Новости МКС

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/11/15/us-cargo-mission-slips-a-day-station-tests-free-flying-ai-assistant/

US Cargo Mission Slips a Day; Station Tests Free-Flying AI Assistant

Mark Garcia
Posted Nov 15, 2018 at 11:56 am


Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor practices on a computer the maneuvers she will use with Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the U.S. Cygnus space freighter on Monday.

The launch of the Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman has slipped another day due to inclement weather at the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Atlantic coast. Cygnus is now scheduled to launch atop the Antares rocket Saturday at 4:01 a.m. EST with a much improved weather forecast.

The U.S. resupply ship will deliver approximately 7,400 pounds of food, fuel and supplies to the station two days later. Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture Cygnus Monday at 5:20 a.m. Commander Alexander Gerst will back her up and monitor telemetry from the vehicle during its approach and rendezvous.

The Progress 71 (71P) cargo craft from Russia is at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan ready to blast off Friday at 1:14 p.m. EST. Prokopyev will be monitoring the Russian resupply ship when it arrives Sunday for an automated docking to the rear port of the Zvezda service module at 2:30 p.m.

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The International Space Station Program is testing the use of artificial intelligence today to contribute to mission success aboard the orbital laboratory. Meanwhile, the space residents from the U.S., Germany and Russia continued more human research and prepared for the upcoming U.S. and Russian space deliveries.

CIMON, or Crew Interactive MObile CompanioN, is a free-flying robotic assistant based on artificial intelligence currently being tested on the station. The astronaut support device from ESA (European Space Agency) was powered up and commissioned today by the station commander inside the Columbus lab module. The CIMON technology seeks to demonstrate astronaut-robot interaction by answering crew questions, assisting with science experiments and navigating autonomously in the lab.

Cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev and fellow crewmates Gerst and Auñón-Chancellor started Thursday with ongoing eye checks. Gerst and Serena swapped roles as Crew Medical Officer scanning each other's eyes including Prokopyev's using an ultrasound device with guidance from a doctor on the ground. The data is downlinked to Earth real-time and helps scientists understand how microgravity affects astronaut vision as well as the components and shape of the eye.

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"Союз МС-11" пробудет в составе МКС почти 200 суток
21:30 15.11.2018

МОСКВА, 15 ноя -- РИА Новости. Экипаж первого после аварии "Союза-ФГ" корабля вернётся с Международной космической станции через 194 суток после начала полета, говорится в информационном сообщении Центра подготовки космонавтов (ЦПК) имени Гагарина.

В 2016-2017 годах корабли "Союз МС" находились в составе станции 120-130 суток, притом что могут находиться в космосе до 200 дней.

"Планируемая продолжительность полета 194 суток", -- говорится в документе.

Российский космонавт Олег Кононенко, канадский астронавт Давид Сен-Жак и американский астронавт Энн Макклейн 3 декабря должны отправиться на корабле "Союз МС-11" к МКС. Это будет первый экипаж, который отправится к МКС после аварии 11 октября, когда на этапе разделения ступеней произошла нештатная ситуация с ракетой "Союз-ФГ". Космический корабль "Союз МС-10" не был выведен на орбиту и сел в Казахстане.

Изначально планировалось, что новый экипаж отправится на станцию в 20-х числах декабря уже после возвращения "Союза МС-09" с космонавтом и астронавтами, сейчас находящимися на МКС. Но для того, чтобы не оставлять станцию беспилотной и устроить экипажам полноценную пересменку, очередной старт пришлось перенести на более раннюю дату.


РИА Новости https://ria.ru/science/20181115/1532902661.html

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11:30, 16 ноября 2018
На японском модуле МКС вновь появилась протечка

Москва. 16 ноября. INTERFAX.RU - На японском модуле американского сегмента Международной космической станции (МКС) опять сочится вода, сообщил "Интерфаксу" источник в ракетно-космической отрасли.

"Новую утечку удалось обнаружить во время манипуляции по удалению воздуха из возвратной магистрали нового перчаточного бокса, доставленного на МКС и смонтированного на модуле Kibo в сентябре", - сказал источник.

В общей сложности единовременно вытекло порядка 93 мл воды.

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О неоднократных утечках на японском модуле МКС сообщалось летом. Сначала из-за проблем с системой терморегулирования в обитаемый отсек из системы проникала вода в объеме порядка 20 мл в сутки. Астронавты вынуждены были бороться с "испариной", которой стенки модуля покрывались чуть ли не ежедневно, используя бумажные салфетки и полотенца.

Позднее астронавты предположили, что причина может крыться в неисправной научной стойке. Было решено ее изолировать. В дальнейшем был обнаружен и заменен протекающий клапан стойки, и тогда на некоторое время утечка прекратилась.

Затем спустя неделю после устранения неисправности проблема вновь вернулась. На стенках модуля вновь проступали капли, а датчики фиксировали медленную утечку.

Ранее технические проблемы возникали и в американском сегменте МКС, в частности, вышла из строя одна из систем удаления углекислого газа, фиксировались неоднократные утечки аммиака, ломалась система переработки мочи.

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В 2019 году на МКС может появиться собственная хлебопечка!

https://mailchi.mp/nanoracks/nanoracks-welcomes-new-commercial-customer-to-iss-community?e=c2b1c2e42d

NanoRacks Welcomes New Commercial Customer to International Space Station Community!

We're excited to share the following announcement from Zero G Kitchen!

Zero G Kitchen Prepares to Launch its First Appliance to Space

First Open Kitchen in Space - For Researchers, Educators, Companies

NEW YORK, NY - (November 15, 2018 ) - Zero G Kitchen LLC, a venture co-founded by Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum, announced today the specifications and timing of the first appliance of its planned 'kitchen in space,' an open platform for food development in space and the zero gravity environment. The first appliance is an oven designed to freshly prepare small food items, such as rolls, cookies, patties, pockets and other basic foods for longer duration space travel.

The oven is built in partnership with NanoRacks, the leading commercial company operating on the International Space Station. NanoRacks is known for its rapid prototyping, plug-and-play interfaces and managing the NASA payload manifesting and safety processes.

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"NanoRacks is committed to developing in-space platforms that are affordable and accessible to anyone with the dream to explore in space," said Jeffrey Manber, CEO and founder, NanoRacks. "People have to eat when living and working in space, so Zero G Kitchen's vision for hospitality and food preparation in space fits perfectly into NanoRacks' long-term goal of populating the solar system with Outposts for everything from tourism and research to factories and more."

The oven is the first in a series of space-adapted appliances built and operated under the direction of Zero G Kitchen. Following the oven, Zero G Kitchen plans to develop space-adapted versions of common household appliances, such as a refrigerator, blender, slow cooker and more. To achieve its goal of building a kitchen in space, Zero G Kitchen will work with a wide array of food companies, educators, researchers, appliance engineers and aerospace organizations.

"We have an incredibly exciting set of partners we are working with for our kitchen--and we always welcome more," said Ian Fichtenbaum, co-chef and co-founder, Zero G Kitchen.

Zero G Kitchen expects to build and test the space oven before the end of 2018 with a targeted launch to the ISS in early 2019. Recently, Zero G Kitchen signed the first user of the space oven, and an announcement is expected in early 2019.

"Opening up the frontier of space to all means making it relatable to people's everyday lives," said Jordana Fichtenbaum, co-chef and co-founder, Zero G Kitchen. "What could be more relatable than a freshly cooked meal in your own kitchen? We're not here to develop new technology or to build better ovens or kitchens, but rather to assist researchers, educators and companies to access space facilities and the excitement of space development in a relatable form."

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2018/11/15/iss-daily-summary-report-11152018/

ISS Daily Summary Report - 11/15/2018

Northrop Grumman 10 (NG-10) Robotics Onboard Training:

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Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) in support of the crew's Cygnus Offset Grapple practice. During the Off Set Grapple activity, the crew used the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture (FRGF) as the target to practice grapple approaches, maneuvering the SSRMS over the pin, and practiced pulling the trigger when they are in the grapple envelope. Due to weather concerns, NG-10 Antares 230 Rocket is now scheduled to launch on Saturday, November 17 at 3:01AM CT. Cygnus capture is planned for Monday, November 19 at 4:20AM CT.

Crew Interactive MObile companioN (Cimon):

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The crew performed a successful checkout of the new Cimon artificial Intelligence free-flyer. Cimon was able to demonstrate free flying and absolute navigation in the Columbus Module. The Pilot Study with Cimon is a technology demonstration project and an observational study that aims to obtain the first insights into the effects on crew support by an artificial intelligence (AI), in terms of efficiency and acceptance during long-term missions in space. Spaceflight missions put the crew under a substantial amount of stress and workload, and it is thought that AI could provide operational support to crewmembers.

Food Acceptability:

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The crew completed a Questionnaire. 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.

Freezer-Refrigerator Of STirling cycle (FROST):

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The crew opened up FROST-1 and removed condensation and some corrosion that was identified during the last use of the facility. The FROST is a Stirling cooler that is able to maintain temperatures under -70ºC.

Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG):

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As part of the continuing integration activity for the Life Science Glovebox, the crew connected the Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Supply Hose to the JPM1F5 Utility Interface Panel. The Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) is a sealed work area that accommodates life science and technology investigations in a "workbench" type environment. Due to its larger size design, two crewmembers can work in the LSG simultaneously.

Meteor:

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The crew performed On-orbit training of the Meteor experiment by watching a video provided by the Meteor experiment team. The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument used to observe meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. The study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.

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http://online.roscosmos.ru/

ОНЛАЙН ТРАНСЛЯЦИЯ

Запуск транспортного грузового корабля «Прогресс МС-10»

ПЛАН ТРАНСЛЯЦИИ

18 ноября 2018 года

 

Начало трансляции стыковки	21:45 мск
Стыковка ТГК «Прогресс МС-10» с МКС	22:30 мск
Окончание трансляции	22:40 мск

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Space to Ground: Honoring a Legend: 11/16/2018

NASA Johnson

Опубликовано: 16 нояб. 2018 г.

(2:14)

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/11/16/russias-cargo-craft-blasts-off-to-station-for-sunday-delivery/

Russia's Cargo Craft Blasts Off to Station for Sunday Delivery

Mark Garcia
Posted Nov 16, 2018 at 1:25 pm


Russia's Progress 71 cargo craft blasts off on time to the International Space Station for a Sunday delivery.

Carrying almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the International Space Station crew, the unpiloted Russian Progress 71 cargo spacecraft launched at 1:14 p.m. EST (12:14 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, Baikonur) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

At the time of launch, the International Space Station was flying about 252 statute miles over southern Kazakhstan.

The resupply ship reached preliminary orbit and deployed its solar arrays and navigational antennas as planned. The Russian cargo craft will make 34 orbits of Earth before docking to the orbiting laboratory at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18. NASA Television coverage of rendezvous and docking will begin at 1:45 p.m.

Progress 71 will remain docked at the station for more than four months before departing in March for its deorbit in Earth's atmosphere.

Crew aboard the space station are scheduled to receive two cargo resupply missions in the coming days. Tomorrow, launch of Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket with Cygnus cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station is targeted for 4:01 a.m. from Pad 0A of Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. NASA TV will provide launch broadcast coverage online beginning at 3:30 a.m. A Cygnus launch Saturday would result in capture and berthing on Monday, Nov. 19.

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Астронавт НАСА рассказала, как на МКС преодолевают языковой барьер
20:14 16.11.2018 (обновлено: 20:50 16.11.2018)

ВАШИНГТОН, 16 ноя - РИА Новости. Экипаж Международной космической станции общается между собой на смеси русского и английского, и никакого языкового барьера в космосе нет, рассказала по видеосвязи на встрече с учениками одной из школ Нью-Йорка астронавт НАСА Серена Ауньон-Ченселлор, которая сейчас находится на орбите.

"Забавно, но мы не считаем, что язык представляет преграду здесь наверху. Мы все проходим обучение на русском, а российские космонавты проходят обучение на английском, и мы переходим с одного языка на другой и обратно", -- пояснила она.

Говоря о тех сложностях, которые, по мнению школьников, возникают у международного экипажа станции, Ауньон-Ченселлор отметила, что обитатели МКС не считают язык барьером.

"Скорее, это делает нашу жизнь здесь веселее", -- отметила астронавт.

Американка находится на МКС вместе с немецким астронавтом Александром Герстом и россиянином Сергеем Прокопьевым.

"Очень часто я обращаюсь к Сергею на русском, он отвечает на английском, иногда наши предложения перемешены, что-то вроде ринглиш (REnglish), если хотите", -- рассказала Ауньон.

"Мы видим в этом преимущество, потому что иногда слова в русском языке лучше, чем в английском, и мы выбираем их. Это очень интересно и дает нам больше возможностей, чтобы говорить с партнерами о важных вещах, например о семье, об оставшихся дома родных", -- заключила астронавт.


РИА Новости https://ria.ru/space/20181116/1532980081.html

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SPACE STATION CREW MEMBER DISCUSSES LIFE IN SPACE WITH NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS

NASA Video

Опубликовано: 16 нояб. 2018 г.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 57 Flight Engineer Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA discussed life and research on the orbital outpost during an in-flight educational event Nov. 16 with students at the University Prep Charter High School in the Bronx, New York. Aunon-Chancellor is in the final weeks of her six-and-a-half month mission on the orbital outpost with her two crewmates, heading for a return to Earth Dec. 20.

(22:00)

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/2018/11/17/crs-10-launch-blog-coverage-concludes/

CRS-10 Launch Blog Coverage Concludes

Rob Garner
Posted Nov 17, 2018 at 6:56 am

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station with about 7,400 pounds of cargo after launching at 4:01 a.m. EST Saturday from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.


The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft aboard, launched from Pad-0A, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

The spacecraft launched on an Antares 230 Rocket from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A at Wallops on the company's 10th cargo delivery flight, and is scheduled to arrive at the orbital laboratory Monday, Nov. 19. Expedition 57 astronauts Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA and Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the space station's robotic arm to grapple Cygnus about 5:20 a.m. Installation coverage will begin at 4 a.m. on NASA Television and the agency's website.

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https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-northrop-grumman-launch-space-station-national-lab-cargo

Nov. 17, 2018
RELEASE 18-100

NASA, Northrop Grumman Launch Space Station, National Lab Cargo


Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft launches on an Antares rocket at 4:01 a.m. EST Nov. 17, 2018, from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman's 10th contracted cargo resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 7,400 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.
Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station with about 7,400 pounds of cargo after launching at 4:01 a.m. EST Saturday from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The spacecraft launched on an Antares 230 Rocket from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad 0A at Wallops on the company's 10th cargo delivery flight, and is scheduled to arrive at the orbital laboratory Monday, Nov. 19. Expedition 57 astronauts Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA and Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the space station's robotic arm to grapple Cygnus about 5:20 a.m. Installation coverage will begin at 4 a.m. on NASA Television and the agency's website.

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This Commercial Resupply Services contract mission will support dozens of new and existing investigations as Expeditions 57 and 58 contribute to some 250 science and research studies. Highlights from the new experiments include a demonstration of 3D printing and recycling technology and simulating the creation of celestial bodies from stardust.

Recycling and Fabrication in Space

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The Refabricator is the first-ever 3D printer and recycler integrated into one user-friendly machine. Once it's installed in the space station, it will demonstrate recycling of waste plastic and previously 3D printed parts already on-board into high-quality filament (i.e. 3D printer 'ink'). This recycled filament will then be fed into the printer to make new tools and parts on-demand in space. This technology could enable closed-loop, sustainable fabrication, repair and recycling on long-duration space missions, and greatly reduce the need to continually launch large supplies of new material and parts for repairs and maintenance.

The demonstration, which NASA's Space Technology Mission and Human Exploration and Operations Directorates co-sponsored, is considered a key enabling technology for in-space manufacturing. NASA awarded a Small Business Innovation Research contract valued to Tethers Unlimited Inc. to build the recycling system.

Formation of the Early Solar System

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The Experimental Chondrule Formation at the International Space Station (EXCISS) investigation will explore how planets, moons and other objects in space formed by simulating the high-energy, low-gravity conditions that were present during formation of the early solar system. Scientists plan to zap a specially formulated dust with an electrical current, and then study the shape and texture of the resulting pellets.

Understanding Parkinson's Disease

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The Crystallization of LRRK2 Under Microgravity Conditions-2 (PCG-16) investigation grows large crystals of an important protein, leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), in microgravity for analysis back on Earth. This protein is implicated in development of Parkinson's disease, and improving our knowledge of its structure may help scientists better understand the pathology of the disease and develop therapies to treat it. LRRK2 crystals grown in gravity are too small and too compact to study, making microgravity an essential part of this research. This investigation is sponsored by the U.S. National Laboratory on the space station, which Congress designated in 2005 to maximize its use for improving quality of life on Earth.

The Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the space station until February before its destructive reentry into Earth's atmosphere, disposing of several thousand pounds of trash. This is the seventh flight of an enhanced Cygnus spacecraft, and the fourth using Northrop Grumman's upgraded Antares 230 launch vehicle featuring new RD-181 engines that provide increased performance and flexibility.

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The spacecraft for this mission is named in honor of astronaut John Young. Young was sel ected for NASA's second astronaut class and flew during the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. He walked on the Moon during Apollo 16 in 1972 and commanded the first space shuttle mission in 1981. Young passed away in January.

For more than 18 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. A global endeavor, 230 people from 18 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 2,500 research investigations fr om researchers in 106 countries.

-end-

Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Gary Jordan
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
gary.j.jordan@nasa.gov

Last Updated: Nov. 17, 2018
Editor: Karen Northon

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https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-successfully-launches-10th-cargo-delivery-mission-to-the-international-space-station-for-nasa

[SIZE=8]Northrop Grumman Successfully Launches 10th Cargo Delivery Mission to the International Space Station for NASA[/SIZE]

S.S. John Young to berth with the space station on Nov. 19

November 17, 2018

Dulles, Va. - Nov. 17, 2018 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced it successfully launched its AntaresTM rocket carrying the "S.S. John Young" CygnusTM spacecraft today at 4:01 a.m. EST from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The launch marks Northrop Grumman's 10th cargo mission carrying vital supplies to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station for NASA.


Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket launched the company's Cygnus spacecraft carrying about 7,400 pounds of cargo for the International Space Station on Nov. 17, 2018.

"Congratulations to the entire NASA, Virginia Space and Northrop Grumman team on another successful Antares launch," said Scott Lehr, president, flight systems group, Northrop Grumman. "As always, we are dedicated and focused on delivering mission success for NASA's commercial resupply program."

The Antares medium-class rocket carried approximately 7,400 pounds (3,350 kilograms) of vital supplies and scientific equipment aboard Cygnus. Following an approximate nine-minute ascent, the Cygnus spacecraft was successfully deployed into orbit. Northrop Grumman engineering teams confirmed reliable communications have been established and the vehicle's solar arrays are fully deployed, providing the necessary electrical power to operate the spacecraft.

On this mission, the name of the spacecraft honors NASA astronaut John Young. Young was NASA's longest-serving astronaut and a pioneer in the field of human spaceflight who positioned future astronauts to live and work at the International Space Station. His bravery and record-setting accomplishments pushed the boundaries of human space exploration, making him an ideal honoree for the NG-10 mission.

"The timing of this mission could not be more appropriate with the launch of the S.S. John Young occurring just days before the upcoming 20th anniversary of the International Space Station," said Frank Culbertson, president, space systems group, Northrop Grumman. "It has been an honor to support the critical research that has been performed on the International Space Station for nearly two decades. We look forward to expanding our role with Cygnus through future abilities such as increased science accommodation and extended stays in orbit."

Cygnus will be grappled at approximately 5:20 a.m. EST on Nov. 19. The spacecraft will remain attached to the space station for approximately two months before departing with up to 7,400 pounds (approximately 3,350 kilograms) of disposal cargo. Cygnus' large pressurized volume allows for large amounts of cargo to be efficiently carried to the space station and also provides significant cargo disposal capability, which is a critical service for NASA and unique among America's commercial cargo providers.

Upon departure from the space station, Cygnus will deploy three CubeSats via the NanoRacks External Cygnus CubeSat Deployment program, from both above and below the orbiting laboratory for the first time. One of the CubeSats, known as MYSat-1, is the first satellite developed by Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. MYSat-1 was developed as part of Khalifa's Space Systems and Technology Concentration, a joint program established in 2015 in collaboration with UAE-based satellite operator Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) and Northrop Grumman. Engineers from both companies helped develop the initial curriculum for the concentration, and provided guidance and mentorship during the design phase of the MYSat-1 satellite.

As another example of Cygnus' expanded capabilities, the spacecraft is prepared to support the Slingshot CubeSat Deployer System, a flexible platform that can fly hosted payloads and CubeSats. The mission is the first flight for the Slingshot system, which is scheduled to be installed onto the Cygnus spacecraft by NASA astronauts before the spacecraft departs the orbiting laboratory. Upon completion of its secondary missions, Cygnus will perform a safe, destructive reentry into Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Details about the NG-10 mission can be viewed here.

Under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)-1 contract with NASA, Northrop Grumman will deliver approximately 66,000 pounds (30,000 kilograms) of cargo to the International Space Station. Beginning in 2019, Northrop Grumman will carry out a minimum of six initial cargo missions under NASA's CRS-2 contract. The commercial resupply partnership with NASA is enhancing a robust American commercial space industry, freeing NASA to focus on developing the next-generation rocket and spacecraft that will enable humans to conduct deep space exploration missions.

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NanoRacks‏Подлинная учетная запись @NanoRacks 8:12 - 16 нояб. 2018 г.

Now, let's get talking about the customer payloads we have on board tomorrow's @northropgrumman launch! #EXCISS, a #German student experiment from @DreamUp_Space and @DLR_en's Überflieger contest, is studying planet formation on the particle level inside a #NanoLab.
#ISS #NG10

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Космонавт Сергей Прокопьев
14 ноя в 10:58

Пролетая над Большой Курильской грядой, встретился взглядом с красавцем Тятей - действующим вулканом на острове Кунашир. Имея правильную форму, он считается одним из красивейших вулканов в мире. Интересно, что вы видите в этом снимке?

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/17/antares-rocket-launches-cargo-run-to-international-space-station/

Antares rocket launches cargo run to International Space Station
November 17, 2018 | Stephen Clark


An Antares rocket lifts off at 4:01 a.m. EST (0901 GMT) Saturday at pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo carrier climbed into orbit Saturday fr om Wallops Island, Virginia, in pursuit of the International Space Station with more than 7,200 pounds of research hardware and provisions, the second supply ship launch to the space station in less than 24 hours.

The unpiloted commercial cargo ship rode the 139-foot-tall (42.5-meter) Antares rocket away fr om the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, a facility owned by the state of Virginia on the Atlantic coastline at Wallops Island.

The Antares rocket's first stage, with fuel tanks built in Ukraine and Russian-made RD-181 engines, propelled the launcher into a clear predawn sky with 864,000 pounds of thrust. The Antares guidance computer commanded the engines to gently pivot, steering the rocket toward the southeast over the Atlantic Ocean to align with the space station's pathway.

Three-and-a-half minutes into the flight, the first stage shut down and separated, leaving the Antares upper stage -- powered by a solid-fueled U.S.-built Castor 30XL rocket motor -- to finish the job of accelerating the Cygnus supply ship into orbit.

The Cygnus spacecraft separated fr om the Antares upper stage around nine minutes after liftoff, arriving in an on-target preliminary orbit to begin a two-day chase of the space station, culminating in its capture by the lab's robotic arm at 5:20 a.m. EST (1020 GMT) Monday.

"Not only was it a beautiful launch this morning, it put Cygnus exactly wh ere we wanted it in orbit," said Frank DeMauro, vice president of advanced programs at Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, which developed and owns the Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft. "The spacecraft after separation, we were able to communicate (with it) extremely quickly and start conditioning. We initialized the guidance system and the propulsion system. That all checked out really well.

"Then we began the process of deploying the solar arrays, which I'm happy to report have been successfully deployed and are generating lots and lots of power, so the spacecraft is extremely healthy and is ready to begin its trek to the ISS," DeMauro told reporters after launch.

The Cygnus spacecraft joined a Russian Progress resupply freighter in orbit following its launch Friday from Kazakhstan. The Progress cargo capsule is due to arrive at the space station with a docking around 2:30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT) Sunday, followed by the capture of Cygnus with the station's robotic arm at 5:20 a.m. EST (1020 GMT) Monday.

 Скрытый текст:

File photo of a Cygnus supply ship with its fan-like UltraFlex solar arrays unfurled. Credit: NASA
The Antares launch in Virginia was delayed two days by rainy weather.

"While we were waiting on the weather out here at Wallops, we had an awesome Progress launch out of Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Friday," said Joel Montalbano, NASA's deputy space station program manager. "We're looking forward to both vehicles being attached to the International Space Station and the crew working on them getting the science, getting the research out, getting all the equipment that we've bought up on these vehicles, and continuing the great work we do on the International Space Station."

NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor will be at the controls of the station's Canadian-built robotic arm to snag the Cygnus cargo craft Monday. She is joined by European Space Agency commander Alexander Gerst and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev on the orbiting outpost 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.

Two additional crew members were supposed to be on the station, but their launch was aborted two minutes after liftoff Oct. 11 aboard a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan. Soyuz commander Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague safely landed downrange after the launch emergency.

The accident left the station with a three-person crew for weeks longer than anticipated, until three fresh crew members launch on another Soyuz flight Dec. 3. Gerst and company will depart the station in their Soyuz landing craft Dec. 20, leaving the three newly-arrived residents in orbit until another Soyuz crew arrives in the spring.

With only three people on the station -- rather than the typical five or six -- Montalbano said some research activities have been reprioritized, but operations have not been significantly impacted.

"As far as science, with two less people ... you'll do a little less activities on-board, but it's just for a short time, and actually the crew members on-board have picked it up, and they've been really working hard and picking up the things that had to get done," he said. "Any science or research that's time-critical, it's being done, and we're reprioritizing other activities, so from that standpoint, we're doing actually very well."

The Cygnus supply ship -- flying on the NG-10 cargo mission -- is set to deliver 7,215 pounds (3,273 kilograms) of supplies and experiments to the space station, including a plastic recycler and 3D printer built to advance in-space manufacturing capabilities, and an experiment studying how the human body's ability to perceive motion, orientation and distance changes in microgravity.

The recycler and printer, called the Refabricator, is a tech demo aimed at analyzing how future space missions could manufacture tools and spare parts on-board, without requiring resupply from Earth. It was developed by Tethers Unlimited under contract to NASA.

"At Tethers, we developed, designed and tested the Refabricator," said Allison Porter, flight missions manager at the company based near Seattle. "Basically, we're melting down polymers and making them into 3D printer filament ... Once the Refabricator recycles and makes new filament, we are able to print new parts."

The space station already has a 3D printer on-board provided by a company named Made in Space. But that device, intended as a proof-of-concept for 3D printing in space, needs fresh material from Earth to be fed into it.


Principal investigator Allison Porter with the Refabricator flight unit. Credit: Emmett Givens/NASA

"When all the results were in, we found out that there were no engineering significant microgravity effects," said Diane Risdon, In-Space Manufacturing Refabricator project lead at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. "So now we have our 3D printer, we know that it works in space. The next thing is wh ere do we get the filament? ... Do we have to upload that? We're trying to avoid large masses being uploaded, so we've got to find a sustainable source for filament.

"On the ISS, we know that there's multitudes and multitudes of plastic baggies," she continued. "The crew complains, what do we do with all of these baggies? They also have packaging -- plastic packaging -- they use food plastic containers, plastic medical devices, so periodically they round up all this trash and burn them in space.

"We're thinking, well, there's our resource," Risdon said. "If we can recycle these, then we're on our way to getting our filament."

Another science investigation aboard the Cygnus spacecraft will examine the processes at the origin of the solar system that led the formation of dust particles that eventually grew into larger objects, leading to the birth of the planets. The experiment, led by researchers at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, "zaps a specially formulated dust with an electrical current and then studies the shape and texture of pellets formed from these steps in the absence of gravity," according to a NASA overview of the investigation.

Here's a breakdown of the cargo manifest provided by NASA:

[/li]
• 2,515.5 pounds (1,141 kilograms) of crew supplies
• 2,301.6 pounds (1,044 kilograms) of science investigations
• 2,076.8 pounds (942 kilograms) of vehicle hardware
• 253.5 pounds (115 kilograms) of computer resources
• 68.3 pounds (31 kilograms) of spacewalk equipment
  

The Cygnus supply ship is expected to remain berthed at the International Space Station's Unity module until mid-February, when it will be released by the station's robotic arm.

The automated cargo carrier, loaded with trash after its departure from the station, will fire its engine to climb into a higher orbit roughly 300 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth to deploy two CubeSats.

One of the nanosatellites is MYSat 1, a 1U CubeSat around the size of a Rubik's cube. Carrying two payloads -- camera and a lithion-ion coil cell battery -- MYSat 1 was built by Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi with the support of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company in the United Arab Emirates.

The other CubeSat set for release in the higher orbit is CHEFSat 2 from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

About the size of a shoebox, CHEFSat 2 is a copy of a CubeSat launched on a Cygnus cargo mission to the space station last November. CHEFSat 2 will test commercial off-the-shelf technologies to evaluate their performance in space, focusing on new radio communications capabilities.

Cygnus will lower its orbit below the space station's altitude after releasing MYSat 1 and CHEFSat 2, targeting an altitude of around 200 miles (325 kilometers) for separation of KickSat 2, a NASA-sponsored CubeSat mission led by principal investigator Zac Manchester at Stanford University.

KickSat 2 carries 100 tiny "sprites" -- essentially 1.4-inch (3.5-centimeter) square circuit boards with integrated power, computing, sensing and communication equipment. The mission is a follow-up to the KickSat mission that launched in 2014, but failed to release its sprites in orbit.

The mission will test the limits of satellite miniaturization, a trend toward affordability widely popularized by the CubeSat design over the last two decades. But KickSat's sprites are a tiny fraction of the size of a CubeSat.

KickSat 2 will eject its sprites at a lower altitude to ensure the circuit boards re-enter Earth's atmosphere in a matter of weeks, avoiding the possibility of the sprites, which could be difficult to track with ground-based radars, becoming a long-term space debris threat to other satellites.

The Cygnus was supposed to carry more than a half-dozen additional CubeSats inside its internal cabin for eventual release through an airlock on the space station. But those were all removed from the cargo manifest, and deferred to future launches, according to Scott Higginbotham, a mission manager for NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program at the Kennedy Space Center.

Two of the CubeSats originally booked to fly on the NG-10 mission -- named UNITE and TechEdSat 8 from Purdue University and NASA's Ames Research Center -- will launch on SpaceX's next resupply flight to the station no earlier than Dec. 4, Higginbotham said. The others will place on future Northrop Grumman or SpaceX cargo launches.

Managers also decided not to launch a secondary payload on the Antares rocket's second stage.

Around 60 "ThinSat" wafers, each about the size of a slice of bread, were to be deployed from the Antares rocket soon after arriving in orbit, well below the space station's altitude, wh ere they will quickly re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. Using a standardized form factor, children from middle school age to university students integrated sensor and transmitter hardware on the ThinSats with the support of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, Twiggs Space Lab, Northrop Grumman, and NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

The first ThinSats were supposed to fly on the NG-10 launch, but they will now launch on the next Antares mission in April.

Officials agreed to remove the ThinSats from Saturday's launch to ensure the tiny wafers do not pose a collision hazard with the Progress supply ship, according to Dale Nash, CEO of Virginia Space. While there is no concern the ThinSats could be a threat to the space station itself, the Progress was orbiting around the same altitude the tiny chips were to be released.

The Cygnus supply ship launched Saturday is named the S.S. John Young, in honor of the NASA astronaut who flew on six space missions -- Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, STS-1 and STS-9. Young was co-pilot on the first flight of NASA's Gemini spacecraft in 1965, walked on the moon during Apollo 16 in 1972, and commanded the first space shuttle mission in 1981. He died in January.

The unpiloted Cygnus cargo hauler is comprised of two modules -- a service and propulsion module built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems in Dulles, Virginia, and a pressurized logistics module built by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy.

NG-10 is the first Cygnus flight since Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK, which developed and flew the previous cargo missions under an 11-launch contract with NASA valued at $2.89 billion.

Starting with NG-12, set for launch in late 2019, Northrop Grumman will kick off a follow-on commercial resupply services contract, guaranteeing the company at least six additional flights through 2024.

SpaceX also launches cargo to the space station for NASA, and the space agency has tapped Sierra Nevada Corp. to begin resupplying the research complex in late 2020

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https://tass.ru/kosmos/5805337

17 НОЯ, 22:47
Стыковка корабля Cygnus с МКС намечена на 19 ноября

Корабль доставит груз массой более 3,3 тонны, в основном продовольствие

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 17 ноября. /ТАСС/. ...

Старт ракеты-носителя Antares с Cygnus и грузом для МКС состоялся в субботу в 04:01 (12:01 мск) с космодрома на острове Уоллопс (штат Вирджиния) в Атлантическом океане. "Корабль, запущенный на борту ракеты Antares со стартового стола космопорта в Вирджинии на острове Уоллопс, является десятой миссией по обеспечению [МКС], выполняемой компанией [Northrop Grumman], его прибытие к орбитальной лаборатории запланировано на понедельник, 19 ноября", - информировало NASA.

Стыковка корабля с МКС поручена астронавту NASA Серине Ауньен-Чэнселлор и астронавту Александеру Герсту из Европейского космического агентства. Начало этой операции намечено на 05:20 по времени Восточного побережья США (13:20 мск).

3D-принтер и преобразователь отходов в одном флаконе

Корабль доставит на МКС груз массой более 3,3 тонны, в основном продовольствие, запчасти и оборудование для научных исследований. В том числе речь идет о Refabricator, представляющем собой рабочую модель 3D-принтера, совмещенного с преобразователем отходов. Данный аппарат предназначен для демонстрации возможности переработки пластиковых отходов, уже имеющихся на станции, в сырье, пригодное для 3D-принтера, и выпуска деталей и запчастей, необходимых экипажу в полете. Refabricator позволит экономить на доставке с Земли подобной продукции, поясняет NASA.

Еще один прибор под названием CASIS PCG-16 предназначен для выращивания молекул протеина в крупные кристаллы в условиях невесомости. В качестве образца выбран белок, участвующий в процессе развития болезни Паркинсона. Опыты с этим прибором на орбите могут помочь ученым лучше понять патологию данного заболевания и разработать методы его лечения, уточнило космическое ведомство США.
...

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http://militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=1&nid=495484

Космический грузовик "Прогресс МС-10" должен доставить более двух тонн грузов на МКС
18.11.2018 00:00:00

Москва. 18 ноября. ИНТЕРФАКС-АВН - Транспортный грузовой корабль "Прогресс МС-10" с грузами для экипажа Международной космической станции (МКС) в воскресенье вечером должен прибыть на станцию.

В пятницу вечером с космодрома "Байконур" стартовала ракета-носитель "Союз-ФГ", которая вывела на околоземную орбиту "Прогресс МС-10".
...
Нынешний запуск проводится по традиционной двухсуточной циклограмме. К станции "Прогресс" должен причалить в воскресенье в 22:29 мск.

Сближение транспортного корабля "Прогресс МС-10" с МКС и причаливание к стыковочному узлу модуля "Звезда" планируется проводить в автоматическом режиме под контролем специалистов ГОГУ РС МКС в ЦУП и российского космонавта Сергея Прокопьева.

Кораблю "Прогресс МС-10" предстоит доставить на МКС более двух тонн различных грузов, в числе которых топливо, воздух, оборудование для поддержания станции в рабочем состоянии, посылки и средства для обеспечения жизнедеятельности членов экипажа.

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Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 20:27 - 17 нояб. 2018 г.

As of this evening, ISS in a 402 x 409 km orbit. Progress MS-10 in 255 x 268 km trailing by half an hour, SS John Young in 211 x 263 km, leading ISS by about 3 min

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Онлайн трансляции 18.11.18 21:45 МСК