Atlantis launched successfully, and beautifully, on its final scheduled voyage to space Friday at 2:20 pm EDT (1820 GMT). The shuttle and its six astronauts will deliver 3,000 pounds of U.S. supplies, including food and laptop computers to the International Space Station. and — for the first (at last) time — bring a Russian module to the station. The 12-day mission will include 3 spacewalks for that will focus on storing spare components outside the station, including six batteries, a communications antenna and parts for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm.
But will it be the final flight of Atlantis? “We like to call this the first last flight of Atlantis,” said commander Ken Ham in a preflight news conference. Since Atlantis will be ready to go as a rescue ship for the currently schedule final flight of the shuttle program (for the post-Columbia Launch On Need mission), many have said it should be flown. Continue reading “Atlantis Launches Successfully on Last Scheduled Flight (Video)”
The STS-132 crew arrived Monday evening at Kennedy Space Center. Image credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com) for Universe Today.
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As the space shuttle crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center for Thursday’s scheduled launch of the STS-132 mission, already on board space shuttle Atlantis is a piece of physicist Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree. A 4-inch-long wood sample from the original tree that supposedly inspired Newton’s theory of gravity, along with a picture of Newton, will be taken into orbit by British-born astronaut Piers Sellers, a member of the crew for this next mission to the International Space Station. The wood is part of the collection of the Royal Society archives in London, and will be returned there following the flight. “We’re delighted to take this piece of Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree to orbit,” said Sellers in an article from AFP. “While it’s up there, it will be experiencing no gravity, so if it had an apple on it, the apple wouldn’t fall.”
*Of course, that is not quite correct.
The piece of Newton’s tree is will still be experiencing gravity, and in fact, will be falling the entire time it is in orbit. It will be in free fall along with the shuttle and space station as it orbits the Earth. A free-falling object falls under the sole influence of gravity, and in the case of the shuttle (or any object in orbit), its orbital motion keeps it moving fast enough that it doesn’t fall back to Earth — unless its acceleration changes.
ISS with close-up of Cupola, taken May 4, 2010 by Ralf Vandebergh.
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Amateur astronomer Ralf Vandebergh of the Netherlands has been taking amazing close-up shots of the International Space Station and other orbiting spacecraft for years, but this one might be my favorite since I’m a little partial to the new Cupola on the ISS. Here, you can see the Cupola, including details of the seven windows! Click the image to see a larger version on Ralf’s website.
Ralf uses a 10 inch Newtonian telescope with a videocam eyepiece, and manually tracks the ISS and other objects across the sky. He takes most of his images in color to obtain the maximum possible information of the objects. Of course, he has to deal with atmospheric turbulance, so his best shots occur when the lighting angle, viewing angle, seeing, distance and other factors all converge together to enable a great shot like this one.
Mission patch for STS-134, which will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS. Credit: NASA
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A switch-out of the magnet for a much anticipated particle physics experiment on the International Space Station will force NASA to delay the final flight of the space shuttle until at least November, and change which orbiter and crew will fly the final space shuttle mission. The $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer was scheduled to head to the ISS in July of this year, but recent thermal vacuum tests showed the superconducting magnet that was originally planned to power the experiment would have only worked 2-3 years. An ordinary magnet, which doesn’t need to be super-cooled will last for a decade or more – and given the ISS has been given a longer life, it seems to be the best option. “I don’t think it’s correct to go there for three years where there is a chance to do physics for 18 years,” said Dr. Samuel Ting, AMS Principal Investor, in an article in the New York Times.
NASA officials said today they still are evaluating the exact day in November, as they must schedule the mission to fit around other resupply and crew flights to the ISS, with the Russian Progress and Soyuz vehicles.
The AMS is designed to search for various types of unusual matter by measuring cosmic rays, and will help researchers study the formation of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter and antimatter.
Changing the magnet means the AMS won’t arrive at Kennedy Space Center before August and shuttle workers need time to get the payload ready to fly inside the shuttle’s cargo bay. Atlantis at the pad for the STS-132 mission. Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com) for Universe Today
The upcoming flight of the shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) remains on schedule for launch no earlier than May 14. But Endeavour was scheduled for the AMS flight in July, which will now move to no earlier than November. Discovery’s STS-133 flight (bringing up the Leonardo MPLM as a permanent storage module) stays on the schedule for September 16. So while the schedule changes, numerical order is restored!
Another possible change to the shuttle schedule would be if the decision to fly what is called STS-335, the Launch On Need mission, a shuttle ready to go as a rescue ship for the last scheduled mission. Many shuttle supporters say since Atlantis would be ready to fly that it should fly. No decision has yet been made, however.
Even if the final flight or flights get delayed into 2011, funding is not a problem, as Congress anticipated possible delays and provided funds for shuttle operations into early next year.
Liquid helium would have been used cool the superconducting magnet’s temperature to near absolute zero. But tests showed the helium would dissipate withing 2-3 years, leaving the seven-ton experiment useless. The ISS has been extended to at least 2020, and possibly as long as 2028.
ISS with shuttle Discovery docked on April 8, 2010. Credit: Ted Judah
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This has to be one of the clearest close-up shots of the International Space Station ever taken from the ground! Plus it has the added bonus of having space shuttle Discovery docked to the station. Ted Judah, who lives in northern California captured this image — one of 150 he took during the an ISS pass over his observatory during the recent STS-131 mission. Here’s Ted’s description:
The ISS came into the morning light over the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of northern California and was tracking north-east as it passed directly over my sea-level observatory. I was lucky there was no fog. I have a Canon 30D SLR and Celestron 11″ Schmidt-Cassagrain on an equatorial mount. I track manually and use my precisely-aligned finderscope to aim – when the ISS is in the crosshairs I shoot like crazy. Of the 150 shots I took, less than half have the ISS in frame.
Ted told me he was “stoked” to get such a clear image. Who wouldn’t be?? Nice work, Ted!
Ted is not new to trying to capture the ISS. He won one of “Phil’s Picks” (Bad Astronomer Phil Plait) in Celestron’s “Capture the Universe” contest with another image of the ISS.
Amazing image from Soichi Noguchi of the shuttle. "Midnight running! Galaxy Express 131, Discovery," he Tweeted. Credit: Soichi Noguchi
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Space shuttle Discovery’s landing was delayed a day because of uncooperative weather at Kennedy Space Center and the crew of STS-131 will try again on Tuesday to land. But in the meantime the delay provides a great opportunity to look back at the very successful mission with a set of amazing pictures from space. This beautiful image, top, shows the station’s robotic Canadarm2 grappling the Leonardo Multi-purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from the payload bay of the docked Discovery for relocation to a port on the Harmony node of the International Space Station. The bright sun and Earth’s horizon provide the backdrop for the scene, while the Canadian-built Dextre robot looks on. Enjoy a gallery of images, below.
Clay Anderson during an EVA. Credit: NASA
Clay works outside the ISS during STS-131’s first EVA. During the six-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Anderson and Rick Mastracchio (visible in the reflection of Anderson’s helmet visor), mission specialist, helped move a new 1,700-pound ammonia tank from space shuttle Discovery’s cargo bay to a temporary parking place on the station, retrieved an experiment from the Japanese Kibo Laboratory exposed facility and replaced a Rate Gyro Assembly on one of the truss segments.
Discovery during the rendezvous and docking with the ISS on April 7, 2010. Credit: NASA
Discovery and the International Space Station are in the midst of their rendezvous and docking activities in this image photographed by an Expedition 23 crew member aboard the ISS. Part of a docked Russian spacecraft can be seen in the foreground.
Rick Mastracchio during the first EVA of the mission. Credit: NASAAmazing image from Soichi Noguchi of the shuttle. He tweeted: Midnight running! Galaxy Express 131, Discovery. Credit: Soichi Noguchi
Astronaut Soichi Noguchi has taken some of the most incredible images while on the ISS. Here’s one more awesome shot of Discovery while docked to the ISS during the STS-131 mission.
Naoko Yamazaki is pictured in a window of the Cupola. Credit: NASACommander Alan Poindexter and Pilot Jim Dutton in Discovery's cockpit. Credit: NASA
Compare this image, above, of Commander Alan Poindexter and Pilot Jim Dutton in the “real” shuttle cockpit, to below, the shuttle simulator.
Commander Alan Poindexter and pilot Jim Dutton in shuttle simulator. Credit: NASAJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronauts Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 23 flight engineer; and Naoko Yamazaki (right), STS-131 mission specialist; along NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson in the Destiny Lab. Credit: NASA.
This mission brought together two Japanese astronauts Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 23 flight engineer; and Naoko Yamazaki (right), STS-131 mission specialist; along NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson,
A unique view of the ISS. Credit: NASA
A unique view of a part of the ISS, backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon. Visible are the Japanese Kibo complex of and a set of solar arrays. This image was photographed by an STS-131 crew member while space shuttle Discovery was docked with the station.
Clay Anderson with a ball of water. Credit: NASA
The microgravity environment of space provides a great place to play — experimenting with a water is always fun and it likely happens every mission!
Four women in space at once for the first time. Credit: NASA
For the first time, four women were in space together during the STS-131 mission, with three from the shuttle crew and one from the ISS. Pictured clockwise (from the lower right) are NASA astronauts Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, both STS-131 mission specialists; and Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Expedition 23 flight engineer; along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, STS-131 mission specialist.
The STS-131 crew in the ISS's Cupola. Credit: NASA
Love this image of the STS-131 crew in the Cupola. Pictured counter-clockwise (from top left) are NASA astronauts Alan Poindexter, commander; James P. Dutton Jr., pilot; Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Rick Mastracchio, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, NASA astronauts Clayton Anderson and Stephanie Wilson.
Time-lapse image of the launch of STS-131. Credit: NASA
What role will NASA play in the future of US manned space flight after the shuttle is retired at the height of its capability ?
[/caption]A few details have finally emerged about Presidents Obama’s short visit to the Kennedy Space Center on April 15 to discuss his new plans for NASA as part of his 2011 NASA Budget Request to Congress. Obama’s visit to KSC will begin at 1:30 PM and end at 3:45 PM, when he departs for a longer visit to a political fundraiser. Check this story from the Miami Herald about the fundraiser.
In February 2010 President Obama announced the complete termination of Project Constellation including the Ares 1 and Ares 5 booster rockets and the Orion Manned Capsule. Project Constellation was proposed by President Bush in 2004 with a new vision to return humans to the moon by 2020 and then Mars thereafter.
Instead, Obama proposes to rely on commercial providers to develop ‘space taxis’ to ferry US astronauts to low earth orbit and the International Space Station. No one can say with any certainty when these vehicles will be available.
President Obama has not announced any specific plans, targets, destinations or timelines for NASA to replace those cancelled as part of Constellation. There are no current plans to develop a Heavy Lift booster. there are only funds for technology development.
There has been harsh criticism of the Presidents new plans for NASA from both Democrats and Republicans who see a loss of US Leadership in Space. Even Sen. Bill Nelson (D) of Florida says “President Obama made a mistake [cancelling Constellation]. Because that is the perception. That he killed the space program.”
This visit was initially dubbed a “Space Summit” by the White House, but will now span barely 2 hours in length (including travel time between KSC venues) and apparently not involve significant interaction with or questions from the many thousands of space workers who are about to lose their jobs.
The format of the visit has also been changed from a sort of town hall meeting to a formal address by President Obama to a selected audience of about 200. His remarks will be followed by brief breakout sessions on a few space topics to implement the new directives given to NASA by the White House.
Here is a portion of the Statement from the White House dealing with the President’s Remarks:
THE WHITE HOUSE April 12, 2010
Office of Media Affairs MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-054
PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER REMARKS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
WASHINGTON – On the afternoon of Thursday, April 15 President Barack Obama will visit Cape Canaveral, Florida and deliver remarks on the bold new course the Administration is charting for NASA and the future of U.S. leadership in human space flight.
Both the arrival and departure of Air Force One at the Shuttle Landing Facility and his remarks at the NASA Operations and Checkout Building are open to the media.
Air Force One Scheduled Arrival: 1:30 PM
Air Force One Scheduled Departure: 3:45 PM
President Obama Remarks at Kennedy Space Center
NASA Operations and Checkout Building
The opening session, including the President’s remarks, and the closing session of the conference are open to pre-credentialed media. The breakout sessions in between will be closed press and streamed at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
ISS transit of the Moon. Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Fernando Echeverria
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The NASA Image of the Day is a webpage that everyone should visit everyday, as there are always great images of our explorations of space and Earth. But this one has a wow factor that is off the charts. It was taken just minutes before space shuttle Discovery launched this past Monday on April 5, 2010, as the International Space Station flew across the face of the moon over Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I know people who were there who thought it was an poignant event, but here photographer Fernando Echeverria captures the event at just the right milimoment as the ISS reached the dark area on the Moon. Amazing, and such incredible detail, too! Click the image or this link to go to the NASA Image of the Day site where you can find larger versions — suitable for framing or desktops!
Space shuttle Discovery comes out of its 8 minute long back flip maneuver underneath the International Space Station as ISS astronauts collect high resolution photos of the heat shield for analysis to confirm it is intact and safe to land. Credit: NASA TV
Hatches between Discovery and the ISS were opened at 5:11 AM EDT this morning, bringing together the seven-person shuttle crew and the six-person space station crew, to begin nine days of joint work and operations. The primary goal of the STS 131 mission is to outfit the station with numerous new science experiments, install a new crew sleeping quarter and to resupply stocks of essential parts and provisions.
[/caption]Discovery’s cargo bay is packed with the 27,000 pound Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics module built by the Italian Space Agency and a nearly 4,000 pound ammonia cooling tank.
The joint crew of 13 people marks several notable historic firsts in space exploration, including the largest ever gathering of female astronauts and Japanese astronauts in space.
This NASA image was taken by the centerline camera inside Discovery’s docking port as she initiates final approach to the International Space Station shortly before docking at 3:44 AM on April 7, 2010 during the STS-131 mission. Credit: NASA TV
Expedition 23 Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi and Mission Specialist Yamazaki are the first JAXA Astronauts to fly in space at the same time. A horde of Japanese media and officials were on hand at KSC to witness the launch of Discovery. This space first is a source of great pride in Japan.
The STS 131 astronaut crew led by Shuttle Commander Alan Poindexter had to rely on back up navigation systems to precisely track the station and guide Discovery to a position in front of the ISS and then gently dock at the Harmony module (Node 2). The crew are trained to rendezvous and dock without radar.
Station Commander Oleg Kotev and NASA astronaut TJ Creamer took high resolution images of Discovery’s heat shield during the 8 minute back flip maneuver to document the condition and integrity of the many thousands of critical thermal protection tiles fastened to the belly, wing leading edges and nose cap of Discovery.
The pair snapped hundreds of photos using 400 mm and 800 mm cameras through portholes from their location inside the Russian Zvezda Service Module. These photos will be thoroughly scrutinized by imagery experts back at Mission Control in Houston to look for any signs of damage to the heat shield before NASA commits Discovery to the scorching heat of reentry and a return landing back on Earth.
The ISS, as seen from space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-130 mission. Credit: NASA
Since this perhaps the fourth-to-the-last space shuttle flight, right now is a great opportunity to see the marvelous sights of International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery flying close in tandem. Depending on where you live, Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning should provide a wonderful opportunity to see the two as the shuttle prepares to dock at 7:44 GMT (3:44 a.m EDT) on April 7, 2010.
Before docking, the two spacecraft will be seen as separate but closely-spaced points of light. The ISS is bigger, so will appear as the brighter object leading the smaller Discovery as they move across the sky. After docking, the ISS will be brighter yet with the additional surface area provided by the docked shuttle. Of course, your viewing ability will depend on cloud cover.
