NASA to Highlight Robotic Refueling Mission Payload, Communication Support on Final Shuttle Flight

NASA to Highlight Robotic Refueling Mission Payload, Communication Support on Final Shuttle Flight:

"GREENBELT, Md., June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will host a media event to highlight its role in the final space shuttle flight, currently targeted for launch on July 8. The media day will be held from 9 a.m. to noon EDT on Tuesday, June 28.

"At 9 a.m., Goddard managers and engineers will give an overview of the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) module, which shuttle Atlantis will deliver to the International Space Station. RRM will use the station's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre, to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft in orbit. The Canadian Space Agency built the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, to perform intricate maintenance and servicing tasks on the station."

California's Bay Area at Night (NASA, International Space Station, 12/26/10)

California's Bay Area at Night (NASA, International Space Station, 12/26/10)
Originally uploaded by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Editor's Note: This is part of a larger Flickr set, "NASA Views Earth at Night," located here: www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/sets/72157625188331491/

Though dark clouds limit the visibility of much of the eastern side (top of frame) of California's Bay Area, lights expose most of the region's highly populated areas. From 220 miles above Earth, the photo was recorded with a still camera equipped with a 180-mm lens on Dec. 26 by one of the crew members onboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station.

Image credit: NASA

View original image/caption:
spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-26/html/...

More about space station research:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Research. Please feel welcome to join! www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

Palm Islands and World Islands (NASA, International Space Station, 11/07/10)

Palm Islands and World Islands (NASA, International Space Station, 11/07/10)
Originally uploaded by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Man-made archipelagos near Dubai, United Arab Emirates, are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 25 crew member on the International Space Station, flying at 220 miles above Earth. The municipality of Dubai is the largest city of the Persian Gulf emirate of the same name, and has built a global reputation for large-scale developments and architectural works. Among the most visible of these developments -- particularly from the perspective of astronauts onboard the ISS -- are three man-made archipelagos. The two Palm Islands -- Palm Jumeirah to the left of center, and Palm Jebel Ali, just to the right of center, appear as stylized palm trees when viewed from above. The World Islands (near left edge) evoke a rough map of the world from an air- or space-borne perspective. The Palm Jumeirah project began in 2001 and required more than 50 million cubic meters of dredged sand to raise the islands above the Persian Gulf sea level. Construction of the Palm Jumeirah islands was completed in 2006; they are now being developed for residential and commercial housing and infrastructure. Creation of the World Islands was begun in 2003 and completed in 2008, using 320 million cubic meters of sand and 37 million tons of rock for the surrounding 27 kilometer-long protective breakwater.

Image credit: NASA

View originalmage/caption:
spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-25/html/...

More about space station research:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Research. Please feel welcome to join!
www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

Poisk Poised For Live NASA TV Space Station Docking

Poisk Poised For Live NASA TV Space Station Docking

"The Mini Research Module-2, known as "Poisk," which means "explore" in Russian, will deliver 1,800 pounds of cargo to the station. Poisk is scheduled to automatically dock to the station's Zvezda Service Module at 9:44 a.m.

"The 8-ton module is scheduled to launch at 8:22 a.m. Nov. 10 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The combination docking port and airlock will ride atop a Soyuz booster rocket. The Soyuz launch will not be broadcast on NASA TV.

"The module will be used as an additional docking port for Russian vehicles, as an airlock for Russian-based spacewalks and as a platform for external science experiments. Its first use will be as a docking port during the relocation of a Soyuz crew vehicle in January."

Soyuz Landing Caps Historic Space Station Increment

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Soyuz Landing Caps Historic Space Station Increment:

"WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International Space Station Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Michael Barratt landed their Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft on the steppes of Kazakhstan Sunday, wrapping up a six-month stay. Joining them was spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte, who spent 11 days in space.

Padalka, the Soyuz commander, guided the spacecraft to a parachute-assisted landing at 12:32 a.m. EDT at a site northeast of the town of Arkalyk."

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NASA Assigns Crew for STS-134 Shuttle Mission, Change to STS-132

NASA Assigns Crew for STS-134 Shuttle Mission, Change to STS-132:

"WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-134 to the International Space Station. The flight will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, to the station. The AMS is a state-of-the-art cosmic ray particle physics detector designed to examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the universe."

Endeavour is GO!

NASA'S Shuttle Endeavour Launches to Complete Japanese Module

"CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew launched at 6:03 p.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will deliver the final segment to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and a new crew member to the International Space Station.

"Endeavour's 16-day mission includes five spacewalks and the installation of two platforms outside the Japanese module. One platform is permanent and will allow experiments to be directly exposed to space. The other is an experiment storage pallet that will be detached and returned with the shuttle. During the mission, Kibo's robotic arm will transfer three experiments from the pallet to the exposed platform. Future experiments also can be moved to the platform from the inside of the station using the laboratory's airlock."

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NASA TV to Broadcast Space Station Crew's Move of Return Craft

Image via Wikipedia

NASA TV to Broadcast Space Station Crew's Move of Return Craft:

"Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Mike Barratt of NASA and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will undock the Soyuz TMA-14 return spacecraft, from the Zvezda service module and fly a short distance to the Pirs docking compartment. The flight is expected to take about 30 minutes."

NASA Connects Atlanta Students to Astronauts on Space Station

NASA Connects Atlanta Students to Astronauts on Space Station:

"WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Students from the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Atlanta will participate in an out-of-this-world learning experience on Tuesday, May 5, when they receive a call from astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink will air live worldwide on NASA Television and also be available on NASA's Web site. This is the second event of its kind to be held in the state of Georgia.

A live in-flight education downlink with the crew will take place between 11:15 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. EDT at the Fernbank Science Center in DeKalb County. The 20-minute question-and-answer event will feature astronauts Mike Barratt and Koichi Wakata, who are flight engineers aboard the Expedition 19 mission to the station."

Expedition 20 Briefing May 6

Image via Wikipedia

NASA Officials to Preview Start of Six-Person Crew on Space Station:

"On May 27, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk will launch on a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will arrive at the station on May 29 to join the station's Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The six men will form the Expedition 20 crew, the station's first six-person crew. This mission also will be the first time crew members are aboard representing all five International Space Station partners."

New Astronaut Crew Launches to International Space Station

New Astronaut Crew Launches to International Space Station:

"HOUSTON, March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 19th crew to live and work aboard the International Space Station launched into orbit Thursday morning from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, and spaceflight participant and U.S. software engineer Charles Simonyi lifted off at 6:49 a.m. CDT.

"They are scheduled to dock with the station at 8:14 a.m. Saturday, March 28. Padalka will serve as commander of Expeditions 19 and 20 aboard the station. Barratt will serve as a flight engineer for those two missions. Padalka and Barratt's other crewmate is Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. He arrived to the station March 17 on space shuttle Discovery."

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New ISS Solar Arrays Online

Image via Wikipedia

Final Pair of Massive Lockheed Martin Solar Arrays Begin Providing Power to International Space Station:

"SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth and final pair of massive solar arrays, built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) at its Space Systems facility in Sunnyvale, have been installed on the International Space Station by the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. The two new arrays have been deployed and are generating electricity."

Charles Simonyi's Mission Activities

Space Adventures' Orbital Spaceflight Client Charles Simonyi Outlines Mission Activities as He Readies for Launch to the International Space Station:

"VIENNA, Va., March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- In preparation for his March 26 launch, Charles Simonyi has outlined the mission objectives he hopes to achieve during his second visit to the International Space Station (ISS). Dr. Simonyi is the seventh orbital client for Space Adventures, Ltd., the only company that provides human space missions to the world marketplace.

"Dr. Simonyi will make history during his spaceflight by becoming the first private explorer to complete a second mission to space. He previously flew to the ISS in spring 2007 as Space Adventures' fifth orbital client. On his return mission, Dr. Simonyi aims to continue to make contributions toward space research, and advance civilian space travel while inspiring kids in their studies of science and math."

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Shuttle-Space Station Flyby Alert

Space Weather News for March 16, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

"FLYBY ALERT: In a twilight launch of stunning beauty, space shuttle Discovery left Earth last night on a two week construction mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery is now approaching the ISS for docking on March 17th. The timing of this mission favors sky watchers in North America and Europe who will be able to see the two spacecraft flying over many towns and cities in the evenings ahead. Tonight, March 16th, is extra-special because the not-yet-docked duo will appear as distinct points of bright light flying one after the other through the twilight sky--a rare "double flyby." Check the Simple Satellite Tracker for flyby times: http://spaceweather.com/flybys ."

Forwarded from a SpaceWeather email I got earlier.

SPACE.com -- Astronauts Watch President Obama's Inauguration from Space (via delicious)

Image via Wikipedia Post from NewsGator.com:

SPACE.com -- Astronauts Watch President Obama's Inauguration from Space (via delicious)

delicious SPACE.com -- Astronauts Watch President Obama's Inauguration from Space 18 hours ago - Comment - Like "Space station commander Michael Fincke and flight engineer Sandra Magnus, both of NASA, took some time out of their busy day to watch live TV coverage of Obama's inauguration in Washington, D.C., from their perch 220 miles (354 km) above Earth." - Ron Bailey

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Space Shuttle Discovery and Int'l Space Station - final approach for docking

Space Shuttle Discovery and Int'l Space Station - final approach for docking

earthhopper posted a photo:

They will get together at 20:18 JST, 7:18 EDT.....

STS 114 : Space Shuttle Discovery
IIS (ZARYA) : International Space Station

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Sent from NewsGator Online.

Artemis & Space Track TLE Retriever

Altemis & Space Track TLE Retriever

earthhopper posted a photo:

Applications for Realtime Tracking of Space Shuttle on Google Earth:

Space Track TLE Retriever

&

Artemis : a simple application to create real time orbits for Google Earth.

Refer Keyhole BBS Thread "International Space Station"

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Sent from NewsGator Online.

Realtime Tracking of Space Shuttle on Google Earth

Realtime Tracking of Space Shuttle on Google Earth

earthhopper posted a photo:

This is made possible by:

CelesTrak: NORAD
Two-Line Element Sets Current Data

&

Artemis : a simple
application to create real time orbits for Google Earth.

Refer Keyhole
BBS Thread "International Space Station"

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Sent from NewsGator Online.