Monthly Archives: August 2021

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The full 11-member Expedition 65 crew poses for a photo aboard the International Space Station on April 24, 2021. On the back row (from left) are NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who arrived in the Soyuz MS-18.

In the center, wearing the black shirts, are the SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts (from left) JAXA's Akihiko Hoshide, NASA's Shane Kimbrough, ESA's Thomas Pesquet and NASA's Megan McArthur. On the left and right sides, SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts: NASA's Michael Hopkins, JAXA's Soichi Noguchi and NASA's Shannon Walker and Victor Glover.

After the SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts returned to Earth, only seven crewmembers were left on board the International Space Station. Framing the official Expedition 65 insignia, the entire crew comprised of three NASA astronauts, one ESA astronaut, a JAXA astronaut and two cosmonauts poses for a photo. From left: Pyotr Dubrov, Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Thomas Pesquet, Akihiko Hoshide, Oleg Novitskiy and Mark Vande Hei.

A full moon rises above Earth's horizon as the Russian Progress 75 (75P) cargo resupply ship, filled with trash, has separated from the International Space Station's Zvezda service module after spending a year docked with the orbiting lab. Progress 75 arrived on April 25, 2020 and departed the station on April 27, 2021, after which it safely burned up in Earth's atmosphere.

During Expedition 65, Russia launched its new, long-awaited Multipurpose Laboratory Module, also known as Nauka, to the International Space Station. Nauka docked with the ISS on July 29, 2021, after which it briefly misfired its thrusters and sent the station slowly tumbling in orbit. ISS flight controllers were able to fix the situation, and the astronauts were never in any danger, NASA said.

Nauka will serve as a science module for the Russian half of the orbiting lab. Here: a view of Russia's Nauka module docked with the International Space Station on July 29, 2021.

Inside the Columbus laboratory module on April 26, 2021, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet prepares hardware for the Grip experiment a motion study exploring human cognition in space and improving spacecraft interfaces.

NASA astronaut Megan McArthur and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, who arrived with SpaceX's Crew-1 mission, pose for a photo inside the International Space Station on April 26, 2021.

On May 2, 2021 the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience returned to Earth, and an astronaut at the International Space Station captured this view of the spacecraft's reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The craft safely carried astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi back to Earth.

On April 30, 2021 the SpaceX Crew-1 crewmates celebrated Flight Engineer Victor Glover's birthday aboard the International Space Station a couple of days before heading back to Earth.

Working in the Life Science Glovebox (LSG) in the Kibo laboratory module, NASA's Mark Vande Hei processes the Celestial Immunity study. The study may provide vaccine and drug insights and may advance the commercialization of space.

From inside the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on May 17, 2021, Oleg Novitiskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos pose for a photo.

Inside the International Space Station on May 17, 2021, ESA's Thomas Pesquet and NASA's Megan McArthur pose for a photo from inside the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module as well.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience, which flew on the Crew-1 mission, is pictured outside the Harmony module on May 1, 2021, just hours before safely returning the SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts back to Earth in the Gulf of Mexico.

Donning a virtual reality headset and clicking a trackball in the Columbus laboratory module, JAXA's Akihiko Hoshide participates in the Time Perception experiment. The human research study explores astronaut perceptions of space and time possibly impacting future navigation and fine motor coordination in microgravity.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide complete maintenance tasks on a pair of U.S. spacesuits inside the Quest airlock aboard the International Space Station, on May 4, 2021.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei works on the Celestial Immunity study inside the Life Science Glovebox on May 22, 2021. From inside the Kibo laboratory module, Vande Hei compares donor cell samples to Celestial Immunity samples in hopes of helping scientists develop new vaccines and medications.

A candid moment shared among the Expedition 65 astronauts is caught on camera on May 24, 2021. From right, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, Shane Kimbrogh and Mark Vande Hei laugh inside the Destiny laboratory module.

This unique image of a heart-shaped oasis in Egypt was captured by ESA's Thomas Pesquet and shared in honor of Mother's Day, on May 9, 2021.

Aboard the International Space Station, Thomas Pesquet captured a moment of R&R as he, NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA, in enjoying some European football.

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In photos: The astronauts of Expedition 65 to the International Space Station - Space.com

Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide poses for a photo after undergoing a generic blood draw in the European Laboratory/Columbus Orbital Facility (COF).

While Astronauts are out discovering the various facets of space, they also face several hazards. In addition to immediate risks like high-speed space debris, equipment malfunction and risky take-off and re-entry, a major, long-term threat is the constant exposure to space radiation. Now, to mitigate these risks, the US space agency NASA has developed a novel method to predict space radiation exposure on the International Space Station.

Space radiation originates from three primary sources: particles trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, particles shot into space during solar flares, and galactic cosmic rays, which originate outside our solar system. Exposure to such radiation causes changes in our DNA and increases the risk of diseases like cancer. This is why NASA has taken this initiative to protect astronauts from such hazards.

As gauging the long-term impact of the space radiation environment on the health of astronauts is challenging, scientists have attempted to measure the changes in an individual's chromosomes. The study's premise is to see how the sensitivity of an astronaut's DNA to radiation exposure on Earth can predict their DNA's response during spaceflight as measured by changes to their chromosomes.

The senior scientist Honglu Wu from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston said, "we wanted to know if it is possible to detect and measure radiation exposure damage in the bodies of astronauts, and if there were differences based on age, sex, and other factors that could be measured before they go into space.

"We hope to use these measurements to help develop and compare methods of protecting astronauts from radiation," he added.

Blood samples were taken by former NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy. Samples like these were taken before and after astronauts missions to space to measure radiation damage of astronauts in space.

Researchers studied astronauts' blood cells before they travelled to the station to determine their baseline chromosomal condition, against which any future alterations could be measured. Following that, these blood samples were subjected to gamma-ray radiation on Earth to see how quickly their cells accumulated these chromosomal alterations.

Earlier, people thought that the younger members are at a higher risk in the long-term since radiation exposure can take around 20 years to manifest into health complications like cancer. However, the research now showed that older crew members were more susceptible to chromosomal changes than the younger crew members.

"When thinking about going to Mars, we typically have thought it might be better to send older astronauts because of their experience and lower risk of developing cancer in their lifetime," said Wu. "Now, based on this new research, we know that we should study the age effects of radiation exposure more."

This study was published in the journal Nature-Scientific Reports and can be found here.

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As parts of the U.S. northeast brace for Hurricane Henri to make landfall in New York today (Aug. 22), astronauts and satellites are tracking the historic storm from space.

Henri, which reached category 1 hurricane status on Saturday, is forecast to make landfall on Long Island, New York by midday today, dropping torrents of rain on Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to the National Hurricane Center's morning update. Astronauts on the International Space Station spotted Henri from orbit on Saturday.

"We just flew over the East Coast and saw Hurricane Henri," NASA astronaut Megan McArthur wrote on Twitter while sharing a photo of the storm from space. "Stay safe friends."

Related: Amazing Hurricane Photos From Space

The Goes-East weather satellite tracked Henri's approach to the U.S. East Coast over the last few days, as well as Hurricane Grace, which made landfall in Mexico on the eastern Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday. One video from the satellite shows both storms churning across the Atlantic while Henri was still a tropical storm.

NASA's Terra satellite spotted Henri in the Atlantic on Friday (Aug. 20) as it was building strength as a tropical storm.

"Around the time of the image, Henri was located about 400 miles (640 kilometers) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and was moving toward the northwest," NASA's Kathryn Hansen wrote of the image in a description. Henri was just shy of hurricane category 1 status at the time, she added.

Hurricane Henri is the first hurricane to make landfall in the New England area in nearly 30 years. The last to hit New England was Hurricane Bob in 1991, while Long Island was hit by Hurricane Gloria in 1986, according to the New York Times.

Photos: The Most Powerful Storms of the Solar System

As of Sunday at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), Henri was located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south-southeast of Montauk Point, New York with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for the Long Island area and the southern coast of New England, as are storm surge and flooding warnings. With the outer bands of Henri expected to lash a wide swath of the northeastern U.S., a tropical storm warning is in effect for a region that stretches from New Jersey to Massachusetts, including New York City.

Email Tariq Malik attmalik@space.comor follow him@tariqjmalik. Follow us@Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram.

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Astronauts and satellites watch Hurricane Henri from space as US Northeast braces for storm - Space.com

The International Space Station as seen from a departing Soyuz spacecraft. (NASA Photo)

If your cell phone went out 17 times a day, for anywhere from 1 second to 20 minutes, youd get a new wireless provider. Thats basically what astronauts on the International Space Station are dealing with, but they dont have that option.

Thats how Mark Fernandez of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) explains the state of communications between the ISS and Earth and its one reason hes excited to have a computer on board.

Fernandez is principal investigator for HPEs Spaceborne Computer-2, which was launched to the International Space Station in February.

The communications continuity for the space station is very fragile, he explained. So we need to empower [astronauts] to be more autonomous. And by having Spaceborne Computer-2 board, not only does it build up their confidence, but it builds up their ability to solve their own problems without relying on Earth.

That makes the International Space Station an extreme case study for edge computing, the concept of bringing storage and processing closer to the source of data to improve speed and reduce the bandwidth needed for cloud computing.

Were seeing more scenarios move to the edge, and that is changing how developers think about writing applications, and how they think about bandwidth and the scarcity of bandwidth, said TomKeane,Microsoft Azure corporate vice president. And space, of course, gives you a great understanding.

For Microsoft, the project is part of a larger effort called Azure Space that also includes partnerships with SpaceX and others.

HPEs Spaceborne Computer-2 uses off-the-shelf servers and components encased in hardware designed for harsh environments. Microsoft and HPE have worked together to connect Spaceborne Computer-2 to Azure from orbit to enable advanced artificial intelligence applications on the ISS.

Theyre using standard and open-source tools such as Python and Linux containers to ensure that others can participate or build on their approaches in the future.

The companies announced Wednesday that theyve completed their first experiments. Theyve ranged from successful hello world message to tests on a potato that was grown onboard the ISS in zero gravity, to better understand the cause of its deformities.

But the big test so far has been an intensive analysis of astronaut genomes, seeking new clues about the impact of extended stays in space on the human body.

The raw data amounts to hundreds of gigabytes, an impractical size to attempt to transmit under the circumstances. Spaceborne Computer-2 is allocated two hours a week for downloads from the ISS over an aging system that uses Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) to connect to base stations on Earth.

Instead, the companies took software developed by Microsoft and packaged it up into Linux containers to process astronaut genomes on Spaceborne Computer-2. Then they sent the details of any mutations down to Earth to analyze against National Institutes of Health databases and generate the results.

Thats a short little message that we can return back to the Space Station, Fernandez said. Its been taking weeks, if not months, to download that genome previously, whereas we can download in just a few minutes once weve processed at the edge.

The companies say theyve completed a total of four experiments so far, with four more underway and 29 more planned beyond that. Spaceborne Computer-2 is expected to be used for research projects at the ISS for two to three years.

Time is of the essence: Congress has authorized the ISS budget through 2024, but even if the budget is extended, its not expected to go beyond 2030.

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Computing at the edge of space: HPE and Microsoft conduct International Space Station experiments - GeekWire

For 22 years the International Space Station (ISS) was the only station in orbit (except for a period from1986 to 2001 when the Russian Mir station was in operation). Amultinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies (United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency), the orbiting station dominated space, but now it has competition.

TheTiangong space station is being constructed in low Earth orbitbetween 340 and 450km (210 and 280mi) above the surface. Itsfirst module, theTianhe("Harmony of the Heavens") core capsule, was launched on 29 April 2021 and two more modules are set to be launched next year.

So, how will the new station compare to the ISS?

Let's start with the basics. How high in the sky is each space station? The ISS roams at an altitude of around400 km (258 mi), while Tinagong will orbit between 340 and 450km (210 and 280mi) above the surface. So basically, the two stations do not differ much on this criteria.

When fully loaded, theTiangong Space Station could have a mass of around 100 metric tons (220,500 lb), roughly one-fifth the mass of the ISS. Coincidentally this is around the size of the decommissioned Russian Mir space station.

Both the ISS and Tiangong use solar power to sustain themselves.The ISS's electrical system uses photovoltaics, where solar cells directly convert sunlight to electricity.Large numbers of cells are assembled in arrays to produce high power levels, but this process sometimesbuilds up excess heat that can damage spacecraft equipment.

To deal with this, the ISS uses radiators shaded from sunlight and aligned toward the cold void of deep space to dissipate heat away from the spacecraft.

Meanwhile, Tiangong uses two steerable solar power arrays located on each module. These make use of usegallium arsenidephotovoltaiccells to convert sunlight into electricity. The station also stores energy for the period when the orbiting station is no longer exposed to the sun.

At first, these two methods might sound very similar, but they do have important differences. The main one is that Tiangong uses solar arrays whereas the ISS uses "wings." These solar array wings often abbreviated SAW consist of two retractable "blankets" of solar cells and are the largest ever deployed in space.

Each wing weighs more than 2,400 pounds, can reach 35 metres (115ft) in length, and 12 metres (39ft) in width when extended.Altogether, the four sets of arrays can generate 84 to 120 kilowatts of electricity enough to provide power to more than 40 homes.

However, since the station is not always in direct sunlight, it also relies on lithium-ion batteries to see it through dark periods. These account for 35 minutes of a 90-minute orbit. The batteries are recharged when sunlight is present. Up until2017, the ISS relied on nickel-hydrogen batteries. These were replaced from 2017 to 2021 with more effective lithium-ion ones.

The Chinesespace station is set to be a third-generation modular space station, just like the ISS. Third-generation space stations are modular stations, assembled in orbit from pieces launched separately.

The Chinese space station is currently set to have three modules (the Tianhe core module, the Wentian Laboratory Cabin Module, and the Mengtian Laboratory Cabin Module) whereas the ISS has a whopping 16 modules, with two more scheduled to be added.The ISS is made up offive Russian modules (Zarya,Pirs,Zvezda,Poisk, andRassvet), eight U.S. modules (BEAM, Leonardo,Harmony,Quest,Tranquility,Unity,Cupola, andDestiny), two Japanese modules (theJEM-ELM-PSandJEM-PM) and one European module (Columbus).

The Tiangong space station is constructed around the Tianhe core module. This section is the main one and provides life support and living quarters for three crew members, as well as guidance, navigation, andorientationcontrol for the station. This is also where the station's power, propulsion, and life support systems are kept.It boasts three sections: living quarters, a service section, and a docking hub.

The ISS on the other hand is divided into two sections. There's theRussian Orbital Segment (ROS) that is operated by Russia, and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS) that is run by the United States, together with a number of other nations. Each has its own living quarters as well as science laboratories.

The ISS boasts very useful and efficient robotic arms and airlocks that are not present in the Chinese space station.

"Robotic arms are mounted outside the space station. The robot arms were used to help build the space station. Those arms also can move astronauts around when they go on spacewalks outside. Other arms operate science experiments," writes NASA in a statement.

"Astronauts can go on spacewalks throughairlocksthat open to the outside. Docking ports allow other spacecraft to connect to the space station. New crews and visitors arrivethrough the ports. Astronauts fly to the space station on the Russian Soyuz. Robotic spacecraft use the docking ports to deliver supplies."

Tiangong is fitted with the Chinese Docking Mechanism, based on the Russian Androgynous Peripheral Attach System(APAS-89/APAS-95) system. This isused by Shenzhou spacecraft and also in previous Tiangong prototypes.

There have been claims that Tiangong's docking system is a clone of the APAS system, which should make it compatible with the ISS's docking system. However, others argue that the two systems are not fully compatible.

The ISS's mission is to testspacecraft systems that will be required for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars and Taingong's is quite similar. TheChina Manned Space Agency (CMSA), who operates the space station, has listed the new space station's purpose as:

"Further development of spacecraft rendezvous technology; Breakthrough in key technologies such as permanent human operations in orbit, long-term autonomous spaceflight of the space station, regenerative life support technology, and autonomous cargo and fuel supply technology; Test of next-generation orbit transportation vehicles; Scientific and practical applications at large-scale in orbit; Development of technology that can aid future deep space exploration."

The ISS has supported as many as 13 crew members onboard whereas the Taingong is currently equipped to handle three.

OK, it's not fair to compare the experiments of the two stations, considering the ISS has been around for over two decades, but it should be noted that Tiangong has an ambitious experimental schedule planned.The new space station will be equipped to hold more than 20 experimental racks with enclosed, pressurized environments, and more than 1,000 experiments have been tentatively approved by CMSA.

These include experiments in space life sciences and biotechnology, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, material science in space, and fundamental physics in microgravity, all areas that the ISS's experiments also explore.

In the end, the two space stations share more similarities than differences. They are both space stations after all. What will be interesting to see is if the Chinese space station slowly grows to be as big and as productive as the ISS. Its makers definitely have the ambition to make it so. Time will tell whether they reach this lofty goal.

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Here's How the Chinese Tiangong Space Station Compares to the ISS - Interesting Engineering

It began with a 3D printer. It may end with factories in space.

In 2013, NASA announced it was collaborating with specialized 3D printing company Made in Space on a "Printing in Zero G Experiment" to see if 3D printers could print replacement machine parts, tools, and other equipment for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

One of the first items printed in space, says Made in Space, was a simple wrench -- needed to replace an astronaut's misplaced wrench. As it turned out, this was an ideal experiment for two reasons: First, because it demonstrated the advantages of being able to print a necessary item immediately and on-site, rather than being required to "phone home" to Houston and have a new wrench sent up by rocket.

And second, because of the potential cost savings. You see, getting anything physical from Earth to orbit -- be it a satellite or a computer or just a simple wrench -- costs a minimum of $5,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds). But once it's possible to take raw materials collected "in space," and print them into new, finished items, the cost to orbit will shrink to the cost of emailing a set of instructions to the printer.

And there's a third advantage to manufacturing in space, too -- and it's a big one for investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

Turns out that one of the best reasons to manufacture things in space, is the fact that some things can only be manufactured in a zero-gravity environment -- which brings us to Varda Space Industries and Rocket Lab.

S&P Global Market Intelligence shows that Varda Space, which operates out of a Los Angeles suburb just a few miles south of SpaceX, has already attracted $51 million in start-up money from venture capital firms. The company says its mission is to build "the world's first commercial zero-gravity industrial park" in orbit. Only there, says the company, are the conditions right for manufacturing "more powerful fiber optic cables" and "new, life-saving pharmaceuticals" that can't be produced on Earth.

First, though, Varda needs to prove the concept. And for that, it turned to small rocket launcher and soon-to-be IPO Rocket Lab, currently known by its SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) name, Vector Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:VACQ).

As the companies announced last week, Varda has hired Rocket Lab to produce for it three, or possibly four, Photon spacecraft to carry its Varda "space factories" into orbit. Weighing in at just 120 kilograms (265 pounds) each, "factory" is probably a generous term, but Varda says that's big enough to permit each factory to crank out 40 kilograms (88 pounds) to 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of finished goods over the course of three months in orbit. Crucially, these factories will also include "re-entry modules" to return the products manufactured in space to Earth -- which is the ultimate goal of putting factories in space, after all.

"But wait!" you object. Even if Varda's space factories are able to successfully turn raw materials into finished products in space, won't they need to bring the raw materials along with them in the first place?

And the answer to that question is "yes." Similar to how things work with 3D printing on the ISS, Varda is going to have to pay to launch both the space factories themselves, and also the raw materials they will work with. So in this first attempt, at least, we won't see any immediate solution to the high cost of moving mass from Earth to orbit.

That being said, Varda and Rocket Lab are still breaking new ground here, and blazing a trail toward the concept of putting factories in orbit. If they succeed, then the next logical step will be to begin hunting for raw materials already present in space (the moon being the most likely place to prospect). And with access to raw materials secured, Varda envisions a day when it might be building space factories as large as the ISS itself and manufacturing goods in zero gravity at scale.

At that point, it should be possible to cheaply manufacture unique products that can only be manufactured in space, and then deliver them down to Earth.

We're probably years, if not decades, away from seeing this become a reality. But once it happens, an entirely new space economy will be born, offering all sorts of new possibilities for investment. Varda's and Rocket Lab's mission will be one of the first baby steps toward making that happen -- and it will happen in Q1 2023.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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Factories in Space? Yeah, That's a Thing Now - Motley Fool