Monthly Archives: March 2017

Here on Earth, most people celebrate St. Patricks Day by heading down to their local watering hole for a pint of Guinness or maybe a couple glasses of green beer. Up on the International Space Station, however, such a thing just isnt possible, but that doesnt stop them from recognizing Earthen traditions all the same. NASA Commander Shane Kimbrough and ESA pilot Thomas Pesquet took the opportunity to peer down from theirperch some 200-odd miles above the surface to catch a glimpse ofthe city that is probably partying harder than anyone tonight: Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin at night, Pesquet tweeted, along with a photograph of the sight. Always a great city to visit with a fantastic atmosphere. Kimbrough later tweeted his own greeting, saying Enjoy the #StPatricksFest Parade down there!

The photo is absolutely fantastic, and it was snapped at a high enough resolution to make out individual city streets. The center, downtown area is the brightest of all, and is undoubtedly filled with many revelers as the shot was taken. You can view the image in its full resolution on the NASA site here.

The International Space Station, which makes about 15 orbits per day around our planet, is potentially nearing the end of its lifespan. It was originally launched in the late 1990s and has seen many repairs and upgrades since then. The stations final days were originally estimated to fall somewhere in 2020, but Boeing, the crafts principal contractor, has discussed with NASA the possibility of keeping it alive through 2028. The Trump administrations various cuts to NASA funding could potentially impact that, as could many other factors.

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Space Station astronauts celebrate St. Patrick's Day with gorgeous night shot of Dublin - BGR

Astronauts on the International Space Station are swapping out their fluorescent light bulbs for a fancy new set of light-emitting diodes (LEDs)that scientists think will help them sleep better and be more alert. If the new lights work as intended, the technology could help people on Earth sleep better as well.

The intensity and colors of the light emitted by the new Solid-State Light Assemblies (SSLAs) can produce millions of different spectra of light. Three settings will help to create a lighting environment that can either increase alertness, promote sleepiness or provide normal "daylight" that will help astronauts see clearly during normal work hours.

Because the space station circles the Earth every 92 minutes, astronauts on board can see the sun rise and set 16 times in a day. While it might sound delightful to watch pretty sunrises and sunsets all day, this rapid cycle of day and night can throw astronauts' sleep schedules out of whack. Add to that a demanding work schedule with occasional night shifts, and the astronauts are bound to experience some insomnia. [Sleeping in Space: How Astronauts Do It]

Solid-State Light Assemblies (SSLAs) are replacing old lighting technology aboard the International Space Station. These lights offer more efficient, longer-lasting lighting options, as well as provide crewmembers with the ability to adjust lighting intensity based on the time of day, promoting a more conducive environment for both sleep and alertness.

In fact, research has shown that astronauts don't get enough sleep. On average, they sleep about 6 hours per night, while their schedules allot 8.5 hours. As a result, sleeping pills and caffeine are popular commodities among space travelers.

On Earth, the human body naturally operates on a 24-hour schedule called a circadian rhythm. Our biological clocks depend on a regular pattern of sunlight and darkness to keep that rhythm going. In space, astronauts depend on artificial lighting to regulate their sleep-wake schedules. But it's not just the timing of the light that matters on the space station the type of lights used can make a big difference when it comes to keeping sleep schedules on track.

Fluorescent light bulbs and LEDs are prized for being energy-efficient, but the light they produce can contribute to insomnia. Both emit blue light, which promotes alertness while decreasing the amount of the natural sleep hormone melatonin. While blue light may be helpful in the mornings, exposure to blue light closer to bedtime can make falling asleep more difficult.

The new SSLAs that are being installed inside the space station contain LEDs, but with the adjustable light spectrum, blue light at night will no longer pose a problem. Before bedtime, the new lighting system will emit a spectrum of light without the smaller wavelengths of blue and violet light. When it's time to wake up again, the light spectrum will include that element of the spectrum to promote alertness. This can help astronauts reset or maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and, in turn, make them more productive on the job.

Expedition 18 Commander, Mike Fincke, holding an early version of a solid state lighting assembly (the general luminaire assembly or GLA) that is part of the Lighting Effects investigation. Equipment for that investigation will fly toward the space station aboard a Cygnus spacecraft on Oct. 14, 2016.

Astronauts began replacing the old fluorescent General Luminaire Assemblies in August, and the transition is still ongoing. Meanwhile, NASA has been studying how the new lights are affecting the astronauts through the Lighting Effects Study.

"The system can provide millions of different light spectra," Steven Lockley, a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and co-investigator for the Lighting Effects Study, said in a statement. "Were not making the ISS into a disco, but we are going to use three different light settings. We'll use a general light setting that provides a good light to see by during normal work, a higher-intensity blue light enriched setting that elevates alertness and can better shift the circadian clock when needed, and a lower-intensity blue wavelength-depleted 'pre-sleep' setting to calm the brain and promote sleep."

Results from the sleep study will help flight planners optimize lighting schedules for astronauts during spaceflight, but it can also help people on Earth gain control of their sleeping patterns.

"Study results should make it clear exactly when and how to use these various settings of light intensity and spectrum," NASA officials said in the statement. "These results could also lead to Earth-based benefits such as helping manage sleep patterns for shift workers, or even developing treatments for sleep disorders or jet lag."

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookand Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Space Station Shut-Eye: New LED Lights May Help Astronauts (and You) Sleep Better - Space.com

WIAT 42

SpcaeX cargo ship returns from International Space Station Sunday WIAT 42 After delivering about 5,500 pounds of cargo, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to leave the International Space Station on Sunday, March 19. SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft all set to leave space station on ...Zee News all 1 news articles »

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SpcaeX cargo ship returns from International Space Station Sunday - WIAT 42

USNewswire/ NASA commercial cargo provider Orbital ATK is targeting its seventh commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for 9 p.m., EDT Friday, March 24, the start of a 30-minute launch window. Coverage of the launch begins at 8 p.m. on NASA Television and the agency's website. An option exists to move the launch earlier to March 23, if the Eastern Range becomes available.

Two prelaunch briefings will air the day prior to launch. At 1 p.m., scientists and researchers will discuss some of the investigations to be delivered to the station, and at 4 p.m., mission managers will provide an overview and status of launch operations.

Dubbed S.S. John Glenn, the Cygnus spacecraft name is a tribute to the former astronaut and U.S. Senator from Ohio. It will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Coverage of the spacecraft's solar array deployment will begin at 10:40 p.m., March 24, and will include post-launch interviews on console with mission managers.

Under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract, Cygnus will carry more than 7,600 pounds ofscience research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory in support of the Expedition 50 and 51 crew members.

The new experiments will include magnetized tools to make it easier to reproduce experiments on Earth, an antibody investigation that could increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment, and an advanced plant habitat for studying plant physiology and growth of fresh food in space. Cygnus also is carrying 38 CubeSats, including many built by university students from around the world as part of the QB50 program. The CubeSats are scheduled to deploy from either the spacecraft or space station in the coming months.

When Cygnus arrives to the space station, Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the space station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, to take hold of the spacecraft. After Canadarm2 captures Cygnus, ground commands will be sent for the station's arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the station's Unity module.

Cygnus will remain on the station until June, when it will depart with several tons of trash for a fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Prior to re-entry, a third experiment to test will be conducted to study how fire burns in space.

This is Orbital ATK's third launch from Cape Canaveral. Missions from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia are scheduled to resume for the eighth and subsequent contracted flights.

For an updated schedule of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV coverage, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/orbital-atk-crs-7-briefings-and-events

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

NASA TV Live

Follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at:

http://blogs.nasa.gov/orbital

SOURCE NASA

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NASA TV to Air Seventh Orbital ATK Resupply Mission to International Space Station - Broadway World

Students at Blair Pointe Elementary experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity last week as they were able to have a live chat with astronaut Shane Kimbrough, who is currently living and working abroad the International Space Station (ISS).

The assembly was held at the Peru High Schools auditorium where seats were filled by the third-through-sixth-graders as well as many community leaders who were in attendance.

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Contacting the space station - Peru Tribune

Long March 7 rocket lifting off June 25, 2016. Credit: CMSE

China is gearing up for the launch of its first cargo spacecraft intended to support a future space station.

The Long March 7 rocket that will launch the Tianzhou-1 spacecraft arrived last week at the Wenchang launch site for a launch planned for the latter half of April.

Tianzhou-1 will dock with the uncrewed Tiangong-2 module currently in orbit and test the ability to transfer propellant between the spacecraft and the module.

The launch will be the first for the Long March 7 since its inaugural flight last June carrying a set of experimental payloads. [gbtimes]

More News

NASA is planning to make decisions in the coming months on development of a gateway outpost in cislunar space.At a conference last week, NASAs Bill Gerstenmaier said that the agency will make some pretty crisp decisions in the coming months on what kinds of payloads to fly on future SLS missions that could support development of the outpost. The facility is part of NASAs long-term strategy to support human missions to Mars in the 2030s, but companies that have developed their own concepts for such an outpost, as part of NASAs NextSTEP program, say that the outpost could also support human missions to the surface of the moon by the U.S. or other nations. [SpaceNews]

Vice President Mike Pence met with Buzz Aldrinon Fridayto discuss space policy.In a tweet, Pence said he met with Aldrin at the White House as we work to shape the space policy of our administration. Neither Aldrin not the White House provided additional details about the meeting. In policy statements before the election, the Trump campaign said it would re-establish the National Space Council, which in the past has been led by the vice president. [Space.com]

Lockheed Martin has retired the Athena rocket.Steve Skladanek, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, said at the Satellite 2017 conference last week that the company does have one remaining Athena rocket in storage, but is not actively marketing it. The last Athena launch was in 2001, but Lockheed tried to revive the rocket several years ago to tap into the growing smallsat market.Skladanek also said that Lockheed, which markets the Atlas 5 to commercial customers, expects that vehicle to remain available for about five years after the introduction of the Vulcan rocket as the new rocket builds up its flight rate. [SpaceNews]

Planet unveiled an online tool that combines maps with imagery from its satellite constellation.Planet Explorer Beta, a free online tool, is designed to demonstrate the the ability of satellite imagery to track changes in regions over time. Planet currently operates 149 satellites, including 144 Dove cubesats and five larger RapidEye satellites, that collect 50 million square kilometers of imagery a day. [SpaceNews]

Boeing has successfully tested the parachute system for its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle.The test, carried out at Spaceport America in New Mexico, used a balloon to carry a mockup of the CST-100 crew capsule to an altitude of more than 12,000 meters. The capsule then dropped from the balloon and deployed a series of parachutes for a safe landing. Boeing plans a few more drops to complete qualification of the parachutes for flight. [Spaceport America]

Space Florida has approved a loan for OneWebs satellite manufacturing plant.The state space development agency arranged the loan for OneWeb through SunTrust Bank, and the Space Florida board approved the loanFriday. That loan, as well as state incentives, will be used to support construction of the factory outside the Kennedy Space Center gates, where OneWeb will build hundreds of its broadband communications satellites. A formal groundbreaking was planned for earlier this month but postponed because of what the company said was a scheduling conflict. [Florida Politics]

The Space Data Association (SDA) will work with Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI) to upgrade commercial space situational awareness capabilities.SDA announced last week it will partner with AGI tocreate an updated Space Data Center Space Traffic Management service, called SDC 2.0. The updated system is intended to provide more accurate information on the orbital locations of satellites of SDA member companies in order to provide better warnings of potential collisions. [SpaceNews]

Hughes Network Systems has won a contract to provide satellite communications services for British drones.The multi-million-dollar contract covers communications for the British militarys fleet of Predator B drones. The services will initially use X-band frequencies through the U.K.s Skynet 5 satellites, but is also designed to work with other satellites in other frequency bands. [SpaceNews]

Cheap satellite terminals, and not constellations of satellites, may be key to opening new markets for internet access.Executives at the Satellite 2017 conference last week said lowering the price of satellite terminals to less than $100 each is key to providing service in the developing world. Also sought are inexpensive flat-panel antennas that can be used on planes and other vehicles. [SpaceNews]

The movie about the life of Neil Armstrong has a release date, but youll need to be patient.First Man, the film about Armstrong based on the biography of the same name, is set to be released onOct. 12, 2018. The movie will be directed by Damien Chazelle, who won the Oscar for best director last month forLa La Land, and will star Ryan Gosling as Armstrong. [Space.com]

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China gearing up for launch of first cargo spacecraft to support future ... - SpaceNews