Новости МКС

[tnt22]

http://nanoracks.com/cubesat-deployer-mission-11-update/

NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Mission 11 Status Update: Good Deploy!
Smallsat
May 17, 2017 //



NanoRacks began the first of two airlock cycles for the 11th and 12th NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Missions (NRCSD-11, NRCSD-12) on May 16, 2017. We are pleased to update our customers, friends, and shareholders that the first round of deployments has been completed successfully.

NRCSD-11 and NRSD-12 were brought to the International Space Station on the Orbital ATK-7 mission, which launched on April 18, 2017 fr om the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This launch was our largest CubeSat mission to date, bringing 34 satellites into the Space Station, plus four CubeSats mounted on externally on the Cygnus spacecraft.

This week, our operations team worked with NASA Johnson Space Station, JAXA, and Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fisher on the installation of the NRCSD in preparations for the first deployment early morning on May 16th.

Below we share information about the 17 CubeSats deployed this past week as we at NanoRacks gear up for the second airlock cycle scheduled to begin on May 22, 2017, where we will deploy the NRCSD-12 satellites.

In this first cycle alone, the CubeSats deployed represent 10 different countries around the world.

To date, NanoRacks has deployed 154 CubeSats via the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer on the International Space Station, and 165 CubeSats in total. We continue to show the unique value of using space stations for satellite deployments and appreciate everyone's continued support.

Congratulations to all of the CubeSat teams, and good luck in your satellite operations!

-The NanoRacks Team

QB50 Mission

 Скрытый текст:

The QB50 Mission consists of dozens of universities located around the world - including Israel, Canada, Australia, Korea, Spain, Germany, France and more. Coordinated by the von Karman Institute and sponsored by the European Commission, the QB50 CubeSats will take advantage of the space station orbit to study the lower thermosphere (200-380 kilometers) collecting scientific climate data, in what is considered by experts a relatively unexplored part of Earth's atmosphere.
 The ISS portion of the QB50 Mission involves over 300 students and 50 professionals, which brings the program together.

The QB50 CubeSats deployed in this first airlock cycle:

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SOMP2 - TU Dresden, Germany
 HAVELSAT - Havelsan, Turkey
 Columbia - University of Michigan, USA
 PHOENIX - National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
 X-CubeSat - Ècole Polytechnique, France
 QBEE - Open Cosmos Ltd. & University of Lulea, Sweden
 ZA-AEROSAT - Stellenbosch Univesrity, South Africa
 LINK - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea
 UPSat - University of Patras and Libre Space Foundation, Greece
 SpaceCube - Ècole des Mines Paristech, France
 Hoopoe - Herzliya Science Center, Israel

ALTAIR - Millennium Space Systems

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Millennium Space Systems' NanoRacks-ALTAIR™ Pathfinder spacecraft establishes flight heritage for the majority of the ALTAIR Core product line spacecraft design and for payload support technologies. ALTAIR is the next generation affordable resilient space platform for low-Earth orbit (LEO), Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) and deep space missions. The key ALTAIR Core hardware designs are demonstrated and flown in their objective design configurations to retire technical risks, increase Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and gain flight heritage for future Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA space programs.

SHARC - Air Force Research Laboratory

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The Air Force Research Laboratory's SHARC CubeSat will demonstrate the capability for a CubeSat to perform critical calibration of over 120 Tri-Service C-Bad radars. These calibrations are needed to meet tracking requirements of orbital objects. This CubeSat demonstrates two technologies developed at AFRL/RV under the SBIR program: MMA HaWK deployable solar array and the BCT XACT ADCS System.

SG-Sat - University of Kentucky

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The University of Kentucky's SG-SAT (Stellar Gyroscope Satellite) captures images of star fields to orient a small satellite and test new software that predicts the satellite's path as it experiences atmospheric drag.  This CubeSat was developed from the work of students in the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Space Systems Lab under a Cooperative Agreement between NASA KY, NASA EPSCoR and the NASA International Space Station Research Program.  This will be the third cubesat developed for launch by UK Engineering Space Systems

The SGSat project is supported by NASA EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), a program through the NASA Office of Education that develops U.S. aerospace research and the aerospace STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce. The project is administered by NASA Kentucky, hosted at UK to advance aerospace research and education across Kentucky. PI: Dr. James Lumpp, Professor, University of Kentucky College of Engineering

NASA ELaNa XVII Sponsored CubeSats

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The following CubeSat missions were sel ected through the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) as part of the seventeenth installment of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) missions.

Over the past three years, more than 100 students have been involved in the design, development and construction of these CubeSats that will be deployed from the space station via the commercially-developed NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer program.

CXBN-2 - Morehead State University

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The Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-2 (CXBN-2) CubeSat Mission developed by Morehead State University and its partners the Keldysh Institute (Moscow, Russia), the Maysville Community and Technical College (Morehead, KY) and KYSpace LLC (Lexington, KY) will increase the precision of measurements of the Cosmic X-Ray Background in the 30-50 keV range to a precision of <5%, thereby constraining models that attempt to explain the relative contribution of proposed sources lending insight into the underlying physics of the early universe. The mission addresses a fundamental science question that is central to our understanding of the structure, origin, and evolution of the universe by potentially lending insight into both the high-energy background radiation and into the evolution of primordial galaxies.

IceCube - NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center

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IceCube's mission is to demonstrate the technology of a sub-millimeter-wave radiometer for future cloud ice sensing. This technology will enable cloud ice measurements to be taken in the intermediate altitudes (5 km - 15 km), wh ere no measurements currently exist. It will perform first-of-a-kind measurements of ice particles embedded within clouds. These measurements will advance atmospheric monitoring technology and also fill in critical gaps in understanding how cloud ice affects the weather and how cloud formations process atmospheric radiation.

CSUNSat1 - California State University Northridge, NASA JPL

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The primary mission of CSUNSat1 is to space test an innovative low temperature-capable energy storage system, developed by JPL, raising its TRL level to 7 fr om 4 to 5. The success of this energy storage system will enable future missions, especially those in deep space to do more science while requiring less energy, mass and volume. This CubeSat was designed, built, programmed, and tested by a team of over 70 engineering and computer science students at California State University (CSUN). The primary source of funding for CSUNSat1 is NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Partnership program.   For more information see http://www.csun.edu/cubesat.

Media Contacts:

NanoRacks LLC: Abby Dickes, adickes@nanoracks.com
 NASA ELaNa: Scott Higginbotham, scott.a.higginbotham@nasa.gov
 NASA Kentucky: Jacob Owen, jacob.owen@uky.edu

For continued updates, follow us on twitter @NanoRacks.

[tnt22]

NASA_LSP‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_LSP 9 мин. назад

The 3 #ELaNa17 #CubeSats are flying free, conducting big research in orbit: https://go.nasa.gov/2q0nmX8 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2017/05/18/cubesats-deployed-from-space-station/

CubeSats Deployed From Space Station
Posted on May 18, 2017 at 10:14 am by Anna Heiney.

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In this photo taken by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson from inside the International Space Station cupola, the NanoRacks deployer (foreground) is clearly visible as the CXBN-2 and IceCube CubeSats deploy. CSUNSat1 deployed on time two days later. The three CubeSat payloads make up NASA's ELaNa 17 mission which launched in April aboard the Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft on a commercial resupply flight to the station.

The CubeSats that make up NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative ELaNa 17 mission have begun their research in earnest. All three have been dispatched in orbit from the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer on the International Space Station. Orbiting on their own on separate paths, the individual spacecraft will relay data to researchers on Earth as they conduct their flights.

The CubeSats were packed inside a Cygnus spacecraft that was launched to the space station loaded with supplies and experiments for the astronauts.

Despite being not much bigger than a coffee cup, each satellite is packed with the devices needed to carry out their research. Each of the three spacecraft will tackle different research. IceCube is equipped with a sensor that will survey levels of ice in the clouds above Earth. CXBN-2 further refines observation techniques of cosmic background radiation for clues into the formation of the universe. CSUNSat1 will not look out for its research. Instead, the CubeSat is testing energy storage devices in space. For more about the three CubeSats dispatched this morning, go to https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-elana-xvii-mission-launches-three-cubesats

This entry was posted in Kennedy on May 18, 2017 by Anna Heiney.

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Intl. Space Station‏Подлинная учетная запись @Space_Station 4 ч назад

Week's final CubeSats deployed as crew continues exploring space affects on muscles, bone cells and vision. https://go.nasa.gov/2qxufDc 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/05/18/weeks-last-cubesats-deployed-as-crew-studies-space-health/

Week's Last CubeSats Deployed as Crew Studies Space Health

Posted on May 18, 2017 at 12:15 pm by Mark Garcia.


A pair of CubeSats, with the Earth's limb in the background, is seen moments after being ejected from a small satellite deployer outside of the space station's Kibo lab module.
 
The week's final set of CubeSats were deployed today from outside the Japanese Kibo lab module's airlock. Inside the International Space Station, the Expedition 51 crew continued exploring microgravity's effects on muscles, bone cells and vision.

Over a dozen CubeSats were ejected into Earth orbit this week outside the Kibo module to study Earth and space phenomena for the next one to two years. Today's constellation of tiny satellites will explore a variety of subjects including hybrid, low temperature energy stowage systems and the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere known as the thermosphere.

Commander Peggy Whitson started her morning with eye checks for the Fluids Shifts study to determine how weightlessness affects eyes. That same study is also analyzing the Lower Body Negative Pressure suit for its ability to offset the upward flow of blood and other body fluids possibly affecting crew vision. Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin assisted European astronaut Thomas Pesquet into the unique suit today that draws fluids into the lower body preventing face-swelling and elevated head pressure.

More bone cell samples were ins erted in to a science freezer during the crew's afternoon. The samples are part of the OsteoOmics experiment researching the mechanisms that drive bone loss in space. Results may impact therapies benefitting astronaut health and those suffering bone diseases on Earth.

New station crew member Jack Fischer is studying how high intensity, low volume exercise may improve muscle, bone and cardiovascular health in space. He scanned his thigh and calf muscles with an ultrasound device to help doctors understand the impacts of the new exercise techniques.

This entry was posted in Expedition 51 and tagged European Space Agency, exercise, health, International Space Station, NASA, Roscosmos, science on May 18, 2017 by Mark Garcia.

[tnt22]

ISS Research‏Подлинная учетная запись @ISS_Research 2 ч. назад

Sprint could help scientists develop better exercise protocols for long-duration missions & back on Earth: https://go.nasa.gov/2ps5d4i

Thomas Pesquet‏Подлинная учетная запись @Thom_astro 4 ч. назад

.@Astro2fish & @AstroPeggy running part of @NASA's Sprint experiment in @esa's Columbus lab to evaluate high-intensity low-volume exercise

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/972.html

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Jack Fischer‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro2fish 5 ч. назад

Flying in space w/4 wicked-awesome people... man I got it good! Thanks to the huge int'l team that keeps Exp51 flying & rocking the science!

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ISS Research‏Подлинная учетная запись @ISS_Research 1 ч. назад

A new tool heading to @Space_Station may help us understand why neutron stars are just so .... WEIRD! Meet NICER: https://go.nasa.gov/2rwvSOK

https://nasa.tumblr.com/post/160807881964/neutron-stars-are-weird
Видео из статьи:

What is a Neutron Star?
 

NASA Goddard

Опубликовано: 18 мая 2017 г.

Here's just some of what we already know about neutron stars. An upcoming NASA mission will further investigate these unusual objects from the International Space Station. The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer mission, or NICER, will study the extraordinary environments -- strong gravity, ultra-dense matter, and the most powerful magnetic fields in the universe -- embodied by neutron stars. NICER is a two-in-one mission. The embedded Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or SEXTANT, demonstration will use NICER data to validate, for the first time in space, pulsar-based navigation.

NICER is planned for launch aboard the SpaceX CRS-11, currently scheduled for June 1, 2017. Learn more about the mission at nasa.gov/nicer.

(2:16)

[АниКей]

Специалисты РКК «Энергия» предложили создать прачечную на МКС ...

[Salo]

МОСКВА, 19 мая. /ТАСС/. Инженеры РКК "Энергия" предлагают создать "стиральную машину", которую можно было бы использовать на борту МКС. По их мнению, изложенному в статье в корпоративном журнале "Космическая техника и технология", это позволит значительно снизить количество грузов, которые необходимо доставлять на орбиту.
Сейчас космонавты носят один костюм трое-четверо суток, после чего выбрасывают его. Из-за этого для обеспечения потребностей экипажа на Международную космическую станцию приходится ежегодно доставлять до 600 кг одежды. При этом, по расчетам специалистов предприятия, в случае оправки экспедиции к Марсу шестью космонавтами за два года полета будет использовано уже около 3 т подобного груза.
"Наличие в составе комплекса систем жизнеобеспечения оборудования для гигиенической обработки (стирки) способно существенно уменьшить запасы средств личной гигиены и предметов одежды за счет их очистки на борту и последующего многократного использования", - уверены инженеры РКК "Энергия".
Поскольку использовать в таких целях воду, как это делается на Земле, в условиях космического полета было бы чрезмерно расточительно (каждый раз будет расходоваться без возможности последующей регенерации 200-500 г жидкости, что потребует создания на станции ее дополнительных запасов), они предлагают обрабатывать одежду в специальной установке углекислым газом, который будут выделять космонавты при дыхании. По оценке специалистов, при температуре в 31 градус Цельсия и давлении в 74 атмосферы он перейдет в жидкое агрегатное состояние и сможет использоваться для приведения костюмов экипажа в надлежащий вид.
К своей статье авторы прилагают проект чертежей подобного аппарата.

[tnt22]

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-highlights-science-on-next-resupply-mission-to-international-space-station

May 19, 2017
MEDIA ADVISORY M17-057

NASA Highlights Science on Next Resupply Mission to International Space Station


Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA) is among the science investigations launching on the next SpaceX commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station, targeted for June 1, 2017.
Credits: Deployable Space Systems, Inc.
 
NASA will host a media teleconference at 10 a.m. EDT Friday, May 26, to discuss sel ect science investigations launching on the next SpaceX commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.

SpaceX is targeting June 1 for the launch of its Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket fr om Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 Скрытый текст:

Participants in the briefing will be:

[/li]
• Zaven Arzoumanian, for Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), will discuss an instrument that will measure neutron stars and test, for the first time in space, technology that uses pulsars as navigation beacons
• Miriam Sargusingh, project lead for Capillary Structures for Exploration Life Support, will discuss an investigation into the structures of specific shapes to manage fluid and gas mixtures for water recycling and carbon dioxide removal, benefiting future efforts to design lightweight, more reliable life support systems for future space missions.
• Jeremy Banik, principal investigator for Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA), will discuss an investigation to test the deployment and retraction of a new type of solar panel that rolls open in space like a tape measure and is more compact than current rigid panel designs
• Paul Galloway, program manager for Multiple User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES), will discuss an Earth-viewing imaging platform created by Teledyne Brown that will house high-resolution digital cameras and hyperspectral imagers.
• Karen Ocorr, will discuss Fruit Fly Lab-02, an investigation using fruit flies as a model organism to better understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity on the human heart.
• Dr. Chia Soo, principal investigator for Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for Osteoporosis (Rodent Research-5), will discuss an investigation to test a new drug that can both rebuild bone and block further bone loss, improving health for crew members in orbit and people on Earth.
  

To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Kathryn Hambleton at 202-358-1100 or kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 25, for dial-in information.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 52 and 53 crews for the eleventh contracted mission by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract.

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/spacex

-end-

Kathryn Hambleton
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov

Last Updated: May 19, 2017
Editor: Karen Northon

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ISS Research‏Подлинная учетная запись @ISS_Research 17 мин. назад

.@Astro2Fish installing cubesat deployers on the Japanese Experiment Module Air Lock (JEMAL) Slide Table. #FlashbackFriday

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/865601420686262273

Installing Cubesat Deployers aboard International Space Station

NASA astronaut Jack Fischer installed two Quad deployers on the attachment mechanism of the Japanese Experiment Module Airlock (JEMAL) Slide Table in preparation for planned cubesat deployment.

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Jack Fischer‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro2fish 1 ч. назад

The floaty, rehydrated, yummy breakfast of champions... or at least of astronauts. Complete with an astro-breakfast-must... coffee balls.

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Jack Fischer‏Подлинная учетная запись @Astro2fish 1 ч. назад

Don't try this at home folks...these are highly-trained, floaty-food professionals! @Thom_Astro, @AstroPeggy, @Novitskiy_ISS & Fyodor.

[zandr]

https://ria.ru/science/20170519/1494693446.html

Российские космонавты заменят антенну связи МКС
МОСКВА, 19 мая -- РИА Новости. Космонавт Сергей Рязанский заменит блок остронаправленной антенны системы связи российского сегмента МКС во время одного из очередных выходов в открытый космос, сообщили РИА Новости в пятницу в Центре подготовки космонавтов (ЦПК) имени Гагарина.
"Сергей Рязанский отработал на тренажере "Выход-2" все необходимые задачи по замене блока на остронаправленной антенне. Планируется, что весь выход в открытый космос будет посвящен именно этой операции", -- сказал представитель ЦПК.
Он отметил, что выход будет длиться около шести часов. Всего Сергей Рязанский принял участие еще в трех аналогичных тренировках.
"Именно эти целевые задачи отрабатываются на тренажере "Выход-2" впервые", -- добавил главный специалист отдела по подготовке к внекорабельной деятельности (ВКД) ЦПК Надир Жамалетдинов.
Сам космонавт назвал выход "мужским", указав на то, что ему придется работать с большим количеством соединительных элементов, которые изначально не были предназначены для работы в открытом космосе.
"Одна из задач тренировок - правильно выбрать инструмент, которым ты будешь работать в открытом космосе. Так как операция уникальная, то и инструменты требуются необычные", -- отметил космонавт.
По словам начальника инструкторского отделения подготовки к ВКД Валерия Несмеянова, технология отработки выхода разрабатывалась ЦПК совместно с Ракетно-космической корпорацией (РКК) "Энергия".
В ЦПК также отметили, что "неделей ранее аналогичную тренировку проходил космонавт Александр Мисуркин.
Штанга с остронаправленной антенной бортовой радиотехнической системы "Лира" расположена на заднем шпангоуте агрегатного отсека модуля "Звезда" российского сегмента МКС. "Лира" использует для связи МКС с Землей спутники-ретрансляторы "Луч".

[tnt22]

QB50-CubeSat Mission‏ @QB50Mission 1 ч. назад

Updated schedule (+ radio info) for next week #QB50 #CubeSat deployment: http://bit.ly/2q1qP8O 

[tnt22]

NORAD зарегистрировал ещё 6 запущенных с МКС объектов (K÷Q, на каждый есть набор TLE)
 

[tnt22]

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/wklysumm_week_of_15may17.html

May 19, 2017

Weekly Recap From the Expedition Lead Scientist

 Скрытый текст:

NASA astronaut Jack Fischer loads the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer in to an airlock in the Japanese Experiment Module on the International Space Station. When transferred to the outside of the station, ground crews took control, triggering deployment of the satellites into Earth orbit.
Credits: NASA


The NanoRacks CubeSat Depolyer "ejects" a microsatellite into orbit from the International Space Station.
Credits: NASA

(Highlights: Week of May 15, 2017) - As crew members on the International Space Station searched for ways to keep future space travelers safer during long-duration missions, ground crews were triggering the release of a flock of microsatellites.

 Скрытый текст:

A series of 11 different satellites were jettisoned from the station using the NanoRack CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD). The NRCSD is a self-contained deployment system on the end of a robotic arm, called the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), mounted to the exterior of the station. It is a rectangular compartment that "ejects" very small satellites to place them into orbit. It provides a low-cost and frequent-flight opportunity for industry and academia to place research satellites into space. Ground crews commanded the release of these satellites, which included five additional cubesats for a constellation of satellites from countries around the world. The collection studies the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere over a period of two years, and will conduct coordinated measurements on a poorly-studied and previously inaccessible zone of the atmosphere referred to as the thermosphere. The project monitors different gaseous molecules and electrical properties of the thermosphere to better understand space weather and its long-term trends.

Crew members continued the long-standing NASA tradition of using short-wave radio to make contact with students while in orbit. They spoke to students at Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School in Rockwall, Texas, as part of the ISS HAM program, also known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ISS Ham Radio (ARISS)). Since the earliest space station expeditions, ISS Ham Radio has allowed groups of students in schools, camps, museums and planetariums to hold a conversation with the people living in space. As the station passes overhead, students have between five and eight minutes to ask crew members 10 to 20 questions.

The program provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents, and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math, reaching an international audience. In preparation for their conversation with orbiting crew members, students learn about radio waves, amateur radio and related science topics. They conduct research to prepare their questions, which often discuss science activities in orbit and the career choices that led to a trip to space. In addition to inspiring new generations of space engineers, ISS Ham Radio serves as a backup communications network between the station crew and NASA.

Crew members prepared for another round of the study of Fluid Shifts Before, During, and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts). One of the main risks for humans during long-duration space missions is change in vision. More than half of American astronauts experience vision changes and other physical alterations to parts of their eyes during and after long-duration spaceflight. It is hypothesized that the fluid shift toward the head that occurs during spaceflight leads to increased pressure in the brain, which may push on the back of the eye, causing it to change shape. Fluid Shifts measures how much fluid moves from the lower body to the upper body, in or out of cells and blood vessels, and determines the impact these shifts have on fluid pressure in the head, changes in vision and eye structures.

One of the methods used to better examine the phenomenon is for a crew member to wear a Lower Body Negative Pressure device - also known as Chibis pants. This device uses negative pressure to draw fluid toward the feet while fellow crew members take measurements of cerebral, optical and cochlear fluid pressures.

Scientists want to develop preventive measures against these and other physiological changes during spaceflight. Results from the Fluid Shifts investigation may also improve understanding of how blood pressure in the brain specifically affects eye shape and vision, which could benefit people confined to long-term bed rest, or suffering from disease states that increase swelling and pressure in the brain.

Progress was made on other investigations, outreach activities, and facilities this week, including Genes in Space, CAST, FIR, Manufacturing Device, Dose Tracker, Sprint, Neuromapping, Combustion Integration Rack, OsteoOmics, Human Research Facility-2, Fine Motor Skills, ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-4 and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III).

NASA's Space to Ground is a weekly update on what is happening on the International Space Station. Social media users can post with #spacetoground to ask questions or make a comment.
Credits: NASA

Jorge Sotomayor, Lead Increment Scientist
Expeditions 51 & 52

Last Updated: May 19, 2017
Editor: Kristine Rainey

[tnt22]

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex11_resupply

May 19, 2017

SpaceX Dragon to Deliver Research to Space Station

 Скрытый текст:

The explosion of a massive star blazes, or a supernova, observed by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. The bright spot at top right of the image is a stellar blast, called a supernova. The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explored (NICER) investigation, affixed to the exterior of the International Space Station, studies the physics of these stars, providing new insight into their nature and behavior.
Credits: NASA, ESA, A.V. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), P. Challis (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), et al.


The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explored (NICER) payload, affixed to the exterior of the space station, will study the physics of neutron stars, providing new insight into their nature and behavior
Credits: NASA


Hurricane Edouard, as observed by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman during Expedition 41. The MUSES platform will host Earth-viewing instruments such as high-resolution digital cameras and provide information like disaster relief information.
Credits: NASA


The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is a new, more compact solar panel that will snap open in space, a favorable design over the rigid solar panels currently in use, pictured above.
Credits: NASA


MUSES hosts earth-viewing tools such as high-resolution digital cameras and hyperspectral imagers and provides precision pointing and other accommodations. It hosts up to four instruments at the same time, and offers the ability to change, upgrade, and robotically service those instruments.
Credits: Teledyne Brown Engineering​

SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Dragon spacecraft for its eleventh commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station June 1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center's historic pad 39A. Dragon will lift into orbit atop the Falcon 9 rocket carrying crew supplies, equipment and scientific research to crewmembers living aboard the station.

The flight will deliver investigations and facilities that study neutron stars, osteoporosis, solar panels, tools for Earth-observation, and more. Here are some highlights of research that will be delivered to the orbiting laboratory:

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New solar panels test concept for more efficient power source

Solar panels are an efficient way to generate power, but they can be delicate and large when used to power a spacecraft or satellites. They are often tightly stowed for launch and then must be unfolded when the spacecraft reaches orbit. The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA), is a solar panel concept that is lighter and stores more compactly for launch than the rigid solar panels currently in use. ROSA has solar cells on a flexible blanket and a framework that rolls out like a tape measure.  The technology for ROSA is one of two new solar panel concepts that were developed by the Solar Electric Propulsion project, sponsored by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate.

The new solar panel concepts are intended to provide power to electric thrusters for use on NASA's future space vehicles for operations near the Moon and for missions to Mars and beyond. They might also be used to power future satellites in Earth orbit, including more powerful commercial communications satellites. The demonstration of the deployment of ROSA on the space station is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Investigation studies composition of neutron stars

Neutron stars, the glowing cinders left behind when massive stars explode as supernovas, are the densest objects in the universe, and contain exotic states of matter that are impossible to replicate in any ground lab. These stars are called "pulsars" because of the unique way they emit light - in a beam similar to a lighthouse beacon. As the star spins, the light sweeps past us, making it appear as if the star is pulsing. The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explored (NICER) payload, affixed to the exterior of the space station, studies the physics of these stars, providing new insight into their nature and behavior.

Neutron stars emit X-ray radiation, enabling the NICER technology to observe and record information about its structure, dynamics and energetics. In addition to studying the matter within the neutron stars, the payload also includes a technology demonstration called the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT), which will help researchers to develop a pulsar-based, space navigation system. Pulsar navigation could work similarly to GPS on Earth, providing precise position for spacecraft throughout the solar system.

Investigation studies effect of new drug on osteoporosis

When people and animals spend extended periods of time in space, they experience bone density loss, or osteoporosis. In-flight countermeasures, such as exercise, prevent it from getting worse, but there isn't a therapy on Earth or in space that can restore bone that is already lost. The Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for osteoporosis (Rodent Research-5) investigation tests a new drug that can both rebuild bone and block further bone loss, improving health for crew members.

Exposure to microgravity creates a rapid change in bone health, similar to what happens in certain bone-wasting diseases, during extended bed rest and during the normal aging process. The results from this ISS National Laboratory-sponsored investigation build on previous research also supported by the National Institutes for Health and could lead to new drugs for treating bone density loss in millions of people on Earth.

Research seeks to understand the heart of the matter

Exposure to reduced gravity environments can result in cardiovascular changes such as fluid shifts, changes in total blood volume, heartbeat and heart rhythm irregularities, and diminished aerobic capacity. The Fruit Fly Lab-02 study will use the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to better understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity on the heart. Flies are smaller, with a well-known genetic make-up, and very rapid aging that make them good models for studying heart function. This experiment will help to develop a microgravity heart model in the fruit fly. Such a model could significantly advance the study of spaceflight effects on the cardiovascular system and facilitate the development of countermeasures to prevent the adverse effects of space travel on astronauts.

Investigation shapes the way humans survive in space

Currently, the life-support systems aboard the space station require special equipment to separate liquids and gases. This technology utilizes rotating and moving parts that, if broken or otherwise compromised, could cause contamination aboard the station. The Capillary Structures investigation studies a new method of water recycling and carbon dioxide removal using structures designed in specific shapes to manage fluid and gas mixtures. As opposed to the expensive, machine-based processes currently in use aboard the station, the Capillary Structures equipment is made up of small, 3-D printed geometric shapes of varying sizes that clip into place.

Using time lapse photography, on-ground research teams will observe how liquids evaporate from these capillary structures, testing the effectiveness of the varying parameters. Results from the investigation could lead to the development of new processes that are simple, trustworthy, and highly reliable in the case of an electrical failure or other malfunction.

Facility provides platform for Earth-observation tools

Orbiting approximately 250 miles above the Earth's surface, the space station provides views of the Earth below like no other location can provide. The Multiple User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) facility, developed by Teledyne Brown Engineering, hosts Earth-viewing instruments such as high-resolution digital cameras, hyperspectral imagers, and provides precision pointing and other accommodations.

This National Lab-sponsored investigation can produce data to be used for maritime domain awareness, agricultural awareness, food security, disaster response, air quality, oil and gas exploration and fire detection.

These investigations will join many other investigations currently happening aboard the space station. Follow @ISS_Research for more information about the science happening on station. 


Jenny Howard
International Space Station Program Science Office
Johnson Space Center

Last Updated: May 19, 2017
Editor: Kristine Rainey

[Olaf]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/05/20/station-managers-work-plan-as-controllers-troubleshoot-data-relay-box/

International Space Station managers will meet Sunday morning to discuss a forward plan for dealing with the apparent failure of one of two fully redundant multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM) data relay boxes on the S0 truss of the complex.
External MDM-1 apparently failed at 1:13 p.m. Central time Saturday. Multiple attempts by flight controllers to restore power to the relay box have not been successful. Troubleshooting efforts are continuing. The Expedition 51 crew was informed of the apparent failure and is not in any danger. The MDMs on the truss control the functionality of the station's solar arrays and radiators among other equipment, and provide power to a variety of other station components.
Because the two MDMs have full redundancy, the apparent loss of MDM-1 has had no impact on station operations. 

[tnt22]

William Harwood‏ @cbs_spacenews 9 мин. назад

ISS: Space station managers met today and approved a contingency spacewalk to replace a failed external avionics box (MDM-1)

8 мин. назад

ISS: MDM-1, loaded with upgraded software, was installed during a spacewalk March 30; it suffered an apparent hardware failure Saturday

8 мин. назад

ISS: ISS crew assembled a replacement MDM today; it will be installed during a spacewalk next week, possibly as early as Tuesday

7 мин. назад

ISS: Exact date, time and EVA crew are TBD; stay tuned for updates

[tnt22]

Intl. Space Station‏Подлинная учетная запись @Space_Station 2 ч. назад

Managers approved a spacewalk no earlier than Tuesday to replace a data relay box that failed early Saturday. https://go.nasa.gov/2q9zt4s 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/05/21/spacewalk-planned-to-change-out-failed-relay-box/

Spacewalk Planned to Change Out Failed Relay Box
Posted on May 21, 2017 at 11:20 am by Mark Garcia.

International Space Station Program managers met Sunday and gave approval for a contingency spacewalk no earlier than Tuesday by two Expedition 51 crewmembers to change out a multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM) data relay box on the S0 truss that failed on Saturday morning. The cause of the MDM failure is not known. A final decision on a firm date for the spacewalk and who will conduct the spacewalk will be made later in the day Sunday.

The data relay box is one of two fully redundant systems housed in the truss that control the functionality of radiators, solar arrays, cooling loops and other station hardware. The other MDM in the truss is functioning perfectly, providing uninterrupted telemetry routing to the station's systems. The crew has never been in any danger and the MDM failure, believed to be internal to the box itself, has had no impact on station activities.

On Sunday, shortly before managers met to discuss the forward plan for dealing with the failed MDM, station commander Peggy Whitson of NASA prepared a spare data relay box and tested components installed in the replacement. She reported that the spare MDM was ready to be brought outside to replace the failed unit. Back on March 30, Whitson and Expedition 50 commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA conducted a spacewalk to install the MDM with upgraded software that failed Saturday.

A similar MDM replacement spacewalk was conducted in April 2014 by Expedition 39 crewmembers Steve Swanson and Rick Mastracchio.

The spacewalk will last about two hours in duration to replace the failed box. No other tasks are planned for the excursion. It will be the sixth spacewalk conducted from the Quest airlock this year.

This entry was posted in Expedition 51 and tagged European Space Agency, International Space Station, NASA, Roscosmos, spacewalk on May 21, 2017 by Mark Garcia.