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

** ISS 2030: NASA Extends Operations of the International Space Station – NASA

NASA announced the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to extend International Space Station (ISS) operations through 2030. Over the past two decades, the United States has maintained a continuous human presence in orbit around the Earth to test technologies, conduct scientific research, and develop skills needed to explore farther than ever before. The unique microgravity laboratory has hosted more than 3,000 research investigations from over 4,200 researchers across the world and is returning enormous scientific, educational, and technological developments to benefit people on Earth. Nearly 110 countries and areas have participated in activities aboard the station, including more than 1,500,000 students per year in STEM activities. Extending operations through 2030 will continue another productive decade of research advancement and enable a seamless transition of capabilities in low-Earth orbit to one or more commercially owned and operated destinations in the late 2020s.  Learn more here: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2...

** Astrobee robots in 360° | Cosmic Kiss – European Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

Join ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer inside Kibo, the Japanese laboratory module of the International Space Station in 360°, setting up Astrobee robotic free-flyers for the ReSWARM experiment. Short for RElative Satellite sWArming and Robotic Maneuvering, this robotics demonstration tests autonomous microgravity motion planning and control for on-orbit assembly and coordinated motion. This investigation aims to test coordination between multiple robots, robots and cargo, and robots and their operating environment as developers envision the future of autonomous robot operations in space. Matthias was launched to the International Space Station on Crew Dragon Endurance as part of Crew-3 at 02:03 GMT/03:03 CET Thursday 11 November 2021. His ESA mission on board is known as Cosmic Kiss and will see him live and work for approximately six months in orbit. Follow Matthias: https://bit.ly/ESACosmicKiss

** Chinese astronauts manually dock spacecraft for first time at space station – VideoFromSpace

Shenzhou-13 astronauts completed a manual rendezvous and docking test with the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft on January 8, 2022.

** Teleoperated Docking Test of Space Station, Cargo Craft Lays Foundation for Unmanned Docking: Expert – CCTV Video News Agency

China verified the effectiveness and reliability of its emergency plan for unmanned laboratory module docking during the future construction process of its space station through the successful manual rendezvous and docking experiment between the core module Tianhe and the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft.

** The Chinese Space Station Tests Module Transfer Capability, A Startup is Developing Laser Comms Tech – Dongfang Hour

** 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!

** See also:

• NASA Sets Coverage for Russian Spacewalk Outside Space Station | NASA
• NASA TV to Air SpaceX Cargo Dragon Departure from Space Station | NASA
• NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman’s February Launch from Virginia | NASA
• New images of the International Space Station reveal that it is still a jewel | Ars Technica
• Washington Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts Aboard Space Station | NASA
• ISS orbit raised ahead of launch of Russian manned spacecraft later this year – TASS
• Other ISS partners start planning for extension to 2030 – SpaceNews
• Expedition 66 concludes 2021 with busy December aboard ISS – NASASpaceFlight.com

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

** Expedition 66 Astronaut Kayla Barron Talks with Spokesman-Review Newspaper – Jan. 5, 2022 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Kayla Barron discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview January 5 with the Washington Spokesman Review, a daily newspaper based in Spokane, Washington. Barron is in the midst of 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 as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** Expedition 66 PAO Grant Larson Productions- January 5, 2022 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 66 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Raja Chari discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview January 5 with Grant Larson Productions to be used for educational content for K-12 students. Vande Hei and Chari are in the midst of long-duration science missions 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.

** China space station’s robotic arm relocates cargo spacecraft in successful trial – CCTV Video News Agency

The robotic arm attached to China space station successfully caught and relocated the Tianzhou-2 cargo ship in a test on Thursday, China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said. It’s the first such maneuver of the 10-meter-long robotic arm, which can lift objects weighing up to 20 tonnes.

See also China completes in-orbit spacecraft transposition test with space station’s robotic arm – Xinhua

** 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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There is no NASA Space to Ground this week due to the holidays. Here are other reports on activities related to the International Space Station:

** International Space Station in 2021 – See the highlights – VideoFromSpace

The International Space Station had 23 residents in 2021! Check out the highlights. — Learn more about the ISS: https://www.space.com/16748-internati…

** A news item about the future of the ISS: Biden-Harris Administration Extends Space Station Operations Through 2030 – Space Station/NASA

** Arm wrestling in space & more great ISS moments in 2021 – VideoFromSpace

NASA runs down 9 special moments on the International Space Station in 2021.

** Science in Space – See NASA’s top pics for 2021 – VideoFromSpace

NASA Johnson Space Center has compiled their favorite pics of science experiments, spacewalks and more from 2021.

** Expedition 66 inflight with KGW-TV News – December 29, 2021 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 66 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Kayla Barron discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview December 29 with KGW-TV, a local news outlet for Portland, Oregon and surrounding areas. Vande Hei and Barron are in the midst of long-duration science missions 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.

** Washington native among the newest astronauts aboard the International Space Station –KGW News

One of the newest astronauts aboard the ISS is Washington native Kayla Barron, from Richland. KGW’s Devon Haskins spoke with her about her first flight into space.

** China’s Shenzhou-13 crew conducts 2nd spacewalk – See highlights  – VideoFromSpace

Chinese astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu completed a spacewalk on Dec. 26, 2021 outside the Tiangong space station. Tasks included “lifting a panoramic camera and testing goods transport” according to China Central Television. Full Story: https://www.space.com/china-astronaut…

Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: China Central Television (CCTV) | edited by Steve Spaleta

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

** Best Space Station Science Pictures of 2021 – NASA Johnson

It has been a busy year of research aboard the International Space Station. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, Crew-2, and Crew-3 missions supported hundreds of science experiments aboard the orbiting laboratory. Multiple Soyuz spacecrafts carried astronauts to and from station. An upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft returned time sensitive research to scientists on the ground. Astronauts and cosmonauts conducted 13 spacewalks, and their work included installing new solar panels to augment and upgrade the station’s power supply. Chiles and lettuce were harvested as a part of plant research preparing us for deep space missions, and technologies were tested for the upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon. Look at some of the best photos of breakthrough investigations crew members worked on in 2021: https://go.nasa.gov/30Iy8d8

** 2021 International Space Station Year In Review – December 22, 2021 – NASA Johnson

A review of missions, residents, and science on board the International Space Station in 2021.

** NASA Television VideoFile – Soyuz MS-20 Landing – December 20, 2021 – NASA Video

Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and two Japanese businessmen, Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano undocked from the International Space Station’s Poisk Module in their Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft December 19, returning to Earth a few hours later for a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan Dec. 20. Misurkin, Maezawa, and Hirano, were flying under a contract between Roscosmos and Space Adventures.

** NASA’s SpaceX 24th Commercial Resupply Services Mission: Broadcast Begins– NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

The broadcast show begins for NASA’s SpaceX 24th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.

** Expedition 66 SpaceX CRS 24 Docking – December 22, 2022 – NASA Video

Loaded with scientific experiments and supplies, the unpiloted SpaceX CRS-24 cargo ship automatically docked to the International Space Station December 22. The SpaceX spacecraft linked up to the Harmony module after launching December 21 from Florida with several tons of experiments and hardware.

** SpaceX CRS24: Tide in Space – ISS National Lab – YouTube

Also on SpaceX CRS-24, Procter & Gamble—one of the leading consumer goods companies in the world—will send Tide Infinity, the first in a series of detergent systems being developed for NASA’s long duration space travel initiatives (through a Space Act Agreement with NASA) to understand the viability of cleaning clothes off planet. The Tide team intends to test the stability of cleaning ingredients under microgravity conditions and radiation exposure in space. In doing so, the company hopes to gain insights that could help in the development of a low-resource-use laundry solution for everyday use while meeting consumer demand for more sustainable products. Results could also further knowledge on the development of laundry detergent solutions to support future long-duration spaceflight missions. Learn more about this exciting investigation!

** NLRA 2022-5: Technology Development and Applied Research on the ISS National Lab – ISS National Lab – YouTube

On December 15, 2021, the ISS National Lab held a webinar to provide further background on NLRA 2022-5 and to answer any questions.

– space googlevesaire

** Cupola in 360° | Cosmic Kiss – European Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

Join ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer inside the seven-windowed cupola, the International Space Station’s “window to the world” and pan around to enjoy the view. The ESA – European Space Agency-built Cupola is the favourite place of many astronauts on the International Space Station. It serves not only as a unique photo spot, but also for observing robotic activities of the Canadian Space Agency’s robotic arm Canadarm2, arriving spacecraft and spacewalks. Just outside the cupola and behind Matthias is a portion of the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship docked to the Rassvet module and the Prichal docking module attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory service module. Matthias was launched to the International Space Station on Crew Dragon Endurance as part of Crew-3 at 02:03 GMT/03:03 CET Thursday 11 November. His ESA mission on board is known as Cosmic Kiss and will see him live and work for approximately six months in orbit. Follow Matthias: https://bit.ly/ESACosmicKiss

** Chinese Astronauts Show Process of Height Measurement in Space Station – CCTV Video News Agency

The three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-13 crewed space mission, demonstrated the process of measuring their height in a microgravity environment after traveling over two months aboard China’s space station core module Tianhe.

** How to receive SSTV images from the ISS – K7AGE

I show you how to receive Slow Scan TV (SSTV) images from the International Space Station (ISS). Several times a year SSTV images are sent from the ISS. In December 2021 from the 26th through the 31st SSTV images will be transmitted. A simple two-meter amateur radio, or scanner, is able to receive the signal on 145.800 MHz. You can receive the signal using the antenna on an HT, mobile antenna, or a vertical antenna mounted outside. I show you how to learn when the ISS will be in the range of your station. Heavens-Above is a good website to use and it will generate a list of passes for your station. To decode the SSTV signal you will need software on a computer or portable device. I show MMSSTV on my Windows computer decoding the SSTV signal. I also show decoding SSTV on my iPad …

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