Новости МКС

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Все 16 захватов на месте - есть сцепка!

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 4 мин. назад

And now installed!. Unloading will begin later today or tomorrow. (They usually plan for the next day, but they usually get ahead of the timeline, via "astro eagerness" to unpack the goodies sent from Earth. A lot of required upmass, but also personal items).

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Трансляция НАСА завершена

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Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 9 мин. назад

Dragon CRS-14 has arrived at the ISS. It parked itself floating 10 metres off the station; the Canadarm-2 grabbed it at 1040 UTC and berthed it on the Harmony module's nadir port at 1300 UTC

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Текущая конфигурация МКС (на 13:00 UTC 04.04.2018)

https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208843.jpg

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/04/04/dragon-bolted-to-stations-harmony-module/

Dragon Bolted to Station's Harmony Module

Mark Garcia
Posted Apr 4, 2018 at 9:14 am


Four spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Dragon space freighter, the Progress 69 resupply ship and the Soyuz MS-07 and MS-08 crew ships.

Two days after its launch from Florida, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was installed on the Harmony module of the International Space Station at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

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The 14th contracted commercial resupply mission from SpaceX (CRS-14) delivered about 5,800 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory.

Among the research arriving to the U.S. National Laboratory is a Metabolic Tracking investigation to evaluate the use of a new method to test, in microgravity, the metabolic impacts of pharmaceutical drugs. This could lead to more effective, less expensive medicines on Earth. The Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP) will serve as a new test bed aboard the space station, able to host 12 separate experiment modules with samples such as plants, cells, protein crystals and fruit flies. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the U.S. National Laboratory, is sponsoring the investigation and the MVP.

Dragon will remain attached to the space station until May, when it will return to Earth with more than 3,500 pounds of research, hardware and crew supplies.

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SpaceX CRS-14: Dragon capture, 4 April 2018

SciNews

Опубликовано: 4 апр. 2018 г.

 (8:39)

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SpaceX CRS-14: Dragon berthing to the ISS, 4 April 2018

SciNews

Опубликовано: 4 апр. 2018 г.

 (4:01)

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/03/29/iss-daily-summary-report-3292018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/29/2018

USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #49:

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Today Drew Feustel (as EV-1) and Ricky Arnold (as EV-2) exited the Joint Airlock at 8:30am CDT to perform US EVA #49. Egress was delayed for about 1.5 hours due to issues with suit leak checks that were ultimately cleared. The primary goal of today's EVA was to install the Node 3 External Wireless Communications (EWC) Antennas and associated cables, Remove and Replace (R&R) the Camera Port (CP)-8 External Television Camera Group, and retrieve the Port 1 Radiator Beam Valve Module (RBVM) Flex Hose Jumpers. All of the prime tasks were completed and the CP8 functions, including External High Definition Camera, were successfully checked out. The N3 EWC system will be checked out at a later date after the internal components are installed. The crew was also able to conduct Pump/Flow Control Subassembly (PFCS) Jumper Set up in preparation for a future USOS PFCS Relocate EVA and perform preparatory tasks on the Pump Module stowed on External Stowage Platform (EXP)-2. The Phased Elapsed Time (PET) for the EVA was 6:10.

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Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Operations:

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Ground robotic specialists have started to walkoff the SSRMS from the Mobile Base System (MBS) to the N2 Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) in prep for Offset Grapples training for Dragon. Following the SSRMS walkoff ground specialists will perform a MT translation from worksite 6 to worksite 4.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/03/30/iss-daily-summary-report-3302018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/30/2018

Human Research Facility (HRF)-2:

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This morning the crew connected a 5 meter USB cable and an 8 port serial adapter and spider cable between the HRF-2 and HRF-1 racks in order to support troubleshooting of the Rack Interface Controller (RIC) on HRF-2. Ground teams are evaluating the troubleshooting results. On Sunday, March 25th, approximately one hour after the nominal activation of HRF Rack 2, communication was lost with the rack.

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Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) Manifold #4 Bottle Replacement:

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As part of ISS joint research, a Russian crewmember removed and replaced a CIR manifold #4 bottle on the front of the optics bench. CIR provides sustained, systematic microgravity combustion research and it houses hardware capable of performing combustion experiments to further research of combustion in microgravity.

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Veg-03:

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Today the crew watered the Veg-03 lettuce plants and harvested sel ect leaves for consumption. The plants were be left to grow and sprout new leaves. Veg-03 supports the proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. Future long duration space missions will require a fresh food supply grown in space to supplement crew diets.

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Space Headaches:

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Two 53S crewmembers completed the weekly questionnaire for the ESA Space Headaches investigation today. This investigation collects information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improve 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.

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Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Operations:

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After providing robotic support to EVA #49, ground robotic specialists walked the SSRMS from the Mobile Base System (MBS) to the N2 Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF). Following the SSRMS walkoff ground specialists completed a MT translation from worksite 6 to worksite 4. SSRMS is in position for the Dragon offset grapple training.

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Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Pressure Control and Pump Assembly (PCPA) Replacement:

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Wednesday, current sensors inside the PCPA detected a rise in current during a UPA process cycle resulting in a PCPA shutdown. Review of data by the UPA specialist indicated that the PCPA has failed. Today, the crew removed the failed PCPA and replaced it with one of the spares currently onboard. UPA activation and checkout is in work.

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Dragon On-Board Training (OBT) and Self Study:

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The crew performed OBT using Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) and did self-study in preparation for Dragon approach and rendezvous. They completed a 30m approach, two Capture Point (CP) hold runs and 2m runs.

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Post-Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Operations:

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Following yesterday's EVA, the crew completed Post-EVA medical evaluations, airlock deconfiguration and a water recharge on Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) 3003 and 3006. They also conducted an EVA debrief with ground specialists

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ISS Emergency Hardware Familiarization OBT:

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The newly arrived 54S crew were guided through a review of all of the ISS Emergency Hardware by a Russian and USOS crewmember. This activity provides familiarization with the locations of equipment and the positions of valves used in emergencies. They also practiced communication fr om the Russian modules in case of emergency. Following the review, they reported the results to both Moscow and Houston ground specialists.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/04/02/iss-daily-summary-report-4022018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/02/2018

SpaceX-14 Launch:

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SpX-14 launched nominally today at 3:30:38 pm CDT. In preparation for vehicle arrival, the crew performed an Onboard Training (OBT) session to practice offset grapples. After the crew's training session, ground specialists relocated the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to the Dragon Park Position. In addition, all USOS crew participated in a conference with ground cargo transfer specialists to discuss the SpX-14 cargo unloading and loading plan. Capture and berthing is scheduled for this Wednesday at 9:47 CDT.

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Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) SmoothNav:

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A crewmember set up and performed a SPHERES SmoothNav test run today. SmoothNav uses an estimation algorithm aggregating relative state measurements between multiple, small, and potentially differently instrumented spacecraft. The algorithm obtains the most probable estimate of the relative positions and velocities between all spacecraft using all available sensor information, including past measurements. The algorithm remains portable between different satellite platforms with different onboard sensors, adaptable in the case that one or more satellites become inoperable, and tolerant to delayed measurements or measurements received at different frequencies.

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Veg-03:

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Yesterday the crew watered the plants and continued with the photo-documentation of plant growth for the Veg-03 investigation. Veg-03 supports the proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. Future long duration space missions will require a fresh food supply grown in space to supplement crew diets.

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Microbial Tracking-2 (MT-2):

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To support the MT-2 investigation, a 53S crewmember collected his Flight Day 105 saliva and body samples and ins erted them in to the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). He also completed a body sample questionnaire. 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 are collected to identify any associations between the microbial content of the samples, as well as potential health effects.

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Human Research Facility (HRF)-2:

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Today the crew verified that blood collection processing in the HRF-2 Refrigerated Centrifuge has not been affected by troubleshooting of the Rack Interface Controller (RIC) on HRF-2. Communication to the rack was lost on March 25th. Ground teams are currently developing additional troubleshooting steps.

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Post Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Activities:

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Following last Thursday's successful EVA, the crew completed an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) #3006 and #3010 loop scrub, iodination of the ion filters, and water conductivity tests. The crew also conducted a checkout of the Metal Oxide (MetOx) canister (SN 0013) that was removed prior to EVA 49 when EMU #3006 failed the pre EVA leak check. Today's loop scrub was completed successfully, exonerating the MetOx canister as the cause of the failed leak check.

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Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Robotics Operations:

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Today, the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS in support of crew Dragon Offset Grapple practice. During this On-Board-Training (OBT) session, the crew maneuvered the Canadarm2 for training/familiarization in preparation for SpaceX CRS-14 capture. Later, flight controllers performed MSS diagnostics and checkouts on the arm's "Redundant" string which passed nominally. The arm was left at the Dragon Rendezvous Park position in preparation for Wednesday and the flight controllers then performed data gathering to further investigate a previous Video Distribution Unit (VDU) #3 anomaly.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/04/03/iss-daily-summary-report-4032018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/03/2018

SpaceX-14 Status:

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SpaceX has completed the CUCU Broadcast Test and configured CUCU and Dragon UHF for rendezvous. The Dragon vehicle continues to follow the nominal rendezvous profile that supports an ISS capture tomorrow at 6:00 am CDT.

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Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (ACME) Electric-Field Effects on Laminar Diffusion (E-Field) Flames:

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In preparation for the upcoming ACME E-Field Flames investigation the crew installed the ACME Mesh Positive Power Supply. The ACME investigation is a set of five independent studies of gaseous flames to be conducted in the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR). ACME's primary goal is to improve fuel efficiency and reduce pollutant production in practical combustion on Earth. For E-Field Flames an electric field with voltages as high as 10,000 volts is established between the burner and a mesh electrode. The motion of the charged ions, which are naturally produced within the flame, are strongly affected by a high-voltage electric field. The resulting ion-driven wind can dramatically influence the stability and sooting behavior of the flame. Conducting the tests in microgravity allows for great simplifications in the analysis, enabling new understanding and the development of less polluting and more efficient combustion technology for use on Earth.

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Mouse Stress Defense:

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To prepare for the transfer on Thursday of mice fr om the SpaceX-14 vehicle, the crew perform a pre-mission set up of the Mouse Habitat Cage Units for the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF). They installed food cartridges, odor filters, water and filled up the washer fluid container. The crew was unable to add water to 2 of the cage units. Ground teams are investigating the issue. Microgravity provokes cellular mechanical stresses and perturbs cellular signaling, leading to reduction of muscle and bone density. To overcome these stresses, one of the promising strategies is to activate Nrf2, a master regulator of antioxidant pathway. Mouse Stress Defense investigates how Nrf2 contributes to effective prevention of space-originated stresses.

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On-board Training (OBT) Dragon Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session 2:

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The crewmembers tasked with capturing Dragon completed their second, and final, OBT session using ROBoT. ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback. Today's runs allowed the crew to practice Free Drift timing, malfunction response, and nominal rate approaches. After the training session the crew had a conference with ground specialists wh ere they discussed any final questions or comments related to capture and berthing operations.

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Anton Shkaplerov‏ @Anton_Astrey 6 ч. назад

"Дракон" на подлете, скоро будет его захват манипулятором. «Захватчик» - @Astro_Kanai! // #Dragon is getting ready to be captured by @Astro_Kanai!

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金井 宣茂‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro_Kanai 3 ч. назад
捕獲成功。
おとなしくて、美しい白竜でした。

Успешный захват.
Это был тихий и красивый белый дракон.

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Ricky Arnold‏Подлинная учетная запись @astro_ricky 50 мин. назад

Welcome @SpaceX 14 – packed with science and hopefully a few goodies for us too!

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/04/dragon-cargo-capsule-reaches-space-station-for-second-time/

Dragon cargo capsule reaches space station for second time
April 4, 2018 | Stephen Clark


SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft arrives at the International Space Station Wednesday. Credit: NASA/JAXA/Norishige Kanai

A commercial Dragon spacecraft glacially approached the International Space Station on Wednesday, allowing a robotic arm controlled by Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai to reach out and grapple the supply ship as it soared 250 miles over Africa, completing SpaceX's 14th mission to the research complex, and the second by the same capsule.

Taking navigation cues fr om laser ranging and thermal sensors, the Dragon spacecraft approached the space station fr om below, pausing at pre-planned points to allow ground controllers and station astronauts to assess the ship's performance.

The rendezvous ran about 20 minutes ahead of schedule, and Kanai, a first-time space flier more than 100 days into his crew's station expedition, unlimbered the lab's Canadian-built robotic arm to snare the free-flying Dragon capsule at 6:40 a.m. EDT (1040 GMT).

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"Capture complete," radioed station astronaut Scott Tingle, who assisted Kanai in Wednesday's operations. "I don't think it gets any better than that."

Ground controllers in Houston and Canada took command of the robotic arm to maneuver the Dragon capsule to a berthing port on the station's Harmony module. Sixteen bolts closed to firmly attach the supply ship to the space station at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).

Wednesday's arrival came a day-and-a-half after the Dragon spacecraft blasted off fr om Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Monday's launch flew with a previously-used Falcon 9 first stage booster, along with the recycled Dragon capsule.

The Dragon capsule that arrived at the station Wednesday first flew on a round-trip mission to the orbiting outpost in April and May of 2016. It's the 14th time a SpaceX supply ship has reached the space station, including a demonstration mission in 2012, and the SpaceX's 14th full-up revenue-earning cargo mission under a more than $2 billion contract with NASA.

One of those cargo flights failed during launch in 2015.

The Dragon capsule delivered 5,836 pounds (2,647 kilograms) of cargo and experiments, including around two tons of hardware for research investigations and scientific instruments. Here's a breakdown of the Dragon's cargo manifest:

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• 2,359 pounds (1,070 kilograms) of science equipment
• 2,041 pounds (926 kilograms of hardware in Dragon's unpressurized trunk
• 758 pounds (344 kilograms) of crew supplies
• 326 pounds (148 kilograms) of vehicle hardware
• 218 pounds (99 kilograms) of spacewalking gear
• 108 pounds (49 kilograms) of computer resources
• 24 pounds (11 kilograms) of Russian cargo
  

Astronauts inside the station planned to open hatches between the Harmony module and the Dragon's pressurized compartment Thursday to begin unpacking the roughly 1.9 tons of cargo inside. The space station's Canadarm 2 arm and Dextre robot will extract three payloads from Dragon's external cargo bay.


Artist's illustration of the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor's observing method from its mounting platform on the space station's Columbus module. Credit: Terma/DTU/ESA/Jan Rasmussen

The experiments carried in Dragon's pressurized module include a robotic testbed satellite that will be released from the space station in the next few months to study the effectiveness of techniques to capture a chunk of space junk and move it out of Earth orbit.

Developed in a public-private partnership between the European Commission and European industry, the RemoveDebris mission will test the utility of nets and harpoons to capture tumbling objects in space, repurposing devices commonly used in fishing to pluck debris out of orbit and bring them into Earth's atmosphere to burn up.

Guglielmo Aglietti, principal investigator for the RemoveDebris mission, calls the project a "proof-of-concept."

Scientists also developed experiments to look at the effects of microgravity on bone marrow and wound healing. Lessons from those studies could help researchers develop ways to counteract negative health effects of long-duration spaceflight or bedrest, and investigate treatments for wounds soldiers suffer in combat.

The Dragon capsule also carried frozen human and bull sperm samples to the space station, wh ere astronauts will thaw the specimens, then add chemicals to activate the cells and allow them to become more mobile, a step required before the sperm can fuse with an egg for fertilization.

"Previous experiments with sea urchin and bull sperm suggest that activating movement happens more quickly in microgravity, while the steps leading up to fusion happen more slowly, or not at all," NASA wrote in an overview of the sperm experiment, known as Micro-11. "Delays or problems at this stage could prevent fertilization from happening in space."

"Researchers will use video to assess how well the space sperm move," scientists wrote. "Finally, the samples will be mixed with preservatives and returned to Earth, wh ere they'll be analyzed to see whether the steps necessary for fusion occurred and whether the samples from space differ from sperm samples activated on the ground."

Scientists prepared a new method of delivering nutrients to vegetables grown on the space station to supplement the astronaut's diet. Seven new plant growth modules, developed in partnership between NASA and Tupperware Brands Corp., were delivered by the Dragon spacecraft Wednesday for testing with red romaine lettuce.


Leafy greens grown on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

There is also an experiment in sintering that could help engineers fabricate or repair tools and spacecraft components on future missions. New high-definition cameras and a custom HP printer for station astronauts also launched inside the Dragon capsule that reached the space station Wednesday.

Payloads mounted inside the Dragon's trunk included the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor, or ASIM, an instrument funded by the European Space Agency and led by Danish scientists to study lightning from the space station.

The instrument's optical, X-ray and gamma ray sensors will observe electrical discharges high above thunderstorms — with names like blue jets, red sprites and elves — that extend up to the edge of space.

Scientists know little about how the discharges are triggered, said Torsten Neubert, ASIM science team coordinator at the Technical University of Denmark.

Lightning processes are slowed at high altitude, Neubert said, making it a good laboratory for studying how electrical discharges emanate through the atmosphere.

"They are really lightning, except they are lightning processes in the upper atmosphere," Neubert said of sprites and jets. "So they look a little bit different, but if we understand them, we'll also understand normal lightning much better."

Once mounted outside the European Columbus module, the lightning monitor may help scientists pinpoint the sources of flashes of gamma rays detected coming from Earth's atmosphere by some astronomical instruments in space. Scientists also hope to study lightning's effects on ozone and other gases in the atmosphere during the instrument's two-year observing campaign.

Also inside the trunk: A platform to expose materials like polymers, coatings, fabrics, computer chips, and solar cells to the harsh environment of space, helping engineers design future spacecraft. The Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility, or MISSE-FF, was developed by Alpha Space, a Houston-based company that wants to offer the platform to companies seeking to test the resilience of materials to extreme temperatures, ionizing radiation, space junk and other hazards of spaceflight.

NASA is also sending up a refurbished coolant pump for staging outside the space station as a spare for the orbiting lab's huge power truss segments.

The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain at the space station until May 2, when it will depart bring around two tons of scientific specimens back to Earth.


Robonaut aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Also hitching a ride back home with the Dragon will be NASA's Robonaut 2, a humanoid robot launched on the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery in February 2011.

"Robonaut has had some issues with being able to power up on-orbit ... and after a lot of troubleshooting on-orbit and a lot of analysis on the ground, they've concluded pretty conclusively that there's a short of some sort on one of the circuitboards, and they need to bring it home in order to repair that," said Pete Hasbrook, NASA's associate space station program scientist.

Engineers developed Robotnaut as a testbed to see whether robots could help astronauts clean and maintain the space station, an objective aimed at freeing up crew time for more intensive tasks. A SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule delivered legs for Robonaut in 2014.

Robonaut could be re-launched on a future mission after the repairs are finished.

"The plan is to bring this one down, understand why it failed, and then make the decision of wh ere we want to go in the future," said Joel Montalbano, NASA's deputy space station program manager.

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Oleg Artemyev‏Подлинная учетная запись @OlegMKS 20 мин. назад

Вчера на Международную космическую станцию @Space_Station прилетел #Dragon CRS-14 — американский грузовой корабль @SpaceX . Доставил он нам 2,5 тонны научной техники и различных грузов.

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19 мин. назад

The @SpaceX #Dragon CRS-14 cargo spacecraft was captured with the International Space Station's robotic Canadarm2 on 4 April 2018. The spacecraft delivered more than 2.5 tons of supplies to the @Space_Station

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/04/04/iss-daily-summary-report-4042018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/04/2018

SpX-14 Mission:

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At 5:40 am CDT this morning, the ISS crew used the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to capture the Dragon vehicle. This capture marked the first use of Forced Based Capture, a software enhancement to the Latching End Effector (LEE) that reduces loads on the snare cables, during SpaceX operations. Ground specialists maneuvered the Dragon to the preinstall position and performed an inspection of the Passive Common Berthing Mechanism (PCBM) prior to installation at Node2 Nadir at 9:07 AM CDT. Successful vestibule pressurization, leak checks, vestibule outfitting, and CBM Control Panel Assembly (CPA) rotation support tomorrow morning's scheduled ingress.

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Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Tether Slosh:

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Today the crew set up the SPHERES Tether Slosh hardware but communication issues between the antenna and the SPHERES robots prevented successful completion of all of the test sessions. Ground teams are investigating. SPHERES Tether Slosh combines fluid dynamics equipment with robotic capabilities aboard the International Space Station to investigate automated strategies for steering passive cargo that contain fluids. In space, the fluid fuels used by spacecraft can slosh around in unpredictable ways making space maneuvers difficult. This investigation uses two SPHERES robots tethered to a fluid-filled container covered in sensors to test strategies for safely steering spacecraft such as dead satellites that might still have fuel in the tank.

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Space Test Program – H5 (STP-H5) Innovative Coatings Experiment (ICE):

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The crew photographed the external ICE material strips on STP-H5 through the Cupola and Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) windows today. The harsh radiation and extreme temperatures of space can corrode the paint and coatings that protect spacecraft exteriors, potentially damaging a spacecraft's hull. Optical coatings are also important for robotic and human navigators, who would rely on specialized markings to capture or repair spacecraft. The STP-H5 ICE investigation studies new coatings for use on spacecraft in low Earth orbit, determining their stability after 2 years in space. Photographs are taken at 60 day intervals.

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Veg-03:

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Today the crew watered the plants and continued with the photo-documentation of plant growth for the Veg-03 investigation. Veg-03 supports the proof-of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and the planting pillows. Future long duration space missions will require a fresh food supply grown in space to supplement crew diets.

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Lighting Effects:

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The crew obtained light meter readings in Node 2 and the Columbus module today. 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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Microbial Tracking-2 (MT-2):

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To support the MT-2 investigation, a 53S crewmember collected his Flight Day 105 saliva samples and ins erted them in to the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). 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 are collected to identify any associations between the microbial content of the samples, as well as potential health effects.

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Food Acceptability:

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A crewmember completed a Food Acceptability questionnaire today. The Food Acceptability investigation seeks to determine the impact of repetitive consumption of food currently available from the spaceflight food system. Results will be used in developing strategies to improve food system composition to support crew health and performance on long duration missions.

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/04/05/dragon-opens-up-offering-new-space-research/

Dragon Opens Up Offering New Space Research

Mark Garcia
Posted Apr 5, 2018 at 3:05 pm


Astronauts Scott Tingle (left) and Norishige Kanai watch the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft arrive moments before capturing it with the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

The SpaceX Dragon space freighter is open for business today as the Expedition 55 crew begins unloading and activating new time-sensitive space experiments aboard the International Space Station.

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Astronaut Scott Tingle opened Dragon's hatch this morning and was the first to enter the spaceship. He and fellow NASA astronauts Drew Feusteland Ricky Arnold began offloading new science gear immediately afterward. Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai tended to new mice shipped aboard Dragon and transferred them to habitats located inside Japan's Kibo laboratory module.

Some of the new space studies will enable research into a variety of biological organisms to understand microgravity's long term effects on life systems. Scientists hypothesize their observations will benefit both crews in space and people on Earth. Other experiments will study physics phenomena both inside and outside the orbital lab with potential impacts on future space systems and industrial and manufacturing processes on the ground.

Robotics operators on the ground will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to ungrip the newly-installed Dragon today. They will remotely maneuver the Canadarm2 on Friday to extract unpressurized cargo, including life support gear and , from Dragon's exposed aft-end, also called its trunk. Dragon will remain attached to the Harmony module's Earth-facing port until early May.

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