Category Archives: Space Station

The International Space Station lost contact with ground controllers because of a computer problem but its commander says the crew is fine, NASA says.

The agency said flight controllers in Houston were updating software on board the station's flight computers on Tuesday when one of the station's data relay systems broke down.

The primary computer that controls critical station functions defaulted to a backup computer, but it was not letting the station communicate with NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, the US space agency said.

Officials in Houston were later able to communicate briefly with the crew as the space station flew over Russian ground stations. They instructed them to connect a backup computer to begin the process of restoring communications.

The International Space Station marked its 10th anniversary of continuous human occupation on November 2, 2010. Since Expedition 1 in 2000, the space station has been visited by 204 individuals.

The current crew is made up six men: two Americans, three Russians and a Canadian.

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NASA loses contact with space station

Space Station Science Goes Social
Astronaut and former ISS resident Don Pettit is the headliner for this get-together of social media users to learn about the important, one-of-a-kind research now being performed on the International Space Station, the world #39;s only laboratory in microgravity. Held at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Feb. 20, 2013.

By: NASAtelevision

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Space Station Science Goes Social - Video

KSP 0.18 - Duna space station part 3 (DSS Reusable Lander)
We launch a reusable lander for our Duna Orbital Science Station.

By: TheGreenDragon666

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KSP 0.18 - Duna space station part 3 (DSS Reusable Lander) - Video

Space Station Fly By....
Watch in full HD. The ISS over my house tonight, using a GoPro, quick time lapse though it #39;s not actually speeded up that much. I #39;ll do a better one later when I have more time... I might get to just video it instead.

By: stevetube1969

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Space Station Fly By.... - Video

MARK #39;S SPACE STATION EPIC FAIL
Star-date: 19th February 2013 Location: Rhyl, North Wales, UK Mission: to film the overhead passing of the International Space Station Took half an hour to set up telescopes, CCD AstroCAMs, backup full HD VideoCAM. The time arrives, the ISS rose above the horizon changing from an orange dot of light to a bright moving star. I panned with the telescope but it was moving too fast, so switched to the HD Cam, and followed it all the way to it #39;s disappearance about 4 minutes later, including a fly-past the Moon. This is my story and video - watch, enjoy, laugh and shout.....FAIL !!

By: BigWelshMark

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MARK'S SPACE STATION EPIC FAIL - Video

KSP 0.18 - Duna space station part 2 (Fuel storage)
Deploying the fuel storage component for our Duna Orbital Science Station.

By: TheGreenDragon666

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KSP 0.18 - Duna space station part 2 (Fuel storage) - Video

International Space Station Update - Feb. 19, 2013
The International Space Station update video for Feb. 19, 2013.

By: NASAObservatory

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International Space Station Update - Feb. 19, 2013 - Video

NASA is back in contact with the International Space Station after a communications outage of almost three hours Tuesday.

Communications were restored at 12:34 p.m. ET, NASA reported on Twitter.

NASA lost contact with the space station at 9:45 a.m. ET, while the software on the stations flight computers was being updated remotely from the ground by flight controllers in Houston, Texas, NASA reported in a release.

The outage is being blamed on a malfunction of the stations data relay systems, which caused the space stations main computer to bar communication with the satellites that allow it to communicate with NASA.

Communication was briefly restored around 11 a.m. ET as the space station flew over Russian ground stations. At that time, NASA told the space stations crew to connect a backup computer to restore communications.

The U.S. space agency said the stations current commander, Kevin Ford, reported that the station was fine and the six astronauts on board were doing well.

Canadian Chris Hadfield is currently among the crew of the space station. Earlier in the morning, Hadfield had sent out a tweet indicating that the space stations main computers were getting a software upgrade.

Nothing could possibly go wrong, he added at the time.

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Space station restores communication with Earth

Published: Feb. 19, 2013 at 4:07 PM

HOUSTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- NASA confirmed it lost direct contact with the International Space Station for about 3 hours Tuesday morning due to equipment failure.

Communication between the space agency and the ISS was lost at 9:45 a.m. EST as controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston were sending a software update to the space station, SPACE.com reported.

With the link to NASA's Mission Control center out, the orbiting laboratory's only communication channel to Earth was through Russian ground stations.

NASA said the software update was not a cause of the problem, rather a main data relay system on the ISS malfunctioned.

"Mission Control Houston was able to communicate with the crew as the space station flew over Russian ground stations before 11 a.m. EST and instructed the crew to connect a backup computer to begin the process of restoring communications," NASA officials explained.

However, despite switching to a backup the station was still unable to communicate with the satellite network that serves as the outpost's link to the control center in Houston.

Contact was finally re-established at 12:34 p.m. EST, NASA said.

During the outage Expedition 34 commander Kevin Ford, using the Russian ground stations, reported on the status of the station.

"Hey, just FYI, the station's still fine and straight, everybody is in good shape of course," Ford said in audio released by NASA. "And nothing unexpected other than lots of caution warning tones, and of course we have no system in sight. We'll get that back to you as soon as we can."

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NASA regains contact with space station

19 February 2013 Last updated at 15:36 ET

Nasa ground controllers have re-established contact with the International Space Station less than three hours after a computer failure briefly interrupted communication.

Flight controllers in Houston were updating software on the ISS when one of its data relay systems broke down.

The ISS had been able to make contact intermittently via Russian stations.

Nasa normally speaks and sends data to the station from Houston, via three communications satellites.

Interruptions in both communication and control have happened a few times in the past, the space agency said.

The primary computer that controls critical station functions defaulted to a backup computer, but it was not letting the station communicate with Nasa's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, the US space agency said.

The problem occurred at about 09:45 EST (14:45 GMT).

The ISS marked its 10th anniversary of continuous human occupation on 2 November 2010. Since Expedition 1 in 2000, the space station has been visited by 204 astronauts.

The current crew is made up six men: two Americans, three Russians and a Canadian.

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Contact regained with space station