Category Archives: Space Station

A similar, but smaller experiment will fly to the International Space Station in 2013.

(Phys.org)University of Central Florida experiment that could help explain how planets formed in our solar system has won a free ride to the International Space Station in 2013.

Physics professor Joshua Colwell's experiment is one of eight winners of the Space Florida International Space Station Research Competition sponsored by Space Florida and NanoRacks. Space Florida is Florida's spaceport authority and aerospace development organization. NanoRacks is a private company that operates the first commercial laboratory in low-earth orbit.

Colwell studies the origin and evolution of the solar system, from the earliest stages of planet formation to the rings around Saturn and the evolution of comets and asteroids. He's had two experiments fly aboard space shuttles and conducts research with experiments that have flown on parabolic airplane flights and drop towers. He is a co-investigator on the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph of the Cassini mission, a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn since 2004, and since 2011 he has been the associate chair of the Department of Physics and the interim assistant director of the Florida Space Institute.

"The gravity of Earth swamps the kind of collisions of dust particles we are studying, making it difficult to get good data on the ground and even on parabolic flights," Colwell said. "It's exciting to get an opportunity to do this experiment on the space station where we don't have the same gravitational issues and we can observe these collisions over time, giving us information we cannot get on any other platform."

The UCF experiment headed to the space station is designed to explore low-energy collisions in the protoplanetary disk (the disk of dust and gas that surrounds the center of our solar system) to better understand the conditions and processes that lead to the formation of the building blocks of planets. The same kinds of collisions also take place in planetary ring systems, such as Saturn's rings. The information that will be obtained from the six-inch-box experiment on the space station may also shed light on how Saturn's rings were formed and give clues to the ring's age, something that's still open to interpretation.

The research competition was designed to inspire innovation and enable unique research opportunities and access to the space station. Breakthroughs in material and life sciences, environmental monitoring, complex drugs and other consumer items enabled by space-based research benefit a broad range of emerging markets for government, commercial and academic customers. Research proposals were reviewed and judged by an independent and scientifically qualified team, based on commercial viability and overall benefit to mankind.

"We hope to inspire some significant scientific breakthroughs as a result of this competition, and reach the next generation of researchers and an international array of scientists and international companies," said Frank DiBello, Space Florida president in a press release.

A team of 15 independent judges evaluated the proposals based on defined value in the commercial marketplace, potential for future benefits in space travel, and professional qualifications of the applicants.

Colwell's team, which includes post-doctoral associate Addie Dove, is currently assembling the experiment in its lab at UCF with a scheduled launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in December 2013.

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Experiment wins free trip to the International Space Station

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This weekend the International Space Station will turn itself to face the Sun, enabling ESAs SOLAR instrument to capture an entire rotation of the solar surface. This is the first time the Station has changed attitude for scientific reasons alone.

This instrument has been on the ISS since 2008, and for the first time will record a full rotation of the Sun. It began this effort on November 19, 2012, and on December 1, the Station will spend two hours turning about 7 degrees so that observations can continue. It will hold this angle for ten days before returning to its original attitude. We want to record a complete rotation of the Sun and that takes around 25 days, said Nadia This, operations engineer at the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre that controls SOLAR.

SOLAR needs to be in direct view of the Sun to take measurements but the Space Stations normal orbit obscures the view for two weeks every month.

All the international partners had to agree on changing the ISSs orientation.

However, moving a 450-ton orbital outpost the size of a city block isnt a simple undertaking. Aside from calculating the correct orbit to keep SOLAR in view of the Sun, other factors need to be taken into account such as ensuring the solar panels that power the Station also face the Sun. Additionally, communication antennas need to be reoriented to stay in contact with Earth and other scientific experiments must be adjusted.

The SOLAR instrument located on the exterior of the Columbus module on the ISS. Credit: ESA

The SOLAR instrument was originally designed to last about 18 months, but has been going strong for 5 years. It is installed on the outside of the ESAs Columbus module.

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International Space Station Making New Solar Observations

The International Space Station taken from Space Shuttle Discovery as the Sun rises from behind Earth. The STS-119 and Expedition 18 crew took this picture after leaving the Space Station in March 2009. Credit: NASA/ESA

(Phys.org)This weekend the International Space Station will turn itself to position ESA's SOLAR instrument for a better view of the Sun. It will be the first time the Station has changed attitude for scientific reasons alone.

SOLAR has been monitoring our Sun's output since it was installed on ESA's Columbus laboratory module in February 2008. The package will celebrate its fifth anniversary next year.

"That is quite an achievement," says Nadia This, operations engineer at the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre that controls SOLAR. "The instrument was designed to work for only 18 months."

SOLAR needs to be in direct view of the Sun to take measurements but the Space Station's normal orbit obscures the view for two weeks every month.

Enlarge

SOLAR consists of three complementary instruments: SOVIM (SOlar Variable and Irradiance Monitor) covers the near-ultraviolet, visible and thermal-infrared regions of the spectrum; SOL-ACES (SOLar Auto-Calibrating Extreme UV/UV Spectrophotometers) measures the extreme ultraviolet; and SOLSPEC (SOLar SPECtral Irradiance measurements) covers the 1803000 nm wavelength range. Credit: ESA

The solution is to rotate the whole Station but moving a 450 tonne orbital outpost the size of a typical block of flats is not a simple undertaking.

Aside from calculating the correct orbit to keep SOLAR in view of the Sun, other factors need to be taken into account such as ensuring the solar panels that power the Station are not left in the dark.

Communication antennas need to be reoriented to stay in contact with Earth and other scientific experiments must be adjusted.

Excerpt from:
International Space Station salutes the Sun

The International Space Station seen as the sun rises from behind Earth. Credit: NASA/ESA

Published: Nov. 28, 2012 at 4:08 PM

PARIS, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- The International Space Station will reposition itself for a better view of the sun, the first-ever attitude change for scientific reasons alone, officials say.

The ISS will turn itself to position the European Space Agency's SOLAR instrument for a better view of the sun.

The instrument has been monitoring the sun's output since it was installed on one of the station's laboratory modules in February 2008, a release from ESA's Paris headquarters said Wednesday.

"That is quite an achievement," says Nadia This, operations engineer at the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre that controls SOLAR. "The instrument was designed to work for only 18 months."

SOLAR needs a direct view of the sun to take measurements but the space station's normal orbit obscures the view for two weeks out of every month.

"We want to record a complete rotation of the sun and that takes around 25 days," Nadia said.

SOLAR started recording a full rotation of the sun Nov. 19 and Saturday will spend two hours turning about 7 degrees so observations can continue.

It will hold this angle for 10 days before returning to its original attitude, ESA officials said.

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Space Station to reposition for science

November 28, 2012

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

The International Space Station will be keeping its SOLAR instrument this weekend pointed towards the sun for a better view.

The European Space Agencys SOLAR instrument was first installed on ESAs Columbus laboratory module in February 2008. It will be celebrating its fifth year next year.

That is quite an achievement, Nadia This, operations engineer at the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre that controls SOLAR, said in a statement. The instrument was designed to work for only 18 months.

The instrument needs to be in direct view of the Sun in order to help snag measurements, but the Space Stations normal orbit obscures the view for two weeks every month.

We want to record a complete rotation of the Sun and that takes around 25 days, Nadia said in the statement.

In order to do this, the station will be moving its orbit, which will involve many factors aside from calculating the correct orbit.

ESA said communication antennas need to be reoriented to stay in contact with Earth and other scientific experiments must be adjusted.

All five Space Station partners were involved in some high-level discussions in order to get the go-ahead for the orbit positioning.

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Space Station Turning Towards Sun For Experiment

The future of America's space program is at a critical point in time; decisions are being made that will affect our ability to successfully maintain our leadership in human space flight, our national security and our capability to successfully compete with the international community in the commercial use of space.

What does the future hold for U.S. human spaceflight? The United States had been the undisputed leader in space exploration for several decades, until recently.

With the completion of its last flight in July of 2011, the space shuttle has been arbitrarily retired. And today, Russia is the only partner in the International Space Station program that is able to transport astronauts and cosmonauts to and from low Earth orbit (LEO).

BIG PIC: Historic Pairing: Shuttle Docked to the ISS

The space shuttle amassed an impressive record of achievement during its lifetime, culminating in the very successful assembly of the space station. It was a very versatile spacecraft that allowed the crews to perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), assemble structures in space, repair satellites and perform spacecraft retrieval missions.

In addition, the shuttle was also a superb research platform, especially when equipped with a Spacelab or Spacehab module. It could carry a cargo of 60,000 pounds (27,000 kilograms) to orbit or return a cargo of equal weight to Earth.

In its place the U.S. is developing Orion, referred to as a Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). Orion returns the nation to flying capsules that return to Earth via parachutes using technology from the 1960s. It has no capability to carry cargo, support EVAs, do structural assembly in space, accomplish satellite repair or retrieval missions. It returns to Earth by parachute, landing in the water, as Orion is too heavy to be recovered on land.

The MPCV is supposedly being developed for exploration missions beyond Earth orbit but it provides no protection from space radiation for the crew. The first planned human flight is currently scheduled for 2021. That date is dependent upon the availability of a new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that is yet to be developed.

Currently, only funds for research, development and risk mitigation have been awarded for SLS, which raises the question of whether or not the launch system will ever be developed at all.

PHOTOS: Inside Atlantis' Final Space Station Mission

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Second part to Space station contact
continuation of the contact on APRS to international space station on 145.825 MHZ. This was all done on a home made J Pole in doors running 50 watts on a kenwood TM-D700From:kc2shwViews:2 0ratingsTime:02:43More inScience Technology

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Second part to Space station contact - Video

Space station confirmation on APRS.FI (part 3)
Web confirmation on APRS.FI for a path through the space station down into mexico at some spot to the I-gate they have runningFrom:kc2shwViews:1 0ratingsTime:03:17More inScience Technology

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Space station confirmation on APRS.FI (part 3) - Video

Further Up Yonder
Original video vimeo.com creator of this vide on vimeo vimeo.com creator of this vide on youtube http://www.youtube.com ***UPDATE*** 10.6K views, that #39;s crazy! I #39;m trying to answer to everybody who liked this video, bare with me if I can #39;t get to you. Your likes are still gold! If you comment the video it will be easier for me to answer, so don #39;t be shy, you are welcome to drop a line. ***TO THE STARS!*** A timelapse message from ISS to all Humankind. - 2K version available on my blog: wp.me/p2fVm6-bv Facebook page - Making of coming soon! facebook.com/furtherupyonder I wanted to use pictures taken from the International Space Station to tell a story and share the message sent by the astronauts who worked on the station in the last 11 years. They are working to open a Gateway to Space for all humankind, but people on Earth must understand that they have to get rid of the concept of borders on our planet if they want to follow the astronauts to new worlds in outer space. While the cosmonauts speak a day passes on Earth, from dawn to sunset, until the Gateway opens with a burst of light. The ISS then gains speed and goes faster and faster, the astronauts are leaving our planet which they see spinning faster and faster, merging earth, oceans and people together, ready to follow them, Further Up Yonder. Making of As a filmmaking student, this was my first attempt to craft a timelapse video. It has been a time consuming process, but it turned out as one of my most satisfying projects ...From:TheFreeChannelMusicViews:399 9ratingsTime:02:23More inTravel Events

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Further Up Yonder - Video

International Space Station 11-27-12
Looped video of the International Space Station crossing the full moon near Albuquerque, NM. The little dark blur that zips across the lower left hand edge of the moon is the space station.From:55void55Views:0 0ratingsTime:00:12More inMusic

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International Space Station 11-27-12 - Video