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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The crew has been busy
This week in space has been one for the record books. The future of the ISS is uncertain after this weeks events. In this post I will go through the events that unfolded on October 11th and speak to how some things could unfold for the future of the ISS.
1. Launch Day
The launch took place in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. After the US stopped the space shuttle program we have been buying seats on the Russian Soyuz rockets. The launch happened early (3:30 am Eastern Time coverage began) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Here is the live coverage before and during the launch. The launch begins around the 4:05 minute mark for those who don't have the patients to watch all of it.
2. Launch Ascent aborted
So after watching the launch (or not watching it) you are probably confused about what just happened. 2:00 minutes into the launch the soyuz began emergency abort protocols because of a failed booster during the launch.
Jim Bridenstine, a NASA administrator, released the following statement about the aborted launch.
The European Space Agency stated their intent to help Roscosmos in what ever way is necessary to help understand and find out answers about what happened during the launch.
3. THE LAUNCH, ABORT, AND RECOVERY
After the abort it took 34 mins for the crew to return and crews to find them after they landed in Kazakhstan at a usual recovery site. The abort and descent protocols went as textbook as they could have for the crews, if any factors changed things could have been drastically different.
Here is a a recap of the launch abort and recovery. 4. ISS Status Breifing
NASA held a press conference to update us on the status of the ISS and respond to the abort and recovery. Now 90% of this 40 min press conference is confusing science jibberish but there are some really important things to take away from it.
What happens next...
Here are some questions that have been asked over the last few days and during the press conference that have been answered. These are all speculation as nothing can be determined until the investigation is complete.
For now this is all just speculation at this point, we really don't know what is going to happen but NASA, Roscosmos, and ESA are working to get everything sorted out as quickly and safely as possible. 5. The crew
Now that I have overwhelmed your brains with too much space information, here is the crews reactions to what happened last Thursday. Nick Hague is happy to be back on earth safely as well as Alexey Ovchinin. Commander Gerst is keeping a positive spirit and thankful for everyones safety but the science must continue on.
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