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Station Crew Prepares for Arrival of New Spacecraft, Tests Station System as Mission Control Continues Monitoring Debris


Image above: Station crew members (from left) Nicole Stott, Frank De Winne
and Robert Thirsk talk to Belgian media during a European Space Agency
in-flight event.
Credit: NASA TV

The station crew prepared Friday for the arrival of the Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2) which is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Nov. 10. The MRM2 will arrive at the station on Nov. 12 docking to the top port of the Zvezda service module.

The crew performed some testing on the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) which was later shut down. The ground team is currently looking at the data before deciding to restart the UPA.

An experiment that monitors the weakening of heart muscles during long term exposure to the microgravity environment is on hold. Software that had been reloaded for an ultrasound system used in the Integrated Cardiovascular experiment was unable to work properly. Ground controllers are now considering delivering replacement circuit boards on a future flight to the station.

The crew also was notified of a possible conjunction with a piece of Russian Cosmos space debris. The time of closest approach is 10:48 p.m. EST.

The timing of available tracking data has made it too late to do a maneuver. Better tracking data will be available this afternoon. When this data is available, options to have the crew sleep in Soyuz will be discussed. The crew was informed of the possible conjunction. Tracking of this debris is erratic and taking the appropriate precautions and preparing are prudent measures.

Mission Control Center in Houston contacted Commander Frank De Winne at 10:04 a.m. informing him of the possible conjunction, as well as the effort to more accurately determine the path of the orbiting space junk. Spacecraft communicator Jason Hutt told De Winne, “We are possibly going to get one more data point on this conjunction.” He then added, “We are going to have to make a decision what we’re going to have to do with regards to getting in the Soyuz.”

If the tracking data indicates any extra precautions are needed updates will be provided on the web and NASA TV as appropriate.

Source: NASA - Station

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November 8, 2009. Baikonur Cosmodrome,
branch of RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev

Soyuz-U launch vehicle was rolled out from the integration building to the launch pad. Soyuz-U launch vehicle with Progress M-MRM2 transport vehicle is installed on the launch pad. L-2 days activities have been started.

post continued below...

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...continued from above.

Source: S.P. Korolev RSC Energia

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Crew Busy with Science, Shuttle Preparations


Image above: Expedition 21 Flight Engineer Robert Thirsk works in the
Japanese Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA TV

Aboard the orbiting International Space Station, the Expedition 21 crew was busy Monday with science and the continuing preparations for next week’s scheduled arrival of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to deliver critical spare parts to the complex.

Flight Engineers Maxim Suraev and Roman Romanenko worked with the Russian experiment known as Relaxation, observing radiation patterns from Earth’s ionosphere.

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams – with help from Flight Engineer Bob Thirsk – worked with the Integrated Cardiovascular (ICV) experiment in the Columbus laboratory. ICV researches the extent of cardiac atrophy and seeks to identify its mechanisms.

Flight Engineer Nicole Stott spent time preparing for her return to Earth aboard Atlantis later this month. The shuttle is slated to launch from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Nov. 16.

Stott and Williams also reviewed spacewalk procedures for the upcoming shuttle mission.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz rocket with the new Mini-Research Module 2 named Poisk rolled out to its launch pad Sunday for final preparations for its liftoff to the International Space Station Tuesday at 9:22 a.m. EST. Docking is scheduled for Thursday around 10:44 a.m. to the space-facing port of the Zvezda Service Module.

Troubleshooting of the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) over the weekend resulted in the system operating once again, but flight controllers have decided to reduce its work load until further analysis of its previously clogged lines is completed. The UPA is running for one hour to reprocess urine every 10 hours with the expectation that it will be brought up to full functionality in the next day or so.

Source: NASA - Station

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New Russian Module "Poisk" On Its Way to Station


Image above: The Soyuz rocket carrying Poisk, Russia's newest module,
launches on time from Kazakhstan.
Credit: NASA TV

The new Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2), also known as Poisk, launched aboard a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan Tuesday at 9:22 a.m. EST. Thursday at 10:44 a.m., the MRM2 will dock to the space-facing port of the Zvezda service module. Poisk is a Russian term that translates to search, seek and explore.

Poisk will provide an additional docking port for visiting Russian spacecraft. It also will serve as an extra airlock for spacewalkers wearing Russian Orlan spacesuits. Cosmonauts Roman Romanenko and Maxim Suraev were reviewing procedures with ground specialists for entering Poisk after it arrives.

At about the same time Poisk launched, the Expedition 21 crew was performing a Kazbek seat check inside the Soyuz TMA-15 docked to Zarya’s Earth-facing port. Some crew members were also tagging up with specialists on the ground discussing cargo transfers when space shuttle Atlantis arrives at the International Space Station on Nov. 18.

The station crew and flight controllers are still analyzing the operation of the Urine Processing Assembly. Troubleshooting over the weekend allowed the system to run again but it is not up to full functionality yet as flight controllers monitor its activities.

Science continued aboard the orbiting laboratory with blood and urine samples being drawn and stored in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI), a science freezer that preserves biological samples for study on Earth. Colloid samples were photographed in an experiment that observes their structure over time to prove their use for the manufacture of stronger, more efficient materials on Earth. A Russian Earth-observation experiment that monitors radiation in the ionosphere was also under way.

Source: NASA - Station

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 12 November 2009 - 12:56 AM

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New Russian Module “Poisk” Docks to Station


Image above: The Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2), also known
as Poisk, approaches the International Space Station for docking..
Credit: NASA TV

The new Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2), also known as Poisk, docked to the space-facing port of the Zvezda service module of the International Space Station Thursday at 10:41 a.m. EST. It began its trip to the station when it was launched aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Poisk is a Russian term that translates to search, seek and explore. It will provide an additional docking port for visiting Russian spacecraft and will serve as an extra airlock for spacewalkers wearing Russian Orlan spacesuits.

Poisk joins a Russian Progress resupply vehicle and two Russian Soyuz spacecraft currently docked at the station.

Meanwhile, the Expedition 21 crew members were busy with preparations for next week’s scheduled arrival of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-129 mission to deliver critical spare parts to the complex. Atlantis is set to launch from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Nov. 16.

The crew members also were busy throughout the day with a variety of science experiments and station maintenance activities. Each crew member also had time set aside to exercise which helps to minimize the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the body.

Source: NASA - Station

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Mini Research Module Docking To ISS

12 November 2009

The new Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2), also known as Poisk, docked to the space-facing port of the Zvezda service module of the International Space Station Thursday at 10:41 a.m. EST. It began its trip to the station when it was launched aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

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Crew Prepares to Unpack Poisk


Image above: European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne,
Expedition 21 commander, holds a stowage bag containing various beverages
in the Unity node of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 21 crew of the International Space Station wrapped up a busy week Friday that saw the docking of a new research module and preparations for the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis.

The hatches to the newly-arrived Russian Mini-Research Module 2, or Poisk, were opened at 7:17 a.m. EST, enabling Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev to enter for the first time to take air samples, hook up air ducts and photograph a scuff mark left by the docking mechanism probe on the receiving cone. Poisk, packed with 1,800 pounds of cargo, will be used as an additional docking port for Russian vehicles, as an airlock for Russian-based spacewalks and as a platform for external science experiments.

Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko and Suraev will begin unloading cargo from Poisk over the weekend. Poisk launched Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket and docked automatically to the Zvezda service module at 10:41 a.m. Thursday.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Nicole Stott began final preparations for her return to Earth aboard Atlantis, scheduled to launch Monday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Stott arrived at the orbiting complex on Aug. 30, and her departure will mark the last Expedition crew rotation by a space shuttle.

In addition to providing a ride home for Stott, the STS-129 crew of Atlantis will conduct three spacewalks at the station to transfer spare parts from the shuttle’s payload bay to the station’s external structures and continue assembly activities.

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams deactivated and stowed hardware for AgCam, the Agriculture Camera experiment sponsored by the University of North Dakota. Positioned in the window of the station’s Destiny laboratory, AgCam is designed to capture images of vegetated areas on the Earth from space to assist farmers, ranchers, foresters, natural resource managers and tribal officials.

Flight Engineer Robert Thirsk set up hardware and video recording equipment for the Bodies in Space Environment (BISE) experiment, which measures the relative importance of visual and body cues to an astronaut’s perception of "up." Stott and Commander Frank De Winne participated in this session as the test subjects.

De Winne also conducted an amateur radio session, speaking with students at the Salesian Institute of Naples in Italy and answering questions about living and working aboard the space station.

Source: NASA - Station

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What does a typical working day on the ISS look like?

14 November 2009

Frank De Winne is answering a question on the ISS submitted by Thomas Kern from Germany:
What does a typical working day on the ISS look like?

Source: ESA Channel - YouTube

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ISS Science Briefing

15 November 2009

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

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Atlantis on the Way to the Station


Image above: Space shuttle Atlantis launches on the STS-129 mission to
the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA / Jim Grossmann

Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 2:28 p.m. EST Monday, beginning STS-129, the 31st shuttle flight to the International Space Station.

Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne and Flight Engineers Robert Thirsk, Roman Romanenko, Nicole Stott, Maxim Suraev and Jeffrey Williams are making final preparations for Atlantis’s arrival, set for Wednesday.

The STS-129 mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the station. The 11-day flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. This equipment is large and can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle.

The mission also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Source: NASA - Station

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Station Crew Prepares for Arrival of Atlantis


Image above: Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne moves a High
Definition Video (HDV) camera and equipment from the Kibo laboratory
into the Harmony node of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

After the launch of space shuttle on Atlantis on Monday, Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne and Flight Engineers Robert Thirsk, Roman Romanenko, Nicole Stott, Maxim Suraev and Jeffrey Williams were busy making final preparations for its arrival, set for Wednesday.

Williams and Stott reviewed photography procedures for their part in documenting the condition of the shuttle’s heat shield as it completes a rendezvous pitch maneuver during its approach to the station.

Williams also got a jump start on one of the STS-129 tasks, the preparation of the Harmony node for the arrival of the Tranquility node next year.

The STS-129 mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the station. The 11-day flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. This equipment is large and can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle.

The mission also will return station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth and is slated to be the final space shuttle crew rotation flight.

Source: NASA - Station

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Hatches Open, Crews Begin Joint Operations


Image above: Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne moves a High
Definition Video (HDV) camera and equipment from the Kibo laboratory
into the Harmony node of the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The Expedition 21 crew welcomed a new set of visitors aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday.

After a series of leak checks, the hatches between the two vehicles opened at 1:28 p.m. EST marking the start of joint operations. Space shuttle Atlantis docked with the station at 11:51 a.m.

Hatch opening also marked the end of Flight Engineer Nicole Stott’s two-and-a-half-month stint with the space station’s crew. She officially became a member of the STS-129 crew, and the station will be manned by a five-person crew until Dec. 1, when Commander Frank De Winne and Flight Engineers Roman Romanenko and Robert Thirsk will depart the station in their Soyuz vehicle.

The STS-129 mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the station. The 11-day flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. This equipment is large and can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle.

Source: NASA - Station

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Expedition 21 Thanksgiving Message

19 November 2009

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 21 Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Nicole Stott of NASA demonstrated some of the food they will enjoy on Thanksgiving Day and shared their thoughts on the holiday season from 220 miles above the Earth.

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

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Astronauts Perform First STS-129 Spacewalk


Image above: Mission Specialist Robert Satcher works outside the International
Space Station during the first spacewalk of the STS-129 mission.
Credit: NASA TV

The first spacewalk of the STS-129 mission began at 9:24 a.m. EST Thursday and is scheduled to last 6.5 hours. Mission Specialists Mike Foreman and Robert Satcher installed a spare S-band antenna structural assembly brought up in Atlantis’ cargo bay.

Other tasks on the spacewalkers’ agenda include the installation of a set of cables for a future space-to-ground antenna on the Destiny laboratory and the replacement of a handrail on the Unity node with a bracket that will be used to route an ammonia cable required for the Tranquility node when it is delivered next year. Foreman and Satcher are also tasked with repositioning a cable connector on the Unity node, troubleshooting a cable connection and lubricating two latching end effectors – one on the Japanese robotic arm and one on the mobile base that allows the station’s main robotic arm to travel to different worksites.

Meanwhile, inside the station, further work is going on to prepare the station for the arrival of the Tranquility node. Station Commander Frank De Winne and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams are working at the port hatch of the Harmony node to rewire data, power and cooling lines and air flow connections that will be connected to Tranquility. Their task is also scheduled to take about 6.5 hours. De Winne and Williams will continue working on the project over several days during the STS-129 mission.

The STS-129 mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the station. The 11-day flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. This equipment is large and can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle.

Source: NASA - Station