International Space Station (Updates)

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Hi...Just thought it might be a good idea to have a general thread on events centered around the ISS. This would primarily prevent ME from messing up other threads where the information did not quite fit in....Thanks...Cheers

 

 

I guess a good start would be the reconfiguration of modules for commercial docking. The article is a bit dry but has all the "nuts and bolts"

 

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/05/iss-program-station-reconfiguration-future-crew-vehicles/ 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Here is a neat video of the Soyuz TMA-16M docking with the ISS on March 27/2015. This was done with a video camera in the Soyuz. Its a bit long but the good shots are about half way through....

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Here is another video of the PMM module being moved to free up space for commercial docking...Cheers..

 

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/05/28/space-station-module-moved-to-clear-path-for-cargo-ships/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

I thought this was a neat utility site. It shows a view from the ISS as well as the position of the complex and is updated.

 

http://iss.astroviewer.net/

[DocM]

Because of the PMM move, and the 2 International Docking Adapters (IDA 1 & IDA 2) Dragon is taking up this year, the station will be able to host 2 commercial crew spacecraft and 2 commercial cargo spacecraft at once.

An early demo of this may happen in April 2017 when a crewed SpaceX Dragon 2 and an uncrewed Boeing CST-100 are scheduled to be docked simultanrously.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

The attached article is about preliminary results of the Mice Drawer System (MDS). I think it really highlights the problems of a weightless environment. After 91 days on board the ISS, the mice had shown signs of 15% loss of epidermis, skin aging. Tests are also being carried out on selected crew members,which show that skin aging in humans is slower than that of the mice and mentions reduced healing of wounds. This is in addition to loss of muscle tone. Tough environment to cope with.....

 

http://www.space.com/29498-space-mouse-skin-ages-faster.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Because of the PMM move, and the 2 International Docking Adapters (IDA 1 & IDA 2) Dragon is taking up this year, the station will be able to host 2 commercial crew spacecraft and 2 commercial cargo spacecraft at once.

An early demo of this may happen in April 2017 when a crewed SpaceX Dragon 2 and an uncrewed Boeing CST-100 are scheduled to be docked simultanrously.

I thought that this was a neat Dragon V2 flight simulation to/from the ISS...Cheers

 

[firey]

This may sound silly/uninformed.. but could a space station like the ones in space shows actually exist? Ones with like hallways and gravitational creators and such?  Like outside of the monetary inhibitions does that sort of technology exist?  Or would something that big be too dangerous as it is a pretty big target for asteroids and such.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Just to be fair, here is a simulation of the Boeing CST-100 docking at the ISS as well...looks good...

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

This may sound silly/uninformed.. but could a space station like the ones in space shows actually exist? Ones with like hallways and gravitational creators and such?  Like outside of the monetary inhibitions does that sort of technology exist?  Or would something that big be too dangerous as it is a pretty big target for asteroids and such.

This would be my opinion, but we have the technology and the enthusiasm to build a form of spinning artificial gravity system on a newer design station but it all comes down to money (funding). I truly think we will be at that stage in the far future, but right now..exciting things are happening in the space community and we'll see where it takes us...Cheers...

[firey]

This would be my opinion, but we have the technology and the enthusiasm to build a form of spinning artificial gravity system on a newer design station but it all comes down to money (funding). I truly think we will be at that stage in the far future, but right now..exciting things are happening in the space community and we'll see where it takes us...Cheers...

So it's doable just not feasible... more or less. 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

So it's doable just not feasible... more or less. 

Yes.....extremely expensive as well as other visions being a priority at the moment....cheers...

[FloatingFatMan]

So it's doable just not feasible... more or less. 

 

Alas, that one short sentence is so true of much of potential space technology.  We've come a long way in the last 40 years, but we've got oh so very much further to go.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Here are the specifications for the ISS arm that moved the PMM module. It's amazing how much one can move in space...

 

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mss.html

 

The specs for the prior space shuttle arm are also at this link...Cheers

Alas, that one short sentence is so true of much of potential space technology.  We've come a long way in the last 40 years, but we've got oh so very much further to go.

Well said.......

[DocM]

This may sound silly/uninformed.. but could a space station like the ones in space shows actually exist? Ones with like hallways and gravitational creators and such? Like outside of the monetary inhibitions does that sort of technology exist? Or would something that big be too dangerous as it is a pretty big target for asteroids and such.

Yes. The floors would be the outer rim and the station would rotate on its axis to create an outward force that would simulate gravity. It's called a gravity centrifuge, and could also be used as a module on interplanetary spacecraft. An example is on NASA's NAUTILUS-X exploration vehicle concept.

NAUTILUS-X

[Draggendrop Veteran]

I had a hunch DocM would have something up his sleeve...This concept is real neat....Thanks....

[firey]

Yes. The floors would be the outer rim and the station would rotate on its axis to create an outward force that would simulate gravity. It's called a gravity centrifuge, and could also be used as a module on interplanetary spacecraft. An example is on NASA's NAUTILUS-X exploration vehicle concept.

NAUTILUS-X

 

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Ah nice.  So even the smart guys want something like you see on TV eh?

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Here is a video of the Japanese HTV docking at the ISS....

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Here is a video of Orbital Sciences Cygnus approaching the ISS for docking....

 

[DocM]

Ah nice. So even the smart guys want something like you see on TV eh?

A KISS design. A basic pressurized backbone with Bigelow BA-330 DS habitats berthed along its length. Now add the command center up front with the gravity centrifuge and propulsion at the rear. Addons for solar power, a robotic arm and a comms dish & array. The upper mission bays, placed at empty habitat berthing ports, are for EVA pods and a lander.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Just to add a prior cargo carrier, ESA's ATV, shown here docking at the ISS...

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

And finally, a time lapse for Russia's Progress 58 to the ISS...

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

For anyone curious, here is a wiki for all unmanned flights to the ISS so far, the last being SpaceX CRS-6

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unmanned_spaceflights_to_the_International_Space_Station

[Draggendrop Veteran]

To round out the pack, here is Sierra Nevada Corporations "Dream Chaser" in an older video simulation.Note...From what I gather, the newer concept has folded wings and would fit inside a fairing on multiple launchers...like Falcon 9 V1.1 (Had to put that plug in...oooops)  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7yPVaNdGBw

[DocM]

I should note here that the ISS is funded & supported only through 2024. It may get another lifetime extension or it may not. If/when it retires NASA's plan is to use commercial stations and modules.

The leader in this is Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas Nevada. Their expandable modules compress for launch then expand and rigidify. They provide a large size, enhanced radiation shielding and the walls can stop a 7mm aluminum ball going 15,000 mph in the first few inches of the walls 16-18" thickness.

Also in the mix are of course Boeing, Thales of Europe, Thin Red Line of Canada (who works with Bigelow) and Orbital Sciences who are developing a stretched Cygnus cargo spacecraft as a habitat