Astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins talk to journalists from La Crosse, Wis., and Reuters Science. Credit: NASA TV
A Russian Progress 64 (64P) cargo craft is getting ready for a Saturday launch to the International Space Station. A private U.S. space freighter, the SpaceX Dragon, is also getting prepared for a launch early Monday morning.
Both spacecraft will take two-day trips to the orbital laboratory. Cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin are practicing manual docking techniques in the unlikely event the 64P is unable to dock automatically Monday night. Commander Jeff Williams is also training for the robotic capture of Dragon when it arrives Wednesday morning.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins set up hardware in the Microgravity Science Glovebox to prepare for the Heart Cells experiment flying on Dragon next week. The study will explore how living in space affects heart muscle tissue changing its shape and gene expression.
Expedition 48-49 crew members Kate Rubins (left) and Anatoly Ivanishin are pictured during their first day aboard the orbital laboratory.
The Expedition 48 crew is getting ready for next week’s arrival of a pair resupply ships. The station residents are also continuing space research benefitting life on Earth and future crews.
The first cargo craft due next week is the Progress 64 (64P) resupply ship and will launch Saturday at 5:41 p.m. EDT. The 64P will take a two-day trip, or 34 Earth orbits, and dock Monday at 8:22 p.m. to the Pirs docking compartment.
SpaceX will launch its ninth commercial cargo mission Monday at 12:44 a.m. delivering the first of two international docking adapters. The Dragon cargo craft will also be carrying new science gear to enable DNA sequencing and a bone loss study. Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi are setting up communications gear and training for the robotic capture of Dragon when it arrives early Wednesday.
Back inside the orbital lab, the six station residents continued ongoing human research to understand how living in space affects the human body. A Russian experiment looked at how weightlessness affects blood flow in the carotid artery. A U.S. study is exploring the efficacy of medicine, symptom relief and side effects during long-term space missions.
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft is pictured docked to the Rassvet module after its arrival Saturday morning.
The newly-expanded Expedition 48 crew is preparing for next week’s arrival of the ninth SpaceX mission. In the meantime, the International Space Station’s newest trio is getting used to their new home in space and conducting science and maintenance with their crewmates.
New astronauts Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi joined Commander Jeff Williams and trained for the robotic capture of the SpaceX Dragon. The Dragon cargo craft is scheduled to launch early July 18 from Florida and arrive at the station two days later. Dragon will deliver an international docking adapter and new science experiments to sequence DNA and understand bone loss.
Meanwhile, Rubins and Onishi along with veteran cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin are familiarizing themselves with the orbital laboratory and its systems. The trio arrived Saturday morning after a two-day trip inside the upgraded Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft. Rubins and Onishi are on their first space mission. Ivanishin is on his second mission and was last aboard the station from November 2011 through April 2012 as an Expedition 29-30 Flight Engineer.
The new six-member Expedition 48 crew join each other for well wishes and congratulations from family, friends and mission officials. In front, from left, are the new crew members Kate Rubins, Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi. In the back row are Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin and Commander Jeff Williams. Credit: NASA TV
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) joined their Expedition 48 crew members aboard the International Space Station officially at 2:26 a.m. EDT July 9 when the hatches opened between their Soyuz MS-01 and the space station.
Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos welcomed the trio aboard their orbital home.
In the coming months, the crewmates are scheduled to receive multiple cargo resupply flights delivering several tons of food, fuel, supplies and research.
SpaceX’s ninth commercial resupply services mission under contract with NASA is scheduled to launch to the space station no earlier than July 18 at 12:45 a.m. Research aboard the Dragon cargo spacecraft will include experiments to test the capabilities for sequencing DNA, understand bone loss, track heart changes in microgravity and regulate temperature aboard spacecraft. The first of two international docking adapters is also headed to station in Dragon’s unpressurized trunk, which will allow commercial spacecraft to dock to the station when transporting astronauts in the near future as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Williams and Rubins are scheduled to install the adapter during a spacewalk later this summer.
Rubins, Ivanishin and Onishi are scheduled to remain aboard the station until late October. Williams, Skripochka and Ovchinin will return to Earth in September.
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft is viewed from the International Space Station as it approaches the Rassvet module docking port. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station at 12:06 a.m. EDT Saturday, July 9, 254 statute miles over the South Pacific.
Aboard the space station, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will welcome NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) when the hatches of the two spacecraft are opened at 2:50 a.m.
Watch the hatch opening and welcome ceremony on NASA Television beginning at 2:30 a.m. online at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv.
(From left) Expedition 48-49 crew members Kate Rubins, Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi pose for individual crew portraits.
Following 34 orbits around the Earth aboard their upgraded Soyuz spacecraft, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are scheduled to dock to the International Space Station at 12:12 a.m. EDT Saturday, July 9.
NASA Television coverage of docking to the Rassvet module will begin at 11:30 p.m. tonight. Watch live at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv.
The three crew members launched aboard a Soyuz MS-01 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday (7:36 a.m. Baikonur time, July 7).
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Expedition 48-49 crew members Kate Rubins, Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi onboard. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
A new set of Expedition 48 crew members is on its way to the International Space Station after launching Wednesday night (Thursday morning Baikonur time) aboard the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft. The trio from Japan, Russia and the United States will arrive at their new home in space early Saturday morning for a four-month stay.
Veteran cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin is commanding the Soyuz spacecraft that is carrying him and first time astronauts Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi to the orbital laboratory. They will dock to the Rassvet module Saturday at 12:12 a.m. EDT, open the hatches about two-and-a-half hours later and begin a mission scheduled to last until October. NASA TV will cover the docking activities beginning at 11:30 p.m.
While they wait for the new arrivals, Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin are keeping up science operations and lab maintenance work. They have been aboard the station since March 18 and are due to return to Earth in September.
Williams installed gear in the Japanese Kibo lab module today for a new life science experiment set to arrive on the next SpaceX mission. Next he configured an observation rack in the U.S. lab module that will collect imagery of meteor showers pictured from space.
The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft launches on time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with the Expedition 48-49 crew onboard. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Soyuz MS-01 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 9:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday (7:36 a.m. Baikonur time, July 7). NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are now safely in orbit.
This is the first flight for the upgraded Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft. The three crew members will travel for two days and a total of 34 Earth orbits before docking to the space station’s Rassvet module at 12:12 a.m. Saturday, July 9. NASA TV coverage of the docking will begin at 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 8.
To learn more about the International Space Station, visit:
(From left) NASA astronaut Kate Rubins during a crew press conference Wednesday, July 6, 2016. The Expedition 48-49 crew boards the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The next three crew members bound for the International Space Station are set to launch tonight, July 6. Live launch coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will launch at 9:36 p.m. (7:36 a.m. Baikonur time, July 7) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. All three will spend approximately four months on the orbital complex, returning to Earth in October.
The trio will travel in an upgraded Soyuz spacecraft, testing modified systems for two days – and 34 Earth orbits – before docking to the space station’s Rassvet module at 12:12 a.m. Saturday, July 9. NASA TV coverage of docking will begin at 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 8.
For the NASA TV schedule and where to watch live and replays, visit:
(From left) Expedition 48-49 crew members Kate Rubins, Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi pose for a group photograph following the crew press conference at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are preparing for launch to the International Space Station. They are scheduled to lift off in a Soyuz spacecraft today at 9:36 p.m. EDT (7:36 a.m. Baikonur time, July 7). All three will spend approximately four months on the orbital complex, returning to Earth in October.
Live launch coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website. For the NASA TV schedule and where to watch live and replays, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
The three will join Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos. The Expedition 48 crew members will spend four months contributing to more than 250 experiments in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development.
NASA TV coverage will begin at 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 8 for docking to the space station’s Rassvet module at 12:12 a.m. Saturday, July 9. Hatches are scheduled to open about 2:50 a.m. Saturday, July 9, with NASA TV coverage resuming at 2:30 a.m.
Below is the launch timeline for the crew in EDT:
July 6
3:36 p.m. Crew departs hotel (L-6 hrs)
3:51 p.m. Batteries installed in booster (L-5 hrs, 45 min)
4:06 p.m. State Commission “Go” (L-5 hrs, 30 min)
4:21 p.m. Crew arrives at Bldg 254 / Final medical check-ups
4:36 p.m. Tanking begins (L-5 hrs)
5:06 p.m. Crew suit up (L-4 hrs, 30 min)
5:31 p.m. Booster loaded with liquid Oxygen (L-4 hrs, 5 min)
6:06 p.m. Crew greets family and friends (L-3 hrs, 30 min)
6:31 p.m. 1st and 2nd stage O2 fueling complete (L-3 hrs, 5 min)
6:36 p.m. Crew walkout (L-3 hrs)
6:41 p.m. Crew departs for pad – Site 1 (L-2 hrs, 55 min)
7:01 p.m. Crew arrives at launch pad – Site 1 (L-2 hrs, 35 min)
7:11 p.m. Crew boards Soyuz MS-01 (L-2 hr, 25 min)
7:36 p.m. Crew in re-entry vehicle (L-2 hrs)
8:01 p.m. Re-entry vehicle hardware tested/suits ventilated
8:16 p.m. Hatch closed; leak checks begin (L-1 hr, 20 min)
8:30 p.m. NASA TV: Launch coverage begins
8:36 p.m. Launch vehicle control system prep; gyros active (L-1 hr)
8:40 p.m. NASA TV: Crew pre-launch activities (B-roll)
8:51 p.m. Pad service structure components lowered (L-45 min)
8:52 p.m. Clamshell-like gantry service towers retracted
8:59 p.m. Suit leak checks; re-entry vehicle testing complete
9:02 p.m. Emergency escape system armed (L-34 min)
9:21 p.m. Suit leak checks complete; escape system to auto
9:26 p.m. Gyros “uncaged” and recorders activated (L-10 min)
9:29 p.m. Pre-launch operations complete (L-7 min)
9:30 p.m. Final launch countdown operations to auto (L-6 min)
Launch complex/vehicle systems ready
9:31 p.m. Commander’s controls active/helmets closed (L-5 min)
Launch key inserted
9:32 p.m. Combustion chamber nitrogen purge (L-4 min)
9:33 p.m. Booster propellant tank pressurization (drainback)
9:35 p.m. Ground propellant feed terminated (L-90 seconds)
9:35:41 p.m. Vehicle to internal power (L-60 seconds)
9:36:06 p.m. Auto sequence start (L-35 seconds)
First umbilical tower separates
9:36:11 p.m. 3rd stage ground power umbilical separates (L-30 sec)
9:36:26 p.m. Second umbilical tower separates (L-15 sec)
9:36:29 p.m. Launch command issued (L-12 sec)
Central/side pod engines start
9:36:31 p.m. Engine turbopumps at flight speed (L-10 sec)
9:36:36 p.m. Engines at maximum thrust (L-5 sec)
9:36:41 p.m. LAUNCH (1 hr, 28 min after sunrise)
ISS 254 miles up and above southern Cameroon near border with Equatorial Guinea
9:45:26 pm Orbital insertion (L+8 min, 45 sec)
July 8
11:30 p.m. NASA TV: Docking coverage begins
12:12 am Docking to MRM1 –“Rassvet”
2:30 a.m. NASA TV: Coverage resumes
2:50 a.m. Hatches scheduled to open
