NASA Instruments Reveal Water Molecules on Lunar Surface
WASHINGTON -- NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar regions of the moon. Instruments aboard three separate spacecraft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than predicted, but still relatively small. Hydroxyl, a molecule consisting of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, also was found in the lunar soil. The findings were published in Thursday's edition of the journal Science.
NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, or M3, instrument reported the observations. M3 was carried into space on Oct. 22, 2008, aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Data from the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, or VIMS, on NASA's Cassini spacecraft and the High-Resolution Infrared Imaging Spectrometer on NASA's EPOXI spacecraft contributed to confirmation of the finding. The spacecraft imaging spectrometers made it possible to map lunar water more effectively than ever before. The confirmation of elevated water molecules and hydroxyl at these concentrations in the moon's polar regions raises new questions about its origin and effect on the mineralogy of the moon. Answers to these questions will be studied and debated for years to come. "Water ice on the moon has been something of a holy grail for lunar scientists for a very long time," said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This surprising finding has come about through the ingenuity, perseverance and international cooperation between NASA and the India Space Research Organization."
From its perch in lunar orbit, M3's state-of-the-art spectrometer measured light reflecting off the moon's surface at infrared wavelengths, splitting the spectral colors of the lunar surface into small enough bits to reveal a new level of detail in surface composition. When the M3 science team analyzed data from the instrument, they found the wavelengths of light being absorbed were consistent with the absorption patterns for water molecules and hydroxyl. "For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to water and hydroxyl-bearing materials," said Carle Pieters, M3's principal investigator from Brown University. "When we say 'water on the moon,' we are not talking about lakes, oceans or even puddles. Water on the moon means molecules of water and hydroxyl that interact with molecules of rock and dust specifically in the top millimeters of the moon's surface. "
The M3 team found water molecules and hydroxyl at diverse areas of the sunlit region of the moon's surface, but the water signature appeared stronger at the moon's higher latitudes. Water molecules and hydroxyl previously were suspected in data from a Cassini flyby of the moon in 1999, but the findings were not published until now. "The data from Cassini's VIMS instrument and M3 closely agree," said Roger Clark, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist in Denver and member of both the VIMS and M3 teams. "We see both water and hydroxyl. While the abundances are not precisely known, as much as 1,000 water molecule parts-per-million could be in the lunar soil. To put that into perspective, if you harvested one ton of the top layer of the moon's surface, you could get as much as 32 ounces of water." For additional confirmation, scientists turned to the EPOXI mission while it was flying past the moon in June 2009 on its way to a November 2010 encounter with comet Hartley 2. The spacecraft not only confirmed the VIMS and M3 findings, but also expanded on them. "With our extended spectral range and views over the north pole, we were able to explore the distribution of both water and hydroxyl as a function of temperature, latitude, composition, and time of day," said Jessica Sunshine of the University of Maryland. Sunshine is EPOXI's deputy principal investigator and a scientist on the M3 team. "Our analysis unequivocally confirms the presence of these molecules on the moon's surface and reveals that the entire surface appears to be hydrated during at least some portion of the lunar day." NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the M3 instrument, Cassini mission and EPOXI spacecraft for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Indian Space Research Organization built, launched and operated the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. For additional information and images from the instruments, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars
For more information about the Chandrayaan-1 mission, visit:
http://isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan/htmls/home.htm
Thursday 24 September 2009
Atlantis Prepared for STS-129
Atlantis Preps for STS-129 Continue
Space shuttle Atlantis remains in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, undergoing preparations for its rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for Oct. 6.
STS-129 Mission Patch
Closure of the payload bay door in anticipation for the rollover is planned for Friday. Testing of the wing leading edge sensors is ongoing. The sensors help monitor the reinforced carbon carbon heat shield panels on the shuttle’s wings for possible debris impacts.
Once Atlantis is in the VAB, it will be joined with the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters that already have been stacked on the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 2.
Rollout to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for Oct. 13.
STS-129 Crew Portrait
Space shuttle Atlantis remains in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, undergoing preparations for its rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for Oct. 6.
STS-129 Mission Patch
Closure of the payload bay door in anticipation for the rollover is planned for Friday. Testing of the wing leading edge sensors is ongoing. The sensors help monitor the reinforced carbon carbon heat shield panels on the shuttle’s wings for possible debris impacts.
Once Atlantis is in the VAB, it will be joined with the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters that already have been stacked on the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 2.
Rollout to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for Oct. 13.
STS-129 Crew Portrait
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Discovery Returns
Discovery Towed to its Hangar
Space shuttle Discovery was hoisted off of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that brought it from California and is inside Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will begin servicing the shuttle from its just-completed STS-128 mission. The work includes removing the Leonardo supply module from Discovery's payload bay. The module carried new experiments and other equipment to the International Space Station and returned with some completed research items. The cargo bay also contains a depleted ammonia tank spacewalkers removed from the station, along with experiments that were mounted on the outside of the Columbus laboratory module.Preparations are also under way in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the November launch of Atlantis on the STS-129 mission. The external tank for Atlantis was connected yesterday to the twin solid rocket boosters.
Space shuttle Discovery was hoisted off of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that brought it from California and is inside Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will begin servicing the shuttle from its just-completed STS-128 mission. The work includes removing the Leonardo supply module from Discovery's payload bay. The module carried new experiments and other equipment to the International Space Station and returned with some completed research items. The cargo bay also contains a depleted ammonia tank spacewalkers removed from the station, along with experiments that were mounted on the outside of the Columbus laboratory module.Preparations are also under way in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the November launch of Atlantis on the STS-129 mission. The external tank for Atlantis was connected yesterday to the twin solid rocket boosters.
Desert Layover - Edwards Air Force Base in California
Desert Layover
Space shuttle Discovery is parked within the Mate-Demate Device gantry at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Cener prior to beginning turnaround processing for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discoloration on Discovery's reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap gives evidence of the extreme heating it encountered during re-entry into the Earth' atmosphere prior to landing on Sept. 11, 2009, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis
Friday 18 September 2009
NASA Lunar Satellite Begins Detailed Mapping of Moon's South Pole
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA reported Thursday that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed its testing and calibration phase and entered its mapping orbit of the moon. The spacecraft already has made significant progress toward creating the most detailed atlas of the moon's south pole to date.
Scientists released preliminary images and data from LRO's seven instruments. "The LRO mission already has begun to give us new data that will lead to a vastly improved atlas of the lunar south pole and advance our capability for human exploration and scientific benefit," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit of about 31 miles above the lunar surface, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon.
During the next year, LRO will produce a complete map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, search for resources and safe landing sites for human explorers, and measure lunar temperatures and radiation levels. "The LRO instruments, spacecraft, and ground systems continue to operate essentially flawlessly," said Craig Tooley, LRO project manager at Goddard "The team completed the planned commissioning and calibration activities on time and also got a significant head start collecting data even before we moved to the mission's mapping orbit."
The south pole of the moon is of great interest to explorers because potential resources such as water ice or hydrogen may exist there. Permanently shadowed polar craters that are bitterly cold at their bottoms may hold deposits of water ice or hydrogen from comet impacts or the solar wind. The deposits may have accumulated in these "cold-trap" regions over billions of years.
If enough of these resources exist to make mining practical, future long-term human missions to the moon potentially could save the considerable expense of hauling water from Earth. First results from LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, or LEND, indicate that permanently shadowed and nearby regions may harbor water and hydrogen.
Additional observations will be needed to confirm this. LEND relies on a decrease in neutron radiation from the lunar surface to indicate the presence of water or hydrogen. "If these deposits are present, an analysis of them will help us understand the interaction of the moon with the rest of the solar system," Vondrak said. Data from LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, or LOLA, however, indicates that exploring these areas will be challenging because the terrain is very rough. The roughness is probably a result of the lack of atmosphere and absence of erosion from wind or water, according to David Smith, LOLA principal investigator at Goddard.
LRO's other instruments also are providing data to help map the moon's terrain and resources. According to the first measurements from the Diviner instrument, large areas in the permanently shadowed craters are about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Kelvin), more than cold enough to store water ice or hydrogen for billions of years.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera is providing high-resolution images of permanently shadowed regions while lighting conditions change as the moon's south pole enters lunar summer. LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, or LAMP, also is preparing to search for surface ice and frost in the polar regions. The instrument provides images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight and the glow of interplanetary hydrogen emission. LAMP has provided information to confirm the instrument is working well on both the lunar night and day sides.
The Mini RF Technology Demonstration on LRO has confirmed communications capability and produced detailed radar images of potential targets for LRO's companion mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, which will impact the moon's south pole on Oct. 9. Meanwhile, LRO's Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation instrument is exploring the lunar radiation environment and its potential effects on humans during record high, "worst-case" cosmic ray intensities accompanying the extreme solar minimum conditions of this solar cycle.
Goddard built and manages LRO, a NASA mission with international participation from the Institute for Space Research in Moscow. Russia provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.
For more information about LRO and to view the new images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA reported Thursday that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed its testing and calibration phase and entered its mapping orbit of the moon. The spacecraft already has made significant progress toward creating the most detailed atlas of the moon's south pole to date.
Scientists released preliminary images and data from LRO's seven instruments. "The LRO mission already has begun to give us new data that will lead to a vastly improved atlas of the lunar south pole and advance our capability for human exploration and scientific benefit," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit of about 31 miles above the lunar surface, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon.
During the next year, LRO will produce a complete map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, search for resources and safe landing sites for human explorers, and measure lunar temperatures and radiation levels. "The LRO instruments, spacecraft, and ground systems continue to operate essentially flawlessly," said Craig Tooley, LRO project manager at Goddard "The team completed the planned commissioning and calibration activities on time and also got a significant head start collecting data even before we moved to the mission's mapping orbit."
The south pole of the moon is of great interest to explorers because potential resources such as water ice or hydrogen may exist there. Permanently shadowed polar craters that are bitterly cold at their bottoms may hold deposits of water ice or hydrogen from comet impacts or the solar wind. The deposits may have accumulated in these "cold-trap" regions over billions of years.
If enough of these resources exist to make mining practical, future long-term human missions to the moon potentially could save the considerable expense of hauling water from Earth. First results from LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, or LEND, indicate that permanently shadowed and nearby regions may harbor water and hydrogen.
Additional observations will be needed to confirm this. LEND relies on a decrease in neutron radiation from the lunar surface to indicate the presence of water or hydrogen. "If these deposits are present, an analysis of them will help us understand the interaction of the moon with the rest of the solar system," Vondrak said. Data from LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, or LOLA, however, indicates that exploring these areas will be challenging because the terrain is very rough. The roughness is probably a result of the lack of atmosphere and absence of erosion from wind or water, according to David Smith, LOLA principal investigator at Goddard.
LRO's other instruments also are providing data to help map the moon's terrain and resources. According to the first measurements from the Diviner instrument, large areas in the permanently shadowed craters are about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Kelvin), more than cold enough to store water ice or hydrogen for billions of years.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera is providing high-resolution images of permanently shadowed regions while lighting conditions change as the moon's south pole enters lunar summer. LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, or LAMP, also is preparing to search for surface ice and frost in the polar regions. The instrument provides images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight and the glow of interplanetary hydrogen emission. LAMP has provided information to confirm the instrument is working well on both the lunar night and day sides.
The Mini RF Technology Demonstration on LRO has confirmed communications capability and produced detailed radar images of potential targets for LRO's companion mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, which will impact the moon's south pole on Oct. 9. Meanwhile, LRO's Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation instrument is exploring the lunar radiation environment and its potential effects on humans during record high, "worst-case" cosmic ray intensities accompanying the extreme solar minimum conditions of this solar cycle.
Goddard built and manages LRO, a NASA mission with international participation from the Institute for Space Research in Moscow. Russia provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.
For more information about LRO and to view the new images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
Discovery Readied for Florida Return Flight
Up and Away
Space shuttle Discovery, mounted on leveling jacks, is surrounded by work platforms while undergoing servicing and preparations at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center for its ferry flight to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Discovery's Return Flight
NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery Set To Return To Florida
EDWARDS, Calif. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, space shuttle Discovery is about to start its cross-country journey back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following the successful STS-128 mission to the International Space Station, Discovery was mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Discovery is expected to begin its journey from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., to Kennedy as early as Friday, Sept. 18. The exact date and time of departure have yet to be set because of changing weather conditions and the fluid nature of preparing Discovery for the flight. For recorded updates about the ferry flight, journalists should call 321-867-2525 or 661-276-2564. Live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the flight.
To access the feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's departure and arrival. For the NASA TV downlink, the schedule of ferry flight coverage and streaming video information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
DISCOVERY DEPARTURE FROM EDWARDS
NASA will provide reporters, photographers and videographers with two opportunities to take imagery of Discovery while it is being prepared at Dryden. The first opportunity will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Sept. 17, while preparations for Discovery's ferry flight are being completed. An informal briefing may be included on the work under way at the site. There will be a second opportunity when the ferry flight takes off. Because of the short notice involved, these opportunities at Edwards are restricted to U.S. citizens representing domestic news organizations. On Thursday, reporters will be transported in an escorted convoy from the Edwards Air Force Base West Gate security station on Rosamond Blvd. to Dryden. The convoy will leave promptly at 1:15 p.m. For the ferry flight departure, journalists will be escorted in a convoy to the viewing site. Space is limited to two representatives per news organization, or a total of about 30. Preference will be given to photographers and videographers, although print journalists are welcome as space allows. Reporters who were credentialed to cover Discovery's landing at Dryden should contact Alan Brown at 661-276-2665 to confirm participation. All others should e-mail a credential request with their full name, media organization, place and date of birth, driver's license number and its issuing state, and last six digits of their social security number to DrydenPAO@nasa.gov no later than noon Wednesday for either media opportunity. Further guidance regarding arrival times and other details for the ferry flight opportunity will be provided via e-mail when the schedule is set. DISCOVERY ARRIVAL AT KENNEDY Strict flight weather restrictions may cause unexpected changes to the flight path and arrival time of Discovery in Florida. All media representatives should be at Kennedy's news center one hour and 15 minutes ahead of Discovery's announced arrival time for transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-128 U.S. media credentials will be honored at Kennedy for Discovery's return. International media credentials are no longer valid. TV stations planning on covering the arrival live from the shuttle runway must have proper credentials. For safety, journalists must follow a dress code for the landing site: no skirts, no shorts, no sleeveless shirts, and only closed-toed, flat shoes.
For more information about Discovery's mission to the space station and NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
EDWARDS, Calif. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, space shuttle Discovery is about to start its cross-country journey back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following the successful STS-128 mission to the International Space Station, Discovery was mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Discovery is expected to begin its journey from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., to Kennedy as early as Friday, Sept. 18. The exact date and time of departure have yet to be set because of changing weather conditions and the fluid nature of preparing Discovery for the flight. For recorded updates about the ferry flight, journalists should call 321-867-2525 or 661-276-2564. Live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the flight.
To access the feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's departure and arrival. For the NASA TV downlink, the schedule of ferry flight coverage and streaming video information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
DISCOVERY DEPARTURE FROM EDWARDS
NASA will provide reporters, photographers and videographers with two opportunities to take imagery of Discovery while it is being prepared at Dryden. The first opportunity will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Sept. 17, while preparations for Discovery's ferry flight are being completed. An informal briefing may be included on the work under way at the site. There will be a second opportunity when the ferry flight takes off. Because of the short notice involved, these opportunities at Edwards are restricted to U.S. citizens representing domestic news organizations. On Thursday, reporters will be transported in an escorted convoy from the Edwards Air Force Base West Gate security station on Rosamond Blvd. to Dryden. The convoy will leave promptly at 1:15 p.m. For the ferry flight departure, journalists will be escorted in a convoy to the viewing site. Space is limited to two representatives per news organization, or a total of about 30. Preference will be given to photographers and videographers, although print journalists are welcome as space allows. Reporters who were credentialed to cover Discovery's landing at Dryden should contact Alan Brown at 661-276-2665 to confirm participation. All others should e-mail a credential request with their full name, media organization, place and date of birth, driver's license number and its issuing state, and last six digits of their social security number to DrydenPAO@nasa.gov no later than noon Wednesday for either media opportunity. Further guidance regarding arrival times and other details for the ferry flight opportunity will be provided via e-mail when the schedule is set. DISCOVERY ARRIVAL AT KENNEDY Strict flight weather restrictions may cause unexpected changes to the flight path and arrival time of Discovery in Florida. All media representatives should be at Kennedy's news center one hour and 15 minutes ahead of Discovery's announced arrival time for transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-128 U.S. media credentials will be honored at Kennedy for Discovery's return. International media credentials are no longer valid. TV stations planning on covering the arrival live from the shuttle runway must have proper credentials. For safety, journalists must follow a dress code for the landing site: no skirts, no shorts, no sleeveless shirts, and only closed-toed, flat shoes.
For more information about Discovery's mission to the space station and NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA Concludes Arizona Robotic Tests
NASA Concludes Robotics Tests for the Moon in Arizona
WASHINGTON -- NASA has concluded two weeks of technology development tests on two of the agency's prototype lunar rovers. The Desert RATS -- or Research and Technology Studies -- in the Arizona desert at Black Point Lava Flow allow NASA to analyze and refine technologies and procedures in extreme environments on Earth. "These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon," said Rob Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and plan the next focus of our research." The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission. Two crew members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside NASA's prototype Lunar Electric Rover. The explorers scouted the area for features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted simulated moonwalks to collect samples. The crew also docked to a simulated habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission and made a four-day traverse across the lava. Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures and video online.
To see the images and videos and read about the simulated mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs
Prior to the test, NASA's K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the crew to explore. NASA's heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE -- or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer -- carried a habitat mockup to which the rover docked. The Desert RATS tests have been held for more than a decade, as engineers from NASA centers work with representatives from industry and academia to determine what will be needed for human exploration of the moon and other destinations in the solar system. This year's work built on the investigations of previous years and increased the scope and length of the tests. Eight NASA centers were involved in the project. Desert RATS participants from outside NASA include the Smithsonian Institution in Washington; the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Arizona State University in Tempe; University of Texas at El Paso; University of Colorado at Denver; Brown University in Providence, R.I.; the Mars Institute at Moffett Field, Calif.; and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va. For more information about NASA's exploration efforts, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
WASHINGTON -- NASA has concluded two weeks of technology development tests on two of the agency's prototype lunar rovers. The Desert RATS -- or Research and Technology Studies -- in the Arizona desert at Black Point Lava Flow allow NASA to analyze and refine technologies and procedures in extreme environments on Earth. "These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon," said Rob Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and plan the next focus of our research." The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission. Two crew members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside NASA's prototype Lunar Electric Rover. The explorers scouted the area for features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted simulated moonwalks to collect samples. The crew also docked to a simulated habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission and made a four-day traverse across the lava. Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures and video online.
To see the images and videos and read about the simulated mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs
Prior to the test, NASA's K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the crew to explore. NASA's heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE -- or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer -- carried a habitat mockup to which the rover docked. The Desert RATS tests have been held for more than a decade, as engineers from NASA centers work with representatives from industry and academia to determine what will be needed for human exploration of the moon and other destinations in the solar system. This year's work built on the investigations of previous years and increased the scope and length of the tests. Eight NASA centers were involved in the project. Desert RATS participants from outside NASA include the Smithsonian Institution in Washington; the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Arizona State University in Tempe; University of Texas at El Paso; University of Colorado at Denver; Brown University in Providence, R.I.; the Mars Institute at Moffett Field, Calif.; and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va. For more information about NASA's exploration efforts, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Next Soyuz Launch and Landing Events
NASA TV Provides Coverage of Next Soyuz Launch and Landing Events
HOUSTON -- NASA Television will air the launch of the next two residents of the International Space Station, a spaceflight participant and the return of two members of the current station crew. Coverage begins with a broadcast of prelaunch activities Sept. 17 and continues through the landing on Oct. 11.
Soyuz Commander Max Suraev, NASA Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte are scheduled to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:14 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Laliberte, a Canadian citizen and founder of Cirque du Soleil, will fly to the station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. After a two-day trip, the Soyuz will dock to the station at 3:36 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, Williams and Suraev will be greeted by Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA's Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott, the European Space Agency's Frank De Winne, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and the Canadian Space Agency's Bob Thirsk. After Padalka and Barratt depart the station, De Winne will become commander of the next station mission, designated Expedition 21. Padalka, Barratt and Laliberte will return to Earth at approximately 11:29 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, in the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft docked to the station. Padalka and Barratt have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since March 2009.
Upcoming NASA TV Soyuz launch and landing programming events (all times CDT): Sept. 17 11 a.m. - Expedition 21 and spaceflight participant video file of departure in Star City, Russia, for Baikonur, Kazakhstan Sept. 28 11 a.m. - Video file of crew activities in Baikonur, Soyuz rocket mating and rollout Sept. 29 11 a.m. - Prelaunch news conference, Russian State Commission video file feed from Baikonur Sept. 30 12:45 a.m. - Prelaunch activities and arrival at launch pad video file from Baikonur 1:30 a.m. - Launch coverage and replays from Baikonur (Launch scheduled at 2:14 a.m.) 5 a.m. - Prelaunch activities, launch and post launch interviews from Baikonur Oct. 2 3 a.m. - Coverage of Soyuz docking to station (docking scheduled at 3:36 a.m., post-docking news conference follows) 6:15 a.m. - Hatch opening, welcoming ceremony (hatch opening scheduled at 6:40 a.m.) 9 a.m. - Video file of the docking to the station, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony Oct. 6 9:10 a.m. - Joint crew news conference of Expedition 20, 21 and spaceflight participant Oct. 10 4:30 p.m. - Expedition 21, 20, spaceflight participant farewells and Soyuz TMA-14 hatch closure (scheduled at 5 p.m.) 7:45 p.m. – Coverage of Expedition 20 and spaceflight participant undocking from station (scheduled at 8:05 p.m.) 10:15 p.m. - Deorbit burn (scheduled for 10:36 p.m.) and landing coverage (scheduled for 11:29 p.m.) in Kazakhstan Oct. 11 4 a.m. - Landing video file 12 p.m. - Barratt post-landing interview, return to Star City and Kazakhstan welcoming ceremony video file For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more about the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For Space Station Souvenirs and Collectables Visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
HOUSTON -- NASA Television will air the launch of the next two residents of the International Space Station, a spaceflight participant and the return of two members of the current station crew. Coverage begins with a broadcast of prelaunch activities Sept. 17 and continues through the landing on Oct. 11.
Soyuz Commander Max Suraev, NASA Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte are scheduled to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:14 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Laliberte, a Canadian citizen and founder of Cirque du Soleil, will fly to the station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. After a two-day trip, the Soyuz will dock to the station at 3:36 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, Williams and Suraev will be greeted by Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA's Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott, the European Space Agency's Frank De Winne, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and the Canadian Space Agency's Bob Thirsk. After Padalka and Barratt depart the station, De Winne will become commander of the next station mission, designated Expedition 21. Padalka, Barratt and Laliberte will return to Earth at approximately 11:29 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, in the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft docked to the station. Padalka and Barratt have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since March 2009.
Upcoming NASA TV Soyuz launch and landing programming events (all times CDT): Sept. 17 11 a.m. - Expedition 21 and spaceflight participant video file of departure in Star City, Russia, for Baikonur, Kazakhstan Sept. 28 11 a.m. - Video file of crew activities in Baikonur, Soyuz rocket mating and rollout Sept. 29 11 a.m. - Prelaunch news conference, Russian State Commission video file feed from Baikonur Sept. 30 12:45 a.m. - Prelaunch activities and arrival at launch pad video file from Baikonur 1:30 a.m. - Launch coverage and replays from Baikonur (Launch scheduled at 2:14 a.m.) 5 a.m. - Prelaunch activities, launch and post launch interviews from Baikonur Oct. 2 3 a.m. - Coverage of Soyuz docking to station (docking scheduled at 3:36 a.m., post-docking news conference follows) 6:15 a.m. - Hatch opening, welcoming ceremony (hatch opening scheduled at 6:40 a.m.) 9 a.m. - Video file of the docking to the station, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony Oct. 6 9:10 a.m. - Joint crew news conference of Expedition 20, 21 and spaceflight participant Oct. 10 4:30 p.m. - Expedition 21, 20, spaceflight participant farewells and Soyuz TMA-14 hatch closure (scheduled at 5 p.m.) 7:45 p.m. – Coverage of Expedition 20 and spaceflight participant undocking from station (scheduled at 8:05 p.m.) 10:15 p.m. - Deorbit burn (scheduled for 10:36 p.m.) and landing coverage (scheduled for 11:29 p.m.) in Kazakhstan Oct. 11 4 a.m. - Landing video file 12 p.m. - Barratt post-landing interview, return to Star City and Kazakhstan welcoming ceremony video file For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more about the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For Space Station Souvenirs and Collectables Visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
Discovery Ferry Flight - STS-128
Prep Work for Discovery Ferry Flight Continues
Processing and preparation of the Space Shuttle Discovery for its ferry flight back to Florida are well under way at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Processing managers are aiming for Discovery to be ready to begin its cross-country ferry flight on the back of a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft by Friday morning, although weather or technical issues could push that date back.
United Space Alliance technicians removed the flow control valves, repressurized and inerted the fuel cells and completed inspections of Discovery’s thermal protection tile and blankets during work Monday.
Tuesday’s primary tasks involve the all-day process of draining of residual fuels, oxidizers and other hazardous chemicals from Discovery's orbital maneuvering system, a process that requires all technicians working near or on the shuttle to wear protective suits and respiratory equipment. Installation of the aerodynamic tailcone should occur on Thursday, and mating of Discovery to the modified 747 is scheduled for Thursday night.The final schedule for Discovery’s departure from Edwards Air Force Base will be determined at a Flight Readiness Review, currently slated for Thursday afternoon. If departure occurs Friday morning, the 747-shuttle combo could arrive at the Kennedy Space Center as early as late Saturday.
STS-128 Souvenirs
Processing and preparation of the Space Shuttle Discovery for its ferry flight back to Florida are well under way at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Processing managers are aiming for Discovery to be ready to begin its cross-country ferry flight on the back of a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft by Friday morning, although weather or technical issues could push that date back.
United Space Alliance technicians removed the flow control valves, repressurized and inerted the fuel cells and completed inspections of Discovery’s thermal protection tile and blankets during work Monday.
Tuesday’s primary tasks involve the all-day process of draining of residual fuels, oxidizers and other hazardous chemicals from Discovery's orbital maneuvering system, a process that requires all technicians working near or on the shuttle to wear protective suits and respiratory equipment. Installation of the aerodynamic tailcone should occur on Thursday, and mating of Discovery to the modified 747 is scheduled for Thursday night.The final schedule for Discovery’s departure from Edwards Air Force Base will be determined at a Flight Readiness Review, currently slated for Thursday afternoon. If departure occurs Friday morning, the 747-shuttle combo could arrive at the Kennedy Space Center as early as late Saturday.
STS-128 Souvenirs
Friday 11 September 2009
Kennedy Landings Waved Off, Discovery to Land at Edwards
Kennedy Landings Waved Off, Discovery to Land at Edwards
Mission Control has decided to target Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for today's landing since the weather at Kennedy is unstable. The deorbit burn is timelined to begin at 7:47 p.m. EDT for an 8:53 p.m. landing at Edwards. The burn lasts three to four minutes, slowing Discovery enough to begin its descent.
Mission Control has decided to target Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for today's landing since the weather at Kennedy is unstable. The deorbit burn is timelined to begin at 7:47 p.m. EDT for an 8:53 p.m. landing at Edwards. The burn lasts three to four minutes, slowing Discovery enough to begin its descent.
STS-128 Mission Resources
STS-128 Additional Resources
For best results right click the appropriate resources and 'Save as' to your desktop or predetermined folder.
› Mission Summary (593 Kb PDF)
› Press Kit (3.7 Mb PDF)
› More about STS-128 Crew
For STS-128 Souvenirs please visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
For best results right click the appropriate resources and 'Save as' to your desktop or predetermined folder.
› Mission Summary (593 Kb PDF)
› Press Kit (3.7 Mb PDF)
› More about STS-128 Crew
For STS-128 Souvenirs please visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
9-11 From Space - Remembered
A Day of Remembrance
Visible from space, a smoke plume rises from Manhattan after two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. This photo was taken of metropolitan New York City the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, from aboard the International Space Station. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there, and everywhere else," said Station Commander Frank Culbertson of Expedition 3, after the attacks.
Image Credit: NASA
Visible from space, a smoke plume rises from Manhattan after two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. This photo was taken of metropolitan New York City the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, from aboard the International Space Station. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there, and everywhere else," said Station Commander Frank Culbertson of Expedition 3, after the attacks.
Image Credit: NASA
First Images from Rejuvenated Hubble (HST)
Sen. Mikulski Unveils First Images from Rejuvenated Hubble
WASHINGTON -- Astronomers declared NASA's Hubble Space Telescope a fully rejuvenated observatory with the release Wednesday of observations from four of its six operating science instruments. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., unveiled the images at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Topping the list of new views are colorful, multi-wavelength pictures of far-flung galaxies, a densely packed star cluster, an eerie "pillar of creation," and a "butterfly" nebula. Hubble's suite of new instruments allows it to study the universe across a wide swath of the light spectrum, from ultraviolet all the way to near-infrared. In addition, scientists released spectroscopic observations that slice across billions of light-years to probe the cosmic-web structure of the universe and map the distribution of elements that are fundamental to life as we know it.
"This marks a new beginning for Hubble," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The telescope was given an extreme makeover and now is significantly more powerful than ever, well-equipped to last into the next decade."
"I fought for the Hubble repair mission because Hubble is the people's telescope," said Mikulski, chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. "I also fought for Hubble because it constantly rewrites the science textbooks. It has more discoveries than any other science mission. Hubble is our greatest example of our astronauts working together with scientists to show American leadership and ingenuity. I want to salute Team Hubble -- everyone who worked on Hubble from the Goddard Space Flight Center and Space Telescope Science Institute scientists in Maryland, to the ground crew at the Kennedy Space Center, to the Johnson Space Center where the astronauts train, and to the astronauts who were heroes in space."
The new instruments are more sensitive to light and, therefore, will improve Hubble's observing efficiency significantly. It is able to complete observations in a fraction of the time that was needed with prior generations of Hubble instruments. The space observatory today is significantly more powerful than it ever has been.
"We couldn't be more thrilled with the quality of the images from the new Wide Field Camera 3 and repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys, and the spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph," said Keith Noll, leader of a team at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which planned the early release observations. "The targets we've selected to showcase the telescope reveal the great range of capabilities in our newly upgraded Hubble."
These results are compelling evidence of the success of the STS-125 servicing mission in May, which has brought the space observatory to the apex of its scientific performance. Two new instruments, the Wide Field Camera 3 and Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, were installed, and two others, the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, were repaired at the circuit board level. Mission scientists also announced Wednesday that the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer was brought back into operation during the three months of calibration and testing.
"On this mission we wanted to replenish the 'tool kit' of Hubble instruments on which scientists around the world rely to carry out their cutting-edge research," said David Leckrone, senior project scientist for Hubble at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Prior to this servicing mission, we had only three unique instrument channels still working, and today we have 13. I'm very proud to be able to say, 'mission accomplished.'
" For the past three months, scientists and engineers at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Goddard have been focusing, testing, and calibrating the instruments. Hubble is one of the most complex space telescopes ever launched, and the Hubble servicing mission astronauts performed major surgery on the 19-year-old observatory's multiple systems. This orbital verification phase was interrupted briefly July 19 to observe Jupiter in the aftermath of a collision with a suspected comet.
Hubble now enters a phase of full science observations. The demand for observing time will be intense. Observations will range from studying the population of Kuiper Belt objects at the fringe of our solar system to surveying the birth of planets around other stars and probing the composition and structure of extrasolar planet atmospheres. There are ambitious plans to take the deepest-ever near-infrared portrait of the universe to reveal never-before-seen infant galaxies that existed when the universe was less than 500 million years old. Other planned observations will attempt to shed light on the behavior of dark energy, a repulsive force that is pushing the universe apart at an ever-faster rate.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. Goddard manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute conducts Hubble science operations. The institute is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. in Washington, and is an International Year of Astronomy 2009 program partner.
For images and more information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
WASHINGTON -- Astronomers declared NASA's Hubble Space Telescope a fully rejuvenated observatory with the release Wednesday of observations from four of its six operating science instruments. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., unveiled the images at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Topping the list of new views are colorful, multi-wavelength pictures of far-flung galaxies, a densely packed star cluster, an eerie "pillar of creation," and a "butterfly" nebula. Hubble's suite of new instruments allows it to study the universe across a wide swath of the light spectrum, from ultraviolet all the way to near-infrared. In addition, scientists released spectroscopic observations that slice across billions of light-years to probe the cosmic-web structure of the universe and map the distribution of elements that are fundamental to life as we know it.
"This marks a new beginning for Hubble," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The telescope was given an extreme makeover and now is significantly more powerful than ever, well-equipped to last into the next decade."
"I fought for the Hubble repair mission because Hubble is the people's telescope," said Mikulski, chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. "I also fought for Hubble because it constantly rewrites the science textbooks. It has more discoveries than any other science mission. Hubble is our greatest example of our astronauts working together with scientists to show American leadership and ingenuity. I want to salute Team Hubble -- everyone who worked on Hubble from the Goddard Space Flight Center and Space Telescope Science Institute scientists in Maryland, to the ground crew at the Kennedy Space Center, to the Johnson Space Center where the astronauts train, and to the astronauts who were heroes in space."
The new instruments are more sensitive to light and, therefore, will improve Hubble's observing efficiency significantly. It is able to complete observations in a fraction of the time that was needed with prior generations of Hubble instruments. The space observatory today is significantly more powerful than it ever has been.
"We couldn't be more thrilled with the quality of the images from the new Wide Field Camera 3 and repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys, and the spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph," said Keith Noll, leader of a team at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which planned the early release observations. "The targets we've selected to showcase the telescope reveal the great range of capabilities in our newly upgraded Hubble."
These results are compelling evidence of the success of the STS-125 servicing mission in May, which has brought the space observatory to the apex of its scientific performance. Two new instruments, the Wide Field Camera 3 and Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, were installed, and two others, the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, were repaired at the circuit board level. Mission scientists also announced Wednesday that the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer was brought back into operation during the three months of calibration and testing.
"On this mission we wanted to replenish the 'tool kit' of Hubble instruments on which scientists around the world rely to carry out their cutting-edge research," said David Leckrone, senior project scientist for Hubble at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Prior to this servicing mission, we had only three unique instrument channels still working, and today we have 13. I'm very proud to be able to say, 'mission accomplished.'
" For the past three months, scientists and engineers at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Goddard have been focusing, testing, and calibrating the instruments. Hubble is one of the most complex space telescopes ever launched, and the Hubble servicing mission astronauts performed major surgery on the 19-year-old observatory's multiple systems. This orbital verification phase was interrupted briefly July 19 to observe Jupiter in the aftermath of a collision with a suspected comet.
Hubble now enters a phase of full science observations. The demand for observing time will be intense. Observations will range from studying the population of Kuiper Belt objects at the fringe of our solar system to surveying the birth of planets around other stars and probing the composition and structure of extrasolar planet atmospheres. There are ambitious plans to take the deepest-ever near-infrared portrait of the universe to reveal never-before-seen infant galaxies that existed when the universe was less than 500 million years old. Other planned observations will attempt to shed light on the behavior of dark energy, a repulsive force that is pushing the universe apart at an ever-faster rate.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. Goddard manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute conducts Hubble science operations. The institute is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. in Washington, and is an International Year of Astronomy 2009 program partner.
For images and more information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
Crew to Begin Fluid Loading, Suiting Up
Crew to Begin Fluid Loading, Suiting Up
Mission control has given the crew a "go" to start fluid loading. It involves drinking large amounts of liquids and salt tablets to help readapt to gravity. The astronauts also are beginning to get into their launch/landing pressurized suits.
Flight controllers continue to closely watch the weather, which is considered very dynamic. Currently, we are observed and forecast NO GO for the first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility tonight.
Because of the debris avoidance maneuver conducted this afternoon, the deorbit burn now would be at 5:57 p.m. EDT for a landing at 7:04 p.m.
Mission control has given the crew a "go" to start fluid loading. It involves drinking large amounts of liquids and salt tablets to help readapt to gravity. The astronauts also are beginning to get into their launch/landing pressurized suits.
Flight controllers continue to closely watch the weather, which is considered very dynamic. Currently, we are observed and forecast NO GO for the first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility tonight.
Because of the debris avoidance maneuver conducted this afternoon, the deorbit burn now would be at 5:57 p.m. EDT for a landing at 7:04 p.m.
STS-128 Landing Friday
Friday's Landing Strategy
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:14:02 -0500
Capcom Eric Boe informed the crew that if weather looks unfavorable for Friday's first Kennedy Space Center landing opportunity, the entry team will focus early on the 2nd landing opportunity. If weather prevents landing on the 2nd Kennedy opportunity, Boe said the shuttle will land Friday at Edwards Air Force Base.
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:14:02 -0500
Capcom Eric Boe informed the crew that if weather looks unfavorable for Friday's first Kennedy Space Center landing opportunity, the entry team will focus early on the 2nd landing opportunity. If weather prevents landing on the 2nd Kennedy opportunity, Boe said the shuttle will land Friday at Edwards Air Force Base.
Friday's Landing Outlook STS-128
Friday's Landing Outlook
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:15:22 -0500
The STS-128 crew has been informed that Edwards Air Force Base will be activated for landing opportunities Friday. The weather at Kennedy Space Center Friday is forecast to be dynamic again. Weather at Edwards for Friday looks good.
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:15:22 -0500
The STS-128 crew has been informed that Edwards Air Force Base will be activated for landing opportunities Friday. The weather at Kennedy Space Center Friday is forecast to be dynamic again. Weather at Edwards for Friday looks good.
Thursday 10 September 2009
2nd Landing Opportunity Waved
Second Landing Opportunity Waved Off
With the weather not cooperating Thursday for a second landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery will stay in orbit another day.
With the weather not cooperating Thursday for a second landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery will stay in orbit another day.
Thursday Landing 'No Go'
No Go for KSC Landing Today
The weather forecast is "no go" for tonight's second landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center because of the threat of rain and thunderstorms near the Shuttle Landing Facility. Entry Flight Director Richard Jones and his team are now looking at the weather forecast for a Kennedy landing tomorrow. Edwards Air Force Base in California also will be activated for possible landing possibilities.
The weather forecast is "no go" for tonight's second landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center because of the threat of rain and thunderstorms near the Shuttle Landing Facility. Entry Flight Director Richard Jones and his team are now looking at the weather forecast for a Kennedy landing tomorrow. Edwards Air Force Base in California also will be activated for possible landing possibilities.
NASA ARES
NASA and ATK Successfully Test Ares First Stage Motor
PROMONTORY, Utah -- NASA and industry engineers lit up the Utah sky Thursday with the initial full-scale, full-duration test firing of the first stage motor for the Ares I rocket. The Ares I is a crew launch vehicle in development for NASA's Constellation Program. ATK Space Systems conducted the successful stationary firing of the five-segment solid development motor 1, or DM-1. ATK Space Systems, a division of Alliant Techsystems of Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the Ares I first stage. Engineers will use the measurements gathered from the test to evaluate thrust, roll control, acoustics and motor vibrations. This data will provide valuable information as NASA develops the Ares I and Ares V vehicles.
Another ground test is planned for summer 2010. "With this test, we have taken lessons learned from many years of experience in solid rocket motor development and have built on that foundation," said Alex Priskos, first stage manager for Ares Projects at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "Our team collected data from 650 sensors today to evaluate the motor's performance. This test and those that follow are essential to understanding as many aspects of our motor as possible, including strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately delivering the safest and most reliable motor possible." This was the second attempt to conduct the two-minute rocket test at ATK's test stand in Promontory, Utah. The first test on Aug. 27 was canceled with 20 seconds left in the countdown because of a problem with a component of the ground controller unit, which sends power to the system that moves the nozzle during the test. Through a detailed investigation, the engineering team pinpointed the problem and replaced the faulty part. The first stage motor will generate up to 3.6 million pounds of thrust, or lifting power, at launch.
Although similar to the solid rocket boosters that help power the space shuttle to orbit, the Ares development motor includes several upgrades and technology improvements implemented by NASA and ATK engineers. Motor upgrades from a shuttle booster include the addition of a fifth segment, a larger nozzle throat, and upgraded insulation and liner. The forward motor segment also has been improved for performance by adding another fin, or slot in the propellant. This change in the geometry of the propellant provides additional surface area for burning the solid fuel, which results in greater thrust. The DM-1 nozzle throat is three inches wider in diameter than the nozzle used for the shuttle. The bigger nozzle throat allows the motor to handle the additional thrust from the five-segment booster. It also meets NASA's structural requirements to stay within the pressure capacity of the existing steel cases -- the large, barrel-shaped cylinders that house the fuel -- ensuring safety and reliability.
Upgrades also were made to the insulation and liner that protect the first stage's steel cases. The motor cases are flight proven hardware used on shuttle launches for more than three decades. The cases used in this ground test have collectively flown on 48 previous missions, including STS-1, the first shuttle flight. Marshall manages the Ares Projects and is responsible for design and development of the Ares I rocket and Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I, Ares V, Orion crew module and Altair lunar lander. The program also includes multiple project teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the United States. For more information about the Ares rockets, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ares
Ares embroidered patches at the Spaceboosters Online Store
PROMONTORY, Utah -- NASA and industry engineers lit up the Utah sky Thursday with the initial full-scale, full-duration test firing of the first stage motor for the Ares I rocket. The Ares I is a crew launch vehicle in development for NASA's Constellation Program. ATK Space Systems conducted the successful stationary firing of the five-segment solid development motor 1, or DM-1. ATK Space Systems, a division of Alliant Techsystems of Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the Ares I first stage. Engineers will use the measurements gathered from the test to evaluate thrust, roll control, acoustics and motor vibrations. This data will provide valuable information as NASA develops the Ares I and Ares V vehicles.
Another ground test is planned for summer 2010. "With this test, we have taken lessons learned from many years of experience in solid rocket motor development and have built on that foundation," said Alex Priskos, first stage manager for Ares Projects at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "Our team collected data from 650 sensors today to evaluate the motor's performance. This test and those that follow are essential to understanding as many aspects of our motor as possible, including strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately delivering the safest and most reliable motor possible." This was the second attempt to conduct the two-minute rocket test at ATK's test stand in Promontory, Utah. The first test on Aug. 27 was canceled with 20 seconds left in the countdown because of a problem with a component of the ground controller unit, which sends power to the system that moves the nozzle during the test. Through a detailed investigation, the engineering team pinpointed the problem and replaced the faulty part. The first stage motor will generate up to 3.6 million pounds of thrust, or lifting power, at launch.
Although similar to the solid rocket boosters that help power the space shuttle to orbit, the Ares development motor includes several upgrades and technology improvements implemented by NASA and ATK engineers. Motor upgrades from a shuttle booster include the addition of a fifth segment, a larger nozzle throat, and upgraded insulation and liner. The forward motor segment also has been improved for performance by adding another fin, or slot in the propellant. This change in the geometry of the propellant provides additional surface area for burning the solid fuel, which results in greater thrust. The DM-1 nozzle throat is three inches wider in diameter than the nozzle used for the shuttle. The bigger nozzle throat allows the motor to handle the additional thrust from the five-segment booster. It also meets NASA's structural requirements to stay within the pressure capacity of the existing steel cases -- the large, barrel-shaped cylinders that house the fuel -- ensuring safety and reliability.
Upgrades also were made to the insulation and liner that protect the first stage's steel cases. The motor cases are flight proven hardware used on shuttle launches for more than three decades. The cases used in this ground test have collectively flown on 48 previous missions, including STS-1, the first shuttle flight. Marshall manages the Ares Projects and is responsible for design and development of the Ares I rocket and Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I, Ares V, Orion crew module and Altair lunar lander. The program also includes multiple project teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the United States. For more information about the Ares rockets, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ares
Ares embroidered patches at the Spaceboosters Online Store
International Space Station Report
NASA Publishes Report about International Space Station Science
HOUSTON -- Advances in the fight against food poisoning, new methods for delivering medicine to cancer cells, and better materials for future spacecraft are among the results published in a NASA report detailing scientific research accomplishments made aboard the International Space Station during its first eight years. The report includes more than 100 science experiments ranging from bone studies to materials research. "This report represents a record of science accomplishments during assembly and summarizes peer-reviewed publications to date," said Julie Robinson, program scientist for the station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"As we enter the final year of station assembly, this report highlights the capabilities and opportunities for space station research after assembly is complete." One of the most compelling results reported is the confirmation that the ability of common germs to cause disease increases during spaceflight, but that changing the growth environment of the bacteria can control this virulence.
The Effect of Spaceflight on Microbial Gene Expression and Virulence experiment identified increased virulence of space-flown Salmonella typhimurium, a leading cause of food poisoning. New research on subsequent station missions will target development of a vaccine for this widespread malady. Another experiment produced a potential medical advance, demonstrating a new and powerful method for delivering drugs to targets in the human body.
Microgravity research on the station was vital to development of miniature, liquid-filled balloons the size of blood cells that can deliver medicine directly to cancer cells. The research was conducted for the Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System experiment. One of the most prolific series of investigations aboard the station tests how spacecraft materials withstand the harsh space environment.
The results of the Materials International Space Station Experiment already have been used to develop solar cells for future commercial station cargo ships. This experiment has significantly reduced the time needed to develop new satellite systems, such as solar cells and insulation materials, and paved the way for materials to be used in new NASA spacecraft such as the Orion crew capsule. The report compiles experiment results collected from the first 15 station missions, or expeditions, from 2000 to 2008.
Results of some of the summarized investigations are complete. Preliminary results are available from other continuing investigations. NASA's research activities on the station span several scientific areas, including exploration technology development; microgravity research in the physical and biological sciences; human physiology research; Earth science and education. The report details 22 different technology demonstrations; 33 physical science experiments; 27 biological experiments; 32 experiments focused on the human body; Earth observations and educational activities.
In addition to science important to long-duration human spaceflights, most findings also offer new understanding of methods or applications relevant to life on Earth. In 2008, station laboratory space and research facilities tripled with the addition of the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's three Kibo scientific modules, adding to the capabilities already provided in NASA's Destiny Laboratory.
In 2009, the number of crew members increased from three to six, greatly increasing crew time available for research. The stage is set for increased station scientific return when assembly and outfitting of the research facility is completed in 2010 and its full potential as a national and international laboratory is realized. Engineers and scientists from around the world are working together to refine operational relationships and build on experiences to ensure maximum use of the expanded capabilities. The International Space Station Program Scientist Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center published the report.
A link to the full NASA Technical Publication, which provides an archival record of U.S.-sponsored research through Expedition 15, is available at:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090029998_2009030907.pdf
Spaceboosters Online Store
HOUSTON -- Advances in the fight against food poisoning, new methods for delivering medicine to cancer cells, and better materials for future spacecraft are among the results published in a NASA report detailing scientific research accomplishments made aboard the International Space Station during its first eight years. The report includes more than 100 science experiments ranging from bone studies to materials research. "This report represents a record of science accomplishments during assembly and summarizes peer-reviewed publications to date," said Julie Robinson, program scientist for the station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"As we enter the final year of station assembly, this report highlights the capabilities and opportunities for space station research after assembly is complete." One of the most compelling results reported is the confirmation that the ability of common germs to cause disease increases during spaceflight, but that changing the growth environment of the bacteria can control this virulence.
The Effect of Spaceflight on Microbial Gene Expression and Virulence experiment identified increased virulence of space-flown Salmonella typhimurium, a leading cause of food poisoning. New research on subsequent station missions will target development of a vaccine for this widespread malady. Another experiment produced a potential medical advance, demonstrating a new and powerful method for delivering drugs to targets in the human body.
Microgravity research on the station was vital to development of miniature, liquid-filled balloons the size of blood cells that can deliver medicine directly to cancer cells. The research was conducted for the Microencapsulation Electrostatic Processing System experiment. One of the most prolific series of investigations aboard the station tests how spacecraft materials withstand the harsh space environment.
The results of the Materials International Space Station Experiment already have been used to develop solar cells for future commercial station cargo ships. This experiment has significantly reduced the time needed to develop new satellite systems, such as solar cells and insulation materials, and paved the way for materials to be used in new NASA spacecraft such as the Orion crew capsule. The report compiles experiment results collected from the first 15 station missions, or expeditions, from 2000 to 2008.
Results of some of the summarized investigations are complete. Preliminary results are available from other continuing investigations. NASA's research activities on the station span several scientific areas, including exploration technology development; microgravity research in the physical and biological sciences; human physiology research; Earth science and education. The report details 22 different technology demonstrations; 33 physical science experiments; 27 biological experiments; 32 experiments focused on the human body; Earth observations and educational activities.
In addition to science important to long-duration human spaceflights, most findings also offer new understanding of methods or applications relevant to life on Earth. In 2008, station laboratory space and research facilities tripled with the addition of the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's three Kibo scientific modules, adding to the capabilities already provided in NASA's Destiny Laboratory.
In 2009, the number of crew members increased from three to six, greatly increasing crew time available for research. The stage is set for increased station scientific return when assembly and outfitting of the research facility is completed in 2010 and its full potential as a national and international laboratory is realized. Engineers and scientists from around the world are working together to refine operational relationships and build on experiences to ensure maximum use of the expanded capabilities. The International Space Station Program Scientist Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center published the report.
A link to the full NASA Technical Publication, which provides an archival record of U.S.-sponsored research through Expedition 15, is available at:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090029998_2009030907.pdf
Spaceboosters Online Store
STS-128 Payload Doors Closed
Payload Bay Doors Closed
The STS-128 crew has closed Discovery's payload bay doors. The weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center are being closely monitored and are currently considered unfavorable for landing.
The STS-128 crew has closed Discovery's payload bay doors. The weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center are being closely monitored and are currently considered unfavorable for landing.
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Discovery to Undock Today
Discovery to Undock Today
Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:11:33 -0500
Today's wakeup song was "Beautiful Day" by U2, played for Tim Kopra at 11 a.m. EDT.
Space shuttle Discovery's crew undocks from the International Space Station at 3:26 p.m. and performs a fly around at 3:55 p.m. to capture photographs and video of the station. NASA Television will air a post-Mission Management Team news briefing at 5:30 p.m. and a Mission Status Briefing at 9 p.m.
Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:11:33 -0500
Today's wakeup song was "Beautiful Day" by U2, played for Tim Kopra at 11 a.m. EDT.
Space shuttle Discovery's crew undocks from the International Space Station at 3:26 p.m. and performs a fly around at 3:55 p.m. to capture photographs and video of the station. NASA Television will air a post-Mission Management Team news briefing at 5:30 p.m. and a Mission Status Briefing at 9 p.m.
European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang
Reflection
European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang is visible in the reflection of NASA astronaut Danny Olivas's helmet visor during this, the STS-128 mission's third and final spacewalk. Olivas and Fuglesang deployed the Payload Attachment System, replaced the Rate Gyro Assembly #2, installed two GPS antennae and worked to prepare for the installation of Node 3 next year.
European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang is visible in the reflection of NASA astronaut Danny Olivas's helmet visor during this, the STS-128 mission's third and final spacewalk. Olivas and Fuglesang deployed the Payload Attachment System, replaced the Rate Gyro Assembly #2, installed two GPS antennae and worked to prepare for the installation of Node 3 next year.
Image Credit: NASA
Crews Bid Farewell, Leonardo Back in Discovery
Crews Bid Farewell, Leonardo Back in Discovery
The shuttle and station crews have bid each other farewell and are in the process of closing the hatches between the spacecraft.
Leonardo is back inside Discovery’s payload bay and latched down for the ride home. Shuttle astronauts Kevin Ford and Jose Hernandez were at the controls of the International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm 2. They grappled Leonardo and removed it from the Harmony node and placed it inside the shuttle for the return home.
For Space Station Souvenirs visit the Spaceboosters Online Store!
The shuttle and station crews have bid each other farewell and are in the process of closing the hatches between the spacecraft.
Leonardo is back inside Discovery’s payload bay and latched down for the ride home. Shuttle astronauts Kevin Ford and Jose Hernandez were at the controls of the International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm 2. They grappled Leonardo and removed it from the Harmony node and placed it inside the shuttle for the return home.
For Space Station Souvenirs visit the Spaceboosters Online Store!
ISS/Discovery Hatch Closed
Hatches Between Station and Shuttle Closed
With over a week of docked operations behind them, the astronauts and cosmonauts said their goodbyes and closed the hatches between the International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery at 11:41 p.m. EDT Monday.
Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station at 3:26 p.m. Tuesday to begin the trip back to Earth.
With over a week of docked operations behind them, the astronauts and cosmonauts said their goodbyes and closed the hatches between the International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery at 11:41 p.m. EDT Monday.
Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station at 3:26 p.m. Tuesday to begin the trip back to Earth.
Leonardo Back In Discovery's Payload Bay
Leonardo Back In Discovery's Payload Bay
Leonardo is back inside Discovery’s payload bay and latched down for the ride home. Shuttle astronauts Kevin Ford and Jose Hernandez were at the controls of the International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm 2. They grappled Leonardo and removed it from the Harmony node and placed it inside the shuttle for the return home.
The shuttle and station crews will bid each other farewell at 10:29p.m. EDT before hatches are closed between the spacecraft.
Leonardo is back inside Discovery’s payload bay and latched down for the ride home. Shuttle astronauts Kevin Ford and Jose Hernandez were at the controls of the International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm 2. They grappled Leonardo and removed it from the Harmony node and placed it inside the shuttle for the return home.
The shuttle and station crews will bid each other farewell at 10:29p.m. EDT before hatches are closed between the spacecraft.
Leonardo Headed to Discovery's Payload Bay
Leonardo Headed to Discovery's Payload Bay
The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module has been closed and is now in the grip of the International Space Station's robotic arm, Canadarm 2. Cargo transfers to and from the module are now complete as Leonardo leaves the station's Harmony module for Discovery's payload bay.
The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module has been closed and is now in the grip of the International Space Station's robotic arm, Canadarm 2. Cargo transfers to and from the module are now complete as Leonardo leaves the station's Harmony module for Discovery's payload bay.
Monday 7 September 2009
STS-128 Wrapping up Mission
Shuttle and Station Crews Wrapping Up Joint Mission
The crew woke at 11:30 a.m. EDT to “Only One,” performed by Jeremy Kay and played for Mission Specialist Danny Olivas.
At 2:09 p.m. Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez and Flight Engineer Nicole Stott will take questions from reporters at Telemundo, WTSP-TV in Florida, and Univision.
The crew will close up the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module today. Once configured, Pilot Kevin Ford will join Hernandez to use the station’s robotic arm to remove Leonardo from its location on the station and position it in the shuttle’s payload bay for the ride back to Earth.
With Leonardo in place, the crew members will gather one last time for farewells and hatch closure around 10:30 p.m.
STS-128 Souvenirs available from the Spaceboosters Online Store
The crew woke at 11:30 a.m. EDT to “Only One,” performed by Jeremy Kay and played for Mission Specialist Danny Olivas.
At 2:09 p.m. Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez and Flight Engineer Nicole Stott will take questions from reporters at Telemundo, WTSP-TV in Florida, and Univision.
The crew will close up the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module today. Once configured, Pilot Kevin Ford will join Hernandez to use the station’s robotic arm to remove Leonardo from its location on the station and position it in the shuttle’s payload bay for the ride back to Earth.
With Leonardo in place, the crew members will gather one last time for farewells and hatch closure around 10:30 p.m.
STS-128 Souvenirs available from the Spaceboosters Online Store
European Astronauts to Speak With Swedish Representatives
European Astronauts to Speak With Swedish Representatives
European Space Agency astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Frank De Winne will gather in the Columbus module at 1:19 a.m. EDT Monday for a special event with representatives from Sweden. The event will air on NASA TV as they speak with former ESA astronaut Jean Francois Clervoy, Lotta Bouvain of Swedish television, Swedish Minister for Education Jan Bjorklund, American Finnish journalist and talk show host Mark Levengood, and Swedish opera singer Malena Ernman.
The International Space Station crew is scheduled to go to bed about 3 a.m., while space shuttle Discovery’s crew heads to bed a half-hour later.
European Space Agency astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Frank De Winne will gather in the Columbus module at 1:19 a.m. EDT Monday for a special event with representatives from Sweden. The event will air on NASA TV as they speak with former ESA astronaut Jean Francois Clervoy, Lotta Bouvain of Swedish television, Swedish Minister for Education Jan Bjorklund, American Finnish journalist and talk show host Mark Levengood, and Swedish opera singer Malena Ernman.
The International Space Station crew is scheduled to go to bed about 3 a.m., while space shuttle Discovery’s crew heads to bed a half-hour later.
Saturday 5 September 2009
Third and Final Spacewalk of STS-128 Concludes
Third and Final Spacewalk of STS-128 Concludes
The third and final spacewalk of the STS-128 mission concluded at 11:40 p.m. EDT. It lasted 7 hours, 1 minute. The spacewalkers, Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang, completed their major objectives. They deployed the Payload Attachment System (PAS), replaced the Rate Gyro Assembly #2, installed two GPS antennae and did some work to prepare for the installation of Node 3 next year. During connection of one of two sets of avionics cables for Node 3, one of the connectors could not be mated. This cable and connector were wrapped in a protective sleeve and safed. All other cables were mated successfully.
The mission status briefing is scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. EDT. The participants will be ISS Flight Director Heather Rarick and Lead Spacewalk Officer Zeb Scoville.
The third and final spacewalk of the STS-128 mission concluded at 11:40 p.m. EDT. It lasted 7 hours, 1 minute. The spacewalkers, Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang, completed their major objectives. They deployed the Payload Attachment System (PAS), replaced the Rate Gyro Assembly #2, installed two GPS antennae and did some work to prepare for the installation of Node 3 next year. During connection of one of two sets of avionics cables for Node 3, one of the connectors could not be mated. This cable and connector were wrapped in a protective sleeve and safed. All other cables were mated successfully.
The mission status briefing is scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. EDT. The participants will be ISS Flight Director Heather Rarick and Lead Spacewalk Officer Zeb Scoville.
Spacewalkers Ahead of Timeline
Spacewalkers Ahead of Timeline
Spacewalkers Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang are working quickly and efficiently moving ahead of their timeline. They started the final STS-128 spacewalk at 4:39 p.m. EDT.
Their tasks include installing a payload attachment system, removing a failed rate gyro assembly, installing two GPS antennas and routing avionics cables.
Spacewalkers Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang are working quickly and efficiently moving ahead of their timeline. They started the final STS-128 spacewalk at 4:39 p.m. EDT.
Their tasks include installing a payload attachment system, removing a failed rate gyro assembly, installing two GPS antennas and routing avionics cables.
Third Spacewalk of STS-128 Mission Begins
Third Spacewalk of STS-128 Mission Begins
NASA astronaut Danny Olivas and ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang began the third & final spacewalk scheduled during the STS-128 mission. The spacewalk is expected to last 6.5 hours. Olivas, the STS-128 lead spacewalker, is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. Fuglesang is wearing an all-white spacesuit.
Their first tasks will complete work that began during the STS-127 mission. The spacewalkers will deploy an attachment system that will be used to hang spare parts on the station’s truss. They also will replace a device designed to help the station determine its position relative to the Earth.
NASA astronaut Danny Olivas and ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang began the third & final spacewalk scheduled during the STS-128 mission. The spacewalk is expected to last 6.5 hours. Olivas, the STS-128 lead spacewalker, is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. Fuglesang is wearing an all-white spacesuit.
Their first tasks will complete work that began during the STS-127 mission. The spacewalkers will deploy an attachment system that will be used to hang spare parts on the station’s truss. They also will replace a device designed to help the station determine its position relative to the Earth.
Third STS-128 Spacewalk Today
Third STS-128 Spacewalk Today
Today’s wakeup song was “El Hijo del Pueblo” performed by Alfredo Jimenez, played for Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez at 12 p.m. EDT.
Hernandez will assist crewmates Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang as they prepare for the third and final spacewalk of the STS-128 mission. Their extravehicular activity will include outfitting and maintenance of station modules. The spacewalk is slated to begin at 4:49 p.m.
Today’s wakeup song was “El Hijo del Pueblo” performed by Alfredo Jimenez, played for Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez at 12 p.m. EDT.
Hernandez will assist crewmates Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang as they prepare for the third and final spacewalk of the STS-128 mission. Their extravehicular activity will include outfitting and maintenance of station modules. The spacewalk is slated to begin at 4:49 p.m.
Friday 4 September 2009
Crew Prepares for Third Spacewalk
Crew Prepares for Third Spacewalk
After a review of spacewalk procedures, mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang are slated to spend the night in the Quest airlock.
The third and final spacewalk of the STS-128 mission is scheduled to begin at 4:49 p.m. EDT Saturday.
Space Collectables from SPACEBOOSTERS
After a review of spacewalk procedures, mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang are slated to spend the night in the Quest airlock.
The third and final spacewalk of the STS-128 mission is scheduled to begin at 4:49 p.m. EDT Saturday.
Space Collectables from SPACEBOOSTERS
Connecting with Astronauts
NASA Webcast Connects Students with Astronauts, New Hubble Images
WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and space shuttle astronauts will participate in live education webcasts on Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. EDT and Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. On Sept. 8, students will hear insights from Bolden, young agency professionals, and STS-128 mission astronauts Jose M. Hernandez and John D. Olivas about the challenges and successes of their exciting NASA careers. On Sept. 10, Bolden will join astronauts from the STS-125 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission to discuss the flight and newly released images from the observatory. Commander Scott Altman, Shuttle Pilot Greg (Ray J) Johnson and Program Scientist Eric Smith will participate. Webcasts are produced free of charge by the NASA Digital Learning Network. NASA uses the network's capabilities to deliver unique content by linking students and educators with agency experts. The program provides interactive educational experiences for students and teachers from kindergarten through college across the country and around the world.
To view the webcasts on Sept. 8 and 10, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education/dln
For information about NASA's education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education
WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and space shuttle astronauts will participate in live education webcasts on Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. EDT and Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. On Sept. 8, students will hear insights from Bolden, young agency professionals, and STS-128 mission astronauts Jose M. Hernandez and John D. Olivas about the challenges and successes of their exciting NASA careers. On Sept. 10, Bolden will join astronauts from the STS-125 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission to discuss the flight and newly released images from the observatory. Commander Scott Altman, Shuttle Pilot Greg (Ray J) Johnson and Program Scientist Eric Smith will participate. Webcasts are produced free of charge by the NASA Digital Learning Network. NASA uses the network's capabilities to deliver unique content by linking students and educators with agency experts. The program provides interactive educational experiences for students and teachers from kindergarten through college across the country and around the world.
To view the webcasts on Sept. 8 and 10, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education/dln
For information about NASA's education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education
Crew to Enjoy Off-Duty Time
Crew to Enjoy Off-Duty Time
The crew was awakened at noon EDT. The 13 crew members aboard Discovery and the International Space Station will enjoy off-duty time beginning about 3 p.m. before fielding questions from reporters during a joint crew news conference at 8:54 p.m.
The crew was awakened at noon EDT. The 13 crew members aboard Discovery and the International Space Station will enjoy off-duty time beginning about 3 p.m. before fielding questions from reporters during a joint crew news conference at 8:54 p.m.
Ammonia Tank Working Well
Ammonia Tank Working Well; Transfers Ahead of Schedule
During the second STS-128 spacewalk, mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang installed a new Ammonia Tank Assembly on the International Space Station. Mission Control says the new tank is working perfectly.
The spacewalkers were able to perform some get-ahead tasks, but when they went to a pressurized mating adapter on node 1 to reroute cables, they did not find the cables in the expected configuration. Mission managers will decide how to approach this situation before the next spacewalk procedure review.
The crews have completed more than 60 percent of the transfer work from the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module to the station.
Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Nicole Stott is preparing for the arrival of the Japanese HTV cargo craft. She will grapple it with the space station's robot arm and attach it where Leonardo is now. She is reviewing procedures and will use a trainer on the station to practice grapples with the arm.
During the second STS-128 spacewalk, mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang installed a new Ammonia Tank Assembly on the International Space Station. Mission Control says the new tank is working perfectly.
The spacewalkers were able to perform some get-ahead tasks, but when they went to a pressurized mating adapter on node 1 to reroute cables, they did not find the cables in the expected configuration. Mission managers will decide how to approach this situation before the next spacewalk procedure review.
The crews have completed more than 60 percent of the transfer work from the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module to the station.
Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Nicole Stott is preparing for the arrival of the Japanese HTV cargo craft. She will grapple it with the space station's robot arm and attach it where Leonardo is now. She is reviewing procedures and will use a trainer on the station to practice grapples with the arm.
Second of Three STS-128 Spacewalks Concludes
Second of Three STS-128 Spacewalks Concludes
The second of three STS-128 spacewalks concluded Friday at 12:51 a.m. EDT. It was 6 hour, 39 minutes. The spacewalkers, Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang, completed their major objectives and some get-ahead tasks, including the installation of portable foot restraints on the station's truss. The mission status briefing is scheduled to begin at 1:30 a.m. EDT. The participants will be ISS Flight Director Heather Rarick and Lead Spacewalk Officer Zeb Scoville.
The second of three STS-128 spacewalks concluded Friday at 12:51 a.m. EDT. It was 6 hour, 39 minutes. The spacewalkers, Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang, completed their major objectives and some get-ahead tasks, including the installation of portable foot restraints on the station's truss. The mission status briefing is scheduled to begin at 1:30 a.m. EDT. The participants will be ISS Flight Director Heather Rarick and Lead Spacewalk Officer Zeb Scoville.
Second Spacewalk Complete
Second Spacewalk Complete
Mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang completed their mission's second spacewalk Friday at 12:51 a.m. EDT. They installed a new ammonia tank on the International Space Station and stowed a depleted tank for return to Earth in Discovery's payload bay.
Visit the spaceboosters online store for international space station (ISS) souvenirs
Mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang completed their mission's second spacewalk Friday at 12:51 a.m. EDT. They installed a new ammonia tank on the International Space Station and stowed a depleted tank for return to Earth in Discovery's payload bay.
Visit the spaceboosters online store for international space station (ISS) souvenirs
Ammonia Tank Assembly Installed
Ammonia Tank Assembly Installed
The spacewalkers have completed the first task: installation of the new Ammonia Tank Assembly on the Port 1 Truss. They now will work to move the empty tank assembly into the shuttle's cargo bay with the assistance of Nicole Stott and Kevin Ford operating the station's robotic arm.
The spacewalkers have completed the first task: installation of the new Ammonia Tank Assembly on the Port 1 Truss. They now will work to move the empty tank assembly into the shuttle's cargo bay with the assistance of Nicole Stott and Kevin Ford operating the station's robotic arm.
Second Spacewalk of STS-128 Mission Begins
Second Spacewalk of STS-128 Mission Begins
NASA astronaut Danny Olivas and ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang began the second of three spacewalks scheduled during the STS-128 mission. The spacewalk is scheduled to last 6.5 hours. Olivas, the STS-128 lead spacewalker, is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. Fuglesang is wearing an all-white spacesuit.
NASA astronaut Danny Olivas and ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang began the second of three spacewalks scheduled during the STS-128 mission. The spacewalk is scheduled to last 6.5 hours. Olivas, the STS-128 lead spacewalker, is wearing a spacesuit marked with solid red stripes. Fuglesang is wearing an all-white spacesuit.
Thursday 3 September 2009
NASA Briefings to Unveil Hubble's New Observations
NASA Briefings to Unveil Hubble's New Observations
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold news briefings at 11 a.m. and noon EDT Wednesday, Sept. 9, to release and discuss the first images from the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will provide live coverage of the briefings from NASA Headquarters in Washington. Space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission upgraded the telescope in May with state-of-the-art science instruments, leaving it more powerful than ever and extending its life into the next decade.
Charlie Bolden, NASA administrator and pilot of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-31 mission that launched Hubble in 1990, will join U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., in the unveiling of the Hubble images during the 11 a.m. briefing. A panel of scientists then will discuss Hubble's new and refurbished instruments and the images they produced. The participants are: -- Ed Weiler, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters -- Bob O'Connell, chair of the science oversight committee for the Wide Field Camera 3 at the University of Virginia -- James Green, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph principal investigator at the University of Colorado -- David Leckrone, senior project scientist for Hubble at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. -- Heidi Hammel, senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.
The briefings will be held in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium, 300 E St. S.W., Washington. Reporters also may ask questions from participating NASA locations by phone. To reserve a phone line, journalists should send an e-mail to J.D. Harrington at j.d.harrington@nasa.gov with their name, media affiliation and telephone number. The second briefing immediately follows at noon.
The STS-125 astronauts will discuss how they enabled Hubble's new capabilities during their historic servicing mission. Scott Altman commanded Atlantis' crew, which included Pilot Gregory C. Johnson and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel, Michael Good, John Grunsfeld, Megan McArthur and Mike Massimino. For more information about NASA TV downlinks and streaming video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about Hubble, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold news briefings at 11 a.m. and noon EDT Wednesday, Sept. 9, to release and discuss the first images from the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will provide live coverage of the briefings from NASA Headquarters in Washington. Space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission upgraded the telescope in May with state-of-the-art science instruments, leaving it more powerful than ever and extending its life into the next decade.
Charlie Bolden, NASA administrator and pilot of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-31 mission that launched Hubble in 1990, will join U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., in the unveiling of the Hubble images during the 11 a.m. briefing. A panel of scientists then will discuss Hubble's new and refurbished instruments and the images they produced. The participants are: -- Ed Weiler, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters -- Bob O'Connell, chair of the science oversight committee for the Wide Field Camera 3 at the University of Virginia -- James Green, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph principal investigator at the University of Colorado -- David Leckrone, senior project scientist for Hubble at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. -- Heidi Hammel, senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.
The briefings will be held in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium, 300 E St. S.W., Washington. Reporters also may ask questions from participating NASA locations by phone. To reserve a phone line, journalists should send an e-mail to J.D. Harrington at j.d.harrington@nasa.gov with their name, media affiliation and telephone number. The second briefing immediately follows at noon.
The STS-125 astronauts will discuss how they enabled Hubble's new capabilities during their historic servicing mission. Scott Altman commanded Atlantis' crew, which included Pilot Gregory C. Johnson and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel, Michael Good, John Grunsfeld, Megan McArthur and Mike Massimino. For more information about NASA TV downlinks and streaming video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about Hubble, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
Spacewalkers Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang
Second STS-128 Spacewalk Today
Today’s wakeup song was “There is a God” by 33 Miles, played for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester at 12:30 p.m. EDT.
NASA Television will air edited footage of Discovery’s launch, taken from the Solid Rocket Booster cameras, at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
The second spacewalk of the STS-128 mission begins at 5:19 p.m. Spacewalkers Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang will install a new Ammonia Tank Assembly on the International Space Station’s Port 1 truss, aided by station robotic arm operators Kevin Ford, STS-128 pilot, and Nicole Stott, Expedition 20 flight engineer.
STS-128 Souvenirs at SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store!
Today’s wakeup song was “There is a God” by 33 Miles, played for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester at 12:30 p.m. EDT.
NASA Television will air edited footage of Discovery’s launch, taken from the Solid Rocket Booster cameras, at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
The second spacewalk of the STS-128 mission begins at 5:19 p.m. Spacewalkers Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang will install a new Ammonia Tank Assembly on the International Space Station’s Port 1 truss, aided by station robotic arm operators Kevin Ford, STS-128 pilot, and Nicole Stott, Expedition 20 flight engineer.
STS-128 Souvenirs at SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store!
A Hard Day's Night in Space
A Day's Work
Expedition 20 flight engineer Nicole Stott participates in the STS-128 mission's first spacewalk as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 35-minute spacewalk, Stott and astronaut Danny Olivas (out of frame) removed an empty ammonia tank from the station's truss and temporarily stowed it on the station's robotic arm. Olivas and Stott also retrieved the European Technology Exposure Facility and Materials International Space Station Experiment from the Columbus laboratory module and installed them on Discovery's payload bay for return.
Image Credit: NASA
Wednesday 2 September 2009
STS-128 2nd Spacewalk Preparations
Crew Prepares for Second Spacewalk
Astronauts Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang are camping out in the Quest airlock starting at 2:54 a.m. EDT Thursday, in preparation for the second STS-128 spacewalk which begins at 5:19 p.m.
John McCullough, chief of the Flight Director Office, stated that it doesn’t look like the International Space Station will have to do a debris avoidance maneuver. However, the final decision will be made during the last hour of Thursday’s spacewalk. Mission Control is building a plan to conduct a reboost just in case. The piece of debris that is being tracked is approximately 19 square meters and is in an elliptical orbit. It is a fairly big piece which makes it easier to track.
The closest approach (about 3 kilometers from the station) is expected at 10:06 a.m. Friday.
Astronauts Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang are camping out in the Quest airlock starting at 2:54 a.m. EDT Thursday, in preparation for the second STS-128 spacewalk which begins at 5:19 p.m.
John McCullough, chief of the Flight Director Office, stated that it doesn’t look like the International Space Station will have to do a debris avoidance maneuver. However, the final decision will be made during the last hour of Thursday’s spacewalk. Mission Control is building a plan to conduct a reboost just in case. The piece of debris that is being tracked is approximately 19 square meters and is in an elliptical orbit. It is a fairly big piece which makes it easier to track.
The closest approach (about 3 kilometers from the station) is expected at 10:06 a.m. Friday.
Crew to Transfer Equipment; Install Experiment Racks
Crew to Transfer Equipment; Install Experiment Racks
“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong was played as a wakeup song for Christer Fuglesang at 12:31 p.m. EDT.
The crews aboard space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station will continue to transfer items between the spacecraft, install experiment racks, prepare for Thursday’s spacewalk and conduct media interviews.
NASA Television will air a preflight news briefing at 1:30 p.m. highlighting Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) that launches to the International Space Station on Sept. 10.
Spaceboosters Online Store
“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong was played as a wakeup song for Christer Fuglesang at 12:31 p.m. EDT.
The crews aboard space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station will continue to transfer items between the spacecraft, install experiment racks, prepare for Thursday’s spacewalk and conduct media interviews.
NASA Television will air a preflight news briefing at 1:30 p.m. highlighting Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) that launches to the International Space Station on Sept. 10.
Spaceboosters Online Store
Olivas and Stott in First Spacewalk - STS-128
Working in a Vacuum
Discovery spacewalker Danny Olivas at work during the STS-128 mission's first spacewalk. During the six-hour, 35-minute spacewalk, Olivas and astronaut Nicole Stott, removed an empty ammonia tank from the station's truss and temporarily stowed it on the station's robotic arm. Olivas and Stott also retrieved the European Technology Exposure Facility and Materials International Space Station Experiment from the Columbus laboratory module and installed them on Discovery’s payload bay for return.
Credit: NASA
NASA's Orion Spacecraft Passes Significant Design Milestone
NASA's Orion Spacecraft Passes Significant Design Milestone
HOUSTON -- NASA has taken a major step toward building the next crew exploration vehicle by completing the Orion Project's preliminary design review, or PDR. Orion is being designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and other destinations.
The preliminary design review is one of a series of checkpoints that occurs in the design life cycle of a complex engineering project before hardware manufacturing can begin. As the review process progresses, details of the vehicle's design are assessed to ensure the overall system is safe and reliable for flight and meets all NASA mission requirements.
The Orion features a capsule-shaped crew module designed for maximum crew operability and safety, a service module housing utility systems and propulsion components and a launch abort system for improved astronaut safety. The preliminary design review evaluated the vehicle's capability, as currently designed, to support three types of missions: flights to the International Space Station, weeklong missions to the moon and missions to the moon for up to 210 days.
"This is the successful culmination of all of the design trade studies and activities to date," said Mark Geyer, manager of the Orion Project Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "As a project, a program and an agency, we are reviewing the design maturity, strategy and plans for NASA's next human spacecraft and agreeing that this is the architecture we are going to build."
Teams representing each subsystem of Orion conducted focused reviews from February to July before proceeding to the overall vehicle-level review. The preliminary design review lasted about two months and included reviewers from all 10 NASA field centers to evaluate the hundreds of design products delivered by the Lockheed Martin-led industry partnership.
"The Orion vehicle design is much more mature than you might see on many programs at the PDR checkpoint because we have worked so closely with our NASA counterparts every step of the way during the vehicle design phase," said Cleon Lacefield, vice president and Orion project manager at Lockheed Martin in Denver. "To date we have completed more than 300 technical reviews, 100 peer reviews and 18 subsystem design reviews."
The PDR process culminated with a review board that concluded Aug. 31 and established the basis for proceeding to the critical design phase of Orion. Participants identified technical and management challenges and addressed ways to reduce potential risks as the project goes forward. NASA will continue the review process with an independent agency-level evaluation to validate the PDR results and gain formal approval to transition the project into the next life cycle phase.
For more information about the Orion crew capsule, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orion
Orion lapel pin available from Spaceboosters
HOUSTON -- NASA has taken a major step toward building the next crew exploration vehicle by completing the Orion Project's preliminary design review, or PDR. Orion is being designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and other destinations.
The preliminary design review is one of a series of checkpoints that occurs in the design life cycle of a complex engineering project before hardware manufacturing can begin. As the review process progresses, details of the vehicle's design are assessed to ensure the overall system is safe and reliable for flight and meets all NASA mission requirements.
The Orion features a capsule-shaped crew module designed for maximum crew operability and safety, a service module housing utility systems and propulsion components and a launch abort system for improved astronaut safety. The preliminary design review evaluated the vehicle's capability, as currently designed, to support three types of missions: flights to the International Space Station, weeklong missions to the moon and missions to the moon for up to 210 days.
"This is the successful culmination of all of the design trade studies and activities to date," said Mark Geyer, manager of the Orion Project Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "As a project, a program and an agency, we are reviewing the design maturity, strategy and plans for NASA's next human spacecraft and agreeing that this is the architecture we are going to build."
Teams representing each subsystem of Orion conducted focused reviews from February to July before proceeding to the overall vehicle-level review. The preliminary design review lasted about two months and included reviewers from all 10 NASA field centers to evaluate the hundreds of design products delivered by the Lockheed Martin-led industry partnership.
"The Orion vehicle design is much more mature than you might see on many programs at the PDR checkpoint because we have worked so closely with our NASA counterparts every step of the way during the vehicle design phase," said Cleon Lacefield, vice president and Orion project manager at Lockheed Martin in Denver. "To date we have completed more than 300 technical reviews, 100 peer reviews and 18 subsystem design reviews."
The PDR process culminated with a review board that concluded Aug. 31 and established the basis for proceeding to the critical design phase of Orion. Participants identified technical and management challenges and addressed ways to reduce potential risks as the project goes forward. NASA will continue the review process with an independent agency-level evaluation to validate the PDR results and gain formal approval to transition the project into the next life cycle phase.
For more information about the Orion crew capsule, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orion
Orion lapel pin available from Spaceboosters
Tuesday 1 September 2009
STS-128 and Expedition 20 crews transfer equipment
Big Day of Transfers for Crews
Today is a big transfer day for the STS-128 and Expedition 20 crews. The COLBERT treadmill is going aboard the International Space Station. It will go into the Harmony node temporarily, but its permanent destination is Tranquility node 3, which is slated to arrive early next year. In preparation for the replacement of an ammonia tank assembly during the first STS-128 spacewalk, the last of the ammonia and nitrogen was vented from the expended tank. While venting the gases, the space station's control moment gyroscopes were used for attitude control.
Today is a big transfer day for the STS-128 and Expedition 20 crews. The COLBERT treadmill is going aboard the International Space Station. It will go into the Harmony node temporarily, but its permanent destination is Tranquility node 3, which is slated to arrive early next year. In preparation for the replacement of an ammonia tank assembly during the first STS-128 spacewalk, the last of the ammonia and nitrogen was vented from the expended tank. While venting the gases, the space station's control moment gyroscopes were used for attitude control.
Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Leonardo Module
Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is visible in Discovery's payload bay, as is the shuttle's vertical stabilizer, orbital maneuvering system pods, Orbiter Boom Sensor System and docking mechanism in this image shot from an aft flight deck window.For the STS-128 mission, Leonardo carried 7.5 tons of supplies to the station, including two research racks (the Fluid Integrated Rack and the Materials Science Research Rack), a new station crew quarters, the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI-2), the Air Revitalization System Rack and the COLBERT treadmill.
Image Credit: NASA
Leonardo Open, Astronauts Prepare for Spacewalk
Leonardo Open for Cargo Transfer
The shuttle crew is ahead of the timeline and has opened the hatch into the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Leonardo is carrying 7.5 tons of supplies including: two research racks (Fluid Integrated Rack and Materials Science Research Rack), a new station crew quarters, the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI-2), the Air Revitalization System Rack and the COLBERT treadmill.
Leonardo Open, Astronauts Prepare for Spacewalk
The shuttle crew opened the hatch into the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to begin several days of cargo transfer. Leonardo is carrying 7.5 tons of supplies including: two research racks (Fluid Integrated Rack and Materials Science Research Rack), a new station crew quarters, the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI-2), the Air Revitalization System Rack and the COLBERT treadmill.Flight Engineer Nicole Stott and Mission Specialist Danny Olivas are set to begin the first STS-128 spacewalk Tuesday at 5:49 p.m. EDT.
The shuttle crew is ahead of the timeline and has opened the hatch into the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Leonardo is carrying 7.5 tons of supplies including: two research racks (Fluid Integrated Rack and Materials Science Research Rack), a new station crew quarters, the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI-2), the Air Revitalization System Rack and the COLBERT treadmill.
Leonardo Open, Astronauts Prepare for Spacewalk
The shuttle crew opened the hatch into the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to begin several days of cargo transfer. Leonardo is carrying 7.5 tons of supplies including: two research racks (Fluid Integrated Rack and Materials Science Research Rack), a new station crew quarters, the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI-2), the Air Revitalization System Rack and the COLBERT treadmill.Flight Engineer Nicole Stott and Mission Specialist Danny Olivas are set to begin the first STS-128 spacewalk Tuesday at 5:49 p.m. EDT.
Discovery's Heat Shield Cleared for Entry
Discovery's Heat Shield Cleared for Entry
Mission Control has informed the shuttle crew that Discovery’s heat shield has been cleared for entry and that there is no need for a focused inspection on Wednesday.
Tonight’s mission status briefing with ISS Flight Director Ron Spencer will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA TV.
Mission Control has informed the shuttle crew that Discovery’s heat shield has been cleared for entry and that there is no need for a focused inspection on Wednesday.
Tonight’s mission status briefing with ISS Flight Director Ron Spencer will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA TV.
Leonardo Transfer Complete
Leonardo Transfer Complete
The transfer and installation of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from Discovery’s payload bay to the Earth-facing port on the station’s Harmony module was completed at 5:56 p.m. EDT.
After leak checks and pressurization, the teams are expected to open the hatches to the cargo module at 1:34 a.m. Tuesday.
The transfer and installation of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from Discovery’s payload bay to the Earth-facing port on the station’s Harmony module was completed at 5:56 p.m. EDT.
After leak checks and pressurization, the teams are expected to open the hatches to the cargo module at 1:34 a.m. Tuesday.
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