NASA TV Coverage Set for Seventh SpaceX Resupply Mission to Space Station

NASA commercial partner SpaceX currently is targeting Sunday, June 28, for the launch of its seventh cargo delivery to the International Space Station under the agency’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. NASA Television coverage of the launch begins at 9 a.m. EDT.

June 19, 2015
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Thank You, LightSail Trackers

A thank-you to all the space enthusiasts who helped track LightSail during its 25-day test mission.

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Veteran NASA Spacecraft Nears 60,000th Lap Around Mars, No Pit Stops

NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft will reach a major milestone June 23, when it completes its 60,000th orbit since arriving at the Red Planet in 2001.

June 19, 2015
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Bowles Named as New Langley Center Director

NASA Names New Director for Langley Research Center "NASA has announced that Dr. David E. Bowles has been named director of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, succeeding Stephen G. Jurczyk who served in that capacity from April 2014....

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Night-Shining Clouds

This image of noctilucent clouds is a composite of several Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite passes over the Arctic on June 10, 2015. The clouds appear in various shades of light blue to white, depending on the density of the ice particles. The instrument measures albedo—how much light is reflected back to space by the clouds. via NASA http://ift.tt/1RgjOXB

ISS Daily Summary Report – 6/18/15

Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Cleanup and Reconfiguration: Kelly completed the second and final MSG cleanup session following the completion of RR2.  Following cleanup, Padalka installed the Observation Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) experiment hardware.  The sample installation, final connections and camera checkout will be scheduled on another day.  OASIS studies the unique behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity, including their overall motion and the merging of crystal layers known as smectic islands. Liquid crystals are used for display screens in televisions and clocks and they also occur in soaps and cell membranes. The experiment allows detailed studies of the behavior of these structures, and how microgravity affects their unique ability to act like both a liquid and a solid crystal. Ocular Health: Kelly and Kornienko executed their Flight Day 90 Ocular Health activities today including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to measure retinal thickness, volume, and retinal nerve fiber layer and Fundoscope measurements to collect retinal images.   For these operations, Padalka assisted Kelly and Kelly was the Crew Medical Officer for Kornienko. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the risk of microgravity-induced visual impairment/intracranial pressure in ISS crewmembers. Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons (RADI-N):  Kelly retrieved the eight RADI-N detectors from their deployed locations and handed them over to Kornienko for downlink of the data. The objective of this investigation is to better characterize the ISS neutron environment and define the risk posed to the crewmembers’ health and provide the data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future space flight.  ISS Reboost: The ISS performed a reboost at 5:59 am CDT today using 58P thrusters.  This reboost was added to the timeline as the result of 43S Soyuz launch date moving from July 24 to July 22.  A second reboost is planned for July 10 to finalize setup for 43S Soyuz 4-orbit launch. Delta-V was 0.5 meters/second and burn duration was 4 minutes, 8 seconds. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Closing USOS Window Shutters Closure of outer shutters on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 for ISS Reboost Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Setup Rodent Research (RR) – Hardware Removal and Cleaning Preparations for Replacement of РТ-50-1М No.4 and No.1 (А204, А211). OCT Exam OASIS – Hardware Gathering MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements. OASIS – Setup RADIN – Retrieval of dosimeters from deployed locations MATRYOSHKA-R. Receiving BUBBLE-dosimeter detectors from USOS. RADIN – Handover of Dosimeters to the Russian Crew MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements. Manual synchronization of the time on the CEVIS Control Panel with the LS1 server OCT Exam OCT Equipment Stowage  OASIS – Setup СОЖ Maintenance VZAIMODEISTVIYE-2. Experiment Ops Cleaning of TVS LIV voltage converter vent grille VZAIMODEISTVIYE-2. Experiment Ops Fundoscope Setup and OCT Laptop Configuration Ocular Health – Fundoscope Prep IMS Delta File Prep HABIT – iPad S/W Update Fundoscope – Eye Exam Tightening of Progress 425 SM (Aft) QD Screw Clamps Preparing for Fundoscope Exam Fundoscope – Eye Exam Fundoscope Removal and Stowage  Completed Task List Items None  Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Ocular Health ops OASIS hardware setup Three-Day Look Ahead: Friday, 06/19: Ocular Health, CUCU/CCP checkout, SPX-7 OBT RoBOT training Saturday, 06/20: Crew off duty, housekeeping Sunday, 06/21: Crew off duty QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:                               Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) On [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) Off Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Shutdown Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Standby Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up  

June 19, 2015 at 12:55AM
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Crash Course Astronomy: Comets

When it comes to exciting solar system exploration right now, comets are right there at the top. With Rosetta orbiting the comet 67P for nearly a year now, and hearing once again from the nearly-lost Philae lander, it’s a great time to be an astronomer studying these icy wordlets.

I’ve loved comets for a long time; I’ve seen ones bright enough to spot naked eye, too faint to be seen without a telescope, and one that was near the Sun and so bright it was visible in broad daylight! They used to be considered omens, but when you cast aside superstition what you find are endlessly amazing and fascinating examples of nature at its best.

I could go on and on, but instead… I’ll let me go on and on, in this week’s episode of Crash Course Astronomy.

Mea culpa: I mispronounced “Bayeux”. Dangit. It's BYE-you, not BAY-you. I blame Scott Baoi.

If you want to know more about the Rosetta mission — and you do — I’ve written about it a lot. I’ve also written quite a few articles about comets both generally and in specifics. It’s somewhat amazing how little we knew about them until recently, and how much staggering information we’ve been able to find about them in just the past few years.

And after all that, if you think you know everything about comets, then perhaps you’d like to take a look at this article, Ten Thing You Don’t Know About Comets. How many did you know before watching Crash Course?

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