Category Archives: Space Station

WASHINGTON NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says he will soon speak with his Russian counterpart in the hopes of continuing long-standing cooperation between the two countries in space even as Russias ties to China grow stronger.

In a discussion with reporters at NASA Headquarters after his State of NASA speech June 2, Nelson said he is scheduled to speak by phone with Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on June 4, regarding Russias willingness to continue participating in the International Space Station program.

What I hope is that theyre going to think long and hard before they would pull out of the cooperation that they have had with us, he said.

Some Russian officials have suggested in recent months that Russia could pull out of the ISS program as soon as the mid-2020s in favor of a new national space station program. Rogozin, in a June 3 interview with TASS, said that Russia had done all the research it wanted in the space stations orbit, at an inclination of 51 degrees, and argued that a new Russian station in a sun-synchronous orbit would be useful for monitoring Arctic regions.

Rogozin also said in the interview that the aging of the ISS, and growing maintenance costs, was a factor. While he did not commit to ending participation in the station as soon as 2025, he suggested the ISS would not last beyond 2030.

NASA officials have played down the prospects of Russia exiting the ISS partnership. Kathy Lueders, NASAs associate administrator for human exploration and operations, noted after the State of NASA event that two Russian cosmonauts had, earlier in the day, performed a spacewalk lasting more than seven hours to prepare for the removal of the Pirs module. That will free up a port for the new, and long-delayed, Nauka module scheduled for launch July 15.

Launching a new module and activating it is not a sign of pulling out of the relationship, she concluded.

At the same time that Russian officials have proposed ending cooperation with NASA on the ISS, they have taken steps to form a new partnership with China on a proposed International Lunar Research Station. The two countries have invited other nations to join that project, and plan to hold side meetings with prospective partners during the Global Space Exploration (GLEX) Conference later this month in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Nelson, who said he plans to participate virtually in that conference, raised an alarm about growing cooperation between China and Russia in space exploration. Now youre hearing the talk, and serious talk, about Russia and China hitching up together and going to the moon. That is concerning, he said.

Nelson did not mention specific topics for his discussion with Rogozin beyond the future of the ISS partnership. Rogozin said in the TASS interview that he expects to talk with Nelson about proposals to exchange seats between Soyuz and commercial crew vehicles, allowing NASA astronauts to ride on Soyuz spacecraft in exchange for Russian cosmonauts going on Crew Dragon and Starliner vehicles.

Rogozin called Nelson an experienced man in the interview and said he looked forward to his one-on-one call and Nelsons participation at GLEX. The man says wise things, he said of Nelson.

Speaking at a meeting of two National Academies committees May 25, Nelson offered measured praise for Rogozin, who remains sanctioned by the U.S. government for his role as deputy prime minister of Russia during its annexation of Crimea and incursion into eastern Ukraine in 2014.

He has been solid with regard to the continuation of the cooperation with us in space, and I hope that continues, Nelson said of Rogozin. I will certainly urge him to continue that.

Nelson also suggested after the State of NASA event that space may come up during a summit meeting between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin June 16 in Geneva. Nelson called Biden a space fan and noted the presidents several public appearances associated with NASA since taking office in January.

When he talks with Vladimir Putin, I bet that will be one of the things on their agenda, Nelson said.

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Nelson to speak with Rogozin on the future of the ISS - SpaceNews

Two astronauts, currently aboard the International Space Station, took to Twitter to share the images.

By Trisha Sengupta

PUBLISHED ON JUN 03, 2021 08:30 AM IST

If youre a regular user of the Internet, chances are you have seen the various images of Earth captured from the International Space Station (ISS). Amazing, mesmerising, and beautiful, are some among the many adjectives that people often use to react to such pictures. There is a high possibility that youll also be using those words and more after seeing these incredible images shared by two astronauts who are currently aboard ISS.

The first image is tweeted by astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei and it shows the majestic Himalayas. Somewhere on a clear, bright day in the Himalayas. I cant get enough views like this, he wrote while sharing the picture.

Another picture, shared by astronaut Shane Kimbrough, shows an Italian city named Turin. Turin, Italy a city with rich history and culture in northern Italy is easy to spot from @Space_Station, he shared along with the image.

Both the posts received tons of appreciative comments from people. Many expressed their wonder while reacting to the pictures.

What are your thoughts on the images shared by the astronauts?

By Khyati Sanger

PUBLISHED ON MAY 28, 2021 12:24 PM IST

NASA took to Instagram to share a picture of Istanbul, city seems to be glowing.

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Astronauts share images of Himalayas and Italy taken from space. Seen them yet? - Hindustan Times

Chinas first module of its upcoming Tiangong space station makes use of ion drives, technology that could vastly cut down the time it takes to travel to Mars and greatly reduce the amount of fuel needed to make that trip, as the South China Morning Postreports.

The module, called Tianhe and launched in late April, is powered by four ion thrusters that use electricity to accelerate ions as a form of propulsion. In fact, the module could soon become the first spacecraft in history to transport humans using the technology, according to SCMP.

Ion drives are orders of magnitude more efficient compared to chemical propulsion. To keep the International Space Station in orbit for a year, the thrusters consume four tons of rocket fuel. With ion thrusters, itd need just 400 kilograms to stay in orbit for the same amount of time, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A trip to Mars could be cut down from eight months to just 39 days.

China is betting big on ion thrusters, hoping to use them not just for its space station but for upcoming satellite constellations and nuclear-powered spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to Mars as well, according to SCMP.

The technology has been around for decades, but mainstream adoption has been hampered by the fact that the thrust produced isnt very significant. Scaling up the thrusters could end up putting astronauts in danger and shorten the lifespan of satellites.

But scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences may have cracked the code. One of its ion drives currently in development has been burning for more than 11 months straight, according to the newspaper.

A magnetic field makes sure the particles dont create any damage or erode the engine, while a special ceramic material stops it from getting damaged by radiation.

Space projects are usually very big, an anonymous Beijing-based space scientist told SCMP. A typical mission involves hundreds or even thousands of individuals. But the competition in space is essentially a competition over some very small but extremely important details.

The ion thruster is one of those areas where the devil is in the detail, the scientist added.

READ MORE: How Chinas space station could help power astronauts to Mars[South China Morning Sea]

More on ion thrusters: This Mini Ion Thruster Is Adorably Tiny

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Originally posted here:
China's New Space Station Is Powered by Ion Thrusters - Futurism

Were finally able to open our doors to private citizens and allow others to experience the magic of living and working in space, said Dana Weigel, deputy manager for the space station at NASA. The dream is really to allow everyone access to space, and this is a pretty exciting starting point here.

Producers of Discoverys Who Wants to Be an Astronaut expect the winner to be on board for the second Axiom mission to the space station, which might take off six or seven months after the first one. For now, an agreement between the Discovery team and Axiom has not been finalized, and NASA has yet to choose Axiom to conduct the second private space tourism flight.

The NASA-led part of the station could accommodate two private astronaut missions a year, space agency officials have said, and other companies are also interested in participating.

We are seeing a lot of interest in private astronaut missions, even outside of Axiom, Ms. Weigel said. At this point, the demand exceeds what we actually believe the opportunities on station will be.

Still, on Tuesday, Axiom announced two people who would be in the seats for that second mission: Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who now works for Axiom, will be the commander, and John Shoffner, a paying passenger who made his fortune as head of a company that manufactures conduits for fiber optic cables, will serve as pilot for the mission.

Dr. Whitson, who holds the record for the most cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut 665 days joined Axiom as a consultant a year ago, in hopes of getting to space again and adding to her record. Yes, most definitely, she said. That was the carrot.

Mr. Peterson said plans for the Discovery show grew out of discussions with Axiom early in 2020 and that it would be a premium documentary and less like Survivor or other ruthless reality television competitions.

See the rest here:
Space Station May Host Wave of TV Shows and Films - The New York Times

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --UltraSight, a digital health pioneer, transforming cardiac imaging through the power of AI, announced that it will conduct a study as part of the upcoming 'Rakia' space mission. UltraSight was selected by the Israel Space Agency in collaboration with The Ramon Foundation to conduct a study as part of the upcoming 'Rakia' space mission. The study will be held in collaboration with the Israeli Aerospace Medicine Institute (IAMI).

"Research has shown that the space environment negatively impacts the human cardiovascular system of astronauts spending long durations in space," said Eran Schenker, MD, Chief Innovation Medical Officer, IAMI. "Providing easy access to cardiac diagnostic information, for ongoing cardiac monitoring or for emergency medical interventions is of critical importance."

UltraSight's AI software platform pairs with handheld ultrasound devices to conduct sonography at the point- of care, whether in space or in primary care settings, helping more patients to be accurately diagnosed and treated. UltraSight offers users with no sonography training, real-time guidance and assessment, in order to easily acquire diagnostic quality images. This novel solution holds great potential to provide critical medical information of crewmembers during flight even without a trained sonographer on board or in the mission control center.

During the upcoming space mission, Col. (res.) Eytan Stibbe, will operate a handheld ultrasound device and acquire cardiac ultrasound images using UltraSight's real-time guidance. By acquiring cardiac images several times throughout the space mission, the study aims to monitor changes in heart anatomy during long stays in a microgravity environment. Furthermore, the study will provide additional validation for the ability to introduce cardiac ultrasound to rural and underserved communities.

"Our goal in the upcoming space study is to prove that with UltraSight's real-time guidance, any astronaut can acquire quality cardiac images, simply and independently of ground mission control or trained medical professionals," said Davidi Vortman, CEO of UltraSight. "Our novel technology carries the potential of increasing patient access to cardiac imaging and better care," he added.

About UltraSight

UltraSight aims to revolutionize cardiac sonography through the power of machine learning to enable more accurate and timely clinical decisions. The UltraSight automated guidance system and advanced usability features help bring the benefits of cardiac imaging to more healthcare professionals in new care settings, allowing patients access to ultrasound anywhere.

UltraSight won the TCT 2020 Innovation Competition which took place during the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics world conference.

Media Contact Luna Newton [emailprotected]+1-(917)-755-1655

SOURCE UltraSight

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UltraSight Selected to Conduct a Study Onboard the International Space Station - PRNewswire

When astronauts venture outside of the International Space Station to go on spacewalks, the most important thing they have to do is focus.This may sound simple, but imagine trying to focus on a memorized set of tasks while stepping out of an airlock and wearing a 300-pound spacesuit with the glow of planet Earth and the sun and the dark void of the universe all around you. A tether connects you to the space station, and the absence of gravity keeps you from falling."There's a lot of things that you really need to do, one of which is just keep your focus, even though it's amazing out there," said NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. "It's really truly breathtaking. The only thing between you and the rest of the universe, seeing the whole cosmos of creation, is the glass faceplate of your visor on your helmet, and it's just awe-inspiring."Depending on the orientation of the space station, which completes 16 orbits of the Earth each day while moving at 17,500 miles per hour, our planet can appear above or below the astronauts.Fincke is a veteran of spaceflight. He's spent 382 days in space, and he's gone on nine spacewalks in Russian and American spacesuits. Fincke is training in Texas for his fourth spaceflight and will launch to the space station later this year on the first crewed experimental test flight of Boeing's Starliner.More than 550 people have been to space and about half of them have been on a spacewalk, Fincke said. Spacewalks are often referred to as EVAs, or extravehicular activities.The first spacewalk by an American astronaut was conducted by NASA astronaut Ed White on June 3, 1965. He left the Gemini 4 capsule at 3:45 p.m. ET and remained outside of it for 23 minutes. (Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov completed the world's first spacewalk on March 18 of that year.)Gemini 4 circled the Earth 66 times in four days. During the spacewalk, White began over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and went back inside the capsule as they flew over the Gulf of Mexico.He exited the spacecraft using a hand-held oxygen-jet gun to push himself out, attached to a 25-foot safety tether. NASA astronaut James McDivitt, on the mission with White, took photos of White in space from inside the capsule.White later said the spacewalk was the most comfortable part of the mission, and said the order to end it was the "saddest moment" of his life, according to NASA.Spacewalks: Part of the jobSpacewalks are part of life on the space station. The orbiting laboratory, which has served as a home away from home in low-Earth orbit for astronauts over the past 20 years, requires routine maintenance, upgrades and sometimes, emergency repairs.These walks usually involve two astronauts working outside of the station for about six-and-a-half hours.But countless hours of training and preparation precede any spacewalk experience to keep astronauts safe."A spacewalk is probably the most dangerous thing that we do," Fincke said. "I think it's more dangerous than launching and landing, even though those are really tricky things. If we become separated from the International Space Station, it's super dangerous. Now we have ways to prevent that because it is dangerous, but going outside is an extremely dangerous thing to do."Spacewalks are also incredibly hard and physically demanding, despite the fact that gravity isn't weighing them down."You have to remember a lot of things, you have to memorize a lot of things, you have to think in real time, and, by the way, you're moving that 300-pound piece of equipment around your body and every movement that you make is physically demanding," he said. "And to be able to do that in a calm, cool and collected way while breathing pure oxygen that's only 1/3 or 1/4 of the atmospheric pressure of planet Earth with everybody's eyes on you and trying to make sure you do the job. That is a really tough day."All of the hard work pays off. So far, every spacewalk has been conducted safely.Preparing to walk in spaceTraining on the ground before spaceflight helps astronauts focus on knowing their spacesuits, tools and understanding the tasks they'll be asked to perform."Each spacesuit is its own little spaceship," Fincke said. "It has its own electrical power and thermal control system, oxygen and everything you need to survive for six to eight hours. We have to know our equipment just like anybody who goes on an expedition mountain climbing or underwater. It's what keeps you alive, so we need to know our equipment very well."Understanding how to maneuver in the suit can also help astronauts prepare for what it's like to handle tools in space while wearing big, thick gloves in a pressurized suit.Additionally, there's a choreography to planning the movements of two people working outside of the space station, at times together and other times on separate tasks.But how can astronauts possibly prepare for a spacewalk on Earth?Pool timeThey do it by plunging into the deep end of the pool otherwise known as NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. It's similar for crew training in Russia as well at the Hydrolab."The reason why we train underwater is because we actually wear real spacesuits, we do real tasks and we feel like we are weightless when actually we're just neutrally buoyant so we're floating," Fincke said.Neutral buoyancy means they aren't at the top or the bottom of the pool, so for astronauts, it feels like they're outside in space. Fincke said training in this kind of lab prepared him so well for his first spacewalk that it felt almost exactly the same. The training is that intensive and comprehensive, he said.Naturally, some things can't be simulated, such as the light and temperature changes astronauts experience during their spacewalks. The station's orbit around Earth can expose the astronauts to blinding, hot light from the sun or plunge them into cold darkness, moving from one extreme to the other. While the spacesuits protect them from extreme temperatures, the astronauts can still feel a shift.Spacewalk veterans can act as instructor astronauts to those in training. One thing Fincke often shares with astronauts preparing for spacewalks is understanding their spacesuits inside and out.Exiting the space station's airlock and going outside isn't a quick process; astronauts have to breathe pure oxygen for a while beforehand to avoid decompression sickness, or "the bends."During Fincke's first spacewalk, he breathed pure oxygen at a high rate for 30 minutes, closed his valve and went outside. But the valve didn't actually close, causing him to rapidly lose oxygen and the spacewalk was cut short."Had I been listening or had I understood my suit more, I could have actually heard the oxygen flow in at a slightly higher rate," Fincke said. "Sometimes it's those little things that you hear that can make make a difference."They figured out a solution and completed the walk a few days later. This whole scenario is actually part of an episode of the children's show "Arthur." Fincke appeared as an animated version of himself in an episode called "Buster Spaces Out" as an example to kids about working together to come up with a solution.Ground controlThe ideal amount of time to plan a spacewalk is six months, according to Sarah Korona, EVA flight controller at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Of course, there are extremes, like a spacewalk she worked on planning for two years while they waited for a piece of hardware to launch, or two days if there's an emergency outside of the space station.If you've ever watched a spacewalk, she's one of the people you'll see sitting in what's called the "front room" on the ground. That's because there are many people working behind the scenes in backrooms to monitor every aspect of the space station, astronauts and spacewalk to provide support. Flight controlling is truly a team effort, she said.Korona and her EVA team build relationships with the astronauts and even get to know their mannerisms because they work together on the ground for years in training. When the flight controllers learn that something outside the space station needs to be fixed, removed, replaced or installed, they plan what hardware is needed, determine the tools required and begin choreographing a plan to accomplish the tasks.The plan is run in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab and crew members provide feedback to ensure that they've created the most efficient spacewalk.There's a flurry of activity on the ground and the space station the week leading up to a spacewalk. On the station, the astronauts prepare their suits, life support systems and tools. They have video conferences with the ground teams to go over every detail of the task plan.The American spacesuits essentially come in parts, so the astronauts can customize them for the best fit. On spacewalk day, they get up early and their fellow crew members on the space station help them suit up. These crew members will also monitor them from inside the space station during the walk.The ground team works in multiple shifts to ensure that every aspect leading up to and after the spacewalk is covered. A normal shift for a flight controller is about nine hours and it's very taxing, Korona said. Flight controllers follow a plan of procedures about 30-pages thick for the astronauts step by step, but there are also contingency plans in case anything goes wrong.Video views from the helmet cameras and those outside of the space station help the flight controllers monitor what's happening.About every 90 minutes, the astronauts check their gloves and helmet absorption pad, or HAP, to make sure there is no water inside their helmets or tears in the gloves. Teams also monitor the astronauts' consumables oxygen, water for cooling, battery power and carbon dioxide removal.This can determine the length of the spacewalk if these start to run out.Spacewalks of the futureSpacewalks are crucial to maintain the space station, but the knowledge gained during these outings can inform the way astronauts approach repairs to their own spacecraft as we push the boundaries of exploration.With NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man near the lunar south pole by 2024, humans will be staying on the moon for longer than the short visits Apollo astronauts experienced. As we explore the moon and eventually Mars, astronauts will need to be able to repair and maintain their suits, spacecraft and habitats.With Fincke's upcoming mission, he hopes to add another spacewalk to his already impressive list. He said each of his own spacewalks has been memorable, but some moments tend to stand out more than others.During one of his spacewalks, the two crew members finished solving a problem outside of the station and asked teams on the ground what they should do with their remaining time outside. They were asked to take photographs outside of the station because it's impacted by micrometeorites and other things in space something the ground team wanted to track.Fincke took pictures of the space station until it grew dark as they moved into an orbital nighttime. Unable to take photos, Fincke securely clamped himself to the outside of the station and watched as they flew over the dark side of Earth. The universe was his scenery.Astronauts have such a packed schedule of tasks when they exit the space station that there are really only seconds or moments when they can stop and appreciate the view.Fincke said he'll never forget those 23 minutes for the rest of his life.

When astronauts venture outside of the International Space Station to go on spacewalks, the most important thing they have to do is focus.

This may sound simple, but imagine trying to focus on a memorized set of tasks while stepping out of an airlock and wearing a 300-pound spacesuit with the glow of planet Earth and the sun and the dark void of the universe all around you. A tether connects you to the space station, and the absence of gravity keeps you from falling.

"There's a lot of things that you really need to do, one of which is just keep your focus, even though it's amazing out there," said NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. "It's really truly breathtaking. The only thing between you and the rest of the universe, seeing the whole cosmos of creation, is the glass faceplate of your visor on your helmet, and it's just awe-inspiring."

Depending on the orientation of the space station, which completes 16 orbits of the Earth each day while moving at 17,500 miles per hour, our planet can appear above or below the astronauts.

Fincke is a veteran of spaceflight. He's spent 382 days in space, and he's gone on nine spacewalks in Russian and American spacesuits. Fincke is training in Texas for his fourth spaceflight and will launch to the space station later this year on the first crewed experimental test flight of Boeing's Starliner.

More than 550 people have been to space and about half of them have been on a spacewalk, Fincke said. Spacewalks are often referred to as EVAs, or extravehicular activities.

The first spacewalk by an American astronaut was conducted by NASA astronaut Ed White on June 3, 1965. He left the Gemini 4 capsule at 3:45 p.m. ET and remained outside of it for 23 minutes. (Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov completed the world's first spacewalk on March 18 of that year.)

Gemini 4 circled the Earth 66 times in four days. During the spacewalk, White began over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and went back inside the capsule as they flew over the Gulf of Mexico.

He exited the spacecraft using a hand-held oxygen-jet gun to push himself out, attached to a 25-foot safety tether. NASA astronaut James McDivitt, on the mission with White, took photos of White in space from inside the capsule.

White later said the spacewalk was the most comfortable part of the mission, and said the order to end it was the "saddest moment" of his life, according to NASA.

Spacewalks are part of life on the space station. The orbiting laboratory, which has served as a home away from home in low-Earth orbit for astronauts over the past 20 years, requires routine maintenance, upgrades and sometimes, emergency repairs.

NASA

These walks usually involve two astronauts working outside of the station for about six-and-a-half hours.

But countless hours of training and preparation precede any spacewalk experience to keep astronauts safe.

"A spacewalk is probably the most dangerous thing that we do," Fincke said. "I think it's more dangerous than launching and landing, even though those are really tricky things. If we become separated from the International Space Station, it's super dangerous. Now we have ways to prevent that because it is dangerous, but going outside is an extremely dangerous thing to do."

Spacewalks are also incredibly hard and physically demanding, despite the fact that gravity isn't weighing them down.

"You have to remember a lot of things, you have to memorize a lot of things, you have to think in real time, and, by the way, you're moving that 300-pound piece of equipment around your body and every movement that you make is physically demanding," he said. "And to be able to do that in a calm, cool and collected way while breathing pure oxygen that's only 1/3 or 1/4 of the atmospheric pressure of planet Earth with everybody's eyes on you and trying to make sure you do the job. That is a really tough day."

All of the hard work pays off. So far, every spacewalk has been conducted safely.

Training on the ground before spaceflight helps astronauts focus on knowing their spacesuits, tools and understanding the tasks they'll be asked to perform.

"Each spacesuit is its own little spaceship," Fincke said. "It has its own electrical power and thermal control system, oxygen and everything you need to survive for six to eight hours. We have to know our equipment just like anybody who goes on an expedition mountain climbing or underwater. It's what keeps you alive, so we need to know our equipment very well."

Understanding how to maneuver in the suit can also help astronauts prepare for what it's like to handle tools in space while wearing big, thick gloves in a pressurized suit.

Additionally, there's a choreography to planning the movements of two people working outside of the space station, at times together and other times on separate tasks.

But how can astronauts possibly prepare for a spacewalk on Earth?

They do it by plunging into the deep end of the pool otherwise known as NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. It's similar for crew training in Russia as well at the Hydrolab.

"The reason why we train underwater is because we actually wear real spacesuits, we do real tasks and we feel like we are weightless when actually we're just neutrally buoyant so we're floating," Fincke said.

Neutral buoyancy means they aren't at the top or the bottom of the pool, so for astronauts, it feels like they're outside in space. Fincke said training in this kind of lab prepared him so well for his first spacewalk that it felt almost exactly the same. The training is that intensive and comprehensive, he said.

Naturally, some things can't be simulated, such as the light and temperature changes astronauts experience during their spacewalks. The station's orbit around Earth can expose the astronauts to blinding, hot light from the sun or plunge them into cold darkness, moving from one extreme to the other. While the spacesuits protect them from extreme temperatures, the astronauts can still feel a shift.

Spacewalk veterans can act as instructor astronauts to those in training. One thing Fincke often shares with astronauts preparing for spacewalks is understanding their spacesuits inside and out.

Exiting the space station's airlock and going outside isn't a quick process; astronauts have to breathe pure oxygen for a while beforehand to avoid decompression sickness, or "the bends."

During Fincke's first spacewalk, he breathed pure oxygen at a high rate for 30 minutes, closed his valve and went outside. But the valve didn't actually close, causing him to rapidly lose oxygen and the spacewalk was cut short.

"Had I been listening or had I understood my suit more, I could have actually heard the oxygen flow in at a slightly higher rate," Fincke said. "Sometimes it's those little things that you hear that can make make a difference."

They figured out a solution and completed the walk a few days later. This whole scenario is actually part of an episode of the children's show "Arthur." Fincke appeared as an animated version of himself in an episode called "Buster Spaces Out" as an example to kids about working together to come up with a solution.

The ideal amount of time to plan a spacewalk is six months, according to Sarah Korona, EVA flight controller at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Of course, there are extremes, like a spacewalk she worked on planning for two years while they waited for a piece of hardware to launch, or two days if there's an emergency outside of the space station.

If you've ever watched a spacewalk, she's one of the people you'll see sitting in what's called the "front room" on the ground. That's because there are many people working behind the scenes in backrooms to monitor every aspect of the space station, astronauts and spacewalk to provide support. Flight controlling is truly a team effort, she said.

Korona and her EVA team build relationships with the astronauts and even get to know their mannerisms because they work together on the ground for years in training. When the flight controllers learn that something outside the space station needs to be fixed, removed, replaced or installed, they plan what hardware is needed, determine the tools required and begin choreographing a plan to accomplish the tasks.

The plan is run in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab and crew members provide feedback to ensure that they've created the most efficient spacewalk.

There's a flurry of activity on the ground and the space station the week leading up to a spacewalk. On the station, the astronauts prepare their suits, life support systems and tools. They have video conferences with the ground teams to go over every detail of the task plan.

The American spacesuits essentially come in parts, so the astronauts can customize them for the best fit. On spacewalk day, they get up early and their fellow crew members on the space station help them suit up. These crew members will also monitor them from inside the space station during the walk.

The ground team works in multiple shifts to ensure that every aspect leading up to and after the spacewalk is covered. A normal shift for a flight controller is about nine hours and it's very taxing, Korona said. Flight controllers follow a plan of procedures about 30-pages thick for the astronauts step by step, but there are also contingency plans in case anything goes wrong.

Video views from the helmet cameras and those outside of the space station help the flight controllers monitor what's happening.

About every 90 minutes, the astronauts check their gloves and helmet absorption pad, or HAP, to make sure there is no water inside their helmets or tears in the gloves. Teams also monitor the astronauts' consumables oxygen, water for cooling, battery power and carbon dioxide removal.

This can determine the length of the spacewalk if these start to run out.

Spacewalks are crucial to maintain the space station, but the knowledge gained during these outings can inform the way astronauts approach repairs to their own spacecraft as we push the boundaries of exploration.

With NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man near the lunar south pole by 2024, humans will be staying on the moon for longer than the short visits Apollo astronauts experienced. As we explore the moon and eventually Mars, astronauts will need to be able to repair and maintain their suits, spacecraft and habitats.

With Fincke's upcoming mission, he hopes to add another spacewalk to his already impressive list. He said each of his own spacewalks has been memorable, but some moments tend to stand out more than others.

During one of his spacewalks, the two crew members finished solving a problem outside of the station and asked teams on the ground what they should do with their remaining time outside. They were asked to take photographs outside of the station because it's impacted by micrometeorites and other things in space something the ground team wanted to track.

Fincke took pictures of the space station until it grew dark as they moved into an orbital nighttime. Unable to take photos, Fincke securely clamped himself to the outside of the station and watched as they flew over the dark side of Earth. The universe was his scenery.

Astronauts have such a packed schedule of tasks when they exit the space station that there are really only seconds or moments when they can stop and appreciate the view.

Fincke said he'll never forget those 23 minutes for the rest of his life.

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Ever wonder what it's like to walk in space? Astronauts tell all - WAPT Jackson

I don't know why I'm always so excited when cool stuff flies through the sky at night and we get to see it. From the SpaceX rockets to the Starlink Satellites the night sky is getting a lot more active. Add that to the occasional sighting of the International Space Station and you can pretty much see something exciting every night. even the natural sights are still worth staying up late to see, like the Blood Moon Super Eclipse this morning. This week is an exciting one for night sky viewing as we'll get to see the ISSevery nightas it flies over Twin Falls.

How many times you can see the International Space Station will depend on where you are and how late you want to stay up. From Twin Falls we should be able to see it five times through Memorial Day weekend (at least once each night). Any sightings are contingent on weather conditions.

The ISS passes by us frequently, but if it isn't at the right angle we won't see it. Spot The Station is a website that helps you plan the best times for catching a glimpse of it. Under good conditions and if the station reaches at least a height of 40 degrees, you'll be able to see it if you know where to look.

Seeing the International Space Station is only a matter of knowing when and where to look. There are five times it will fly over us this week and through the weekend where you will get a good look at it. You may also be able to see it on other occasions at lower degrees in the sky, but these are your most likely times to see it each night:

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You'll Be Able to See the Space Station Again This Week in Idaho - kezj.com

JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide framed the May 26 supermoon above part of the ISS.

Life is a little different on the International Space Station. The residents see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day, and there are no pesky clouds to get in the way of their moon views. Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide captured scenic views of the May 26 supermoon and lunar eclipse from orbit.

Hoshide is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and is part of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission that arrived at the ISS in April.

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Hoshide's trio of photos includes two looks at the supermoon, one of which shows part of the ISS in the foreground. There's a fuzzier shot of the eclipse in process, showing a sliver of the moon glowing against the darkness of space.

This is what the May 26 "blood moon" eclipse looked like from the ISS.

NASA shared Hoshide's shots on Wednesday morning, saying, "The crew aboard the space station observed today's supermoon and lunar eclipse!" Thanks to the moon's location in its elliptical orbit around Earth, it appeared a little brighter and a little bigger than usual.

The eclipse may be over now, but the "super flower blood moon" (so named for being a May supermoon that turned red during the eclipse) will live on in images.

Hoshide will likely be on Earth when the next total lunar eclipse comes around in May 2022. Crew-2 is scheduled to return home later this year.

FollowCNET's 2021 Space Calendarto stay up to date with all the latest space news this year. You can even add it to your own Google Calendar.

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ISS astronaut snaps supermoon and lunar eclipse from orbit - CNET

June 3 will mark the 22nd SpaceX cargo resupply mission of scientific research and technology demonstrations.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla It's that time again. The International Space Station is in need of a delivery, and SpaceX is ready to lend a hand with its 22nd cargo resupply mission.

A collection of scientific research and technology demonstrations will fly to the orbiting laboratory on SpaceX's upgraded Dragon spacecraft on June 3.

The commercial space company is targeting a 1:29 p.m. liftoff from Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A.

Among the dozens of experiments heading into space to support the Expedition 65 and 66 crews are tardigrades or "water bears" that NASA says can tolerate more extreme environments than most life forms.

Research involving the organisms will advance astronauts' understanding of stress factors impacting them while in space and allow researchers to develop countermeasures.

Spaceflight can be a really challenging environment for organisms, including humans, who have evolved to the conditions on Earth, said principal investigator Thomas Boothby. One of the things we are really keen to do is understand how tardigrades are surviving and reproducing in these environments and whether we can learn anything about the tricks that they are using and adapt them to safeguard astronauts.

Joining the microscopic will be the equally small symbiotic squid, which will interact with microbes to help develop protective measures to preserve astronaut health while on long-duration missions in space.

Researchers will also be looking to give cotton a boost by examining stressors that can toughen the material-producing plants.

"We are hoping to reveal features of root system formation that can be targeted by breeders and scientists to improve characteristics such as drought resistance or nutrient uptake, both key factors in the environmental impacts of modern agriculture, principal investigator Simon Gilroy said. "Improved understanding of cotton root systems and associated gene expression could enable development of more robust cotton plants and reduce water and pesticide use."

NASA noted a portable ultrasound device, Pilote, tissue chip and new solar panels to help increase the energy available for activities at the ISS will also join the cargo headed to the orbiting laboratory.

You can catch the mission live by tuning into 10 Tampa Bay where we will be streaming on Facebookand YouTube.

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Squid, cotton and 'water bears' among cargo headed to the International Space Station - WTSP.com

Lunar Eclipse 2021: The Super Blood Moon from the International Space Station

Super Blood Moon and Lunar Eclipse today: The much awaited time has arrived. The Super Blood Moon is already visible from many parts of the world. A Lunar Eclipse will also take place. In India, most of us won't be able to witness the celestial spactacle. The total Lunar Eclipse will be at its best in parts of the United States, Australia, the Pacificand New Zealand. Netizens and sky watchers are already clicking amazing videos and photos, and posting on Twitter.Compared to other Full Moons, today's Super Blood Moonor the Flower Moon will be nearest to the Earth in its orbit, making it appear as the closet and largest Full Moon of the year.Unlike a solar eclipse, you won't need special eye glasses to view the Lunar Eclipse.

The total Lunar Eclipse will occur for over several hours, when the moon will pass through Earth's shadow.

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Lunar Eclipse 2021: The Full Moon From The International Space Station - NDTV