Space habitat reports – Dec.15.2023

Here is this week’s selection of videos and other items about space stations and living in space starting with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Expedition 70 Astronaut Mogensen Talks with Nobel Prize Laureates – Dec. 11, 2023 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Commander Andy Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) discussed living and working in space as part of an event to mark the centennial awarding of the Nobel Prize to physicist Niels Bohr during an in-flight interview Dec. 11. Mogensen is in the midst of a long-duration mission on the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.

** Students and Space Genes – NASA

From Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, explore the world of human spaceflight with NASA each week on the official podcast of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Listen to in-depth conversations with the astronauts, scientists and engineers who make it possible.

On episode 292, the co-founder of the “Genes in Space” program joins the 2022 student winner to discuss this competition that allows students across the country to design an experiment for the International Space Station. This episode was recorded on May 17, 2023.

 

** Ax-3 Mission | Mission Overview – Axiom Space

Axiom Space held a virtual press conference with leaders from NASA and SpaceX, as well as leaders from the Italian Air Force, Turkish Space Agency (TUA), and European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a high-level review of mission operations and objectives to officially kick off major media efforts leading up to Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

Ax-3 will be the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the ISS – redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and helping chart a course toward Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.

As part of Ax-3, Türkiye is sending its first astronaut to space in a larger effort to expand the nation’s space exploration capabilities and establish a national human spaceflight program. Ax-3 will also be the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut. For Italy, the Ax-3 mission represents a whole-of-country effort to expand its access to space for the purposes of research, development, and innovation.

The Ax-3 crewmembers are Commander Michael López-Alegría of the U.S. and Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and ESA. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-3 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than January 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

** Astronaut food! – Axiom Space

Mealtime on the #ISS is very important. The #Ax3 crew taste tests the menu and learns how to use the special warmers as part of their preparation.

** Recent posting from Sierra Space: regarding development of the Life Habitat inflatable module for the Orbital Reef space station:

** News and resources:

** Highlight: Egypt – Lake Nasser – Dec 14, 2023 – 13:22 UTC  –   ISS Above

NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station

** Highlight: CA Los Angeles – NV – early morning – Dec 13, 2023 – 07:16 PST – ISS Above

** 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

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

=== Amazon Ads ===

Lego Ideas International Space Station
21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up

====

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

Videos: Space habitat reports – Dec.8.2023

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:

** ISS@25: Building and Updating Space Station NASA Johnson

The International Space Station represented cutting-edge technology from the start and steady upgrades keep the world’s premiere orbital laboratory capable of advancements to improve life on Earth and make deep space exploration possible.

** Building the International Space Station – Assembly animation + fly-aroundVideoFromSpace

Watch as the International Space Station takes shape in this time-lapsed NASA animation of its decade-long assembly, which began in 1998.

Also, see a time-lapsed flyaround of the orbital outpost captured by the Space Shuttle STS-119 mission.

Credit: Space.com | animation & footage courtesy: NASA | edited by [Steve Spaleta]( / stevespaleta )

Music: All Parts Equal by Airae / courtesy of http://www.epidemicsound.com

** How did they build the ISS? (International Space Station)Jared Owen

This is the story of how the Space Shuttle was used to construct the International Space Station.

00:00 – Intro
01:11 – ISS Intro
02:11 – Berthing & Docking Mechanisms
05:05 – Space Shuttle Intro
06:28 – STS-88 (Unity)
09:38 – STS-98(Destiny)
11:05 – Canadarm2
12:02 – STS-100 (Canadarm2)
13:27 – STS-104 (Quest)
15:08 – More Construction

** Astronauts Talk with NASA Leadership for Space Station’s 25th Anniversary – Dec. 6, 2023 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, all seven Expedition 70 crewmembers discussed the evolution of the space station over the past 25 years as well as life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Dec. 6 with Bob Cabana, Associate Administrator of NASA, and Joel Montalbano, International Space Station Program Manager. NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut, and current space station Commander, Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub are in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. 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.

** Expedition 70 Progress 86 Cargo Ship Docks to International Space Station – Dec. 3, 2023 – NASA Video

The uncrewed Roscosmos ISS Progress 86 cargo spacecraft docked to the Poisk module Dec. 3 after launching to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Dec. 1 on a Soyuz booster rocket. Progress is filled with about three tons of supplies and cargo and will remain docked to the space station for approximately six months.

Join NASA as we go forward to the Moon and on to Mars — discover the latest on Earth, the Solar System and beyond with a weekly update in your inbox.

** ISS@25: What We Learn NASA Johnson

We’re celebrating 25 years of International Space Station operations! The International Space Station advances scientific knowledge in Earth, space, physical, and biological sciences, for the benefits of people living on our home planet.

Through this global endeavor, 273 people from 21 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from people in 108 countries and areas.

The space station is a proving ground for long-duration spaceflight, including how humans will live and work around the Moon as part of Artemis.

** Check out the X/Tweeter updates from Sierra Space on the company’s LIFE inflatable space habitat project. Some recent postings:

And a recent announcement: Sierra Space Secures DARPA Contract for Lunar Oxygen Extraction Framework for LunA-10 Capability Study | Sierra Space – Dec.5.2023

Sierra Space, a leading pureplay commercial space company building the first end-to-end business and technology platform in space, announced today that it secured a significant contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Under this contract, Sierra Space will embark on a groundbreaking research and development initiative, the 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) capability study. Sierra Space will focus on integrating oxygen extraction, electrical storage and hydrogen-oxygen engine technology into an architecture for a commercial lunar infrastructure concept.

Sierra Space has already demonstrated its prowess in carbothermal oxygen production from lunar soil, or “regolith.” In a significant precursor to this agreement, in April, NASA achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully extracting oxygen from simulated lunar soil using Sierra Space technology. The team harnessed a high-powered laser to replicate the heat generated by a solar energy concentrator, melting lunar soil simulant within a carbothermal reactor developed in-house by Sierra Space. This breakthrough occurred within a thermal vacuum chamber simulating the lunar environment, setting the stage for future resource utilization on the moon, known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).

“At Sierra Space we recognize that to enable humanity’s extended exploration of space there is a critical need for ISRU oxygen technology on the lunar surface, given its strategic importance in terms of mobility, life support systems and potential commercial applications,” said Tom Vice, CEO, Sierra Space. “This formative work with DARPA is of paramount importance to Sierra Space’s efforts to both shape the future of extended human missions to space and also to broaden access to space by removing the high costs associated with transporting oxygen propellant to the lunar surface.”

Sierra Space envisions using carbothermal technology to manufacture oxygen on the lunar surface, contributing to the development of a self-sustaining lunar economy. This collaboration with DARPA will enable Sierra Space to conduct a system concept review and establish quantitative requirements for future endeavors. The ultimate goal is to optimize lunar architecture, reduce launch mass and foster a vibrant translunar economy.

** A recent message from VAST

** Highlight: San Diego CA – Tijuana MX – Dec 6, 2023 09:43 PST – ISS Above

Captured via NASA’s EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station

** 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

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

=== Amazon Ads ===

Lego Ideas International Space Station
21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up

====

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

Videos: Space habitat reports – Dec.1.2023

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:

** 25 Years of the International Space Station NASA Johnson

Low-Earth Orbit has been home to the International Space Station for 25 years. Hear from the people helping make history daily with the laboratory and from some of those who made it possible from the start!

** ISS@25: Opportunities NASA Johnson

Microgravity gives researchers the chance to learn how humans, machines, and materials react to months-long stays. It jumpstarts medical research, proves material strength, and generates new markets for items that can only be made in orbit.

** ISS@25: Unique Laboratory NASA Johnson

It took a lot of creative energy and careful engineering to create a spacecraft that is now the brightest human-made object in the sky. Although they never met on Earth, the modules of the space station fit perfectly together when they met in space.

** Space Station Crew Talks with Fox Weather, WCBS Newsradio 880, New YorkNASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Dec. 1 with Fox Weather and WCBS News Radio in New York. Moghbeli and Mogensen are in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. 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.

** Ax-3 Mission | Science on the MissionAxiom Space

Axiom Space held a virtual press conference with leaders from the Italian Air Force, Italian Space Agency, TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute (TÜBİTAK UZAY), Turkish Space Agency (TUA), European Space Agency (ESA), and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA) to discuss the scientific experiments, microgravity research, and technology demonstrations that will be a part of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

Unique to this mission, there is a strong focus on scientific portfolios led by European countries flying on the Ax-3 mission, to include Italy, Türkiye, and Sweden in partnership with ESA. The Ax-3 crewmembers will represent their nations in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and perform scientific experiments, microgravity research, and demonstrations that are of high national importance. Commercial and academic partnership activities also remain a strong focus for the Ax-3 mission, as Axiom Space leads in building a global research community and robust and sustainable economic ecosystem in LEO.

Participants include:
Dr. Lucie Low, Chief Scientist, Axiom Space
Jana Stoudemire, Director of In-Space Manufacturing, Axiom Space
Col. Domenico Antonacci, Space Policy and Operations Office, Italian Air Force
Dr. Barbara Negri, Head of Human Flight and Scientific Experimentation Unit, Italian Space Agency
Ömer ATAŞ, Project Manager/Chief Engineer, TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute
Hasan Ersel Gürel, Physicist, Turkish Space Agency (TUA)
Dr. Kristine Dannenberg, Head of Space Exploration and Access to Space, Swedish National Space Agency
Dr. Julia Weis, ISS Utilization Planning and Integration Team Lead, European Space Agency

** Video Records Relaxing, Enjoyable Life of Shenzhou-17 Crew in SpaceCCTV Video News Agency

The three Chinese astronauts aboard the country’s space station Tiangong are having a relaxing and enjoyable life apart from routine work.

** Misc. resources:

** Highlight: CA – Central – Sierra Nevada Snow – Dec 1, 2023 12:09 PST  –   ISS Above

NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station

** 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

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

=== Amazon Ads ===

Lego Ideas International Space Station
21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up

====

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

Night sky highlights for December 2023

Check out the night sky this month, December 2023. Here are videos highlighting the top sights to observe.

** What’s Up: December 2023 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

What are some skywatching highlights in December 2023?
Clear skies will make for ideal viewing of the Geminid meteor shower, and grab your binoculars to search for asteroid Vesta.

0:00 Intro
0:14 Moon & planet highlights
0:59 Geminid meteors peak
2:05 Observing asteroid Vesta
4:08 December Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

** Tonight’s Sky: December 2023 – Space Telescope Science InstituteTonight’s Sky

Step outside on a cold December night when the stars shine bright to find the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. They will help you locate a binary star system, a fan-shaped open star cluster, and a variable star. Stay tuned for space-based views of a ragged spiral galaxy, an open star cluster, and an edge-on galaxy.

**  Geminids, Venus, Jupiter, Orion, Comet Tsuchinshan | Night sky December 2023BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Find out what’s in the night sky tonight, December 2023, with astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel as your guide.
Venus and Jupiter are bright, the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak and asteroid Vesta reaches opposition.
Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan increases in brightness and Orion returns with its wealth of deep-sky wonders.

00:00 – Intro
00:14 – Mercury
00:55 – Venus
02:33 – Jupiter
03:02 – Saturn
03:44 – Uranus and Neptune
05:39 – Mare Orientale
06:58 – Jupiter occults Ganymede
07:55 – Geminid meteor shower
10:02 – Vesta at opposition
10:31 – Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan
15:22 – Orion and deep-sky objects
22:16 – Taurus
23:36 – Auriga and open clusters
25:00 – Camelopardalis
26:36 Kemble’s Cascade

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – December | The Geminid Meteor Shower and Bright Evening Stars – Sky & Telescope Youtube

Our monthly Sky Tour #astronomy #podcast provides an informative and entertaining 10-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Listen to the December episode and keep tabs on the #Moon’s whereabouts, watch for some impressive #shootingstars, track down four #planets, and gaze at a tall tower of bright evening #stars. So bundle up, grab your curiosity, and come along on this month’s Sky Tour.

Listen and subscribe to this podcast at https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/ and don’t forget to subscribe to S&T’s YouTube channel to get alerts about new videos, including this monthly podcast

Learn more about #observing and #stargazing on our website, https://skyandtelescope.org/ and subscribe to our monthly magazine at https://skyandtelescope.org/subscribe.

**** The Geminid Meteor Shower 2023 – Sky & Telescope Youtube

Watch the #Geminid #meteorshower on the evening of December 13th and the morning of December 14th with tips from Sky & Telescope! The #geminids are one of the top #meteor showers of the year. Learn about what the Geminids are and how they form.

See also

** What’s in the Night Sky December 2023 Geminid Meteor Shower | Astronaut’s Tool Bag – Alyn Wallace

00:00 Intro
00:22 Last Chance!
00:46 Northern Hemisphere Sky
02:01 Southern Hemisphere Sky
02:39 Geminid Meteor Shower
04:15 Astronaut Tool Bag
05:35 Betelgeuse Eclipse
06:40 Planets
07:28 Full Moon
07:47 #WITNS Winners

** Night Sky Notebook December 2023Peter Detterline

** See also:

=== Amazon Ads ===

Celestron
70mm Travel Scope
Portable Refractor Telescope
Fully-Coated Glass Optics
Ideal Telescope for Beginners
BONUS Astronomy Software Package

==

Stellaris: People of the Stars

ESO: Disk detected around a star in another galaxy for the first time

A report from the European Southern Observatory (ESO):

Astronomers discover disc around star in another galaxy for the first time

This artist’s impression shows the HH 1177 system, which is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring galaxy of our own. The young and massive stellar object glowing in the centre is collecting matter from a dusty disc while also expelling matter in powerful jets. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, a team of astronomers managed to find evidence for the presence of this disc by observing its rotation. This is the first time a disc around a young star — the type of disc identical to those forming planets in our own galaxy — has been discovered in another galaxy.

In a remarkable discovery, astronomers have found a disc around a young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy neighbouring ours. It’s the first time such a disc, identical to those forming planets in our own Milky Way, has ever been found outside our galaxy. The new observations reveal a massive young star, growing and accreting matter from its surroundings and forming a rotating disc. The detection was made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner.

“When I first saw evidence for a rotating structure in the ALMA data I could not believe that we had detected the first extragalactic accretion disc, it was a special moment,”

says Anna McLeod, an associate professor at Durham University in the UK and lead author of the study published today in Nature.

“We know discs are vital to forming stars and planets in our galaxy, and here, for the first time, we’re seeing direct evidence for this in another galaxy.”

This study follows up observations with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), which spotted a jet from a forming star — the system was named HH 1177 — deep inside a gas cloud in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

“We discovered a jet being launched from this young massive star, and its presence is a signpost for ongoing disc accretion,”

McLeod says. But to confirm that such a disc was indeed present, the team needed to measure the movement of the dense gas around the star.

With the combined capabilities of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, a disc around a young massive star in another galaxy has been observed. Observations from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the VLT, left, show the parent cloud LHA 120-N 180B in which this system, dubbed HH 1177, was first observed. The image at the centre shows the jets that accompany it. The top part of the jet is aimed slightly towards us and thus blueshifted; the bottom one is receding from us and thus redshifted. Observations from ALMA, right, then revealed the rotating disc around the star, similarly with sides moving towards and away from us.

As matter is pulled towards a growing star, it cannot fall directly onto it; instead, it flattens into a spinning disc around the star. Closer to the centre, the disc rotates faster, and this difference in speed is the smoking gun that shows astronomers an accretion disc is present.

“The frequency of light changes depending on how fast the gas emitting the light is moving towards or away from us,”

explains Jonathan Henshaw, a research fellow at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, and co-author of the study.

“This is precisely the same phenomenon that occurs when the pitch of an ambulance siren changes as it passes you and the frequency of the sound goes from higher to lower.”

The detailed frequency measurements from ALMA allowed the authors to distinguish the characteristic spin of a disc, confirming the detection of the first disc around an extragalactic young star.

Massive stars, like the one observed here, form much more quickly and live far shorter lives than low-mass stars like our Sun. In our galaxy, these massive stars are notoriously challenging to observe and are often obscured from view by the dusty material from which they form at the time a disc is shaping around them. However, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy 160 000 light-years away, the material from which new stars are being born is fundamentally different from that in the Milky Way. Thanks to the lower dust content, HH 1177 is no longer cloaked in its natal cocoon, offering astronomers an unobstructed, if far away, view of star and planet formation.

“We are in an era of rapid technological advancement when it comes to astronomical facilities,” McLeod says. “Being able to study how stars form at such incredible distances and in a different galaxy is very exciting.”

Links

=== Amazon Ads ===

Celestron – NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope –
Compact and Portable –
Newtonian Reflector Optical Design –
SkyAlign Technology –
Computerized Hand Control –
130mm Aperture

====

For the Love of Mars:
A Human History of the Red Planet

Everyone can participate in space