Russian Cosmonauts Oleg & Nikolai on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Russian Cosmonauts Oleg & Nikolai on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Cosmonauts Nikolai Chub (waving) and Oleg Kononenko of Russia are pictured outside of the International Space Station wearing their Orlan spacesuits during a four-hour and 36-minute spacewalk. During their excursion they worked on the Russian segment of the complex completing the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar communications system. The duo also installed equipment and experiments to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules.

Cosmonauts (near center) Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko of Russia are pictured outside of the International Space Station's Nauka science module wearing their Orlan spacesuits during a four-hour and 36-minute spacewalk. The spacewalkers worked on the Russian segment of the complex completing the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar communications system. The duo also installed equipment and experiments to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules. The space station was soaring into an orbital sunset 270 miles above the Indian Ocean south of Africa.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko (center left) and Nikolai Chub (center right) are pictured outside of the International Space Station wearing their Orlan spacesuits during a four-hour and 36-minute spacewalk. The spacewalkers worked on the Russian segment of the complex completing the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar communications system. The duo also installed equipment and experiments to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Russia concluded their spacewalk April 25, 2024, at 3:33 p.m. EDT after four hours and 36 minutes. Kononenko is the current commander of the International Space Station.

Kononenko and Chub completed their major objectives, which included completing the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar communications system on the Russian segment of the complex and installing equipment and experiments to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules.

This was the seventh spacewalk in Kononenko’s career, and the second for Chub. It is the 270th spacewalk for International Space Station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Capture Date: April 25, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronauts #JSC #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegKononenko #NikolaiChub #Spacewalk #EVA #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

China is Building a Lunar Satellite Constellation | Dongfang Hour

China is Building a Lunar Satellite Constellation | Dongfang Hour

As China ramps up its lunar exploration program in the coming decade, space-based lunar infrastructure is going to be a key enabler. Spacecraft and ground-based vehicles will increasingly need positioning and communication services. This is why China has launched a plan to establish a lunar satellite constellation called the "Queqiao constellation". The focus on the far side and the lunar south pole also means that communications will require relay satellites.

In preparation for this lunar constellation, expected in the 2030s, China has been launching single Queqiao spacecraft: the "Queqiao" in 2018, "Queqiao-2" in March 2024, and "Queqiao-3" by the end of the decade.

In this video, we cover this quest for lunar infrastructure, a low key, but essential milestone, for the establishment of China's future lunar outpost, the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

00:00 Introduction

00:17 Lunar exploration & tidal locking

01:11 Queqiao-1 and Queqiao-2 relay missions

03:11 Launching the Queqiao lunar constellation

05:47 Equivalent projects by NASA and ESA

Video Credit: Dongfang Hour

Release Date: April 26, 2024

Duration: 6 minutes, 53 seconds

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Moon #CommunicationSatellites #SpaceCommunicationNetworks #Queqiao1 #Queqiao2 #鹊桥二号中继星 #ILRS #国际月球科研站 #CNSA #SpaceTechnology #LunarResearch #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Gulf of California & Baja California, Mexico | International Space Station

The Gulf of California & Baja California, Mexico | International Space Station

The Gulf of California and Baja California were photographed by NASA astronaut Mike Barratt as the International Space Station orbited nearly 260 miles above.

The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortés (Mar de Cortés) or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (Mar Vermejo), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. It is bordered by the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa with a coastline of approximately 4,000 km (2,500 mi). 

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: April 20, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Planet #Earth #PacificOcean #GulfOfCalifornia #GolfoDeCalifornia #BajaCalifornia #Mexico #Science #Astronaut #MikeBarratt #JSC #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event Confirmed by U.S. Scientists | NOAA

Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event Confirmed by U.S. Scientists | NOAA

The world is currently experiencing a global coral bleaching event, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists. This is the fourth global event on record and the second in the last 10 years.  

Bleaching-level heat stress, as remotely monitored and predicted by NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW), has been—and continues to be—extensive across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. CRW's heat-stress monitoring is based on sea surface temperature data, spanning 1985 to the present, from a blend of NOAA and partner satellites.

Credits: NOAA, NASA, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

Coral reef footage courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

Cheeca Rocks photos courtesy of Andrew Ibarra/NOAA

US Virgin Island Boulder Coral photos courtesy of Leslie Henderson/NOAA

Duration: 2 minutes, 19 seconds

Release Date: April 26, 2024

#NASA #NOAA #Space #Satellites #Science #Planet #Earth #Oceans #Biology #CoralReefs #CoralBleaching #HeatStress #Fisheries #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GreenhouseGases #OceanTemperatures #Environment #GSFC #UnitedStates #Mexico #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA’s X-59 Supersonic Aircraft: The Quiet Crew | Profile of Pilot Jim Less

NASA’s X-59 Supersonic Aircraft: The Quiet Crew | Profile of Pilot Jim Less

In this episode of The Quiet Crew, you will meet Jim "Clue" Less, a test pilot for the Quesst mission. His role is to fly the X-59 through the three phases of the mission and to contribute to the simulation and development of the aircraft. He is part of the crew working to transform aviation as NASA and communities verify that the X-59’s quiet, supersonic design can turn a sonic boom into a sonic thump. This new technology, along with a potential change in regulations, will allow airliners to fly faster over land, cutting passenger travel time in half without disturbing people on the ground.  

For more information about NASA's quiet supersonic mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/Quesst

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 2 minutes, 21 seconds

Release Date: April 26, 2024

#NASA #Aerospace #Flight #Supersonic #X59 #Sonicboom #Quiet #Aviation #QuesstMission #JimLess #Pilot #TestPilot #Science #Physics #Engineering #Research #Aeronautical #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #EdwardsAFB #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Outside the Hatch | Week of April 26, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: Outside the Hatch | Week of April 26, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Russia concluded their spacewalk April 25, 2024, at 3:33 p.m. EDT after four hours and 36 minutes.

Kononenko and Chub completed their major objectives, which included completing the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar communications system on the Russian segment of the complex and installing equipment and experiments to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules.

This was the seventh spacewalk in Kononenko’s career, and the second for Chub. It is the 270th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 2 minutes, 29 seconds 

Release Date: April 26, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronaut #MatthewDominik #JSC #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegKononenko #NikolaiChub #Spacewalk #EVA #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Welcomed by Shenzhou-17 Crew | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Welcomed by Shenzhou-17 Crew | China Space Station

The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-18 spaceship have entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio on April 26, 2024, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.

The Shenzhou-18 crew entered the Tianhe Core Module on April 26 at 05:04 China Standard Time. Shenzhou-18 is the seventh crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station 

Shenzhou-18 Crew

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)

The three astronauts are set to stay in orbit for around six months, and will take over the command of China's Tiangong space station after completing an in-orbit handover with their colleagues of the Shenzhou-17 mission, who are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 30, 2024.

Video Credit: CCTV+

Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds

Release Date: April 26, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #Shenzhou17 #神舟十七号#CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Orbital Sunrise over Indian Ocean | International Space Station

Orbital Sunrise over Indian Ocean | International Space Station

Orbital sunrise begins illuminating Earth's atmosphere as the Expedition 71 crew aboard the International Space Station orbited 266 miles over the Indian Ocean.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: April 7, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #OrbitalSunrise #Sunrise #IndianOcean #SouthAsia #Science #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

American & Russian Crewmates Prepare Orlan Spacesuits for a Station Spacewalk

American & Russian Crewmates Prepare Orlan Spacesuits for a Station Spacewalk

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick (center) poses for a portrait with Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko (left) and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub (right), both Roscosmos cosmonauts. Dominick was inside the Poisk module assisting Kononenko and Chub as they prepared their Orlan spacesuits for a spacewalk to configure hardware and install experiments on the International Space Station. Kononenko is the current commander of the International Space Station.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub concluded their spacewalk April 25, 2024, at 3:33 p.m. EDT after four hours and 36 minutes.

Kononenko and Chub completed their major objectives, which included completing the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar communications system on the Russian segment of the complex and installing equipment and experiments to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules.

This was the seventh spacewalk in Kononenko’s career, and the second for Chub. It is the 270th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image & Caption Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: April 20, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronaut #MatthewDominik #JSC #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegKononenko #NikolaiChub #Spacewalk #EVA #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-18 China Space Station Crew: Pre-launch Send-Off Ceremony

Shenzhou-18 China Space Station Crew: Pre-launch Send-Off Ceremony

From left to right: Astronauts Li Guangsu (mission specialist), Li Cong (mission specialist), Ye Guangfu (commander)

From left to right: Astronauts Li Guangsu, Ye Guangfu (commander) & Li Cong

From left to right: Astronauts Ye Guangfu (commander), Li Cong & Li Guangsu

From left to right: Astronauts Li Guangsu, Ye Guangfu (commander) & Li Cong

A send-off ceremony for three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceflight mission to the China Space Station was held on Thursday afternoon, April 25, 2024, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship lifted off successfully at at 12:59 UTC (20:59 China Standard Time) at the launch site.

The three Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu (mission commander), Li Cong and Li Guangsu reported to the commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Xu Xueqiang that they were ready to undertake their mission.

After receiving an order from the commander-in-chief, the astronauts boarded a vehicle and departed for the launch site amid cheers from a crowd of well-wishers.

The three astronauts are set to stay in orbit for around six months, and will take over the command of China's Tiangong space station after completing an in-orbit handover with their colleagues of the Shenzhou-17 mission, who are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 30, 2024.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship will perform a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe about six and a half hours into the mission, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

The crew will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship during their stay.

Image Credits: China Global Television Network (CGTN)/Wu Lei/Xinhua/People's Daily/AstroNana

Capture Date: April 25, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #JiuquanLaunchCenter #Rocket #LongMarch2FY18 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-18 China Space Station Crew: Pre-launch Send-Off Ceremony

Shenzhou-18 China Space Station Crew: Pre-launch Send-Off Ceremony

A send-off ceremony for three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceflight mission to the China Space Station was held on Thursday afternoon, April 25, 2024, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship lifted off successfully at at 12:59 UTC (20:59 China Standard Time) at the launch site.

The three Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu (mission commander), Li Cong and Li Guangsu reported to the commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Xu Xueqiang that they were ready to undertake their mission.

After receiving an order from the commander-in-chief, the astronauts boarded a vehicle and departed for the launch site amid cheers from a crowd of well-wishers.

The three astronauts are set to stay in orbit for around six months, and will take over the command of China's Tiangong space station after completing an in-orbit handover with their colleagues of the Shenzhou-17 mission, who are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 30, 2024.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship will perform a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe about six and a half hours into the mission, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

The crew will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship during their stay.

Video Credit: CCTV+ News Agency

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: April 25, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #JiuquanLaunchCenter #Rocket #LongMarch2FY18 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 Crew Launch to China Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Shenzhou-18 Crew Launch to China Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

The Shenzhou-18 crew spacecraft was successfully launched by the Long March-2F Y18 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on April 25, 2024, at 12:59 UTC (20:59 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-18 is the seventh crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station.

Shenzhou-18 Crew

Ye Guangfu (commander)

Li Cong (mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (mission specialist)

Image Credits: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Global Television Network (CGTN)/Wu Lei

Capture Date: April 25, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #JiuquanLaunchCenter #Rocket #LongMarch2FY18 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-18 Crew Launch to China Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Shenzhou-18 Crew Launch to China Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

The Shenzhou-18 crew spacecraft was successfully launched by the Long March-2F Y18 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on April 25, 2024, at 12:59 UTC (20:59 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-18 is the seventh crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station.

Shenzhou-18 Crew

Ye Guangfu (commander)

Li Cong (mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (mission specialist)

Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 3 minutes, 48 seconds

Release Date: April 25, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #JiuquanLaunchCenter #Rocket #LongMarch2FY18 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Shares Spacewalk Plan for Russian Cosmonauts | International Space Station

NASA Shares Spacewalk Plan for Russian Cosmonauts | International Space Station

This animation discusses the upcoming spacewalk for Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Russia. Kononenko is the current commander of the International Space Station. They will egress the Poisk airlock to complete the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar system on the Nauka module and install equipment and experiments on the Poisk module to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules. It will be the 270th spacewalk in support of station maintenance and upgrades, the seventh for Kononenko and the second for Chub.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes, 36 seconds

Release Date: April 24, 2024

 

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronauts #JSC #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegKononenko #NikolaiChub #Spacewalk #EVA #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

China's Shenzhou-18 Crew: Official Photos | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-18 Crew: Official Photos | China Space Station

From left to right: Astronauts Li Guangsu, Ye Guangfu (commander) & Li Cong

Ye Guangfu (commander)

Li Cong (mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (mission specialist)

Shenzhou-18 Mission Emblem

Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, the three Chinese astronauts for the upcoming Shenzhou-18 spaceflight mission to the China Space Station, were introduced to the world on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Their Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship is scheduled to lift off at 20:59 Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced.

Shenzhou-18 Crew

Ye Guangfu (commander)

Li Cong

Li Guangsu

"As evaluated and decided by the mission headquarters, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 20:59 on April 25 Beijing Time. Crew members are astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, with Ye Guangfu as the mission commander. Astronaut Ye Guangfu has participated in the Shenzhou-13 manned space flight mission, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu are among the country's third batch of astronauts and will carry out a space flight for the first time," said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.

After reaching the space station, the trio will be greeted by the Shenzhou-17 crew currently aboard the Tiangong space station. The Shenzhou-17 crew has been on the space station since Oct 26 last year and will return to Earth after completing in-orbit rotation.

The upcoming mission marks China's 13th manned spaceflight mission since the launch of the manned space program and represents the first manned mission to the space station this year.

China's Tiangong space station will continue its normal operation, with plans outlined for two cargo spacecraft missions and two manned spaceflight missions in 2024. The Tianzhou-7 cargo supply mission was successfully completed in January this year.

The Shenzhou-18 spaceship, sitting atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was transferred to the launching area on April 17, with pre-launch function checks and joint tests conducted to ensure the spaceship's readiness.

Image Credit: China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)

Release Date: April 24, 2024

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #JiuquanLaunchCenter #Rocket #LongMarch2FY18 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

The Great Rift over Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile

The Great Rift over Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile

Is that a cosmic crack in the sky? No, it is just the colossal clouds of dust in the Milky Way known as the Great Rift. In this stunning image from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, the Great Rift’s dark clouds appear to slice in half the Milky Way’s river of starlight.

Running vertically through this image, the Great Rift reminds us that our Milky Way is not simply a collection of stars. It is host to a staggering amount of interstellar dust. In fact, the Great Rift alone contains a million Suns’ worth of it! This opaque cloud complex is made of ultrafine particles around ten times smaller than pollen. Despite their diminutive size, acting together, they can obscure the light from the brightest part of the galaxy.

Another cloud of dust is also visible from this view. Running diagonally downward from the top left of this image is a band of interplanetary dust. Its conical white glow is known as the zodiacal light. Unlike the Great Rift, which is dark and far beyond our cosmic neighborhood, this dust is bright and within the confines of our Solar System. Its faint white glow is caused by reflected sunlight. Note that at the upper left, within the band of zodiacal light, is dazzling Venus. To its immediate right are Mars and Saturn, respectively.

This image was taken by Tomas Slovinský, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

Image Credits: Tomas Slovinsky; CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Location: -30.1732, -70.8035 

Caption Credit: Tomas Slovinsky

Tomas' Website: https://slovinsky.art/en/homeen/

Release Date: April 24, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #MilkyWayGalaxy #GreatRift #Planets #Venus #Mars #Saturn #Earth #ZodiacalLight #CTIO #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #SouthernHemisphere #Astrophotographer #TomasSlovinsky #Astrophotography #CitizenScience #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #EPoD