{"id":12190,"date":"2020-10-05T21:31:32","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T13:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/cygnus-supply-ship-reaches-space-station-with-titanium-toilet\/"},"modified":"2020-10-05T21:31:32","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T13:31:32","slug":"cygnus-supply-ship-reaches-space-station-with-titanium-toilet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/cygnus-supply-ship-reaches-space-station-with-titanium-toilet\/","title":{"rendered":"Cygnus supply ship reaches space station with titanium toilet"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_47743\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47743\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-47743\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ng14arrival.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ng14arrival.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ng14arrival-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ng14arrival-768x427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ng14arrival-678x377.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47743\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus supply ship is grappled by the Canadian-built robotic arm at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV \/ Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, delivering nearly four tons of supplies and experiments to the research lab and its crew, including a $23 million titanium toilet and a high-definition virtual reality camera planned for use on a future spacewalk.<\/p>\n<p>Capping an automated laser-guided rendezvous sequence, the Cygnus cargo freighter moved within 40 feet (12 meters) of the space station early Monday, close enough for the lab\u2019s Canadian-built robotic arm to reach out and grapple it.<\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, assisted by Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, took control of the 58-foot-long (17.7-meter) robotic arm to capture the Cygnus spacecraft at 5:32 a.m. EDT (0932 GMT) Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Northrop Grumman named the Cygnus supply ship the \u201cS.S. Kalpana Chawla\u201d in honor of the first woman of Indian descent to fly into space. Chawla flew on two space shuttle missions, and she died with her six crewmates on the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the name of space exploration, all have given some, some have given all,\u201d Cassidy said after capturing the Cygnus spacecraft Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor to welcome the good ship Kalpana Chawla. Welcome aboard the International Space Station, KC.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1313051263639093250&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2020%2F10%2F05%2Fcygnus-supply-ship-reaches-space-station-with-titanium-toilet%2F&amp;sessionId=60f11a13856db85aa02a12bf068cddfacb6c5851&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782696632724582187=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy has captured the Cygnus cargo freighter using the space station\u2019s Canadian-built robotic arm.<\/p>\n<p>This Cygnus is named for astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who died with six crewmates on the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.https:\/\/t.co\/2hLjcCgtBx pic.twitter.com\/M5uNHClDDr<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 5, 2020<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Ground controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston took control of the robot arm later Monday morning to attach the Cygnus spacecraft to a berthing port on the space station\u2019s Unity module, where it will stay for around two months.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy and his crewmates will open hatches leading to the S.S. Kalpana Chawla\u2019s pressurized cargo compartment to begin unpacking the supplies and experiments inside.<\/p>\n<p>The arrival of the S.S. Kalpana Chawla supply ship Monday marked the 14th delivery of cargo to the space station by a Cygnus spacecraft since 2013.<\/p>\n<p>The Cygnus cargo mission blasted off Friday night from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport aboard an Antares rocket, following delays earlier in the week caused by bad weather and a ground software issue.<\/p>\n<p>The S.S. Kalpana Chawla is packed with 7,829 pounds (3,551 kilograms) of supplies and experiments heading to the International Space Station. Here\u2019s a breakdown of the cargo manifest provided by NASA:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2,712 pounds (1,230 kilograms) of vehicle hardware<\/li>\n<li>2,683 pounds (1,217 kilograms) of scientific investigations<\/li>\n<li>1,874 pounds (850 kilograms) of crew supplies<\/li>\n<li>333 pounds (151 kilograms) of spacewalk equipment<\/li>\n<li>156 pounds (71 kilograms) of computer resources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Cygnus supply ship will remain berthed Unity module until mid-December, when it will be released by the station\u2019s robotic arm.&nbsp;The automated cargo carrier, loaded with trash after its departure from the station, will perform an in-flight combustion experiment before re-entering the atmosphere and burning up over the South Pacific Ocean to end its mission.<\/p>\n<p>The fresh food packed inside the S.S. Kalpana Chawla supply ship includes&nbsp;prosciutto, chorizo, salami, summer sausage, brie, smoked gouda, smoked provolone, and fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n<p>Among clothing and other crew provisions, the Cygnus mission will deliver an upgraded toilet to the space station, allowing astronauts to test its functionality before a similar commode flies on the Orion crew capsule to the moon.<\/p>\n<p>The new toilet, or Universal Waste Management System in NASA-speak, is roughly the size of a camper commode. It\u2019s about 65 percent smaller and 40 percent lighter than the toilet currently on the space station, according to&nbsp;Melissa McKinley, logistics reduction manager for the agency\u2019s advanced exploration systems division.<\/p>\n<p>NASA partnered with Collins Aerospace to develop the new toilet, which officials said is better suited for female crew members than the existing commode on the space station. Engineers made parts of the toilet out of titanium to withstand acid used to pre-treat urine before the fluid is recycled back into drinking water for the astronauts, said Jim Fuller, the toilet\u2019s project manager at Collins Aerospace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn Earth, we have gravity that helps pull the feces and urine away from our body and into the toilet,\u201d Fuller said. \u201cIn space, where we have microgravity, we don\u2019t have that luxury. The dual fan separator actually creates the motive force by creating a strong airflow that helps pull the urine and feces away from the body.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen the astronauts have to \u2018go,\u2019 we want to allow them to boldly go,\u201d Fuller said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_47715\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47715\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-47715\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/uwms.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/uwms.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/uwms-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/uwms-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/uwms-678x452.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47715\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, in blue, receives a briefing on the new space station toilet earlier this year. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Designers wanted the new toilet to be easier to use for women flying on the space station,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe funnel design was was completely re-contoured to better accommodate the female anatomy,\u201d McKinley said. \u201cAnd particularly, this is a concern when the crew members are trying to do \u2018dual ops,\u2019 when they\u2019re they\u2019re doing both defecation and urination at the same time, just the alignment of all of that at once \u2026 Trying to make that more appropriate for female use was a big driver.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also a virtual reality camera flying to the space station that will capture imagery of a future spacewalk.<\/p>\n<p>The cosmetics company&nbsp;Est\u00e9e Lauder is also flying 10 bottles of its \u201cAdvanced Night Repair\u201d serum to the space station, where the bottles will be photographed with Earth as a backdrop.&nbsp;Est\u00e9e Lauder says it will use the images in social media and marketing campaigns, and then plans to auction the serum returned to Earth from the space station, with the proceeds going to charity.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s part of a new NASA program that dedicates 5 percent of space station cargo capacity and crew time to commercial marketing activities.&nbsp;Est\u00e9e Lauder will reimburse NASA around $128,000 for the space station resources used in the night serum marketing initiative, according to Phil McAlister, NASA\u2019s director of commercial spaceflight development.<\/p>\n<p>Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus spacecraft shares space station resupply duties with SpaceX\u2019s Dragon capsule, the Russian Progress resupply freighter, and Japanese cargo missions.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus supply ship is grappled by the Canadian-built robotic arm at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV \/ Spaceflight Now A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, delivering nearly four tons of supplies and experiments to the research lab and its crew, including a $23 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2033,1431,291,1872,639,2049,2034,1545],"class_list":["post-12190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-chris-cassidy","tag-commercial-resupply-services","tag-commercial-space","tag-crs-2","tag-cygnus","tag-estee-lauder","tag-expedition-63","tag-human-spaceflight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12190"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12190\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}