spectrum between 1010 and 1015 electron-volt.

>> CREAM Instrument Overview


SpaceX Mission Patch – Credit: SpaceX

1,652 Kilograms of cargo are packed into the pressurized section of the Dragon spacecraft – 916kg of science investigations, 339kg of vehicle hardware, 220kg of crew supplies and 83kg of computer and spacewalk hardware. Riding aboard the Dragon are two groups of mice, one in the U.S.-developed Rodent Habitat and the other using Japan's Mouse Habitat Unit to participate in a study of musculoskeletal and neurovascular changes brought on by extended stays in microgravity, acting as model organisms for humans and aiding the development for countermeasures needed on future long-duration space missions.

Three powered Polar freezers are aboard the Dragon holding a range of biological samples to be studied in the unique environment offered by the Space Station, though the some space inside the freezers is taken up by ice cream treats for the Station's six-person crew. Research delivered by the SpX-12 Dragon includes a novel study of a protein implicated in Parkinson's disease, attempting to grow large, pristine crystals of the target protein to enable scientists on Earth to study its atomic structure and potentially lead to therapies that could prevent, slow or even stop the progression of Parkinson's.


Lung Tissues Investigation – Image: Joan Nichols, UTMB

A supercomputer hitching a ride on the Dragon will operate on ISS for the next year to test out techniques of dealing with in-space radiation through a software algorithm instead of heavy radiation shielding, potentially providing a solution for future onboard computers taking probes and humans into the depths of the Solar System. Other experiments riding on Dragon aim to grow bio-engineered lung tissue, track how potentially harmful microbes spread in space, and examine how plants protect themselves from stress factors encountered in space; also aboard the spacecraft are new plant pillows for the Station's Veggie facility to continue working on in-space cultivation techniques needed for missions to distant targets.

Dragon SpX-12 is the last of the original Commercial Resupply Services contract awarded to SpaceX; however, the contract was extended in 2015 to bridge a gap to the CRS-2 contract round, giving both SpaceX and Orbital ATK additional CRS-1 mission. The spacecraft flying SpX-12 is expected to be the last newly-built Dragon 1 vehicle with subsequent CRS-1 missions through SpX-20 using refurbished spacecraft that have previously flown in space.


Photo: NASA (File)

NASA originally specified in the CRS contract that missions are to be flown only by new spacecraft but cleared the way for re-use missions after SpaceX provided detailed technical rationale for Dragon's ability to support multiple mission cycles.

Re-using Dragon's comes with a twofold benefit – NASA will pay less per mission as refurbishment is much cheaper than building new vehicles and SpaceX will be able to re-focus resources on the production of Dragon 2 spacecraft that will fly under CRS-2 and NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Monday's launch marked the end of an extended lull in launch activity from the U.S. Eastern Range that completed a two-week maintenance period in July to conduct invasive systems upkeep and upgrades that could not be easily done with an active range – requiring launch operators to stand down. SpaceX used the break for continued demolishing work on the former Space Shuttle Rotating Service Structure at LC-39A to prepare the facility for the inaugural Falcon Heavy mission as well as the start of crewed launches of the Falcon 9 set to begin next year.


Photo: NASA Kennedy

Monday's launch also introduced a new version of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust vehicle known as Block 4 – the last incremental upgrade before Block 5 rolls out as the final version of the Falcon 9 that will have a frozen design as NASA requires at least seven flights of the vehicle with no changes before placing a crew on the rocket.

Block 4 second stages were introduced in May of this year, implementing a permanent fix for the potentially dangerous Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels that were implicated in last year's on-pad explosion at Space Launch Complex 40.

Identified by serial number 1039, Monday's first stage was the first Block 4 booster launched by SpaceX, featuring some minor changes to the booster's structure like a bolted engine section and provisions for easy conversion of a Falcon 9 first stage to a Falcon Heavy side booster. Another novelty on Core 1039 is the use of re-used landing legs that had helped a previous core stage make a safe touchdown after dispatching a payload toward orbit.

The distinction between Falcon 9 FT Block upgrades has been fuzzy in the past as SpaceX typically implements changes on a flight-to-flight basis as new hardware becomes available – the Titanium grid fins that debuted earlier this year are a prime example of Block 5 technology flying on a Block 3 first stage. Another instance is the 1029 core that became the second Falcon 9 first stage to be successfully re-flown on an operational mission. Technically a Block 3 booster, the vehicle flew with a number of Block 5 parts when making its second trip toward orbit.


Photo: NASA Kennedy

Block 5, the finalized Falcon 9, will implement a performance upgrade realized by operating the Merlin 1D engines at a higher thrust setting, now referred to as Merlin 1D++ as the engine went through a number of thrust upgrades starting from the baseline Falcon 9 v1.1 version. The Block 4 vehicle flown on Monday possibly used a thrust setting between the 756kN (Merlin 1D+) and the planned Merlin 1D++ sea level thrust of 845kN.

The Block 5 version of Falcon 9 will also implement a number of changes to permit rapid turnarounds between missions such as retractable landing legs, a re-usable heat shield protecting the engine section, more durable Titanium grid fins, a new thermal coating around the first stage, and a tweak to the flight software that will enable boosters to fly an optimized angle of attack during atmospheric descent in order to lower fuel requirements for landing.

>> Falcon Launch Vehicle Overview


Photo: SpaceX Webcast

Monday's Falcon 9 launch enjoyed a particularly smooth countdown operation, starting when the launcher was transitioned into its vertical position in the pre-dawn hours following a late-cargo loading campaign that involved the various time-critical experiments headed to ISS including the 'Mousetronauts.'

Falcon 9 received a clean bill of health via a multi-hour checkout campaign and proceeded into its automated countdown sequence at T-1 hour to receive over 500 metric tons of sub-cooled Liquid Oxygen at -207°C and chilled Rocket Propellant 1 at -7°C.

Tanking went through a carefully throttled sequence to ensure Falcon 9 would reach flight mass only about two minutes before launch. By that point, Dragon had been configured for liftoff, Falcon 9 was running on internal power, the Strongback was primed for rapid retraction and the rocket's autonomous flight termination system had been armed. Loading of pressurization gas ended at T-90 seconds and Falcon 9's computers assumed control of the countdown at T-1 minute to oversee the final pressurization of tanks and the ignition of the nine Merlin 1D engines.


Photo: SpaceX Webcast

Soaring to a thrust of over 700 metric-ton-force, Falcon 9 lifted off the former Saturn V & Space Shuttle launch pad at precisely 16:31:37 UTC, balancing in a vertical posture for 15 seconds before pitching over to attain a north-easterly heading for a fast trip across the Atlantic Ocean.

Guzzling down 2,500 Kilograms of densified propellants per second, Falcon 9 enabled Propellant Utilization half a minute into the mission and passed Maximum Dynamic Pressure at the T+68 second mark, throttling back on the up-rated engines for a brief moment to reduce stress on the ascending rocket.

MECO – Main Engine Cutoff – occurred two minutes and 25 seconds into the flight after the first stage accelerated the rocket to a speed of 1,656 meters per second. The two stages separated by means of pneumatic pushers three seconds after MECO, parting ways 66 Kilometers in altitude with the first stage entering an immediate U-turn to fly back to Cape Canaveral while the second stage headed into start-up mode to continue towards orbit.


Second Stage Plume Impinges on the First Stage while making its Flip – Photo: SpaceX Webcast

The 95,000-Kilogram-force MVac engine of the second stage came to life two minutes and 37 seconds into the flight, firing up on a planned burn of six minutes and 38 seconds to send Dragon into its target orbit. Passing 110 Kilometers in altitude just after T+3 minutes, Dragon separated its protective Nose Cone as aerodynamic forces were no longer a danger to the delicate Common Berthing Mechanism on the top side of the spacecraft.

With the second stage on its way to orbit, the 47-meter long first stage started its three-burn return to Cape Canaveral, wasting no time after separation to begin its powered return via an initial flip started by the vehicle's cold gas thrusters and then assisted as the Center Engine lit up on the boost-back burn 13 seconds after staging. The center was joined by two outer engines after the booster was pointed to the correct direction in order to reverse course and accelerate back toward the Cape.


Stage 1 & 2 Part Ways – Images: NASA TV


First Stage during Descent – Photo: NASA TV

After the 50-second boost back maneuver, the first stage coasted outside the dense atmosphere, peaking some 118 Kilometers in altitude and maneuvering back around to point the engine section toward the direction of travel. Falling back toward Florida at supersonic speed, the core fired up again at T+6 minutes and 8 seconds, using a staggered ignition sequence to maintain good control through the ignition transients and firing for 14 seconds to slow down by around 368 meters per second from an initial speed of Mach 3.6.

Live views from the core stage clearly showed the vibration of the booster in the entry environment and the trans-sonic phase as the vehicle went through the sound barrier for the second time. The four actuated grid fins on the booster were in charge of keeping the vehicle stable & on-course for a 50-second unpowered descent through the atmosphere before the center engine lit up seven minutes and 15 seconds after launch for the final landing maneuver.


Photo: SpaceX Webcast


Dragon Separation – Photo: NASA TV

Booster #1039 deployed its four previously used landing legs in the final seconds of its descent and made a picture-perfect touchdown at Landing Zone 1 after a round trip of seven minutes and 45 seconds, marking Falcon's second fastest LZ-1 landing to date as SpaceX continues to reduce margins to make the return more efficient.

Monday's landing puts SpaceX 14/19 for first stage landings overall and 6/6 for land-based returns; now with a streak of ten successful recoveries in a row.

While all eyes were on the first stage's return, the second stage performed admirably to finish Dragon's high-speed commute to orbit, shutting down just over nine minutes after launch when sensing it had reached its target orbit of around 200 by 360 Kilometers, inclined 51.6 degrees. The 10,600-Kilogram Dragon was separated ten minutes after taking off from Florida and successfully primed its propulsion system and unfurled its solar arrays to head off on its two-day link-up with the orbiting laboratory.

A series of orbit-raising maneuvers is on tap on Monday and Tuesday to maneuver Dragon into an orbit 400 Kilometers in altitude wh ere the vehicle will be catching up with ISS from behind and below. Capture by the Station's robotic arm is planned at 11 UTC on Wednesday with berthing to the Station's Harmony module later in the day to mark the start of a five-week stay.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/08/14/spacex-launches-cargo-capsule-full-of-science-experiments/

SpaceX launches cargo capsule full of science experiments
August 14, 2017 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbed into space Monday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center atop a column of gleaming exhaust, shooting a commercial resupply vessel toward the International Space Station with research projects looking into cosmic rays, the origin of Parkinson's disease, the utility of small satellites and an experimental radiation-tolerant supercomputer.

Спойлер

Credit: SpaceX

Crammed with more than 6,400 pounds (2,900 kilograms) of supplies, the Dragon capsule bolted on top of the Falcon 9 rocket also carried computer and camera gear, components to maintain the station's life support system and medical equipment, and provisions for the station's six-person crew, including clothing, fresh food and ice cream.

The 213-foot-tall (65-meter) rocket took off from pad 39A at the Florida spaceport at 12:31:37 p.m. EDT (1631:37 GMT), pitched toward the northeast to align with the space station's orbit, and roared through scattered clouds before disappearing into a blue summertime sky.

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The automated cargo freighter will reach its destination Wednesday, when astronaut Jack Fischer will take command of the space station's Canadian-built robotic arm to capture the commercial spaceship around 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT).

The robotic arm will install Dragon on the space station's Harmony module for a planned 32-day stay.

While astronauts inside the station will unpack cargo inside Dragon's internal cabin, the Canadian and Japanese robotic arms will transfer a NASA-funded cosmic ray sensor to a mounting post outside the Kibo laboratory.


The Dragon spacecraft separates from the Falcon 9's upper stage in this on-board camera view. The CREAM cosmic ray detection instrument is seen inside Dragon's cargo bay. Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now

Derived from an instrument carried aloft on high-altitude balloons, the Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass, or CREAM, payload will spend at least three years sampling particles sent speeding through the universe by cataclysmic supernova explosions, and perhaps other exotic phenomena like dark matter.

Scientists think the subatomic particles could hold the key to unlocking mysteries about the universe.

One experiment stowed inside the capsule's pressurized section will investigate the origins of Parkinson's disease in a bid to find a therapy that could slow or halt its development, and another will study the affects of spaceflight on the development of bioengineered lung tissue, potentially helping scientists lessen the chance of organ rejection in transplant patients.

A supercomputer developed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise will spend at least a year on the space station, helping engineers gauge the ruggedness of commercial computer components in the harsh conditions of space.

Most computers sent into space are physically hardened to withstand radiation, cosmic rays, and other rigors of spaceflight. Hewlett Packard said its "spaceborne computer" experiment was hardened with software, reducing the time, money and weight of the supercomputer.

The experimental computer passed at least 146 safety tests and certifications to win NASA approval for the trip to the space station. If it works, Hewlett Packard officials said it could help future space missions, including a human expedition to Mars, have the latest computer technology.

Four small satellites inside the Dragon capsule will be moved inside the space station for deployment later this year.

The biggest of the bunch, named Kestrel Eye 2M, is a pathfinder for a potential constellation of Earth-imaging spacecraft for the U.S. military. About the size of a dorm room refrigerator, the Kestrel Eye 2M satellite was developed by the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command over the last five years.


The Kestrel Eye 2M satellite during ground testing. Credit: U.S. Army

Three CubeSats sponsored by NASA will test technologies for compact telescopes that could help astronomers observe stars and search for exoplanets, demonstrate a more reliable small satellite design, and study space weather.
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Paolo Nespoli‏Подлинная учетная запись @astro_paolo 1 ч. назад

Uno @SpaceX Dragon ci sta venendo incontro... Ma noi, cavalieri della Casata ISS, lo cattureremo! (Ci serve solo un po' di esercizio )


1 ч. назад

A @SpaceX Dragon is headed our way... But we, space cavaliers of House #ISS will tame it! (we just need practice)

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2017/08/14/iss-daily-summary-report-8142017/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/14/2017
Posted on August 14, 2017 at 4:00 pm by HQ.

SpaceX (SpX)-12 Launch:

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SpX-12 launched successfully today fr om Kennedy Space Center at 11:31 am CDT. In addition to supplies and equipment for crew members, the vehicle will deliver investigations and instruments that study cosmic ray particles, protein crystal growth, stem cell-mediated recellularization and nanosatellite technology demonstration. Capture and berthing is scheduled for August 16 at 6:00 am CDT.

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Multi-Omics-Mouse:

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The crew set up equipment and the Glove Box and performed an inventory for the JAXA Multi-Omics-Mouse investigation. Several studies have reported space flight effects on the human immune system, but the relationship between microbiota and immune dysfunction during flight remains unclear. In Multi-Omics-Mouse, food with and without fructooligosaccharides (FOS) will be used as prebiotics, which could improve the gut environment and immune function. After the flight, researchers will analyze the gut environment (microbiota and metabolites) and immune system of the mice by multi-omics analysis, and evaluate the effect of FOS during flight.

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Rodent Research 9 (RR-9):

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The crew installed and configured the Animal Habitats for the RR-9 investigation. The Ground then completed a software checkout of all the Habitats. The RR-9 experiment studies how microgravity affects the immune systems, muscles and bones of rodents during extended stays aboard the ISS. After approximately 30 days aboard the ISS, the mice will be returned to Earth where scientists on the ground will study how their time in space has affected various tissues, including brain, muscle, heart, joint, the eyes and the immune system.

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Light Microscopy Module (LMM) Biophysics 3:

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A crewmember retrieved Biophysics 3 Plate 1 from a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) and allowed it to thaw before installing it in the LMM. The LMM was then be placed into the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) for a Biophysics science run. Using the three-dimensional structure of proteins, scientists can determine how they function and how they are involved in disease. Some proteins benefit from being crystallized in microgravity, wh ere they can grow larger and with fewer imperfections. Access to crystals grown on the ISS supports research for a wide range of diseases, as well as microgravity-related problems such as radiation damage, bone loss and muscle atrophy. This investigation identifies which proteins would benefit from crystallization in space.

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Sprint Ultrasound 2:

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For their Flight Day 120 Sprint Ultrasound 2 session, a crewmember, with support from an operator, configured the Ultrasound 2, placed reference marks on the calf and thigh of their right leg, donned the thigh and calf guides, and performed thigh and calf scans with remote guidance from the Sprint ground team. Ultrasound scans are used to evaluate spaceflight-induced changes in the muscle volume. The Sprint investigation evaluates the use of high intensity, low volume exercise training to minimize loss of muscle, bone, and cardiovascular function in ISS crewmembers during long-duration missions.

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Lighting Effects Vision Test:

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The crew will temporarily stowed Visual Performance Test hardware in their crew quarters, set the light to the correct mode, turned all other light sources in the crew quarters off, and performed a Numerical Verification Test and a Color Discrimination Test. The crew then photographed the completed tests and transferred the photos to for downlink. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance.

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Habitability:

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On Sunday a crewmember performed a walkthrough video in the ISS of the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) and the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) in the US Laboratory. Requested details for the video included work volume, impacts to translation in the module, layout, restraints, stowage, and recommendations for future designs. The Habitability investigation results will be used to assess the relationship between crew members and their environment in order to better prepare for future long-duration spaceflights. Observations recorded during 6 month and 1 year missions can help spacecraft designers determine how much habitable volume is required, and whether a mission's duration impacts how much space crew members need.

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Fine Motor Skills (FMS):

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The crew completed a series of interactive tasks during a FMS session. The FMS investigation studies how the fine motor skills are effected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal of the investigation is to determine how fine motor performance in microgravity varies over the duration of six-month and year-long space missions; how fine motor performance on orbit compares with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance varies before and after gravitational transitions, including periods of early flight adaptation and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.

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At Home In Space:

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The crew completed an At Home in Space questionnaire. This Canadian Space Agency experiment assesses culture, values, and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational crews on long-duration missions. It is hypothesized that astronauts develop a shared space culture that is an adaptive strategy for handling cultural differences and they deal with the isolated confined environment of the spacecraft by creating a home in space. At Home in Space uses a questionnaire to investigate individual and culturally related differences, family functioning, values, coping with stress, and post-experience growth.

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Remote Power Controller Module (RPCM) P12B_B Status:

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On Sunday, RPCM P12B_B tripped after 2 ½ days of remaining closed. Ground teams successfully reclosed the RPC and it remains closed as of this writing. This RPC powers the S-Band transponder for String 2. The trip signature continues to indicate a Field Effect Transistor (FET) Hybrid failure. This is an external RPCM that can be Removed and Replaced (R&R) by the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM). Planning is underway to perform this R&R no earlier than August 18th.

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Dragon On-Board Training (OBT):

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In preparation for SpX-12 arrival, the crew studied an overview of attached phase operations as well as attached phase configuration.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/08/15/expedition-52-awaits-wednesday-dragon-arrival-thursday-spacewalk/

Expedition 52 Awaits Wednesday Dragon Arrival, Thursday Spacewalk
Posted on August 15, 2017 at 10:56 am by Mark Garcia.


The Expedition 52 crew poses for a unique portrait. Pictured clockwise from top right are, Flight Engineers Paolo Nespoli, Jack Fischer, Peggy Whitson, Sergey Ryazanskiy, Randy Bresnik and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin.

The SpaceX Dragon is hauling advanced space research for delivery Wednesday morning to the International Space Station. Two cosmonauts are also gearing up for the seventh station spacewalk this year set to begin Thursday morning.

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Dragon is less than 24 hours from its approach and rendezvous with the space station for SpaceX's third resupply mission this year. Astronauts Jack Fischer and Paolo Nespoli will be in the Cupola commanding the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple Dragon at 7 a.m. EDT Wednesday. NASA TV will begin live coverage of Dragon's arrival at 5:30 a.m.

Dragon will stay open at the station's Harmony module for a month of cargo swaps. The astronauts will offload new life science studies to improve therapies against Parkinson's disease and explore ways to grow lung tissue as well as other research. A new pair of external experiments will also be deployed including a cosmic ray study to be installed outside of the Kibo lab module and a nanosatellite technology demonstration.

Two cosmonauts are trying on their Orlan spacesuits today to ensure they are ready for Thursday morning's spacewalk. Veteran spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Sergey Ryazanskiy will exit the Pirs airlock at 10:45 a.m. for about six hours of science and maintenance work. Thursday's spacewalk highlight will be when Ryazanskiy manually deploys five nanosatellites, including the first 3D printed CubeSat, into Earth orbit.

This entry was posted in Expedition 52 and tagged dragon, European Space Agency, International Space Station, NASA, Roscosmos, science, spacewalk, spacex on August 15, 2017 by Mark Garcia.

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Record-Breaking Station Crew Member Discusses Life in Space with the Media

NASA

Опубликовано: 15 авг. 2017 г.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA discussed her record-breaking mission on the outpost during a pair of in-flight interviews Aug. 15 with Women's Day Magazine and ABC "This Week" correspondent Martha Raddatz. Whitson, who is nearing the end of her third long-duration mission on the orbital laboratory, has spent more days in space than any other U.S. astronaut in history.

(19:48 )

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https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-cargo-launches-to-space-station-aboard-spacex-resupply-mission

Aug. 14, 2017
RELEASE 17-072

NASA Cargo Launches to Space Station Aboard SpaceX Resupply Mission

Experiments seeking a better understanding of Parkinson's disease and the origin of cosmic rays are on their way to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft following today's 12:31 p.m. EDT launch.

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SpaceX launched its 12th resupply mission to the International Space Station from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017.
Credits: NASA Television

Carrying more than 6,400 pounds of research equipment, cargo and supplies, the spacecraft lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the company's 12th commercial resupply mission. It will arrive at the space station Wednesday, Aug. 16, at which time astronauts Jack Fischer of NASA and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the space station's robotic arm to capture it.

NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of spacecraft rendezvous and capture beginning at 5:30 a.m., followed by installation coverage at 8:30 a.m.

Research materials flying inside the Dragon's pressurized area include an experiment to grow large crystals of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), a protein believed to be the greatest genetic contributor to Parkinson's disease. Gravity keeps Earth-grown versions of this protein too small and too compact to study. This experiment, developed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Anatrace and Com-Pac International, will exploit the benefits of microgravity to grow larger, more perfectly-shaped LRRK2 crystals for analysis on Earth. Results from this study could help scientists better understand Parkinson's and aid in the development of therapies.

The Kestrel Eye (NanoRacks-KE IIM) investigation is a microsatellite carrying an optical imaging payload, including a commercially available telescope. This investigation, sponsored by the U.S. National Laboratory, tests the concept of using microsatellites in low-Earth orbit to support critical operations, such as lowering the cost of Earth imagery in time-sensitive situations such as tracking severe weather and detecting natural disasters.

The Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass instrument will be attached to the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility on the space station, and measure the charges of cosmic rays. The data collected from its three-year mission will address fundamental questions about the origins and histories of cosmic rays, building a stronger understanding of the basic structure of the universe.

Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station in mid-September, returning more than 3,300 pounds of science, hardware and crew supplies to Earth.

For more than 16 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth to enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. A global endeavor, more than 200 people from 18 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 1,900 research investigations from researchers in more than 95 countries.

Get breaking news, images and features from the station on Instagram and Twitter at:

http://instagram.com/iss

and

http://www.twitter.com/Space_Station

-end-

Tabatha Thompson
 Headquarters, Washington
 202-358-1100
tabatha.t.thompson@nasa.gov

Dan Huot
 Johnson Space Center, Houston
 281-483-5111
daniel.g.huot@nasa.gov

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Last Updated: Aug. 14, 2017
Editor: Karen Northon

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Сергей Рязанский‏Подлинная учетная запись @SergeyISS 36 мин. назад

Вчера вел фотоохоту за Санкт-Петербургом и все же поймал его. Погода, кстати, хорошая была над ним // #SaintPetersburg from the ISS

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Jack Fischer‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro2fish 37 мин. назад

The arm is out and ready to capture a @SpaceX Dragon by the tail. Can't wait to get to work on 2 tons of science! https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/science_crs12 ...

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Paolo Nespoli‏Подлинная учетная запись @astro_paolo 11 мин. назад

Oggi ero impegnato a preparare la prossima passeggiata spaziale di Fyodor e @SergeyISS ...E voi come avete passato questo #Ferragosto?


13 мин. назад

Today, together with Fyodor and @SergeyISS, we did the dress rehearsal for their next #spacewalk: everything looks good and we are ready!

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РОСКОСМОС‏Подлинная учетная запись @roscosmos 4 ч назад

#МКСфотоДня: командир МКС-52, космонавт Федор Юрчихин желает всем доброго вечера и делится с нами восхитительной фотографией с борта МКС

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Intl. Space Station‏Подлинная учетная запись @Space_Station 27 мин. назад

The @SpaceX #Dragon arrives Wednesday morning. Watch its rendezvous and capture live starting at 5:30 a.m. EDT. https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv 

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08/16/2017 07:09
Less than two days after a rocket departure from the Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule is approaching the International Space Station with more than 6,400 pounds of experiments and supplies.

Спойлер

Capture of the automated supply ship by the station's robotic arm is scheduled for 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT). Flight engineer Jack Fischer aboard the complex will manually command the arm to grapple the Dragon spacecraft.

Astronauts inside the space station will monitor the final phase of the Dragon's approach, standing by to send hold or retreat commands if they observe any problems.

The Dragon spacecraft will approach the space station from below, using laser navigation sensors and thermal cameras to acquire range and closing rate data to feed to the capsule's guidance computer.

The SpaceX-owned cargo freighter has completed several in-orbit thruster firings since its launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 12:31 p.m. EDT (1631 GMT) Monday. Several more major rendezvous burns are coming up in the next few hours, leading to Dragon's arrival 1,150 feet (350 meters) from the space station at around 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT).

The capsule will conduct a 180-degree yaw maneuver to align its grapple fixture with the position of the space station's robot arm before departing the 350-meter hold point.

Soon after beginning its final approach sequence, the Dragon spacecraft will halt again at a hold position 250 meters, or 820 feet, below the space station. This brief hold allows ground controllers to assess the status of the rendezvous and issue a "go" for the Dragon to enter the so-called keep-out sphere, an imaginary circle around the space station in which traffic is tightly controlled for safety reasons.

The Dragon spacecraft should depart the 250-meter hold point around 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT), heading for a 30-meter hold position before pressing on to a final point about 10 meters, or 33 feet, beneath the space station for capture by the robot arm.

The spacecraft will remain at the space station until around Sept. 17, when it will depart and head for Earth with research specimens, failed hardware and other equipment. The parachute-assisted splashdown is targeted in the Pacific Ocean.

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NASA‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA 8 ч назад

Up early? Join astronauts in space for arrival of @SpaceX #Dragon cargo craft to @Space_Station. Watch at 5:30am ET: http://www.nasa.gov/live