NASA has canceled its historic all-female spacewalk because it doesn't have enough space suit to fit the astronauts. NASA had announced earlier this month that astronauts Christina Koch and Anne McCain would perform the first ever all-female spacewalk.The two astronauts were due to leave the ISS to install new batteries on the outside of the station.
In a press release on Monday, the space agency said that McCain âlearned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso â essentially the shirt of the spacesuit â fits her best.â There is only one medium top that can be made ready in time for the next spacewalk on Friday, the agency said, and it will go to Koch.
Bodies grow in microgravity
Fitting spacesuits is slightly more complicated than it would seem because the human body grows taller in microgravity. Astronauts go through several fittings when preparing for spacewalks to allow for this. Earlier this month, McClain tweeted that she had already grown 5 centimeters since being in space. It is unclear exactly why there is a lack of appropriate-sized suits on board the ISS at this time.
Yeah, too bad about that. I never really thought about the complexities of "fitting" those spacewalk suits before. I heard about it on NPR but also on the local news this morning since Christina Koch went to NC State.
NASA has canceled its historic all-female spacewalk because it doesn't have enough space
suit to fit the astronauts. NASA had announced earlier this month that astronauts Christina Koch and Anne McCain would perform the first ever all-female spacewalk.
The two astronauts were due to leave the ISS to install new batteries on the outside of the station.
In a press release on Monday, the space agency said that
McCain âlearned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper
torso â essentially the shirt of the spacesuit â fits her best.â There
is only one medium top that can be made ready in time for the next
spacewalk on Friday, the agency said, and it will go to Koch.
Bodies grow in microgravity
Fitting spacesuits is slightly more complicated than it would seem because the human body grows taller
in microgravity. Astronauts go through several fittings when preparing
for spacewalks to allow for this. Earlier this month, McClain tweeted
that she had already grown 5 centimeters since being in space. It is
unclear exactly why there is a lack of appropriate-sized suits on board
the ISS at this time.
Tests show that dormant herpes viruses reactivate in more than half of astronauts.
Dormant Viruses
Tests show that dormant herpes viruses reactivate in more than half the astronauts who travel on the Space Shuttle and International Space station, according to new NASA research — a phenomenon the space agency says could pose problems for deep space missions.
“During spaceflight there is a rise in secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which are known to suppress the immune system, ” said study author Satish Mehta, a researcher at Johnson Space Center, in a press release. “In keeping with this, we find that astronaut’s immune cells — particularly those that normally suppress and eliminate viruses — become less effective during spaceflight and sometimes for up to 60 days after.”
Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe successfully landed on the Ryugu asteroid that’s 300 million km away, to collect samples that could point to the origin of the solar system and life itself.
The probe didn’t stay long. After touchdown, it fired a special bullet into the asteroid’s surface in order to gather the scattered dust samples for analysis back on Earth. Hayabusa2 then returned to its holding position in space, according to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials via AFP.
Japanâs Hayabusa2 probe successfully landed on the Ryugu asteroid thatâs 300 million km away, to collect samples that could point to the origin of the solar system and life itself.
The probe didnât stay long. After touchdown, it fired a special bullet into the asteroidâs surface in order to gather the scattered dust samples for analysis back on Earth. Hayabusa2 then returned to its holding position in space, according to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials via AFP.
Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe successfully landed on the Ryugu asteroid that’s 300 million km away, to collect samples that could point to the origin of the solar system and life itself.
The probe didn’t stay long. After touchdown, it fired a special bullet into the asteroid’s surface in order to gather the scattered dust samples for analysis back on Earth. Hayabusa2 then returned to its holding position in space, according to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials via AFP.
Now we witness the violence inherent in the system...
Japanâs Hayabusa2 probe successfully landed on the Ryugu asteroid thatâs 300 million km away, to collect samples that could point to the origin of the solar system and life itself.
The probe didnât stay long. After touchdown, it fired a special bullet into the asteroidâs surface in order to gather the scattered dust samples for analysis back on Earth. Hayabusa2 then returned to its holding position in space, according to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials via AFP.
Weâve all been butt-dialed. But have you ever considered what would happen if you punched in the wrong number while orbiting around Earth? Houston, weâve got a problem.
Kuipers explained that phone calls from the ISS are routed through NASAâs Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
âIf youâre in space, itâs like youâre making a call via Houston, first you dial the 9 for an outside line, and then 011 for an international line,â Kuipers tellsNOS, according to Google Translate. âI made a mistake. The next day I received an email message: did you call 911?â
The New Horizons spacecraft is healthy and on final approach to the first close-up exploration of a Kuiper Belt object in history, and the farthest exploration of any world, ever. (...)
