• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

The International Space Station (ISS)

The ISS bug that could aid human colonisation of Mars.

IN MID-MARCH, NASA researchers announced that they’d found an unknown life-form hiding aboard the International Space Station. And they were cool with that.

In fact, for an organization known for a sophisticated public communications strategy—Mars rovers don’t write their own tweets, is what I’m saying—everyone was pretty quiet about this discovery.

Almost too quiet.

It’s true that the new life wasn’t, say, a xenomorphic alien with acid for blood. It was a novel species of bacteria, unknown on Earth but whose genes identified it as coming from a familiar terrestrial genus called Methylobacterium. Typically its members like to hang out amid the roots of plants, not on the walls of space stations. Still, you’d think a probably-not-but-maybe-evolved-in-space microbe would merit a little more freaking out. Yet here we are. Nobody was exactly surprised—and the reasons why could define the future of human space exploration.

As part of an ongoing research project into the microbial life of the ISS, astronauts onboard in 2015 and 2016 swabbed down various parts of the station and sent home the wipes they used. Over the next couple of years down here on Earth, a team of researchers headquartered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group isolated the microbes and sequenced their genes. One species, found on a HEPA filter in the station’s life-support system, was a garden-variety (literally!) Methylobacterium rhodesianum. But three samples—from a surface near the materials research rack, a wall near the “cupola” of windows, and the astronauts' dining table—were something new. The researchers running the project named it M. ajmalii. ...

https://www.wired.com/story/sneaky-new-bacteria-on-the-iss-could-build-a-future-on-mars/
 
The ISS bug that could aid human colonisation of Mars.

IN MID-MARCH, NASA researchers announced that they’d found an unknown life-form hiding aboard the International Space Station. And they were cool with that.

In fact, for an organization known for a sophisticated public communications strategy—Mars rovers don’t write their own tweets, is what I’m saying—everyone was pretty quiet about this discovery.

Almost too quiet.

It’s true that the new life wasn’t, say, a xenomorphic alien with acid for blood. It was a novel species of bacteria, unknown on Earth but whose genes identified it as coming from a familiar terrestrial genus called Methylobacterium. Typically its members like to hang out amid the roots of plants, not on the walls of space stations. Still, you’d think a probably-not-but-maybe-evolved-in-space microbe would merit a little more freaking out. Yet here we are. Nobody was exactly surprised—and the reasons why could define the future of human space exploration.

As part of an ongoing research project into the microbial life of the ISS, astronauts onboard in 2015 and 2016 swabbed down various parts of the station and sent home the wipes they used. Over the next couple of years down here on Earth, a team of researchers headquartered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group isolated the microbes and sequenced their genes. One species, found on a HEPA filter in the station’s life-support system, was a garden-variety (literally!) Methylobacterium rhodesianum. But three samples—from a surface near the materials research rack, a wall near the “cupola” of windows, and the astronauts' dining table—were something new. The researchers running the project named it M. ajmalii. ...

https://www.wired.com/story/sneaky-new-bacteria-on-the-iss-could-build-a-future-on-mars/

Hmmm. I wonder if they've seen Life? Are they sure it's not Alien or a hybrid?

My review:

Life (2017): In Space no one can hear you throw up blood. Well they can actually and see the red globules float away. Set on the ISS, a probe from Mars returns with soil samples. Life is discovered, single cells which reanimate, they then coalesce and though still tiny attack a crew member and break out. Soon the creature grows from starfish size and shape to an ever bigger tentacled monster.

Tension is maintained throughout the film as the crew attempt to isolate and kill the creature. Echos of Alien as the astronauts are pursued through the satellite modules. Good Horror/SF which holds out the possibility of a sequel. 8/10.
 
I am going down the “ rabbit hole” for a moment.

To me the International Space Station is a meet and greet place for humans and E.T.s.

Through out the years there has been many UFO stories with the ISS, and NASA usually cuts the live feed when it happens.

On August 20, 2020, Russian cosmonaut, Ivan Vagner, filed a report that UFOs were recorded while over Antarctica.

The U.S. ignored the report and Roscosmos did the same.

This became a non existent event.

Move on, these are not the droids !
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Baby squid to be launched to the space station.

"More than 100 baby squid and 5,000 microscopic animals are set to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday.

The creatures, along with other equipment for experiments, will head to the ISS aboard Space X's Falcon 9 rocket.
Its hoped that the experiments will be able to help scientists understand the effects of spaceflight.

The launch at 13:29 EDT (17:29 GMT) will be broadcast live by Nasa.

The 128 baby bobtail squid will be used as part of research into the effects of spaceflight on beneficial interactions between microbes and animals."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57339989
 
Baby squid to be launched to the space station.

"More than 100 baby squid and 5,000 microscopic animals are set to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday.

The creatures, along with other equipment for experiments, will head to the ISS aboard Space X's Falcon 9 rocket.
Its hoped that the experiments will be able to help scientists understand the effects of spaceflight.

The launch at 13:29 EDT (17:29 GMT) will be broadcast live by Nasa.

The 128 baby bobtail squid will be used as part of research into the effects of spaceflight on beneficial interactions between microbes and animals."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57339989
It will be the ride of a lifetime for them.
 
Baby squid to be launched to the space station.

"More than 100 baby squid and 5,000 microscopic animals are set to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday.

The creatures, along with other equipment for experiments, will head to the ISS aboard Space X's Falcon 9 rocket.
Its hoped that the experiments will be able to help scientists understand the effects of spaceflight.

The launch at 13:29 EDT (17:29 GMT) will be broadcast live by Nasa.

The 128 baby bobtail squid will be used as part of research into the effects of spaceflight on beneficial interactions between microbes and animals."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57339989
Haven't we seen this film? Did anybody take any notice?
 
The ISS was destabilised when the new Russian modules thrusters fired unintentionally.

"The International Space Station (ISS) was destabilised after engines of a newly arrived Russian module inadvertently fired up.

"Mission control teams corrected the action and all systems are operating normally," US space agency Nasa said.

This was done by activating thrusters on other modules of the ISS. An investigation is now under way.

US and Russian officials stressed that the seven crew members aboard the space station were never in any danger.

The malfunction happened three hours after the Nauka module docked with the ISS on Thursday, following an eight-day flight from Earth."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58021394
 
NASA said that life aboard the international space station will end December 2024 after being in service from 1998.

Signs of wear and tear are showing through the station.

Will the last person turn off the lights and close the door !
 
NASA said that life aboard the international space station will end December 2024 after being in service from 1998.

Signs of wear and tear are showing through the station.

Will the last person turn off the lights and close the door !
And yet, they have been adding new modules (like recently).
All they have to do is send up more stuff.
Unless... it's all about lack of funding?
 
The wonderful scenes in Space Cowboys when the crew on their way to save the world meets the one guy left on the station, a crazed Russian who has been alone for months and is holding it together with gaffer's tape and just says "Touch notheeng!"
 
The ISS was destabilised when the new Russian modules thrusters fired unintentionally.

"The International Space Station (ISS) was destabilised after engines of a newly arrived Russian module inadvertently fired up.

"Mission control teams corrected the action and all systems are operating normally," US space agency Nasa said.

This was done by activating thrusters on other modules of the ISS. An investigation is now under way.

US and Russian officials stressed that the seven crew members aboard the space station were never in any danger.

The malfunction happened three hours after the Nauka module docked with the ISS on Thursday, following an eight-day flight from Earth."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58021394
There are far worse places to have your vehicle go all "unintended acceleration", I suppose. Had to be a bit unnerving though.
 
Happy Birthday Megan!

A space station astronaut is celebrating her 50th birthday with an ice cream and other treats brought by a supply ship.

SpaceX’s latest cargo delivery showed up on Monday at the International Space Station after a day in transit.

Overseeing the automated docking was Nasa astronaut Megan McArthur.

”No one’s ever sent me a spaceship for my birthday before. I appreciate it,” she radioed after the capsule arrived.

Launched Sunday from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre, the capsule contains lemons, cherry tomatoes, avocados and ice cream for Ms McArthur and her six crewmates, along with a couple tons of research and other gear. ...

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40369820.html
 
Happy Birthday Megan!

A space station astronaut is celebrating her 50th birthday with an ice cream and other treats brought by a supply ship.

SpaceX’s latest cargo delivery showed up on Monday at the International Space Station after a day in transit.

Overseeing the automated docking was Nasa astronaut Megan McArthur.

”No one’s ever sent me a spaceship for my birthday before. I appreciate it,” she radioed after the capsule arrived.

Launched Sunday from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre, the capsule contains lemons, cherry tomatoes, avocados and ice cream for Ms McArthur and her six crewmates, along with a couple tons of research and other gear. ...

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40369820.html
Lemons?!
 
A serious setback for the ISS as Russia today announced new cracks found in the Russian part of the ISS.

Russia claims the ISS is deteriorating faster than previously thought.
 
A serious setback for the ISS as Russia today announced new cracks found in the Russian part of the ISS.

Russia claims the ISS is deteriorating faster than previously thought.

Slowly falling apart.

Alarms were triggered on board the International Space Station after the crew reported smoke and the smell of burning plastic.

The incident centred on the Russian-built Zvezda module which provides living quarters, Russian media report. The ageing space station has suffered a number of failures over the years and a Russian official recently warned of outdated hardware and failing systems. These include air leaks, misfiring engines and cracks.

Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said later that all systems were back to normal. The smoke was detected during recharging of the station's batteries, the agency said, and the crew had now returned to "regular training".

The burning plastic smell was reported to have spread from the Russian section to the US segment.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58497899
 
The US has condemned Russia for conducting a "dangerous and irresponsible" missile test that it says endangered the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The test blew up one of Russia's own satellites, creating debris that forced the ISS crew to shelter in capsules.

"Earlier today, the Russian Federation recklessly conducted a destructive satellite test of a direct ascent anti-satellite missile against one of its own satellites," US state department spokesman Ned Price said at a briefing.

"The test has so far generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris that now threaten the interests of all nations."
Russian space agency Roscosmos downplayed the incident.

"The orbit of the object, which forced the crew today to move into spacecraft according to standard procedures, has moved away from the ISS orbit. The station is in the green zone," the agency tweeted.

The wayward material passed by without incident, but its origin is now under the spotlight.

It appears to have come from a broken-up Russian satellite, Kosmos-1408. A spy satellite launched in 1982, it weighed over a tonne and had ceased working many years ago.

LeoLabs, a space debris-tracking company, said its radar facility in New Zealand had picked up multiple objects where the long-defunct spacecraft should have been.

But Mr Price said the danger was far from over.

"This test will significantly increase the risk to astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station, as well as to other human spaceflight activities," he said.

"Russia's dangerous and irresponsible behaviour jeopardises the long-term sustainability of outer space and clearly demonstrate that Russia's claims of opposing weaponisation of space are disingenuous and hypocritical.

"The US will work with our partners and allies to respond to their irresponsible act."
 
oX83Mfw8wogAb6g2jRLz9mWpOi-LkunehGR3okZOKOU.jpg
 
I suppose space is mostly a vacuum - you just need something that will clean it!
 
New ISS designs being outsourced.

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE Station, with its many modules, four sets of solar arrays, and numerous visitors from around the world, has been an iconic presence in the night sky since the late 1990s and a symbol of global cooperation and space science. But it can’t last forever.

In 2019, small cracks and air leaks appeared in the Russian-built Zarya module, the oldest piece of the station. Orbiting bits of space junk have threatened the spacecraft, too. As China assembles its own space station—whose core module, Tianhe, launched this April—NASA is developing plans for a successor to the aging ISS. Last week, the agency signed agreements with three US-based companies—Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman—to design space stations that would combine scientific and commercial activities.

The agency is investing some $416 million combined in the three companies to develop their designs, which include ISS-like modules or inflatable habitats. All would have to allow for future additional modules to be docked, Lego-style. NASA’s financial contribution amounts to less than 40 percent of the total funding for the detailed designs, with the rest coming from private sources. Ultimately, the agency will choose only one of these plans to build.

“This is really the beginning of a new era. We did commercial crew, commercial cargo, and now commercial space stations. This is the next big step,” says Marshall Smith, senior vice president of space systems at Nanoracks and a former deputy associate administrator at NASA.

NASA officials hope the ISS will continue operating at least until the late 2020s, when the first modules of the new station could launch. They’re planning for a two-phase process. Until 2025, these companies will flesh out their blueprints in coordination with the space agency. Then in the second phase, NASA officials will choose one of the company’s plans as the design they’ll move forward with. Within two or three years, that company will launch its first module, which will provide accommodations for at least two astronauts to conduct research and experiments.

This will allow for a “seamless transition” from the ISS, Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s commercial low-Earth orbit development program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, said at a press conference on Thursday. “This strategy will provide services the government needs at a lower cost to enable the agency to focus on its Artemis missions to the moon and on to Mars.”

https://www.wired.com/story/heres-how-3-space-companies-aim-to-replace-the-iss/
 
NASA has now issued a more specific account of its ISS retirement plans.
NASA plans to retire the International Space Station by 2031 by crashing it into the Pacific Ocean

NASA intends to keep operating the International Space Station until the end of 2030, after which the ISS would be crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo, according to newly published plans outlining its future.

Launched in 2000, the space lab has orbited 227 nautical miles above Earth with more than 200 astronauts from 19 different countries enjoying stints aboard -- representing a continuous human presence in space.

NASA said that commercially operated space platforms would replace the ISS as a venue for collaboration and scientific research. ...

n the International Space Station Transition Report, NASA said the plan was for the ISS to fall to Earth in an area known as the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area -- also known as Point Nemo. The report said that its budget estimate assumed that the deorbit would happen in January 2031.

Named after the submarine sailor in Jules Verne's novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," Point Nemo is the point in the ocean that is farthest from land and has been a watery grave for many other spacecraft.

The area is approximately 3,000 miles off of New Zealand's eastern coast and 2,000 miles north of Antarctica and it's estimated that space-faring nations such as the US, Russia, Japan and European countries have sunk more than 263 pieces of space debris there since 1971. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/world/nasa-international-space-station-retire-iss-scn/index.html

NASA's International Space Station Transition Report:
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2022_iss_transition_report-final_tagged.pdf
 
Back
Top