CSA head says business as usual on space station, despite sanctions against Russia

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The International Space Station, as seen from Earth. URTHECAST.COM.

The head of the Canadian Space Agency says sanctions taken against Russia for its invasion of Crimea are not affecting operations on the International Space Station.

NASA is continuing co-operation related to the space station but has severed its ties with Russia and forbidden its employees from travelling to the country.

Canadian Space Agency president Walt Natynczyk says Canada continues to work with all its partners involved in the space station, which include the United States, Russia, Europe and Japan.

The space station is fully functioning and we have people living aboard, he told reporters on Tuesday. So, as part of that international partnership, Canada works with all partners.

Natynczyk noted that Canada currently does not have any of its own astronauts on board, but it is still involved daily in operating the Canadarm on the space station and Dextre, a two-armed $200-million robotic mobile servicing system.

Dextre performs tasks including changing batteries and handling experiments outside the space station.

But beyond that, its always on a case-by-case basis, Natynczyk said of Canadas co-operation.

The CSA president made his comments after a luncheon speech to the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations.

He would not comment when asked whether the Canadian Space Agency was consulted by NASA before it decided to cut off some links with the Russians, deferring to the Foreign Affairs Department.

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CSA head says business as usual on space station, despite sanctions against Russia

Space lettuce: NASA to send mini farm to International Space Station

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A prototype version of Veggie with red romaine lettuce plants growing inside of it. NASA/Gioia Massa

Astronauts longing for fresh lettuce in orbit will soon have the chance to grow it for themselves: NASA is sending a mini-farm into space.

When the private spaceflight company SpaceX launches its next Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station on Friday, the capsule will be carrying a small plant growth chamber built to let astronauts grow "Outredgeous" lettuce in orbit.

The goal of the Veg-01 experiment, nicknamed "Veggie", is to see how well plants grow in orbit. If these early tests go well and the food proves safe, scientists hope to expand the menu. [Space Food Photos: What Astronauts Eat in Orbit]

"Veggie will provide a new resource for U.S. astronauts and researchers as we begin to develop the capabilities of growing fresh produce and other large plants on the space station," said Gioia Massa, NASA payload scientist for Veggie, in a statement. "Determining food safety is one of our primary goals for this validation test."

Space is at a premium on a spacecraft and also on the International Space Station, so the Veggie chamber is built to collapse for transportation and when it is in storage. When fully deployed, it's about a 1.5-feet (X meters) long, making it the biggest such plant chamber in space to date.

A version of the chamber has been tested on the ground, where lettuce and radishes were successfully grown at the Kennedy Space Center's space life sciences laboratory. Veggie was developed by Madison, Wis.-based Orbital Technologies Corp.

Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace. Follow us @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Space lettuce: NASA to send mini farm to International Space Station

Red Sox-White Sox Live: Xander Bogaerts Error In Bottom Of Ninth Gives Chicago 2-1 Win

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Final White Sox 2-1: The Red Sox lost in a tough way after a long, long game.

Burke Badenhops leadoff walk to Alejandro De Aza was wiped off, thanks to A.J. Pierzynskis strong toss to second to catch him stealing.

Alexei Ramirez then knocked a one-out single, and Badenhop struck out Tyler Flowers his fourth K of the night for the second out of the inning before it was time for another call to the bullpen.

Chris Capuano entered the game and walked the first batter he faced, Adam Eaton. Heappeared to get out of the jam whenMarcus Semien hit a routine ground ball up the middle to Xander Bogaerts.

Bogaerts throw to Mike Carp at first base was in the dirt and Carp couldnt pick it, though, and the winning run came around to score.

Thats a tough one to swallow for the Red Sox.

Mid 9th, 1-1: The Red Sox had the go-ahead run at second, but the White Sox battled to keep this game knotted at 1-1.

David Ortiz grounded out to lead off the inning, but a one-out walk to Mike Napoli warranted a call to the pen.

Donnie Veal replacedJake Petricka, and Jonny Gomes enteredthe game to pinch-hit for Daniel Nava. Gomes couldnt provide any late-inning heroics, though, whiffing on a curveball for the second out.

With A.J. Pierzynski batting, Mike Napoli showed off some heads-up baserunning, stealing second on a pitch in the dirt, but his aggressiveness might have actually hurt him. Napoli appeared to hurt his finger sliding into the bag headfirst. Fingers arent supposed to bend that way.

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Red Sox-White Sox Live: Xander Bogaerts Error In Bottom Of Ninth Gives Chicago 2-1 Win

White Sox slip past Red Sox 2-1 on error in 9th

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By PATRICK ROSE Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - Alexei Ramirez is finding different ways of helping the White Sox earn dramatic victories.

Ramirez scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a throwing error and the Chicago White Sox edged the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on a frigid Tuesday night.

Tied at one, Red Sox reliever Burke Badenhop (0-2) allowed a one-out single to Ramirez. After Tyler Flowers struck out, Chris Capuano replaced Badenhop.

Capuano walked Adam Eaton to move Ramirez to second. Then with a 3-2 count, Marcus Semien hit a grounder to Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, who one-hopped his throw to first baseman Mike Carp.

Carp wasn't able to scoop the throw and Ramirez, who was already running on the pitch never stopped when rounding third and scored without a throw.

"There were two outs so I was going all the way with two outs, so my idea was to go ahead and get to home plate regardless of what happened," said Ramirez, who also beat the Cleveland Indians with a two-run homer in the ninth inning on Sunday.

Bogaerts was disappointed with his throw to Carp.

"It's cold weather, but that's no excuse for that play. That's a ball I should've thrown right at the chest to him," Bogaerts said. "I knew it was going to bounce, it took a weird bounce, but I should have thrown it at his chest to Carp and gone into extra innings."

The Red Sox didn't think Semien checked his swing on a 2-2 pitch that would've sent the game into extra innings.

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White Sox slip past Red Sox 2-1 on error in 9th