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#676 2023-03-18 18:35:38

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,750

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

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#677 2023-03-21 13:21:43

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

'Craig is a member of a team at Kennedy that is responsible for providing essential oxygen deliveries to the Space_Station'
https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/ … 3491669002

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#678 2023-03-21 13:23:35

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Which retires first Putin or the ISS and what happens with Space-Station concepts in a post-Putin era of Russia.

online social media rumor?

'According to unofficial reports, Kazakhstan arrests Roskosmos' assets in Baikonur, possibly spelling the end of the Russia's a decade-long effort to replace the Ukrainian-built Zenit rocket'

https://twitter.com/RussianSpaceWeb/sta … 5846145027

Kazakhstan’s seizure of Russian space assets threatens the Soyuz-5 rocket

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/03 … -5-rocket/

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-03-21 13:24:56)

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#679 2023-03-23 13:57:40

Mars_B4_Moon
Member
Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Industry sees missed opportunity in deorbiting ISS

https://spacenews.com/industry-sees-mis … iting-iss/

NASA’s plan to spend up to $1 billion on a tug to deorbit the International Space Station is a missed opportunity to instead repurpose or recycle the station, some in industry argue.

NASA announced plans as part of its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal this month to develop the tug to help deorbit the station at the end of its life in 2030. NASA is seeking $180 million in 2024 to start work on the tug, and anticipates spending as much as $1 billion to build it.

The agency had made clear that it and the other partners would deorbit the station at the end of its life, ensuring that debris that survives reentry falls in an uninhabited region of the South Pacific Ocean to avoid the risk of damage or casualties. NASA previously expected that it would use multiple Progress cargo spacecraft to handle the deorbiting, but said at a March 13 event about the budget proposal it chose to develop the tug to provide redundancy in those plans.

For some in industry, though, spending as much as $1 billion to bring down the station sends the wrong message and is also a missed opportunity to instead repurpose elements of the station, recycling material that could be used for other commercial applications.

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#680 2023-03-24 04:25:26

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Russia's only female cosmonaut praises ISS mission
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russ … n_999.html



There were rumors Space-X was working on a suit for Extravehicular activity either outside the Station or for the Moon or Mars.

'Recent tests of EVA suit John-117 vibes'
https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status … 0934082560

John 117 is a pop culture reference, it is a fictional character  in the Halo video game / multimedia franchise

https://halo.fandom.com/wiki/John-117

'Master Chief Petty Officer John'

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-03-24 04:25:43)

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#681 2023-03-27 14:42:46

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

ISS Swerves to Avoid Collision With Earth-Imaging Satellite
https://gizmodo.com/iss-swerves-to-avoi … 1850202507

is speculation that the satellite in question may be Argentina’s Nusat-17

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#682 2023-03-30 13:32:51

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

'Kazakhstan’s seizure of Russian space assets threatens the Soyuz-5 rocket'

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/03 … -5-rocket/

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#683 2023-04-14 14:00:30

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

The SpaceX Dragon resupply departing the station to return 4,300 pounds of science and cargo back to Earth.

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/statu … 2936062998

HTV-X an improved, cost-reduced version of the HTV uncrewed non-reusable cargo spacecraft

https://twitter.com/HumanSpace_JAXA/sta … 3019294720

many cargo options including Cygnus is an expendable American cargo spacecraft

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#684 2023-04-28 06:09:27

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Russian Government has approved the extension of Russia's participation in the International Space Station program until 2028. Yesterday the head of Roscosmos Yuri Borisov sent letters to the ISS partners to inform them about it.
https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/ … 5153959937

Congrats to SpaceX on Starship’s first integrated flight test! Every great achievement throughout history has demanded some level of calculated risk, because with great risk comes great reward. Looking forward to all that SpaceX learns, to the next flight test—and beyond.
https://twitter.com/SenBillNelson/statu … 9029458949

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#685 2023-05-09 06:57:06

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

NASA proposes “hybrid” contract approach for space station deorbit vehicle

https://spacenews.com/nasa-proposals-hy … t-vehicle/

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#686 2023-05-28 08:26:55

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,750

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Veteran onboard the Ax-2 crew consists of Axiom Space director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson should not be new to this issue but maybe it's due to the others as we transition from Nasa to private that this will be required.


Recent crews were put through the introduction to becoming current crew onboard the ISS from a privately launched currier.
A Private Crew Encountered A Bizarre Problem Onboard The Space Station

Gizmodo reports that the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) crew aboard the International Space Station is settled in after getting a crash course on how to engage in everyday activities on the orbiting lab. In addition to learning about food prep and emergency protocols, the crew learned how to handle the most critical of emergencies aside from fires and pressure leaks. We’re talking, of course, about the ultimate form of pressure relief in zero gravity, which would be a trip to the space toilet.

The Ax-2 crew consists of Axiom Space director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson, who is accompanied by mission specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi along with pilot John Shnoffner. These four crew members are experiencing orbit for the first time on this space mission and will spend around eight days on board the International Space Station while conducting research on the effects of microgravity on the production of stem cells, among other experiments. Not only did they learn how to use the space toilet and engage in other “hygiene practices” such as showering, but the Ax-2 crew was also clued into emergency protocols which involved locating fire extinguishers and portable breathing gear and getting familiarized with the appropriate escape routes should a non bathroom-related incident occur.

The space toilet in question is no ordinary toilet and operates using a series of tubes for both solid and liquid waste. On Earth, it’s common to doom-scroll on your phone while waiting for nature to run its course, but no such luxury exists on the International Space Station. Astronauts need their hands and feet to anchor themselves onto the toilet with handles and foot holds so they don’t float off during such a critical “landing mission.”

Though modern technology has brought us so many scientific marvels in the form of medical and aeronautical advancements, space toilet technology is still an issue for NASA. In fact, Axiom’s first mission to the International Space Station saw the space toilets going out of order which required assistance from the Russians, who were said to be quite accommodating despite a certain lack of diplomatic flexibility on planet Earth. We can’t think of a better form of peace offering than letting somebody use the restroom when they’re so far from home.
Private companies have also cited similar issues with their space toilets that they have yet to overcome. SpaceX had a structural breach in 2021 when the space toilet tubes took a leak of their own, contaminating the floor of the Inspiration4 spacecraft. This improper disposal of waste was not noticed until the vehicle got back to Earth when contamination was discovered underneath the flooring.

Next time you’re at a county fair or a concert venue, you should thank your lucky stars that you can still relieve yourself the good old-fashioned way. The fact of the matter is that engineering a 100 percent efficient space toilet is a lot harder than it sounds. But all difficulties aside, outer space bathroom incidents in 2023 are much easier to deal with than the infamous 1969 Apollo 10 mission in which the crew had to capture a foreign object in zero gravity that was aptly described as “a turd floating through the air.”

The Axiom crew is daring to “go where no man has gone before,” and we hope that their short trip to outer space is one that is remembered for its stunning sights rather than its smell.

AA1bMIYW.img?w=534&h=300&m=6

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#687 2023-06-29 13:51:00

Mars_B4_Moon
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Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

SpaceX Dragon to return to Earth with experiments, samples from ISS

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Spac … S_999.html

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#688 2023-08-04 18:05:30

Mars_B4_Moon
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Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

NorthropGrumman's Cygnus space freighter was captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/statu … 1452620800

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-08-04 18:05:38)

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#689 2023-08-05 10:59:10

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

ISS partners seek to maximize use of station through 2030

https://spacenews.com/iss-partners-seek … ough-2030/

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#690 2023-08-23 14:04:23

Mars_B4_Moon
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Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

SpaceX Crew-7 Falcon 9, Kennedy Space Center, NASA Commercial Crew flight

United Sates NASA astronaut, Jasmin Moghbeli, one ESA astronaut, Denmark's Andreas Mogensen, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov and Satoshi Furukawa frpm Japan.


NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts excited for upcoming mission to International Space Station
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sci … 607060007/

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission only has one U.S. astronaut onboard. Here's why that's OK
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/nasas-s … 12002.html

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#691 2023-08-25 07:43:28

Mars_B4_Moon
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Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

NASA says the ISS performed a maneuver earlier today to avoid a close approach with an unnamed debris object.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1 … 6198847889

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#692 2023-08-25 07:49:11

Mars_B4_Moon
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Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

The CIPHER project integrates 14 investigations on Space_Station and examines multiple astronauts across different mission durations over the course of many years.

https://twitter.com/NASAScienceCast/sta … 9775653353

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#693 2023-08-25 10:47:18

GW Johnson
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From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
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Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

The Falcon-9/Dragon ISS crew was supposed to launch early this morning,  but did not.  The news story said there was a problem with "incomplete paperwork".  Really? 

Anyhow,  I think they try again in the wee hours Saturday,  the story said. 

GW


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#694 2023-08-26 07:00:31

Mars_B4_Moon
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Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Crew-7 launches to the space station

https://spacenews.com/crew-7-launches-t … e-station/

GW Johnson wrote:

The news story said there was a problem with "incomplete paperwork".  Really?

quoting article

NASA said that engineers needed more time to review a component of the Crew Dragon’s life support system, known as ECLSS. NASA did not initially state what that component was but later said it was valves in an air supply system.

Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, said at the post-launch briefing that after discovering corroded valves in the propulsion system of a cargo Dragon in June, SpaceX “out of an abundance of caution” decided to review all valves on the spacecraft, including for life support and propulsion. The review was designed to check the “force margin,” or the ability of the valve to open and close.

“It took a little bit more time to get through the ECLSS valves,” he said, which led to the one-day slip. “We said, let’s stand down for 24 hours and make sure we understand it before we go fly.” That review confirmed that the valves were working properly and required no changes.

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#695 2023-08-28 08:25:36

GW Johnson
Member
From: McGregor, Texas USA
Registered: 2011-12-04
Posts: 5,423
Website

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

The launch delay was in part over a paperwork screwup.  At least it was only that.  Checked a bunch of valves out of caution,  which is a good thing.  They launched great the next day,  and have now arrived at the ISS. 

Remember,  Dragon is a vehicle that could be flown by a pilot on board,  but routinely it flies automated.  SpaceX has made this work well enough to make orbital travel look routine (when it is not,  not really).  There have been no threatening screw-ups with it. 

It is the automated flight software that made the first unmanned test of Boeing's Starliner to the ISS a failure.  That was a handful of years ago.  It has yet to fly manned,  even experimentally,  and among the reasons are stuck valves,  flammable covering on the wiring,  and parachutes whose ties to the capsule are not strong enough. 

Boeing got paid almost twice what SpaceX got paid to create a crew taxi capsule for ISS.  Makes you wonder what they spent the money on,  doesn't it?  Especially since they absorbed McDonnell-Douglas years ago,  who built Mercury and Gemini.

One effect here is my old adage about rocket science being only 40% science,  being 50% art,  and 10% blind dumb luck.  In production work.  In development,  the art and luck percentages are higher.  Science is the part actually written down.  Art was never written down (usually because no manager wanted to pay for writing it down),  and yet is also critically essential.  It gets passed on from old guy to newbie,  one-on-one,  on-the-job.  But ONLY if there are some old guys among the staff!

It's been so long since McDonnell-Douglas built those capsules that none of those people would still be working at Boeing,  assuming they even were retained after the takeover.  None of them were available in recent years to teach Boeing's current engineers how this stuff really needs to be done.  And it really,  really shows!

SpaceX had to learn all this stuff the hard way because they don't hire any old guys,  but they had already made cargo Dragon work,  before they had to rework the design into crew Dragon.  Automated flight control is the hardest part,  evidently.  But that would be pretty much the same for both versions. Most of the difficulties with it got ironed out before the crew Dragon program, with cargo Dragon.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2023-08-28 10:57:26)


GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

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#696 2023-08-29 15:34:12

Mars_B4_Moon
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Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

The four NASA SpaceX Crew-7 members joined the seven-member Exp 69 crew aboard the space station today, expanding its population to 11.

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/statu … 0200071209

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#697 2023-09-11 18:28:55

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Inadvertently Breaks Record for Longest U.S. Space Mission

https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-astronaut-f … 00312.html


As a child he lived in El Salvador for the first six years of his life, after which his family moved to Miami, Florida, where he attended Miami Sunset Senior High School. He attended the United States Military Academy, and earned a bachelor's degree in international relations

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biograp … /biography

'GIGA beyond borders'

School Special Program Canadian Embassy Japan and ISS

begins 6:45 - 7 mins

https://piped.video/watch?v=LO34RgSuGyw

Looking out the window Japan English subtitle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JfJzSMNVrU

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-09-11 18:51:38)

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#698 2023-09-16 15:41:45

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

During his record-breaking stay in low Earth orbit, Frank Rubio contributed to several experiments on the human body and mind.
https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status … 9587173787


The Soyuz crew has floated through the hatch into the Rassvet module of the International Space station
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/stat … 8912465048


This week on SpaceToGround, a new crew arrived to the station, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio broke the record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, and a space biology milestone may one day benefit human health here on Earth.
https://twitter.com/Space_Station/statu … 7378978901

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#699 2023-09-27 17:52:54

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
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Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

ISS National Lab and Privateer announce Data and Information Sharing Partnership

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/ISS_ … p_999.html

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#700 2023-10-10 09:36:17

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,903

Re: International Space Station (ISS / Alpha)

Russian ISS segment springs third leak in under a year

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russ … r_999.html

ISS astronauts 'never in any danger' after Russian science module leak

https://www.space.com/international-spa … -no-danger

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-10-10 10:04:33)

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