Category Archives: In Space Infrastructure

This week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Spacewalks Preview – Oct. 6, 2023 (Official NASA Briefing – NASA Video

NASA experts from Johnson Space Center preview a series of upcoming spacewalks at the International Space Station. News conference participants include:

• Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
• Elias Myrmo, spacewalk flight director, NASA Johnson
• Faruq Sabur, U.S. spacewalk 89 officer, NASA Johnson
• Sandra Fletcher, U.S. spacewalk 90 officer, NASA Johnson

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara will participate in spacewalks on Thursday, Oct. 12, and Friday, Oct. 20, with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen joining her on the first, and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli joining her on the second. The spacewalks are in support of science research and space station maintenance and assembly.

Details: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nas…

** U. S. Spacewalk 89 Animation– NASA Johnson

This animation discusses the October 12th spacewalk in which NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen will exit the station’s Quest airlock to collect samples for analysis to see whether microorganisms may exist on the exterior of the orbital complex. They also will replace a high-definition camera on the port truss of the station and conduct other maintenance work to prepare for future spacewalks.

** U.S. Spacewalk 90 Animation – Oct. 6, 2023 – NASA Johnson

This animation discusses the October 20th spacewalk in which NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will complete the removal of a faulty electronics box, called a Radio Frequency Group, from a communications antenna on the starboard truss of the station and replace one of twelve Trundle Bearing Assemblies on the port truss Solar Alpha Rotary Joint.

** Gravitics: Video clip and images posted recently on X

Gravitics modules offer endless possibilities in space with up to 400 cubic meters of usable volume—almost half of the ISS. [thread] pic.twitter.com/rxvpwm3SVK

— Gravitics (@GraviticsInc) October 4, 2023

All of our modules are next-gen, including our 4-meter modules that match the size of what’s currently flying on the ISS. #SpaceStationSaturday pic.twitter.com/4LRoRRbKcm

— Gravitics (@GraviticsInc) October 7, 2023

** Sierra Space and Blue Origin reaffirm their commitment to the Orbital Reef commercial space station:

We remain committed to @OrbitalReef and to the success of @NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program. We look forward to the continued milestone progress on the Orbital Reef program and our next successful testing campaign for softgoods space station technology. https://t.co/8fL86ZtTuZ

— Sierra Space (@SierraSpaceCo) October 10, 2023

** Northrop Grumman drops its space station project in favor of supporting Voyager Space‘s Starlab commercial station project:

A recent rendering of the Starlab station design:

Exciting updates from #Starlab! We’ve completed the station-level System Requirements Review with @Nanoracks & @AirbusSpace, a milestone in developing the next-gen continuously crewed, free-flying space station under @NASA‘s Commercial LEO Dev. program: https://t.co/Medv61vPWA

— Voyager Space (@VoyagerSH) July 27, 2023

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

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Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Oct.3.2023

October 3, 2023 TopSpacer

This week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Soyuz MS-23 International Space Station Hatch Closing – Sept. 27, 2023 – NASA Video

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin gave farewell remarks ahead of hatch closure of the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on September 27. Following hatch closure, the spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station’s Prichal module, returning to Earth a few hours later for a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan. During his mission, Rubio broke the record for longest single spaceflight for a U.S. astronaut spending 371 consecutive days living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. .

** Soyuz MS-23 International Space Station Undocking – Sept. 27, 2023 – NASA Video

** Astronaut Andreas Mogensen Talks with Herning, Denmark DI Business Summit – Sept. 28, 2023 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogenson discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview September 28 with industry stakeholders in Denmark. Mogenson launched in August on the SpaceX Dragon “Endurance” as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 which is a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.

** Sierra Space | A Leading Pureplay Commercial Space Company – Sierra Space

Sierra Space is a leading, pureplay commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age™, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth.

With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is enabling the future of space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and is bringing LIFE™ (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) to Low Earth Orbit with its modular, three-story commercial habitation and science platform.

Sierra Space also builds and delivers a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.

** See the Chinese space station assembly in animation & ground photos – VideoFromSpace

Watch the Tiangong space station assembly in this time-lapse animation along taken by satellites in orbit. Full Story: https://www.space.com/china-space-sta…

** Keynote: Gateway: Humanity’s First Lunar Space Station – Policy Studies Organization

A talk by Sean Fuller, international partner manager for NASA’s Gateway lunar orbital station program.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

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Outpost in Orbit:
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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Sept.26.2023

September 26, 2023 TopSpacer

This week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Vibrant Communities Beyond Earth are Possible – VideoFromSpace

Join the BEYOND EARTH SYMPOSIUM in Washington D.C., November 1-2: https://www.beyondearthsymposium.org The Beyond Earth Institute’s founder and senior staff explain their mission to drive policy and legal frameworks that will economically enable communities beyond Earth. This non-profit “think tank” focuses on catalyzing the technologies, support, and public policies needed to achieve a permanent, sustainable human presence in space. https://beyondearth.org/

** Reinventing the Space Station with LIFE Habitat – Sierra Space

Learn how Sierra Space is driving significant cost savings for operating on-orbit with the LIFE Habitat. This latest successful milestone and the first one in the testing campaign to include a metallic window sub-structure – or blanking plate – now propels Sierra Space into full-scale testing of LIFE by the end of this year. The milestone cements the company’s position as the industry leader in commercial space station development for use in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and deep space.

** The first steps of the Huginn mission – European Space Agency, ESA

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen has begun his Huginn mission, turning the International Space Station into his home and workplace. After piloting on Crew Dragon Endurance as the first non-US pilot, Andreas has started performing European experiments and technology demonstrations with many more to come throughout the mission.

** Andreas Mogensen becomes the new ISS commander – European Space Agency, ESA

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen became commander of the International Space Station (ISS) on September 26, 2023, in a traditional ceremony in which the departing commander, Sergey Prokopyev, handed over the symbolic key of the Space Station. Mogensen is the sixth European to take on the role of ISS commander.

Mogensen will serve as commander for the rest of his Huginn mission until early 2024. During his command, he will be responsible for overseeing the crew’s activities and ensuring the safety and operation of the Space Station.

** Shenzhou-16 Astronauts Play Ping Pong with Water Droplet in Space – CCTV Video News Agency

Shenzhou-16 astronauts showed off their table tennis skills during a space lecture on the Tiangong Space Station Thursday playing a game of ping pong using a droplet of water instead of a ball.

** Chinese Astronaut Demonstrates Spherical Flame Experiment During Space Lecture – CCTV Video News Agency

China’s Shenzhou-16 astronauts conducted an experiment on Thursday to show the shape of flame in the unique environment inside the Mengtian Lab module of the Tiangong space station.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Sept.19.2023

September 19, 2023 TopSpacer

This week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Astronaut Frank Rubio Calls NASA Leadership From Space (Official NASA Broadcast) – NASA

Record-breaking astronaut Frank Rubio talks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy about his historic mission during a space-to-ground call. On Sept. 11, 2023, Rubio surpassed the U.S. record for single longest duration spaceflight, a record previously set by astronaut Mark Vande Hei in 2022.

Rubio is set to return to Earth on Sept. 27, 2023, when he will have spent 371 days in space. His extended stay aboard the orbiting laboratory helps us see how the human body reacts to microgravity and informs future missions to deep space.

** NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio: A Year of Science in Space – NASA

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is set to return to Earth this fall after setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut. He arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, and will return home after 371 days in space.

While on the orbiting lab, Rubio and his fellow crew members conducted dozens of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations.

Learn more about Frank Rubio’s year-long scientific journey aboard the space station: https://go.nasa.gov/3LrwS29

** Crew of 3 arrive at space station aboard Soyuz spacecraft in these docking highlights – VideoFromSpace

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, alongside Russian counterparts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub docked with the International Space Station about 3 hours after launching aboard their MS-24 Soyuz spacecraft.

** Soyuz MS-24 International Space Station Hatch Opening, Welcome Remarks – Sept. 15, 2023 – NASA Video

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O’ Hara launched on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 15. Following a two-orbit rendezvous, the trio docked to the Rassvet module of the International Space Station where they will conduct long-duration missions aboard the orbital outpost.

** NSS Space Forum: NASA New Technologies: On-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing with James Tomaka – National Space Society Channel

NASA New Technologies: On-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing
With James Tomaka, Mission Systems Engineer, Goddard Space Flight Center

Although servicing of satellites has been theoretically considered since the early days of spaceflight, progress has been slow. However, in recent years, government and private industry is pursuing a more sustainable future in space.

In the past three decades, some of the most extraordinary successes in space exploration involved in-orbit repair and construction. Five servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope and countless spacewalks to assemble the International Space Station required astronauts to conduct activities outside the confines of their vehicle. Going forward, the next generation of space activities and construction can involve robotics to refuel satellites, perform orbit relocation, or building large structures in space and on the Moon.

Government entities and commercial industry are entering the fray to develop the necessary technologies for the nascent in-orbit servicing industry. Jim’s presentation covers NASA’s original 1960s concepts for satellite servicing through the Hubble Space Telescope. Jim then discusses NASA’s newest technologies to perform servicing missions robotically and provides a preview of the OSAM-1 mission which will, for the first time ever, robotically refuel a U.S. government satellite not designed to be serviced. Enjoy this informative space forum which will introduce you to technologies necessary for a sustained future in space.

James Tomaka is a mission systems engineer on NASA’s On-orbit Assembly and Manufacturing-1 (OSAM-1) mission scheduled to launch in 2026. OSAM-1 is part of NASA’s Exploration and In-space Services projects division, which develops groundbreaking, more sustainable technologies to service spacecraft and pioneer in-space assembly and manufacturing. Jim is assigned to the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFFC) in Greenbelt MD and is employed by Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) as a senior principal systems engineer.

Jim previously worked for NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) program as an RF engineer for 25 years. His communications systems relayed data from the Hubble Space Telescope and for over 120 Space Shuttle missions. Other experiences included working in the Optics Department at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) supporting a broad range of customers including the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His career started out at the Holloman High Speed Test Track in the timing/telemetry section collecting data from rocket sled tests.

Jim is a graduate of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces NM. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Computer Engineering and a Masters Certificate in Systems Engineering. Jim is also a board member with the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation supporting the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, NM. To unwind, Jim is an avid amateur astronomer (Astro-photographer) and performs outreach in southern New Mexico and west Texas parks and schools, encouraging the next generation of space explorers and engineers.

** Chinese taikonauts harvest space vegetables aboard Tiangong space station – VideoFromSpace

China’s Shenzhou-16 crew have a “garden of vegetables in space. “The plants that grow in the garden are watered in the opposite direction from that on Earth,” according to China Central Television.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

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Outpost in Orbit:
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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Sept.12.2023

September 12, 2023 TopSpacer

This week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest ‘Space to Ground’ report for the International Space Station:

** Space Station Crew Answers South Texas Astronomical Society Student Questions – Sept. 6, 2023 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Frank Rubio and Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA answered pre-recorded questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event Sept. 6 with students at the South Texas Astronomical Society in Olmito, Texas. Rubio and Moghbeli are in the midst of science missions living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** Space Station Astronaut Discusses Record Breaking Mission With Previous Record Holder – NASA Johnson

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA answered questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory and discussed his record-breaking mission during an in-flight conversation recorded on Sept. 5 with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei who was in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. Rubio surpassed Vande Hei’s previous record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut – 355 days – on Sept. 11. Rubio will wrap up his long duration flight on the station on Sept. 27 with a total of 371 days in space. Research conducted during long-duration missions such as this benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** Expedition 69-70 Space Station Crew Prepares for Launch in Kazakhstan – NASA Video

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the International Space Station’s Expedition 69-70 crew, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos and NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara participated in a variety of activities as they prepared for their upcoming mission on the International Space Station. Kononenko, Chub, and O’Hara are set to launch Sept. 15 from Baikonur in the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft for long duration missions on the outpost. The footage includes the crew’s arrival in Baikonur, their Soyuz fit checks in the Cosmodrome’s Integration Facility, and other training milestones.

** ISSRDC Day3 Fireside Chat – NASA’s Human Research Program – ISS National Lab

A crucial part of achieving mission objectives in the NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) is to perform critical spaceflight research using the low Earth orbit (LEO) space environment to do the following: characterize risks associated with spaceflight, develop risk mitigation strategies or countermeasures, and test or validate countermeasures needed for both Artemis and Mars exploration missions. These spaceflight studies are currently performed on the space station ISS. However, with the ISS orbiting lab set to retire in 2030, HRP has been investigating feasible spaceflight studies using alternative LEO analogs such as commercial LEO destinations (CLDs). This panel will highlight potential studies and the capabilities needed to perform and complete these studies successfully.

** Dream Chaser Spaceplane CRS-2 Mission Profile – Sierra Space

Learn how the world’s only commercial spaceplane flies from launch to landing for its upcoming NASA CRS-2 mission to resupply the International Space Station. With its unique design, Dream Chaser incurs a 1.5g re-entry before landing at NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, making critical cargo accessible faster.

** Tianzhou-5 Cargo Spacecraft Separates from Space Station Combination – SciNews

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Tianzhou-5 (天舟五号) cargo spacecraft undocked from the front port of the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), departing the China Space Station(中国空间站), on 11 September 2023, at 08:46 UTC (16:46 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-5 is scheduled to be de-orbited on 12 September 2023.