WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Astronauts on the International Space Station have baked the first cookies in space, but they took far longer than on Earth. The space station’s Italian commander Luca Parmitano acted as baker aided by NASA astronaut Christina Koch for the chocolate-chip cookie experiment. Cookies take around 15-20 minutes to bake on Earth but the astronauts discovered that their most successful efforts required at least two hours in the oven in space. […]
Tag: International Space Station
NASA and SpaceX hope for manned mission to ISS in early 2020
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — SpaceX could launch US astronauts to the International Space Station as early as next year if tests on the company’s long-delayed Crew Dragon capsule prove conclusive, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Thursday. Bridenstine made the announcement as he toured the California headquarters of billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, a major contractor for NASA. The visit came as Bridenstine and Musk have been engaged in a public spat over the much-delayed […]
UAE announces first astronauts to go to space
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — The United Arab Emirates has selected its first two astronauts to go on a mission to the International Space Station, Dubai’s ruler said Monday. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum named the new astronauts as Hazza al-Mansouri, 34, and 37-year-old Sultan al-Neyadi. Writing on Twitter, he said the duo “raise the bar of ambitions for future Emirati generations”. Sheikh Mohammed, the UAE’s vice president and prime minister, last year vowed to […]
SpaceX vows manned flight to space station is on track
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Tech magnate Elon Musk’s SpaceX vowed Monday to send its first astronauts into orbit on schedule next year — part of a drive to restore America’s dominance of the space race. Gwynne Shotwell, the aerospace manufacturer’s president, told journalists in Los Angeles an unmanned flight to the International Space Station in November would pave the way for a manned mission in April 2019. “Predicting launch dates could make a […]
WATCH: Russian cosmonauts play football on the ISS
(AFP) — Check out this football that’s out of this world…literally. In this video, Russian cosmonauts are seen playing football on the International Space Station. https://youtu.be/PqhioYZt0Xw
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship heads back to Earth
TAMPA, United States (AFP) — SpaceX’s unmanned Dragon cargo ship left the International Space Station Saturday carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear and prepared to splash down in the Pacific Ocean by mid-afternoon, NASA said. The white supply vessel detached from the orbiting outpost at 9:23 am (1323 GMT), fired its engines three times and slowly began its journey to Earth. “Release confirmed,” said commentator Rob Navias on NASA TV, noting that separation occurred […]
SpaceX launches cargo to space station using recycled rocket, spaceship
TAMPA, United States (AFP) — SpaceX blasted off a load of supplies Monday for the International Space Station aboard a rocket and a cargo ship that has both flown before, marking the second such flight for the California-based company. “Falcon 9 is on its way,” a SpaceX commentator said as the white rocket surged skyward over Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4:30 pm (2030 GMT). SpaceX’s Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management, said the booster […]
WATCH: Onboard the €6,000-a-ticket zero-gravity plane
(AFP) — Since his return from the International Space Station last year, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has been training to fly the Airbus “Zero-G” plane, which recreates the weightless conditions of space flight. As he prepares to start his new job he took part in a special flight with members of the public who’d paid 6,000 euros per ticket for an out-of-this-world experience. https://youtu.be/apcPtEXJ2SA
US wants to privatize International Space Station: report
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Could the International Space Station become a commercial venture run by private industry? That is the wish of the White House, which hopes to end funding for the costly program within a few years, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The US plan, the paper said, involves privatizing the ISS, a low-orbit space station piloted by the US space agency NASA and developed jointly with its Russian counterpart. The station has […]
Black NASA astronaut is replaced in sudden crew shuffle
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Jeanette Epps, 46, a former CIA agent turned astronaut, was about to become the first African-American to embark on a mission lasting several months at the International Space Station. It’s still unclear why, but plans for her June liftoff suddenly changed, and another astronaut was chosen in her place, NASA has announced. “A number of factors are considered when making flight assignments; these decisions are personnel matters, for which NASA […]
Cygnus cargo ship arrives at space station
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Orbital ATK’s unmanned Cygnus cargo ship arrived Tuesday at the International Space Station carrying more than 7,400 pounds (3,400 kilograms) of food, supplies and experiments, the US space agency said. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli and his US colleague Randy Bresnik maneuvered the station’s robotic arm to capture the barrel-shaped capsule, which was bolted onto the space lab at 7:15 am (1215 GMT), NASA said. The cargo ship launched Sunday atop […]
Spacewalkers fix robotic arm in time to grab next cargo ship
by Kerry SHERIDAN Agence France-Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Two American astronauts on Friday wrapped up crucial repairs to the International Space Station’s robotic arm, with just weeks to spare before the next cargo ship arrives in early November, NASA said. During a six hour, 49 minute spacewalk, NASA’s Joe Acaba and Randy Bresnik put the finishing touches on repairs to the Canadian-made 57-foot (17-meter) long arm, called Canadarm 2. The arm has been […]
