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Astronaut Scott Kelly hosts a Reddit Q&A from space at 4PM ET
You may have seen some interesting Reddit Q&A sessions in your day, but you probably haven't seen one like this. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is hosting an Ask Me Anything session at 4PM Eastern today (January 23rd)... from space. That's right -- you can learn what it's like to live aboard the International Space Station from someone who's there right now. Suffice it to say there are plenty of questions: how does long-term residency in space affect you, physically and psychologically? What's the coolest thing you've seen while orbiting Earth? And what's it like to grow flowers in space? There's no guarantee that Kelly can answer every burning question, but it'll be worth participating just to get his unique perspective. [Image credit: Scott Kelly, Twitter]
British astronaut Tim Peake will spacewalk next week
It's the moment every astronaut dreams of. Tim Peake has been told he'll be exiting the International Space Station (ISS) next week and conducting a spacewalk with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra. The pair have been tasked with replacing a broken Sequential Shunt Unit that transfers power generated by the space station's solar arrays. There are eight of these in total, so the problem isn't too serious, and the European Space Agency (ESA) says it can be removed by undoing a single bolt. Simple!
NASA accepting applications for the position of 'astronaut'
Wanted ads aren't usually newsworthy, unless the company is NASA and the job is "going to space." The US space agency has started recruiting astronauts and will likely need quite a few since it hasn't hired for nearly four years. Suffice to say, the requirements are demanding -- along with top-notch academic credentials, you'll need to pass grueling physical tests.
A British astronaut will run the London Marathon in space
Running the London Marathon is hard enough. Running it in space? That's another challenge entirely. British astronaut Tim Peake is headed to the International Space Station (ISS) on December 15th and wants to complete the race at the same time as everyone down on Earth. He won't be running the actual route though -- instead, he'll be on a treadmill with a harness system that includes a waist-belt and shoulder straps. These will apply some much-needed downforce to counter Peake's weightlessness and recreate his natural running style in space. He'll also have a video feed of the route which will speed up and slow down to reflect his pace.
ICYMI: Astronaut recruitment, kegels for men and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601646").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A Kickstarter project called KGoal Boost is aimed at helping men strengthen their kegel muscles (the ones at the base of the pelvis) and we had to give it the ICYMI treatment. NASA will begin recruiting astronauts for a new class on December 14. And Lytro announced a new virtual reality camera that would change the traditional multi-camera set-up to collect VR content and turn it into needing only one (very expensive) camera.
NASA wants to hire more astronauts
Have you dreamed of becoming a space explorer? You now have your chance to do something about it: after a four-year silence, NASA is once again hiring new astronauts. The recruiting drive will run between December 14th and mid-February, with the final selections made public in mid-2017. You'll need the right mix education, experience and stamina to even get your foot in the door (there's a long-term spaceflight physical, for example). However, it could easily be worth clearing that high bar.
ICYMI: Humanoid moto bot, engineered desk marvel and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-121846{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-121846, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-121846{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-121846").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Altwork Station is a $3,900 computer desk that can sit, stand and fully recline, levering the screen and desk up to keep that ergonomic alignment you've realized you need to actually care about. Being an adult can be so overrated. Meanwhile there are two pieces of fun robot news: Yamaha is teasing its autonomous motorcycling robot and MIT researchers built a robotic cube that can jump over uneven terrain.
Step inside NASA's astronaut training simulators
To honor past orbital pioneers and future planetary explorers, we look at some of the simulators and mockups that real astronauts used in preparation for launching themselves off this blue orb and into the well-studied, yet unpredictable vastness of space.
The Big Picture: Los Angeles' light pollution, as seen from space
What you see above is a stunning image of California (and surrounding areas), captured from space by astronaut Scott Kelly. But what quickly stands out is Los Angeles, with its bright lights shining through and morphing into one massive, glowing spot. As Quartz points out, this shows the city's massive light pollution problem -- which, in the past, has been subject to countless research pieces and even a Kickstarter book/video series. City of Angels? More like City of Lights.
NASA chief: Congress needs to support commercial crew program
NASA recently paid Russia $490 million to continue ferrying its astronauts to the ISS, but Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden says "it doesn't have to be this way." In a piece/open letter the space agency's head honcho wrote for Wired, he explains how the Congress is holding back the agency from launching astronauts on US soil. Apparently, if the House of Representatives approved the funding the agency was asking for, then NASA would have already been making the final preparations for a US-based launch.
NASA technologies star in One Direction's music video
Ah, pop stars. They can be anyone they want in their music videos: spies, goddesses and, in One Direction's case, astronauts blasting off to space. The boy band's latest music video for the single Drag Me Down features a number of NASA tech, which is why the agency's been promoting it in its social media channels. In addition to donning NASA's bright orange suits and shooting at the Johnson Space Center, the boys got a taste of the ISS crew's training using the Partial Gravity Simulator and the ISS Mockup Bike.
NASA astronauts will eat space-grown veggies for the first time
Just because you're aboard the International Space Station doesn't mean you can avoid eating your vegetables. NASA has revealed that its ISS crew will munch on space-grown veggies (specifically, the red romaine lettuce you see above) for the first time on August 10th, rather than sending the food back to Earth as it has in the past. This isn't solely to get more fiber into the astronauts' diet, of course. It'll give NASA a sense of what it's like for spacefarers to eat fresh food that has only ever experienced microgravity and artificial lighting.
Say hello to NASA's first commercial flight astronauts
NASA has selected four veteran astronauts to work with both SpaceX and Boeing in preparation for commercial spaceflights. It's a major step for both NASA and the US government towards returning space launches to the USA: in recent years it's had to depend on Russia to get people (and things) into space. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that the four astronauts will be: "blazing a new trail -- a trail that will one day land them in the history books and Americans on the surface of Mars." Astronauts and test pilots Robert Behnken, Eric Boe, Douglas Hurley and Sunita Williams will help develop the commercial company's crew transport systems, and help take astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Boeing is NASA's first pick for manned ISS flights
NASA is on track to bring human spaceflight back to the US. The agency has ordered its first "crew rotation" mission from Boeing, which will involve ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA says it expects to make a similar order with Elon Musk's SpaceX later this year -- afterwards, it will decide which of the two companies to green-light for the first mission in late 2017. However, the date for this milestone moment in US spaceflight could shift. For one, Boeing and SpaceX still need to complete NASA's certification process before they can undertake any missions. For another, NASA's Commercial Crew Program is dependent on adequate funding through 2016 and beyond. If it comes up short, the agency says it "will have to delay future milestones for both partners proportionally and extend sole reliance on Russia." We're keeping our fingers crossed.
NASA wants astronauts to wear smart glasses
As you might imagine, astronauts typically need to stay laser-focused on their missions -- even a brief distraction could lead to a broken part or some other crisis. They won't have to worry about keeping their eyes (and hands) on the ball if NASA has its way. It's teaming up with Osterhout Design Group to explore the use of both augmented reality and virtual reality glasses for astronauts, whether they're in space or safely on terra firma. Among the possibilities are "assisted reality" glasses that identify equipment controls or provide checklists, saving crews the hassle of checking manuals when they're rushing to fix a crucial machine. There's no timetable for when NASA expects this smart apparel to show up, but here's hoping that it's ready relatively soon. [Image credit: NASA]
The Big Picture: Buzz Aldrin's vintage selfie from space
Back in November 1966, Buzz Aldrin took a self-picture that will blow all Caribbean vacation selfies out of the water. Aside from the fact that it doesn't have a duckface in it, the photo was taken in space during the Gemini 12 mission. This historical selfie is but one of the numerous images NASA has recently unearthed from its archives -- images it's slated to auction off at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury's in London's Mayfair sometime today. See, the agency used to release only a small number of images to the media back then, while the rest was sent to Manned Spacecraft Center researchers in Houston.
Boeing and SpaceX will shuttle American astronauts to the ISS
There had been rumors of NASA awarding Boeing a big contract for its Commercial Crew Program, and it turns out that the claims were true -- and then some. The agency has just announced that both Boeing's CST-100 capsule and SpaceX's Dragon V2 will ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station from 2017 onward. Most of the funding ($4.2 billion) will go to Boeing's entry, but the SpaceX deal is still pretty hefty at $2.6 billion. Once both vehicles are certified and tested, they'll participate in manned scientific missions (up to six each) and serve as lifeboats in emergencies. Unfortunately, Sierra Nevada's aircraft-like Dream Chaser isn't part of the picture. It's ultimately a good day for space travel, but those hoping for a Space Shuttle-like design will be disappointed.
Boeing is expected to build most of NASA's space taxis (update: official)
NASA may have been even-handed when it started doling out money to contractors for its space taxi program, but there are hints that it's about to play favorites. The Wall Street Journal hears from anonymous officials that Boeing is now the odds-on favorite to get the majority of NASA's astronaut transportation business. SpaceX, once thought to be the frontrunner, would be relegated to a "second source" alongside Sierra Nevada. Reportedly, the agency sees Boeing's CST-100 capsule as the easy choice -- it carries relatively few risks, and is more likely to be ready for business in three years than SpaceX's Dragon V2. Update: Sure enough, NASA announced its contracts today. Boeing will get the lion's share of the business with $4.2 billion in funding, but SpaceX isn't exactly a bit player here -- it's getting $2.6 billion. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser won't be part of the picture, however.
Browse astronaut photos taken from the ISS with this handy map
While you're gearing up for the weekend, why not peruse a collection of photos snapped from high above Earth's surface. Thanks to Dave MacLean's interactive map, you can do just that with over 650 images taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The cartographic library plots the location each photograph was captured, color-coded orbiter on Expeditions 40 and 41. On top of that, you're able to see exactly were the ISS is currently in orbit. Pretty neat, if you ask us.
The Big Picture: How astronauts keep things clean
What should an astronaut do when he gets dirty? Take a meteor shower [groan]. But, what does an astronaut do when their space suit gets mucky in training? They get it laundered, just like anything else. Pictured above, a staff member from the Russian Space Training Center hangs out the freshly washed space suits of Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin, NASA's U.S. flight engineer Kathleen Rubins, and Japanese space agency's flight engineer Takuya Onishi. The trio picked up a few stains after landing on water in training for a mission on the ISS. So, the suits can handle the high radiation of space, but not a spin in a dryer? [Image: Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP]
