NASA is pretty renowned for screw ups that only it can manage to pull off and after re-recording on the moon landing tapes its reputation has been on a one way trip down the spiral. With the International Space Station (ISS) in eternal need of repairs and pare parts and the space shuttles at NASA’s disposal only operation for another year or so, it is now pretty desperate to launch the Atlantis into orbit on the scheduled Monday afternoon.

Atlantis will carry a cargo weighing 27,000 pounds that include spare parts a couple of refurbished gyroscopes, pumps, tanks for ammonia and nitrogen and a piece called the “trailing umbilical system reel assembly” for the railway system that moves the station’s robotic arm. (Yup, it is almost as if they are building the whole thing again!)

Atlantis will not just carry a heavy payload but will also bring back to earth a balky toilet system that recycles urine into drinkable water. Apparently there is more than enough water for the guys up there at the moment! The 11-day mission is commanded by Col. Charles O. Hobaugh of the Marines, and the pilot is Capt. Barry E. Wilmore of the Navy and if all goes to plan then NASA will be pretty relieved as time is running out quickly for their space shuttles.

Nytimes

There is absolutely no denying the fact that an astronaut’s job is not at all rosy. The amount of hardships an astronaut endures in the space station is perhaps beyond a layman’s imagination. Nevertheless, it appears to be very fascinating to many of us. The European Space Agency (ESA) has created a wearable augmented reality system, which is dubbed as “WEAR” in short.

This has been especially designed to use in the ISS (International Space Station), and it is able to overlay the names, purposes and instructions for items in the ISS.This makes the life easier for astronauts as the device allows hands-free and voice activation of these items in the space station.

The device comes with a camera, which is placed on top, and it captures what the astronaut looks at and then maps to the 3D map of the spaceship. As of now, the device has been successfully tested in the ISS. An astronaut used it to change an air filter and it showed positive results. I wonder what the next application will be that astronauts may be interested in upgrading.

Via: TechChee

Nasa cancelled the launch of space shuttle Endeavour yesterday. Several hours before launch some hydrogen leak was discovered. So the launch now stands delayed.

The space shuttle was to carry seven crew members and equipments for Japan’s Kibo laboratory to International Space Station (ISS). A crew member already stationed at ISS was to be brought back by the shuttle while a new crew member was to be dropped for longer stay. Now everything stands delayed.

Space Shuttle launch delays are not uncommon. Space Shuttle Discovery’s was grounded for similar reasons in March. It was supposed to be Endeavour’s 127th space shuttle flight and 29th to the International Space Station (ISS).

The successful launch of space shuttles has been benchmark of Nasa. The agency has been carrying out great space research for all these years. There are already six crews present on International Space Station (ISS). They have been carrying out experiments and Endeavour crew intended to add another experimental platform during their space walk for experiments needing direct exposure of materials to the environment of the space.

The next schedule for the Endeavour Space Shuttle launch will be announced after Mission controllers meet on Saturday.

Via BBC

That sounds pretty disgusting when you think about it, even though we are saying that the urine will be recycled! Irrespective of your personal tastes and fancy for delicacies, if you want to be a part of the crew that constantly keeps the International Space Station in shape and gets a fabulous view of the Earth and the vast cosmos, then you will have to get used to slight taste of Iodine in your water. But when you ask the people who have tasted the water from recycled urine on ISS, they will tell you that it tastes just fine.

Until now, space shuttle programs that constantly visit the space center have been carrying water with them, but that luxury will cease from 2010 and astronauts will have to recycle their own urine and drink it the next day. The system though produces pure water and is not at all as disgusting as it sounds. The technique of purification has been successful on earth and now will have to be fully tested in zero gravity for final approval.

The new technique of recycling allows the space station to be largely self sufficient and with the way fresh water resources are dwindling across the globe, the same process might hit our homes in a couple of generations’ time. Look, if you are putting me in space, keeping me there for several months on your own money and giving me that awesome trip of ‘once in a lifetime’, then I have absolutely no problem drinking from recycled urine. Sign me up NASA!

Via: cnet