In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, SpaceCasts

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Jan.7.2022

January 7, 2022 TopSpacer

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.

** 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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Video: Update on graphene development and applications

January 4, 2022 TopSpacer

While it probably exaggerates its near-term importance to tell 2022 graduates that “The future is graphene” (as The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock, was told in the 60s about plastics) , the future is nevertheless very bright for applications of the amazing one-atom-thick material. Here is an update on developments with graphene via an interview with Adrian Nixon, Editor in Chief of Nixene Publishing at Ex Terra – The Journal of Space Commerce:

On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, we return to the topic of Graphene with Adrian Nixon, Editor in Chief of Nixene Publishing. The Nixene Journal is a publishing company specializing in Graphene and other 2D materials based in Manchester, United Kingdom. We publish the Nixene Journal, a monthly analysis of developments in the fast-moving business and technology world of graphene in “plain English” for global decision makers and investors. Adrian Nixon began his career as a chemist, and took a somewhat circuitous path to publishing. As a scientist, his knowledge of graphene is extensive, and he is well versed in the potential applications for the material in space commerce, as well as here on Earth.

Nixene Publishing produces the monthly Nixene Journal, which provides busy decision makers with up-to-date knowledge and information, as well as Special Editions tailored to a specific topic. They are ideal as corporate reports or industry events. Both print and digital versions are available, and a subscription is not required. The company also produces a video series focused on graphene, holds webinars and workshops, and provides consulting services.

Adrian is a member of the International Space Elevator Consortium Board, and a Strategic Advisory Board member of StellarModal, the space transportation association. On this edition of the podcast, Adrian and host Tom Patton talk about the many uses of graphene, how it came to be discovered, it’s chemical makeup (Adrian is a chemist, after all), and a couple of the more Earthly uses for the substance.

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Activism, Space Policy, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week – Jan.4.2022

January 4, 2022 TopSpacer

The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

1. Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022; 7 pm PST (9 pm CST, 10 pm EST): We welcome back Dr. Malcolm Davis from Australia. We will be discussing space in Australia, national security issues and more.

2. Hotel Mars – Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022; 1:00 pm PST (3:00 pm CST, 4:00 pm EST): Check the online schedule for the latest on the guest whom John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston will interview this week.

3. Friday, Jan. 7, 2022 9:30-11 am PST (11:30 am-1 pm CST, 12:30-2 pm EST): We welcome back Marcia S. Smith of SpacePolicyOnline.com. A great guest to start us out for the New Year. Don’t miss it.

4. Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022; 12-1:30 pm PST (2-3:30 pm CST, 3-4:30 pm EST): We welcome Dr. Anna Krylov from USC on the mixing of science and politics plus a look at peer review.

Some recent shows:

** Sunday, Jan.2.2022 – An Open Lines program in which David led a “discussion with many phone calls and just a few emails on multiple topics“.

** Tuesday, Dec.28.2021 – Thomas A. Olson returned

for another year in review program mostly focusing on commercial space. We also talked some national security and planetary space news during the year, focused on the launch industry and talked about hot issues going into 2022.

** Sunday, Dec.26.2021 – Leonard David talked “about leading space news stories during the year and what to look for next year“.

** Wednesday, Dec.22.2021 – Hotel Mars – In this end of the year episode of Hotel Mars, John Batchelor and David Livingston

highlighted what we called out as top trends and guests during the year. John went for three trends including commercial activities, the ISS and SpaceX with Starship and Superheavy changing paradigms. I called out the guests we had on talking about what Earth would look like to a being on a distant exoplanet. In addition, I shouted out for Avi Loeb and his ET research regarding fast moving interstellar objects plus work only being tolerated due to his tenure status per his recent book which we discussed on Hotel Mars. Finally, I also shouted out for the commercial fusion industry and our fusion guest, Stephanie Thomas from Princeton Satellite Systems. This Hotel Mars program was one segment timing out at about 10.5 minutes.

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation .

The Space Show - David Livingston — The Space Show – Dr. David Livingston

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Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for January 2022

January 1, 2022 TopSpacer

** What’s Up: January 2022 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

What are some skywatching highlights in January 2022? Stargazing is at its best on the nights around the new moon, Jan. 2. Later that night, catch the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower. Then look for the Moon with Jupiter on Jan. 5, and with Mars and Venus on Jan. 29.

0:00 Intro
0:10 New Moon
0:30 Quadrantid meteors
1:28 Dusk / Dawn Highlights
2:28 Moon Phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

** Tonight’s Sky: January 2022 – Space Telescope Science Institute – Tonight’s Sky

In January, the northern hemisphere features beautiful views of Capella, a pair of giant yellow stars; Aldebaran, a red giant star; and two star clusters—the Hyades and the Pleiades. Keep watching for the awe-inspiring space-based views of the Crab Nebula, the remains of a star that exploded as a supernova. About this Series “Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning. This is a recurring show, and you can find more episodes—and other astronomy videos—at https://hubblesite.org/resource-galle....

** What to see in the night sky: November 2021 – BBC Sky at Night Magazine

What can you see in the night sky tonight? Astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best night-sky highlights to observe throughout January 2022.

** What’s in the Night Sky June 2021 #WITNS | Comet Leonard | Quadrantid Meteor Shower – Alyn Wallace

** Night Sky Notebook March 2021 – Peter Detterline

** See also:

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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, SpaceCasts

Videos: ISS & other space habitat reports – Dec.31.2021

December 31, 2021 TopSpacer

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