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US Orbital Segment
The US Orbital Segment (USOS) is the name given to the components of the International Space Station (ISS) constructed and operated by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The segment consists of eleven pressurized components and various external elements, almost all of which were delivered by the Space Shuttle. The segment is monitored and controlled from various mission control centers around the world including Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and Tsukuba Space Center in Tsukuba, Japan. However, it depends on the Russian Orbital Segment for essential flight control, orbital station-keeping and life support systems. Modules The US Orbital Segment consists of 10 pressurized modules. Of these, seven are habitable, and three are connecting nodes with large ports. The ports are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was the Space Transportation System (STS), taken from the 1969 plan led by U.S. vice president Spiro Agnew for a system of reusable spacecraft where it was the only item funded for development. The first (STS-1) of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights (STS-5) beginning in 1982. Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. They launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), conducted science experiments in orbit, participated in the Shuttle–Mir program, Shuttle-''Mir'' program with Russia, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Berthing Mechanism
The Common Mechanism (CBM) connects habitable elements in the US Orbital Segment (USOS) of the International Space Station (ISS). The CBM has two distinct sides that, once mated, form a cylindrical wiktionary:vestibule, vestibule between modules. The vestibule is about long and across. At least one end of the vestibule is often limited in diameter by a smaller wiktionary:bulkhead, bulkhead penetration. The elements are maneuvered to the berthing-ready position by a . Latches and bolts on the active CBM (ACBM) side pull wiktionary:fitting#Nouns, fittings and nut plate, floating nuts on the passive CBM (PCBM) side to align and join the two. After the vestibule is pressurized, crew members clear a passage between modules by removing some CBM components. Utility connectors are installed between facing bulkheads, with a closeout panel to cover them. The resulting tunnel can be used as a loading dock, loading bay, admitting large payloads from visiting cargo spacecraft that would no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-120
STS-120 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that launched on October 23, 2007, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The mission is also referred to as ISS-10A by the ISS program. STS-120 delivered the ''Harmony (ISS module), Harmony'' module and reconfigured a portion of the station in preparation for future assembly missions. STS-120 was flown by , and was the twenty-third Space Shuttle mission to the ISS. It was Discovery's 34th flight. Crew Crew notes As commander of STS-120, Pamela Melroy became the second woman (after Eileen Collins) to command a Space Shuttle mission. Additionally, the Expedition 16 crew that received STS-120 was commanded by Peggy Whitson, the first female ISS commander. The flight of STS-120 thus became the first time two female mission commanders were in space at the same time. Crew prior to the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster Prior to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boeing Starliner
The Boeing Starliner (or CST-100) is a spacecraft designed to transport crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. Developed by Boeing under NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), it consists of a Reusable spacecraft, reusable crew Space capsule, capsule and an expendable service module. Slightly larger than the Apollo command and service module#Command module (CM), Apollo command module or SpaceX Dragon 2#Crew Dragon, SpaceX Crew Dragon, but smaller than the Orion (spacecraft), Orion capsule, the Starliner can accommodate a crew of up to seven, though NASA plans to fly no more than four. It can remain docked to the ISS for up to seven months and is launched on an Atlas V#N22, Atlas V N22 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing a US$4.2 billion fixed-price contract to develop and operate Starliner, while SpaceX received $2.6 billion to develop and operate Crew Dragon. By ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SpaceX Dragon 2
Dragon 2 is a class of partially reusable spacecraft developed, manufactured, and operated by the American space company SpaceX for flights to the International Space Station (ISS) and private spaceflight missions. The spacecraft, which consists of a reusable space capsule and an expendable Service module, trunk module, has two variants: the 4-person Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon, a replacement for the SpaceX Dragon 1, Dragon 1 cargo capsule. The spacecraft launches atop a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, and the capsule returns to Earth through splashdown. Crew Dragon's primary role is to transport crews to and from the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, a task handled by the Space Shuttle until it was Retirement of the Space Shuttle, retired in 2011. It will be joined by Boeing Starliner, Boeing's Starliner in this role when NASA certifies it. Crew Dragon is also used for commercial flights to ISS and other destinations and is expected to be used to transport people to and fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NASA Docking System
The NASA Docking System is NASA's implementation of the International Docking System Standard (IDSS), an international spacecraft docking standard promulgated by the International Space Station Multilateral Coordination Board. NDS is a Docking and berthing of spacecraft, spacecraft docking and berthing mechanism used on the International Space Station (ISS) and the Boeing Starliner and planned to be used on the Orion spacecraft. The international Low Impact Docking System (iLIDS) was the precursor to the NDS. NDS Block 1 was designed, built, and tested by The Boeing Company in Huntsville Alabama. Design qualification testing took place through January 2017. Using NDS, NASA developed the International Docking Adapter (IDA) to provide two IDSS-compliant docking ports on the ISS. The IDAs were delivered to the ISS starting in 2016. Each of two existing Pressurized Mating Adapters has an IDA permanently attached, so the former PMA function is no longer available for visiting spacecra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
APAS-95
The terms Androgynous Peripheral Attach System (APAS), Androgynous Peripheral Assembly System (APAS) and Androgynous Peripheral Docking System (APDS) are used interchangeably to describe a Russian family of spacecraft docking mechanisms, and are also sometimes used as generic names for any docking system in that family. A system similar to APAS-89/95 is used by the Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft. Overview The name of the system is Russian in origin, and is an acronym, , in the Cyrillic alphabet, from the Russian (''Androginno-periferiynyy agregat stykovki''). The English acronym was designed to be just the same letters but in the Latin alphabet, for which the first two words are direct counterparts of those in the original. The third word in Russian comes from the German , meaning "complicated mechanism", and the last means "docking". The last two words in the English name were picked to begin with the same equivalent letters as in the Russian name. The idea behind the design is th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cygnus (spacecraft)
Cygnus is an Expendable launch system, expendable American Uncrewed spacecraft, automated cargo spacecraft designed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions. It was initially developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. To create Cygnus, Orbital paired a pressurized cargo module, largely based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, built by Thales Alenia Space and previously used by the Space Shuttle for ISS resupply, with a service module based on Orbital's GEOStar, a satellite bus. After a successful demonstration flight in 2013, Orbital was chosen to receive a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. A larger Enhanced Cygnus was introduced in 2015. Orbital Sciences merged into Orbital ATK in 2015; Northrop Grumman purchased Orbital ATK in 2018 and has continued to operate Cygnus missions. A further enlarged Mission B Cygnus is expected to be introduced in 2025. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
H-II Transfer Vehicle
The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), also called , is an Expendable launch system, expendable Japanese Cargo spacecraft, automated cargo spacecraft designed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions, particularly the Kibo (ISS module), ''Kibō'' Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Development of the spacecraft began in the early 1990s and the HTV's first mission, HTV-1, was launched on 10September 2009 on an H-IIB launch vehicle. The name ''Kounotori'' was chosen because "a white stork carries an image of conveying an important thing (a baby, happiness, and other joyful things), therefore, it precisely expresses the HTV's mission to transport essential materials to the ISS". The HTV is crucial for ISS resupply, especially after the retirement of the Space Shuttle, as it's the only vehicle capable of transporting large International Standard Payload Racks (ISPR) and disposing of old ones within the ISS's US Orbital Segment. The final HTV mission, Kounotori 9, was laun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harmony (ISS Module)
''Harmony'', also known as ''Node 2'', is the "utility hub" of the International Space Station. It connects the laboratory modules of the United States, Europe and Japan, as well as providing electrical power and electronic data. Sleeping cabins for four of the crew are housed here. ''Harmony'' was successfully launched into space aboard Space Shuttle flight STS-120 on 23 October 2007. After temporarily being attached to the port side of the Unity (ISS module), ''Unity'' module, it was moved to its permanent location on the forward end of the Destiny (ISS module), ''Destiny'' module on 14 November 2007. ''Harmony'' added to the station's living volume, an increase of almost 20%, from to . Its successful installation meant that from NASA's perspective, the station was considered to be "U.S. Core Complete". Origin of name The unit formerly known as ''Node 2'' was renamed ''Harmony'' in March 2004. The name was chosen in a competition where more than 2,200 students from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-88
STS-88 was the first Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It was flown by Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Endeavour, ''Endeavour'', and took the first American module, the Unity (ISS module), ''Unity'' node, to the station. The seven-day mission was highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built ''Unity'' node to the Zarya (ISS module), Functional Cargo Block (''Zarya'' module) already in orbit, and three spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. ''Zarya'', built by Boeing and the Russian Space Agency, was launched on a Russian Proton (rocket), Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in November 1998. Other payloads on the STS-88 mission included the IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC), the Argentine Scientific Applications Satellite-S (SAC-A), the MightySat 1 Hitchhiker payload, the Space Experiment Module (SEM-07) and Getaway Special G-093 sponsored by the University of Michigan. Crew Launch attempts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zenith
The zenith (, ) is the imaginary point on the celestial sphere directly "above" a particular location. "Above" means in the vertical direction (Vertical and horizontal, plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location (nadir). The zenith is the "highest" point on the celestial sphere. The direction opposite of the zenith is the nadir. Origin The word ''zenith'' derives from an inaccurate reading of the Arabic language, Arabic expression (), meaning "direction of the head" or "path above the head", by Medieval Latin scribes in the Middle Ages (during the 14th century), possibly through Old Spanish. It was reduced to ''samt'' ("direction") and miswritten as ''senit''/''cenit'', the ''m'' being misread as ''ni''. Through the Old French ''cenith'', ''zenith'' first appeared in the 17th century. Relevance and use The term ''zenith'' sometimes means the culmination, highest point, way, or level reached by a celestial body on its daily apparent path around a given poi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
