Category Archives: In Space Infrastructure

Space habitat reports – Mar.13.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Expedition 70 NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Farewell Remarks, Station Change of Command March 10, 2024NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Crew-7 which includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov provided farewell remarks on March 10 ahead of their upcoming departure from the space station. Joining Crew-7 for the farewell remarks were NASA astronauts Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, and Loral O’Hara as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. Following the farewell remarks, a change of command ceremony took place in which Mogensen handed over command of the space station to Kononenko as Mogensen prepares to head home with his Crew-7 crewmates. Crew-7 is slated to undock on March TBD and splashdown off the coast of Florida March TBD after completing a six-month mission

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Space Station Hatch Closure March 11, 2024 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov prepared to depart the space station following the closing of the hatch to the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance on March 11 ahead of their undocking from the space station. Crew-7 completed a 6-month science mission 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.

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Flight Day 4 Highlights – NASA Video

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov returned to Earth for a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida at 5:47 a.m. EDT Tuesday, March 12, completing their six-month mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** NASA’s SpaceX CRS-30 Prelaunch Science WebinarISS National Lab

On Friday, March 8, 2024, members of the media attended a science-focused prelaunch webinar for NASA’s SpaceX CRS-30 mission to hear from NASA and ISS National Lab officials as well as researchers who discussed a few of the projects flying on this cargo resupply mission.

** Gravitics

** Gambit sensor platform relocated on ISS – StarlabVoyager Space

—- Making Moves: Gambit Payload Relocates on the Bishop Airlock | Voyager Space – Mar.11.2024

** Other news and articles:

** 40 years since the founding of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)  program:

—- ARISS Celebration at KSC. Interview with Randy BergerHAM Radio Fun With KO4PDI

Join us as we celebrate the ARISS 40-year event at Kennedy Space Center, featuring an interview with Randy Berger, the ISS HAM radio developer. Learn about the technology behind ISS HAM radio and the impact it has on communication in space. Don’t miss this exclusive interview at the ARISS 40-year Celebration!
Get a look at the actual radio used on the ISS to make contacts and work as a cross-band repeater. The radio, Antennas, and power supply. Randy Berger talks about what it takes to make the contacts we do on the ISS as HAM operators.

—- A school contact with ISS astronauts: #AlcarazISS – ARISS Contact | Contacto con la Estación Espacial Internacional
Studio21 Alcaraz

** Highlight: Aotearoa NZ S to N – Mar 11, 2024 – 16:34 NZDTISS Above

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

—- Highlight: Buenos Aires Argentina – Mar 6, 2024 – 18:30 ARTISS 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

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ISS after undocking of STS-132

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

Space habitat reports – Mar.6.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Flight Day 2 Highlights – NASA Video

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin arrived at the International Space Station when their Dragon spacecraft autonomously docked to the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at 2:28 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 5 following a launch on March 3 on the Endeavour spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following docking, the quartet opened the hatch and floated onboard the orbital outpost before providing welcoming remarks as its mission aboard the space station began. The four crew members will conduct a long-duration science 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.

See also NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launches to International Space Station | Commercial Crew Program/NASA – Mar.4.2024

** Space Station Crew Talks with WUSA-TV, Washington D.C., University of Maryland – March 6, 2024NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview March 6 with WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. and the University of Maryland. Barratt and Epps are the midst of long-duration missions 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.

** Uncovering the Secrets of the International Space Station (Full Episode) | Superstructures – National Geographic

The International Space Station is taken apart to uncover its engineering secrets.

** Expedition 70 Space Station Crew Talks with NPR’s Short Wave Podcast – March 4, 2024 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview March with NPR’s “Short Wave” podcast. O’Hara is in the midst of 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.

** Virtual Reality for body and mindEuropean Space Agency, ESA

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen explains how two experiments involving virtual reality makes on International Space Station. The first is Virtual Assistance Mental Balance (VAMB) where Andreas gets to enjoy a calm setting in nature that helps him relax. The second one is VR for Exercise, where he cycles on the Space Station’s exercise bike and through different bike routes in Denmark on the VR headset, which has quickly become a favourite for Andreas.

Timestaps of the video:
00:00 – 00:09 Intro
00:10 – 02:13 First experiment
02:14 – 04:48 Second experiment
04:49 – 05:09 Outro

** Sierra Space:

** Shenzhou-17 Crew Complete 2nd Extravehicular MissionCCTV Video News Agency

The Shenzhou-17 crew members, who are currently on board China’s space station, have completed their second extravehicular mission at 13:32 Beijing time on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

** Other news and articles:

** Space settlement

—- Why This Startup is Mining AsteroidsSpiral

Embark on an adventure about the future of space colonization with Joel Sercel, the founder of TransAstra, a startup working on mining asteroids to potentially build cities in space. This film explores the history of homo sapiens, our sustainability troubles here on earth, why we must move to space, and how now is the perfect time to start.

Learn more about TransAstra: https://transastra.com/

** Views from space stations

—-  Highlight: Crew8 on approach – Mar 5 2024 – 06:40 utc –   ISS Above

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

—- Highlight: Night – Phoenix AZ – Mar 3, 2024 – 23:26 MST 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

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

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

Space habitat reports – Feb.28.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Expedition 70 Astronaut Andreas Mogensen Talks with Technical University of Denmark – Feb. 23, 2024 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 commander Andy Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) discussed living and working in space with the Danish Technical University and Danish TV2 on Feb. 23. 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.

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts and cosmonaut arrive in Florida ahead of launchVideoFromSpace

Commander Matthew Dominick, pilot Michael Barratt, mission specialists Jeanette Epps and Aleksandr Grebenkin arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 25, 2024. They are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on March 1.

** Expedition 70 71 Interviews With Flight Engineer Tracy Dyson 240226 – NASA Video

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson participated in live virtual interviews on Monday, Feb. 26, ahead of her launch to the International Space Station. Dyson is scheduled to launch aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft Thursday, March 21, and will spend approximately six months aboard the space station. She will travel to the station with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, both of whom will spend approximately 12 days aboard the orbital complex. During her expedition, Dyson will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations that help prepare humans for future space missions and benefit people on Earth. Among some of the hundreds of experiments ongoing during her mission, Dyson will continue to study how fire spreads and behaves in space with the Combustion Integrated Rack, as well as contribute to the long-running Crew Earth Observations study by photographing Earth to better understand how our planet is changing over time. After completing her expedition, Dyson will return to Earth this fall with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft.

** Ax-3 Mission RecapAxiom Space – Youtube

Relive the excitement of the #Ax3 mission.

** Axiom Space Welcomes NASA LeadershipAxiom Space – Youtube

NASA leadership paid a visit to Axiom Space‘s suits lab to see firsthand the progress being made on the Artemis III lunar spacesuit.

** Gravitics

**Sierra Space

** China Names Its Manned Lunar Exploration Vehicles Mengzhou, Lanyue – CCTV Video News Agency

The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) on Feb. 24 unveiled the official names of the new vehicles for its future manned lunar exploration missions.

** China’s First Home-grown Ground Simulation Space StationPpasses Acceptance Review – CCTV Video News Agency

China’s first “ground space station,” the home-grown Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure (SESRI), passed its acceptance review on Tuesday in Harbin, the capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.

** Other news and articles:

** Highlight: Las Cruses NM / El Paso TX / Juarez Mexico – Feb 23, 2024 – 13:44 CSTISS Above

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

** Highlight: Egypt – Cairo – Feb 26, 2024 07:40 UTCISS Above

** Photographing the International Space Station (ISS) – My First Ever Attempt!Matt Burns

Follow along as I try to use my telescope to capture a transit of ISS across the Sun. This was several months of waiting for a clear sky with a transit viewable near where I live. I spent several hours the day before doing research to make sure I had the exact time and location correct and doing a dry-run to refine my script so I didn’t miss anything during the event.

** 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
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====

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

Space habitat reports – Feb.21.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Progress MS-26 dockingSciNews

The Progress MS-26 spacecraft autonomously docked to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, on the International Space Station, on 17 February 2024, at 06:06 UTC (01:06 EST). Progress MS-26 (ISS Progress 87 mission) delivers about three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 70 crew aboard the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA/Roscosmos
Music: “Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky” courtesy of YouTube Audio Library

See also Cargo Craft Successfully Launches to Station | Space Station/NASA – Feb.14.2024

** Using a VR headset on space station – Astronaut describes experience – VideoFromSpace

Expedition 70 astronaut Andreas Mogensen describes the experience of using a VR headset while exercising on the International Space Station to Space.com’s Elizabeth Howell.

** Expedition 70 Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa Answers Japanese Media Questions Feb. 20, 2024 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) discussed living and working in space with Japanese reporters during an in-flight interview Feb. 20. Furukawa 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.

** 2023 Annual Highlights of Results from the International Space Station – NASA Johnson

The International Space Station is a microgravity research lab hosting groundbreaking technology demonstrations and scientific investigations. More than 3,700 investigations conducted to date have generated more than 4,000 research articles published in scientific journals. In 2023, the orbiting lab hosted approximately 500 investigations. See more space station research achievements and findings in the Annual Highlights of Results publication at https://www.nasa.gov/stationresults.

** Axiom Space – Progress on assembly of the first habitat module.

Thales Alenia in Italy is building the structures for the habitat modules that Axiom will initially attach to the ISS and later detach to become a free-flying space station owned and operated by Axiom. Here is a recent item about a milestone in assembly of the first module:

** Sierra Space displays an illustration on Twitter/X showing three generations of LIFE space habitat module designs:

We are developing and testing “game changing softgoods expandable technology” that leverages the ability to “pack and compress” softgoods structures at launch, then deploy to utilize maximum volume for on orbit operations.

2024-20-02: We are developing and testing “game changing softgoods expandable technology” that leverages the ability to “pack and compress” softgoods structures at launch, then deploy to utilize maximum volume for on orbit operations.

These technology advancements provide “low mass to volume ratios” that are unmatched in the industry. Other habitation providers rely on larger and more powerful rockets with increased fairing envelopes to reach our inflated volumes

We can launch packed and deploy to an average 625% volume increase once pressurized in orbit, offering more on orbit capacity at a reduced size and mass.

We look forward to further developing this technology as we build the world’s first commercial space station.

It’s been pointed out that rotating the LIFE 3.0 module, which would fit into the SpaceX Starship at 8 meters before expanding to 19 meters when deployed, around the long axis at a 4-6 times per minute could provide spin gravity at a potentially beneficial fraction (15-35%) of one g.

** VASTPlanning private crew missions to the ISS

Axiom recently completed its third private crew mission to the ISS. These provide the company with revenue as well as  technical experience as it prepares to launch its own space habitats in the coming years. VAST, another space habitat company, announced this week that it also aims to sponsor private ISS missions. NASA requires payment for such missions and allows only a limited number per year. So the two companies will need to compete for contracts with the agency.

** Chinese Astronaut Captures Breathtaking Views of Egypt, Red Sea from SpaceCCTV Video News Agency

China Manned Space Agency on Tuesday released a bird’s eye view of Egypt and the Red Sea taken by astronaut Tang Shengjie who is currently on-board China’s space station.

** Other news and articles:

** Highlight: Snow over the Pyrenees across Spain to Barcelona. Feb 20, 2024 11:45 CET  –   ISS Above

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

— Highlight: Dallas TX – Deb 21, 2024 11:46 CST –   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

Space habitat reports – Feb.13.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Progress MS-24 undocking SciNews

The Progress MS-24 spacecraft autonomously undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module, on the International Space Station, on 13 February 2024, at 02:09 UTC. Progress MS-24 (ISS Progress 85 mission) delivered about three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 69 crew aboard the International Space Station.

Credit: Roscosmos

Music: “Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky” courtesy of YouTube Audio Library

** ISS astronauts toss football, mention Taylor Swift in Super Bowl prep on space stationVideoFromSpace

NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli talk about the Super Bowl and “Swiftly come up to speed” in this pre-game video.

** Expedition 70 Space Station Crew Answers Massachusetts Student Questions – Feb. 9, 2024NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen discussed living and working in space during an in-flight event Feb. 9 with students attending the Central Tree Middle School in Rutland, Massachusetts. O’Hara and Mogensen are in the midst of a science mission 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.

** European Space Agency (ESA) news:

Day and night cycle on the Space Station | ESA – Feb.8.2024

** Ax-3 Mission | ReturnAxiom Space

Axiom Space is building for beyond, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station – the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, which will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. For more information about Axiom Space, visit www.axiomspace.com.

** Happy Chinese New Year from the Tiangong space station crew – VideoFromSpace

The Shenzhou 17 crew Tang Shengjie, Tang Hongbo and Jiang Xinlin wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year from the Tiangong space station.

See also China’s Space Station Crew: Celebrating Year of the Dragon | Leonard David – Feb.12.2024

** Other news and articles:

** Highlight: The artwork that is The Appalachians Feb 6, 2024 – 12:16 EST ISS Above

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

** Highlight: SoCal – Los Angeles – San Diego – Feb 10, 2024 15:21 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