NASA has announced plans to return four astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier than initially scheduled due to a crew member’s health issue encountered in orbit.
According to a statement released by NASA late Friday, the undocking from the ISS is set to take place by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, weather permitting at the designated splashdown site off California’s coast.
This marks the first occasion in the 25-year history of the ISS that a mission has been interrupted due to a medical incident in space.
While NASA confirmed a medical issue arose earlier this week, specific details regarding the crew member’s condition or identity have not been disclosed, citing medical privacy regulations.
During a news conference on Thursday, agency officials reassured that the situation is stable, and the decision for early departure is a precautionary measure rather than an emergency evacuation.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated, “After consulting with Chief Medical Officer Dr. J.D. Polk and agency leaders, we concluded that it’s best for the astronauts to return Crew-11 ahead of schedule.”
The returning crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Finke, Japanese astronaut Kamiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Crew-11 was initially slated to reach the ISS in early August and remain in the laboratory until late February.
The astronauts will return in the same SpaceX Dragon capsule that transported them to the ISS. If all goes as planned, undocking will occur Wednesday night, with an expected splashdown in the Pacific Ocean around 3:40 a.m. Thursday.
NASA and SpaceX will provide further updates on the precise landing time and location as it gets closer to the undocking.
Post Crew-11’s departure, NASA will maintain one astronaut aboard the ISS to oversee U.S. scientific experiments and operations. Flight engineer Chris Williams launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on November 27th and will be joined by Russian cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev.
The next crew is scheduled to launch to the ISS in mid-February, with NASA considering enhancements to this mission, known as Crew-12.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Team to the International Space Station
SpaceX
In a historic event, astronauts have been evacuated from the International Space Station (ISS) for medical reasons for the first time. The specific medical condition has not been disclosed to maintain privacy, and the astronaut affected remains unnamed. However, four of the seven crew members aboard the ISS returned to Earth ahead of schedule.
The returning astronauts are part of the Crew-11 mission, which launched on August 1 and was initially scheduled to conclude in late February. During a press conference on January 8, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted that nearly all mission objectives had been achieved, enabling an early return.
“This is not an emergency evacuation; the astronaut is stable,” stated NASA’s Chief Medical Officer James Polk. Isaacman further emphasized that while emergency medical evacuation was possible within hours, the actual crew evacuation would occur within days.
Although medical incidents aboard the ISS are not unprecedented, they have typically been manageable in orbit. “The ISS is equipped with robust medical facilities, but it lacks the comprehensive resources of an emergency department,” Polk explained. The severity of this recent incident necessitated that the crew return to Earth for complete medical assessment.
The four Crew-11 members (including two NASA astronauts, one Russian, and one Japanese astronaut) will return via the Dragon spacecraft that transported them to the ISS, despite only one experiencing a medical issue. Preparations are in place at Earth-based medical facilities to ensure affected crew members receive the necessary care. While the situation is without precedent, Isaacman assured that the return process aligns closely with regular protocols.
“Historical models over the last 25 years suggest medical evacuations should occur approximately every three years, yet this is the first such instance,” Polk remarked.
Following this evacuation, a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts will continue their research aboard the ISS until the Crew-12 mission arrives, originally planned for February 15, but potentially rescheduled due to this incident.
The International Space Station (ISS) might be facing a significant shift towards reduced international collaboration. A critical launch site in Russia, the only one capable of sending humans into orbit, has been heavily damaged and could remain non-operational for up to two years. This situation presents a challenging dilemma for NASA: either shoulder increased expenses and duties or consider decommissioning the ISS.
The Soyuz spacecraft took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 27, transporting two cosmonauts alongside an American astronaut. While all three arrived at the ISS safely, subsequent evaluations of the launch pads revealed that a crucial multi-layered support structure, which is typically retracted during the initial launch phases, had collapsed into the flame trench, sustaining significant damage.
According to reports, repairs might take as long as two years. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, stated that damage repairs will begin “soon.” The actual extent of the issues remains uncertain.
While the Baikonur Cosmodrome has several launch pads, the damaged one, Site 31, Launch Pad 6, has been operational since 1958 and is the only pad configured for manned missions. David Amato from Imperial College London notes that alternative Russian launch facilities face similar complications that eliminate their viability. The Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located 650 kilometers northeast of St. Petersburg, is positioned too far north for efficient ISS launches, while Vostochny Cosmodrome, near the Chinese border, lacks sufficient infrastructure.
“Many space missions hinge on critical vulnerabilities like this, particularly those that are winding down, such as the ISS,” Amato indicated.
Certainly, the ISS’s operational lifespan has exceeded expectations, having initially been planned for decommissioning in 2020, with several delays thereafter. Current intentions forecast a gradual descent to lower orbits beginning next year, potentially lasting until 2030, after which the crew will dismantle its functional and historic equipment before its final descent toward Earth, expected to fully disintegrate by 2031. Details regarding this process can be found here: “A 400-ton mass of flame is hurtling through the upper atmosphere at orbital velocity.”
Should Russia withdraw, NASA would likely need to further invest in resources and funds to maintain ISS operations—a daunting prospect, especially since the program is nearing its conclusion.
However, Amato casts doubt on whether the U.S. aims to fully terminate the ISS. Without it, both the U.S. and Europe would lack a venue for astronauts, leading to minimal incentives to launch personnel into orbit until longer-term projects like a commercial space station or lunar habitats are established. In contrast, China, America’s principal economic competitor, operates a flourishing space station.
“The optics are not favorable,” Amato noted, “and losing the ISS would be substantial since invaluable research facilitated by this platform would cease to exist.”
The ISS’s inception in the 1990s emerged from a different geopolitical context. Following the Soviet Union’s collapse, there was a mutual interest in launching a collaborative initiative between the former superpowers. The ISS was meticulously crafted to foster not only cooperation but to necessitate it. The Russian orbital segment (ROS), managed by Roscosmos, plays a critical role in trajectory control, while the US orbital segment (USOS), overseen by NASA and collaborated on with European, Japanese, and Canadian space agencies, is solar-powered. Cooperation is essential for both components to function effectively.
However, relationships have soured, and current tensions between the United States and Russia parallel geopolitical strains on Earth, a reality worsened by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Should Russia entirely pull out from the ISS partnership, NASA and its counterparts would face the daunting task of transporting not only astronauts but also crucial supplies like fuel and food—a responsibility previously managed by Russia. NASA would have to address these adjustments. There are more complex inquiries to address, notably regarding the formal management and operation of the Russian section of the ISS. Given recent budget reductions, NASA must scrutinize the feasibility of such an undertaking.
As of this writing, many of Roscosmos’ websites are down, and inquiries regarding the condition of Site 31 have gone unanswered. The European and Canadian space agencies have also not replied to media requests for commentary on the situation with Roscosmos. New Scientist reports.
Nadie Russell, a NASA Public Relations Officer, told New Scientist that the agency would “collaborate closely with our international partners, including Roscosmos, to ensure the safe operation of the ISS and its crew.” Nonetheless, Russell refrained from addressing specific queries about Russia’s ongoing involvement or whether contingency measures are in place should Russia choose to disengage.
Russia has time to evaluate these matters before its next crewed flight to the ISS, slated for July, although it must quickly formulate a strategy to rectify the issues at Baikonur.
Lia Nani Alconcel, a professor at the University of Birmingham in the UK, points out that there are alternatives for crewed travel to the ISS, such as SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which has successfully transported American astronauts to orbit. Should U.S.-based SpaceX become the sole option for reaching the ISS, it would represent a stark reversal from the early 2000s, when the U.S. was dependent on Russia for crew transport after the retirement of the Space Shuttle.
“Contractual issues may arise regarding launch agreements, but those are legal matters, not engineering challenges,” Alconcel remarked.
This alternative approach could ease some burdens on NASA and alleviate the pressure of urgently needing to establish a new program to compensate for the loss of Russian expertise and capabilities.
“Roscosmos specifically trains astronauts for essential tasks related to the Russian orbital segment, making it a formidable challenge for NASA to independently operate the ISS,” Alconcel explained, highlighting that NASA is pursuing a similar approach on the American segment.
Don Pettit, NASA’s oldest active astronaut, made his return to Earth on April 20th, coinciding with his 70th birthday. This marked the end of his fourth mission, a demanding 220-day stay at the International Space Station.
Throughout his time aboard the space station, Pettit engaged in various experiments, interacted with students, and exercised extensively to maintain his health and combat bone density loss. However, his most captivating contribution was through his photography.
For many on Earth, going to space is simply a dream. “I caught a glimpse of how they perceive my image,” said Pettit during a press conference following his return to Japan.
Pettit mentioned that dedicated photographers always carry a camera. “I could gaze out of the window and enjoy the stunning views,” he described. “But every time I look out, I am just enjoying it, saying to myself, ‘Wow, look at that. Oh, there’s a flash. What’s happening there?’ and, ‘Ah, a volcano appears.’ Then I think, ‘Where’s my camera?’
At times, he would set up five different cameras simultaneously in the cupola module, where seven windows offered sweeping vistas of space and Earth.
Capturing images in space shares similarities with night photography; the stars are faint and require longer exposure times to gather sufficient light. However, in orbit, everything is in constant motion, with the space station racing at 5 miles per second while the Earth spins beneath.
At times, Pettit embraced the dynamic beauty. The shimmering lines blurred under the light showcased the stars tracing arcs across the night sky.
“These meld science with art,” Pettit noted on X. “There are so many techniques to observe, or you can simply sit back and think, ‘How cool!’
His camera was fitted with a “trajectory fitting tracker,” a homemade device that gradually adjusts for the space station’s movements, keeping the lens focused on a particular point in the sky.
Thanks to this tracker, he was able to capture a 10-second exposure of the Milky Way shining above the cloudy Pacific Ocean just before dawn, revealing a captivating blue-purple glow from sunlight scattering through nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere.
The sidereal tracker also contributed to capturing the image below from the windows of the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The photo reveals the large and small Magellanic Clouds, the closest galaxies to our Milky Way on a cosmic scale.
In April, Pettit filmed the mesmerizing rhythmic pulsations of the aurora, a glowing phenomenon caused by high-energy solar particles interacting with atmospheric molecules.
On occasion, vibrant lights were the result of human activity, not celestial events. The green lines seen in this photo are similar in color to the aurora but actually result from fishing boats off Thailand attracting squid.
While photographing Earth, Pettit recorded lightning striking in the upper atmosphere above the Amazon Basin in South America. These videos captured time intervals ranging from 6 to 33 seconds, showcasing more intricate details of the flashes.
The Betoshiboca River in Madagascar reminded Pettit of the visual patterns seen in human eyes’ blood vessels.
Similar to wildfires, urban areas intensify in brightness at night.
Pettit seized the opportunity to document spacecraft launching and returning to Earth, including a test flight of a SpaceX Starship rocket from Texas last November…
…and the docking of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, scheduled to transport cargo to the space station in December.
During his mission, Pettit also designed an entertaining science experiment. One showcased electrically charged water droplets dancing around a Teflon knitting needle. “I aim to do in space what can only be done in space,” he stated. “I’m worried that when I return, I’ll have to catch up on all the TV shows.”
In another experiment, he injected food coloring into a droplet of water, producing a sphere resembling Jupiter or a pristine marble.
Pettit also dissolved antacid tablets in water. In a microgravity environment, the escaping bubbles create entirely different patterns of pop, fizz, and hiss compared to on Earth.
He even froze thin water ice wafers at minus 140 degrees Fahrenheit. “What can you do with a freezer in space?” He wrote on X. “I decided to grow a thin layer of water ice just for the fun of it.”
Photographing the ice layer through a polarizing filter revealed intricate crystal formations.
While Pettit holds the title of the oldest NASA astronaut, he is not the oldest person to orbit Earth; that honor goes to John Glenn, who flew around the Earth in 1962 and again in 1998 at the age of 77.
Pettit is also not the oldest individual to spend time aboard the International Space Station; that distinction belongs to private astronaut Larry Connor, who was 72 during his two-week mission in 2022, organized by Axiom Space in Houston.
“I’m only 70, with a few good years ahead of me,” Pettit remarked during a news conference. “We’ve managed to squeeze in another flight before we had to finalize the rocket nozzle.”
Following an unexpected extended stay at the International Space Station lasting nine and a half months, NASA astronaut Suni Williams is back on Earth, enjoying herself once more.
“I actually went out and ran three miles yesterday,” Williams mentioned during a press conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday. “So I’ll give myself a little pat on the back.”
Williams, along with her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, expressed their gratitude multiple times. Williams thanked the two astronauts who shared the Dragon Capsules of the SpaceX Crew, NASA, SpaceX, Boeing, and the medical team for helping them readjust to gravity.
These expressions of gratitude, much like many federal workers, were likely well received by individuals in the space agency who have faced uncertainty about their mission, direction, and ongoing employment since President Trump’s inauguration.
Williams and Wilmore embarked on a test flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft last June, initially planned as a brief visit to the International Space Station. However, due to issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system, NASA officials decided to bring the Starliner back to Earth, extending Williams and Wilmore’s stay until February.
Upon their return to Earth, they returned to a transitioning NASA, the trajectory of which remains uncertain.
Elon Musk and his government’s focus on efficiency aim to disrupt traditional bureaucratic structures. Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Musk envisions sending settlers to Mars, sparking speculation about NASA’s current primary focus, the Artemis program, aimed at sending astronauts back to the moon.
In January, Williams and Wilmore found themselves caught in a political quarrel, as Trump and Musk insinuated they were left stranded in space to undermine favorable publicity for Musk, a Trump supporter during the presidential campaign, without providing any concrete details or evidence.
Both astronauts have publicly maintained that they were not abandoned in space for political reasons.
During a press conference at the Johnson Space Center, Williams, Wilmore, and Nick Haag, commanders of the SpaceX Crew Dragon mission that brought them back home, steered clear of political controversy and emphasized the cooperation and shared purpose essential for their astronaut mission.
“When you link with a nation that stands by, cares about human spaceflight programs, and supports us and our endeavors,” Wilmore stated.
Haag noted that much of the turmoil on Earth remains distant:
“When we are working in space, politics fade away,” he remarked. “It’s solely focused on the mission.”
He highlighted Williams’ nearly six-month tenure as commander of the space station.
“The magic of human spaceflight lies in our ability to concentrate on positive elements that unite people together,” Haag concluded.
Wilmore, who led the Starliner Mission, refused to place blame solely on Boeing for the issues with the Starliner capsule that led to their prolonged stay. “I dislike that term,” he commented.
Wilmore stated that both Boeing and NASA share responsibility for the malfunctioning system.
“I won’t point fingers and place blame,” Wilmore mentioned. “I might have posed some questions, and the responses could have altered the outcome.”
NASA officials anticipate the next Starliner flight could take place later this year or the following year. When asked if they would be willing to embark on another such flight, both Williams and Wilmore quickly responded affirmatively.
“Because we will address all the challenges we encountered,” Wilmore affirmed. “We will resolve them. We will make it work. Boeing and NASA are fully committed to this endeavor.
“I concur,” added Williams. “Spacecraft are incredibly capable.”
The International Space Station’s operations are scheduled until 2030, at which point a specially designed SpaceX spacecraft will guide the station out of orbit into the Pacific Ocean. Recently, Musk has suggested that space stations should increase their utility and be discarded sooner, within a few years. However, the astronauts spoke enthusiastically about the research they conducted aboard.
Haag remarked on the significant advancements in complexity of experiments compared to his prior mission six years ago.
“It gives you the sense that we are currently in the golden age of space stations in terms of the return on investment,” Haag concluded.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is not scheduled to return astronauts from space this year
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
It’s official: Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain aboard the International Space Station until at least February. While it’s a major setback for Boeing’s Starliner, the plane that carried them there, it doesn’t spell doom for the U.S. space program. Rather, it highlights the success of the transition from the government providing the sole rocket to space to a proliferation of commercial spaceflight options.
This is exactly the contingency that NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which transports astronauts to the ISS using spacecraft built by private companies, was designed to handle. “The Commercial Crew Program deliberately selected two providers for redundancy in preparation for exactly this situation,” he said. Laura Forzigan independent space industry consultant. The two NASA astronauts were originally scheduled to arrive at the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 and return to Earth about a week later. However, issues with the spacecraft resulted in them staying for an extended mission before returning home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft instead of the Starliner.
“If they had only picked one provider, it would have been Boeing because SpaceX was a riskier proposition at the time,” Forczyk said, “so in some sense, this is a win for the Commercial Crew program.”
The mission was Starliner’s first manned test flight, and it was rocky from the start: valve leaks and thruster failures on the journey into space forced NASA and Boeing to reconsider whether the spacecraft could safely return astronauts to Earth. Tests of the thrusters on the ground were inconclusive, and there was still a risk of the thrusters failing during the return journey.
The safest alternative would be for astronauts to remain on the ISS until SpaceX’s proven Crew Dragon spacecraft has room to return, which could happen in early 2025. In the meantime, Starliner will autonomously detach from the ISS in September and return to Earth without a crew member while Boeing engineers continue to troubleshoot.
“This was a test mission, but sometimes testing gives you answers that tell you there are things that need to be fixed,” said former NASA astronaut Michael Fossum. statement“Testing doesn’t necessarily prove that everything worked perfectly.”
At a press conference on August 24, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Though Boeing has been adamant that Starliner will get another chance to carry crew to the ISS, some aren’t so convinced. Boeing’s contract requires that the vehicle isn’t certified for use in real missions until it completes a successful test flight, which it didn’t this time. If NASA requires Starliner to undergo another test flight, Forchik says, the first operational flight could be delayed until 2026 at the earliest. With the ISS scheduled to close around 2030, keeping Starliner ready for active duty may not be worth it.
Without redundancy in the commercial crew program, the failure of Starliner could have left the U.S. without a launch provider entirely. As it stands, SpaceX will continue to shuttle astronauts to and from the ISS. Although Wilmore and Williams will need to stay aboard the ISS for a little longer, they are veteran astronauts with the experience and equipment to quickly jump into daily life in space before returning safely to Earth.
For Wilmore and Williams, the challenges and inconveniences of a long-term stay may not outweigh the excitement of life in orbit. “I know them really well, and I think in some ways they were a little disappointed to be up there in such a short amount of time,” Fossum said. “They both have been on long-term missions aboard the space station before… and they both enjoyed it.”
Enterobacter bugandensis It is mainly present in clinical specimens such as the human gastrointestinal tract.
Example workflow illustrating the process of comparative genomics analysis Enterobacter bugandensis, its prevalence and metabolic interactions within the microbial community, and assess its adaptation success within the ISS habitat. Image credit: Sengupta other., doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a testament to humanity's achievements in space exploration.
Despite a highly controlled environment characterized by microgravity, increased carbon dioxide levels, and increased solar radiation, microorganisms occupy a unique niche.
These resident microbial bacteria play an important role in influencing the health and well-being of astronauts.
One particularly interesting microorganism is the Enterobacter bugandensis, a Gram-negative bacterium notorious for its multidrug resistance.
“Microorganisms in the built environment have a significant impact on the health of residents,” says the lead author Dr. Kastri Venkateswaran by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and colleagues.
“The ISS is a highly controlled built environment with extreme conditions such as microgravity, solar radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels, providing a unique location to study microbial survival and adaptation. .”
“Recent studies have demonstrated that microorganisms exposed to microgravity acquire antibiotic resistance and become more virulent through rapid mutation and horizontal gene transfer.”
“Prolonged space travel in microgravity can compromise astronauts' immune systems and increase their vulnerability to disease.”
“The microbial population on the ISS can influence the astronauts' microbiome and could be replenished by the arrival of new crew members.”
“Understanding microbial colonization, inheritance, and interactions is therefore critical to ensuring the health of astronauts and managing microbial risks in isolated and confined human habitats.”
In the new study, the authors analyzed 13 bacterial strains. Enterobacter bugandensis It is isolated from the ISS.
Their results show that under stress these strains mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their terrestrial counterparts.
These strains were able to persist in large numbers on the ISS for long periods of time.
They coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases may have helped those microorganisms survive.
“Our comprehensive analysis reveals not only how these interactions shape microbial diversity, but also the factors that may contribute to the potential dominance and inheritance of microorganisms. Ta. Enterobacter bugandensis within the ISS environment,” the researchers said.
“The implications of these findings are twofold,” they added.
“First, we shed light on the behavior, adaptation, and evolution of microorganisms in extreme and isolated environments.”
“Second, it highlights the need for strong precautions to ensure the health and safety of astronauts by mitigating risks associated with potential pathogen threats.”
P. Sengupta other. 2024. Genomic, functional, and metabolic enrichment in multidrug-resistant patients. Enterobacter bugandensis Facilitate survival and succession on the International Space Station. microbiome 12, 62; doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1
Illustration of Sierra Space’s first dream chaser, DC#1 (Tenacity). The Dream Chaser spacecraft developed by Sierra Space for NASA is gearing up for a demonstration mission to the ISS in 2024, with a focus on cargo delivery and in-orbit certification. .Credit: Sierra Space
NASA Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft is scheduled for a demonstration flight to the ISS in 2024, carrying cargo transport and various on-orbit tests to ensure operational readiness for future missions. be exposed.NASA and Sierra Space are making progress toward the maiden flight of the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft. international space station. The unmanned cargo spaceplane is scheduled to begin demonstration missions to orbital complexes in 2024 as part of NASA’s commercial resupply services.
Dream chaser and shooting starManufactured by Sierra Space, Louisville, Colorado, the Dream Chaser cargo system consists of two main elements: the Dream Chaser spacecraft and the Shooting Star cargo module. As a lifting body spacecraft, Dream Chaser is designed to be reused up to 15 times. HL-20 spacecraft It was developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.Shooting Star, a spaceplane cargo module companion, is designed to support the transportation and disposal of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to the space station. The cargo module can only be used once and is disposed of before reentry.
The Dream Chaser system will be mounted on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan Centaur rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, inside a 5-meter fairing. It can be launched by folding its wings. Fairing panels protect the spacecraft during ascent, but are discarded once it reaches orbit. Dream Chaser’s cargo module and wing-mounted solar arrays will be deployed during an autonomous rendezvous with the space station. In the event of disaster, Dream Chaser is designed to be ready for launch within as little as 24 hours.
NASA and Sierra Space are making progress toward the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft’s maiden flight to the International Space Station. The unmanned cargo spaceplane is scheduled to begin demonstration missions to orbital complexes in 2024 as part of NASA’s commercial resupply services.Credit: Sierra SpaceMission overview
During the first flight, Sierra Space will conduct an in-orbit demonstration to qualify Dream Chaser for future missions. Teams from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Dream Chaser Mission Control Center in Louisville, Colorado will monitor the flight. Sierra Space flight controllers will control the Dream Chaser spacecraft at the launch pad until it is handed over to NASA Kennedy’s Sierra Space ground operations team after landing.
The far-field demonstration will be conducted outside the vicinity of the space station before the spacecraft enters the invisible 2.5-by-1.25-by-1.25-mile (4-by-2-by-2-kilometer) boundary around the ellipsoid. . Rotating laboratory. These demonstrations are required before Dream His Chaser enters joint operations with his NASA team at Mission Control Center in Houston. These include demonstrating postural control, translational movements, and aborting functions.
Near-field demonstrations must be performed in close proximity to the space station, and include activation and use of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors, responding to commands sent from the space station, retreating from the station in response to commands, and initially This includes maintaining proximity. 1,083 feet (330 meters) from the station, then 820 feet (250 meters), and finally 98 feet (30 meters). After the successful completion of the demonstration, Dream Chaser will move towards the space station.
As Dream Chaser approaches the orbiting laboratory, it will eventually park approximately 38 feet (11.5 meters) from the space station, where the station’s crew will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to maneuver the spacecraft in front of the team on the ground. Hold on to the cargo module fixtures. Attach the cargo module to the earth-facing port of the Unity or Harmony module.
Dream Chaser will carry more than 7,800 pounds of cargo on its first flight to the International Space Station. On future missions, Dream Chaser is designed to remain on station for up to 75 days and deliver up to 11,500 pounds of cargo. Cargo can be loaded onto the spacecraft up to 24 hours before launch. Dream Chaser can return more than 3,500 pounds of cargo and experimental samples to Earth, and more than 8,700 pounds of trash can be disposed of during reentry using its cargo module.return to earthDream Chaser will remain on the space station for approximately 45 days before being uninstalled using Canadarm2. After departure, the spacecraft can land within 11 to 15 hours at the earliest, with the possibility of landing daily if weather conditions permit.
Dream Chaser’s landing weather criteria typically require crosswinds of less than 17.2 mph (15 knots), headwinds of less than 23 mph (20 knots), and tailwinds of less than 11.5 mph (10 knots). Thunderstorms, lightning, or rain within a 20-mile radius of the runway or 10 miles along the approach path are not acceptable conditions for landing. Detailed flight rules help controllers determine whether a landing opportunity is favorable.
A combination of Dream Chaser’s 26 Reaction Control System thrusters ignites, sending the spacecraft out of orbit. Dream Chaser re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and glided in the style of NASA’s Space Shuttle to a runway landing at Kennedy Launch and Landing Facility, becoming the first spacecraft to land at the facility since the Space Shuttle’s last flight in 2011. becomes.Once Dream Chaser is powered down after landing, the Sierra Space ground operations team will transport Dream Chaser to the Space Systems Processing Facility for necessary inspections, unload remaining NASA cargo, and prepare for the next mission. let’s start doing ….Sierra Space (formerly Sierra Nevada Corporation) was selected in 2016 as NASA’s third commercial cargo replenishment spacecraft to service the International Space Station.
< p >The SpaceX Dragon supply ship (photographed from the window of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship) carrying more than 5,800 pounds of new scientific experiments and crew supplies approaches the International Space Station in the South Atlantic Ocean in July 2022. Credit: NASA< /p >
< p >The crew of Expedition 70 finished packing the U.S. cargo ship before departure Wednesday. International space station. The seven orbiting residents also collaborated on various human studies to learn how to keep humans healthy in space.< /p >
< p >On Wednesday, the four astronauts worked together to coordinate the final cargo transport inside the spacecraft. Space X Dragon cargo spaceship. The Dragon had been berthed at the station since November 11 and was scheduled to unberth at 9:05 p.m. EST Wednesday from the forward port of the Harmony module’s orbital outpost. Due to weather conditions, we are scheduled to depart on Thursday, December 21st at 5:05pm ET.< /p >
< p >The agency will provide live coverage of Dragon’s undocking and departure starting at 8:45 p.m. NASA+via streaming services web or NASA app. The coverage will also be broadcast live on NASA Television. YouTubeand the agency’s Website.learn how Stream NASA TV Through various platforms including social media.< /p >
< p >SpaceX’s Dragon supply ship approached the International Space Station in April 2023 carrying more than 6,200 pounds of scientific experiments, crew supplies, and other cargo to replenish the crew for Expedition 68. At the time this photo was taken, both spacecraft were flying 429 miles above the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. Credit: NASA< /p >
< p >Astronauts Jasmine Mogberg and Andreas Mogensen began their science return mission in the morning, transferring frozen research samples from the station’s science freezer to an insulated Dragon science transport bag. Astronauts Loral O’Hara and Satoshi Furukawa continued handing over samples in the Destiny, Kibo, and Columbus experimental modules and packed them into Dragon. NASA aeronautical engineers O’Hara and Mogbeli concluded their study by storing fresh astronaut blood samples inside Dragon for recovery and analysis on Earth. Mogbeli will be the last crew member to leave the Dragon and close the hatch several hours before departure.< /p >
< p >Seven Expedition 70 crew members take portraits inside the Kibo laboratory module on the International Space Station. Front row (from left) are ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen, NASA flight engineers Jasmine Moghberg and Loral O’Hara. Behind him are Roscosmos aeronautical engineers Nikolai Chubut, Konstantin Borisov and Oleg Kononenko. Satoshi Furukawa, flight engineer at JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Credit: NASA< /p >
< p >All four crew members went to work and had blood and saliva samples taken. Cryptography A suite of 14 experiments examining how living in zero gravity affects the human body. O’Hara also took cognitive tests to understand how the brain works in space. Moghbeli downloaded the medical data stored on the health monitoring vest and headband. After all, Furukawa and Mogensen JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and ESA (european space agency) Each used an ultrasound 2 machine to scan the veins in each other’s necks, shoulders, and legs.< /p >
< p >The three astronauts lived and worked on the station, but remained focused on their mission. Roscosmos-Based scientific experiments and laboratory maintenance. Aviation engineers Konstantin Borisov and Nikolai Chubut participated in two different fitness evaluations. Borisov started pedaling on an exercise cycle, while Chubb jogged on a treadmill with a sensor attached to measure aerobic activity. Aeronautical engineer Oleg Kononenko conducted another of his 3D printing sessions to demonstrate manufacturing tools and consumables in microgravity.< /p >
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Loral O’Hara, NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 aeronautical engineer, proudly displays the research hardware that supports the UMAMI (Understanding Microgravity for Animal-Microbial Interactions) astrobiology experiment. Dr. O’Hara has in her possession an Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) fluid processing cassette (FPC) that facilitates observations of the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microorganisms and their animal hosts. Credit goes to NASA for this image.
The top research goals for the Expedition 70 crew earlier in the week included crew health and astrobiology. The crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) were occupied with various standard laboratory maintenance tasks. In the meantime, SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft is scheduled to depart as early as Wednesday.
Studying the effects of weightlessness is a priority for doctors and scientists, as they observe how various life forms, including humans, adapt and survive in the harsh environment of microgravity. NASA and its international partners are planning further long-term missions into space in order to learn more about the biology of aging and its impact on disease mechanisms. NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 flight engineer Jasmine Moghbeli was seen wearing a BioMonitor vest and headband to test her ability to comfortably monitor the health of astronauts throughout the day. She also spent time processing cell samples in the Kibo experimental module’s life science glovebox.
Today, a pair of CubeSats were deployed outside the orbital outpost for exploration. Flight engineer Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) photographed the deployment of two small satellites and then maintained and supported optical hardware regenerative medicine experiment. In the end, Furukawa prepared: Sapphire-VI Fire safety experiments conducted remotely on board a ship Cygnus space cargo ship After leaving the space station.
Astronauts Loral O’Hara and Andreas Mogensen were stowing their spacewalk gear in Quest’s airlock. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen used the Advanced Space Experiment Processor 2 (ADSEP-2) to store and process samples for a variety of biological and physical science experiments.
Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Konstantin Borisov inspected and photographed eggs packed inside a centrifuge in the Nauka scientific module. Flight engineer Nikolai Chubut spent the day developing the life support systems inside the Zarya and Zvezda modules.
The Dragon supply mission’s departure was targeted for 5:05 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 20, with coverage beginning at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA+ streaming service and NASA Television. As the departure was being organized, joint teams continued to work to assess optimal autonomous ports of entry and return weather conditions.
This night view of southern Europe looks from Milan, Italy, northwest to southeast (bottom right), across the Adriatic Sea to Split, Croatia. At the time this photo was taken, the International Space Station was orbiting 423 miles above eastern France.
Credit: NASAExpedition 70 crews continue to pack up the U.S. cargo spacecraft for departure early next week. The seven residents living on the ship are international space station (ISS) has also explored virtual reality while providing various scientific and life support hardware services.
NASA and space x The undocking of the SpaceX Dragon cargo replenishment spacecraft from the International Space Station will be postponed to Sunday, Dec. 17, due to inclement weather as a cold front moves through the spray belt off the coast of Florida.The joint team will continue to assess weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously leave the space station and determine the next available opportunity by 5:05 p.m. EST Monday, December 18th.The vibrant city lights of Tokyo were captured from the International Space Station, orbiting 421 miles above the sky.
Credit: NASAWeather permitting for Monday’s undock, coverage of Dragon’s departure will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA streaming service. web or NASA app. The coverage will also be broadcast live on NASA Television. YouTubeand the agency’s Website. After re-entering the atmosphere, the spacecraft will fly off the coast of Florida, but the event will not be broadcast on NASA TV.
NASA astronaut Jasmine Moghbeli and NASA’s Satoshi Furukawa JAXA The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has resumed transferring cargo freezers packed with science from the station’s Express Rack to Dragon. The two activated and configured the scientific freezer within the Dragon, securing biological samples stored for recovery and analysis on Earth.
Prior to this, Moghbeli replaced hardware in the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, a research instrument that studies crystal morphology and growth. She also shook up mixing tubes containing seed samples for astrobotany research. Furukawa reconnected the power and communications units within the combustion research hardware in Kibo’s laboratory module.
Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island shaped like a palm tree, is a highlight of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in this nighttime photo taken from the International Space Station, which orbits 454 miles above the Persian Gulf. Masu.
Credit: NASAESA Commander Andreas Mogensen (european space agency) His day began with an experiment aimed at strengthening computer programming skills Promote STEM careers for students across the globe. Mogensen then donned virtual reality goggles and watched a 360-degree film to understand the stabilizing effects of the nervous system. VR mental care experiment.
NASA flight engineer Loral O’Hara spent the day performing laboratory maintenance throughout the orbiting outpost. She replaced orbital plumbing components, deployed a portable her fan inside the Tranquility module, and replaced a broken wireless antenna inside the Unity module.
The space station’s three astronauts remained focused on scientific activities and maintaining the orbital system. After breakfast, flight engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubb scanned the stomach again with an ultrasound machine. Roscosmos Research on spatial digestion. Mr. Kononenko relocated the eggs into incubators for biological experiments, and Mr. Chubb transferred the dismantled life support equipment from the Zarya module to Unity. Flight engineer Konstantin Borisov spent the morning working on the orbital plumbing and ended the day by photographing and inspecting the windows of the Zvezda service module.
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