NASA Highlights Science on Next Northrop Grumman Mission to Space Station
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 11, to discuss science investigations and technology demonstrations launching on Northrop Grumman s 15th commercial resupply mission for the agency to the International Space Station.
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live online at:
Northrop Grumman is targeting no earlier than 12:36 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, for the launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport s pad 0A at NASA s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. The Cygnus spacecraft will carry crew supplies, scientific research, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 64 and 65 crews.
NASA
When NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover went on a spacewalk on February 1st, they wrapped up a multi-year effort to replace the aging nickel hydrogen batteries on the ISS with new lithium-ion models. The International Space Station Program approved the development of lithium-ion batteries to replace the station’s aging power storage system back in 2011. Battery production started in 2014, and the first lithium ion replacements flew to the station aboard JAXA’s Kounotori 6 resupply flight in December 2016. Now, four years after that flight and 14 spacewalks with 13 different astronauts later, the upgrade is finally complete.
Ground controllers used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to position some of the batteries for installation. However, some required additional spacewalks for the locations the arm couldn’t reach. The batteries aren’t quite like the lithium-ion we’re used to, with their space-grade lithium-ion cells and radiant barrier shield. Since lithium-io
NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins conduct spacewalk Wednesday
Astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover Jr. conducted a spacewalk Wednesday to upgrade and maintain the International Space Station.
It was the first spacewalk experience for Glover, who is a few months into his first spaceflight on the station.
“What a beautiful view,” Glover said after he began the spacewalk.
This was the third spacewalk for Hopkins, who previously completed two spacewalks during his first six-month venture to the space station from September 25, 2013, to March 10, 2014.
The spacewalk officially began at 6:28 a.m. ET and ended at 1:24 p.m. ET. It lasted for about six hours and 56 minutes.
Astronauts Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover Jr. are preparing for two upcoming spacewalks that will help to upgrade and maintain the International Space Statio.