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The first all-female spacewalk takes place March 29th
After several decades of human spaceflight, you're finally going to see the first all-female spacewalk. NASA has confirmed that astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will venture outside the International Space Station on March 29th. This wasn't intentional, the agency told Axios -- it just so happened that the particular crew aboard the ISS led to the team-up. If you've been following the progression of the space program, however, it might not be quite such a surprise.
SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docks with ISS
SpaceX's Crew Dragon has completed the last leg of its historic first journey. The capsule docked with the International Space Station through a "soft capture" at 5:51AM Eastern, with astronauts aboard the ISS opening the hatch shortly after 8AM. There wasn't much to greet the ISS crew this time around, as the test flight only included 400lbs of supplies and the human-shaped Ripley test device. Still, it's an important moment in NASA's Commercial Crew Program -- an American capsule has docked in orbit.
ISS toilet leak dumps two gallons of 'water' on crew
If you think a burst toilet is bad news on Earth, spare a thought for the astronauts who have to deal with it in zero gravity. That's what the poor American souls on the ISS were left grappling with last week when their $19 million commode leaked, according to a NASA status report. Around 9.5 litres of water spilled out as a result of the, um, accident. The crew had to clean it up using towels while working to fix the leak, claimed the space agency.
Soyuz to embark on first crewed mission to ISS since its failure
Three astronauts are blasting off to the International Space Station this morning aboard the Soyuz MS-11 -- the first time people will travel on the rocket since it fell apart on October 11 with NASA's Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin aboard. Fortunately, the two weren't hurt when they were forced to exit the malfunctioning rocket just two-and-a-half minutes after takeoff. Until then, the craft had a 100 percent success rate, so all eyes will be on this launch.
NASA and the ESA release first 8K video from space
NASA and the European Space Agency have teamed up on a new video about astronauts in the International Space Station. But this one is a little different than the videos you've watched in the past because it's the first 8K ultra high definition video delivered by the agencies, shot with a Helium 8K camera from RED.
Russians say ISS air leak could be a result of sabotage
Last Thursday, NASA informed the public that there was an air pressure leak aboard the International Space Station. It was extremely small and posed no immediate danger to astronauts. Flight controllers worked with the astronauts to determine that there was what appeared to be a drill hole aboard an attached Soyuz capsule that the astronauts attempted to patch. Now, the Russians are investigating sabotage as a possibility.
SpaceX Dragon capsule makes safe return from the ISS
Around a month ago, SpaceX launched one of its Dragon cargo capsules into space, loading it up with supplies destined for the International Space Station. Now, it has made it safely back to Earth, splashing into the Pacific Ocean just after 6PM Eastern. SpaceX tweeted the capsule's progress throughout the day, noting its successful departure burns that separated it from the ISS and when to expect its arrival.
Catching the ISS's fleeting pass between enormous sunspots
Astrophotography requires abundant patience and planning, but as Spanish photographer Dani Caxete has shown, you sometimes need quick reflexes, too. His entry in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 contest shows the International Space Station (ISS) superimposed on the sun, in between two large sunspots. He didn't have a lot of time to grab it -- traveling at 5 miles per second, the ISS took just 0.5 seconds to pass in front of our star.
NASA will create coldest place in the universe to study quantum physics
It's hard to study quantum behavior on Earth. You can amplify the effects of quantum mechanics by zapping groups of specific atoms (Bose-Einstein condensates) with lasers that drop their temperature to near absolute zero, but that only works for fractions of a second before gravity invariably takes over. NASA's solution? Create the coldest known place in the universe. The agency just launched the Cold Atom Lab, a box that takes advantage of microgravity aboard the International Space Station to keep condensates in that ideal state for much longer.
Defunding the ISS might just help get us to Mars
There's good news for NASA in the Trump administration's proposed FY2019 budget and some bad. On the one hand, the space agency would receive a minor funding boost -- NASA itself would get $19.9 billion, a 1.3 percent increase over 2017, while its science directorate would receive $5.9 billion, a 2.3 percent increase.
Trump administration hopes to privatize ISS after 2024
If the US government plans to stop funding the International Space Station at the end of 2024, there's a big question: what happens next? Hand the keys over to the private sector, apparently. The Washington Post has obtained a NASA document outlining a plan to privatize the ISS as part of a Trump administration budge request. The plan would request funding (starting with $150 million in fiscal 2019) to foster "commercial entities and capabilities" that could fill the ISS' role, potentially including "certain elements or capabilities" of the station itself.
NASA tests treatment that could slow astronauts’ muscle loss
Even though astronauts exercise everyday while they're aboard the International Space Station (ISS), they still experience a fairly significant loss of muscle mass. So much so that they require physiotherapy once they return to Earth. However, researchers with the Houston Methodist Research Institute and the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research are testing a device that can continuously administer a medicine that may help prevent muscle deterioration, Seeker reports. The team sent 40 mice to the ISS in December, some with devices that deliver the drug and some with devices that just deliver an inactive solution. Half returned to Earth in January and the other half will do so this month.
Dream Chaser's first ISS resupply mission launches in late 2020
After years of testing, Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft has a launch window. NASA has given the go-ahead to the vehicle's first mission, which is now slated for late 2020. Appropriately, it's a straightforward resupply trip for the International Space Station. The company received the all-clear after hitting a slew of key NASA-approved design milestones.
Trump's budget reportedly proposes an end to ISS funding by 2025
It appears that there's a troubling line item in President Trump's proposed budget. According to The Verge reporter Loren Grush, the proposal ends funding for the International Space Station by 2025. It's important to note that the final budget won't be released until the 12th of February, so this item could change then, but The Verge spoke with two insiders who confirmed that this item would be in the final budget.
ISS astronauts will complete Challenger teacher’s science lessons
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded during liftoff. Onboard were seven astronauts, one of which was teacher Christa McAuliffe. She was selected from over 11,000 applicants for the position of NASA's Teacher in Space. McAuliffe had plans to conduct lessons from Challenger; now those lessons will finally take place from the International Space Station.
Astronaut apologizes for 'fake news' about his height increase
On January 8th, Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai caused some concern when he tweeted that he'd grown about 9 cm (around 3 and a half inches) in his three weeks about the International Space Station. Well, it turns it that's not actually the case. Kanai tweeted an apology last night, saying that he re-measured himself after the media flurry surrounding his announcement, and he's only grown about 2 cm.
BBC launches VR division with ISS spacewalk experience
The BBC is getting serious about VR content production. Today, the broadcaster has released a spacewalk experience and formally announced a VR team that will work with filmers, showrunners and "digital experts" on new pieces. Home — A VR Spacewalk was developed by the BBC and digital production studio Rewind for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift last year. It's based on NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) training programs — yes, the same ones used by astronaut Tim Peake — and takes you through a repair on the outside of the ISS. It's been shown at various film festivals but hasn't been available to the public before today.
Virtual nation Asgardia has launched itself into space
Last year, Russian scientist Igor Ashurbeyli announced the formation of Asgardia -- a new virtual nation that will ultimately exist entirely in space. Since its debut, Asgardia has attracted over 300,000 registrants, created a constitution and, as of this Sunday, launched itself -- all 0.5 TB of it -- into space.
The ISS is getting a long, long overdue printer upgrade
When they're not busy spacewalking, astronauts carry out the same boring tasks as us -- like printing. But, chances are, the printer in your home is newer than the one on the International Space Station (ISS). The heap of junk aboard the spacecraft is 17 years old, making it ripe for replacement. Enter HP, which is sending up a customized Envy model to save the astronauts from more embarrassment.
Watch record-setting astronaut Peggy Whitson's return to Earth
NASA astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson has broken more than one record for time spent in space, but now she's ready to come home. Whitson, fellow American astronaut Jack Fischer and Russia's Fyodor Yurchikhin are leaving the International Space Station to return to Earth, and NASA is livestreaming the whole thing starting today (September 2nd) at 2:15PM Eastern. It'll start with a farewell and closing the hatch on the Soyuz spacecraft taking them back to terra firma, but don't worry if you're not there the minute it starts -- the vessel won't start undocking until 5:30PM, and the deorbiting burn takes place at 8PM with an expected landing at 9:22PM.
