The Official Space Exploration Thread

[DSJ™]

Space station crew movin' on up



The Harmony module is shown attached to the International Space Station on Oct. 23, 2007. At bottom is the the shuttle Discovery docked to the Destiny lab. Harmony extends to the left from the Unity node atop Destiny. Credit: NASA TV.



Astronauts Peggy Whitson (left) and Paolo Nespoli enter the Harmony module for the first time. They are wearing goggles and masks to avoid contact with possible floating debris in the new module. Credit: NASA TV.



Shuttle Discovery and Expedition 16 astronauts talk with reporters from inside the new Harmony node aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Oct. 27, 2007, after the module was opened earlier in the day. Credit: NASA TV.

[DSJ™]

Sign of damage seen in space station solar panel gear



Expedition 16 astronaut Daniel Tani uses a pistol grip tool to remove the outer cover of a large starboard joint during an inspection to find the source of vibrations from the truss segment on an Oct. 28, 2007 spacewalk outside the International Space Station. This view is from his helmet camera. Credit: NASA TV.



The Port 6 solar array truss is hauled from its former perch of seven years atop the International Space Station during an Oct. 28, 2007 spacewalk during NASA's STS-120 mission. Credit: NASA TV.



STS-120 spacewalker Scott Parazynski and Expedition 16 flight engineer Daniel Tani exit the Quest airlock to begin the second spacewalk of their joint mission on Oct. 28, 2007. Credit: NASA TV.

[DSJ™]

Astronauts perform critical construction job



A close-up of metallic shavings recovered from the starboard-side solar alpha rotary joint, or SARJ, during an STS-120 space shuttle mission EVA. NASA mission managers said the filings are magnetic, indicating that the paddle-like joint could be damaged. Credit: NASA/collectSPACE.com



The massive, 17.5-ton Port 6 solar array truss (right) sits perched at the tip of the shuttle Discovery's robotic arm after being handed off from the International Space Station's own arm on Oct. 29, 2007 during NASA's STS-120 mission. Credit: NASA TV.

NASA extends shuttle mission

[DSJ™]

NASA wrestles ripped solar panel



Spacewalker Scott Parazynski's view of the solar alpha rotary joint, or SARJ, on the port-side truss of the space station during an Oct. 30, 2007 excursion. He described the component as looking "brand new" compared to the starboard truss, which is littered with metallic grit. Credit: NASA TV.



A view from a window inside the docked Discovery shuttle-International Space Station stack during an Oct. 30, 2007 spacewalk. STS-120 spacewalkers Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock helped reattached the Port 6 truss, which still has its twin solar arrays stowed in this image. Credit: NASA TV.



A tear occurred in one of the International Space Station's (ISS) solar array wings during unfurling on Oct. 30, 2007. STS-120 astronauts George Zamka and Stephanie Wilson discovered the tear, but IS commander Peggy Whitson called for the halt to the unfurling operation started by mission control at Johnson Space Center. Credit: NASA TV.

[DSJ™]

Space station troubles delay spacewalks



A view of a damaged Port 6 4B solar array wing on the International Space Station after its Oct. 30, 2007 redeployment by the STS-120 shuttle Discovery crew. Credit: NASA.



These images show the location the solar array tear on the International Space Station's Port 6 solar wing. Credit: NASA.

[DSJ™]

NASA plans spacewalk to fix ripped solar wing



These images show the location the solar array tear on the International Space Station's Port 6 solar wing. Credit: NASA.



STS-120 astronaut Scott Parazynski will venture into space during the fourth of up to five planned space walks for space shuttle Discovery's mission. Doug Wheelock will assist Parazynski in repairing damage to a port-side solar array wing. Credit: NASA/NASA TV.



This NASA graphic depicts one possible position for spacewalker Scott Parazynski, shown perched at the end of a shuttle boom grasped by the International Space Station robotic arm, to reach a rip in the outpost's Port 6 solar array. Credit: NASA TV.

[DSJ™]

Risky spacewalk will test astronaut's skill



A view of damage to the International Space Station's 4B solar array wing, which occurred on Oct. 30, 2007. White lines placed on the image show where spacewalker Scott Parazynski will thread in "cuff links" to button up stress to the damage site. Credit: NASA TV.



Computer-generated views show how Scott Parazynski will approach the damage site on the 4B solar array wing. He will carry an insulated "hockey stick" like device to defend himself from any unexpected solar array movements. Credit: NASA TV

50 Years Ago: The First Dog in Orbit



  Laika. 

[DSJ™]

Space crew fixes solar wing



Astronaut Scott Parazynski, riding on the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, assesses his repair work as the solar array is fully deployed. Image credit: NASA.

[Darth_Anton]

Another wow. It's awesome we can do stuff like this.

[DSJ™]

The STS-120 crew bid farewell to the Expedition 16 crew before the hatches closed at 3:03 p.m. EST Sunday between Discovery and the station. Attention now turns to Discovery’s undocking from the station a little after 5:30 a.m. Monday.



The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crew members bid farewell to each other. Image credit: NASA TV.

[DSJ™]

Discovery undocks for ride home



A camera mounted to the exterior of the International Space Station caught this view of the shuttle Discovery after its Nov. 5, 2007 undocking and the departure of its STS-120 crew. Credit: NASA TV.



This view, taken by a camera aboard the shuttle Discovery, shows the new look of the International Space Station (ISS) after the STS-120 crew moved a solar array and installed a new module. Discovery undocked on Nov. 5, 2007. Credit: NASA TV.

Shuttle and Space Station Create Backyard Sky Show

With the Space Shuttle Discovery having successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) early Monday morning, skywatchers across much of the United States and southern Canada are now in for a real treat on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Weather permitting, there will be opportunities to see both the Discovery orbiter and the ISS independently flying across the sky from many locations.The sight should easily be visible to anyone, even from brightly lit cities.

The shuttle-ISS tandem will be visible across southern Canada and most of the 48 contiguous United States. Unfortunately, neither Hawaii nor Alaska will have favorable viewing passes during this week. 

Viewing times and locations are available at these three sites:

NASA's SkyWatch

Science@NASA's J-Pass

Chris Peat's Heavens Above





Another ISS flare photographed as the space station passed over the town of Nydek in the Czech Republic in June, 2007. Credit: Martin Popek.



An ISS flare caused by sunlight reflecting off the solar panels of the space station was captured by amateur astronomer Mike Tyrell as it passed over England in June, 2007. Credit: Mike Tyrrell.

Comet surprise makes it visible to naked eye



Comet 17P/Holmes is seen among the stars of the constellation Perseus in the North-Eastern sky.

China satellite orbits Earth's moon

[DSJ™]

Discovery lands after challenging mission



A view from the space shuttle Discovery shortly after it departed the International Space Station on Nov. 5, 2007. On its STS-120 mission, Discovery left behind a bus-sized room for the orbital laboratory and a replacement for one of the Expedition 16 crew. Credit: NASA.



The wheels on Space shuttle Discovery kick up dust on Runway 33 as they touch down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 15-day mission STS-120 to the International Space Station on Nov. 7, 2007. Credit: NASA/George Shelton.



Expedition 16 spacewalkers Peggy Whitson (bottom right) and Yuri Malenchenko are shown at the end of the Harmony module preparing to remove a cover from the Common Berthing Mechanism during a Nov. 9, 2007 EVA outside the International Space Station. Credit: NASA.



Expedition 16 spacewalkers Yuri Malenchenko (left) and Peggy Whitson prepare the International Space Station for the relocation of its PMA-2 shuttle docking port to the end of the Harmony node on Nov. 9, 2007. Credit: NASA TV.

[Matt_Fury]

I'm out at Vandenberg AFB right now where the US launches all spacecraft that will be put into a polar or retrograde orbit.  I've seen a couple of launches out here in the past, including one of the last Titan II rockets to ever be launched.  Hoefully, I'll be able to see a few more while I'm out here.

[DSJ™]

That would have been neat to see. 

This is really ******* out of this world. 

Wow! Moon Probe Captures 'Earth-rise' in High Definition

Click on the pics below for the HD version. 

 

Earth-set sequence: The images shot by the HDTV onboard Kaguya show the Earth setting to the horizon near the Moon's south pole. It took about 70 seconds from the left image to the right image (complete setting). Credit: JAXA/NHK.



Earth-set: This still image was taken from a moving image shot by the HDTV onboard Kaguya and sent to the JAXA Usuda Deep Space Center. The Moon's surface is a region near its south pole. On Earth, you can Australia (center left) and Asia (lower right). The upper side of the Earth is the Southern Hemisphere, thus the Australian Continent looks upside-down. Credit: JAXA/NHK.



Earth-rise: In the image, made from a moving image taken onboard the Kaguya spacecraft, a region of the moon's surface near its north pole is shown. The Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean can be observed on the Earth. Credit: JAXA/NHK

This Moving image of the Moon shot by the HDTV camera is just spectacular.

Gotta give those Japanese credit for those pics.   

[DSJ™]

The space station's European lab set for a December launch on 6th.



In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Columbus Laboratory module is moved to a payload canister in preparation for its journey to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/George Shelton.



Platforms are extended toward Space Shuttle Atlantis from the fixed service structure, as processing begins for Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-122, targeted for Dec. 6. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

Also the Leonid Meteor Shower peaks this weekend.  Enjoy.