New Video: Tianzhou-6 Cargo Spacecraft Docking | China Space Station

New Video: Tianzhou-6 Cargo Spacecraft Docking | China Space Station

New footage, released by the China Manned Space Agency on Friday, May 12, 2023, shows the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft docking with China's Tianjong Space Station as seen from the viewpoint of the Chinese astronauts aboard the orbiting space craft.

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft successfully docked to the rear docking port of the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱) on May 10, 2023. Tianzhou-6 (天舟六号) is the fifth cargo mission to the China Space Station (中国空间站). The cargo craft is loaded with supplies for the upcoming Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 crews, as well as propellant for the space station, payloads for scientific applications and experiments, weighing over seven tonnes in total. The Tianzhou-6 cargo ship has a 22.5-cubic-meter cargo compartment, which has 50 lockers to place daily necessities for the taikonauts and equipment needed for in-orbit experiments. 

The cargo spacecraft, 10.6 meters in length, consists of two parts—a smaller lower part as its propellant module, and a larger upper part the cargo module.

The Tianzhou-6 cargo craft is the first spacecraft visiting the Shenzhou-15 crew in orbit on the China Space Station. 

Shenzhou-15 Crew Members: 

Fei Junlong (commander), Zhang Lu (taikonaut), and Deng Qingming (taikonaut) 

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

Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2023

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #Tianzhou6 #天舟六号 #TianheCoreModule #天和核心舱 #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #Shenzhou15 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #FeiJunlong #ZhangLu #DengQingming #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Skylab: America's First Space Station (1973-1974)

NASA's Skylab: America's First Space Station (1973-1974)

America's First Space Station

NASA's Skylab as photographed by its departing final crew in February 1974.

Skylab's General Characteristics

The program's nine prime crewmen, selected for the three manned Skylab missions, are pictured with an artist's concept of a completely deployed cluster of the Skylab components in Earth orbit.

Skylab Crew 1: Charles Conrad Jr., commander; Joseph P. Kerwin, science pilot; and Paul J. Weitz, pilot.

Skylab Crew 2: Alan L. Bean, commander; Owen K. Garriot, science pilot; and Jack R. Lousma, pilot. 

Skylab Crew 3: Gerald P. Carr, commander; Edward G. Gibson, science pilot; and William R. Pogue, pilot.

Official emblem for the NASA's Skylab Program

Skylab I Mission emblem

Skylab II Mission emblem

Skylab III Mission emblem

NASA's Skylab as photographed by its departing final crew in February 1974.

50th Anniversary: Skylab was a U.S. space station adapted from the third stage of a Saturn V rocket and launched into orbit in May 1973. It was operated by three separate three-astronaut crews. Major operations included an orbital workshop, a solar observatory, Earth observation, and hundreds of experiments. The longest mission, which ended in February 1974, lasted almost three months. 

The launch of Skylab, America's first space station, on board a modified Saturn V rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 14, 1973, marked a new phase for American's human space flight program. Americans would stay in space for longer periods, conducting complex scientific experiments in the unique space environment. The civilian space program was operating at a time when U.S. budgets were fiscally constrained, so NASA's leaders searched for an affordable way to build a space station. They came up with the idea of turning part of a Saturn V rocket into a space station, and the Skylab concept was born.

Skylab fulfilled the dreams of Dr. Wernher von Braun who had long wanted to build an orbiting outpost where people learn could how to live and work in space for longer periods. Von Braun and his team came up with the idea of using parts of an existing Saturn V rocket to make an orbital laboratory. Turning a rocket into a laboratory was not easy, but it was an affordable way to build a space station because existing hardware could be used.

Unable to be re-boosted by the Space Shuttle, which was not ready until 1981, Skylab's orbit eventually decayed, and it disintegrated in the Earth's atmosphere on July 11, 1979, scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.

Learn more about Skylab: 

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab

https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/skylab.htm

Image & Caption Credit: NASA

Release Date: May 12, 2023

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America's First Space Station: NASA Skylab 1 Launch 50th Anniversary (1973-2023)

America's First Space Station: NASA Skylab 1 Launch 50th Anniversary (1973-2023)

This week in 1973, the uncrewed Skylab was launched aboard a modified Saturn V launch vehicle from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 

Clouds of smoke billow out over the surrounding area as the uncrewed Skylab 1/Saturn V space vehicle launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 14, 1973. The Skylab 1 payload included the major components of the space station: the orbital workshop, Apollo Telescope Mount, multiple docking adapter, and airlock module. The Skylab 2 crew was scheduled to launch to the space station the following day aboard the Apollo Command and Service Module.

Skylab helped pave the way for permanent operations in low-Earth orbit. Over the course of its human occupation from May 25, 1973, to Feb. 8, 1974, three crews visited Skylab, carrying out 270 scientific and technical investigations in the fields of physics, astronomy, and biological sciences. These activities were forerunners of what we do now aboard the International Space Station.

Learn more about Skylab: 

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab

Image Credit: NASA

Release Date: May 12, 2023

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Lupus 3 Star-forming Region: Infrared & Visible Light Views | ESO

Lupus 3 Star-forming Region: Infrared & Visible Light Views | ESO

The infrared observations underlying this image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust. This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features an amorphous and elongated cloud in a red and brown hue. A dozen stars in blue, red and yellow colors shine more clearly than the other stars that are distributed uniformly in the image. The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.

A dark cloud of cosmic dust snakes across this spectacular image, illuminated by the brilliant light of new stars. This image was created from images taken using the European Southern Observatory’s VLT Survey Telescope and the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope. 

These visible light and infrared images show the star-forming region Lupus 3. This dense cloud is where dazzlingly hot stars are born from collapsing masses of gas and dust.

Distance: 600 light years

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Meingast et al.

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #Lupus3 #Nebulae #YoungStars #StellarNurseries #Constellation #Scorpius #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Infrared #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Lupus 2 Star-forming Region (Infrared View) | European Southern Observatory

Lupus 2 Star-forming Region (Infrared View) | European Southern Observatory

This image shows the region Lupus 2. New stars are born in the colorful clouds of gas and dust seen here. The infrared observations underlying this image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust.

Distance: 1,200 light years

This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features amorphous clouds in a red and brown hue. In the upper half of the image are a dozen stars in blue, red and yellow colors that shine more prominently than the other stars distributed uniformly in the image.

 The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observations were done as part of the VISIONS survey, which will allow astronomers to better understand how stars form in these dust-enshrouded regions.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Meingast et al.

Release Date: May 11, 2023

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The Milky Way Galaxy's Sagittarius A* Black Hole: An Introduction (Part 2)

 The Milky Way Galaxy's Sagittarius A* Black Hole: An Introduction (Part 2)

Our Galaxy is shaped like a whirlpool, with long strips of cosmic gas and dust swirling around the center. And like a whirlpool, objects that float too close are dragged into the center never to be seen again.  The fate of these unfortunate objects is no mystery. Lurking in the dark at the heart of our Galaxy is a gigantic, hungry monster—a supermassive black hole.

Learn more: https://chandra.si.edu/kids

Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Duration: 2 minutes, 42 seconds

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #BlackHole #SajAstar #SagittariusAstar #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #NASAChandra #ChandraObservatory #Xray #SpaceTelescope #MSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Milky Way Galaxy's Sagittarius A* Black Hole: An Introduction (Part 1)

The Milky Way Galaxy's Sagittarius A* Black Hole: An Introduction (Part 1)

We cannot photograph our entire galaxy because we live inside it.  However, we can photograph small sections of our galaxy. Images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory show the very center of our Milky Way galaxy. This is the most chaotic and dangerous part of the Galaxy, and home to a supermassive black hole. 

Learn more: https://chandra.si.edu/kids

Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: May 11, 2023

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L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus: Wide Field View (Infrared) | ESO

L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus: Wide Field View (Infrared) | ESO

This image shows the L1688 region in the Ophiuchus constellation. New stars are born in the colorful clouds of gas and dust seen here. The infrared observations underlying this image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust. 

Distance: 450 light years

This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the upper left part. It features amorphous clouds in red, green, blue and yellow colors. A similar, but smaller, cloud can be seen both in the upper right and lower right part of the image.

The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observations were done as part of the VISIONS survey, which will allow astronomers to better understand how stars form in these dust-enshrouded regions.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Meingast et al.

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #L1688 #DarkNebula #Nebulae #YoungStars #StellarNurseries #Constellation #Ophiuchus #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Infrared #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Zooming into L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus | ESO

Zooming into L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus | ESO

This video takes us on a journey to the L1688 region, where new stars are being born. We first see the Milky Way in visible light, and then we switch to an infrared view, which reveals young stars hidden by dust in this region.

Distance: 450 light years

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Duration: 55 seconds

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #L1688 #DarkNebula #Nebulae #YoungStars #StellarNurseries #Constellation #Ophiuchus #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Infrared #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus | European Southern Observatory

The L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus | European Southern Observatory

This image shows the environment around the L1688 star-forming region in visible light. This area, located in the Ophiuchus constellation, features prominent dark lanes and glowing nebulae.

Distance: 450 light years

This image shows dark brownish clouds, on the right, and glowing bluish ones, on the left, both over a starry background. Among the stars, a few of them are much brighter and bigger than the others.

This image was taken from the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory with a 10-cm Takahashi FSQ106Ed f/3.6 telescope and a SBIG STL CCD camera, as part of the Gigagalaxy Zoom project.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/S. Guisard

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #L1688 #DarkNebula #Nebulae #YoungStars #StellarNurseries #Constellation #Ophiuchus #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

New Planet Mars Images: May 2023 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

New Planet Mars Images: May 2023 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

MSL - sol 3825

Mars2020 - sol 786

MSL - sol 3823

MSL - sol 3824

MSL - sol 3819

MSL - sol 3820

Mars2020 - sol 786

Mars2020 - sol 786

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Celebrating 10 Years+ on Mars! (2012-2023)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 2+ Years on Mars (2021-2023)

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.

Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity)

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: May 6-12, 2023

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The Coronet Star Cluster: Wide Field View (Infrared) | ESO

The Coronet Star Cluster: Wide Field View (Infrared) | ESO

This image shows the regions around the Coronet star cluster in the Corona Australis constellation. New stars are born in the colorful clouds of gas and dust seen here. The infrared observations underlying the image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust.

 Distance: 400 light years

This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features an amorphous cloud in a red, brown and yellow hue. Several brightly shining stars in blue and yellow can be seen around the cloud.

The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observations were done as part of the VISIONS survey, which will allow astronomers to better understand how stars form in these dust-enshrouded regions.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Meingast et al.

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #CoroneStarCluster #StarCluster #YoungStars #StellarNurseries #Constellation #CoronaAustralis #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Infrared #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Taikonauts Enter Tianzhou-6 Spacecraft to Unload Cargo | China Space Station

Taikonauts Enter Tianzhou-6 Spacecraft to Unload Cargo | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-15 crew, currently living and working aboard the orbiting Tiangong Space Station, opened the hatch of the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-6 on Friday morning, May 12, 2023—one day after it docked with the space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

At around 8:00 a.m., the crew opened the hatch of the cargo craft and started transferring packages. 

The cargo craft is loaded with supplies for the upcoming Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 crews, as well as propellant for the space station, payloads for scientific applications and experiments, weighing over seven tonnes in total.

The first task for the crews is to move the equipment carrying stem cell samples to the experiment cabinet in the Wentian module, as it requires strict time and temperature controls. 

This equipment was installed in the cargo craft only five hours before the launch. The supplies for the crew include apparel, food, and water. In total, there are 70 kilograms of fresh fruit sent to the China Space Station on this trip, twice the weight of what the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft carried.

Shenzhou-15 Crew Members: 

Fei Junlong (commander), Zhang Lu (taikonaut), and Deng Qingming (taikonaut) 

Credit: CCTV+

Duration: 1 minute, 12 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2023

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A Spacecraft Changes Parking Spots | This Week @NASA | Week of May 12, 2023

A Spacecraft Changes Parking Spots | This Week @NASA | Week of May 12, 2023

A spacecraft changes parking spots at the International Space Station, a surprising look at a star in another solar system, and small satellites that could be a big help tracking tropical storms . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Video Producer, Editor & Narrator: Andre Valentine

Duration: 2 minutes, 24 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #Science #ISS #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXDragonCrew6 # #CubeSats #HumanSpaceflight #Technology #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #UAE #UAESA #MBRSC #Microgravity #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Dragon Shuffle | Week of May 12, 2023

NASA's Space to Ground: Dragon Shuffle | Week of May 12, 2023

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon, with Expedition 69 crew members Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg of NASA, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia aboard, successfully docked to the forward port of the Harmony module of the International Space Station at 8:01 a.m. EDT on May 6, 2023.

This was the 27th spacecraft relocation in space station history. The move made room for the arrival of the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon carrying cargo to station as part of the company’s 28th commercial resupply services mission for NASA, targeted to launch in June.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 members are scheduled to return to Earth in August.

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

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

Expedition 69 Crew (May 2023)

Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev

Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: May 12, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #Science #ISS #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXDragonCrew6 #HumanSpaceflight #Technology #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #UAE #UAESA #MBRSC #Microgravity #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #UNOOSA #InternationalCooperation #Expedition69 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Coronet Region (Visible Light) | European Southern Observatory

The Coronet Region (Visible Light) | European Southern Observatory

This image, taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows the nearby star-forming region around the Coronet star cluster, in the Corona Australis constellation.

Distance: 400 light years

This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features an amorphous cloud in blue, white, brown colors. Several bright white and blue stars can be seen within the cloud. A handful of stars in the lower part of the picture shine more brightly in yellow and white colors in comparison to the other stars that are distributed uniformly in the image.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: May 11, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #CoronetRegion #DarkNebula #CoronetStarCluster #YoungStars #StellarNurseries #Constellation #CoronaAustralis #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #Telescope #Infrared #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education