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. A Different perspective
Alexander Gerst and all of the astronauts in space have the opportunity to observe the earth from above. Even in an airplane we still can not make some of these same observations as those in space can.
This week Commander Gerst observed the Amazon Rainforest and tweeted out some photos of his observations. When you think Amazon Rainforest you think about large luscious green forests, these photos are not what you would expect from so far above.
2. Students and the ISS
This week Serena went into detail about some of the ways that students can get involved with the International Space Station. Many people don't realize that many of the experiments on board the station were thought of and work with universities across the globe so they can learn more than they would in just a lab on earth. Students from kindergarten all the way to universities have the opportunity to interact with the astronauts in space. NASA also has hundreds of internship and post graduate opportunities for young professionals to begin their careers in the industry. Internship opportunities range anywhere from engineering all the way to graphic design and business so no matter what your degree they probably have an opportunity for you.
3. Sergey Prokopyev
This week on the ISS Sergey Prokopyev answered some questions his followers have been asking him this week. Now its all in Russian so this may not be interesting for everyone that can't speak Russian but I think it is still good to keep up with what everyone on board the space station is doing.
This week Sergey also observed some lakes in the United States, it is always interesting seeing what astronauts have to say about the earth from above because they have such a different perspective and through the eyes of science you can really learn a lot from them just by following their social media accounts.
4. First thanksgiving and then on to mars
The crew has begun growing their first salad crops in the space station this week. This is an exciting experiment because we can learn how to better grow crops in space which can lead to less supplies needing to be sent to the ISS and for longer missions to the moon and mars.
Speaking of the mighty red planet we are only 30 days away from the landing of InSight, NASA will be holding a press conference on Wednesday to answer questions about the upcoming landing and the InSights Mission. You can watch it here:
5. 20 Years and Counting
Over the weekend NASA celebrated 20 years since the beginning of construction of the International Space Station. NASA's Johnson Space Center opened its doors to the public for a large event to celebrate the hard work over the last 20 years that made it possible to keep the space station up and running.
1. Space to ground
.The ISS facebook page puts out a great weekly video about things happening in space and on the ground focusing around the ISS. This week's video was full of great information I felt needed to be shared. The expedition 57 crew is gearing up for some really important events in the coming months. The launch of the first crewed SpaceX Dragon commercial spacecraft is coming up fast and we are looking forward to some un-manned Boing and SpaceX test flights soon that the expedition 57 crew will play an important roll in gathering data for these commercial space agencies.
These missions are very important for NASA and space agencies around the world, we are entering into a new space race but this time it's not Russia VS the United States it's a race with private space agencies to finally put crews into space. This means NASA will begin sending astronauts to space once again from United States Soil.
This is another great video explaining a little more on the impacts of commercially crewed space flights.
If you made it through both of those videos can we please take a moment to appreciate the interior design of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. it looks like it is straight out of a movie and is a light years improvement from the current Soyuz that are used to take crew's to the station.
2. So if you pour soda in space does the foam ever go away?
This week Commander Gerst began his experiments with Soft matter dynamics and if you haven't yet guessed what this video is about based on the heading you should probably start watching this video. Gerst explains the importance of studying foams and soft matter in space and how this science can be used in the future on earth.
The ISS is really just a science lab in space, it allows us to study things we can't achieve on earth. Without this lab we wouldn't have some of the major technologies we have today that we rely on in our daily lives. 3. Commander Gerst has been busy
Commander Alexander Gerst installed the new life support system on board the International Space Station Destiny Laboratory. The system recycles carbon dioxide in the air and turns it into water which can then be converted into oxygen. Reducing supplies being sent from earth by half!
4. Serena is that you?
NASA Astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor likes to keep a small social media presence so incase you forgot about NASA's only Astronaut in space don't worry she has been hard at work since arriving at the space station in June.
NASA astronaut Serena M. Aunon-Chancellor conducts test runs for the SPHERES Tether-Slosh investigation in the gif below posted by the ISS Research twitter account. This experiment is to investigate further ways to steer and maneuver space crafts autonomously in space. For example this could be used someday to steer dead satellites safely that still have fuel in them.
5. Do you ever feel like someone is watching you?
Well this weekend Commander Gerst spotted some snow in the Northern part of the US, and if any of you watched the badger game this weekend you know it snowed in southern Wisconsin! He doesn't list the exact location but it makes you wonder what part of the northern US he is talking about!
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