AURORA AUSTRALIS FROM SPACE

 

FROM:  NASA
Aurora Australis From Space
This image is of Atlantis and its Orbital Boom Sensor System robot arm extension backdropped against Earth's horizon and a greenish phenomenon associated with Aurora Australis. One of the station's solar array panels appears at upper left. Because of the exposure time needed for this type of photography, some of the stars in the background are blurred.

Image Credit: NASA

SUNRISE VIEW FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

 

FROM: NASA
Sunrise

On Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, International Space Station astronaut Ron Garan used a high definition camera to film one of the sixteen sunrises astronauts see each day. This image shows the rising sun as the station flew along a path between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Image Credit: NASA

SPACEDOCK

FROM:  NASA
Astronaut Ron Garan took this image during the spacewalk conducted on Tues., July 12, 2011. It shows the International Space Station with Space Shuttle Atlantis docked on the right and a Russian Soyuz on the far left. In the foreground is the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment installed during the STS-134 mission.


AMS is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector designed to use the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter and dark matter, and measuring cosmic rays.

Image Credit: NASA

NASA PHOTOS

FROM:  NASA
On Feb. 12, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless, ventured further away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut had ever been. This space first was made possible by a nitrogen jet propelled backpack, previously known at NASA as the Manned Manuevering Unit or MMU.


After a series of test maneuvers inside and above Challenger's payload bay, McCandless went "free-flying" to a distance of 320 feet away from the Orbiter. This stunning orbital panorama view shows McCandless out there amongst the black and blue of Earth and space.

Bruce McCandless Image CreditNASA

　

Earth's MoonPhotographed by the Expedition 28 crew aboard the International Space Station, this image shows the moon, the Earth's only natural satellite, at center with the limb of Earth near the bottom transitioning into the orange-colored troposphere, the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth's atmosphere. The troposphere ends abruptly at the tropopause, which appears in the image as the sharp boundary between the orange- and blue-colored atmosphere. The
silvery-blue noctilucent clouds extend far above the Earth's troposphere.

Image Credit: NASA

SOYUZ TMA-03M SPACECRAFT LANDS

The Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 31 Commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia and Flight Engineers Don Pettit of NASA and Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, July 1, 2012. Pettit, Kononenko and Kuipers returned from more than six months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 30 and 31 crews. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

IMAGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

FROM:  NASA
Psychedelic Space
This is a composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit said of the about photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then ‘stack’ them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure." A total of 18 images photographed by the astronaut-monitored stationary camera were combined to create  this composite.
Image Credit: NASA

FAA & NASA AGREE ON REGULATION OF COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT

Photo:  Launch Of Commercial Spacecraft SpaceX Dragon To The ISS.    

Credit:  NASA.

FROM:  NASA
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA have 
signed a historic agreement to coordinate standards for commercial 
space travel of government and non-government astronauts to and from 
low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station (ISS). The two 
agencies will collaborate to expand efforts that provide a stable 
framework for the U.S. space industry, avoid conflicting requirements 
and multiple sets of standards, and advance both public and crew 
safety. 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the two agencies 
establishes policy for operational missions to the space station. 
Commercial providers will be required to obtain a license from the 
FAA for public safety. Crew safety and mission assurance will be 
NASA's responsibility. This approach allows both agencies to 
incorporate experience and lessons learned as progress is made. 

"This important agreement between the FAA and NASA will advance our 
shared goals in commercial space travel," said U.S. Transportation 
Secretary Ray LaHood. "Working together, we will assure clear, 
consistent standards for the industry." 

"This agreement is the next step in bringing the business of launching 
Americans back to American soil," Charles Bolden, NASA administrator 
said. "We are fostering private sector innovation while maintaining 
high standards of safety and reliability to re-establish U.S.-crewed 
access to low-Earth orbit, in-sourcing work to American companies and 
encouraging the development of dynamic and cost-effective spaceflight 
capabilities built to last." 

"The Obama administration recognizes the scientific, technological and 
economic benefits of maintaining the United States' leadership in 
space travel and exploration," said FAA Acting Administrator Michael 
Huerta. "This agreement between the FAA and NASA continues and 
advances those vital national interests." 

NASA's Commercial Crew Program aims to facilitate development of a 
U.S. commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of 
achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from 
low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station. The policy 
established in the MOU clarifies for potential commercial providers 
the regulatory environment for operational missions to the orbiting 
laboratory. It also ensures that the two agencies will have 
compatible processes for ensuring public safety. 

The FAA is responsible for regulating and licensing all U.S. private 
companies and individuals involved in commercial space 
transportation. To date, the FAA Office of Commercial Space 
Transportation has licensed 207 successful launches, including two 
non-orbital commercial human space flights in 2004 and the recent 
first launch to the ISS and re-entry of a non-manned commercial 
spacecraft.

CAPTURING A DRAGON IN SPACE

FROM:  NASA
Capturing the Dragon
On May 25, 2012, with darkness, Earth's horizon and thin line of atmosphere forming a backdrop, the SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft is grappled by the Canadarm2 robotic arm at the International Space Station. Expedition 31 Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers grappled Dragon at 9:56 a.m. EDT and used the robotic arm to berth Dragon to the Earth-facing side of the station’s Harmony node at 12:02 p.m. May 25, 2012. Image Credit:  NASA.

SpaceX Dragon Approaches
This image of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft as it approached the space station was taken NASA astronaut Don Pettit. The SpaceX Falcon 9 and its Dragon spacecraft launched on Tuesday, May 22, at 3:44 a.m. EDT. This mission is a demonstration flight by Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, as part of its contract with NASA to have private companies launch cargo safely to the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA

Capturing SpaceX's Dragon
With clouds and land forming a backdrop, the SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft is grappled by the Canadarm2 robotic arm at the International Space Station. Expedition 31 Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers grappled Dragon at 9:56 a.m. EDT and used the robotic arm to berth Dragon to the Earth-facing side of the station’s Harmony node at 12:02 p.m. May 25, 2012. Image Credit: ESA/NASA

NASA ADMINISTRATOR CALLS STATION FOLLOWING SPACEX HISTORIC FEAT

FROM:  NASA
Photo:  SpacX  Prepares For Launch. Credit: NASA  
WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden offered his
congratulations to the International Space Station Expedition 31 crew
and mission flight control teams at NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston and SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., following
Friday's successful first-time berthing of a commercial company
spacecraft, SpaceX's Dragon, to the space station.

Bolden talked with NASA astronauts Don Pettit and Joe Acaba, and
European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers during a call to the
space station Friday afternoon live on NASA Television. Bolden told
the crew, "You made history today and have firmly locked into place
the future direction of America's space program."

To view the call between Bolden and the Expedition 31 astronauts,
visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Smw7rz1FU

At 9:56 a.m. EDT Friday, Pettit used the station's robotic arm to
grapple Dragon. Kuipers then used the arm to attach the capsule to
the station's Harmony node at 11:52 a.m. Acaba completed berthing
operations by remotely bolting the Dragon to Harmony at 12:02 p.m.
The crew members spent the rest of their day preparing to open the
hatches between the two spacecraft on Saturday morning.

The SpaceX demonstration mission to the space station is the second
under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program,
which provides investments intended to lead to regular resupply
missions to the station and stimulate the commercial space industry
in the United States.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION RECENT COMPOSITE IMAGES

FROM:  NASA
This is a composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Space station hardware in the foreground includes the Mini-Research Module (MRM1, center) and a Russian Progress vehicle docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment (right). Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit said of the photographic techniques used to achieve the images: "My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then 'stack' them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure." A total of 47 images photographed by the astronaut-monitored stationary camera were combined to create this composite. Image Credit: NASA

CURRENTS ALONG THE KANCHATKA PENINSULA AS SEEN FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

FROM:  NASA 

The vantage point from orbit on the International Space Station (ISS) frequently affords astronauts with the opportunity to observe processes that are impossible to see on the ground. The winter season blankets the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia in snow, but significant amounts of sea ice can also form and collect along the Pacific coastline. As ice floes grind against each other, they produce smaller floes that can be moved by wind and currents.

The irregular southeastern coastline of Kamchatka provokes large, circular eddy currents to spin off from the main southwestward-flowing Kamchatka current. Three such eddies are highlighted by surface ice floe patterns at image center. The patterns are very difficult (and dangerous) to navigate in an ocean vessel. While the floes may look thin and delicate from the ISS vantage point, even the smaller ice chunks are several meters across. White clouds (image top right) are distinguished from the sea ice and snow cover by their high brightness and discontinuous nature.

The Kamchatka Peninsula also hosts many currently and historically active stratovolcanoes. Kliuchevskoi Volcano, the highest in Kamchatka (summit elevation 4,835 meters) and one of the most active, had its most recent confirmed eruption in June 2011. Meanwhile, Karymsky Volcano (to the south) likely produced ash plumes just days before this image was taken; the snow cover on the south and east sides of the summit is darkened by a cover of fresh ash or melted away altogether (image bottom center). By contrast, Kronotsky Volcano—a “textbook” symmetrical cone-shaped stratovolcano—last erupted in 1923.

Astronaut photograph ISS030-E-162344 was acquired on March 15, 2012, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera using a 28 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 30 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by William L. Stefanov, Jacobs/ESCG at NASA-JSC.

Instrument: 

ISS - Digital Camera

ROBONAUT 2 LENDS A HAND TO GENERAL MOTORS

While Robonaut 2 has been busy testing its technology in microgravity aboard the International Space Station, NASA and General Motors have been working together on the ground to find new ways those technologies can be used. The two groups began working together in 2007 on Robonaut 2, or R2, which in 2011 became the first humanoid robot in space. NASA and GM now are developing a robotic glove that auto workers and astronauts can wear to perform their respective jobs, while reducing the risk of repetitive stress injuries. Officially, it’s called the Human Grasp Assist device, but generally it’s called the K-Glove or Robo-Glove. In this image, Robonaut and a spacesuit-gloved hand are extended toward each other to demonstrate the collaboration between robots and humans in space. Image Credit: NASA

The above photo and excerpt are from the NASA website: 

DEXTRE THE SPACE ROBOT AND ROBONAUT 2

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) experiment aboard
the International Space Station has demonstrated remotely controlled
robots and specialized tools can perform precise satellite-servicing
tasks in space. The project marks a milestone in the use of the space
station as a technology test bed.

"We and our partners are making important technological
breakthroughs," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "As we move
ahead toward reaching our exploration goals, we will realize even
more benefits from humans and robots working together in space."

The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) robotic handyman, Dextre,
successfully completed the tasks March 7-9 on the space station's
external RRM module, designed to demonstrate the tools, technologies
and techniques needed to robotically refuel and repair satellites.

"The Hubble servicing missions taught us the importance and value of
getting innovative, cutting-edge technologies to orbit quickly to
deliver great results," said Frank Cepollina, a veteran leader of
five Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and associate director
of the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office (SSCO) at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "The impact of the
space station as a useful technology test bed cannot be overstated.
Fresh satellite-servicing technologies will be demonstrated in a real
space environment within months instead of years. This is huge. It
represents real progress in space technology advancement."

Before a satellite leaves the ground, technicians fill its fuel tank
through a valve that is sealed, covered and designed never to be
accessed again. The RRM experiment demonstrates a remote-controlled
robot can remove these barriers and refuel such satellites in space.

Dextre successfully retrieved and inspected RRM tools, released safety
launch locks on tool adapters, and used an RRM tool to cut extremely
thin satellite lock wire. These operations represent the first use of
RRM tools in orbit and Dextre's first participation in a research and
development project.

RRM was developed by SSCO and is a joint effort between NASA and CSA.
During the next two years, RRM and Dextre will conduct several
servicing tasks using RRM tools on satellite parts and interfaces
inside and covering the cube-shaped RRM module.

NASA expects the RRM results to reduce the risks associated with
satellite servicing. It will encourage future robotic servicing
missions by laying the foundation for them. Such future missions
could include the repair, refueling and repositioning of orbiting
satellites.

"We are especially grateful to CSA for their collaboration on this
venture," Cepollina said. "CSA has played a pivotal role in the
development of space robotics, from the early days of the space
shuttle to the work they are doing with Dextre on space station."

During the three-day RRM Gas Fittings Removal task, the 12-foot
(3.7-meter) Dextre performed the most intricate task ever attempted
by a space robot: cutting two separate "lock wires" 20 thousandths of
an inch (0.5 millimeters) in diameter using the RRM Wire Cutter Tool
(WCT). Deftly maneuvered by ground-based mission operators and
Dextre, the WCT smoothly slid its hook under the individual wires and
severed them with only a few millimeters of clearance. This
wire-cutting activity is a prerequisite to removing and servicing
various satellite parts during any future in-orbit missions.

RRM operations are scheduled to resume in May 2012 with the completion
of the gas fittings removal task. The RRM Refueling task is scheduled
for later this summer. NASA and CSA will present RRM results at the
Second International Workshop on on-Orbit Servicing, hosted by
Goddard May 30-31, 2012.

Dextre and RRM are an example of how robots are changing operations in
space. Another is Robonaut 2, or R2, a project of NASA and General
Motors. R2, the first human-like robot, was launched into space in
2011 and is a permanent resident of the International Space Station.

ISS GOVERNMENTS TOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE SPACE STATION

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:

I
“WASHINGTON -- The heads of the International Space Station (ISS)
agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States met
in Quebec City, Canada, on March 1, 2012, to review the scientific,
technological, and social benefits being produced through their
collaboration, and to discuss plans for further broadening these
benefits by continuing to advance the human exploration of space.

In reviewing the history of ISS development and the recent transition
to a productive research and applications phase, three major areas of
success were discussed: the historic engineering achievements, the
unprecedented international partnership, and the ongoing progress
being made through science. The heads noted that human exploration of
space continues to yield valuable benefits to society and is
strengthening partnerships among space-faring nations.

The heads also recognized the new opportunities for discovery made
possible by maximizing the research capabilities of the ISS, as well
as the growth in commercial endeavors and positive educational impact
brought about by this permanent human presence in space. Biology,
biotechnology, and human physiology research are producing new
insights into human health on Earth with the development of promising
applications supporting future medical therapies. Also a wide range
of fluids and materials research yields a promising way for better
and smarter materials and production processes on Earth. Observations
captured from the ISS in the fields of x-ray astronomy, high-energy
particle physics, and Earth remote sensing hint at discoveries to
come as the ISS is increasingly used as a platform for the
installation and operation of a wide variety of instruments
supporting Earth and Space Sciences. Technology demonstrations in
environmental control, robotic servicing, and advanced
telecommunications and teleoperations are making it possible to
eventually further extend human presence in space and continue to
broaden improvements to the quality of life on Earth.

Recognizing the inspirational nature of the ISS as a human-tended
outpost in space, the agency leaders applauded its strong role in
motivating young people around the world to learn about science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. More than 40 million
students have participated in human spaceflight to date through
communications downlinks and interactive experiments with station
crew members.

Highlighting the continued growth in the international user community,
the first biannual “International Space Station Utilization
Statistics” was released. The partnership also published
“International Space Station Benefits for Humanity,” illustrating
specific successful humanitarian accomplishments in education, human
health, Earth observation and disaster response that will improve the
lives of many throughout the world.

The ISS partnership began considering long-range opportunities to
further advance human space exploration, so benefits from the ISS
program will continue to grow through future exploration missions. In
the near term, the heads of agencies committed to increase use of the
ISS as a test bed in space for the demonstration of critical
technologies and the mitigation of human health risks for exploration
as a joint effort. For the long-term, they discussed opportunities to
use the ISS as a foundation for the development of future exploration
capabilities. The ISS partnership has created a global research
facility in space that is unprecedented in capability and unique in
human history. The heads of agency re-confirmed the importance of
using the facility to benefit society today and provide a
technological basis for continued human exploration of space in the
Future.”

ATLANTIC COAST AS A SPACE TOURIST MIGHT SEE IT ONE DAY

“An Expedition 30 crew member aboard the International Space Station took this nighttime photograph of much of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Large metropolitan areas and other easily recognizable sites from the Virginia/Maryland/Washington, D.C. area are visible in the image that spans almost to Rhode Island. Boston is just out of frame at right. Long Island and the New York City area are visible in the lower right quadrant. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are near the center. Parts of two Russian vehicles parked at the orbital outpost are seen in left foreground. This image was taken on Feb. 6, 2012. Image Credit: NASA”

The above picture and excerpt are from the NASA website:

RUSSIAN ENGINEERS WORK ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

T


he above picture and excerpt below are from the NASA website: 


"This image of Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov, both Expedition 30 flight engineers, was taken during a spacewalk on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. During the six-hour, 15-minute spacewalk, Kononenko and Shkaplerov moved the Strela-1 crane from the Pirs Docking Compartment in preparation for replacing it in 2012 with a new laboratory and docking module. The duo used another boom, the Strela-2, to move the hand-operated crane to the Poisk module for future assembly and maintenance work. Both telescoping booms extend like fishing rods and are used to move massive components outside the station. On the exterior of the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2, they also installed the Vinoslivost Materials Sample Experiment, which will investigate the influence of space on the mechanical properties of the materials. The spacewalkers also collected a test sample from underneath the insulation on the Zvezda Service Module to search for any signs of living organisms. Both spacewalkers wore Russian Orlan spacesuits bearing blue stripes and equipped with NASA helmet cameras. Image Credit: NASA"