Astronauts Archives

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 by Nancy Atkinson

Astronaut Drops a Mirror During a Spacewalk. Now There’s Another Piece of Space Junk

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken during a spacewalk at the International Space Station on June 26, 2020. Credit: NASA.

Oops.

Dropping a mirror on Earth is only minor cause for concern, perhaps about the potential of some upcoming bad luck. Dropping a mirror while on a spacewalk means creating a potentially dangerous new piece of space junk, all while thousands of people watch it happen, streaming live.

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 by Nancy Atkinson

Hilarious Supercut of Astronauts Falling on the Moon

The Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon, yes. But they also hopped, bounded, and shuffled. And sometimes they fell, spectacularly. That caused a lot of consternation back on the Earth, especially for the engineers who designed the Apollo spacesuits.

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020 by Evan Gough

NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir Took a Space Selfie, Capturing her Reflection in the Space Station

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir took this selfie during a spacewalk at the ISS. Image Credit: NASA/Jessica Meir

If there’s an award for “Selfie of the Year” NASA astronaut Jessica Meir just won it.

November 19, 2019November 19, 2019 by Evan Gough

If Astronauts Hibernated on Long Journeys, They’d Need Smaller Spacecraft

There’s a disturbing lack of hibernation in our space-faring plans. In movies and books, astronauts pop in and out of hibernation—or stasis, or cryogenic sleep, or suspended animation, or something like it—on a regular basis. If we ever figure out some kind of hibernation, can we take advantage of it to get by with smaller spacecraft?

The European Space Agency (ESA) is working to answer that question.

October 31, 2019October 31, 2019 by Evan Gough

This is the Machine Astronauts Trained on to Land on the Moon

The first LLRV silhouetted against the rising sun on the dry lake bed at Edwards AFB. Image Credit: NASA

The Moon landings were a huge undertaking. In order to prepare, NASA had to think of every detail, right down to machines for the astronauts to train on. And those machines are an interesting part of space history all on their own.

October 23, 2019October 23, 2019 by Evan Gough

Boeing and Airstream Show off Their New Astronaut Transport Vehicle: the Astrovan II

Airstream's Astrovan II will transport astronauts to the launchpad for commercial crew launches aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Astrovan 2 is the successor to the original Astrovan that carried Shuttle astronauts. Credit: Airstream

When it comes to brand recognition, Airstream‘s got game. Their silver, space-age looking travel trailers and touring coaches are iconic. Almost everyone recognizes their riveted aluminum bodies.

October 17, 2019October 17, 2019 by Evan Gough

NASA’s New Lunar Spacesuit is Going to be a Lot More Comfortable for Astronauts

Artist's illustration of the new spacesuit NASA is designing for Artemis astronauts. It's called the xEMU,, or Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Image Credit: NASA

NASA is developing new spacesuits for their Artemis program. The new suits will give the astronauts greater mobility, will be safer, and will be designed from the ground up to fit women.

October 9, 2019October 16, 2019 by Evan Gough

They’ve Got Spacesuits that Fit Now. Christina Koch and Jessica Meir Will Spacewalk on October 21st

NASA astronauts Christina Koch, right, and, Jessica Meir pose on the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA

The all-female astronaut walk is back on.

Back on March 26th, 2019, NASA was forced to cancel the first all-female spacewalk because they didn’t have the right spacesuits available on the ISS. There was a short-lived social media storm over that development, as some claimed it was evidence of sexism on the part of NASA. But that small storm didn’t have legs and it died out, because no serious-minded observer thinks that NASA is actually sexist.

Now, the problem has been worked out, and the spacewalk will happen on October 21st, when astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will walk outside the ISS and install new lithium-ion batteries. Theirs is the first of five walks needed to complete the installation.

October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Evan Gough

Nine Astronauts from Four Different Space Agencies are on the International Space Station Right Now

The usual six-astronaut crew of the International Space Station welcomed three more and a cargo vehicle last week, making for a full house on the orbital outpost. Image Credit: ESA

The International Space Station’s usual complement of six astronauts grew by 50% recently, making things a little crowded up there. The nine astronauts come from four separate space agencies, and for the first time, an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is onboard the ISS.

The ISS is a multicultural place. Astronauts from around the world serve on the station to advance the scientific goals of humanity and to build cooperative ties between Earth’s different peoples. It’s kind of like Star Trek, but in space.

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 by Evan Gough

Astronauts Explore Caves on Earth, Learning the Skills They’ll Need for the Moon and Mars

ESA astronauts from five different space agencies are pictured here training in caves in Slovenia, as part of the ESA's CAVES program. Image Credit: ESA–A. Romeo

We’re accustomed to astronauts pulling off their missions without a hitch. They head up to the International Space Station for months at a time and do what they do, then come home. But upcoming missions to the surface of the Moon, and maybe Mars, present a whole new set of challenges.

One way astronauts are preparing for those challenges is by exploring the extreme environment inside caves.