Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:
** International Space Station Flyover of Hurricane Zeta – NASA
On Wed., Oct. 28, 2020, cameras aboard the International Space Station captured this imagery as the station flew above Hurricane Zeta, seen here moving toward the U.S Gulf Coast.
**#EZ Science: International Space Station – Our Home in Space for 20 Years – NASA
This November, we celebrate 20 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station — an incredible example of international cooperation. In our latest episode of #EZScience, NASA associate administrator for science Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen and National Air and Space Museum director Dr. Ellen Stofan discuss the incredible science that has been conducted on the orbiting laboratory and what’s next for human spaceflight. Learn more about the series: https://www.nasa.gov/ezscience
** International Space Station Expedition 1: The Beginning – NASA
In recognition of the 20th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, listen as Space Foundation board member Jeanne Meserve sits down with the Expedition 1 crew, William Shepherd (NASA astronaut and Commander of Expedition 1), Sergei Krikalev (Russian cosmonaut and Flight Engineer of Expedition 1), and Yuri Gidzenko (Russian cosmonaut and Soyuz Commander of Expedition 1), as they discuss what it was like to be the first ever crewed expedition to the International Space Station. Also joining the conversation are George Abbey, who was director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center at the time, and Ginger Kerrick, the Russian Training Integration Instructor for Expedition 1.
** How does the International Space Station work? –Jared Owen
** Journey Into Night : Earth Seen From The International Space Station ISS
Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:
** ISS Expedition 63/Soyuz MS-16 Undocking Coverage – NASA Video
Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and crewmates Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos undocked their Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Poisk module on the International Space Station. Upon landing, Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner will have completed a journey of 196 days in space conducting research and maintenance aboard the orbital outpost.
** Expedition 63 Crew Lands Safely in Kazakhstan – NASA Video
Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and crewmates Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos landed safely on Earth near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Oct. 22 after bidding farewell to their colleagues on the complex and undocking their Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft from the Poisk module on the International Space Station. Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner completed a journey of 196 days in space conducting research and maintenance aboard the orbital outpost.
** Chris Cassidy – Space Station Scientist – NASA Johnson
On April 9, 2020, the Soyuz MS-16 lifted off from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This launch kicked off NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy’s third trip to the International Space Station. Cassidy’s 196-day mission as Expedition 63 Commander of the space station was filled with milestones for space exploration as well as numerous science experiments helping benefit life back on Earth. Take a look at the science he enabled during his research-filled stay in microgravity aboard the world class laboratory in low-Earth orbit: https://go.nasa.gov/350lpAO Learn more about the research being conducted on station: https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
Former NASA astronaut and ISS veteran Jeff Williams reveals how the space station was constructed, what it’s like living and working on the Earth-orbiting laboratory, and gives his thoughts on the future of human spaceflight.
** Explore The International Space Station in Virtual Reality! | Mashable
Paul Raphäel, co-founder and creative director at Felix & Paul Studios, sat down with us to talk about the idea and process behind The ISS Experience.
In this episode of Down to Earth, NASA Astronaut Andrew Morgan speaks about his spacewalk experiences, and discusses the importance of caring for our home planet. #SpaceStation20th
Kate Rubins is both a scientist and a NASA astronaut. There is no better place to be than the International Space Station for someone with those two occupations. In this video, Kate explains how the space station is the perfect place to conduct research. Free from Earth’s gravity, the orbiting laboratory offers endless opportunities for discovery!
** Expedition 63 Inflight with the Department of Health and Human Services – October 16, 2020 – NASA
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA discussed research on the orbital outpost during an in-flight event Oct. 16 with representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Cassidy is in the final week of his six-and-a-half month mission on the station while Rubins arrived on the station Oct. 14 for her second six-month mission.
** Expedition 64 Crew Docks to Station to Begin Six-Month Mission – NASA
The Expedition 64 crew has arrived at the station’s Rassvet module docking at 4:48 a.m. EDT inside the Soyuz MS-17 crew ship. More… https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2…
** Hatches Open, Station Crew Expands to Six – NASA
The space station crew expanded to six people today when the Soyuz crew ship hatch opened at 7:07 a.m. EDT just a few hours after the Expedition 64 crew launched from Kazakhstan. More… https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2…
To celebrate 20 years of people living on the International Space Station, we feature only ISS astronauts in this special edition of Space Boffins. NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott joins Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson and we revisit interviews with Chris Hadfield, Cady Coleman, Scott Kelly, Sergei Krikalev, Luca Parmitano and Michael Foale. Conversations range from space walking to space toilets, science to watercolour painting in space and the future of the ISS. What other podcast on the planet gives you seven astronauts in an hour?
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity that he recorded while on the International Space Station has over 47 million views. Now retired, the veteran of three spaceflights and first Canadian to walk in space has given a lot of thought to the future of space exploration and what it can mean for all of us. Hear from him now on this episode of the Rocket Ranch.
** NASA Television Video File – Expedition 64 Pre Launch Baikonur Activities – October 8, 2020 – NASA Video
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the International Space Station’s Expedition 64 crew, Soyuz Commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos and Kate Rubins of NASA and their backups, Oleg Novitskiy and Petr Dubrov of Roscosmos and Mark Vande Hei of NASA, participated in a variety of activities Sept. 27-Oct. 7 as they prepared for the upcoming mission. Ryzhikov, Kud-Sverchkov and Rubins are set to launch Oct. 14 from Baikonur in the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft for a six-month mission on the International Space Station. The footage includes the crew’s arrival in Baikonur, their Soyuz fit check in the Cosmodrome’s Integration Facility, the ceremonial Cosmonaut Hotel flag-raising ceremony and other training milestones.
** Expedition 63 Astronaut Chris Cassidy speaks with Time Magazine – October 5, 2020 – NASA Video
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA discussed his mission and future space exploration during an in-flight event Oct. 6 with TIME Magazine’s “TIME 100 Talks” series. Cassidy is in the final weeks of his six-and-a-half month mission on the station, heading for a return to Earth Oct. 22 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
** Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus 14 Rendezvous and Capture – October 5, 2020 – NASA Video
Loaded with almost four tons of supplies and scientific experiments, Northrop Grumman’s unpiloted Cygnus cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station Oct. 5, four days after launching from the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia atop the company’s Antares rocket. Named the “SS Kalpana Chawla” in honor of the late NASA astronaut who lost her life in the Columbia accident in February 2003, Cygnus was captured by Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA using the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. Ground controllers then installed Cygnus to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module where it will reside until mid-December.
** How to use the Bathroom in Space – NASA Johnson
One of the most frequent questions we get about life on Space Station is how to use the toilet…Here’s a quick look at the answer! -Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy
NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge — the agency’s newest public prize competition — is now open and accepting submissions. NASA invites innovative minds from across the United States to provide ideas for sustainable energy storage, distribution, and management on the lunar surface.
As part of the Artemis program, NASA will send astronauts to new areas of the Moon including the lunar South Pole, and prepare for human exploration of Mars. As noted in the agency’s recent lunar surface report, sustainable missions will require an unprecedented capacity for power. Astronauts will need a continuous supply of power from multiple sources to live and work on the Moon for long periods. A flexible and robust system for surface power is key to safe and robust lunar exploration.
“Operating throughout the lunar night creates some of the most demanding energy storage and thermal management challenges in our exploration of the solar system,” said Walt Engelund, the deputy associate administrator for programs within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. “We are calling on the public for their fresh ideas to help us innovate power solutions for the Moon.”
The Goal
On much of the Moon’s surface, daylight lasts a little over 14 Earth days, followed by 14 days of darkness and extremely cold temperatures. State-of-the-art power systems cannot operate in such harsh conditions. While sunlight is more available at the lunar poles, there are irregular periods of darkness and locations, like within craters, where the Sun never shines.Existing state-of-the-art power systems cannot operate in such harsh conditions or are too heavy and bulky for flight.
NASA is developing technologies to provide sustainable power through the extreme environments of the lunar night, including fission surface power, solar power, and regenerative fuel cells. The Watts on the Moon Challenge complements those efforts by focusing on technologies to distribute, manage, and store energy generated by different sources.
Similarly, terrestrial energy needs, utility business models, and customer demands for renewable energy are evolving to necessitate new solutions for power distribution, power management, energy storage, and thermal storage. Not only could novel solutions make a difference in lunar and space exploration, but technologies discovered during NASA’s Watts on the Moon competition could help facilitate new power options on Earth.
“We are excited about leading this challenge and being at the forefront of solutions for powering operations on the Moon and potentially improving life here on Earth,” said Marla Pérez-Davis, director for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “Here at Glenn, and at our satellite facility, NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, we are conducting research and technology development in power systems for aerospace applications. This competition will take the next step by generating new ideas for ways to distribute, manage, and store that energy on the surface of the Moon.”
The Competition
The Watts on the Moon competition will take place over multiple phases. For Phase 1 of the competition, participants will design a flexible and robust system capable of addressing one or more of three hypothetical mission activities similar to a real lunar mission. Solutions to this challenge will advance technology by developing energy distribution, management, and storage that can facilitate initial human presence on the Moon.
Individuals and teams interested in participating in the challenge can register and submit concept designs until 5 p.m. EDT on March 25, 2021. Winners will be awarded a portion of the $500,000 prize purse.
Depending on the outcome of the design competition, a second phase could task participants to build working prototypes that demonstrate their solutions. Phase 2 prizes are expected to total $4.5 million and could involve testing at a NASA or third-party facility.
