The spectacular aurora borealis, or the “northern lights,” over Canada is sighted from the space station near the highest point of its orbital path. The station’s main solar arrays are seen in the left foreground.
The Expedition 53 crew worked on a variety of astronomy gear today that looks at meteors in Earth orbit and harmful radiation from deep space. The crew also explored how microgravity affects human bones and muscles.
Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei worked on a camera for the Meteor experiment, ongoing since March 2016, which peers out of a specialized window in the Destiny laboratory module. The camera observes meteors and meteor showers and analyzes the imagery to determine their physical and chemical composition.
Flight Engineer Joe Acaba installed the Fast Neutron Spectrometer in the Unity module today to explore a new technique that measures deep space radiation. The new technology may be used to provide a more accurate assessment of the mixed radiation future crews and spacecraft may be exposed to.
Cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy strapped himself into the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES) chair today for a look at his calf muscle and tendons. Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli assisted Ryazanskiy into the MARES chair and Commander Randy Bresnik collected ultrasound imagery of his leg. The data is being collected for the Sarcolab-3 experiment that is observing space-induced chemical and structural changes in muscle fibers.
Get weekly video highlights at: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/
This night time view of southern Europe prominently features the “boot” of Italy, the home of current Expedition 53 crew member Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency.
Expedition 53 is gearing up for three maintenance spacewalks set to take place in October over a period of two weeks. Meanwhile, the six-member crew continued researching today how their long-term missions in space affect their bodies.
Commander Randy Bresnik began unpacking spacewalking gear today ahead of the first of three spacewalks set to begin Oct. 5. He will lead all three spacewalks with NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba. Vande Hei will join him on the first two and Acaba will participate in the final spacewalk. The trio will replace one of the two end effectors on the Canadarm2 robotic arm, lubricate the new component and replace cameras at two locations on the station’s truss.
Flight Engineers Paolo Nespoli and Sergey Ryazanskiy are exploring how living in space impacts their bone marrow. The study takes a look at blood and breath samples with the blood being processed in a centrifuge. Bresnik is also collecting his blood and urine samples that scientists will later analyze for any physiological changes caused by microgravity.
Get weekly video highlights at: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/
The departure of the SpaceX Dragon Sunday morning leaves three spaceships parked at the space station including the Progress 67 resupply ship and the Soyuz MS-05 and MS-06 crew ships.
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 10:14 a.m. EDT, southwest of Long Beach, California, and the recovery process is underway, marking the end of the company’s twelfth contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
Expedition 53 Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) and International Space Station Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA released the Dragon spacecraft earlier this morning at 4:40 a.m.
A variety of technological and biological studies are returning in Dragon. NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the non-profit organization that manages research aboard the U.S. national laboratory portion of the space station, will receive time-sensitive samples and begin working with researchers to process and distribute them within 48 hours.
The Lung Tissue experiment used the microgravity environment of space to test strategies for growing new lung tissue. The ultimate goal of this investigation is to produce bioengineered human lung tissue that can be used as a predictive model of human responses allowing for the study of lung development, lung physiology or disease pathology.
Samples from the CASIS PCG 7 study used the orbiting laboratory’s microgravity environment to grow larger versions of an important protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease. Developed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Anatrace and Com-Pac International, researchers will look to take advantage of the station’s microgravity environment which allows protein crystals to grow larger and in more perfect shapes than earth-grown crystals, allowing them to be better analyzed on Earth. Defining the exact shape and morphology of LRRK2 would help scientists to better understand the pathology of Parkinson’s and aid in the development of therapies against this target.
Mice from NASA’s Rodent Research-9 study also will return live to Earth for additional study. The investigation combined three studies into one mission, with two looking at how microgravity affects blood vessels in the brain and in the eyes and the third looking at cartilage loss in hip and knee joints. For humans on Earth, research related to limited mobility and degrading joints can help scientists understand how arthritis develops, and a better understanding of the visual impairments experienced by astronauts can help identify causes and treatments for eye disorders.
Dragon launched to the space station Aug. 14 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrived at the station Aug. 16, delivering more than 6,400 pounds of supplies and cargo.
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The SpaceX Dragon (far right) begins its departure from the International Space Station after being released from the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Credit: NASA TV
At 4:40 a.m. EDT, Expedition 53 Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) and International Space Station Commander Randy Bresnik used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to release the SpaceX Dragon after it was detached from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module.
Dragon’s thrusters will be fired to move the spacecraft a safe distance from the station before SpaceX flight controllers in Hawthorne, California, command its deorbit burn. The capsule will splash down at about 10:14 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean, where recovery forces will retrieve the capsule and its more than 3,800 pounds of cargo and research. A variety of technological and biological studies are returning in Dragon. Splashdown will not be broadcast on NASA TV.
NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the non-profit organization that manages research aboard the U.S. national laboratory portion of the space station, will receive time-sensitive samples and begin working with researchers to process and distribute them within 48 hours of splashdown.
Dragon, the only space station resupply spacecraft able to return to Earth intact, launched to the space station Aug. 14 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and arrived at the station Aug. 16 carrying more than 6,400 pounds of supplies and cargo on SpaceX’s twelfth commercial resupply mission to the station for NASA.
Get breaking news, images, videos and features from the station on social media at:
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is pictured attached to the Harmony module shortly after its arrival in mid-August.
NASA Television coverage of the departure of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the International Space Station is set to begin early Sunday morning, Sept. 17 at 4:30 a.m. EDT. Watch the spacecraft departure live at http://www.nasa.gov/live
Dragon has been loaded with more than 3,800 pounds of cargo and research to be returned to Earth and its internal hatch closed. The spacecraft is targeted for release at 4:40 a.m.
Dragon launched to the space station Aug. 14 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying more than 6,400 pounds of supplies and cargo on SpaceX’s twelfth commercial resupply mission to the station for NASA.
Get breaking news, images, videos and features from the station on social media at:
The SpaceX Dragon will be detached from the Harmony module on Sunday and released for a splashdown into the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA
Expedition 53 is fully staffed after two NASA astronauts and a Roscosmos cosmonaut completed a near six hour flight to the International Space Station overnight. Now the station residents will begin focusing their attention on the release of the SpaceX Dragon early Sunday.
Astronauts Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei and their Soyuz Commander Alexander Misurkin began a five-month mission aboard the station when their spacecraft hatch opened early Wednesday morning. The new trio joins Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency.
The SpaceX Dragon is being packed with science experiments and station gear for analysis back on Earth. Dragon will be robotically detached from the Harmony module and released for a splashdown and retrieval in the Pacific Ocean Sunday morning. NASA TV will cover the release activities beginning Sunday at 4:30 a.m. EDT.
Get weekly video highlights at: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/
The space station’s Expedition 53 crew members are (from left) Joe Acaba, Alexander Misurkin, Mark Vande Hei, Sergey Ryazanskiy, Commander Randy Bresnik and Paolo Nespoli. Credit: NASA
Three new crew members have arrived to the International Space Station. The hatches on the space station and Soyuz MS-06 opened at 1:08 a.m. EDT, marking the arrival to the orbiting laboratory for Expedition 53-54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos.
Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the ESA (European Space Agency) welcomed the new crew members aboard their orbital home.
Momentarily, the crew will speak to their family and friends from Baikonur in a welcoming ceremony that will air live on NASA TV.
The crew will support more than 250 experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science — research that impacts life on Earth.
Bresnik, Ryazanskiy and Nespoli are scheduled to remain aboard the station until December and Vande Hei, Acaba and Misurkin are scheduled to return in February 2018.
You can follow the crew’s activities and experiences in space on social media:
The space station is viewed from the Soyuz spacecraft as it aligns itself with the Poisk module’s docking port. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station at 10:55 p.m. EDT while both spacecraft were flying 252 statute miles over the Pacific Ocean off to the west of Chile.
Aboard the space station, Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) will welcome Soyuz crew members Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos when the hatches between the two spacecraft are opened following standard pressurization and leak checks.
Watch the hatch opening targeted for 12:40 a.m. and welcome ceremony live on NASA TV beginning at 12 a.m. on the agency’s website.
For live coverage and more information about the mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/station. Get breaking news, images and features from the station on Instagram at: @iss and on Twitter @Space_Station and @ISS_Research.
The Soyuz MS-06 rocket blasts off with the Expedition 53-54 crew towards the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
The Soyuz MS-06 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 5:17 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 12 (3:17 a.m. Baikonur time on Sept. 13). About five minutes prior to launch, the space station flew over the launch site and was flying about 250 miles above southern Russia, just north of the northeast border with Mongolia, at the time of launch. Expedition 53-54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos are now safely in orbit.
The crew will orbit Earth four times en route to the spacecraft’s arrival and docking to the space station, at 10:57 p.m. Tune in at 10:15 p.m. to NASA Television or the agency’s website to watch the docking live.
Below is the docking timeline in EDT:
10:15 p.m. NASA TV: Docking coverage begins
10:57 p.m. Scheduled time for docking
12 a.m. NASA TV: Hatch opening coverage begins
12:40 a.m. Hatches scheduled to open
This crew marks the first long-term increase in crew size on the U.S. segment from three to four, allowing NASA to maximize time dedicated to research on the International Space Station. Highlights of upcoming investigations include demonstrating the benefits of manufacturing fiber optic filaments in a microgravity environment, a new study looking to slow or reverse muscle atrophy in astronauts during spaceflight and exploring the ability of a synthetic bone material capable of adhering bone to metal within minutes to accelerate bone repair.
For live coverage and more information about the mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/station. Get breaking news, images and features from the station on Instagram at: @iss and on Twitter @Space_Station and @ISS_Research.
The Expedition 53-54 crew members wave goodbye before entering their Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 53-54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos are preparing for their launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-06. Their journey to the station will begin with a lift off at 5:17 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 12 (3:17 a.m. Baikonur time on Sept. 13). Live launch coverage will begin at 4:15 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
The three will join Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the ESA (European Space Agency). The Expedition 53 crew members will contribute to more than 250 experiments in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development.
Below is the crew’s launch timeline in EDT:
EDTL-Hr/M/SecEvent
12:47:02pm 4:30 Crew suit up
1:12:02pm 4:05 Booster loaded with liquid Oxygen
1:47:02pm 3:30 Crew meets family members on other side of the glass
2:12:02pm 3:05 First and second stage oxygen fueling complete
2:17:02pm 3:00 Crew walkout from 254 and boards bus for the launch pad
2:22:02pm 2:55 Crew departs for launch pad (Site 1)
2:42:02pm 2:35 Crew arrives at launch pad (Site 1)
2:52:02pm 2:25 Crew boards Soyuz; strapped in to the Descent module
3:42:02pm 1:35 Descent module hardware tested
3:57:02pm 1:20 Hatch closed; leak checks begin 4:15:00pm 1:02:02 NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE BEGINS
4:17:02pm 1:00 Launch vehicle control system prep; gyro activation 4:30:00pm :47:02 NASA TV: Crew pre-launch activities played (B-roll)
4:32:02pm :45 Pad service structure components lowered
4:33:02pm :44 Clamshell gantry service towers retracted
4:40:02pm :37 Suit leak checks begin; descent module testing complete
4:43:02pm :34 Emergency escape system armed
5:02:02pm :15 Suit leak checks complete; escape system to auto
5:07:02pm :10 Gyros in flight readiness and recorders activated
5:10:02pm :07 Pre-launch operations complete
5:11:02pm :06 Launch countdown operations to auto; vehicle ready 5:11:54pm :05:08 The ISS flies directly over the Baikonur Cosmodrome
5:12:02pm :05 Commander’s controls activated
5:13:02pm :04 Combustion chamber nitrogen purge
5:14:02pm :03 Propellant drainback
5:14:17pm :02:45 Booster propellant tank pressurization
5:15:32pm :01:30 Ground propellant feed terminated
5:16:02pm :01:00 Vehicle to internal power
5:16:27pm :00:35 First umbilical tower separates Auto sequence start
5:16:32pm :00:30 Ground umbilical to third stage disconnected
5:16:47pm :00:15 Second umbilical tower separates
5:16:50pm :00:12 Launch command issued Engine Start Sequence Begins
5:16:52pm :00:10 Engine turbopumps at flight speed
5:16:57pm :00:05 Engines at maximum thrust 5:17:02pm :00:00 LAUNCH OF SOYUZ MS-05 TO THE ISS 5:25:47pm +8:45 THIRD STAGE SHUTDOWN; ORBITAL INSERTION
The next update will be after the crew safely reaches orbit.
