Called to discover heaven on earth Aug 9, 2008
As the astronauts circled the moon they beamed back television pictures of the view outside their windows - views of the desolate landscape below and the distant Earth ... Then, while still transmitting the television pictures of the lunar surface, the astronauts read from Genesis, describing the biblical creation. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Astronauts complete daring spacewalk Jul 13, 2008
Next, the astronauts installed devices to eliminate static electricity. Then Volkov pulled out a socket wrench and removed the 3-inch pyrotechnic bolt, one of 10 used to separate two parts of the module during re-entry. (CNN -- Tech)
Phew! Spacewalkers remove explosive bolt Jul 13, 2008
Next, the astronauts installed devices to eliminate static electricity, struggling at times in the small, cramped area. Finally, four hours into the spacewalk, Volkov pulled out a socket wrench and removed the 3-inch (7. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Obama on pride -- and dissent -- in America Jul 1, 2008
One of my earliest memories is of sitting on my grandfather's shoulders and watching the astronauts come to shore in Hawaii. I remember the cheers and small flags that people waved, and my grandfather explaining how we Americans could do anything we set our minds to do. (Salon)
NASA: Missing clip no threat on trip back Jun 15, 2008
A protrusion in the same area at the tail, reported by the astronauts around the same time, also was found to be harmless. The rudder's position made the so-called bump look strange when, in fact, that piece of thermal barrier was exactly how it looked at liftoff, Mission Control said. (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
Probe After Object Breaks Off Shuttle Jun 14, 2008
The astronauts and NASA saw a rectangular piece of metal, about 30-50cm long, floating away from the tail of the shuttle around the right wing. Imagery experts later determined the object was one of three spring-like clips that protect the back of the rudder during launch. (Sky News)
NASA: Missing rudder clip not a danger for Discovery's Saturday landing Jun 14, 2008
A protrusion in the same area at the tail, reported by the astronauts around the same time, also was found to be harmless. The rudder s position made the so-called bump look strange when, in fact, that piece of thermal barrier was exactly how it looked at liftoff, Mission Control said. (KHOU.com, TX)
Astronauts move robot arm during first use Jun 8, 2008
Also Saturday, several thermal protective panels on Discovery's right wing that the astronauts had taken extra photographs of because of some slight pulses in their embedded sensors were given the "all clear," said flight director Annette Hasbrook. The wing sensors are one of many safety measures put in place after shuttle Columbia was destroyed during re-entry in 2003 as a result of a gashed wing. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Japan's space lab about to get bigger Jun 6, 2008
After installing TV cameras and removing covers during a spacewalk Thursday, the astronauts at the linked shuttle and station got ready for their next challenge; attaching a storage shed to the bus-size lab ... "We have not seen that much space in space since Skylab," Mission Control told the astronauts in a written message ... "We have not seen that much space in space since Skylab," Mission Control told the astronauts in a written message. (FOX23.com, OK)
Ariz. congresswoman's husband now in orbit Jun 1, 2008
" Giffords says that she has confidence in her husband and his training but that nothing can allay her fears before a launch. "Only the astronauts really have any control," she says. "You are concerned about your loved one. " * * * After a three-year courtship, Giffords and Kelly got married this past November. The ceremony was held at an organic produce farm in Amado in Santa Cruz County south of Tucson. There were more than 300 guests, including other astronauts, politicians and business... (AZCentral -- News)
Click for Full Story Apr 17, 2008
In 1970, the astronauts of Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the Pacific, four days after a ruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraft. In 1990, the Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy, the civil rights activist and top aide to Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. died in Atlanta at age 64. (KWTX.com, TX)
NASA readies craft to study moon's dust layer Apr 13, 2008
The dust proved bothersome to the astronauts of the Apollo program and could make things difficult for future long-term missions. It is also influenced by the "solar wind" of electrically charged particles that constantly blow from the sun at more than a million mph, and the spacecraft will measure the effects of those particles on the dust. (San Francisco Chronicle)
'Jules Verne' pictured over UK Apr 5, 2008
The astronauts on the space station entered the ATV on Friday to start a "scrubber" to clean the air inside. It is expected Commander Peggy Whitson and her crew will be able to move around freely inside Jules Verne on Saturday. (BBC News -- Science)
Crossing into the Heartland Apr 4, 2008
It was really cool on Easter Sunday when we heard NASA woke the astronauts up on the shuttle Endeavor up with I Loved Her First because one of the astronauts daughter is getting married and thats her favorite song. Thats the kind of thing that blows me away. (Wasilla Frontiersman, AK)
Astronauts ready spaceship for ride home Mar 26, 2008
March 26, 2008 ONLINE EDITION. Entertainment Review : Art of Photography : Business Trends : Eyes of a Reporter. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Astronauts get packed up Mar 24, 2008
The astronauts will also transfer last-minute experiment samples to Endeavour, grown by Eyharts in a European experiment to understand how weightlessness affects plants. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Shuttle's heat shield checked for space debris hits Mar 22, 2008
Video highlights from Flight Day 10 as the astronauts enjoyed a mid-mission light-duty day ... Along with carrying out the late heat shield inspection, the astronauts also plan to move an experiment rack from the U.S. Destiny laboratory to the European Space Agency's new Columbus research lab. (Spaceflight Now)
Astronauts rest up for spacewalk No. 4, a caulking gun and goo test Mar 20, 2008
(AP) -- The astronauts aboard the linked shuttle and space station rested up Wednesday for the fourth spacewalk of their mission, a caulking gun and goo test. "Three down, two to go," Mission Control told the astronauts in a wake-up message ... The astronauts on that mission will not be able to use the space station as a refuge if their shuttle is damaged during launch; they won't be in the same orbit. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
List of Arthur C. Clarke Books, Awards Mar 19, 2008
With Simon Welfare and John Fairley Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers With the Astronauts First on the Moon With Robert Silverberg Into Space With Chesley Bonestell Beyond Jupiter With the Editors of Life Man and Space With Peter Hyams The Odyssey File. Key Works of Fiction. (Fox News)
Astronauts on space station test brakes on handyman robot Mar 17, 2008
While some of the astronauts prepared for Monday night's outing, other crew members stowed equipment that was brought to the station aboard the storage compartment segment of Japan's Kibo lab. That will pave the way for the shuttle Discovery to deliver the 1 billion lab in May. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Astronauts gear up for spacewalk No. 2 Mar 16, 2008
It wasn't until the astronauts gripped Dextre with the international space station's mechanical arm Friday night that the robot got the power it needed to wake up and keep its joints and electronics from freezing ... To guard against a robotic mutiny, Mission Control jokingly told the astronauts in their wakeup mail Saturday that some new flight rules were being instituted. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Astronauts fix robot power trouble, get energy to sleeping giant Mar 15, 2008
Working from inside, the astronauts used the space station's mechanical arm to grab onto the robot named Dextre and energize the sleeping giant, which had been lying dormant outside the orbiting complex for nearly two days ... The problem cable is in Dextre's transport bed, or pallet, which the astronauts are using as a staging area to put the robot together. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
7 men assigned to Endeavour crew, 4 of them space rookies Mar 9, 2008
My kids were actually quite supportive," although nervous, he said. His daughter is 20 and his son 18."It was more of a challenge to talk my wife into it, but she knew - and knows - why I do what I do and why NASA does what we do. But it is very, very tough, especially having lived through the loss of Columbia and the friends that we had on that flight. (MiamiHerald.com)
On March 11, Endeavour Will Fly First Kibo Mission Mar 2, 2008
During the first three spacewalks, the astronauts will install the first pressurized section, Japanese Experiment Logistics Module (ELM-PS), of the future Kibo (Hope) Japanese module and the Canadian Space Agencys newest contribution to the station, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator or Dextre. The Japanese astronaut, Takao Doi, will be the first person to venture inside the module, which will be installed on the zenith or upper side of the Harmony Node. (eFluxMedia)
Shuttle Atlantis returns; Endeavour next Feb 21, 2008
After landing, the astronauts were not the only ones on the shuttle to have to adjust to gravity. NASA staff had to unload biology and medical experiments that also react to the effects of gravity. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Space station: Satellite shootdown no threat Feb 17, 2008
The astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle-station complex focused their attention Saturday on the inside of the new Columbus lab ... The astronauts awoke Saturday to the song I Believe I Can Fly by Yolando Adams and Kenny G.. (USA Today -- Tech)
Astronauts take mission's last spacewalk Feb 16, 2008
HOUSTON (AP) -- With their outdoor work completed, the astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle-station complex focused all their attention on the inside of the new Columbus lab ... The astronauts aw 00002151 oke Saturday to the song "I Believe I Can Fly" by Yolando Adams and Kenny G. ... Before going back inside, the astronauts examined a small chip in a handrail near the space station's hatch. (The Advocate)
Astronauts attach experiments to outside of new lab Feb 16, 2008
The astronauts awoke Friday to a song by German Drafi Deutscher whose title, NASA said, translates to Marble Breaks and Iron Bends. German astronaut Hans Schlegel said the tune, popular in his youth, talks about finding one great love. (Globe and Mail)
Outdoor space jobs done Feb 16, 2008
With two of their three spacewalks completed, the astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-station complex focused Thursday on getting the new Columbus lab up and running ... HOUSTON (AP) - With their outdoor work completed, the astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle-station complex focused all their attention on the inside of the new Columbus lab ... The astronauts awoke Saturday to the song ''I Believe I Can Fly'' by Yolando Adams and Kenny G. On Friday, a pair of spacewalking astronauts wrapped... (Pocatello Idaho State Journal, ID)
Edward Ching-Te Chao, 88, trailblazer in geology fields Feb 14, 2008
For the Apollo 12 mission, he was sequestered with the astronauts to analyze the moon rocks they brought back. His research in the areas of terrestrial and lunar impacts was rewarded with the Barringer Medal by the Meteoritical Society in 1992, whose citation called him the "quintessential founder of a new area of research in metamorphic petrology: impact metamorphism of natural rocks.". (Boston Globe)
Astronauts set up new Columbus lab Feb 13, 2008
The astronauts shouted and cheered when the 23-foot, 14-ton lab finally reached its docking port on the station, after a slow move out of Atlantis' payload bay ... The astronauts also participated in a chat with music impresario Quincy Jones and radio talk show host Tavis Smiley. (USA Today -- Tech)
A key moment in Europe's space journey Feb 10, 2008
For the first time, Europe will be running human spaceflight operations itself, commanding Columbus and the astronauts inside from a control centre in Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany. The module's installation will mean Europe becomes a full member of the ISS project; and this will trigger a series "rights and obligations". (BBC News)
Crew to Check "Atlantis" for Damage Feb 9, 2008
But the astronauts planned to spend much of Friday using a laser-tipped inspection pole to examine the ship's vulnerable wings and nose ... The astronauts awoke Friday to the song "Book of Love" by Peter Gabriel, a dedication to French crewmember Air Force Gen. L. (National Geographic)
NASA: New rocket has shaking problem Jan 19, 2008
It involves two different rockets: Ares I, which would carry the astronauts into space, and an unmanned heavy-lift cargo ship, Ares V.. The concern isn't the shaking on the first stage, but how it affects everything that sits on top: the Orion crew capsule, instrument unit, and a booster. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
* Holiday gifts brought to the International Space Station Be` Jan 2, 2008
But the astronauts were probably most excited about the gifts that were sent to them. Christmas and New Year's gifts were sent to US astronauts Peggy Whitson and Daniel Tani and Russian astronaut Yuri Malenchenko. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Astronauts waiting on second 'Fireball' hot sauce shipment Dec 27, 2007
When NASA notified Davis the astronauts were out of Fireball, he fired another case to NASA headquarters in Houston ... Davis wants to honor the astronauts with a label that tells the story of the men and women on the shuttle and space station. (Gonzales Ascension Citizen, LA)
Oscar moments that left Gil Cates speechless Dec 19, 2007
Cates says one of his favorite moments was disproving that at least for a moment by having Steven Spielberg present an honorary Academy Award to Star Wars creator George Lucas by way of the astronauts on the space shuttle Atlantis ... "Steven had given George the honorary Oscar that year, and when he turned and asked him to look at the screen, there were all the astronauts. And the commander talked and as he talked, very gently toward the end, the Oscar floated up. It's one thing to see a person... (USA Today -- Life)
NASA Says Atlantis Ready For Launch Dec 1, 2007
That will enable the astronauts to add a fourth spacewalk and perform a detailed inspection of a malfunctioning joint that controls the movement of one set of solar wings. The rotary joint has been used sparingly ever since steel grit was discovered inside it, by a spacewalking astronaut during the last shuttle visit. (KIRO TV, WA)
Crew may do extra ISS spacewalk Nov 29, 2007
The array, which needs to be folded away to make room for new solar panels, jammed as the astronauts attempted to retract it by remote control. It has been six years since the 35m (115ft) wing, which has served as the space station's primary power source, was deployed and it has not been retracted during that period. (Yahoo News -- International Space Station)
NEWSWEEK: COVER: 1968: The Year That Made Us Who We Are Nov 12, 2007
"When I met Lovell at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago-where he helped organize an elaborate exhibit commemorating the flight-I asked if the astronauts had been aware of all that was going on outside of NASA that year- the riots, the assassinations, the antiwar protests. 'We were all senior military people,' he said, 'and we were so intent on our project we put all of that aside. We did talk about the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, and we worried the cost of the war would eat into the space... (PR Newswire)
Teary farewell for astronauts Nov 5, 2007
Just before the hatches between the spacecraft closed, station flight director Derek Hassmann thanked the astronauts for their hard work, noting that the past four or five days were "a complete blur." That's how much time passed from the moment a solar energy panel on a newly installed beam ripped while being unfurled until it was fixed during an unprecedented spacewalk Saturday by astronaut Scott Parazynski. "What a way to end the mission," Hassmann told the astronauts ... The astronauts were... (The Advocate)
Astronauts seal hatches for shuttle's departure Nov 5, 2007
The hatch's closure was delayed by about an hour as the astronauts scrambled to load last-minute items from the station that need to be returned to Earth ... The astronauts accomplished their primary jobs -- installing a new module with docking ports for partners' laboratories and relocating one of the station's three main sets of solar power panels -- and tackled a major and unexpected repair task as well. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Discovery astronauts bid tearful farewell to ISS Nov 5, 2007
Mission Control at Johnson Space Center also took some time to thank the astronauts before the door between the spacecraft closed. "It was an honor and a privilege to watch you guys do your work," said Derek Hassman, ISS lead flight director. (Xinhuanet, China)
NASA Plans High Risk Fix Nov 2, 2007
Everything was going well until the astronauts discovered steel shavings inside a rotary joint for another set of solar wings ... Working by remote control from inside, the astronauts will attach the space station's 58-foot (18-meter) robot arm to the center of the 50-foot (15-meter) boom that was carried up by Discovery to inspect the shuttle's thermal shielding for any launch damage ... The astronauts woke Friday to the song "World" by Five for Fighting as the space station was drifting about... (Fox News)
Astronauts continue big construction job as NASA analyzes space station joint problem Oct 30, 2007
Yesterday, as music played, the astronauts used two robotic arms to move the girder into place for its installation during a spacewalk today ... The astronauts have spare parts for the joint with them in orbit, including extra bearings ... Yesterday's schedule included some off-duty time for the astronauts. (Boston Globe)
Astronauts to take closer look at gears Oct 30, 2007
Discovery's commander, Pamela Melroy, said it's tough for the astronauts to make big changes like this at the last minute. "There's a lot of choreography that goes into a spacewalk. We like to practice them and mentally rehearse them many, many times, and so it is difficult to put something together like this," Melroy said in a series of TV interviews. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Metal Shavings On ISS Concern NASA Oct 29, 2007
The astronauts have spare parts for the joint with them in orbit, including extra bearings. It's possible that the debris, whatever it is, could cause permanent damage, Suffredini said. (CBS News)
NASA/Challenger Center Live Interactive Chat Oct 24, 2007
How will the astronauts live and work in reduced gravity ... The Challenger Center for Space Science Education was founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger 51-L mission. (NASA Watch)
NASA begins fueling Discovery Oct 23, 2007
"I've found that every time I've strapped in I've felt kind of physically tired afterwards." Not only are the astronauts wearing bulky space suits, they are also carrying parachutes and emergency equipment. During boarding the shuttle's nose is pointing skyward, so the crewmembers must get into their seats lying on their backs. (USA Today -- Tech)
Go to Mars in a cosmic fruit bowl Oct 14, 2007
The take-home message from my research is that if we want to be 100% confident that we can protect the astronauts and their habitat, we are going to need a smart combination of material and electrostatic shielding, Tripathi said. Loading. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Soyuz spacecraft docks with ISS Oct 13, 2007
After checking the seals between the Soyuz and the station's Zarya module, the astronauts opened the hatches and entered the station. Malaysian pride. (BBC News)
'In the Shadow of the Moon' Sep 28, 2007
They went as part of the Apollo program between 1968-72, and this documentary reacquaints us with the astronauts and their missions. In the Shadow of the Moon. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
The post-Sputnik years: How outer space captivated a generation Sep 26, 2007
"I remember thinking at the time that, all of a sudden, we were looking at art in clean rooms like those where the astronauts suit up," Hickey, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said in a recent interview. Robert Rauschenberg was probably the most famous artist to use space imagery front and center, incorporating pictures of astronauts and space capsules into his works in the '60s. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Apollo astronauts propel documentary Sep 15, 2007
The astronauts themselves are the biggest revelation ... The crew-cut, can-do manner of the astronauts made them heroes at the time - and makes them seem like anachronisms now. (Boston Globe -- Living)
Columbia shuttle disaster inspired Bill Pullman's play at the Magic Sep 5, 2007
The astronauts read over "Expedition 6" and gave Pullman new information that textured the play. They also took him into a mock-up of the tiny, knee-crunching Soyuz - Jones called it an outmoded "donkey cart" - that delivered Bowersox, Pettit and Budarin to Earth. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Every generation thinks they have it figured out Aug 25, 2007
She won't drink Tang (like the astronauts do) or believe that strawberry Twinkies are classified as a fruit. She will never know about shag carpeting or appliances of Harvest Gold and Avocado Green. (Madison County Record, AL)
Quirky art-house films Aug 24, 2007
ThinkFilm"In the Shadow of the Moon" celebrates the astronauts who made the epic journey between 1968 and 1972. . (MSNBC -- Movies)
NASA moves up shuttle landing because of storm Aug 19, 2007
The astronauts retrieved two experiments from the outside of the space station that will return to Earth on the Endeavour. After undocking this morning, the shuttle crew will spend a couple of days preparing for landing, including conducting another inspection of the shuttle's nose cone and the leading edge of the wings to make sure they did not suffer any damage from micrometeoroids while docked to the space station. (International Herald Tribune)
NASA orders shuttle home 1 day early Aug 19, 2007
- Serving York, Chester, and Lancaster Counties. Sunday, August 19, 2007. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
NASA considering ending mission early because of hurricane Aug 18, 2007
As NASA kept a sharp eye on Dean, the astronauts prepared for Saturday's spacewalk to install more equipment outside the space station. The two spacewalkers will be extra careful, avoiding any sharp edges, so they do not rip a glove and have to rush back inside. (International Herald Tribune)
NASA considers possible repair methods as officials study gouge on Endeavour's belly Aug 14, 2007
The astronauts' last tile-repair class was just three or four weeks before launch ... Squirting in the caulk-like filler from a tank attached to the astronauts' spacesuit backpack would provide extra protection ... For extra heat protection, the astronauts could also squirt in the caulk-like substance from a tank attached to their spacesuit's backpack. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Nasa assesses damage to shuttle Aug 12, 2007
The astronauts will use the shuttle's robotic arm and extension boom, tipped with a laser and a camera, to determine the exact size and depth of the gouge, said mission manager John Shannon. If the damage cannot be fixed, the crew may have to wait at the space station for several months until a rescue shuttle can be launched, Mr Shannon said. (BBC News -- Science)
Shuttle's shield damaged by ice Aug 11, 2007
He said that materials to patch up the thermal shield were available to the astronauts. The ice presumably was formed by Florida's humid air coming in contact with the fuel tank's cold surface - it holds supercold liquid hydrogen fuel, something the insulation layer is supposed to prevent. (The Age, Australia)
Gouge On Endeavour Draws NASA's Attention Aug 11, 2007
On Sunday, the astronauts will inspect the area, using the 100-foot robot arm and extension beam. Lasers on the end of the beam will gauge the exact size and depth of the gouge. (TheSanDiegoChannel.com, CA)
HDNet to Feature Live Exclusive High Definition Coverage of the Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour Aug 3, 2007
HDNet's exclusive HD partnership with NASA allows the network exceptional access to the shuttle and its astronauts, including coverage of the crew's pre-launch preparations such as the astronauts getting into their vacuum suits, moving into the orbiter and making their final preparations before liftoff. About HDNet. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
