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By Space Force
U.S. Space Force senior leaders discussed the Personnel Management Act during a panel at the Air and Space Force’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference at National Harbor, Maryland, Sept. 18.
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By NASA
5 Min Read 9 Phenomena NASA Astronauts Will Encounter at Moon’s South Pole
An artist’s rendering of an Artemis astronaut working on the Moon’s surface. Credits:
NASA NASA’s Artemis campaign will send the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon’s south polar region, marking humanity’s first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years.
Here are some out-of-this-world phenomena Artemis astronauts will experience:
1. A Hovering Sun and Giant Shadows
This visualization shows the motions of Earth and the Sun as viewed from the South Pole of the Moon.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Near the Moon’s South Pole, astronauts will see dramatic shadows that are 25 to 50 times longer than the objects casting them. Why? Because the Sun strikes the surface there at a low angle, hanging just a few degrees above the horizon. As a result, astronauts won’t see the Sun rise and set. Instead, they’ll watch it hover near the horizon as it moves horizontally across the sky.
2. Sticky, Razor-Sharp Dust …
This dust particle came from a lunar regolith sample brought to Earth in 1969 by Apollo 11 astronauts. The particle is about 25 microns across, less than the width of an average human hair. The image was taken with a scanning electron microscope. The lunar dust, called regolith, that coats the Moon’s surface looks fine and soft like baking powder. But looks can be deceiving. Lunar regolith is formed when meteoroids hit the Moon’s surface, melting and shattering rocks into tiny, sharp pieces. The Moon doesn’t have moving water or wind to smooth out the regolith grains, so they stay sharp and scratchy, posing a risk to astronauts and their equipment.
3. … That’s Charged with Static Electricity
Astronaut Eugene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17, inside the lunar module on the Moon after his second moonwalk of the mission in 1972. His spacesuit and face are covered in lunar dust. Because the Moon has no atmosphere to speak of, its surface is exposed to plasma and radiation from the Sun. As a result, static electricity builds up on the surface, as it does when you shuffle your feet against a carpeted floor. When you then touch something, you transfer that charge via a small shock. On the Moon, this transfer can short-circuit electronics. Moon dust also can make its way into astronaut living quarters, as the static electricity causes it to easily stick to spacesuits. NASA has developed methods to keep the dust at bay using resistant textiles, filters, and a shield that employs an electric field to remove dust from surfaces.
4. A New Sense of Lightness
In 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke hammered a core tube into the Moon’s surface until it met a rock and wouldn’t go any farther. Then the hammer flew from his hand. He made four attempts to pick it up by bending down and leaning to reach for it. He gave up and returned to the rover to get tongs to finally pick up the hammer successfully.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center Artemis moonwalkers will have a bounce to their step as they traverse the lunar surface. This is because gravity won’t pull them down as forcefully as it does on Earth. The Moon is only a quarter of Earth’s size, with six times less gravity. Simple activities, like swinging a rock hammer to chip off samples, will feel different. While a hammer will feel lighter to hold, its inertia won’t change, leading to a strange sensation for astronauts. Lower gravity has perks, too. Astronauts won’t be weighed down by their hefty spacesuits as much as they would be on Earth. Plus, bouncing on the Moon is just plain fun.
5. A Waxing Crescent … Earth?
This animated image features a person holding a stick with a sphere on top that represents the Moon. The person is demonstrating an activity that helps people learn about the phases of the Moon by acting them out. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory When Artemis astronauts look at the sky from the Moon, they’ll see their home planet shining back at them. Just like Earthlings see different phases of the Moon throughout a month, astronauts will see an ever-shifting Earth. Earth phases occur opposite to Moon phases: When Earth experiences a new Moon, a full Earth is visible from the Moon.
6. An Itty-Bitty Horizon
A view from the Apollo 11 spacecraft in July 1969 shows Earth rising above the Moon’s horizon. NASA Because the Moon is smaller than Earth, its horizon will look shorter and closer. To someone standing on a level Earth surface, the horizon is 3 miles away, but to astronauts on the Moon, it’ll be only 1.5 miles away, making their surroundings seem confined.
7. Out-of-This-World Temperatures
This graphic shows maximum summer and winter temperatures near the lunar South Pole. Purple, blue, and green identify cold regions, while yellow to red signify warmer ones. The graphic incorporates 10 years of data from NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), which has been orbiting the Moon since 2009.
NASA/LRO Diviner Seasonal Polar Data Because sunlight at the Moon’s South Pole skims the surface horizontally, it brushes crater rims, but doesn’t always reach their floors. Some deep craters haven’t seen the light of day for billions of years, so temperatures there can dip to minus 334 F. That’s nearly three times colder than the lowest temperature recorded in Antarctica. At the other extreme, areas in direct sunlight, such as crater rims, can reach temperatures of 130 F.
8. An Inky-Black Sky
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An animated view of Earth emerging below the horizon as seen from the Moon’s South Pole. This visual was created using a digital elevation map from LRO’s laser altimeter, LOLA. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio The Moon, unlike Earth, doesn’t have a thick atmosphere to scatter blue light, so the daytime sky is black. Astronauts will see a stark contrast between the dark sky and the bright ground.
9. A Rugged Terrain
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An overhead view of the Moon, beginning with a natural color from a distance and changing to color-coded elevation as the camera comes closer. The visual captures the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole area. It includes a color key and animated scale bar. This visual was created using a digital elevation map from NASA LRO’s laser altimeter, LOLA. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Artemis moonwalkers will find a rugged landscape that takes skill to traverse. The Moon has mountains, valleys, and canyons, but its most notable feature for astronauts on the surface may be its millions of craters. Near the South Pole, gaping craters and long shadows will make it difficult for astronauts to navigate. But, with training and special gear, astronauts will be prepared to meet the challenge.
By Avery Truman
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Last Updated Sep 11, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
On Sept. 9, 1994, space shuttle Discovery took to the skies on its 19th trip into space. During their 11-day mission, the STS-64 crew of Commander Richard “Dick” N. Richards, Pilot L. Blaine Hammond, and Mission Specialists Jerry M. Linenger, Susan J. Helms, Carl J. Meade, and Mark C. Lee demonstrated many of the space shuttle’s capabilities. They used a laser instrument to observe the Earth’s atmosphere, deployed and retrieved a science satellite, and used the shuttle’s robotic arm for a variety of tasks, including studying the orbiter itself. During a spacewalk, Lee and Meade tested a new device to rescue astronauts who found themselves detached from the vehicle. Astronauts today use the device routinely for spacewalks from the International Space Station.
Left: The STS-64 crew patch. Middle: Official photo of the STS-64 crew of L. Blaine Hammond, front row left, Richard “Dick” N. Richards, and Susan J. Helms; Mark C. Lee, back row left, Jerry M. Linenger, and Carl J. Meade. Right: The patch for the Lidar In-space Technology Experiment.
In November 1993, NASA announced the five-person all-veteran STS-64 crew. Richards, selected as an astronaut in 1980, had made three previous spaceflights, STS-28, STS-41, and STS-50. Lee, a member of the astronaut class of 1984, had two flights to his credit, STS-30 and STS-47, as did Meade, selected in 1985 and a veteran of STS-38 and STS-50. Each making their second trip into space, Hammond, selected in 1984 had flown on STS-39, and Helms, from the class of 1990 had flown on STS-54. In February 1994, NASA added first time space flyer Linenger to the crew, partly to make him eligible for a flight to Mir. He holds the distinction as the first member of his astronaut class of 1992 to fly in space.
Left: Workers tow Discovery from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Middle: Space shuttle Discovery arrives at Launch Pad 39B, left, with space shuttle Endeavour still on Launch Pad 39A. Right: The STS-64 crew exits crew quarters at KSC on their way to the launch.
Discovery returned to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida following its previous flight, the STS-60 mission, in February 1994. Workers in KSC’s Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) removed the previous payload and began to service the orbiter. On May 26, workers moved Discovery into the Vehicle Assembly Building for temporary storage to make room in the OPF for Atlantis, just returned from Palmdale, California, where it underwent modifications to enable extended duration flights and dockings with space stations. Discovery returned to the OPF for payload installation in July, and rolled back to the VAB on Aug. 11 for mating with its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Discovery rolled out to Launch Pad 39B on Aug. 19, with its sister ship Endeavour still on Launch Pad 39A following the previous day’s launch abort. The six-person crew traveled to KSC to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal for the launch countdown, on Aug. 24.
Liftoff of Discovery on the STS-64 mission.
On Sept. 9, 1994, after a more than two-hour delay caused by inclement weather, Discovery thundered into the sky to begin the STS-64 mission. Eight and a half minutes later, the orbiter and its crew reached space, and with a firing of the shuttle’s Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) engines they entered a 160-mile orbit inclined 57 degrees to the equator, ideal for Earth and atmospheric observations. The crew opened the payload bay doors, deploying the shuttle’s radiators, and removed their bulky launch and entry suits, stowing them for the remainder of the flight. They began to convert their vehicle into a science platform.
Left: LIDAR (light detection and ranging) In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) telescope in Discovery’s payload bay. Middle: Schematic of LITE data acquisition. Right: Image created from LITE data of clouds over southeast Asia.
One of the primary payloads on STS-64, the LIDAR (light detection and ranging) In-space Technology Experiment (LITE), mounted in Discovery’s forward payload bay, made the first use of a laser to study Earth’s atmosphere, cloud cover, and airborne dust from space. Lee, with help from Richards and Meade, activated LITE, built at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on the flight’s first day. The experiment operated for 53 hours during the mission, gathering 43 hours of high-rate data shared with 65 groups in 20 countries.
Left: View of the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm, holding the 33-foot long Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX). Middle: Closeup view of SPIFEX. Right: A video camera view of Discovery from SPIFEX.
The Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX), built at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, consisted of a package of instruments positioned on the end of a 33-foot boom, to characterize the behavior of the shuttle’s Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters. On the flight’s second day, Helms used the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System (RMS), or robotic arm, to pick up SPIFEX. Over the course of the mission, she, Lee, and Hammond took turns operating the arm to obtain 100 test points during various thruster firings. A video camera on SPIFEX returned images of Discovery from several unusual angles.
Left: Astronaut Susan J. Helms lifts the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201) out of Discovery’s payload bay prior to its release. Middle: Discovery approaches SPARTAN during the rendezvous. Right: Astronaut Susan J. Helms operating the Shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System prepares to grapple SPARTAN.
On the mission’s fifth day, Helms used the RMS to lift the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201) satellite out of the payload bay and released it. Two and a half minutes later, SPARTAN activated itself, and Richards maneuvered Discovery away from the satellite so it could begin its science mission. On flight day seven, Discovery began its rendezvous with SPARTAN, and Hammond flew the shuttle close enough for Helms to grapple it with the arm and place it back in the payload bay. During its two-day free flight, SPARTAN’s two telescopes studied the acceleration and velocity of the solar wind and measured aspects of the Sun’s corona or outer atmosphere.
Left: Patch for the Simplified Aid for EVA (Extravehicular Activity) Rescue (SAFER). Middle: Astronauts Mark C. Lee, left, and Carl J. Meade during the 15-minute prebreathe prior to their spacewalk. Right: Lee, left, tests the SAFER while Meade works on other tasks in the payload bay.
On flight day seven, in preparation for the following day’s spacewalk, the astronauts lowered the pressure in the shuttle from 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi) to 10.2 psi to reduce the likelihood of the spacewalkers, Lee and Meade, from developing decompression sickness, also known as the bends. As an added measure, the two spent 15 minutes breathing pure oxygen before donning their spacesuits and exiting the shuttle’s airlock.
Left: Astronaut Mark C. Lee tests the Simplified Aid for EVA (Extravehicular Activity) Rescue (SAFER) during an untethered spacewalk. Middle: Astronaut Carl J. Meade tests the SAFER during an untethered spacewalk. Right: Meade, left, tests the ability of the SAFER to stop his spinning as Lee looks on.
The main tasks of the spacewalk involved testing the Simplified Aid for EVA (Extravehicular Activity) Rescue (SAFER), a device designed at JSC that attaches to the spacesuit’s Portable Life Support System backpack. The SAFER contains nitrogen jets that an astronaut can use, should he or she become untethered, to fly back to the vehicle, either the space shuttle or the space station. The two put the SAFER through a series of tests, including a familiarization, a system engineering evaluation, a crew rescue evaluation, and a precision flight evaluation. During the tests, Lee and Meade remained untethered from the shuttle, the first untethered spacewalk since STS-51A in November 1984. Lee and Meade successfully completed all the tests and gave the SAFER high marks. Astronauts conducting spacewalks from the space station use the SAFER as a standard safety device. Following the 6-hour 51-minute spacewalk, the astronauts raised the shuttle’s atmosphere back to 14.7 psi.
A selection of STS-64 crew Earth observation photographs. Left: Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. Middle left: Cleveland, Ohio. Middle right: Rabaul Volcano, Papua New Guinea. Right: Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.
Like on all space missions, the STS-64 astronauts spent their spare time looking out the window. They took numerous photographs of the Earth, their high inclination orbit allowing them views of parts of the planet not seen during typical shuttle missions.
Left: The Solid Surface Combustion Experiment middeck payload. Middle: Jerry M. Linenger gets in a workout while also evaluating the treadmill. Right: Inflight photograph of the STS-64 crew.
In addition to their primary tasks, the STS-64 crew also conducted a series of middeck experiments and tested hardware for future use on the space shuttle and space station.
Left: Commander Richard “Dick” Richards suited up for reentry. Middle: Pilot L. Blaine Hammond, left, and Mission Specialists Carl J. Meade and Susan J. Helms prepare for reentry. Right: Hammond fully suited for entry and landing.
Mission managers had extended the original flight duration by one day for additional data collection for the various payloads. On the planned reentry day, Sept. 19, bad weather at KSC forced the crew to spend an additional day in space. The next day, continuing inclement weather caused them to wave off the first two landing attempts at KSC and diverted to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California.
Left: Richard Richards brings Discovery home at California’s Edwards Air Force Base. Middle: Workers at Edwards safe Discovery after its return from STS-64. Right: Discovery takes off from Edwards atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the ferry flight to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On Sept. 20, they closed Discovery’s payload bay doors, donned their launch and entry suits, and strapped themselves into their seats for entry and landing. They fired Discover’s OMS engines to drop them out of orbit. Richards piloted Discovery to a smooth landing at Edwards, ending the 10-day 22-hour 50-minute flight. The crew had orbited the Earth 176 times. Workers at Edwards safed the vehicle and placed it atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the ferry flight back to KSC. The duo left Edwards on Sept. 26, and after an overnight stop at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, arrived at KSC the next day. Workers there began preparing Discovery for its next flight, the STS-63 Mir rendezvous mission, in February 1995.
Enjoy the crew narrate a video about the STS-64 mission. Read Richards’ recollections of the mission in his oral history with the JSC History Office.
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By NASA
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams prepare orbital hardware for installation inside the International Space Station.Credit: NASA Media are invited to hear from NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams during an Earth to space call at 2:15 p.m. EDT, Friday, Sept. 13. The pair will participate in a news conference aboard the International Space Station in low Earth orbit.
Coverage of the event will stream on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Media interested in participating must contact the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. To ask questions, media must dial into the news conference no later than 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. Following the agency’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, the duo will remain on the space station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
For more information about space station research and operations, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-
Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov
Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Sep 09, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module and the Starliner spacecraft.NASA NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, inspect safety hardware aboard the International Space Station.NASA NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore prepare orbital plumbing hardware for installation inside the International Space Station’s bathroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment, located in the Tranquility module.NASA NASA astronaut and Boeing Crew Flight Test Pilot Suni Williams, inside the International Space Station’s Unity module, displays portable carbon dioxide monitors recently delivered aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter.NASA NASA astronaut and Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore performs spacesuit maintenance inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock.NASA NASA astronaut and Boeing Crew Flight Test Pilot Suni Williams installs the Packed Bed Reactor Experiment, experimental life support hardware, inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox located aboard the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module.NASA Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Mike Barratt, Tracy C. Dyson, and Butch Wilmore, pose for a team portrait inside the vestibule between the Unity module and the Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman. Dyson holds a photograph of NASA astronaut Patrica Hilliard for whom the Cygnus spacecraft, S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson, is named after.NASA Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams are at work inside the International Space Station’s Unity module. The trio was configuring the ArgUS Mission 1 technology demonstration hardware to test the external operations of communications, computer processing, and high-definition video gear in the vacuum of space.NASA NASA astronauts (from left) Tracy C. Dyson and Suni Williams enjoy an ice cream dessert with fresh ingredients delivered aboard the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter. The duo was enjoying their delicious snack inside the International Space Station’s Unity module where crews share meals in the galley.NASA NASA astronauts (from left) Tracy C. Dyson, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer, and Suni Williams, Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, work inside the NanoRacks Bishop airlock located in the port side of the International Space Station’s Tranquility module. The duo installed the the ArgUS Mission-1 technology demonstration hardware inside Bishop for placement outside in the vacuum of space to test the external operations of communications, computer processing, and high-definition video gear.NASA NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore processes samples from Gaucho Lung, an experiment studying how the mucus lining in human airways affects drug delivery to the lungs. NASA NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore (at center) pose with Expedition 71 Flight Engineers (far left) Mike Barratt and Tracy C. Dyson (far right), both NASA astronauts, in their spacesuits aboard the International Space Station’s Quest airlock.NASA NASA astronauts (from left) Suni Williams, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeanette Epps pose for a portrait during dinner time aboard the International Space Station’s Unity module. Williams is the pilot for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and Dyson and Epps are both Expedition 71 Flight Engineers.NASA Since the start of International Space Station operations more than two decades ago, crews have lived and worked in microgravity to conduct an array of research that benefits life on Earth and future space exploration missions, and perform operational tasks to keep the state-of-the-art scientific lab in its highest-operating condition.
The space station has seen the arrival of more than 270 people. The latest visitors include NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived on June 6 as part of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test.
Both veterans of two previous spaceflights, Wilmore and Williams quickly immersed themselves in station life, living and working in low Earth orbit alongside the Expedition 71 crew. The pair has completed a host of science and operational tasks, including fluid physics research, plant facility maintenance, robotic operations, Earth observations, and more.
Check out some highlights from Wilmore and Williams’ mission below.
(From left) NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore perform maintenance work on the Plant Water Management (PWM) system. The duo is investigating how fluid physics, such as surface tension, hydroponics, or air circulation, could overcome the lack of gravity when watering and nourishing plants grown in space. The PWM, located in the station’s Harmony module, uses facilities to promote space agricultural activities on spacecraft and space habitat.NASA Providing adequate water and nutrition to plants grown in space is critical as missions expand in low Earth orbit and beyond to the Moon and eventually Mars.
Throughout their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, Wilmore and Williams have tested how different techniques could benefit crop growth in space through the Plant Water Management investigation.
This investigation uses the physical properties of fluids—surface tension, wetting, and system geometry—to overcome the lack of gravity and provide hydration to plants, which could advance the development of hydroponic systems for use during future space travel.
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore is pictured installing a light meter inside the Veggie facility to obtain light measurements and adjust the light settings inside the plant research device.NASA Another investigation taking a deeper look at growing plants in space is the Vegetable Production System, or Veggie. Crews living aboard the space station have used Veggie to grow fresh produce and even flowers, providing astronauts with nutritious fresh foods, boosting morale, and enhancing well-being.
In preparation for upcoming work with Veggie, Wilmore installed a light meter inside the facility, which will help crew members obtain light measurements and adjust light settings in the future when they practice their green thumb in space.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams speaks into the microphone during a HAM Radio session with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.NASA For more than two decades, astronauts aboard the space station have connected with students and hobbyists worldwide, sharing details about living and working in microgravity.
In early August, Williams used the Ham Radio to connect with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and answer questions about station research as the orbiting lab passed overhead.
These space-to-Earth calls inspire younger generations to pursue interests and careers in STEM and provide school communities with opportunities to learn about space technology and communications.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams observes a pair of Astrobee free-flying robots as they demonstrate autonomous docking maneuvers inside the Kibo Laboratory Module.NASA Astrobee, a set of three free-flying robots, are often buzzing around the orbiting lab, demonstrating how technology could assist astronauts with various tasks such as routine chores and maintenance.
Throughout the mission, Williams powered up and observed Astrobee operations as ground controllers remotely mapped the interior of the orbiting lab, practiced docking maneuvers, and tested how the robots carry out various tasks.
(From top left) The Strait of Gibraltar separating Spain and Morocco, captured by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore; Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is seen docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration, nighttime photo, shows light trails of civilization over the coast of Mumbai, India; (From bottom left) Two Patagonian Lakes, Viedma and Argentino, are pictured as the station orbited 272 miles above; Wilmore is photographed inside the cupola while taking pictures of Earth.NASA Since the early days of human spaceflight, astronauts have been photographing Earth from space, capturing the wonder and environmental condition of our home planet.
Orbiting 250 miles above, crew members often spend their free time shooting photos from the cupola, or “window to the world.” The space station’s unique vantage point provides a glimpse at how Earth has changed over time and gives scientists a better look at key data from the perspective of the orbital complex while also improving crews’ mental well-being.
During their mission, the astronaut duo has captured hundreds of photographs of Earth, ranging from auroras, land, sea, orbital sunrises and sunsets, and more.
Wilmore and Williams continue to support daily space station operations as NASA and Boeing evaluate possible return options. For the latest updates on NASA’s commercial crew activities, including the Boeing Crew Flight Test, visit the Commercial Crew Program blog.
For daily space station updates and to learn more about the research being conducted in microgravity, visit the space station blog.
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