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Viewing Posts from December 2023

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    Two Spaceships Depart, Crew Will Spend Holidays in Space

    The Cygnus space freighter is pictured attached to the space station as the Canadarm2 robotic arm prepares to grapple the cargo craft.

    Two spaceships in two days have departed the International Space Station and the Expedition 70 crew will spend Christmas and New Year’s Day orbiting Earth. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara monitored the Canadarm2 robotic arm release of the Cygnus space freighter on Friday, Dec. 22. Earlier, ground engineers remotely maneuvered the Canadarm2 and detached Cygnus from …

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    Robotic Arm Releases Cygnus from Station

    The Cygnus space freighter is poised for release from the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm ending a four-and-a-half month space station cargo mission. Credit: NASA TV

    At 8:06 a.m. EST, Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the Atlantic Ocean. The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more …

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    Dragon Undocks, Scientific Cargo Headed Back to Earth

    A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is seen departing the station after undocking from the Harmony module at 4:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 21. Credit: NASA TV

    Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon undocked at 5:05 p.m. EST from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module. At the time of undocking the station was flying at an altitude about 260 miles southwest of Chile. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off …

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    Live Coverage Underway of SpaceX Dragon Cargo Spacecraft Departure

    Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire automatically while adjusting the vehicle's slow, methodical approach toward the International Space Station for a docking to the Harmony module's forward port.

    Live coverage of the departure of SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app. Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon will undock at 5:05 p.m. EST from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module and fire …

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    Cygnus Ready to Depart Station Live on NASA TV

    The Cygnus space freighter and the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship (at right) are pictured attached to the station. At lower left, the Canadarm2 robotic arm prepares to grapple Cygnus.

    Live coverage of the departure of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA+ streaming, NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app, with its release from the robotic arm scheduled for 8:05 a.m. EST. Flight controllers on the ground sent commands earlier Friday morning for the space …

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    Dragon, Cygnus Cargo Missions Nearing End This Week

    A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft (left) approaches the station on Nov. 11. The Cygnus resupply ship (right) awaits a robotic capture on Aug. 4.

    A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is targeting its undocking from the International Space Station for 5:05 p.m. EST today. The Expedition 70 crew finished packing Dragon on Wednesday with a variety of research samples and lab hardware for retrieval and analysis on Earth. The orbital residents now turn their attention to the departure of a …

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    SpaceX Dragon Departure from Space Station Targets Thursday

    The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is pictured approaching the space station above the Indian Ocean on March 16, 2023.

    Following a weather review, NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 21, for the undocking of the company’s 29th Dragon commercial resupply services mission from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather in the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Coverage of Dragon’s departure Thursday will begin at 4:45 …

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    Crew Packs Dragon With Science for Return, Keeps Up Research Schedule

    The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the space station above Africa during a previous resupply mission on Nov. 27, 2022.

    The Expedition 70 crew will finish packing a U.S. cargo craft today before it departs the International Space Station. The seven orbital residents also collaborated on a variety of human research studies to learn how to keep humans healthy in space. Four astronauts worked together on Wednesday coordinating final cargo transfers inside the SpaceX Dragon …

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    Crew Packs Dragon for Departure, Keeps Up Advanced Research, and a Cygnus Unberthing is Adjusted

    Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire adjusting the vehicle's approach toward the station for a docking to the Harmony module's forward port.

    The Expedition 70 crew is packing a U.S. cargo craft ahead of its planned Wednesday departure. The seven residents aboard the International Space Station are also keeping up their regularly scheduled research and maintenance activities. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli worked together Tuesday morning removing biological specimens from the Destiny laboratory module, stowing …

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    Crew Health, Space Biology Research as Dragon Awaits Departure

    The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking during an orbital sunrise on Aug. 19, 2022. Credit: NASA TV

    Crew health and space biology were the top research objectives for the Expedition 70 crew at the beginning of the week. The International Space Station residents also had their hands full with a host of standard lab maintenance tasks. Meanwhile, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft looks to Wednesday at the earliest for its departure. Observing …

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