NASA readies station for commercial dockings as Russia plans departure

Two spacewalking astronauts continued with jobs outside the International Space Station on Wednesday to prepare the orbiting outpost for a pair of new docking adapters arriving this summer.

Space station commander Butch Wilmore and Terry Virts switched their spacesuits to internal power at 6:51 a.m. EST, ahead of leaving the station's Quest airlock, beginning the second of three planned spacewalks during an eight day stretch. The duo quickly went to work beginning the nearly seven hour spacewalk by moving over to their work site -- a former space shuttle docking port.

Wilmore and Virts first removed a thermal cover from the former shuttle docking module in preparation for the June arrival of the first of two new International Docking Adapters (IDA). IDA-1 will be attached to the older docking module also known as Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 during a spacewalk in July. Both IDA's are due to launch from Cape Canaveral a top separate SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets tucked inside the Dragon 7 supply craft.

"Boeing built the two new docking adapters... Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation-100 and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will use the adapters to deliver astronauts to the space station later this decade," NASA spokesperson Mark Garcia stated during today's spacewalk.

IDA-2 will launch two months later and then installed to PMA-3. The PMA-3 will first be moved from its current location and over to the space-facing side of the American Harmony module this summer. NASA has confirmed, "SpaceX is targeting its new Crew Dragon spacecraft to make an uncrewed flight test in late 2016 and a crewed flight test in early 2017."

The six hour spacewalk also featured several housekeeping chores by the spacewalking duo including lubricating the 57-foot robotic arm's latching end-effector, and rigging two final power and data cables over to PMA-2.

Virts stood on a special platform on the station's truss as he placed a special lubricate on the ball screws and bearings near the snares on the hand section of the Canadian-built arm. As Virts worked outside, station crew mate and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti worked from inside the Cupola module slowly moving the robotic arm and its wrist joint into position for Virts.

"We were the cable guys, and now we're the Grease Monkeys," Wilmore commented as the spacewalk wrapped up.

The same two astronauts will step outside for a third time on Sunday to complete several more tasks in anticipation of the new docking adapters. NASA TV will provide live coverage of the orbital walk beginning at 6:00 a.m.

As Wednesday's American spacewalk began, the Russian Space Agency announced new plans to conclude their presence at the space station in 2024. ROSCOSMOS chairman of manned space flight Yuri Koptev announced early Wednesday plans to separate several of their science and docking modules in nine years to form a new Russian-based space station.

"The concept involves the use of the ISS until 2024, and then plan to create a Russian space base on the basis separated from the ISS modules," the Russian Space Agency said in a new press release. "Configuration of multipurpose laboratory module, nodal module and scientific power module to create a promising Russian space station to meet the challenges of providing secure access to the Russian space."

ROSCOSMOS added their interest in landing a Russian on the Moon beginning in 2030, "Russia will target study of the moon using unmanned spacecraft to lunar orbit and the surface of Earth's natural satellite. At the turn of 2030 and will be out for manned missions to the moon." The release also mentioned plans to "implement programs of deep space exploration".

Astronauts complete needed tasks during spacewalk

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An American and an Italian astronaut took a stroll in space outside the International Space Station on Tuesday to perform much needed repairs and to retrieve a few experiments.

American Chris Cassidy and Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano spent just over six hours working in space, marking the second spacewalk of the year by an American.

Today's six hour, seven minute spacewalk officially began at 8:02 am EDT, as the pair switched their spacesuits to internal power. They then opened the station's Quest airlock hatch and floated outside.

This marked the first time an Italian astronaut walked in space, and was the first spacewalk by a European since February 2008.

As the orbital laboratory soared 260 miles above Saudi Arabia in the darkness of night, the pair adjusted to their new surroundings to prepare for their first tasks.

Cassidy, wearing red stripes on his spacesuit, went right to work ten minutes later to replace a Ku-Band video and data transmitter controller. One of two used to send and receive information from the ground failed in December.

The new controller will give the space station "redundant capability for the station's Ku-Band" transmissions, stated NASA's Rob Navis during the spacewalk.

Using a space styled wrench known as a pistol grip tool, Cassidy had trouble with a stubborn bolt, and tried adjusting the proper torque setting to release the bolts which held the controller in place on the station's Z1 truss.

Meanwhile, Parmitano translated over to the station's right side truss to retrieve a couple of NASA experiments known as MISSE 8 which tested the effects of direct sunlight, radiation and the other harmful elements in the vacuum of space.

NASA will use the results from Materials on International Space Station Experiment 8 as they look for the best materials to create new spacecraft as they steer toward deep space flights by astronauts during the 2020's.

As the Italian astronaut returned the two experiments back to the Quest airlock for their return to earth later this year, Cassidy commented to Parmitano, "Outstanding! Nice job".

Cassidy later strung a few new power cables along a section of the station in a task which will be completed during a upcoming spacewalk to support of a new Russian laboratory module.

Russia plans to launch it's Nauak module in December, and will also serve as an airlock and docking port beginning in 2014.

Parmitano received an out of this world view of both the space station and earth as he rode high above at the end of the Canadian-built 57-foot robotic arm as he and Cassidy removed and replaced two radiator grapple bars.

Inside the American Destiny module, Karen Nyberg controlled the robotic arm and swung Parmitano over to the region of the station's truss so that Cassidy could bolt the grapple bars down on either side.

NASA's Josh Byerly explained to this aerospace reporter today that the new grapple bars will help in case one of the station's extended thermal radiators fail and needs to be replaced.

The thermal radiators are located across the core truss and help transfer heat from the station's electronics out into space.

Tuesday's spacewalk marked the 170th to support maintenance and construction of the space station since 1998.


(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace, science and technology. Follow his updates via Twitter @SpaceFlight360.)

Japan's hopes ride on resupply trip to space station

Italy's Paolo Nespoli at the station's workstation. (NASA)

Japan will kick-off a very busy week on Saturday as they launch a resupply craft to the International Station Station along with the future of their space program.

The week promises to be one of the busiest periods aboard the space station in it's twelve year history.

Japan's largest rocket the HII-B will carry into earth orbit their second supply ship, KOUNOTORI 2 loaded with supplies located in both a pressurized and non-pressurized section.

The supply craft, also known as the HTV 2, is an improved version of the first supply craft launched in 2009 to allow for more cargo.

KOUNOTORI was selected as the name in a contest held by Japan's space agency JAXA, and means "White Stork" in the native language.

One of the partners of the space station, the pride of Japan and their space future will also be riding on this week's launch.

HTV Project manager Yoshihiko Torano expressed his thoughts on the flight, "I feel that expectations this time (for a successful flight) are probably 100 percent. If, by any chance, we fail this time, we will be criticized".

Japan became the fourth country in 2009 to have the ability to launch an unmanned craft to the station loaded with fresh supplies.

"Even under the pressure of budget restrictions", Torano added, "no failure or excuse is acceptable."

The HII-B rocket is scheduled to lift-off on January 22 at 12:37:05 a.m. EST (2:37 pm local time) from the Tanegashima Space Center. The flight will mark the HII-B second flight.

Clouds forecast for Thursday delayed the launch date by two days.

The HII-B is launched using a cryogenic fueled main stage rocket with a core engine and four strap on solid fueled boosters.

The rocket will head out over the central Pacific Ocean on a 51.65 degree inclination.

"I think we are more strained than the last (flight)," Torano states, "because I believe that the success of the second mission is often believed to be a matter of course."

Once the supply craft reaches orbit, controllers on the ground will spend the next week using it's thrusters to maneuver it higher as it catches up with it's port-of-call.

The KOUNOTORI 2 will arrive at the space station on January 27, and working from the robotics work station (below) in the American Destiny module, NASA astronaut Cady Coleman and Italian Paolo Nespoli will use the station's robotic arm to reach out and grapple the craft.

The station's arm is scheduled to dock the supply ship to the earth facing side of the Harmony module at around 7:42 a.m. later that same day.

During the past two weeks, Coleman and Nespoli have been busy running through software practices at the workstation preparing for the capture and mating of the craft to Harmony.

Once the craft docks, sixteen bolts will be driven to secure the cylindrical module to the outpost.

Station commander and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian flight engineers Dmitry Kondratyev, Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka round out the space station's crew of six.

Hours following the berthing of the Japanese supply craft, Russia will launch their own resupply craft, Progress M-09M, for a two day orbital trip to station.

One day after Progress' docking to the Russian Pirs module on Jan. 29, the KOUNOTORI 2 will be undocked and moved several meters away to the zenith port on Harmony.

The busy week will also include a Russian spacewalk by Kondratyev and Skripochka from the Pirs airlock on Jan. 21, beginning at 9:21 a.m.

Russian Cargo Ship set for Wednesday Launch

Russian Soyuz U prepares for tomorrow's launch. (Energia)

A Russian cargo craft loaded with tons of food and supplies is ready to begin a three day trip to resupply the growing International Space Station on Wednesday.

Loaded with fuel, experiment hardware, water, air and requested personal items, the arriving craft will keep the crew of six happy and healthy for weeks to come.

The Soyuz U was transported horizontally to it's launch pad on Monday morning by way of rail car, and then moved into its vertical launch position. Crews then began the tasks of connecting both fuel and electrical connections to the rocket.

Launch of the Soyuz U rocket with the Progress M-08M supply ship is set to lift-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in western Kazakhstan tomorrow at 11:11:53 am EDT (1511 GMT).

After a three day orbital chase, the Progress craft will fly in and dock to the Russian Zevezda service module on Saturday at 12:40 pm (1640 GMT).

The Progress docking begins a busy six weeks aboard the space station.

Three days after the supply ship docks, the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to dock to begin an eight day visit to resupply the station and deliver a permanent storage module.

A Russian spacewalk was added on Tuesday. Cosmoanuts Fiodor Yurchikin and Oleg Skipochka will begin a six hour EVA on Nov. 15 starting at 9:25 am EST.

On Nov. 30, three of the current station crew members will undock and return to earth aboard their Soyuz TMA19 craft. Two weeks later, a fresh crew of three will launch and then dock their Soyuz TMA20 to begin their six month tour of duty.

Looking ahead into 2011, January and February will also be a busy time for the Expedition 26 crew. Three unmanned cargo crafts from the European, Russian and Japanese space programs, and the American space shuttle Endeavour will head to the orbiting outpost 221 miles above to bring fresh supplies and equipment.

To the crews living aboard the station, food has always been a form of leisure and most try out their own orbiting gourmet food styles while in micro-gravity.

The space station is a very multicultural location. An astronaut or cosmonaut from one country will always enjoy a taste from a special menu prepared by the crew of a visiting country.

The Russian Space Agency stated today, "Food boxes will contain not only standard rations, but also fresh fruits and vegetables – lemons, apples, onions, tomatoes, and a kilogram of garlic".

"(Progress) will also carry high-speed data transmission equipment to be installed on the outer surface of the station during EVA (spacewalk) by Oleg Skripochka and Dmitry Kondratiev in January," the space agency added earlier today.

Christmas Crew of Five aboard Space Station

Carrying a small decorated Christmas tree and wearing a red Santa cap, Soyuz commander Kotov entered the space station at 7:35 pm EST tonight, followed by elf's Creamer and Noguchi, and beginning their six month stay in space.

Hatch opening occurred at 7:30 pm this evening (3:30 am Moscow time) as the station passed 220 miles above the central Atlantic Ocean.

As quickly as the crew of entered the orbital outpost, they were ordered back inside their newly arrived Soyuz TMA-17 craft so that Russia's Mission Control could properly video record the crew's ingress into the station.

Minutes later, Mission Control in Moscow told the crew to go back again and to video record the crew's holiday dressed entrance into the space station for a third time.

As the minutes then went by with the Soyuz crew inside their space taxi again, the station's commander Jeff Williams and flight engineer Max Surave began to get a bit impatient with the staging of the ceremony.

"If we wait to much longer then the guys will get their feelings hurt and not want to come out," Surave radioed Moscow.

Russian Soyuz Launches Crew to Space Station

An international crew of three lifted-off this morning from the deserts of Kazakhstan bound for earth's orbital outpost as two of them begin a six month voyage in the ocean of space.

A Russian Soyuz FG rocket with the Soyuz TMA16 spacecraft a top launched on time this morning at 3:14:42 am EDT (11:14 am local time) under blue skies from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

American astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams, Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev and space flight participant Canadian Guy Laliberté dressed into their launch suits three hours prior to lift-off and headed out to launch pad #1 -- Yuri's pad -- and climbed aboard. The countdown saw no technical issues as it moved toward zero.

About two minutes into the launch profile, the strap on boosters separated from the core rocket as it approached a speed of 4,950 feet per second. Three minutes later, the main stage separated from the Soyuz upper stage at an altitude of 105 miles high.

The nine minute ride to earth orbit was beautiful as the trio begins a two day journey to the international space station. Williams and Suraev will begin a six month stay aboard the space station as members of expedition 21 & 22 crews. Williams will later command expedition 22. Meanwhile, Laliberté will visit the station for 8 days and return back to the Asian desert on October 11 with the returning crew of Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt .

Today's morning launch of the Soyuz now places the space craft in a position to dock with the space station on Friday morning at 4:37 am EDT, as the orbital outpost flies over Asia.

While on board, the pair will work on 47 experiments along with four other crew members. As the space station soars into a new decade, it will be visited by two space shuttles, a new docking module, two progress supply ships and another crew rotation as a Soyuz TMA-17 is currently set to launch on December 21st.

Countdown Underway for Russian Soyuz FG

A Russian rocket is just hours away from carrying two astronauts and one cosmonaut to the International Space Station on Wednesday as two of them begin a six month odyssey in earth orbit.

A Russian Soyuz FG rocket with crew members Maxim Suraev Victorovich, Jeffrey N. Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Lalibert'e will strap into their Soyuz TMA-16 space craft about ninety minutes before the 3:14:42 am EDT lift-off on Wednesday morning.

At 7:45 pm EDT this evening, Williams reported to SpaceLaunchNews.com, "Off to breakfast...last meal for awhile where the food behaves well on the plate. Everybody is happy and calm".

By 8:21 pm, with the three space men's breakfast complete, Williams replied, "Breakfast done. Off we go. See you after docking. Thank you for prayers and support. Enjoy the journey!"

The space trio will spend two days in a lower orbit than the space station which will allow them to catch up quickly and then dock on Friday morning at 4:37 am EDT.

SpaceLaunch News.com will have live television of the launch beginning at 1:45 am EDT, on Wednesday morning. Also, follow our mobile updates directly to your cell phone or PDA phone via Twitter.com/spacelaunchnews.

Russian Cargo Craft Launches to Station

A Russian cargo craft full of supplies from the expanded permanent crew of six aboard the international space station lifted-off this morning for a late-July docking.

Today's launch of a Progress M-67 (34) craft aboard a Soyuz-U rocket occurred at 6:56:56 am EDT, or 4:56 pm local time, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, in western Russia.

The launch occurred from (Yuri) Gagarin's Pad 1, the same pad the first human left from in April 1961 on mankind's first flight into space.

The Progress supply ship would dock about 48 hours following launch to the space station, however with space shuttle Endeavour continuing its docked operations the craft will be placed in a holding pattern until after the orbiter undocks on July 28th.

Progress should dock with the station's Russian Zvezda module this Wednesday, July 29, at about 6:16 am EDT.

Progress M-67 is the 34th cargo craft aimed for the space station, and has over two tons of fuel, food and supplies for the station's current Expedition 20 crew. The supplies should carry the crew into this Fall's arrival of the Expedition 21 crew.

NASA to Announce Launch Plans Today

NASA today will announce the readiness to launch space shuttle
Endeavour on Wednesday or stand down to allow a pair of NASA
satellites to launch to the moon the same day here at Cape Canaveral.

An afternoon statement from the space agency will outline if Endeavour
can fly or not following the repair of a gaseous hydrogen (GH2) leak
which cropped up at midnight on Saturday morning forcing a launch
scrub. A leaky seal in a vent valve at the connection point of a vent
line which runs from the shuttle's external fuel tank to the launch
pad and then down and out where the GH2 is burned off to avoid any
build up which would be serious when the main engines ignite six
seconds prior to lift off.

A Wednesday launch time would see Endeavour's soild rocket boosters
ignite at 5:40:50 am EDT, pushing the entire shuttle stack skyward for
a Friday docking with the international space station.

If NASA determines that Endeavour is not ready to fly following the
repairs, then a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission would fly at 3:51 pm on Wednesday
instead.

Space Shuttle Mission Management chairman LeRoy Cain said late Sunday,
"If shuttle goes first on the (June) 17th, then the most opportunities
we can give LRO is two, and that would be on the 19th and 20th."

The LRO mission carries a secondary satellite, LCROSS, and is the
first flight under NASA's return to the moon program. The agency will
use the lunar duo to map the surface, and search for the best landing
site for a future human landing on the moon around 2020.