Category Archives: In Space Infrastructure

In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, SpaceCasts

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Dec.3.2022

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** U.S. Spacewalk 82 Animation – Dec. 3, 2022 – NASA Video

On Saturday, December 3rd, Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio of NASA will conduct a spacewalk to install an ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA) to augment power generation for the 3A power channel on the station’s starboard four truss. This will be the 256th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades, and maintenance, and the second for both Cassada and Rubio. This computer-generated animation of the spacewalk is narrated by ISS Expedition 68 Spacewalk Officer Chris Mundy.

** Russian Spacewalk 56 – Nov. 23, 2022 – NASA Johnson

Outside the International Space Station, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of the Expedition 68 crew conducted a spacewalk on November 25 to relocate a radiator from the Rassvet module to Nauka. It was the 256th spacewalk in support of station maintenance and upgrades, the fourth for Prokopyev and the second for Petelin.

** Expedition 68 Astronaut Nicole Mann Talks with Time Magazine, CNN This Morning – Dec. 1, 2022 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight event Dec. 1 with TIME magazine and CNN “This Morning.” Mann is in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory. The goal of her mission is 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.

** Expedition 68 – Space Station Crew Answers Maryland Student Questions – Nov. 21, 2022 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Nicole Mann and Frank Rubio answered pre-recorded questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event Nov. 21 with students attending the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Rubio is a graduate of the school. Mann and Rubio are in the midst of 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. 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.

** SpaceX launches Cargo Dragon to space station – See deployment & landing too! – VideoFromSpace

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched the CRS-26 mission to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022. Full Story: https://www.space.com/spacex-launch-c… The rocket’s first stage landed on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean just under eight minutes after launch and the Dragon spacecraft was deployed shortly thereafter.

**  SpaceX CRS-26 Dragon docking – SciNews

The SpaceX Dragon CRS-26 cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the International Space Station, on 27 November 2022, at 12:39 UTC (07:39 EST). The CRS-26 Dragon spacecraft delivers more than 2630 kg (5800 pounds) of research, crew supplies and hardware; having previously supported the CRS-21 and CRS-23 missions. Credit: NASA/SpaceX Music: Blue Danube by Strauss courtesy of YouTube Audio Library

** ESA Astronaut Class of 2022 – European Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

Get to know the ESA Astronaut Class of 2022 as they answer the following questions: – Why did you apply to become an astronaut? – Tell us about your background – How did you feel when you found out you would be part of ESA’s Astronaut Class of 2022? – What excites you most about human exploration, and how do you see yourself as part of this challenge? – What message do you have for young people today who are passionate about space and science?

** Shenzhou-15 docking – SciNews

The Shenzhou-15 (神舟十五) crew spacecraft autonomously docked to the front port of the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), on 29 November 2022, at 21:42 UTC (30 November, at 05:42 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-15 (神舟十五) is the fourth crew of three astronauts, Junlong Fei (费俊龙, commander), Qingming Deng (邓清明) and Lu Zhang (张陆), on a mission to the China Space Station (中国空间站).

** Shenzhou 15 crew enters Chinese space station after docking – VideoFromSpace

Shenzhou 15 astronauts Fei Junlong (commander), Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu completed ingress into the Tiangong space station on Nov. 29, 2022 (Nov. 30 – Beijing time) shortly after docking. See them launch: https://www.space.com/china-launches-…

** ISS Live video stream – IBM/ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment

Currently, live views from the ISS are streaming from an external camera mounted on the ISS module called Node 2. Node 2 is located on the forward part of the ISS. The camera is looking forward at an angle so that the International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA2) is visible. If the Node 2 camera is not available due to operational considerations for a longer period of time, a continuous loop of recorded HDEV imagery will be displayed. The loop will have “Previously Recorded” on the image to distinguish it from the live stream from the Node 2 camera. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. Thank You to all who shared in experiencing and using the HDEV views of Earth from the ISS to make HDEV so much more than a Technology Demonstration Payload!

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A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space industry

Commercial activity and opportunity in cislunar space – a report & podcast

The Cislunar Market Opportunities Report: In-Space Business within the Earth-Moon System was  recently released by NewSpace Global. I was the primary analyst on the report, which surveys a wide array of commercial activities and opportunities within  cislunar space, i.e. the region from low Earth orbit to the Moon, including the lunar surface.

The particular focus of the report is on those commercial sectors that support activities in space rather than those that deliver services to earth. In-space businesses include, for example, satellite servicing and space tugs in earth orbit and communications and navigation satellites around the Moon. Such endeavors constitute an in-space infrastructure that is forming and expanding before our eyes.

The Cislunar Market Opportunities Report: In-Space Business within the Earth-Moon System

I’ve followed commercial space development closely since the 1990s yet even I’m quite surprised by the current boom in cislunar endeavors. I initially planned just a brief update on a cislunar report I wrote in 2019  but soon realized that there had been major progress since then. Rather than just concepts and plans, in almost every sector there are companies with hardware already in space or with hardware in preparation for upcoming missions to space. It took 161 pages to describe the full scope of what is happening.

I discussed the report on the  Space Economy podcast with Marc Boucher, who is the President and COO of Multiverse Media Group LLC, which now owns NewSpace Global. (Dylan Taylor is the founder and chairman of Multiverse.) Check out our discussion: Insight Into the Cislunar Market Opportunities Report – SpaceQ

When we were finalizing the report, a big challenge was deciding when to stop incorporating the seemingly continuous in-flow of news and announcements of cislunar developments. Here is a sampling of cislunar in-space business news since the report was published:

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Rethinking Finance Beyond Risk & Time

In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Settlement

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Nov.19.2022

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** U.S. Spacewalk 81 Animation – Nov. 14, 2022 – NASA Video

NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio conducted a spacewalk outside the Quest airlock of the International Space Station Nov. 15 to erect a bracket on the starboard 6 truss upon which an ISS Rollout Solar Array (IROSA) will be attached after it is delivered on a future SpaceX Cargo Dragon flight. The IROSAs are being installed for six of the eight space station power channels to augment the power capability for the orbital outpost. Narration by Kieth Johnson, EVA task Flight Controller

** Spacewalk Outside the International Space Station with NASA Astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio – NASA

NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio are conducting a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, Nov. 15, to assemble a mounting bracket on the starboard side of the station’s truss assembly. The spacewalk, which will prepare the future deployment of additional solar arrays for the station, is scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. EST (1300 UTC) and last for about seven hours.

Cassada (wearing the suit with red stripes) and Rubio (wearing the unmarked suit) are part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission, which arrived at the station on Oct. 6, 2022. This is the first spacewalk for both astronauts.

** Russian Spacewalk 55 Animation – November 16, 2022 – NASA Johnson

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin conducted a spacewalk outside the Poisk module of the International Space Station to prepare a radiator for its relocation from the Rassvet module to the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module. The radiator and an associated airlock launched in 2010 on Rassvet on a space shuttle mission will continue the outfitting of the Nauka module for future use as both a research facility and a second airlock for Russian-segment based spacewalks. Voice over by Mitchell Harger, EVA Integration and Operations Lead

** Space Station Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With ABC’s Good Morning America – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Nov. 18 with ABC’s “Good Morning America”. The quartet is in the midst of a long duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory. The goal of the mission is 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.

** SpaceX CRS-26 Research: Overview – ISS National Lab – YouTube

SpaceX’s 26th Commercial Resupply Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) features dozens of experiments that will be performed over the coming weeks. Many are sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory, and this video highlights some of those investigations. To learn more about all ISS National Lab-sponsored research and technology development investigations on this mission, visit the ISS National Lab launch page: https://www.issnationallab.org/launch…

** See Chinese spacewalkers work outside Tiangong space station in these highlights  – VideoFromSpace

Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Cai Xuzhe installed a “connection “bridge” between the three modules” of the Tiangong space station during a spacewalk on Nov. 17, 2022. It was the the third spacewalk for the Shenzhou-14 crew.

** Shenzhou-14 Crew Install Connection Device Between Space Station Modules During EAVs – CCTV Video News Agency

China’s Shenzhou-14 astronauts installed a connection device between the modules of the country’s space station on Thursday during their third extravehicular activities (EVAs).

** Gateway Overview Video – NASA Johnson

** ISS Live video stream – IBM/ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment

Currently, live views from the ISS are streaming from an external camera mounted on the ISS module called Node 2. Node 2 is located on the forward part of the ISS. The camera is looking forward at an angle so that the International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA2) is visible. If the Node 2 camera is not available due to operational considerations for a longer period of time, a continuous loop of recorded HDEV imagery will be displayed. The loop will have “Previously Recorded” on the image to distinguish it from the live stream from the Node 2 camera. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. Thank You to all who shared in experiencing and using the HDEV views of Earth from the ISS to make HDEV so much more than a Technology Demonstration Payload!

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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Nov.11.2022

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** Expedition 68 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Arrives at Space Station – Nov. 8, 2022 – NASA Video

Loaded with food, fuel, research investigations, and supplies, the unpiloted Northrop Grumman CRS-18 Cygnus cargo craft arrived to the International Space Station November 8 where it was installed to the nadir port of the Unity module. Dubbed the “SS Sally Ride” for the late NASA astronaut who made history as the first American woman to fly in space, Cygnus launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on November 6 atop an Antares rocket and will remain docked to the space station for approximately two months.

** Expedition 68 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Secured to Space Station – Nov. 8, 2022 – NASA Video

Loaded with food, fuel, research investigations, and supplies, the unpiloted Northrop Grumman CRS-18 Cygnus cargo craft arrived to the International Space Station November 8 where it was installed to the nadir port of the Unity module. Dubbed the “SS Sally Ride” for the late NASA astronaut who made history as the first American woman to fly in space, Cygnus launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on November 6 atop an Antares rocket and will remain docked to the space station for approximately two months.

** S.S. Sally Ride captured by space station with only 1 solar array deployed! – VideoFromSpace

A Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, named S.S. Sally Ride, was captured by the International Space Station’s robotic arm on Nov. 9, 2022. The cargo ship made to space station powered by only one solar array as the second failed to deploy after launch. Full Story: https://www.space.com/cygnus-cargo-sp…

** Orbital Reef: Your Address, In Orbit  – Blue Origin – YouTube

Orbital Reef will provide anyone with the opportunity to establish their own address in orbit. Learn more at www.orbitalreef.com

** See China’s ‘t-shaped’ space station in cargo ship undocking views – VideoFromSpace

The Tianzhou-4 cargo ship undocked from the Tiangong space station on Nov. 9, 2022. It was launched to China’s orbital outpost in May 2022.

** ‘Life-size’ Chinese space station replica unveiled at Zhuhai Airshow 2022 – VideoFromSpace

The 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Zhuhai Airshow 2022, features a full-size replica of the Tiangong space station.

** ISS Live video stream – IBM/ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment

Currently, live views from the ISS are streaming from an external camera mounted on the ISS module called Node 2. Node 2 is located on the forward part of the ISS. The camera is looking forward at an angle so that the International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA2) is visible. If the Node 2 camera is not available due to operational considerations for a longer period of time, a continuous loop of recorded HDEV imagery will be displayed. The loop will have “Previously Recorded” on the image to distinguish it from the live stream from the Node 2 camera. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. Thank You to all who shared in experiencing and using the HDEV views of Earth from the ISS to make HDEV so much more than a Technology Demonstration Payload!

====

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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, SpaceCasts

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Nov.4.2022

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** Science Launching on SpaceX’s 26th Cargo Resupply Mission to the Space Station – NASA

SpaceX’s 26th commercial resupply mission (CRS-26) is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 18.

The Dragon spacecraft carries dozens of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including investigations to explore growing plants in space, creating nutrients on-demand, and in-space construction.

Details: https://go.nasa.gov/3WqGhLu

** Meet NG-18: The S.S. Sally Ride – Northrop Grumman – Youtube 

We’re proud to name our NG-18 #Cygnus spacecraft in honor of astronaut Sally Ride. It’s our tradition to name each Cygnus spacecraft after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight. Ride was selected in honor of her accomplishment as the first female American to fly in space, as well as her incredible work in creating STEM education opportunities for young girls through her organization, Sally Ride Science.

The Northrop Grumman S.S. Sally Ride Cygnus  cargo spacecraft is set to lift off on a Antares rocket with the NG-18 re-supply mission no earlier than 5:50 a.m. EST, Nov. 6, 2022 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia: NASA Commercial Resupply Mission NG-18 – Northrop Grumman.

** NG-18 Research: Overview  – ISS National Lab – YouTube

Mudslides from forest fires cause catastrophic damage in their wake, and research aimed at predicting and possibly preventing them will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) onboard Northrop Grumman’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission (NG-18). This is one of more than 20 investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory flying on this mission.

** NG-18 Research: RedWire BioFabrication Facility – ISS National Lab – YouTube

Space: is it the final frontier, or could it be the new frontier of regenerative medicine? Bioprinting human tissues for implantation in patients to treat injury or disease would be game-changing.

When Northrop Grumman’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services (NG-18) mission launches to the ISS, it will carry an upgraded version of Redwire Space’s BioFabrication Facility, or BFF, a 3D bioprinter capable of printing human tissue. The project, sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory, will pave the way for in-space bioprinting of tissues—and possibly even organs in the future—that could one day help patients back on Earth.

See also:

** Mike Read – What Does The ISS Have To Do With The Commercialization of Space? – Cold Star Technologies – YouTube

Mike Read is in the role of Manager, ISS Business and Economic Development Office at NASA Johnson Space Center. But what does the International Space Station have to do with the commercialization of space? Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Mike:

    • You have a non-engineering background yet are in the space field. Tell us about how this happened
    • What is the scope of your responsibilities in the ISS Business and Economic Development Office?
    • What constitutes a success over the period of a year?
    • Can you share some recent wins?
    • How long is the ISS expected to be available?
    • If/when commercial operators have private space stations in orbit, is NASA expecting to simply be a customer?
    • Who do you want to speak with? What makes a good discussion or project for you?

Useful Links:

** China launches new science module to Tiangong space station – VideoFromSpace

A Chinese Long March-5B Y4 rocket launched the Mengtian science module from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Oct. 31, 2022. “Mengtian is over 17 meters (55.7 ft) long, with a diameter of four meters (13.1 ft), and weighs more than 20 metric tons,” according to the China Academy of Space Technology.

** China’s Mengtian lab module docks with Tiangong space station – VideoFromSpace

The Mengtian lab module successfully docked with China’s Tiangong space station on Oct. 31, 2022, about 13 hours after its launch. (https://www.space.com/china-launches-…)

Mengtian, whose name means “Dreaming of the Heavens,” is a 58.7-foot-long (17.9 meters) and roughly 48,500-pound (22 metric tons) spacecraft designed mainly to host an array of science racks and experiments.

** Watch China’s Shenzhou-14 crew enter Mengtian lab in space for 1st time – VideoFromSpace

Chinese taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe opened the Mengtian lab hatch and entered the new Tiangong space station module on Nov. 3, 2022. Mengtian was launched atop a Long March 5B Y4 on Oct. 31.

** ISS Live video stream – IBM/ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment

Currently, live views from the ISS are streaming from an external camera mounted on the ISS module called Node 2. Node 2 is located on the forward part of the ISS. The camera is looking forward at an angle so that the International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA2) is visible. If the Node 2 camera is not available due to operational considerations for a longer period of time, a continuous loop of recorded HDEV imagery will be displayed. The loop will have “Previously Recorded” on the image to distinguish it from the live stream from the Node 2 camera. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. Thank You to all who shared in experiencing and using the HDEV views of Earth from the ISS to make HDEV so much more than a Technology Demonstration Payload!

====

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