Tag: ISS
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SpaceX preparing for the crewed Dragon abort tests
SpaceX has revealed more details into its upcoming drive to bring the crewed version of its Dragon spacecraft on line, in its bid to return a domestic crew transportation system to the United States. Near term milestones include two abort tests, ahead of launching a crew on the Dragon V2, following what SpaceX estimates will…
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CRS-5: Dextre grabs CATS from the belly of a Dragon
Canada’s multi-tasking robot, Dextre, successfully removed the CATS (Cloud-Aerosol Transport System) payload from the unpressurised trunk of the CRS-5/SpX-5 Dragon on Thursday morning. The payload was handed over to the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo, marking the first “handover” between the Canadian robot and the JAXA arm. Dextre letting the CATS out of the bag: The latest…
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Photos: Lightning shines in the eye of a cyclone
Electrifying photos taken from the International Space Station show flashes of lightning glowing like spotlights in the eye of Tropical Cyclone Bansi in the Indian Ocean. Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti shared the images on Twitter. She took the photos as the storm churned in the Southern Indian Ocean near Mauritius. Tropical Cyclone Bansi packed maximum winds of…
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NASA hopes to replace cargo lost on Antares failure this year
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft arrives at the International Space Station on Jan. 12 with 2.6 tons of supplies. Credit: NASA NASA officials say the International Space Station’s logistics chain was designed to absorb a launch failure like the mishap that destroyed an Orbital Sciences Corp. cargo craft in October, but pressure is on SpaceX to deliver…
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ISS returning to normal following false ammonia leak alert
Following a preliminary review of data into the suspected International Space Station (ISS) ammonia leak, NASA ground control teams are now confident that an initial false indication, compounded by the effects of the response to that indication, was to blame for the suspected leak of ammonia into the interior of the station. Overview of internal-external…
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ISS ammonia leak alarm suspected as false sensor indication
Alarms in the US section of the International Space Station – pointing to a potential, but likely false indication of an ammonia leak – resulted in the two Americans and one European astronaut evacuating into the Russian section of the orbital outpost. It is currently believed bad sensor data – as opposed to an actual…
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SpaceX rocket crash-lands on drone ship in ambitious recovery attempt
The “autonomous spaceport drone ship” that SpaceX built to recover the Falcon 9 first stage. SpaceX was unsuccessful in its inaugural attempt to land the first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket softly on a barge in the ocean, the company reported overnight. The company’s founder, Elon Musk, says the hard landing of the unmanned first…
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Ratchet wrench ’emailed’ to space station
Astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore shows off the 3D printed ratchet wrench on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA A future where mission control can digitally dispatch tools, spare parts and other vital materials to far-flung space crews took one giant leap toward reality when a 3D printer aboard the International Space Station produced a ratchet…
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Kelly, Kornienko eager for launch on one-year mission
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS “SPACE PLACE” & USED WITH PERMISSION Scott Kelly (left) and Mikhail Kornienko will launch in March 2015 on a one-year mission on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are gearing up for launch March 27 to kick off a record one-year stay aboard…
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Small satellites have another way to get into space
The SpinSat satellite before its release from the Cyclops deployer outside the International Space Station. Credit: NASA A spherical U.S. Navy spacecraft the size of a beach ball spring-ejected from a new satellite deployer outside the International Space Station last week, debuting a fresh way for low-budget space missions to reach orbit. The satellite —…