Space Station – SpaceNews

Rubio departed the International Space Station, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, at 3:54 a.m. EDT, and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 7:17 a.m. (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. “Frank’s record-breaking time in space is not just a milestone; it’s a major contribution to our understanding of long-duration space missions,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from their homes and loved ones to further discovery. NASA is immensely grateful for Frank’s dedicated service to our nation and the invaluable scientific contributions he made on the International Space Station. He embodies the true pioneer spirit that will pave the way for future exploration to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.” Rubio launched on his first spaceflight on Sept. 21, 2022, alongside Prokopyev and Petelin. Rubio’s spaceflight is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, breaking the record previously held at 355 days by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. During his mission, Rubio completed approximately 5,936 orbits and a journey of more than 157 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 328 trips to the Moon and back. He witnessed the arrival of 15 visiting spacecraft and the departure of 14 visiting spacecraft representing crewed and uncrewed cargo missions. Rubio’s extended mission provides researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on humans as the agency plans to return to the Moon through the Artemis missions and prepare for exploration of Mars. Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft but, due to a coolant leak, returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23. The affected Soyuz MS-22 capsule returned without its crew after the Soyuz MS-23 capsule launched as a replacement on Feb. 23, 2023. Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Rubio will then board a NASA plane bound for his return to Houston. During his record-breaking mission, Rubio spent many hours on scientific activities aboard the space station, conducting a variety of tasks ranging from plant research to physical sciences studies. With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, Expedition 70 officially began aboard the station. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli remain aboard the orbital outpost alongside ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who became station commander Sept. 26, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. Mogensen, Moghbeli, Furukawa, and Borisov will return to Earth in February 2024, after a short handover with the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. O’Hara is scheduled to return to Earth in March 2024, while Kononenko and Chub will spend a year aboard the station, returning in September 2024.

Soyuz MS-22 Returns A Space Station Crew To Earth

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 27, 2023July 15, 2024

After spending an American record-breaking 371 days in space, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio safely landed on Earth with his crewmates Wednesday.

On Aug. 17, 2023, Sierra Space, in collaboration with ILC Dover and NASA subject-matter experts, conducted an Ultimate Burst Pressure (UBP) test on a one-third-scale version of the inflatable Sierra Space LIFE habitat. This test article included a blanking plate – a metallic structure inserted into the softgoods shell to emulate a future design component, such as a window, robotic arm or antenna attachment point. For this burst test, a steel blanking plate was used as a stand-in for a future window. Courtesy Sierra Space.

Sierra Space Reinvents the Space Station, Putting Affordable In-Space Infrastructure Within Reach

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 21, 2023July 15, 2024

A health tracker used on the Space Station

Fitness Tracker Beyond Earth

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 20, 2023July 15, 2024

NASA's ILLUMA-T payload communicating with LCRD over laser signals. Credits: NASA/Dave Ryan

NASA to Demonstrate Laser Communications From The International Space Station

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 12, 2023July 15, 2024

Axiom

Axiom Space Announces Astronauts for Third Mission to ISS

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 12, 2023July 15, 2024

Saving Lives on Earth and Beyond: Space Station Flame Research Sheds Light on Fire Safety

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 8, 2023July 15, 2024

First Human Knee Meniscus printed on ISS

Redwire BioFabrication Facility Successfully Prints First Human Knee Meniscus on ISS

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 7, 2023July 15, 2024

Gambit Payload on the Bishop Airlock

Voyager Space Celebrates Successful Installation of Gambit Payload on the Bishop Airlock

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 6, 2023July 15, 2024

Support teams raise the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft aboard the recovery ship MEGAN shortly after it landed off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023.Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky) larger image

Crew-6 Returns to Earth

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 5, 2023July 15, 2024

SpiderOak successfully sends and receives secure ops traffic using Axiom Space-provided AWS Snowcone aboard the International Space Station.

SpiderOak Announces Successful Demonstration of OrbitSecure on International Space Station

by SpaceRef EditorAugust 30, 2023July 15, 2024