Taking a Walk

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 3, Russian cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Alexander Samokutyaev will be conducting a six-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station.  The objectives include maintenance and scientific tasks, and the launch of a microsatellite devoted to the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic space flight in 1961.

According to NASA and Roscosmos (the Russian Federal Space Agency), this will be the first EVA for Samokutiaev, and the third for Volkov.  Both men are flight engineers for Expedition 28 on the ISS, and Volkov served as the commander for Expedition 17 in 2008.  The spacewalk itself will be broadcast on NASA's web site starting at 9:00 a.m. August 3, those interested can find further information here (LINK)

Among the tasks facing the duo tomorrow include deploying a 57-pound prototype satellite known as "ARISSat-1." The eductational satellite can carry up to four student experiments at one time, and the results can be broadcast to Earth via radio waves.  The prototype currently carries one experiment, a pressure sensor from Kursk University in Russia, which will measure atmospheric pressure.  It will also broadcast greetings in various languages and messages commemorating Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight.  Additionally, it will serve as a spaceborne utility for ham radio operators.  The satellite was prepared and initialized during the course of last week.

Astronauts conducting EVAs (extravehicular activities) must be extremely careful; although they may not be moving much relative to their craft (such as the ISS), they are still travelling extremely rapidly.  The ISS and astronauts conducting operations on and around it travel approximately seventeen thousand miles per hour in a constant free fall, orbiting the earth about every 90 minutes.  For this reason, there are many handles all around the exterior of the ISS that astronauts can hook harnesses around to allow them to work safely.

The other primary task of the cosmonauts will be the transport of an external cargo boom around the exterior of the ISS.  The boom being moved, STRELA-1, will be transported using a second boom, STRELA-2.  It will be moving from the module Pirs to the module Poisk.  Both modules are docking bays for Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, though Poisk was only launched in November 2009 compared to September 2001 for Pirs.  The purpose of this relocation is to retrieve an experiment named "Biorisk" from the airlock of Poisk and mount it on an external handrail on Pirs.  Biorisk examines effects bacteria and fungus on materials that could be used in spacecraft construction.

The crew members of Expedition 28 have performed a combined 127 spacewalks on and around the space station.  Expedition 28 will continue work on a total of 111 different experiments.  These experiments are wide and varied, ranging from tests on how human-like robots perform in microgravity conditions to stress tests of complex materials such as high-tech aluminum alloys or Shape Memory Foam in microgravity.  Those interested in the further exploits of Expedition 28 can visit NASA's official page, which contains many facts, photos, and news about current and upcoming activities.

NASA Goes Back to Rockets

As the 30 year old, Space Shuttle Program came to a close this month, Space-Rocks has talked about future possibilities. In doing so, we decided to look further into the specifics of the Space Shuttle replacement. The program is in fact going back to rockets. One might question why would NASA revert back to technology of the past? In an article by Sean Fears of BrightHub.com, explains the similarities and differences and why this direction could be more beneficial. Fears explains that the launch of the shuttle and a rocket with capsule is almost completely the same concept..."they both function as rockets in that phase." But the re-entry back into Earth's atmosphere is different- for the better. In order to classify it as a more beneficial, Sean Fears explains the two advantages is that a capsule has less friction at 5 miles a second and handles heat better (about 2,400 degrees) upon re-entry.

The chart diagram above illustrates the comparison of the new Ares rockets to the Space Shuttle and the Apollo Saturn rocket. An article on CNET.com say that not only are the Ares rockets equipped to service the International Space Station, but is well capable and plans to go to the moon. Both Ares I and Ares V are required to house the crew in Ares I and carry the lunar lander in Ares V. The interesting thing that the article explains is that the lunar lander is bigger and capable of keeping astronauts on the moon for seven days compared to two days with Apollo lunar module.

Other directions NASA has taken is the privatization of spaceflight. One of the companies with contracts from NASA is SpaceX with the Falcon 9. This is a rocket with capsule technology and have been through vigorous testing with NASA to replace the Space Shuttle Program. Wikipedia confirms The program NASA initiated in 2006 is called "Commercial Orbital Transportation Services." SpaceX is one of the private companies to receive funding from NASA's program.

As far as other great significance of the company, a recent Youtube video from SpaceX outlining it's crew development proposal actually indicates that "SpaceX is the first commercial company to return a private-sector craft from orbit." The video outlining their current goals and further information can be viewed here.

Football Field-Sized Future

    Earlier on Thursday, July 19, Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down  at Kennedy Space Center to conclude STS-135 and the era of the Space Shuttle.  Some might be wondering, "What's left?"  A good place to start is by looking at the International Space Station, which is entering the peak of its active life.

    The International Space Station is operated by a joint effort of the American, Russian, Canadian, European, and Japanese space agencies.  It is comprised of 15 pressurized modules, the first of which, Zarya, was launched by Russia in 1998, and the final module is planned to be launched in early 2012.  The ISS is planned to operate until 2020.

    One purpose of the International Space Station is research and scientific experiments under the condition of microgravity.  The ISS is located at in low earth orbit, approximately 220 miles above the earth.  While the force of gravity at that distance is still about 88% of the gravity on Earth, because the station is in perpetual free fall as it orbits relative to the earth there is a nearly weightless environment on the station known as microgravity.  By having a long-term microgravity installation, it is possible to do experiments on the long-term effects on people of a state of no gravity.  This sort of research is essential for planning long-term efforts in space such as a venture to Mars or to the asteroid belts.

    One effect of spending an extended time in a microgravity environment is muscle dystrophy.  Our muscles are exercised constantly due to the pull of gravity on Earth.  Without the constant force of gravity, astronauts on the ISS have to exercise at least two hours daily in order to prevent muscle loss.

    Over 400 experiments have been conducted on the ISS in the last nine years, according to NASA.  NASA has a detailed list available here for those curious about some of the happenings on the station.

    The station itself is only about 100 yards long.  A central truss runs the length, and two sets of solar panels on each side power the station.  The fifteen modules in the center of the station connect to one another.  The station remains oriented with Earth with the bottom towards the planet as it orbits every 90 minutes.  The station is visible to the naked eye as it orbits, so on clear nights it is possible to see it crossing through the night.

    One interesting component of the station is the Mobile Servicing System, also known as Canadarm2.  It is a robotic system that allows for the manipulation of large objects on and around the ISS.  The Canadarm on the ISS is a second generation version of the Canadarm on the Space Shuttles.  The ISS's Canadarm has the capability to move itself around the Space Station in an inchworm-like manner, crawling to different places around the ISS in order to conduct different operations.

    Currently the ISS is conducting Expedition 28.  The six crew on board include U.S. flight engineers Mike Fossum and Ronald Garan Jr., Russian commander Andrey Borisenko and flight engineers Sergei Volkov and Alexander Samokutyaev, as well as Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.  The crew rotates members every few months, with the next crew landing scheduled for September.

NASA's ISS Flickr account is available for those looking for pictures of the launches and landings of ISS crew members.

Space Shuttle STS-135 Approaching Final De-orbit Thursday

The final Atlantis space shuttle mission approaches it's close this week as it finishes up it's final missions before reentering earth's atmosphere on July 21. This is scheduled for 5:56am EDT at Kennedy Space Center. The space shuttle is a unique aircraft designed to land on earth by itself on a runway, the only spacecraft of it's kind for the NASA program. One might ask, "How do you practice landing the Shuttle?"

A modified Gulfstream II business jet called the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is where this happens. The altitude these astronaut pilots climb to is about 28,000 feet and tip down the nose 18 to 21 degrees towards the earth at 330mph. This is 7 times steeper than a passenger airliner approach. You can read further information on landing like the shuttle in the STA here.

The commander responsible for the crew's safe return is Christopher Ferguson. This will conclude his 3rd spaceflight. He is the commander of a four person crew including himself. According to the NASA website, this is the smallest crew that has flown to the International Space Station. The last mission manned by a four person crew was on STS-6 in April 1983. The need for using only a four person crew was necessary to maximize the total payload brought to the International Space Station.

The crew's final mission timeline for July 21 includes deorbit preparations and payload bay door closing. This will conclude flight day 14 in space orbit. These preparations will allow them to begin the deorbit burn and landing at the Kennedy Space Center and end the 30 year old Space Shuttle Program for NASA. A tribute to the Shuttle Program will be hosted by Lady Liberty. The Statue of Liberty in New York will celebrate the Space Shuttle Program by lighting the astronauts home during their descent down to earth. It will be lit with the colors red, white, and blue, and will be displayed on July 21.

As far as life after the Space Shuttle is concerned, a recent article explains that as of now, NASA will have no U.S spacecraft to replace the Space Shuttle. A $763 million contract with Russia will provide the rocket rides from 2014 to 2016. The article then offers hope to U.S. human spaceflight by explaining that hopefully by then, NASA will have approved one of the four private companies for a crew-ready spaceship. The four companies currently developing new prototype rockets include, Space Exploration Technologies started by PayPal founder, Elon Musk, Blue Origin, Boeing Company, and Sierra Nevada Corporation. Testing has already been conducted and hopefully continue NASA's legacy of human space flight for the future to come.

Final Mission, New Possibilities

    This week in July is special because it marks a historic event, the last mission of the Space Shuttle.
    Currently Space Shuttle Atlantis is in its sixth day of a thirteen-day mission, STS-135, to the International Space Station.  Atlantis is bringing up the multi-purpose logistics module "Rafaello" along with supplies and spare parts to the ISS.  These parts and supplies will help the ISS continue to operate after the retirement of the shuttles.  STS-135 began on Friday, July 8, with the launch of Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
    The Space Shuttles have been in operation for thirty years.  According to NASA, 355 individuals will have flown 852 times on 135 shuttle missions since STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981.  The five orbiters together have flown over 537 million miles, with space shuttle Atlantis being responsible for 120 million miles.  Its mission this week will add another five million miles to that total.  The shuttles have flown to Russian space station Mir 9 times and with STS-135 will have completed 37 missions to the ISS.
    Space Shuttle Atlantis was a part of several milestones during its career.  Its maiden voyage was on Oct. 3, 1985, on the STS-51-J mission flying materials for the Department of Defense.  In 1995 with STS-71, Atlantis first docked with space station Mir and marked the 100th U.S. manned space flight.  In October 2002 on STS-112 Atlantis made the first launch with a camera mounted on the shuttle's external tank, which captured the ascent to orbit.  In May 2009 Atlantis flew the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope on STS-125.
    Another first for mankind on STS-135 is the first iPhone flying into space aboard Atlantis.  The smartphone was brought in order to help experiments on the ISS.  A special application, SpaceLab for iOS, was developed for the mission by a Houston company, Odyssey Space Research.  A variant is available to earth-bound citizens, and allows them to simulate experiments in microgravity.  The shuttle also contains various memorabilia commemorating the final shuttle flight, such as more than 500 STS-135 mission patches.  You can read more in behind-the-scenes feature by NASA here on their web site.
    Future manned trips to the ISS will be conducted using Russian Soyuz spacecraft.  Supplies and spare parts will be brought on Russian Progress spacecraft, Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicles, as well as European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicles.  For American flights to the ISS, private sector contracts have been awarded to SpaceX corporation as well as Orbital Sciences corporation to develop commercial spacecraft.  These spacecraft would perform Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS.  These are still under development.
    The shuttles themselves will go to different corners of the country to serve as monuments of thirty years of effort and ingenuitiy.  Space Shuttle Atlantis will remain at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  Enterprise will reside at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City, New York.  Shuttle Endeavour will be relocated to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, California.  Finally, Discovery will find a permanent home in the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Virginia.
    For further information about STS-135, NASA has an interactive Flash web page located here..

It's Launch Day!

Hello, and welcome to Space Rocks!  Our goal is to bring you closer to the exciting news surrounding space programs worldwide.  There is a tremendous amount of activity in space.that you might not be aware of, but through this blog you can become engaged with some of the more amazing accomplishments humanity achieves daily!  The possibilities of space are endless, and we encourage further reading into various topics at hand!