Posts from — November 2008

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today is the day where we can forget about diets, and eat as much food as we possibly can, so enjoy your Turkey, Ham, Potatoes, greenbean cassaroles and reflect on everything that you are thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

I was checking out Spaceflightnow.com and they offered a high definition launch video of the shuttle launch that happened yesterday (Friday the 14th) but the only problem was that you had to pay them for it. In this case, I decided to check out the HD videos at Vimeo.com and found a HD video of the launch, absolutely free! SpaceVidCast is responsible for posting this video to Vimeo. Check out some of their other videos, you never know, you may learn something new!

Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-126 11/14/2008 from SpaceVidcast on Vimeo.

Today, the astronauts woke up to “shelter” by Xavier Rudd, which was dedicated to commander Chris Ferguson. They spent most of today scanning the shuttle for any damage that may have occurred during yesterday’s launch. Analysis showed that a small piece of thermal blanket broke off the aft portion of the orbiter. Luckily, this piece is missing from an area that is known for not getting very hot during re-entry. The Astronauts have taken pictures of the area to allow ground controllers to take a look at the area to confirm the loss of thermal blanket and the size of the missing piece.

Besides that problem, everything is looking good for Endeavour’s randevouz and docking with the International Space Station tomorrow. The docking is scheduled to happen at around 4:04PM CST or 5:04PM EST.

Tonight, the crew will go to sleep at 12:45am and will wake up at 8:25 tomorrow morning.

LAUNCH: November 14,2008 7:55PM EST
LANDING: November 29,2008 2:51PM EST

CREW:

Christopher Ferguson – Commander
Eric Boe – Pilot
Donald Pettit- Mission Specialist 1
Stephen Bowen- Mission Specialist 2
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper- Mission Specialist 3
Robert Kimbrough- Mission Specialist 4
Sandra Mangus- Flight Engineer
Gregory Chamitoff- Flight Engineer
-Sandra Mangus will be trading places with Greg Chamitoff.

STS-126 is a fifteen day mission to the International Space Station. During this mission Stephanyshyn-Piper, Bowen, and Kimbrough, will perform four EVAs dedicated to the service and repair of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ). The Solar Alpha Rotary Joints on the starboard side have been problematic since August of last year. In addition to repairing the SARJs, STS-126 will bring up the Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module, which will include:

• Two crew quarters racks which will be installed in the Harmony node.
  
• Two water reclamation racks which will recycle urine into potable water.
• A waste and hygiene compartment which will contain a new toilet.
• New galley for the U.S. Destiny Laboratory.
• Three Zero-Gravity storage racks which will stow large quantities of hardware.
• Four handrail extender assemblies which will be used to help the crew members safely move about the ISS.
• Two foot restraints to help shorter crew members.
• General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator , also known as GLACIER, which will be used for transporting and preserving science experiments.
• Micro gravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator, or MERLIN for short, which was used for thermal controlled science experiments, but will will now be used to store drinking beverages for a six-member station crew.
• Eleven Solar Alpha Rotary Joint trundle bearing assemblies which lubricates and allows the starboard “wing” to rotate freely.
• New ISS external television cameras (EVA 4)
• Two hydrogen sensor units which will detect cross-communication in the station’s Oxygen Generation System.
• Two crew member headsets to improve space-to-ground and crew-to-crew communications.
• Advanced Resistive Exercise Device.
  

I was browsing a section of the NASA website (Link is below) called “Make Contact: Astronaut Greg Chamitoff Answers Your Questions” and someone was curious about the same thing as me: What does the International Space Station Smell like? Below is a clipping of what Greg Chamitoff said about the “Smell of Space”:

“You know, the ISS, we’ve got a really good filtering system. There’s air flowing. In fact, everything you hear when you’re up here is fans going and air circulating. So, we’re constantly getting a fresh supply of oxygen. We’re constantly getting the carbon dioxide scrubbed and all the other things filtered out. So it really doesn’t smell, although when we first docked with the shuttle there was a noticeable smell but you get accustomed to it very quickly, so I can’t tell anything anymore. There is one smell up here that is really unique though and that is the smell, we just call it “the smell of space.” But we experience it when, I haven’t had a chance to do a spacewalk yet, I’m still waiting and hoping for that, but when the other guys did and they came back in, after we re-pressurized and opened up the volume for them to come back in the station, there’s this really, really strong metallic smell. And I don’t know exactly what it is, something to do with maybe atomic oxygen interacting with the suit materials, or we’re not exactly sure what it is. It’s a very distinct smell, it’s just the “smell of space.” It’s really cool. But that’s the only smell that’s really strong that I’ve noticed up here other than of course our food. Any wet package you open has a hopefully appetizing smell.”

For those of you who don’t know, Greg Chamitoff launched on STS-125 in late May to swap places with Garrett Reisman when Reisman’s six-moth stay was up. Chamitoff is scheduled swap places with Sandra Mangus and return to earth at the end of this month aboard STS-126, ending his six-month stay aboard the International Space Station.

[Via NASA]

Hello everyone!

We are currently upgrading and redesigning TechTwins.com so don’t be surprised if things get screwed up within the next day or two. We should be ready to start blogging in time for STS-126 which is scheduled to launch on Friday, so, stay tuned!

Found this in my bookmarks. It’s kind of outdated (From june) but I found it an awesome interview.

Click Here

[Firstshowing.net ]