Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 3, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 Quote Gateway Moon station: Canada joins Nasa space project By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website Canada will contribute US$1.4bn to a proposed Nasa space station that will orbit the Moon and act as a base to land astronauts on its surface. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the step would "push the boundaries of innovation". The space station, called Gateway, is a key element in Nasa's plan to return to the Moon with humans in the 2020s. As part of the 24-year commitment, Canada will build a next-generation robotic arm for the new lunar outpost. "Canada is going to the Moon," Mr Trudeau told a news conference at Canadian Space Agency's headquarters near Montreal, according to AFP. Nasa plans to build the small space station in lunar orbit by 2026. Astronauts will journey back and forth between Gateway and the lunar surface. It will also act as a habitat for conducting science experiments. The robotic arm, named Canadarm 3, will help repair and maintain the Gateway. It is the next in a series of robotic systems built by Canada for the International Space Station. Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine commented: "Nasa is thrilled that Canada is the first international partner for the Gateway lunar outpost. Space exploration is in Canada's DNA." He added: "Our new collaboration on Gateway will enable our broader international partnership to get to the Moon and eventually to Mars." According to Space News, Canadian aerospace companies have been lobbying government for years for a new investment for space programmes. Key to the construction and utilisation of Gateway is the Orion capsule, built by Lockheed Martin, which will eventually transport crews to the orbiting outpost and dock with it. Orion will be launched on the new, heavy-lift SLS rocket, which is derived in part from technology developed for the space shuttle programme. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47426798 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 Crew Dragon's docking to the ISS is being broadcast live; currently about 150 meters away from it! Worth watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 View from Dragon: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 Docking completed! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 The hatch is finally open and Ripley gets her first visitors from ISS onboard the Crew Dragon. Also the little plush Earth (Zero G indicator) is visibly surprised by what's happening. Hihi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 3, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 1 hour ago, nudge said: The hatch is finally open and Ripley gets her first visitors from ISS onboard the Crew Dragon. Also the little plush Earth (Zero G indicator) is visibly surprised by what's happening. Hihi. Lol, they must have little toys up there to play with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, CaaC - John said: Lol, they must have little toys up there to play with Hihi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 3, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 1 minute ago, nudge said: Hihi The wife said that looks like me when I am drunk and falling all over the place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 8 minutes ago, CaaC - John said: The wife said that looks like me when I am drunk and falling all over the place. They had to tie it up as well as it was moving all over the place Probably bored after a long flight and badly in need of attention Welcoming ceremony starts soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 3, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 4 minutes ago, nudge said: Welcoming ceremony starts soon. Watching it live now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 1 minute ago, CaaC - John said: Watching it live now Yeah I've been watching it for almost 7 hours now The docking was surreal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 3, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 (edited) Edited March 3, 2019 by CaaC - John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 3, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 3, 2019 Anne McClain's speech was lovely. Our sincere congratulations to all Earthlings who have enabled the opening of this next chapter in space exploration. To the International Space Station teams, past and present, who stand guard 24 hours a day at control centers from Moscow to Japan, Germany to Houston. Congratulations to the teams at SpaceX and Boeing, who have been working diligently to define what this new era of commercial spaceflight will look like. And congratulations to all nations, private space firms and individuals, who woke up every day, driven by the magic of exploration. This day belongs to all of us. Spaceflight gives us a chance to reflect on the context of our existence. We are reminded that we are human, before any of our differences, before all of the lines that are drawn that divide us. And we are reminded that we are at our best when we are part of something bigger than ourselves. In 1957, just over 60 years ago, history changed when Russia launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. People across the globe gathered in backyards and looked up at the night sky, hoping to catch a glimpse. A few years later, people of all nationalities gripped hands, hoping and praying for Yuri Gagarin’s successful launch, as he became the first human in space. And in 1969 every TV across the globe was tuned in as Buzz, Michael and Neil embarked on the first human journey to the moon. Today, human advancement of exploration continues, as the first new space vehicle designed for humans in over 40 years arrived at our front door, welcomed by our crew of one Russian, one Canadian and one American, who have been living together as family for three months onboard the International Space Station. These events remind us that we are more alike than different; that we can be united by a cause that is not based on fear, threat or common enemy, but rather on a bold endeavour, an insatiable curiosity to go beyond what is known, and to do what has never been done. We humans were built for exploration, and we are built to do it together. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 5, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 5, 2019 They're really loving the little Earth up there Even made him wear a protection mask Also in different news, here's an onboard video of the Hayabusa shooting a bullet into an asteroid in order to collect a sample: So cool! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewolf 7,161 Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) 33 minutes ago, nudge said: They're really loving the little Earth up there Even made him wear a protection mask Also in different news, here's an onboard video of the Hayabusa shooting a bullet into an asteroid in order to collect a sample: So cool! Might see if I can get one for Leelah... Edited March 5, 2019 by Bluewolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 5, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 5, 2019 21 minutes ago, Bluewolf said: Might see if I can get one for Leelah... They are out of stock until April as a result of this one getting into space The company that makes those is called Celestial Buddies and they have a nice collection of other plush celestial bodies as well: https://www.celestialbuddies.com/ Mars is very cute for example: Or the Black Hole: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 6, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 6, 2019 It does get lonely in Space I take it... The current ISS crew can't do anything without the little Earth anymore That's the best PR they had in years 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 7, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 7, 2019 Latest update: They are not letting it go back... It's Crew Dragon's last day on ISS - the hatch has been closed already and the undocking and reentry will happen tomorrow! The splashdown is expected to be broadcast live on NASA TV and SpaceX channel again. The last - and one of the most important - part of the mission now ahead of us; to prove that it can actually return to Earth safely in one piece. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 7, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 7, 2019 15 minutes ago, nudge said: They are not letting it go back... A lot of people have fallen in love with that wee toy and that includes me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 7, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, CaaC - John said: A lot of people have fallen in love with that wee toy and that includes me It's a great publicity; especially when it comes to getting the new generation interested in spaceflight and exploration. It's cute, it's funny, and it attracts attention of both kids and adults who wouldn't otherwise care about ISS or Crew Dragon or space in general. That's why I love it - it's so emotional and human; the astronauts getting attached and posting updates on a plush toy aboard their station and people on Earth following and talking about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 8, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 8, 2019 Quote SpaceX Dragon demo capsule set to return to Earth By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent America's new commercial astronaut capsule will complete its demonstration flight on Friday with a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The SpaceX Dragon vehicle will leave the International Space Station (ISS) where it's been docked this past week and drop through the atmosphere. It has a heat-shield to protect it from the high temperatures of re-entry. Four parachutes should bring it into soft contact with water about 450km from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Splashdown is expected at about 08:45 EST (13:45 GMT). A boat, called GO Searcher, will be waiting to recover the capsule. (More vv) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47477617 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 8, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 8, 2019 Splashdown complete! Crew Dragon is safely back to Earth; mission can now officially be called a success! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 9, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 9, 2019 First man in space would have been 85 today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ 5,360 Posted March 10, 2019 Author Subscriber Share Posted March 10, 2019 Quote Amaze Lab Published on Mar 8, 2019 While NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory had its eye on the sun, it captured a unique lunar transit that makes it appear to suddenly reverse course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber nudge+ 15,325 Posted March 12, 2019 Subscriber Share Posted March 12, 2019 The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) agreed today to study the possibility of collaborating on international space exploration. As a first step, JAXA and Toyota agreed to further cooperate on and accelerate their ongoing joint study*1 of a manned, pressurized rover*2 that employs fuel cell vehicle technologies. Such a form of mobility is deemed necessary for human exploration activities on the lunar surface. Even with the limited amount of energy that can be transported to the moon, the pressurized rover would have a total lunar-surface cruising range of more than 10,000 km. Love to see more and more private companies collaborating with government agencies to further space exploration and colonisation. Toyota is huge company with a lot of technical know-how and brilliant engineers who can certainly deliver. Their proposed lunar rover will be self-driving and use zero-emission electric fuel cell technology; i.e. instead of using a battery, it will use a fuel cell of oxygen and compressed hydrogen, which react with each other to generate electricity. The zero-emissions technology is already used on Toyota's Mirai (hydrogen fuel cell car). The lunar rover will also have solar panels, which will be useful in lunar daylight, which lasts for two weeks in each month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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