1. Home is where the dom is
After nearly 6 months in space I think Alexander Gerst is probably getting a little homesick. Gerst posted this week (in german) saying "Greetings Home!" and asked if others can see their house. Gerst grew up in a small town in southern Germany but he now calls Cologne (Koln) home because it is also home the the Headquarters of the German Space Agency (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) as well as the European Astronaut Center which is a part of the European Space Agency.
If you are a little confused about Alex's hashtag #HomeIsWhereTheDomIs don't fret! In Germany it is not uncommon for cities to have a large cathedral, and Cologne is no exception. Dom refers to the magnificent Catholic cathedral located along the Rhein River.
2. Tissue Chips
Hundreds of experiments are done each year on the international space station. The ISS is such a unique lab in the sky, one of the new experiments that will be happening on the ISS after the next cargo ship launches in December will be "Tissue Chips In Space". This experiment will help scientists learn more about new drugs faster, it can help speed up possible life saving drugs to be approved by the FDA.
Experiments like this are one of the biggest reasons we always have astronauts in space. for the past 18 years the ISS has been manned where they are constantly learning and discovering thing that will benefit humankind on earth. 3. Rainbows in the sky
When I first saw this photo I didn't realize what it was, once I figured it out I realized that I don't think I have ever seen a photo of a rainbow from above the ground. It only makes sense that it's a circle clearly but it's so interesting seeing this from a different perspective.
4. Cargo Release
This week Alex and Serena released the JAXA HTV7 from the station. This cargo ship was released (by using the Canada Arm!) where it was then sent into the earths atmosphere, where most of the ship will burn up on re-entry. This cargo ship is also as test for a new heat shield so the ship was loaded up with some scientific cargo for JAXA to retrieve.
With the rise of the private space industry it has become incredibly important for improvements on existing technology to develop. Things like cargo ships being able to return safely to earth and to become reusable again are vitally important in the space industry right now to drive down costs and make it more affordable for further missions.
5. Even the crew needs haircuts
My first question when I saw this photo was "But don't all the hair's just float around if they shave it off?" but upon further investigation I deduced that they have a vacuum attached to the clippers to help catch the hairs that are shaved off. NASA and ROSCOSMOS have thought of everything so besides the many air filtration systems they have thought of ways to combat loose hairs flying all over the station.
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1. Change of command
Alexander Gerst has officially become the commander of the international space station. During this weeks excitement up on board the space station Drew Feustel handed over the command of the station to the ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst
Germany was full of celebration on October 3rd for Gerst's big day because he is only the 11th German to go to space and is the first commander to ever come from Germany. ESA has had one other astronaut become commander on board so this was a big day all around. To make this day even more special for all Germany the ceremony happened on October 3rd, German Unity Day.
2. The end... For now
With the change of command comes the change of expeditions. The station is now transitioning from expedition 56 to expedition 57 and the crew who launched with expedition 55 in February 2018 have now completed their 6 month mission.
With the close of their mission each astronaut posted their final posts on board the space station. The astronauts are having a mix of emotions with being sad to leave such a unique place but excited to see their friends and families.
3. houston we are coming home
As with each launch NASA has live reports of each part of the expedition home. In case you missed it (it was at 3 am central time, we all missed it) here is the highlights of the return of expedition 56.
Watch the launch of the next crew on Thursday October 11th live on NASA TV or on the ISS facebook page. There will be nearly 12 hours of coverage starting at 3:30 am (eastern time) including prelaunch activities all the way to the welcome ceremony upon the ISS. Check out the full schedule of events.
4. Work it!
Each week on board the space station Alexander Gerst (and his team on the ground) put together a video and post it to youtube. They can be anything from educational to fun, but always informative in some way. This week he talked about how astronauts exercise in space.
5. New astronaut Theme song
Music in space is no longer a new thing, most astronauts on board need to find a way to combat the homesickness and music is one of the things that helps create an environment that feels like home. Many astronauts have brought instruments to space and Commander Feustel (expedition 56) is just another one on the list.
Before his departure of the ISS he left us with this gem of a music video he created over his 6 months on the ISS. Take a listen to the newest out of this world music from the International Space Station. |
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