ESA astronaut André Kuipers to spend six months on the ISS

As a result of the latest International Space Station Multi-Lateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP) recently held in Houston, ESA has today announced that the European crewmember of Expedition 30/31 to fly to the International Space Station in 2011 will be André Kuipers from the Netherlands.

André Kuipers climbs out of the Soyuz simulator at Star City

Therefore, as already stated by ESA’s Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain on several occasions, an astronaut of German nationality will be assigned to the following opportunity
for an ESA astronaut to fly on board the ISS on a six-month mission.
ESA plans to obtain the agreement of the ISS partners to accommodate the following opportunity in the 2013-2014 timeframe.
 
André Kuipers is scheduled to reach the ISS in December 2011 on board a Soyuz spacecraft and to remain on the Station as part of the six-astronaut international crew until June 2012. This will be Kuiper’s second visit to the ISS after the 11-day Delta Mission in April 2004, which was sponsored by the Dutch government and was also carried out with a Soyuz spacecraft.
The European astronaut, who already served as back-up to ESA’s astronaut Frank De Winne for his currently ongoing OasISS mission (Expedition 20/21), will be trained for robotic activities and for a possible Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA).
“I am very excited at the prospect of preparing for such a challenging mission and am looking forward to being in space again. I am proud to be part of an organisation like ESA that has been able to secure one long-duration flight opportunity every year for four years in a row. This is of great importance for the experience and knowledge we European astronauts can gain”, stated André Kuipers, who will resume training very soon.
 
Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight said, “I am very happy with the cooperation and understanding between ESA and NASA, and all the international partners and this further positive result. André Kuipers has solid expertise, a high degree of preparation and an advanced training level. His role in this expedition will once again enable ESA to be in the inner circle that comprises the most reliable space agencies among the partners. We view Europe’s role in human spaceflight and exploration, currently and in the future, with more and more confidence. We have and will be running a very dense programme of missions to and utilisation of the ISS as we confidently prepare future projects and the extension of the ISS lifetime. This is another achievement of the ESA Human Spaceflight and Exploration programme, and represents the best way of securing continuity between the current European astronauts and the six new members of the European Astronaut Corps who will start their training on 1 September this year.

Christer Fuglesang SA0AFS

ESA's Astronaut Corps is heavily involved in ISS operations:
Frank De Winne (B) is currently on board the ISS and will be taking over command of the Station in October.
He will be joined by Christer Fuglesang (S) in August, who will carry on his Alissé
mission as a member of the STS-128 flight to the International Space Station tentatively scheduled for a launch no earlier than 25 August.
Paolo Nespoli (I) is training for a long-duration mission
on board the Station in late 2010. Roberto Vittori (I) is awaiting confirmation of his assignment to an ASI-owned flight opportunity on board the NASA Shuttle, possibly in the second half of 2010.
André Kuipers is a medical doctor who joined the European Astronaut Corps in 1999 and who has been actively involved in research activities on board the ISS.
 

Invitation to join Nova East Star Party ARISS video link

On Saturday, August 22, 2009 participants at the Nova East Star Party (Smileys Provincail Park, Brooklyn, Nova Scotia Canada) will have the opportunity to speak with Canadian Astronaut and Expedition 20/21 Flight Engineer Dr. Robert (Bob) Thirsk, VA3CSA, on board the International Space Station.

With the help of the Province of Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office and Bell Aliant a LIVE satellite uplink will be used to provide a 1 hour webcast of the event.

Starting at shortly after 12:00 UTC the webcast will include amateur radio and astronomical topics. The webcast will conclude with the actual contact which begins with AOS at 12:54:08 UTC.

Please join us for this very special educational outreach event at http://exclusive.bellaliant.net/spacestation.

Wayne Harasimovitch, VE1WPH
ARISS Mentor for Nova East Star Party 2009

Source: Amsat
_______
This report by http://hamchatforum.lefora.com

 

Discovery 'go' for August 25 launch

NASA has completed a two-day review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected Aug. 25 as the  official launch date for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:36 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Discovery's launch date was announced after a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for launch pending the resolution of one remaining issue.
An orbiter power controller that failed to operate properly was replaced, and an analysis was completed. The issue is expected to be closed when final data from the analysis is presented at the mission management team meeting on Aug. 23.
The readiness review included a thorough discussion about foam insulation that covers the shuttle's external fuel tank. The foam helps prevent ice from developing when super-cold propellants are loaded prior to launch. During shuttle Endeavour's liftoff on July 15, foam separated from the intertank area and the liquid oxygen tank's ice frost ramps. The foam loss led to a detailed examination that determined Discovery is acceptable to fly.
"There was an excellent discussion on foam loss that included input from multiple teams including our NASA safety and engineering communities," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who chaired the day and a half meeting. "After examining the foam releases on recent flights and completing a lot of testing and analysis to improve our understanding of the relative risks, we concluded that we're ready to go fly. The teams are continuing to learn about foam and have planned additional tests and analysis to continue to improve our understanding of foam loss mechanisms and risks."
The 13-day flight will deliver science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment, an air purification system and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The name Colbert received the most entries in NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3. NASA named the node Tranquility.

Nicole Stott, KE5GJN

Astronaut Rick Sturckow will command Discovery. He will be joined by Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez, KE5DAV, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang, KE5CGR.
NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, KE5GJN will fly to the complex aboard Discovery to begin a three-month mission as a station resident. She replaces NASA's Tim Kopra, who will return home on Discovery.
STS-128 will be Discovery's 37th mission and the 30th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

 report by http://hamchatforum.lefora.com

Bad weather delays shuttle launch

The BBC News website reports that the latest mission of the US shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed by 24-hours due to bad weather...
Read the full BBC News article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8212950.stm

Our thanks to Mike Terry for alerting us to this item
report by http://hamchatforum.lefora.com

 

NASA sets new target launch date for space shuttle Discovery

NASA has targeted the next launch attempt for space shuttle Discovery for no earlier than 12:22 a.m. EDT Friday,  Aug. 28, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Wednesday's launch attempt was postponed after an indication that a valve in the shuttle's main propulsion system failed to perform as expected during fueling of the shuttle's external fuel tank...

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2009/new_target_launch_date_for_discovery.htm
report by http://hamchatforum.lefora.com

 

Space shuttle Discovery stands on Launch Pad 39A on Tuesday evening after the second launch attempt was called off because of a problem with a fill-and- drain valve. Photo credit: NASA TV

NASA delays space shuttle Discovery launch

NASA managers postponed Friday's 12:22 a.m. EDT launch of space shuttle Discovery to allow engineers more time to develop plans for resolving an issue with a valve in the shuttle's main propulsion system.
Launch now is targeted for no earlier than 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
During loading of the shuttle's external fuel tank for Wednesday's launch attempt, a liquid hydrogen fill and drain valve located in Discovery's aft compartment failed to provide the proper indication when it was commanded to close. Engineers cycled the valve five times Wednesday evening to collect data on the valve and its associated actuator and position indicator.

Nicole Stott, KE5GJN is one of three radio hams flying to the ISS on space shuttle Discovery

NASA managers decided Thursday that more time is needed to
analyze the test data and develop alternative procedures for confirming that the valve is closed
if the valve fails to provide the proper closed indication during Discovery's next launch attempt.
Discovery's 13-day STS-128 flight to the International Space Station will deliver storage racks; materials and fluids science racks; a freezer to store research samples; a new sleeping compartment; an air purification system; and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert.
Nicola Stott, KE5GJN is flying to the ISS and will replace Timothy Kopra, KE5UDN - who has been on the ISS since July.
There will then be six astronauts on board the ISS, with five of the six, including Stott, being licensed radio amateurs: Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT; Flight Engineer Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ; Flight Engineer Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN; Flight Engineer Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA.
Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko is the only one who is not licensed.
Discovery's crew will include José Hernández, KE5DAV and Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang, SA0AFS/KE5CGR.
Swedish ham astronaut to return to the ISS
credit NASA
this report http://hamchatforum.lefora.com

NASA and ATK successfully test Ares first stage motor

There is a great video of the test firing of the ARES first stage motor now available on the web.
The video is captured from a high speed camera aimed at a mirror positioned 50 feet from the nozzle at 5000 frames per second. This unique view shows the ignition from inside the core of the motor.
The 12 slots of propellant in the forward segment appear, and then are quickly overcome by the inner flame.
The actual mirror survives for less than a millisecond before it is destroyed by the 3.6 million pounds of thrust exiting the Ares development solid rocket motor.
See
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/
multimedia/ares/dm1_success_vids.html

Home Email this page to a friend News Index

Frank De Winne, ON1DWN First European commander of the International Space Station ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, ON1DWN, will become the first European commander of the International Space Station this weekend, after the current commander Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, has left the ISS.   Padalka’s Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to undock this Sunday night from the orbital outpost. De Winne is the first non-American and non-Russian to take on this role. A symbolic change-of-command ceremony will be held in advance onboard the ISS this Friday

ESA astronaut commands space station

Last weekend, Radio Amateur Frank De Winne ON1DWN became the first European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to command the International Space Station (ISS)
Since arriving on the ISS at the end of May he has carried out many Amateur Radio contacts with students at schools in Europe and Australia.
Read the full BBC report at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8305552.stm
Amateur Radio on The International Space Station (ARISS)
http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm
Successful ARISS School Contacts
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/
Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf

NASA television to cover Progress 35 arrival at space station

The residents of the International Space Station will receive
a new shipment of food, fuel and supplies at 8:41 p.m. CDT on Saturday, October 17.
NASA Television's coverage of the ship's arrival at the station will begin at 8:15 p.m.
The Russian ISS Progress 35 cargo ship, filled with more than two tons of supplies for the station, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, October 14 at 9:14 p.m. EDT. There was no television coverage of the launch.
Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne, ON1DWN and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, Roman Romanenko, Max Suraev and Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA, will observe the event from aboard the station as the unpiloted craft automatically docks to the station's Pirs Docking Compartment.
For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Keep tabs on ISS with an iPhone

A report on The Register describes new software for the iPhone/iPod Touch that provides real time tracking of the International Space Station
The report says that on Friday NASA released an iPhone/iPod Touch application that delivers up-to-the-minute Agency news, videos, and other scienc-tastic content from the convenience of your Apple device.
Read the full The Register report at
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/23/nasa_iphone_app/