Expedition 56 – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Russians investigate cause of Soyuz leak, focus on human error

September 4, 2018 William Harwood

Ruling out a strike by space debris or a micrometeoroid, Russian engineers say a small now-plugged leak in a Soyuz crew ferry ship docked to the International Space Station was the result of a hole drilled into the wall of the spacecraft’s upper compartment, an apparent case of human error.

Station crew faces busy schedule as commercial crew schedule ramps up

August 31, 2018 William Harwood

An impromptu repair job Thursday appears to have stopped a leak in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station, and the crew was back on its normal schedule Friday carrying out research and making preparations for the arrival of a Japanese cargo ship next month.

Cosmonauts plug small air leak on the International Space Station

August 30, 2018 Stephen Clark

Two cosmonauts living aboard the International Space Station plugged a small hole in the hull of a Soyuz ferry craft with a wipe and sealant Thursday, stabilizing the air pressure inside the orbiting research outpost after engineers detected a minor leak.

Spacewalkers toss nanosatellites into orbit, hook up bird migration monitor

August 15, 2018 Stephen Clark

Clad in pressurized spacesuits, two Russian cosmonauts headed outside the International Space Station on Wednesday and hand-released four tiny CubeSats and installed hardware for a German experiment to track animal migration.

SpaceX cargo capsule comes back to Earth from space station

August 3, 2018 Stephen Clark

A commercial Dragon cargo craft launched June 29 departed the International Space Station and returned to Earth on Friday with nearly two tons of cargo and research samples.

Weather-monitoring and tech demo CubeSats deployed in orbit

July 21, 2018 Stephen Clark

Fifteen CubeSats owned by NASA, Spire Global, and U.S. research institutions launched aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo ship in May have been released into orbit, beginning missions to demonstrate miniaturized, low-cost Earth science instruments and join a commercial network of weather-monitoring nanosatellites.

Cygnus cargo ship released from space station, heads for extended mission

July 15, 2018 Stephen Clark

Closing out 52 days at the International Space Station, an automated Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft left the research outpost Sunday to climb into a higher orbit for deployment of six CubeSats and further engineering experiments, before de-orbiting over Pacific Ocean later this month.

Live coverage: Cygnus supply ship departs space station

July 15, 2018 Stephen Clark

A commercial Cygnus resupply craft that received a new corporate owner while berthed at the International Space Station — thanks to Northrop Grumman’s acquisition of Orbital ATK in June — departed the research complex Sunday. The supply ship was released by Canadarm 2 on the space station at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT).

Relive the Progress MS-09 freighter’s expedited journey to space station

July 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

Russia’s Progress MS-09 cargo craft made a 3-hour, 40-minute trip from a launch pad in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station on Monday, setting a record for the quickest journey to the orbiting research laboratory. Look back on the mission’s predawn launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and radar-guided docking at the space station with these images and videos.

U.S. cargo craft tests reboost capability at International Space Station

July 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

A commercial Northrop Grumman Cygnus supply ship berthed at the International Space Station fired its main engine for 50 seconds Tuesday in a test of the spacecraft’s ability to reboost, and possibly eventually deorbit, the massive research outpost.