William Harwood – Page 52 – Spaceflight Now

NASA marks 15 years of space station occupation

November 2, 2015 William Harwood

The International Space Station’s first three-man crew moved in on Nov. 2, 2000, 15 years ago Monday, the first of 45 expeditions to date that have logged a decade and a half of continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit.

Station astronauts complete tedious spacewalk

October 28, 2015 William Harwood

Space station commander Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren carried out a tedious seven-hour 16-minute spacewalk Wednesday, installing cables needed for a new docking mechanism, mounting insulation panels on a physics experiment to improve cooling and lubricating the latching mechanism of the station’s robot arm.

Station astronauts gearing up for spacewalk Wednesday

October 27, 2015 William Harwood

Expedition 45 commander Scott Kelly and flight engineer Kjell Lindgren have switched their spacesuits to battery power to begin planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk Wednesday outside the International Space Station.

Initial Pluto flyby science results published

October 16, 2015 William Harwood

The first scientific review of data collected during the New Horizons flyby of Pluto describe a small world with a thin but surprisingly complex atmosphere and a variety of surface features, ranging from ancient impact craters to geologically recent glaciers and other structures that reflect widespread resurfacing.

Looking for ET in the waters of Mars and Europa

September 30, 2015 William Harwood

The discovery of intermittent flows of liquid water on Mars, announced with great fanfare Monday, makes the red planet the leading candidate for the near-term discovery of extraterrestrial life in the form of fossilized microbes or even existing microorganisms, NASA’s chief scientist told lawmakers Tuesday.

NASA confirms intermittent water flows on Mars

September 28, 2015 William Harwood

Researchers using data from a NASA satellite orbiting Mars said Monday they have found clear evidence of intermittent flows of salty water on the red planet, the first “unambiguous” signs of liquid water on the frigid world and a possible indicator of microbe-friendly environments below the surface.

Soyuz lands safely in Kazakhstan

September 12, 2015 William Harwood

Three space station crew members — two short timers completing a 10-day flight and a veteran cosmonaut who has logged a world record 879 days aloft over five missions — undocked from the International Space Station and returned to Earth Friday, landing safely on the steppe of Kazakhstan to close out a problem-free flight.

Station crew recommends “The Martian” in plug from space

September 8, 2015 William Harwood

Space station astronaut Kjell Lindgren said Tuesday he and commander Scott Kelly are big fans of Andy Weir’s book “The Martian,” adding they’re hopeful NASA will beam up a copy of the Ridley Scott movie as soon as it’s released.

Kelly assumes command of space station

September 5, 2015 William Harwood

In a brief ceremony Saturday, veteran cosmonaut Gennadi Padalka, the most experienced spaceman on or off the planet, turned over command of the International Space Station to NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who along with cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko is midway through a nearly yearlong stay in orbit.

Soyuz docks with space station, boosts crew to nine

September 4, 2015 William Harwood

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked at the International Space Station early Friday, boosting the lab’s crew to nine for the next week and providing a ride home next March for two station crew members who are only halfway through a nearly yearlong stay aboard the lab complex.