Latest news with #Roscosmos
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Science
- USA Today
SpaceX vehicle to depart ISS for California water landing: How to watch NASA coverage
SpaceX vehicle to depart ISS for California water landing: How to watch NASA coverage NASA will provide live coverage as the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon begins its return voyage Thursday, May 22 A SpaceX vehicle that has spent about a month docked at the International Space Station on a resupply mission is due to depart within a matter of hours. NASA will provide live coverage as the uncrewed spacecraft begins its return voyage Thursday, May 22. The Dragon capsule, developed by Elon Musk's commercial spaceflight company to deliver cargo and crews to the orbital outpost, will then embark on a long voyage ending with a splashdown landing Friday, May 23, off the coast of California. The vehicle arrived in April with plenty of food, equipment and other supplies for the seven astronauts currently living aboard the station. And it's not leaving emptyhanded: When it undocks, it will be loaded up with scientific research samples and hardware bound for Earth. Here's what to know about the resupply mission and how to watch the U.S. space agency's coverage of the Dragon's departure: What is the International Space Station? For 25 years, the International Space Station has been stationed in low-Earth orbit, typically about 250 miles high, where it has been home to astronauts from all over the world. The orbital laboratory is operated through a global partnership of space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). More than 280 spacefarers from 23 countries have visited the International Space Station, including 169 from the United States alone, according to NASA. Bigger than a six-bedroom house, the outpost has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window. As of now, seven members of Expedition 73, including three Americans, are living aboard the ISS – conducting scientific research and working to maintain the station. SpaceX Dragon to depart from ISS The crew members aboard the station spent time Wednesday, May 21, loading and securing a variety of cargo inside the Dragon spacecraft ahead of its scheduled departure. The Dragon has spent 30 days docked to the Harmony module, a port and passageway onto the station facing away from Earth, after arriving April 22 with nearly 6,700 pounds of supplies. The spacecraft launched April 21 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, for SpaceX's 32nd commercial resupply services mission. Standing nearly 27 feet tall and about 13 feet wide, the Dragon is one of four cargo spacecraft that deliver science experiments and other cargo to the space station on a regular basis. Dragon capsules can also carry up to seven astronauts into orbit, though most of SpaceX's Crew missions, which are contracted with NASA, feature a contingent of four. The Dragon is due to undock at about 12:05 p.m. ET Thursday, May 22, from the Harmony module before firing its thrusters to move away from the station. The departure will be under command by SpaceX's Mission Control in Hawthorne, California. NASA to stream coverage of SpaceX vehicle undocking NASA will provide live coverage of the undocking beginning at 11:45 a.m. ET Thursday on its streaming service, NASA+. SpaceX capsule to land off California coast After re-entering Earth's atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down on Friday, May 23, off the coast of California. While NASA will post updates on the agency's space station blog, it will not provide a livestream of the water landing. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
Kuwait Times
21-05-2025
- Science
- Kuwait Times
NASA's oldest active astronaut returns to Earth on 70th birthday
This hanodut picture courtesy of NASA shows the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan with Expedition 72 NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner aboard.--AFP photos Cake, gifts and a low-key family celebration may be how many senior citizens picture their 70th birthday. But NASA's oldest serving astronaut Don Pettit became a septuagenarian while hurtling towards the Earth in a spacecraft to wrap up a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A Soyuz capsule carrying the American and two Russian cosmonauts landed in Kazakhstan on Sunday, the day of Pettit's milestone birthday. 'Today at 0420 Moscow time (0120 GMT), the Soyuz MS-26 landing craft with Alexei Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner and Donald (Don) Pettit aboard landed near the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan,' Russia's space agency Roscosmos said. Spending 220 days in space, Pettit and his crewmates Ovchinin and Vagner orbited the Earth 3,520 times and completed a journey of 93.3 million miles over the course of their mission. This hanodut picture shows Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner (center) being carried to a medical tent shortly after he, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner landed in their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. This hanodut picture shows the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan. This hanodut picture courtesy of NASA shows Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (center) outside the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft after he landed with NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin. It was the fourth spaceflight for Pettit, who has logged more than 18 months in orbit throughout his 29-year career. The trio touched down in a remote area southeast of Kazakhstan after undocking from the space station just over three hours earlier. NASA images of the landing showed the small capsule parachuting down to Earth with the sunrise as a backdrop. The astronauts gave thumbs-up gestures as rescuers carried them from the spacecraft to an inflatable medical tent. Despite looking a little worse for wear as he was pulled from the vessel, Pettit was 'doing well and in the range of what is expected for him following return to Earth,' NASA said in a statement. He was then set to fly to the Kazakh city of Karaganda before boarding a NASA plane to the agency's Johnson Space Center in Texas. The astronauts spent their time on the ISS researching areas such as water sanitization technology, plant growth in various conditions and fire behavior in microgravity, NASA said. The trio's seven-month trip was just short of the nine months that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams unexpectedly spent stuck on the orbital lab after the spacecraft they were testing suffered technical issues and was deemed unfit to fly them back to Earth. Space is one of the final areas of US-Russia cooperation amid an almost complete breakdown in relations between Moscow and Washington over the Ukraine conflict.—AFP
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russians dream of building Starlink alternative
Russia plans to create its own analogue of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink satellite internet system. Source: The Moscow Times, an independent Amsterdam-based news outlet, citing Dmitry Bakanov, Head of Roscosmos, the Russian state corporation responsible for space flights, cosmonaut programmes and aerospace research Quote: "We will present our response to Starlink through our Rassvet (Sunrise) project by Bureau 1440. We will also introduce low-Earth orbit broadband communications. Thanks to this project, the accuracy of the GLONASS system for UAV control will be improved to 2.5 metres." Details: The Moscow Times also reports that during a strategic session with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, dedicated to the development of Russia's space sector, it was decided that the national space programme will include projects related to nuclear energy and fundamental research. Mishustin promised that over RUB 1 trillion (approx. US$12 billion) would be allocated for the development of Russia's space industry over the next three years, and about RUB 4.5 trillion (approx. US$56 billion) by 2036. He also stressed the importance of attracting private investment in space projects. Notably, Russian media had earlier reported that the project to create a satellite constellation similar to Elon Musk's Starlink might cost RUB 445 billion (approx. US$5 billion), of which RUB 329 billion (approx. US$4.1 billion) would come from non-budgetary sources and RUB 116 billion (approx. US$1.4 billion) would be allocated by the state. Earlier, Spacenews, a US-based space industry news outlet, reported that modern warfare increasingly relies on space networks, and Russia and China are stepping up efforts to counter the dominance of commercial satellite constellations, particularly Elon Musk's Starlink. The Secure World Foundation (SWF), in its 3 April report titled Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment, noted that the Starlink system has become a major target for hostile countries after demonstrating its military utility in Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. It had been reported previously that Russia's space sector is in a state of crisis and poses a safety threat, particularly to Russia's international projects. Former Roscosmos Head Yuri Borisov said 80% of Russian equipment on the International Space Station has exceeded its warranty lifespan. Russia is also reportedly developing a weapon that, when detonated, could create a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) capable of disabling government and commercial satellites responsible for mobile and internet communications, for example, large constellations of small satellites like Starlink. It is known that the Kosmos-2553 satellite, which includes components of Russia's anti-satellite nuclear weapon system, was launched into space on 5 February 2022. The launch was reported by the Russian Defence Ministry and Roscosmos, but almost no information was provided about the satellite's purpose – only that it was equipped with systems to operate "under the influence of radiation and high-energy charged particles". Meanwhile, Europe is reported to be launching its most ambitious space programme in a decade, having signed a contract to build a satellite network worth €10.6 billion. The company SpaceRise, which includes European space and communications companies such as Airbus, Deutsche Telekom, Telespazio and Thales, will receive a 12-year concession to design, build and operate the Iris² system. The project will deploy 290 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits. Most of its capacity will be allocated to commercial broadband services offered by satellite operators to businesses and households. However, a significant portion will be reserved for security services supporting government programmes such as surveillance and crisis management. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA to Welcome Expedition 72 Astronauts Home at Space Center Houston
HOUSTON, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Four NASA astronauts will participate in a welcome home ceremony at Space Center Houston after recently returning from missions aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit will share highlights from their missions at 6 p.m. CDT Thursday, May 22, during a free, public event at NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The astronauts also will recognize key mission contributors during an awards ceremony after their presentation. Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on June 5, 2024, from Space Launch Complex 41 as part of NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test. The duo arrived at the space station on June 6. In August, NASA announced the uncrewed return of Starliner to Earth and integrated Wilmore and Williams with the Expedition 71/72 crew and a return on Crew-9. Hague launched Sept. 28, 2024, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. The next day, they docked to the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module. Hague, Gorbunov, Wilmore, and Williams returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, splashing down safely off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of America. Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles during their mission, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 orbits around Earth. Hague and Gorbunov traveled 72,553,920 miles during their mission, spent 171 days in space, and completed 2,736 orbits around Earth. Hague has logged 374 days in space during two missions. It was the third spaceflight for both Williams and Wilmore. Williams has logged 608 total days in space, and Wilmore has logged 464 days. Pettit launched aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft on Sept. 11, 2024, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The seven-month research mission as an Expedition 72 flight engineer was the fourth spaceflight of Pettit's career, completing 3,520 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 93.3 million miles. He has logged a total of 590 days in orbit. Pettit and his crewmembers safely landed in Kazakhstan on April 19, 2025 (April 20, 2025, Kazakhstan time). The Expedition 72 crew dedicated more than 1,000 combined hours to scientific research and technology demonstrations aboard the International Space Station. Their work included enhancing metal 3D printing capabilities in orbit, exploring the potential of stem cell technology for treating diseases, preparing the first wooden satellite for deployment, and collecting samples from the station's exterior to examine whether microorganisms can survive in the harsh environment of space. They also conducted studies on plant growth and quality, investigated how fire behaves in microgravity, and advanced life support systems, all aimed at improving the health, safety, and sustainability of future space missions. Pettit also used his spare time and surroundings aboard station to conduct unique experiments and captivate the public with his photography. Expedition 72 captured a record one million photos during the mission, showcasing the unique research and views aboard the orbiting laboratory through astronauts' eyes. For more than 24 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and conducting critical research for the benefit of humanity and our home planet. Space station research supports the future of human spaceflight as NASA looks toward deep space missions to the Moon under the Artemis campaign and in preparation for future human missions to Mars, as well as expanding commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit and beyond. Learn more about the International Space Station at: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NASA
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
NASA astronaut on board the ISS shares his take on a popular fast-food item - so, can YOU tell what it's meant to be?
NASA has managed to get men on the moon, rovers on Mars, and probes around Saturn 's rings. But it seems the space agency is yet to master how to make an appetising cheeseburger in space. Jonny Kim, a NASA astronaut on board the International Space Station (ISS) has shared a photo of a 'cheeseburger' floating in zero-gravity. Unlike the fast-food treats that many of us enjoy here on solid ground, it doesn't look very appetising. Despite being 260 miles above the nearest grocery store, his snack impressively consisted of five ingredients. This includes 'wheat snack bread' as the bun, a beef steak as the burger, and congealed cheese spread as the cheese. 'I miss cooking for my family,' the astronaut, who has been on board the ISS since April 8, tweeted. He added: 'But this hits the spot in its own way.' Kim launched to the ISS on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8, 2025, and is set to spend eight months on board the floating space station. Since his arrival, Kim has been keeping his fans on X updated on his experiences - including his meals. 'If you've lived on MREs [ready-to-eat meals], you've probably tried some creative field recipes, he tweeted. 'Here is a twist on the ranger burger, one of my favorites.' With limited resources on board the ISS, Kim had to get pretty creative with his burger. 'Beef steak, wheat snack bread, cheese spread as both topping and glue, potatoes au gratin layered in the middle, and a generous slather of gochujang red pepper paste from a care package on the SpX-32 Cargo Dragon,' he explained, alongside pictures of his creation. While the burger doesn't look particularly appetising, several fans have applauded his efforts. 'In outer space while inventing new lunchables! Keep up the good work,' one user replied. Unlike the fast-food treats that many of us enjoy here on solid ground, Kim's burger doesn't look very appetising Another added: 'Thank you for sharing this tasty looking sandwich and views from your adventures in space thus far! 'Lots of respect and admiration.' This isn't the first time an astronaut has attempted to create a cheeseburger in space. Back in 2015, astronaut Terry Virts tweeted a photo of a strange-looking 'space cheeseburger' wrapped in a tortilla. 'Beef patties, Russian mustard, tomato paste, cheese paste and tortilla. VERY TASTY!' the Baltimore-born astronaut wrote alongside his post. The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000. Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts. Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen. ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology. The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan. So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit. There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'. Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time.
