Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Sept.12.2023

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:

** Space Station Crew Answers South Texas Astronomical Society Student Questions – Sept. 6, 2023 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Frank Rubio and Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA answered pre-recorded questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event Sept. 6 with students at the South Texas Astronomical Society in Olmito, Texas. Rubio and Moghbeli are in the midst of science missions 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.

** Space Station Astronaut Discusses Record Breaking Mission With Previous Record Holder – NASA Johnson

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA answered questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory and discussed his record-breaking mission during an in-flight conversation recorded on Sept. 5 with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei who was in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. Rubio surpassed Vande Hei’s previous record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut – 355 days – on Sept. 11. Rubio will wrap up his long duration flight on the station on Sept. 27 with a total of 371 days in space. Research conducted during long-duration missions such as this 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 69-70 Space Station Crew Prepares for Launch in Kazakhstan – NASA Video

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the International Space Station’s Expedition 69-70 crew, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos and NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara participated in a variety of activities as they prepared for their upcoming mission on the International Space Station. Kononenko, Chub, and O’Hara are set to launch Sept. 15 from Baikonur in the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft for long duration missions on the outpost. The footage includes the crew’s arrival in Baikonur, their Soyuz fit checks in the Cosmodrome’s Integration Facility, and other training milestones.

** ISSRDC Day3 Fireside Chat – NASA’s Human Research Program – ISS National Lab

A crucial part of achieving mission objectives in the NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) is to perform critical spaceflight research using the low Earth orbit (LEO) space environment to do the following: characterize risks associated with spaceflight, develop risk mitigation strategies or countermeasures, and test or validate countermeasures needed for both Artemis and Mars exploration missions. These spaceflight studies are currently performed on the space station ISS. However, with the ISS orbiting lab set to retire in 2030, HRP has been investigating feasible spaceflight studies using alternative LEO analogs such as commercial LEO destinations (CLDs). This panel will highlight potential studies and the capabilities needed to perform and complete these studies successfully.

** Dream Chaser Spaceplane CRS-2 Mission Profile – Sierra Space

Learn how the world’s only commercial spaceplane flies from launch to landing for its upcoming NASA CRS-2 mission to resupply the International Space Station. With its unique design, Dream Chaser incurs a 1.5g re-entry before landing at NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, making critical cargo accessible faster.

** Tianzhou-5 Cargo Spacecraft Separates from Space Station Combination – SciNews

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Tianzhou-5 (天舟五号) cargo spacecraft undocked from the front port of the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), departing the China Space Station(中国空间站), on 11 September 2023, at 08:46 UTC (16:46 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-5 is scheduled to be de-orbited on 12 September 2023.

** 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