HTV-4 Kounotori Finally Arrives at the ISS

HTV-4 Kounotori Has finally arrived at the ISS.  Capture of the spacecraft was at 6:22 AM CT.

Picture taken from inside the station by ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano

Here is a great picture of HTV-4 (about 130m from the ISS) through Station's cupola window and NASA Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg

More will come later about HTV-4's mission.

Dr. Nyberg giving a Commencement Message to UND

If you have been reading my blog at all you know that I am a big fan of Dr. Karen Nyberg on the International Space Station.  We are both University of North Dakota alum, Dr. Nyberg '94 in B.S. mechanical engineering, myself 2012 in M.S. Space Studies. 

That is why I am happy to announce that Dr. Nyberg will be giving a commencement message to the students, friends, and family at the summer commencement at the University of North Dakota.

From Dr. Nyberg's Shuttle Mission STS-124

During the Summer Commencement this year, students, friends and family will get a chance to see and hear U.S. Astronaut and UND alumna Karen Nyberg deliver a commencement message that was recorded aboard the International Space Station, where she is currently serving a six-month mission. - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

During the Summer Commencement this year, students, friends and family will get a chance to see and hear U.S. Astronaut and UND alumna Karen Nyberg deliver a commencement message that was recorded aboard the International Space Station, where she is currently serving a six-month mission. - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

During the Summer Commencement this year, students, friends and family will get a chance to see and hear U.S. Astronaut and UND alumna Karen Nyberg deliver a commencement message that was recorded aboard the International Space Station, where she is currently serving a six-month mission. - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

During the Summer Commencement this year, students, friends and family will get a chance to see and hear U.S. Astronaut and UND alumna Karen Nyberg deliver a commencement message that was recorded aboard the International Space Station, where she is currently serving a six-month mission. - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

During the Summer Commencement this year, students, friends and family will get a chance to see and hear U.S. Astronaut and UND alumna Karen Nyberg deliver a commencement message that was recorded aboard the International Space Station, where she is currently serving a six-month mission. - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

UND astronaut alumna Karen Nyberg to deliver UND’s Summer Commencement Message from space Aug. 2 - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

UND astronaut alumna Karen Nyberg to deliver UND’s Summer Commencement Message from space Aug. 2 - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

UND astronaut alumna Karen Nyberg to deliver UND’s Summer Commencement Message from space Aug. 2 - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

UND astronaut alumna Karen Nyberg to deliver UND’s Summer Commencement Message from space Aug. 2 - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

UND astronaut alumna Karen Nyberg to deliver UND’s Summer Commencement Message from space Aug. 2 - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

UND astronaut alumna Karen Nyberg to deliver UND’s Summer Commencement Message from space Aug. 2 - See more at: http://undnews.areavoices.com/2013/07/26/und-astronaut-alumna-karen-nyberg-to-deliver-unds-summer-commencement-message-from-space-aug-2/#sthash.bttekibA.dpuf

Science Time on the ISS Part 1

To answer the age old question of what do you do in space once you get up there?  SCIENCE!!!

I will try my best to keep you up to date with what science is going on at the ISS.  I am not personally involved with the science going, I am a little busy keeping the crew alive, but I hear all the call-downs to Huntsville (Where Marshal Space Flight Center is located, the payloads operations center for NASA) about science. 

Here is a cool study going on the ISS.  It involves saliva from the University of North Dakota's own NASA astronaut  Dr. Karen Nyberg and  European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano.  It is called the Microbiome investigation. Microbiome investigates the impact of space travel on the human immune system and on an individual's microbiome (the collection of microbes that live in and on the human body) to help predict how long-term space travel may impact human health. It is known that factors such as stress, diet and an impaired immune system can trigger changes in the human microbiota, increasing the risk of contracting a disease. The product of this study will be an assessment of the likelihood and consequences of alterations in the microbiome due to extreme environments, and the related human health risk. Findings could be used to benefit people on Earth that live and work in extreme environments. Other potential applications of this study could be to further research in preliminary detection of diseases, alterations in metabolic function and immune system deficiency.

This is really interesting because of something else I have seen.  At CHOP, Children's Hospital of  Philadelphia there are some researchers using modified HIV vaires to change the human immune system to attack cancer cells.  One of the issues thet talk about is that they do not understand how the humman immune system will respond to that level of stress.  And here on the ISS now, they are studying the effects of extreme stress on the human immune system.  Here is the video #firewithfire

 So when someone asks you what science NASA does on the ISS to help people on Earth, just remind them that one of the keys to finding a cure for cancer might come from current studies going on 250 some miles above the Earth.

EVA #22 Training Exercise

In July there will be two EVAs (Extra-vehicular activity) where the astronauts will go out outside the International Space Station (ISS) to preform a number of maintenance tasks on the Station.  I am scheduled to work the first of the two EVAs, EVA # 22.   Two astronauts Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), an US Navy SEAL, and Major Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), an Italian Air Force Test Pilot will perform the EVA.  Major Parmitano is going to be the first Italian to perform a spacewalk or EVA.

Commander Chris Cassidy                            Major Luca Parmitano

EVAs are a very complex task, first the crew has to re-size the on-board spacesuits so they can fit somewhat comfortably in the spacesuits. While on the ground they plan the EVA down to every handhold that the spacewalking crew members will use.  This is a planned EVA so before these astronauts where even in space they wer training in the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory), a giant people at Johnson Space Center that is 40 feet deep, 100 feet wide and 200 ft long.  It is used to simulate the weightless environment of space, and it has a mockup of the exterior of the space station in it.

Even an astronaut that does not go outside the station still has to help out with the EVA.  Dr. Karen Nyberg of NASA gets to be involved.  She helps the two EVA crew members get in and out of their suits and she gets to control the giant robotic arm of the space station to assist in the EVA.

Dr. Karen Nyberg

The Flight Control Team (FCT) also undergoes  lots of training on the ground.  One of these training exercises is a full dress rehearsal of the EVA with the FCT that is on console during that EVA.  The FCT including both shifts that will be on-console are in the SIM, that means that there is a handover in the middle of the SIM, which is very rare in the SIM world.   

NBL at JSC

The FCT runs through all the procedures and look for issues to fine tune their calls to the crew to make sure things will run smoothly on the ground side.  Even in the dress rehearsal the training team still throws in a number of things that go wrong, but nothing that will stop the EVA early to make it run like on a real day.  At the end the FCT team undergoes a in-depth debrief to talk about what each flight control position did well and what they did not do well.

All this training will prepare the FCT to respond to any problems that will arise during EVA # 22.

Astronaut Dr. Karen Nyberg

Also you can track Dr. Nyberg activities by her Facebook page, I don't think she sings, but I heard that she will be doing some quilting  https://www.facebook.com/AstronautKarenNyberg?ref=stream&hc_location=stream

Astronaut Karen Nyberg

Astronaut by day. Aspiring quilter, crafter, artist, runner by night. Wife and Mommy 24/7. Launched to the International Space Station 28 May 2013

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UND In SPACE

At the University of North Dakota the Graduate School Office in Twamley Hall where I had to deliver numerous pages of paper work to allow me to graduate.  In the hallway of the 4th floor where the Graduate School Office is, are pictures of notable alumni of UND.   Right across from the door was a picture of Dr. Karen Nyberg, the first and only astronaut to graduate from UND.  Dr. Nyberg is a member of Expedition 36 and currently on-board the ISS.  I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Nyberg when she was training for her mission.  And of course I wore my UND swimming polo and had a nice conversion with her about UND.

About a month and a half before I was attending Expedition 35's 100 day party.  A celebration of an astronaut's breaking of 100 days in space.  This was for Commander Chris Hadifield and Dr. Tom Marshburn.  I was happening to be wearing my UND swimming polo (its on my nominal rotation of polos I wear to work) and Commander Hadifield being a Canadian who had been to Grand Forks, ND struck up a conversation about Grand Forks and UND.  He also told me that he was unpacking Expedition 36's exercise equipment, including Dr. Nyberg's cycling shoes.  He told me he hid a surprise for her in her shoe.  I have no idea what it was, but it might end up being a debrief question.

To bring this story full circle I was on console to support Dr. Nyberg's first workday after she arrived on the ISS.  And of course I was wearing my UND swimming polo that day.

Roughly one year ago I was walking by her picture in the Graduate School Office, now I am watching her on Downlinked Video from ISS at Mission Control.