Новости МКС

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/06/21/crew-studies-how-space-affects-time-perception-exercise-and-eyesight-today/

Crew Studies How Space Affects Time Perception, Exercise and Eyesight Today

Mark Garcia
Posted Jun 21, 2018 at 4:37 pm


This fish-eye lens view from a window on the Cupola shows the U.S. Cygnus commercial space freighter with its cymbal-like Ultra-Flex solar arrays attached to the Unity module. To its right is the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft docked to the Rassvet module.

Quite a wide variety of science activities took place today aboard the International Space Station exploring time perception, exercise and eyesight. The Expedition 56 crew members also worked on station plumbing, stowed satellite deployer gear and checked out communications gear.

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Two-time station resident Alexander Gerst started his morning helping doctors understand how living in space alters time perception and impacts crew performance. Later he strapped himself into an exercise bike and attached electrodes to his chest to monitor his pulmonary function during the workout session.

NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold, Drew Feustel and Serena Auñón-Chancellor teamed up for eye exams with an ultrasound device to study microgravity's effects on eyesight. The scans were downlinked real-time to scientists on Earth observing the retina and optic nerve while monitoring the health of the astronaut's eyes.

Auñón-Chancellor started her day changing out a filter and valve in the station's bathroom located in the Tranquility module. She then checked out Wi-Fi gear connected to antennas installed during a March 29 spacewalk after assisting Feustel in the Japanese Kibo lab module. The duo stowed gear after Wednesday's successful deployment of a satellite to demonstrate space junk clean up.

Arnold was set to install radio frequency tags today to improve tool tracking but that task was postponed till after the Cygnus cargo ship departs July 15. He then moved on to emergency communication tests with control centers around the world before light maintenance work on a 3D manufacturing device.

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По предварительным баллистическим расчётам https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/orbit/ISS/SVPOST.html, отложенная коррекция орбиты МКС состоится 23 июня 2018 г.

Код Выделить Развернуть

  IMPULSIVE TIG (GMT)   M50 DVx(FPS)      LVLH DVx(FPS)      DVmag(FPS)
   IMPULSIVE TIG (MET)   M50 DVy(FPS)      LVLH DVy(FPS)      Invar Sph HA
   DT                    M50 DVz(FPS)      LVLH DVz(FPS)      Invar Sph HP
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   174/08:16:46.599           0.3               1.3              1.4    
   N/A                       -1.0              -0.1              220.7  
   000/00:03:33.198          -0.9              -0.0              215.8  Предполагаемые дата, время и длительность импульса коррекции: 23 июня 2018 в 08:16:46.599 UTC (174/08:16:46.599), длительность импульса 213 с (00:03:33.198 )

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Россия откажется от устаревших экспериментов на МКС
https://ria.ru/space/20180622/1523182722.html?referrer_block=index_main_1

ВЕНА, 22 июн — РИА Новости. Россия откажется от проведения устаревших экспериментов на Международной космической станции (МКС), сообщил в интервью РИА Новости глава Роскосмоса Дмитрий Рогозин
По его словам, речь идет об экспериментах, которые "разрабатывались по десять лет и давно уже потеряли всякую актуальность". "Основные эксперименты будут связаны с автономностью работы российского сегмента МКС, с его большей независимостью от подпитки с Земли", — сказал Рогозин.

Глава Роскосмоса добавил, что когда появится администрация российского сегмента МКС, будет проще определять приоритетность научных экспериментов.
"Если мы нацелим эксперименты на это и добьемся важных результатов, это будет залогом того, что МКС действительно выступит в качестве неотъемлемой ступеньки для перехода к операциям в дальнем космосе", — заключил Рогозин.Ранее летчик-космонавт, Герой России, депутат Госдумы Елена Серова сообщила, что на российском сегменте МКС проведут ревизию эффективности экспериментов.
Мало провести эксперимент: он должен давать определенный результат, чтобы не просто ученые расшифровали и увидели что-то необычное, а это должно быть применительно к чему-либо", — сказала Серова, говоря об итогах встречи с Рогозиным.

[tnt22]

https://ria.ru/space/20180622/1523221289.html

Орбиту МКС откорректируют в субботу утром

15:09 22.06.2018

МОСКВА, 22 июн — РИА Новости. Орбиту МКС откорректируют 23 июня в 11.15 мск, сообщили журналистам в пятницу в головном научном институте Роскосмоса ЦНИИмаш.

Ранее коррекцию планировалось провести в четверг 21 июня, однако как сообщили РИА Новости в НАСА, из-за возможного столкновения с космическим мусором время проведения коррекции перенесли.

"Согласно предварительным расчетным данным службы баллистико-навигационого обеспечения Центра управления полетами (ЦУП), время включения двигательной установки грузового корабля "Прогресс МС-08" — 11.15 мск", — сообщил представитель института.

Двигатели корабля "Прогресс МС-08", пристыкованного к станции включатся в 11.15 мск и проработают 208 секунд. Средняя высота орбиты увеличится на 700 метров и составит 404,9 километра.

[tnt22]

https://ria.ru/science/20180622/1523228625.html

Эксперт: количество российских экспериментов на МКС могут сократить

16:12 22.06.2018

МОСКВА, 22 июн — РИА Новости. Россия может сократить количество проводимых на Международной космической станции экспериментов для экономии, чтобы снизить потребность в грузовых кораблях "Прогресс", считает научный руководитель Института космической политики Иван Моисеев.

Ранее новый гендиректор Роскосмоса Дмитрий Рогозин заявил в интервью РИА Новости, что Россия откажется от проведения на МКС устаревших экспериментов, а основная часть оставшихся будет направлена на расширение автономности российского сегмента станции.

"Это просто линия на экономию. Никаких там новых замечательных экспериментов нет, не планируется", — сказал Моисеев.

По его словам, организация экспериментов на МКС была сопряжена с двумя проблемами. Первая – нехватка самих экспериментов – остро стояла в первые годы эксплуатации станции.

"Одна проблема застарелая. Еще в самом начале работы МКС констатировалась печальная ситуация с экспериментами. Их просто мало. А мало их было потому, что практически все, что можно было исследовать, исследовали на станции "Мир". Нового так быстро не придумаешь", — рассказал эксперт.

Проблема была решена созданием совместной рабочей группы РАН и Российского космического агентства (сейчас — Роскосмос). Кроме того, был упрощен доступ научных институтов и коммерческих структур к проведению экспериментов на станции.

Вторая проблема – как раз недостаточное финансирование. Эксперт предположил, что вслед за сокращением российского экипажа (с весны 2017 года на станции регулярно находятся два российских космонавта, а не три, как было раньше) может последовать и сокращение запусков грузовых кораблей "Прогресс". Именно для этого и планируется, по словам Моисеева, сократить количество экспериментов – чтобы возить на станцию меньше оборудования.

[tnt22]

https://ria.ru/science/20180622/1523235113.html

Британия запустила первый спутник-"космическую уборщицу"

17:01 22.06.2018

МОСКВА, 22 июн – РИА Новости. Экипаж МКС впервые запустил в космос британский микроспутник, главной задачей которого станет сбор частиц космического мусора и их сжигание в атмосфере Земли, сообщает Space.com.

"Мы ожидаем, что первые опыты начнутся где-то в сентябре этого года. Каждый из них займет несколько недель по той причине, что мы желаем снять их на HD-камеры. Поэтому нам нужно "поймать" мусор в тот момент, когда он будет хорошо освещен, а зонд будет смотреть на него под правильным ракурсом", — заявил Гульельмо Альетти (Guglielmo Aglietti), научный руководитель эксперимента RemoveDebris.

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По текущим оценкам астрономов, на орбите Земли присутствует присутствует примерно 18 тысяч рукотворных объектов, чье положение известно НАСА и другим ведущим космическим агентствам мира. Пока не открытых частиц космического мусора в разы больше – их общее число превышает 170 миллионов, и столкновение даже с одной из них может обернуться катастрофой для большинства спутников, МКС и пилотируемых кораблей.

О существовании этой проблемы ученые знают со времен конца "космической гонки". Еще в 1978 году Дональд Кесслер, ученый из НАСА, показал, что дальнейшее накопление мусора на орбите и увеличение его плотности может создать условия, в которых столкновение двух подобных частиц вызовет своеобразную "цепную реакцию", которая приведет к уничтожению всех спутников, работающих на высоте МКС и выше.

За последние годы, как отмечает Альетти, космические инженеры разработали планы десятков систем, которые помогли бы решить эту проблему. К примеру, китайские физики предлагают установить на борту МКС лазер, который будет "сбивать" мусор при его сближении со станцией, а их коллеги из НАСА предлагают собирать их при помощи роботизированных кораблей.

Первый аппарат такого рода, получивший имя RemoveDebris, был запущен на этой неделе в космос экипажем Международной космической станции. Он был создан британскими инженерами из университета Сюррея и компанией Airbus в рамках одноименного проекта, на реализацию которого ЕС выделил 5,2 миллиона евро.

Этот зонд, похожий по размерам на крупную стиральную машинку, состоит из пяти частей – собственно, самого аппарата RemoveDebris, двух микроспутников, играющих роль образцов "космического мусора", ловчей сети, гарпуна и паруса.

В последующие шесть месяцев зонд проверит все свои системы, после чего он выбросит оба микроспутника и попытается поймать их, используя трехмерный лазерный радар, сеть и гарпун. По текущим планам Альетти и его коллег, эти процедуры состоятся в октябре этого года и в феврале 2019 года.

Если первая космическая "уборщица" справится с этой задачей, она выпустит парус и использует его для того, чтобы быстро попасть в верхние слои атмосферы Земли и сгореть в ней всего за 10 недель. Как надеется Альетти, эти опыты заставят все ведущие космические агентства мира серьезнее отнестись к проблеме очистки орбиты от мусора вне зависимости от того, справится ли RemoveDebris со всеми задачами или нет.

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[tnt22]

Space to Ground: Clearing the Cosmos: 06/22/2018

NASA Johnson

Опубликовано: 22 июн. 2018 г.

(2:45)

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НОРАД идетифицировал объект запуска (#17626)

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https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/spacex-crs-15-briefings-and-events

June 22, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY M18-012

SpaceX CRS-15 Briefings and Events

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting no earlier than 5:42 a.m. EDT Friday, June 29, for the launch of its 15th resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Live coverage will begin on NASA Television and the agency's website Thursday, June 28, with prelaunch events.

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Packed with more than 5,900 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket fr om Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. About 10 minutes after launch, Dragon reaches its preliminary orbit, at which point it will deploy its solar arrays and begin a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the International Space Station.

In addition to bringing research to station, the Dragon's unpressurized trunk is carrying a new Canadian-built Latching End Effector, or LEE. This new LEE is being launched as a spare to replace the failed unit astronauts removed during a series of spacewalks in the fall of 2017. Each end of the Canadarm2 robotic arm has an identical LEE, and they are used as the "hands" that grapple payloads and visiting cargo spaceships. They also enable Canadarm2 to "walk" to different locations on the orbiting outpost, including Canada's Mobile Base, which travels along rails on the space station's main truss.

In collaboration with the National Park Service, a toy dog representing the Newfoundland that accompanied Lewis and Clark on their historic expedition in the 1800s also is headed to the space station to help the two agencies celebrate NASA's 60th anniversary and the National Trail System's 50th anniversary. 

It will take three days to reach the space station, wh ere it will arrive Monday, July 2. NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold, backed up by fellow NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, will supervise the operation of the Canadarm2 robotic arm for Dragon's capture while NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor monitors the spacecraft's systems. After Dragon capture, ground commands will be sent from mission control in Houston for the station's arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the station's Harmony module.

...

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Full mission coverage is as follows:

Thursday, June 28

News Media Schedule

[/li]
• 11 a.m. – What's on Board science briefing from Kennedy to highlight the following research:
• Christian Karrasch, project lead at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Philipp Schulien, project engineer at Airbus, will discuss the Crew Interactive Mobile companion (CIMON) study into crew efficiency and acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) support for future use on long-duration missions.
• Principal investigators Richard Grugel at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Oliver Steinbock at Florida State University, will discuss Chemical Gardens studying the physics of nanotube growth.
• Simon Hook, principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Woody Turner, program scientist in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters, will discuss the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) investigation. This study will answer several key science questions related to water stress in plants and how sel ected regions may respond to future changes in climate.
• Paolo Luzzatto-Fegi, principal investigator at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Richard Dickinson, director of the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation, will discuss Quantifying Cohesive Sediment Dynamics for Advanced Environmental Modeling (BCAT-CS), which focuses on the study of forces between particles that cluster together by studying sediments of quartz and clay particles.
• Ken Podwalski, director of Space Exploration Operations and Infrastructure for the Canadian Space Agency, will discuss the spare Canadarm2 Latching End Effector (LEE) being launched.
  

[/li][li]12:45 – 1:15 p.m. – Prelaunch news conference from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with representatives fr om NASA's International Space Station Program, SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force's 45th Space Wing.[/li][li]3:15 – 4:30 p.m. – One-on-one Interview Opportunities (Sign up at the Press Site)

[/li]
• ECOSTRESS
• Simon Hook, principal investigator, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Josh Fisher, science lead, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Kerry Cawse-Nicholson, deputy science lead, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  

[/li][li]CIMON

[/li]
• Christian Karrasch, project lead, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
• Philipp Schulien, project engineer, Airbus
  

[/li][li]National Park Service

[/li]
• Ashley Danielson, volunteer and partnership specialist, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• Alexandra Picavet, chief of Communications and Legislative Affairs, Midwest Region
  

[/li][/LIST]
[/li][/LIST]
Friday, June 29

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 5:15 a.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
...

NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the SpaceX CRS-15 flight will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning at 5:15 a.m. as the countdown milestones occur. ...

Postlaunch News Conference on NASA TV

A postlaunch news conference will occur at about 8 a.m. in Kennedy's Press Site TV Auditorium and air live on NASA Television and the agency's website at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. ...

Last Updated: June 22, 2018
Editor: Linda Herridge

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/06/20/iss-daily-summary-report-6202018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 6/20/2018

NanoRacks-Remove Debris (RemDeb):

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The RemDeb satellite was deployed nominally fr om the ISS. NanoRacks-Remove Debris demonstrates an approach to reducing the risks presented by space debris or "space junk". Collisions in space may have serious consequences, but research has shown that removing the largest debris significantly reduces the chance of collisions. NanoRacks-Remove Debris uses a 3D camera to map location and speed of debris and then deploys a net to capture and de-orbit simulated debris that is up to 1 meter in diameter. Ground experts will then analyze video of the demonstration runs.

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Solidification Using Baffles in Sealed Ampoules (SUBSA):

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The crew performed troubleshooting on the SUBSA experiment to remove pieces of the broken sample ampoule. It was determined pieces of the ampoule remain lodged inside the chamber bore and is not possible to fully clean the chamber bore. Therefore, there will not be any future planned troubleshooting. The objective of the SUBSA investigation is to advance understanding of the processes involved in semiconductor crystal growth. It offers a gradient freeze furnace for materials science investigations that can reach 850°C. Samples are contained in transparent quartz or ceramic ampoules with high definition video imaging available in real-time along with remote commanding of thermal control parameters.

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At Home in Space:

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The crew completed a questionnaire for the At Home in Space investigation. This Canadian Space Agency investigation 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 also uses questionnaires to investigate individual and culturally related differences, family functioning, values, coping with stress, and post-experience growth.

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Public Affairs Opportunity (PAO):

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This afternoon the entire crew participated in an event for the 50th anniversary of the U.N. Conference on Exploration and the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Ground participants in this conference in Vienna, Austria will include Dr. Jim Green, NASA Chief Scientist, and former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.

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Acoustic Monitor Noise Survey:

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The ISS is a noisy place. To better characterize changes to the acoustic environment of ISS, the crew utilized a Sound Level Meter (SLM) and acoustic dosimeters to measure the acoustic environment in the habitable areas of the ISS.

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On-Board Training (OBT) 54 Soyuz (54S) Emergency Egress Drill:

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All three 54S crewmembers participated in a training session today wh ere they reviewed and practiced procedures that would be performed in the event of an emergency that required the crew to egress ISS and execute an emergency descent. This drill is scheduled after the crew has been onboard for 12 to 14 weeks and every 2.5 months thereafter.

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Eye Exams:

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This afternoon the 54S crew performed routine Fundoscope eye exams. Prior to the exam, the crewmember's eyes were dilated allowing another crewmember to utilize the Fundoscope to capture images of both eyes. Eye exams are routinely performed onboard the ISS to monitor crewmembers eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

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Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Operations:

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After deployment of the RemDeb satellite, ground Robotics Specialists (ROBO) preformed a checkout of the NanoRacks Kaber Microsat Deployer prior to returning it to the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock Slide Table. ROBO is currently performing a Mobile Transporter (MT) translation from Worksite (WS)7 to WS4 and will stow the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) later this evening prior to a SSRMS walkoff onto Node 2(N2).

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Today's Planned Activities:

[/li]
• RADIOSKAF. Preparation for tests, activation of transceiver Kenwood D700 instead of D710 and relay mode installation.
• RADIOSKAF. Nano Satellite Tanyusha-ЮЗГУ-3 activation for relay mode operation.
• RADIOSKAF. Photo and Video Recording
  

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/06/21/iss-daily-summary-report-6212018/

ISS Daily Summary Report – 6/21/2018

Time:

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The crew performed a Time perception session. ESA's Time experiment captures the accurate perception of objects in the environment is a prerequisite for spatial orientation and reliable performance of motor tasks. Time is also fundamental to motion perception, sound localization, speech, and fine motor coordination. The Time experiment quantifies the subjective changes in time perception in humans during and after long-duration exposure to microgravity.

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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID):

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The task to install 10 RFID Logistics marker tags in PMA-1 today was postponed due to the crew not being able to easy access the required locations. This activity will be rescheduled after the OA-9 mission is complete. RFID Logistics aims to utilize RFID enabled tags on hardware throughout the ISS to assist in the tracking of the hardware as it is moved around the ISS.

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JEM Airlock (JEMAL):

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Following the successful deployment of the NanoRacks-Remove Debris satellite, the crew removed and stowed the Kaber from the A/L Adapter Plate (JCAP) slide table adapter. The crew then installed the MPEP (Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform) in preparation the next JEMAL cycle.

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Manufacturing Device (MD):

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Today the crew trimmed the filament of a new feedstock canister within the MD device to troubleshoot a jamming issue seen during a recent print attempt. The Manufacturing Device supports the production of components on the ISS for both NASA and commercial objectives. It is capable of producing parts out of a wide variety of thermopolymers including engineered plastics.

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Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Ultrasounds:

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Today the 54S crew completed a second day of routine eye exams using an Ultrasound machine. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmembers eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

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Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPS) Inspection:

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Today the crew inspected Portable Fire Extinguishers (PFEs), Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBAs), and Extension Hose Tee Kits (EHTKs) as part of routine maintenance.

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Node 3 (N3) External Wireless Communications (EWC) Wireless Access Point (WAP) Checkout:

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The N3 EWC WAP will provide Wi-Fi coverage to payloads installed on the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) and is required by the ECOSTRESS payload arriving on SpaceX-15. The N3 EWC WAP is connected to two EVA antennas that were installed during US EVA 49, one located on Node 3 Zenith and the other located on Node 3 Nadir, and today's nominal checkout ensured proper functionality of each antenna.

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Cygnus Cargo Operations:

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OA-9 Cargo Message #3 was uplinked overnight and the crew reported spending approximately seven hours on cargo operations since receipt. Despite continued issues with foam management, the crew was able to complete approximately one third of the message and will continue with cargo operations tomorrow.

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Lab Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Failure:

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This afternoon the Lab CDRA shut down due to an Air Selector Valve (ASV) fault on valve 104. Recovery attempts were unsuccessful and startup of the Node 3 CDRA is in work. Once complete, specialists will continue with additional troubleshooting. There are currently three spare valves on-orbit.

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Today's Planned Activities:

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• RADIOSKAF. Antennae cable connection and "Tanyusha-YuZGU-4" satellite activation in relay mode.
• RADIOSKAF. Photo and video recording
• RADIOSKAF. "Tanyusha-YuZGU-4" satellite and relay mode deactivation, Kenwood D700 radio station replacement with D710.
  

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Human Spaceflight‏Подлинная учетная запись @esaspaceflight 7 ч. назад

#FridayFeeling! Time perception is elastic – sometimes it takes forever for a week to be over Scientists believe that time flies for the astronauts on the @Space_Station. Yesterday @Astro_Alex ran the first session of the TIME experiment to help shed light on the matter

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Expedition 56 Education Inflight Interview with Dag Hammarskjold School - June 12, 2018

NASA Video

Опубликовано: 22 июн. 2018 г.

(22:59)

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/06/22/crew-researching-microbes-and-plants-for-space-and-earth-benefits/

Crew Researching Microbes and Plants For Space and Earth Benefits

Mark Garcia
Posted Jun 22, 2018 at 4:18 pm


Astronaut Alexander Gerst is seated in the Columbus laboratory module participating in the Grip study. Grip is researching how the nervous system adapts to microgravity. Observations may improve the design of safer space habitats and help patients on Earth with neurological diseases.

The Expedition 56 crew members researched microbes and plants today and conducted more eye exams to benefit future space residents as well as people on Earth. The Cygnus space freighter continues to be packed for its release in July as robotics controllers get ready to inspect the vehicle.

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NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor stowed genetically modified microbes in a science freezer that will be analyzed for their ability to compete with petrochemical production processes on Earth. Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold, also from NASA, thinned plants for the Plant Habitat-1 experiment that is comparing plants grown in microgravity to those grown on Earth.

Arnold and Auñón-Chancellor later joined Commander Drew Feustel for more eye checks. The trio used optical coherence tomography to capture 2D and 3D imagery of the eye to help doctors understand how living in space affects eyesight.

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst was packing Cygnus with trash and old gear today ahead of its July 15 release.

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NanoRacks‏Подлинная учетная запись @NanoRacks 8 ч. назад

At exactly 11:35:00 UTC on June 20, we had a beautiful view of the #RemoveDEBRIS satellite being released from our #Kaber deployer. Thank you @astro_ricky for capturing such beautiful photos of this historic moment on @Space_Station!

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https://www.roscosmos.ru/25218/

ЦУП. ПРОВЕДЕНА ПЛАНОВАЯ КОРРЕКЦИЯ ОРБИТЫ МКС
23.06.2018 11:20

В соответствии с программой полёта Международной космической станции (МКС) 23 июня 2018 года проведена плановая коррекция орбиты МКС.

Для выполнения манёвра в 11:15 мск были включены двигатели ТГК «Прогресс МС-08», пристыкованного к Международной космической станции. Время работы двигателей составило 208 сек. В результате станция получила приращение скорости на 0,42 м/сек.

В соответствии с расчетными данными службы баллистико-навигационного обеспечения Центра управления полётами (ЦУП) параметры орбиты МКС после выполнения манёвра составили:

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• минимальная высота над поверхностью Земли – 403,7 км,
• максимальная высота над поверхностью Земли – 421,2 км,
• период обращения – 92,60 мин.,
• наклонение орбиты – 51,66 град.
  

Целью проведения коррекции стало формирование баллистических условий для выведения на орбиту транспортного грузового корабля «Прогресс МС-09».

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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/space-life-physical-sciences-research-and-applications-spacex-15-experiments-payloads

June 22, 2018

Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications SpaceX CRS-15 Experiments and Payloads

Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Enables human spaceflight exploration to expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and opportunity in space and Pioneers scientific discovery in and beyond low Earth orbit to drive advances in science, technology, and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, and economic vitality.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Chemical Gardens (CG)

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Classical chemical garden formed by the addition of cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, and zinc salts to a sodium silicate solution.
Credits: Oliver Steinbock chemistry group at Florida State University

Hollow precipitation structures form when a metal salt crystal (except those fr om group 1A compounds) is placed in an aqueous solution containing anions (negatively charged particles) such as silicate, borate, phosphate, or carbonate. Immediately following the wetting of the salt crystal, it begins to dissolve and forms a membrane of metal hydroxide particles that allow water molecules to pass through. These water molecules flow through the membrane towards the seed crystal causing a build-up of osmotic pressure that eventually ruptures the membrane. In the simplest case, a buoyant jet of salt solution is released, the surface of which immediately precipitates with the surrounding solution, resulting in a hollow tube. A single crystal can produce multiple precipitation structures; historically these are referred to as chemical gardens.

The Chemical Gardens investigation will study the micro- and meso- structures formed under microgravity to determine structural motives, wall thickness, elemental composition, and tube dimensions. The structures grown during the experiment will be returned to Earth and analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy (including elemental characterizations), X-ray diffraction, and other established analytical techniques – microgravity samples will be compared to their otherwise identical Earth counterparts. The results from this experiment will offer significant insight into how micro-structures can be engineered from self-organizing chemical reactions, part of a larger effort that aims to develop a new engineering approach that creates hierarchically structured materials (and even relatively simple assemblages such as scaffolds) by biomimetic, parallel growth, rather than sequential processing steps.

Principal Investigators: Richard Grugel, Ph.D., NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center; Oliver Steinbock, Ph.D., Florida State University
Co-Investigators: Alexander Blanchard, Florida State University; Ellen Rabenberg, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
Developers: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Leidos Engineering, Houston, TX

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Effect of Macromolecular Transport on Microgravity Protein Crystallization (LMMBIO-4)

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PfGST Crystals Grown in Microgravity

This investigation examines the underlying reasons for the improved quality of microgravity-grown protein crystals. Proteins are important macromolecules, and without proteins our bodies would be unable to repair, regulate, or protect themselves. Researchers grow crystals of protein macromolecules in order to determine their three-dimensional structure. Using this 3-D structural information, researchers can determine how proteins function and how they may influence the development of diseases, including cancer, viral infections, and genetic disorders among many others. The structure is often used to help design new pharmaceutical drugs that specifically interact with the protein. While enormous strides have been made in the last decade, there are still a large number of important proteins without identified structures. This is due to the difficulty in growing the crystals needed to determine their atomic structure. Access to unique data optimized in microgravity could have great relevance for understanding protein structures and advancing new drugs into the pharmaceutical market. For example, proteins studied in this investigation include Plasmodium falciparum glutathione-s-transferase (PfGST), which is considered an antimalarial drug target.

Crystallization experiments will be monitored microscopically for growth rates as a function of overall protein molecular weight (which impacts the transport rates in solution). The degree of incorporation of protein monomers versus protein aggregates will be studied by monitoring fluorescence of growing protein crystals. Greater understanding of the principles involved in the crystallization process will improve the design of future experiments and increase the odds of crystal growing success.

Principal Investigator: Lawrence J. DeLucas, M.D., Ph.D., Aerospace Corp., Birmingham, Alabama
Co-Investigator: Christian Betzel, Ph.D., University of Hamburg, Germany
Developers: NASA's Glenn Research Center and ZIN Technologies Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio
Facility: Light Microscopy Module (LMM)

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Growth Rate Dispersion as a Predictive Indicator for Biological Crystal Samples Wh ere Quality can be Improved with Microgravity Growth (LMMBIO-6)

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LMM-Biophysics Capillaries

Scientists use X-ray crystallography, a technique for determining the molecular structure of a substance, to view molecules that are too small to be seen under a microscope. This technique requires growing crystals of the molecules. Observing crystallized proteins allows scientists to determine their structure, which can explain how they work or how other molecules, such as drugs, might interact with them. One limitation in the ability to determine a protein structure by x-ray crystallography is the availability of high quality crystals. Crystal growth in a microgravity environment can yield improved quality, but not all protein samples show improvement. If it is possible to predict which protein crystals could be enhanced by microgravity growth, then the choice of protein targets for future experiments would allow for more efficient use of microgravity facilities.

Earlier studies demonstrated that a reduction in growth rate dispersion, which yields a more uniform size distribution in the crystals, is correlated with an increase in crystal quality. Similarly, researchers have observed that crystals resulting from growth in microgravity are often more uniform in size. This investigation will examine the theory that the presence of larger growth rate dispersion in ground-based protein crystals may be used as an indicator of crystals that can be improved when grown in microgravity. The mechanisms that result in a decreased growth rate dispersion in microgravity will be studied by choosing protein targets which exhibit larger growth rate dispersion on the ground, crystallizing them in space, and monitoring for changes in growth rate dispersion in a microgravity environment. The quality of the crystals returned from space will be examined and compared to identical ground-based crystals.

Principal Investigator: Eddie H. Snell, Ph.D., Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, New York
Co-Investigator: Joseph R. Luft, M.S., Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, New York
Developers: NASA's Glenn Research Center, ZIN Technologies Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio
Facility: Light Microscopy Module (LMM)

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Barrios Real-time Protein Crystal Growth Experiment (Barrios RTPCG-2)

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Hen Egg White Lysozyme Crystal

Scientists use X-ray crystallography to better understand how protein molecules work or how other molecules and compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, might interact with them. Growing protein crystals for study is often a difficult, iterative process, requiring observation of initial conditions and optimization of those conditions based on results. High-quality crystals are required for data analysis, and crystallizing them in microgravity produces larger, more perfect specimens.

Typical microgravity crystallization experiments require pre-determining optimal conditions on the ground, and then sending experiments with those conditions into orbit with the hope that by screening around the best ground conditions, microgravity results will be comparable. A more effective way to choose the best microgravity crystallization conditions would be to observe the initial experiments in orbit, then optimize conditions based on those preliminary visual observations (much as investigators do in the lab) and set up new experiments.

Thus, astronauts will set up protein crystallization experiments in real time on the space station using previously optimized microgravity protocols for preparing adequately mixing solutions. They will then use a microscope to observe the crystals that form, interact with the principal investigator in real time, and adjust for follow-on experiments. This approach will give ground-based scientists the ability to optimize crystal growth in microgravity instead of waiting until another flight opportunity to test and evaluate new crystallization conditions.

Principal Investigator: Lawrence J. DeLucas, M.D., Ph.D., Aerospace Corp., Birmingham, Alabama
Developers: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Barrios Technology, Houston, Texas

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Advanced Colloids Experiment with Temperature Control-2 (ACE-T2)

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Depiction of Colloidal lattice forming from the ACE-T2 experiment particles on ISS

Nanotechnologies offer the possibility of creating lighter and stronger materials, and the ability to make a broad range of necessary logistics items from building blocks, as is often needed during space exploration. The Advanced Colloids Experiment (Temperature controlled) – ACE-T2 will deliver an increased understanding of self-assembly processes at the micron and sub-micron levels. The goal of this experiment is to understand how complex interactions of small particles lead to the development of complex structures, and how best to control the growth of these structures. While this experiment deals with microscopically visible micron-sized particles – which are about 1/100 the diameter of a fine human hair – insights gained will also apply down to the sub-nanometer range that is 1000 times smaller than microscopically visible particles. We can use the understanding of how these particles work to build structures from quantum dots (QD) – very small semiconductor particles whose optical properties are a central theme in nanotechnology.

These experiments could also be useful on Earth in regard to engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. In its original sense, nanotechnology refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products. This work builds structures from parts that are the size of the wavelength of light, making it possible to manipulate and control light without having to switch to heat producing electronics, which presently limits size and speed.

Principal Investigator and Affiliation: Peter Schall, Ph.D., University of Amsterdam

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SPACE BIOLOGY

Investigating the Physiology and Fitness of an Exoelectrogenic Microorganism Under Microgravity Conditions (Micro-12)

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This Scanning Electron Microscope image shows Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria. These bacteria are able to generate electric currents that can be conducted along nanowires extending from their cell membranes

Micro-12 is a life science research mission that will investigate the effects of spaceflight on the physiology of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. S. oneidensis is an exoelectrogen, a special type of microbe that is capable of utilizing solid electron acceptors, such as metal oxides, for respiration during spaceflight. These specialized organisms are used in bioelectrochemical systems, which have the potential for use in bioregenerative life-support processes. Results from this experiment will provide a foundation for the work of scientists aiming to create bioelectrochemical systems that treat wastewater, generate power, or synthesize useful chemicals. While these abilities would certainly be useful on Earth, they may be especially useful in spacecraft, particularly for future missions to the Moon or Mars.

Principal Investigator and Affiliation: John A. Hogan, Ph.D., NASA Ames Research Center

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Microbial Tracking-2 (MT-2)

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MT-2 hardware positioned in the Node 2 module of the International Space Station to collect a sample of the microbes and viruses floating in the air of the Station

The Microbial Tracking -2 (MT-2) study uses a combination of traditional culture-based methods and newer, more comprehensive molecular analyses to identify microbes and viruses on the orbiting laboratory and crew and to measure their disease-causing potential. Findings from the Microbial Tracking-2 study will provide NASA with tools to estimate risks to crew health and spacecraft performance stemming from microbial growth onboard a crewed spacecraft. Understanding these risks will be especially important for planning long-duration crewed missions, for which pathogenic microbes could lead to mission-ending scenarios. Data from this investigation will be made available to the scientific community through an open-access database developed by NASA called GeneLab.

Principal Investigator and Affiliation: Crystal Jaing, Ph.D., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

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Effects of Spaceflight on Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Mice: Mechanisms and Impact on Multi-System Physiology (Rodent Research-7/RR-7)

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We are learning more and more about the significant impacts that microbiomes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of mammals have on their hosts (including humans). Using mice as a model, the Rodent Research-7 experiment will study the effects of microgravity on the gut microbiota of mice over time, and how those changes affect other physiological systems and the overall health of the mice. This investigation will also determine whether changes in GI microbiota are exacerbated by the disruptions of sleep and circadian rhythms of that occur during spaceflight. Data from this study have the potential to contribute to the development of therapies and interventions that treat disorders resulting from microbial imbalances. Thus, this research will help protect the health of astronauts on long-term missions, and that of people on Earth.

Principal Investigator and Affiliation: Fred Turek, Ph.D., Northwestern University

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Last Updated: June 22, 2018
Editor: Carlyle Webb

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https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-television-to-air-launch-of-next-space-station-resupply-mission-4

June 22, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY M18-098

NASA Television to Air Launch of Next Space Station Resupply Mission

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting no earlier than 5:42 a.m. EDT Friday, June 29, for the launch of its 15th resupply mission to the International Space Station. Live coverage will begin on NASA Television and the agency's website Thursday, June 28, with prelaunch events.

Packed with more than 5,900 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

About 10 minutes after launch, Dragon will reach its preliminary orbit. It then will deploy its solar arrays and begin a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the space station.

It will reach the space station Monday, July 2. NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold, backed up by fellow NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, will supervise the operation of the Canadarm2 robotic arm for Dragon's capture while NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor monitors the spacecraft's systems. After Dragon capture, ground commands will be sent from mission control in Houston for the station's arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the station's Harmony module.

Full mission NASA TV coverage is as follows:

Thursday, June 28

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• 11 a.m. – What's on Board science briefing from Kennedy
• Christian Karrasch, project lead at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Philipp Schulien, project engineer at Airbus, will discuss the Crew Interactive Mobile companion (CIMON) study into crew efficiency and acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) support for future use on long-duration missions.
• Principal investigators Richard Grugel at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Oliver Steinbock at Florida State University, will discuss Chemical Gardens studying the physics of nanotube growth.
• Simon Hook, principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Woody Turner, program scientist in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters, will discuss the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) investigation. This study will answer several key science questions related to water stress in plants and how sel ected regions may respond to future changes in climate.
• Paolo Luzzatto-Fegi, principal investigator at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Richard Dickinson, director of the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation, will discuss Quantifying Cohesive Sediment Dynamics for Advanced Environmental Modeling (BCAT-CS), which focuses on the study of forces between particles that cluster together by studying sediments of quartz and clay particles.
• Ken Podwalski, director of Space Exploration Operations and Infrastructure for the Canadian Space Agency, will discuss the spare Canadarm2 Latching End Effector (LEE) being launched.
  

[/li][li]12:45 p.m. – Prelaunch news conference from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with representatives from NASA's International Space Station Program, SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force's 45th Space Wing.
[/li][/LIST]Friday, June 29

[/li]
• 5:15 a.m. – Coverage begins for the 5:42 a.m. launch
• 8 a.m. – Postlaunch news conference at Kennedy with representatives fr om NASA's International Space Station Program and SpaceX.
  

Monday, July 2

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• 5:30 a.m. – Dragon rendezvous, grapple and berthing at the space station. Capture is scheduled for approximately 7 a.m.
• 9 a.m. – Dragon installation to the Nadir port of the station's Harmony module
  

For the latest schedule of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV coverage, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/spacex-crs-15-briefings-and-events

Last Updated: June 22, 2018
Editor: Karen Northon

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Oleg Artemyev‏Подлинная учетная запись @OlegMKS 15 ч. назад

Вчера у нас состоялась плановая коррекция орбиты Международной космической станции. Она проводилось в целях формирования баллистических условий для стыковки грузового корабля «Прогресс МС-09». Успел заснять несколько кадров этого процесса.

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Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 46 мин. назад

ECOSTRESS is a 490 kg, 1.85 x 0.80 x 0.93m box which will be installed at EFU10 on the Japanese Kibo Exposed Facility. It contains an infrared radiometer to measure vegetation temperature from space