http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/space_station/ International Space Station. Read current science articles on the space station, MIR, Skylab, space shuttles and more. en-us Fri, 16 May 2008 16:05:01 EDT Fri, 16 May 2008 16:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/space_station/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513125853.htm NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is receiving finishing touches at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, near the beaches of eastern central Florida for its launch. The spacecraft is set for launch aboard a Delta II rocket no earlier than June 3. The launch window runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT. Thu, 15 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513125853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513104004.htm Satellites currently use radio waves to exchange data. Now the data rate has been increased a hundredfold by using lasers instead of radio signals. Two test satellites each carried a diode laser pump module. The data whizzed back and forth at the speed of light between German satellite TerraSAR-X and US satellite NFIRE, covering more than 5000 kilometers in space without any errors. Wed, 14 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513104004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509102949.htm NASA engineers Thursday successfully completed the first series of tests in the early development of the J-2X engine that will power the upper stages of the Ares I and Ares V rockets, key components of NASA's Constellation Program. Ares I will launch the Orion spacecraft that will take astronauts to the International Space Station and then to the moon by 2020. The Ares V will carry cargo and components into orbit for trips to the moon and later to Mars. Sat, 10 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509102949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508142121.htm The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) is presently testing a Swedish space gym. The aim is to counteract muscle atrophy and osteoporosis in astronauts. Astronauts who spend a long time in space can face problems when they return to earth. Weightlessness atrophies the muscles and decalcifies the skeleton. It doesn't help to "pump iron." Barbells and dumbbells are also weightless on a space voyage. Sat, 10 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508142121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080420114718.htm A radar instrument has looked beneath the surface of Mars and opened up a new dimension for planetary exploration. The technique's success is prompting scientists to think of other places in the solar system where they would like to use radar sounders. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080420114718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080420114045.htm Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko of the 16th International Space Station crew landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan around 4:30 a.m. EDT April 19 after 192 days in space. All three people aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft were reported to be in good condition after their re-entry and landing. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080420114045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415164332.htm With major implications for long-duration space travel, a new study demonstrates that the high-energy radiation found in space may lead to premature aging and prolonged oxidative stress in cells. The findings suggest that astronauts may be at increased risk of colon cancer due to exposure to the high linear energy transfer radiation found in space. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415164332.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414094156.htm The European Space Agency has chosen the GSI accelerator facility to assess radiation risks that astronauts will be exposed to on a Mars mission. GSI was selected because its accelerator is the only one in Europe able to create ion beams similar to those found in space. To determine possible health risks of manned space flights, scientists from all over Europe have been asked to investigate the effects of ion beams in human cells and organs. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414094156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414145656.htm The Delta II 7920-H, or "Heavy," rocket that will launch NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope satellite is in the process of being assembled on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414145656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403125509.htm ATV Jules Verne, the European Space Agency's first resupply and reboost vehicle, has successfully performed a fully automated docking with the International Space Station. This docking marks the beginning of Jules Verne's main servicing mission to deliver cargo, propellant, water, oxygen and propulsion capacity to the Station, as well as ESA's entry into the restricted club of the partners able to access the orbital facility by their own means. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403125509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401112356.htm Preparations for launching NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope satellite are underway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The twin solar panels have been attached. The panels will provide electrical power for GLAST after its launch into earth orbit. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401112356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328112830.htm After several days spent in a parking orbit 2000 km ahead of the ISS, Jules Verne ATV is now ready to join up with the International Space Station. This first docking attempt can be followed live on April 3, 2008 from 15:30 CEST onwards from one of the European participating centers. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328112830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328101532.htm For the first time, physicists have been able to identify individual returning photons after firing and reflecting them off of a space satellite in orbit almost 1,500 kilometers above the earth. The experiment has proven the possibility of constructing a quantum channel between Space and Earth. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328101532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326091951.htm A small California aerospace company has just unveiled a new suborbital spaceship that will provide affordable front-seat rides to the edge of space for the millions of people who want to buy a ticket. The company, XCOR Aerospace, of Mojave, CA, announced that its two-seat Lynx suborbital spaceship will carry people or payloads to where they will experience weightlessness and see the stars above and the Earth and its atmosphere below. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326091951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095012.htm Jules Verne ATV has today reached a parking position 2000 km ahead of the International Space Station. Europe's ISS re-supply spacecraft will wait at this holding point for the completion of the STS-123 Space Shuttle mission before proceeding with the first of two rendezvous demonstration days. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095012.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080316125842.htm Dextre, the final element of the International Space Station's Mobile Servicing System, was put together during the second spacewalk of STS-123. Two arms will allow Dextre to transport objects, use tools, and install and remove equipment on the space station. Dextre also is equipped with lights, video equipment, a tool platform and four tool holders. Sensors will allow the robot to "feel" the objects it is dealing with and automatically react to movements or changes. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080316125842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314160235.htm The space shuttle is carrying with it an experiment designed to isolate how each component of the low-earth orbit environment contributes to the overall degradation each material specimen. The results will help guide the development of next-generation satellite materials that will be durable in space. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314160235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314112239.htm Mission controllers received confirmation shortly March 14 that Jules Verne ATV had successfully demonstrated the critical Collision Avoidance Maneuver. The crucial test included placing the spacecraft into a minimally functioning "survival" mode. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314112239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310164854.htm Engineers are conducting experiments using a new hydrogen facility to help NASA create designs to improve the cooling efficiency and performance of the J-2X rocket engine, critical for future missions to Mars and the moon. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310164854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312095219.htm Following an overnight recovery operation, Jules Verne ATV's propulsion system has successfully been restored to full robustness. The spacecraft has since performed the first orbital manoeuvres necessary to set up phasing with the International Space Station. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312095219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310110917.htm Jules Verne, the first of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicles, a new series of autonomous spaceships designed to resupply and reboost the International Space Station, was successfully launched into low Earth orbit by an Ariane 5 vehicle this morning. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310110917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311100010.htm One of the experiments housed on the European Columbus laboratory's external platform is an automated eye in the sky known as the Earth Viewing Camera. Now, after several weeks of troubleshooting, the first pictures from the orbiting camera have arrived safely back on Earth. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311100010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311085606.htm Space shuttle Endeavour thundered into orbit early in the morning on March 11 carrying seven astronauts and Japan's dreams for a space-based laboratory at the International Space Station. The first module of the Japanese-built Kibo laboratory complex was packed inside Endeavour's cargo bay, along with a Canadian-built robotics system that will enhance the capabilities of the International Space Station's robotic arm. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311085606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131518.htm When space shuttle Endeavor blasts off on March 11, some tiny "astronauts" will piggyback onboard an experimental payload of microbes. A new experiment, called "Microbial Drug Resistance Virulence" is part of the STS-123 space shuttle Endeavor mission. The experimental payload aboard space shuttle Endeavor will continue studies on the ability of germs to cause disease. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307133706.htm NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, arrived Tuesday at the Astrotech payload processing facility near the Kennedy Space Center to begin final preparations for launch. Liftoff of GLAST aboard a Delta II rocket is currently targeted for 11:45 a.m. EDT on May 16. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307133706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229102056.htm With ESA's Columbus laboratory successfully attached and operating on the International Space Station, the time has now come for another European milestone mission to leave for the ISS -- that of the first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), named "Jules Verne." Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229102056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228143538.htm Interstellar space may be strewn with tiny whiskers of carbon, dimming the light of far-away objects. This discovery may have implications for the "dark energy" hypothesis, proposed a decade ago in part to explain the unexpected dimness of certain stellar explosions called Type 1a supernovae. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228143538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080227183531.htm Diamonds may be rare on Earth, but surprisingly common in space -- and the super-sensitive infrared eyes of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are perfect for scouting them. Using computer simulations, researchers have developed a strategy for finding diamonds in space that are only a nanometer (a billionth of a meter) in size. These gems are about 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand, much too small for an engagement ring. But astronomers believe that these tiny particles could provide valuable insights into how carbon-rich molecules, the basis of life on Earth, develop in the cosmos. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080227183531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222101542.htm Ulysses, the mission to study the Sun's poles and the influence of our star on surrounding space is coming to an end. After more than 17 years in space -- almost four times its expected lifetime -- the mission is finally succumbing to its harsh environment and is likely to finish sometime in the next month or two. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222101542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219113324.htm Two new technologies launched onboard a US Naval Academy satellite called MidSTAR-1 have proven successful in their tests in space. One technology is a sensor that can check for harmful chemicals and the other is a special "film" that can control heat. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219113324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222095432.htm Seeking an out-of-this-world travel destination? Outer space will rocket into reality as "the" getaway of this century, according to researchers. The "final frontier" could begin showing up in travel guides by 2010, they predict. Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222095432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220103538.htm NASA's space shuttle Atlantis, which successfully delivered ESA's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, has safely returned to Earth with its crew of seven. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220103538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213111050.htm European scientists have developed the most accurate method yet for predicting the doses of radiation that astronauts will receive aboard the orbiting European laboratory module, Columbus, recently attached to the ISS. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213111050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211120639.htm After the successful launch of ESA's Columbus laboratory aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on Feb. 7, it is now time to focus on the next imminent milestone for ESA: the launch of Jules Verne, the first Automated Transfer Vehicle to be sent to the International Space Station. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211120639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080208095745.htm ESA's test center is buzzing with activity and anticipation as it welcomes its latest guest. The gigantic telescope of ESA's space-based infrared observatory, Herschel, is being prepared to be assembled with its spacecraft in the next few weeks. Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080208095745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212121207.htm The 24th shuttle flight to the International Space Station, STS-122, delivers Columbus, the European Space Agency's new laboratory. Columbus is being installed on Harmony Node 2. European astronaut and station flight engineer Leopold Eyharts got a look inside the new Columbus laboratory around 9 a.m. EST February 12. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212121207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212095454.htm With the Columbus mission well under way, the space station program has assigned crews for the next flight opportunities. Belgian ESA astronaut Frank De Winne joins Expedition 19 and will spend six months on the ISS in 2009. In May 2009, he will fly together with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212095454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207163801.htm Columbus, ESA's advanced science laboratory in space, has just been launched into orbit, and is now on its way to dock with the International Space Station. One astronaut will return to Earth after the 12-day Shuttle mission is over, but another will stay on the ISS for over two more months to supervise the in-orbit commissioning of ESA’s Columbus laboratory and its experimental facilities and to perform a program of experiments. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207163801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201102237.htm Astronomers will be studying icy cosmic dust millions of light years away -- using the biggest space telescope ever built. As well as being able to see star-forming regions very nearby in our own galaxy, it will be able to see galaxies forming when the universe was in its infancy, more than ten billion years ago. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201102237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204125042.htm For the first time ever, NASA will beam a song -- The Beatles' "Across the Universe" -- directly into deep space at 7 p.m. EST on Feb. 4. The transmission over NASA's Deep Space Network will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the day The Beatles recorded the song, as well as the 50th anniversary of NASA's founding and the group's beginnings. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204125042.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113147.htm Three weeks into delicate fueling operations, Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle has also been successfully loaded with oxygen. In orbit this will be transferred to the International Space Station's atmosphere for the crew to breathe. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123090504.htm With NASA's recent confirmation of the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on Thursday, Feb. 7, ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel of Germany and Leopold Eyharts of France are set to deliver ESA's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123090504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123182720.htm The Ulysses spacecraft today is making a rare flyby of the sun's north pole. Unlike any other spacecraft, Ulysses is able to sample winds at the sun's poles, which are difficult to study from Earth. Ulysses has flown over the sun's poles three times before, in 1994-95, 2000-01 and 2007. Last week, solar physicists announced the first indications of a new solar cycle. Visiting the pole at this time may lead to new insights about solar activity. Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123182720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108113608.htm NASA scientists and a space shuttle astronaut outlined details of a challenging mission that will repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope in 2008. The Hubble servicing mission, designated STS-125, will equip the orbiting observatory with far greater capabilities than ever had before to explore the nature and history of our universe. Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108113608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071207120822.htm A model of the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-InfraRed Instrument will be tested before Christmas at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, England to ensure the final instrument can see infrared light. Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071207120822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071211233500.htm Studies in mice show identifying medications or physical shielding to protect astronauts from cosmic and solar radiation will be important for the success of human space missions beyond low Earth orbit, according to researchers from the University of Florida, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and NASA. Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071211233500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204175742.htm A preliminary design review has concluded and verified the integrated performance of all subsystems in the Optical Telescope Element on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The Optical Telescope Element or OTE is the "eye" of the Webb Observatory. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204175742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130101047.htm The next time Jules Verne ATV's four solar arrays are fully deployed, giving the vehicle a total span of 22.3 meters, will be in early 2008, at 28,000 km/h over the South Pacific Ocean. Just 100 minutes after lift-off, following separation from the Ariane 5 launcher, the x-shaped solar arrays will give the European vessel its characteristic dragonfly appearance. Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130101047.htm