Новости МКС

[tnt22]

Старый пишет:
Что они там химичат? Опять два месяца ждать НК с описанием.    

Они не химичат, они скорее "физичат" - в смысле извлекают из "чрева" Дракона доставленные физические приборы и размещают их на поверхности МКС. Доставлены приборы TSIS, SDS и MISSE-FF:

Packed into the Trunk Section of the SpX-13 Dragon are three new external facilities: TSIS, the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor, will be measuring the total solar irradiance and spectrally-separated irradiances arriving at Earth to continue a long-term record of what are considered critical climate variables to understand the total input of energy into the Earth/Atmosphere System.
 
SDS, the Space Debris Sensor, is one of the largest of its kind ever flown, using different detection methods to provide unprecedented data on the population of micro-debris in the Space Station's orbital regime and validate sensor designs for future missions exploring other orbital altitudes to help assess risks for satellite missions.

MISSE-FF, the Materials on ISS Flight Facility, will take up residence on the Station's truss to provide a state-of-the-art exposure facility, allowing different industries to deploy samples into the unique space environment to study their degradation under extreme thermal variations, radiation influx, ultraviolet radiation and micro-debris hits.

TSIS и SDS уже размещены в отведённых местах на МКС. Попутно будут демонтировать отслуживший RapidScat.

[Olaf]

MISSE-FF не вылетал на МКС.

Не был готов вовремя, теперь ждут возможности летать.

[tnt22]

2 Olaf, спасибо!

[Старый]

tnt22 пишет: 
Они не химичат, они скорее "физичат" - в смысле извлекают из "чрева" Дракона доставленные физические приборы и размещают их на поверхности МКС. Доставлены приборы TSIS, SDS и MISSE-FF:
TSIS и SDS уже размещены в отведённых местах на МКС. Попутно будут демонтировать отслуживший RapidScat.

А! Это они разгружают Дракона! 
Спасибо. 

[zandr]

https://iz.ru/683353/dmitrii-strugovetc-anastasiia-sinitckaia/na-mks-razvernut-edinuiu-vychislitelnuiu-set

На МКС развернут единую вычислительную сеть
Дмитрий Струговец Анастасия Синицкая
Количество проводимых на борту Международной космической станции российских экспериментов будет значительно увеличено за счет автоматизации. Все компьютеры отечественного сегмента МКС объединят в единую информационно-вычислительную сеть. Устройства в одном отсеке смогут брать на себя решение задач при проведении экспериментов в другом.
Как сообщили «Известиям» в Ракетно-космической корпорации (РКК) «Энергия», завершен первый этап создания информационно-управляющей системы для научных экспериментов в российском сегменте МКС. В модуле «Звезда» заменили четыре промышленных бортовых компьютера, ведется обновление используемых космонавтами ноутбуков (всего их 11). Вся техника получит одинаковые характеристики и единое программное обеспечение.

Спойлер

Использовавшиеся раньше компьютеры имели различную аппаратную архитектуру и разнородный софт, что создавало немалые трудности с их заменой в случае выхода из строя.
В РКК «Энергия» уверены, что использование однотипных компьютеров повысит надежность вычислительной системы на МКС и обеспечит ее унификацию, а рост производительности позволит в несколько раз увеличить количество одновременно проводимых экспериментов.
— Информационно-управляющая система является открытой: предполагается ее наращивание по мере строительства российского сегмента, — рассказали «Известиям» в корпорации. — С добавлением в состав МКС Многофункционального лабораторного модуля (МЛМ) и Научно-энергетического модуля (НЭМ) — на них будут размещены дополнительные компьютеры, повышающие количество одновременно проводимых экспериментов.
Вычислительная мощность российского сегмента вырастет практически вдвое с запуском МЛМ в конце 2018 года. На его борту будут работать три промышленных компьютера, образуя подобие многоядерной вычислительной системы. Ресурсы любого модуля можно будет использовать для вычислений в ходе экспериментов в других отсеках.
Сейчас в составе МКС — пять российских модулей. Все компьютеры в них интегрированы в локальную сеть, но стойки с научным оборудованием будут подключены к единой системе только на «Звезде», МЛМ и НЭМ.
Компьютеры обеспечат автоматическое управление научной аппаратурой, будут контролировать ее работу. Через единую сеть полученные научные данные будут передаваться на Землю. Компьютеры смогут обмениваться информацией от различных систем и датчиков МКС, синхронизируя по времени проведение нескольких экспериментов. Появится возможность включать и отключать научную аппаратуру при соблюдении определенных условий — например, в момент пролета над конкретной территорией Земли или при стыковке-расстыковке космических кораблей.

[свернуть]

Академик Российской академии космонавтики имени Циолковского Александр Железняков считает, что нововведение позволит значительно увеличить объем исследований, выполняемых по заказу российских ученых.
— Космонавты освободятся от необходимости контролировать многие эксперименты, эти функции удастся перепоручить автоматике, — рассказал «Известиям» Александр Железняков. — Это заметно оптимизирует работу космонавтов на борту МКС. Научные исследования станут более эффективны, их количество удастся заметно увеличить.
Проект модернизации информационно-управляющей системы МКС будет завершен в 2020 году после запуска НЭМ.

[tnt22]

Space Station Crew Member Discusses Life in Space with the Media

NASA Video

Опубликовано: 2 янв. 2018 г.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineer Scott Tingle of NASA discussed the initial days of his planned six-month mission on the outpost in a pair of in-flight interviews Jan. 2 with WTTV-TV, Indianapolis, and WFXT-TV, Boston. Tingle, who is a native of Massachusetts, arrived aboard the station Dec. 19 and is scheduled to remain in orbit through early June.

(17:15)

[tnt22]

2017 Space Station Science in Pictures

NASA Johnson

Опубликовано: 2 янв. 2018 г.

From molecular biology to fluid physics, life sciences and robotics, 2017 was a robust year for research aboard Earth's only microgravity laboratory. The International Space Station hosts more than 300 experiments during a given Expedition, each working to further space exploration and/or benefit life back on Earth. Here's a look back at just some of the science that happened on the orbiting laboratory.

(1:30)

[tnt22]

Из новогодней переписки

Andgie‏ @AusAndgie7 1 янв.

First day of year and the International Space Station has a multi continent all day sequence of operations to remove new Space Debris Sensor from Dragon payload bay, install it on one of Europe's external platforms then remove the highly successful Rapidscat for return to Earth

Спойлер

1 янв.

Everything on the outside of the space station has an extra element of subzero fun and needs survival heaters of some sort. So these ops all have what we call thermal clocks. Aka get it done in this time or be forever frozen. First and longest thermal clock is already running

1 янв.

External payloads can run for years (the longest was SOLAR from 2008-2017) so these views are unusual and unique and awesome. You can see via station cameras plus robotics cameras the new SDS is extracted and getting ready for install on the "top horizontal" spot of the four EPFs

Спойлер

[свернуть]

1 янв.

Survival heaters for rapidscat were turned off. Next HDEV ones were powered off which started another thermal clock of 6 hours (much shorter compared to SDS). All done by ground commanding. Then crew put their sparky hat on for some fusebox switching to be ready for final ops

Спойлер

[свернуть]

1 янв.

Switching completed successfully. HDEV being powered back on so no worries at all about that thermal clock and SDS will be powered on for first time!! In parallel Robotics has commenced removing Rapidscat and putting it in the Dragon trunk. Columbus EPF back to three residents!

1 янв.

Final couple of favs from this shift. Engage!

Спойлер

[свернуть]

Thomas Sturm‏ @thomassturm 1 янв.

So Rapidscat will be discarded? I thought the Dragon trunk will burn up on reentry, but maybe I'm confusing things...

Andgie‏ @AusAndgie7 1 янв.

Indeed. My wording was bad - it will return to the Earth's atmosphere in very small pieces ;-)

Thomas Sturm‏ @thomassturm 1 янв.

Ah ok. So this is a disposal opportunity. Makes sense - I just read up on it again and it sounds like it's dead as can be, so no reason to keep/recover.

Andgie‏ @AusAndgie7 1 янв.

Yep. Also to free the platform up for new external payload. Should be ASIM next hopefully.. fingers crossed! SOLAR could also be removed in the future when a fourth spot is needed

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Joseph M. Acaba‏Подлинная учетная запись @AstroAcaba 7 ч. назад

From the @Space_Station, wishing everyone across the world a happy and safe 2018.

[tnt22]

http://spacenews.com/report-calls-for-iss-research-transition-plan-and-use-of-alternative-platforms/

Report calls for ISS research transition plan and use of alternative platforms
by Jeff Foust — January 2, 2018


With the ISS partners committed to operating the station only through 2024, a new report calls on NASA to develop transition plans for the growing amount of research performed there. Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON — With utilization of the International Space Station reaching a maximum, and with its long-term future uncertain, a recent report recommends that NASA develop transition plans and make use of alternative platforms, including commercial vehicles, to carry out critical microgravity research.

Спойлер

The midterm assessment of the 2011 decadal survey on life and physical sciences research at NASA, released by a committee of the National Academies Dec. 15, supported efforts by NASA to increase research on the ISS, but warned the agency needed to act soon to develop a transition plan for such research after 2024.

"It is essential that NASA as quickly as possible develop a International Space Station-post-2024 strategy," the report stated in one of its recommendations. "This development factors strongly in the overall exploration strategy, space life and physical sciences research priorities, and resource allocation in terms of crew time, cargo delivery, and funding."

NASA and its international partners have committed to operating the ISS only through 2024, and support for an extension of station operations beyond that point is uncertain. A NASA authorization bill enacted in March 2017 directed NASA to develop an ISS transition plan to show how the agency will shift fr om "from the current regime that relies heavily on NASA sponsorship to a regime wh ere NASA could be one of many customers of a low-Earth orbit non-governmental human space flight enterprise."

The authorization bill set a Dec. 1 deadline for the report. However, as of earlier last month the agency had yet to submit the report to Congress.

The report's call for a transition plan stems from both addressing the growing utilization of the ISS as well as the expectation that research in low Earth orbit will need to continue beyond 2024. The committee noted in its report that both internal and external facilities at the ISS for hosting experiments are nearly full, but suggested that privately-developed capabilities would be a more effective means of meeting demand versus building more government-funded facilities for a station that may only operate until the mid-2020s.

"As the research capability on the ISS reaches maximum throughput in 2018, it will be important to focus on complete utilization of those facilities rather than developing additional government-funded facilities," the report stated. "Budget data presented to the committee indicate that if fewer new facilities were to be developed, significant funds would become available for the conduct of experiments in existing facilities on the ISS."

The report also made clear, though, that as NASA looks to human missions beyond Earth in the 2020s and beyond, it will still need a research capability in low Earth orbit to address the "significant unknowns and risks" of such missions.

"LEO science research needed for exploration will be required beyond 2024," the report concluded. "Extended durations in microgravity, measured in years, will continue to be required to best meet deep space exploration research needs."

The report also recommended NASA examine a more diverse range of platforms for such research that doesn't require the space station's unique capabilities, ranging from terrestrial laboratories to free-flying satellites. Those alternative platforms also include new commercial suborbital vehicles under development and entering service.

"The Academies and the midterm assessment recognizes the value and the future of suborbital research opportunities," said Dan Dumbacher, a Purdue University professor and co-chair of the study, in a Dec. 18 presentation at the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in Broomfield, Colorado.

Dumbacher said that recommendation and others in the report has been accepted by both NASA leadership and Congressional staffers briefed on its findings prior to its release. "Everybody recognized the value of those statements," he said.

Dumbacher, who becomes executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) this month, said he's interested in using that new position to help support alternative research platforms like suborbital vehicles. "Because of the national recognition of what is going on in this arena, and what the future can and may hold, AIAA is here to help support," he said.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2017/12/29/iss-daily-summary-report-12292017/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/29/2017
Posted Dec 29, 2017 at 4:00 pm on ISS

Synthetic Bone BioCell Operations:

Спойлер

The crew completed microscopy operations for Synthetic Bone and then took a sample from each well on the Synthetic Bone Multiwell BioCell and exchanged the fluids with media in each well. The samples were placed in a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). This experiment uses facilities aboard the ISS to grow bone cells in the presence of a commercially available bone adhesive, and a new product called Tetranite. Determining how well Tetranite integrates with bone cell cultures can inform general strategies for addressing bone loss in space. Sets of bone cell cultures are grown with different adhesives for 20 days and are then fixed, frozen, and returned to Earth for analysis.

[свернуть]

Biological Research In Canisters Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED):

Спойлер

The crew performed actuation on the BRIC-LED-001 canisters today. The BRIC-LED-001 investigation demonstrates the use of light emitting diodes as a lighting source in BRIC hardware and evaluates its use in growing plants in a closed system. Arabidopsis thaliana plants are grown for 10 days onboard the ISS at ambient temperature, with light provided by this new lighting source.

[свернуть]

Microbial Tracking-2 (MT-2):

Спойлер

A crewmember completed body and saliva sample collections in support of the MT-2 investigation today. The MT-2 series continues the monitoring of the types of microbes that are present on the ISS. It seeks to catalog and characterize potential disease-causing microorganisms onboard the ISS. Crew pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight samples and environmental samples from ISS surface and air locations are collected to identify any associations between the microbial content of the samples, as well as potential health effects.

[свернуть]

Marrow:

Спойлер

Upon waking this morning a crewmember collected breath and ambient air samples. The Marrow investigation looks at the effect of microgravity on bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on the bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the marrow.

[свернуть]

Earth Imagery from ISS Target (EIISS):

Спойлер

Using the RED camera, the crew took images of the India-Himalayas-Tibetan Plateau, Europe/Italy in winter conditions and the Nile delta. EIISS is used to support creation of a series of videos showcasing Earth views taken from space. The videos are taken with cameras on the ISS in 6K hi-resolution and are integrated into videos for screensavers for public enjoyment, exploration, and engagement.

[свернуть]

Space Headaches:

Спойлер

Two crewmembers completed daily questionnaires today to support a week-long ESA Space Headaches session which started in the Soyuz vehicle prior to docking to the ISS. The Space Headaches investigation requests crewmembers to respond to a questionnaire that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crewmembers in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crewmembers that can influence performance during a space mission.

[свернуть]

Dragon External Cargo Operations:

Спойлер

Overnight, Robotic Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) and reconfigured the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) Orbital Replaceable Unit (ORU) Tool Changeout Mechanism 1 (OTCM1) to grasp and rotate the SPDM Enhanced ORU Temporary Platform (EOTP). They then maneuvered the SPDM and Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to use SPDM OTCM1 to grasp and extract the Total & Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) payload from the SpaceX-13 Dragon Trunk and to stow it on the SPDM EOTP. Finally, the SPDM and SSRMS were configured to a park position. Operations were nominal.

[свернуть]

Ammonia Measurement Kits (AMK) Chip Changeout:

Спойлер

The Ammonia measurement system chips installed in the AMKs were set to expire at the end of the year. The crew replaced these in both kits with new chips that arrived on Orbital ATK 8 (OA-8 ).

[свернуть]

SpaceX 13 (SpX-13) Dragon Cargo Ops:

Спойлер

The crew continued packing items for return on SpX-13.  As of Thursday, approximately 31 hours of cargo ops have been completed. SpX-13 is scheduled to unberth and return to earth on January 13, 2018.

[свернуть]

53 Soyuz (53S) Unpack:

Спойлер

Today the crew completed unpacking and stowage of all United States On-orbit Segment (USOS) hardware that arrived on 53S.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/01/02/iss-daily-summary-report-122018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 1/2/2018
Posted Jan 2, 2018 at 4:00 pm on ISS

Amyloid:

Спойлер

Over the weekend, the crew retrieved the third set of Amyloid samples from the measurement experiment unit on the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) and placed them in a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). Amyloid fibrils prepared in the microgravity environment of the ISS will be returned to Earth for analysis through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Amyloid fibrils are the peptide or protein aggregates known to be associated with various diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. This study is expected to provide additional insight into the mechanism of amyloid fibril formation.

[свернуть]

Human Research Program (HRP) Collections (Biochemical Profile, Repository):

Спойлер

On Saturday, a 53S subject completed his Flight Day (FD)15 urine sample collections to support the Biochemical Profile and Repository experiments. The samples were placed in the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI).

[/li]
• The Biochemical Profile experiment tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight. Specific proteins and chemicals in the samples are used as biomarkers, or indicators of health. Post-flight analysis yields a database of samples and test results, which scientists can use to study the effects of spaceflight on the body.
• Repository is a storage bank used to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. This repository supports scientific discovery that contributes to our fundamental knowledge in the area of human physiological changes and adaptation to a microgravity environment and provides unique opportunities to study longitudinal changes in human physiology spanning many missions.
  

[свернуть]

Spaceflight-induced Hypoxic/ROS Signaling (APEX-05) Operations:

Спойлер

Over the weekend, the crew removed two LMM APEX-05 petri plates from the MELFI and installed them into the VEGGIE facility to begin the growth process of the plants. When plants grow in the confines of the International Space Station (ISS), they do not seem to get enough air and as a result, exhibit a stress response in their genes and proteins. The APEX-05 experiment grows different wild and mutant varieties of Arabidopsis thaliana in order to understand how their genetic and molecular stress response systems work in space. The plants grow from seeds in the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the ISS, are frozen, and returned to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.

[свернуть]

Cell Science Validation Bioreactor and Sample Bag Removal:

Спойлер

Over the weekend, the crew removed the bioreactors and the sample bags from the Cell Science Validation cassettes in the Bioculture System facility and stowed them in the MELFI. Today the crew replaced the used gas supply with a new one to allow the Bioculture System to keep running the Cell Science Payload. This flight of the Bioculture System is to validate the hardware by testing and checking out its engineering and operational capability to maintain cell cultures for a long duration in the space flight environment on the ISS. Furthermore, the new enabling capabilities and procedures to manually conduct experiments with the specimens cultured in the Bioculture System will be demonstrated. Overall, the validation of the performance of the Bioculture System in the space flight environment is a critical step to insure the success of future space bioscience experiments that will be conducted on ISS using this facility.

[свернуть]

Microbial Tracking-2 (MT-2):

Спойлер

Over the weekend and today, a 52S subject completed body and saliva sample collections in support of the MT-2 investigation. The MT-2 series continues the monitoring of the types of microbes that are present on the ISS. It seeks to catalog and characterize potential disease-causing microorganisms onboard the ISS. Crew pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight samples and environmental samples from ISS surface and air locations are collected to identify any associations between the microbial content of the samples, as well as potential health effects.

[свернуть]

Rodent Research 6 (RR-6):

Спойлер

In support of the on-going RR-6 investigation, today the crew removed the mice and restocked the rodent habitats with new food bars in addition to cleaning the lids and interiors cages of the habitats. The Rodent Research-6 (RR-6) mission uses mice flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and maintained on Earth to test drug delivery systems for combatting muscular breakdown in space or during disuse conditions. RR-6 includes several groups of mice selectively treated with a placebo or implanted with a nanochannel drug delivery chip that administers compounds meant to maintain muscle in low gravity/disuse conditions.

[свернуть]

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Camera Robot Operations:

Спойлер

The crew disconnected the JEM Camera Robot USB power cable from the JEM Camera Robot and connected the USB power/data cable to the JEM Camera Robot to allow the ground team to perform a software update. This device is a free-flying camera robot that provides real time video downlink and photographs. It is expected to reduce the crew time requirements to support video recording of activities, especially at the blind spot of existing JEM internal cameras.

[свернуть]

Meteor Hard Drive Replacement:

Спойлер

The crew removed and replaced the hard drive in the Meteor laptop located in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF). The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument with the primary purpose of observing meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. Since the parent comets or asteroids for most of the meteor showers are identified, the study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.

[свернуть]

Airlock Unstow Operations:

Спойлер

The crew unstowed hardware from the Airlock which is not needed for the upcoming Extravehicular Activity (EVA)s, and prepared the Airlock to support EVA operations. They also charged ancillary Batteries in the Battery Stowage Assembly (BSA) for the EVAs.

[свернуть]

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Operations:

Спойлер

Today, the crew removed the Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit (SEMU) from the Launch Enclosure (SLE) in order to remove the SEMU Soft Stow Covers and SOP Ancillary hardware. The crew also resized EMUs 3008, 3003, and 3004 in preparation for the upcoming EVAs later this month.

[свернуть]

Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Water Sample Collection:

Спойлер

The crew collected water samples from the PWD for in-flight analysis. This water sample collection activity will occur multiple times throughout the expedition and the number of water samples collected will vary each time. Analysis of the water samples collected during this activity will occur during separate activities later in the timeline.

[свернуть]

Robotic Operations:

Спойлер

Over the weekend, ground robotics operators removed the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) from the SpX-13 Dragon trunk and installed it at Express Logistics Carrier (ELC)3 site 5. Yesterday, robotics operations continued with the removal of the Space Debris Sensor (SDS) payload from the trunk and its installation on the Columbus External Payload Facility (EPF), at the Starboard Overhead X-Direction (SOX) site. Last night, the RapidScat payload and its nadir adapter were removed from the Starboard Deck X-Direction (SDX) site of the Columbus EPF. Later this evening, the two items will be stowed in the Dragon trunk. This will complete Dragon trunk operations for this mission.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Anton Shkaplerov‏ @Anton_Astrey 11 ч назад

Вот такое "шампанское" было у нас на праздничном столе. На самом деле, это безалкогольные напитки с разными вкусами, но сюрприз с упаковкой приятно удивил весь экипаж // We celebrated the New Year, drinking "champagne" too , but it was nonalcoholic, of course

[tnt22]

Сергей Рязанский‏Подлинная учетная запись @SergeyISS 6 ч назад

Этот кадр с ночной Европой в лунном свете - один из самых красивых за полет. Желаю вам, чтобы ваш год был таким же ярким и запоминающимся! This photo with the #night

#Europe in #moonlight is one of the most picturesque for the flight. Let your year be such bright and memorable!

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/01/03/crew-begins-2018-studying-how-living-in-space-affects-humans/

Crew Begins 2018 Studying How Living in Space Affects Humans
Mark Garcia
Posted Jan 3, 2018 at 12:41 pm on Space Station


The well-lit coasts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are pictured in the wee hours of New Year's Day.

The Expedition 54 crew is starting the New Year studying how humans adapt to living in space for months and years at a time. NASA and its international partners are also learning how to support crews on longer missions with less help from the ground.

Спойлер

The astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station orbit Earth 16 times a day affecting their circadian rhythms, or biological clocks. Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai is helping doctors understand how being away from the normal 24-hour sunrise-sunset cycle impacts the human body. He strapped on sensors today that will measure his body composition and temperature for 36 hours.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is helping engineers design closed-loop systems keeping crews self-sufficient on longer missions beyond low-Earth orbit. He swapped experimental containers in the Biolab Incubator containing bacteria cultures that could be used for carbon dioxide removal and oxygen production.

Crews also need to be prepared for bone injuries or dental work that may be necessary during a space mission. The Synthetic Bone experiment, that Flight Engineer Joe Acaba worked on today with Kanai, is testing how a synthetic material integrates with bone cells to address bone fractures and bone loss in space and on Earth.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2018/01/03/commercial-crew-program-2017-year-in-review/

Posted Jan 3, 2018 at 12:22 pm on Commercial Crew Program

или

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2018/01/03/commercial-crew-program-2017-year-in-review/

Posted Jan 3, 2018 at 12:34 pm on Kennedy Space Center

Commercial Crew Program 2017 Year in Review
Anna Heiney


Left: SpaceX unveiled the first look at its new spacesuit design that astronauts flying to and from the International Space Station will wear inside the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Right: Boeing unveiled the company's new, blue spacesuit astronauts will wear while aboard the Starliner spacecraft to and from the International Space Station.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program and commercial partners, Boeing and SpaceX, made significant strides in 2017 to return human spaceflight to the United States. Each company continued to develop and test unique space systems to fly astronauts for the agency to and from the International Space Station. Both companies are targeting flight tests in 2018.

Here's the 2017 year in review:

Crew Rotation Missions Secured

Спойлер

NASA's Commercial Crew Program started the year by securing an additional four crew rotation missions from Boeing and SpaceX. The missions will carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station through 2024. The four additional missions fall under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contracts and bring the total number of crew rotation missions awarded to each provider to six. The missions will fly following NASA certification.

To meet NASA's requirements, the commercial providers must demonstrate that their systems are ready to begin regular flights to the space station. Two of those demonstrations are uncrewed flight tests, known as Orbital Flight Test for Boeing, and Demonstration Mission 1 for SpaceX. After the uncrewed flight tests, each company will carry out a flight test with crew prior to being certified by NASA for crew rotation missions.

[свернуть]

The Crew

Спойлер

NASA's four astronauts training to fly the test flights on Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spent time evaluating both providers' progress during 2017. The astronauts are learning about the systems, being fitted for spacesuits and readying for flight tests to and from the International Space Station.

[свернуть]

The International Space Station

Спойлер

The International Space Station continued to prepare for the new commercial spacecraft to arrive. During Orbital ATK's resupply mission to the space station in November, the cargo spacecraft maneuvered above the Harmony module prior to its release. There, it gathered data relevant to future rendezvous and docking operations for U.S. commercial crew vehicles that will be arriving for a linkup to Harmony's international docking adapters. Other work included the space station crew installing and performing check-outs of a control panel on Harmony for the docking adapter.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Space Station Crew Members Discuss Life in Space with the Media

NASA Video

Опубликовано: 3 янв. 2018 г.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Scott Tingle of NASA and Flight Engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) discussed life and research on the complex during a pair of in-flight interviews Jan. 3 with KMSP-TV, Minneapolis and the Voice of America. Vande Hei has been on board the station since September, while Tingle and Kanai are in the third week of a planned six-month mission.

(14:33)

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/01/03/iss-daily-summary-report-132018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 1/3/2018
Posted Jan 3, 2018 at 4:00 pm on ISS

Circadian Rhythms:

Спойлер

Today a 53S crewmember instrumented himself with Thermolab Double Sensors and mount the Thermolab Unit to their belt, and began 36 hours of monitoring for the Circadian Rhythm investigation. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the "biological clock," and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle of light and dark affects crew members' circadian clocks. The investigation also addresses the effects of reduced physical activity, microgravity and an artificially controlled environment. Changes in body composition and body temperature, which also occur in microgravity, can affect crew members' circadian rhythms as well. Understanding how these phenomena affect the biological clock will improve performance and health for future crew members.

[свернуть]

Arthrospira-B (Batch Culture) Assembly:

Спойлер

The crew removed four Arthrospira-B experiment containers fr om the Biolab Incubator to exchange the reservoirs inside the Biolab. Following the exchange of the reservoirs, the ECs were reinstalled back onto Biolab Incubator. The Arthrospira-B experiment is an important step in making improvements in the area of closed regenerative life support systems in space which will help in making future human exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit become a reality. The cyanobacterium Arthrospira sp. strain PCC8005 is a candidate for use in spacecraft biological life support systems, for CO2 and nitrate removal, and oxygen and biomass production. However, to ensure the reliability of such a biological life support system it is necessary to characterize the response of Arthrospira sp. PCC8005 to in situ spaceflight conditions.

[свернуть]

Synthetic Bone BioCell Operations:

Спойлер

Today, the crew performed microscopy operations for Synthetic Bone and then took a sample fr om each well on the Synthetic Bone Multiwell BioCell and exchanged the fluids with media in each well. The samples were placed in a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). Synthetic Bone uses BioCells from three habitats to test the functionality and effectiveness of new material that can assist in recovery from bone injuries or dental work during long-term space travel. Determining how well Tetranite integrates with bone cell cultures can also inform general strategies for addressing bone loss in space. Synthetic Bone examines the cellular response to a new type of bone adhesive in the microgravity environment of space. This experiment uses facilities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to grow bone cells in the presence of a commercially available bone adhesive, and a new product called Tetranite. Sets of bone cell cultures grow with the different adhesives for 20 days and are then fixed, frozen, and returned to Earth for detailed analysis in a fully equipped biological laboratory.

[свернуть]

MagVector:

Спойлер

Today the crew began the 7-day MagVector #16 experiment run. The European Space Agency (ESA) MagVector investigation studies how Earth's magnetic field interacts with an electrical conductor. Using extremely sensitive magnetic sensors placed around and above a conductor, researchers can gain insight into ways that the magnetic field influences how conductors work. This research not only helps improve future International Space Station experiments and electrical experiments, but it could offer insights into how magnetic fields influence electrical conductors in general, the backbone of our technology.

[свернуть]

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutron (RaDI-N) Retrieval:

Спойлер

A USOS crewmember retrieved all 8 of the Space Bubble Detectors that were deployed last week for the RaDI-N experiment, and handed them to a Russian crewmember to be processed in the Bubble Reader. This Canadian Space Agency (CSA) RaDI-N investigation measures neutron radiation levels while onboard the ISS.  Bubble detectors are used as neutron monitors designed to only detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation.

[свернуть]

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Inter-Module Ventilation (IMV) Cleaning & Inspection:

Спойлер

The crew removed the closeout panels at Node 3 to inspect a plastic sleeve coupling the IMV valve to the Node 3 ducting. Results from the inspection are being analyzed, and will be used to determine if any degradation of the coupling has occurred. BEAM is an experimental expandable module attached to the ISS.  Expandable modules weigh less and take up less room on a rocket than a traditional module, while providing additional space on-orbit for living and working. Crews traveling to the moon, Mars, asteroids, or other destinations may be able to use them as habitable structures.

[свернуть]

Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Rotation and Closeout:

Спойлер

Today the crew modified the CPAs on Node2 Nadir, the port wh ere the Dragon capsule is currently berthed. The CPA mod kits were launched on OA-8, but the kits can only be installed on ports wh ere a vehicle is currently attached. Node1 Nadir was completed during the OA-8 mission, and Node2 Nadir was being completed today. This modification will allow the CPAs to be rotated into the vestibule rather than requiring that the crew remove them completely after a vehicle arrives. This will save both crew time and stowage space during a berthed mission. The CPAs must be installed for proper CBM operation during berthing activities, but they obstruct the pathway into the vehicle once the hatch is opened, so they need to be moved out of the corridor prior to cargo operations.

[свернуть]

Robotic Operations:

Спойлер

Last night, robotics ground controllers completed the SpaceX-13 mission's final external robotic payload operations by installing RapidScat and its nadir adapter in the trunk. The RapidScat payload had been removed from its mounting location outside of the Columbus module on Monday. After the SpaceX-13 Dragon capsule departs the ISS, its trunk, with RapidScat in it, will separate from the return capsule and continue toward its destructive re-entry to the atmosphere.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/01/04/robot-arm-finishes-swapping-experiments-outside-dragon/

Robot Arm Finishes Swapping Experiments Outside Dragon
Mark Garcia
Posted Jan 4, 2018 at 11:24 am on Space Station


The SpaceX Dragon is pictured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm in the foreground and the Earth's limb in the background as the International Space Station soars into an orbital sunrise during Expedition 54.

Robotics controllers have completed the science cargo transfers fr om the rear of the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, also known as its trunk. Dragon is due to depart the International Space Station Jan. 13 and return to Earth.

Спойлер

Over the holidays, the ground robotics teams remotely operated the Canadarm2 to remove a pair of new external experiments from Dragon and install them on the station. The teams also finished installing an older experiment back inside the cargo craft's trunk in time for its departure.

Dragon delivered the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) and the Space Debris Sensor (SDS) when it arrived on Dec. 17, 2017. TSIS-1 was attached to an External Logistics Carrier on the port solar alpha rotary joint. It will study the sun's natural influence on the Earth's ozone layer, atmospheric circulation, clouds, and ecosystems. The SDS was installed outside the Columbus lab module wh ere it will directly measure the orbital debris environment around the space station for two to three years.

The successful RapidScat experiment was installed back in Dragon's trunk after being delivered in September 23, 2014, on the SpaceX CRS-4 mission. RapidScat observed wind patterns on the ocean's surface providing agencies better data for weather forecasting before ending its mission in August of 2016.

RapidScat will be destroyed inside Dragon's trunk when it separates from the Dragon resupply ship to burn up over the Pacific Ocean. Dragon itself will safely parachute to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of California.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Space Station Crew Member Discusses Life in Space with the Media

NASA Video

Опубликовано: 4 янв. 2018 г.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineer Scott Tingle of NASA discussed the initial days of his planned six-month mission on the outpost in an in-flight interview Jan. 4 with the Boston Globe. Tingle, who is a native of Massachusetts, arrived aboard the station Dec. 19 and is scheduled to remain in orbit through early June.

(15:07)