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NASA's Space to Ground: En Route | Week of Jan. 19, 2024
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station is on its way. Scheduled to arrive to the station at 5:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, the quartet will spend about two weeks conducting science and research in microgravity before returning to Earth.
Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)
Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov
JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)
NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)
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.
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
Ax-3 Mission | In-Flight Update | Axiom Space | International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft for Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on January 18, 2024, at 16:49 EST. The Ax-3 crew includes commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı and European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt.
The “Freedom” Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the International Space Station on January 20, 2024, at 10:15 UTC (05:15 EST). Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage (B1080) landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, having previously supported four missions: Ax-2, the European Space Agency's Euclid and two Starlink missions. The “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft previously flew the Crew-4 and the Ax-2 missions.
Axiom Mission 3 Crew: SpaceX Falcon 9 Liftoff | International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft for Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on January 18, 2024, at 16:49 EST. The Ax-3 crew includes commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı and European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt.
The “Freedom” Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the International Space Station on January 20, 2024, at 10:15 UTC (05:15 EST). Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage (B1080) landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, having previously supported four missions: Ax-2, the European Space Agency's Euclid and two Starlink missions. The “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft previously flew the Crew-4 and the Ax-2 missions.
Axiom Mission 3 Crew: SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch | International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft for Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on January 18, 2024, at 16:49 EST. The Ax-3 crew includes commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı and European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt.
The “Freedom” Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the International Space Station on January 20, 2024, at 10:15 UTC (05:15 EST). Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage (B1080) landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, having previously supported four missions: Ax-2, ESA Euclid and two Starlink missions. The “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft previously flew the Crew-4 and the Ax-2 missions.
Axiom Mission 3 Crew Wave & ESA Astronaut Marcus Wandt | Ready for Launch
The Axiom Mission 3 crew wave at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, ready for launch. European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt is part of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) alongside Walter Villadei from Italy, Alper Gezeravcı from Türkiye and Michael López-Alegría, representing both USA and Spain as a dual-citizen.
The Ax-3 launch is scheduled for January 18, 2024 at 16:49 local time (21:49 GMT/22:49 CET).
ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt will be launched in this spacecraft alongside Walter Villadei from Italy, Alper Gezeravcı from Türkiye and Michael López-Alegría, representing both USA and Spain as a dual-citizen.
During their journey on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the orbital outpost Marcus and Alper will serve as mission specialists, Walter will be the crew’s pilot and Michael will be commander.
Marcus is the first of a new generation of European astronauts to fly on a commercial human spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space. His mission is supported by ESA and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA).
The mission, known as Muninn, will officially begin once he enters the Station. The crew onboard will welcome the Ax-3 astronauts, including ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen. Andreas is the current commander of the International Space Station. This will be the first time two Scandinavians live and work together in space.
Marcus will devote much of his time to scientific activities and technology demonstrations that could shape the way we live and work on Earth. In total, he will run around 20 experiments during the two-week mission.
NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Enlace láser: 12 de enero 2024
Espacio a Tierra, la versión en español de las cápsulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Mars: Layering along West Ganges Chasma | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
This observation shows a sequence of layered sedimentary rocks exposed along the wall of Ganges Chasma. The layered sequence consists of many beds that are generally horizontal and laterally continuous. More pronounced layers appear to be weathering to form large-scale boulders. Many thinner layers are apparent near the top of the wall.
Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km (under 1 mi) top to bottom and the spacecraft altitude was 262 km (163 mi) above the surface. For the full image, visit the source link.
Ganges Chasma is in the northeast part of the Valles Marineris system and cuts through surrounding plains interpreted to have been resurfaced by flowing lava. The Chasma is believed to have formed due to the collapse of plateau rocks along fault systems.
The plateau above the chasma is at the left side of the image and the wall of the trough descends to the east.
The layered sequence consists of many beds that are generally horizontal and laterally continuous. Some more pronounced layers appear to be weathering to form large-scale boulders (see cutout). Many thinner layers are apparent near the top of the wall. Material has also formed spurs and ridges along the wall of the trough.
Latitude (centered)
-8.093°
Longitude (East)
307.498°
Spacecraft altitude
261.8 km (162.7 miles)
The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, that was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Moghbeli & O'Hara | International Space Station
Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, both NASA astronauts, are pictured inside the International Space Station's cupola holding NASA's first graphic novel, "The First Woman." First Woman tells the tale of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. While Callie is a fictional character, the first female astronaut and person of color will soon set foot on the Moon—a historic milestone and part of upcoming NASA Artemis missions.
Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)
Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov
JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)
NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)
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.
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Docking | China Space Station
The Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the rear docking port of the Tianhe Core Module, arriving at the China Space Station on January 17, 2024, at 17:46 UTC (January 18, at 01:46am China Standard Time). Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station.
The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.
The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.
Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:
Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander
Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist
Xinlin Jiang (江新林) - Mission Specialist
Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)
Shenzhou-17 Crew Prepares for Tianzhou-7 Cargo Ship Arrival | China Space Station
The Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was launched by the Long March-7 Y8 launch vehicle from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, China, on January 15, 2024, at 14:27 UTC (22:27 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.
The Tianzhou-7 cargo ship is set to deliver supplies to the current Shenzhou-17 crew that arrived at China's Space Station back in October 2023.
The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.
The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.
Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Night Launch in Hainan | China Space Station
The Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was launched by the Long March-7 Y8 launch vehicle from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, China, on January 15, 2024, at 14:27 UTC (22:27 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.
This was the first launch of China's human spaceflight project in 2024, kicking off four flight missions for this year. Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.
The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.
The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.
Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:
Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander
Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist
Xinlin Jiang (江新林) - Mission Specialist
Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)
Pan: Spiral Galaxy MCG-01-24-014 in Hydra | Hubble Space Telescope
This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014. It is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined spiral galaxy, MCG-01-24-014 has an extremely energetic core, known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), so it is referred to as an active galaxy. Even more specifically, it is categorized as a Type-2 Seyfert galaxy. Seyfert galaxies host one of the most common subclasses of AGN, alongside quasars. While the precise categorization of AGNs is nuanced, Seyfert galaxies tend to be relatively nearby ones where the host galaxy remains plainly detectable alongside its central AGN, while quasars are invariably very distant AGNs whose incredible luminosities outshine their host galaxies.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy. It appears to be almost circular and seen face-on, with two prominent spiral arms winding out from a glowing core. It is centered in the frame as if a portrait. Most of the background is black, with only tiny, distant galaxies, but there are two large bright stars in the foreground, one blue and one red, directly above the galaxy.
There are further subclasses of both Seyfert galaxies and quasars. In the case of Seyfert galaxies, the predominant subcategories are Type-1 and Type-2. These are differentiated from one another by their spectra—the pattern that results when light is split into its constituent wavelengths—where the spectral lines that Type-2 Seyfert galaxies emit are particularly associated with specific so-called ‘forbidden’ emission. To understand why emitted light from a galaxy could be considered forbidden, it helps to understand why spectra exist in the first place. Spectra look the way they do because certain atoms and molecules will absorb and emit light very reliably at very specific wavelengths. The reason for this is quantum physics: electrons (the tiny particles that orbit the nuclei of atoms and molecules) can only exist at very specific energies, and therefore electrons can only lose or gain very specific amounts of energy. These very specific amounts of energy correspond to certain light wavelengths being absorbed or emitted.
Forbidden emission lines, therefore, are spectral emission lines that should not exist according to certain rules of quantum physics. Nevertheless, quantum physics is complex, and the rules adopted to predict it use assumptions that suit laboratory conditions here on Earth. Under those rules, this emission is ‘forbidden’—so improbable that it’s disregarded. However, in space, in the midst of an incredibly energetic galactic core, those assumptions do not hold anymore, and the ‘forbidden’ light gets a chance to shine out towards us.
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick, N. Bartmann
Pan: Ring Spoke Season on Planet Saturn | Hubble Space Telescope
This photo of Saturn was taken by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope on Oct. 22, 2023, when the ringed planet was approximately 1,365 million kilometers from Earth. Hubble's ultra-sharp vision reveals a phenomenon called ring spokes.
Saturn's spokes are transient features that rotate along with the rings. Their ghostly appearance only persists for two or three rotations around Saturn. During active periods, freshly-formed spokes continuously add to the pattern.
In 1981, NASA's Voyager 2 first photographed the ring spokes. Hubble continues observing Saturn annually as the spokes come and go. This cycle has been captured by Hubble's Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program that began nearly a decade ago to annually monitor weather changes on all four gas-giant outer planets.
Hubble's crisp images show that the frequency of spoke apparitions is seasonally driven, first appearing in OPAL data in 2021 but only on the morning (left) side of the rings. Long-term monitoring shows that both the number and contrast of the spokes vary with Saturn's seasons. Saturn is tilted on its axis like Earth and has seasons lasting approximately seven years.
This year, these ephemeral structures appear on both sides of the planet simultaneously as they spin around the giant world. Although they look small compared with Saturn, their length and width can stretch longer than Earth's diameter!
The OPAL team notes that the leading theory is that spokes are tied to interactions between Saturn's powerful magnetic field and the sun. Planetary scientists think that electrostatic forces generated from this interaction levitate dust or ice above the ring to form the spokes, though after several decades no theory perfectly predicts the spokes. Continued Hubble observations may eventually help solve the mystery.
Video Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, STScI, A. Simon (NASA-GSFC), N. Bartmann
European Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden &Ax-3 Crew | Axiom Space
European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt in SpaceX Dragon spacesuit
Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew pose together in their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacesuits during training.
From left to right, ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt, Walter Villadei from Italy, Michael López-Alegría, a dual US-Spanish citizen, and Alper Gezeravcı from Türkiye.
From left to right, ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, and mission specialists Alper Gezeravcı.
Axiom 3 Mission crew next to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. From left to right, ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, pilot Walter Villadei, commander Michael López-Alegría and mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı.
ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt's first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin—Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolize the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.
According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and advisors to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as passion and emotion, linking to Marcus’s enthusiasm for spaceflight.
The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) patch is shaped as a shield to illustrate strength and courage. The International Space Station (ISS) is centered and angled to be seen as aviator wings, symbolizing four astronauts piloting toward growth in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through the spirit of exploration and collaboration.
The Axiom-3 Mission with European Space Agency (ESA) Project Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden onboard is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, 2024, to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Marcus will join Andreas Morgensen, ISS commander, marking the first time two Scandinavians are in space together.
Wandt will also become the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3. Moreover, Marcus will be the fifth ESA astronaut to fly on a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft, and the first of a new generation of Europeans to fly on a commercial spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.
Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency's astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.
Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.
Read official biographies of Wendt on the Axiom Space and ESA websites:
Successful Reusable Rocket Engine Tests for China SpaceX-rival 'Space Pioneer'
Private Chinese firm Space Pioneer has taken another key step towards developing reusable rockets: Their Tianlong-3 rocket will be comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9 in launch capability. The company also has plans to launch an even bigger variant of the Tianlong-3 akin to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.
Recently, Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., also known as Space Pioneer, successfully completed the hot test of the TH-12 liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine. It was developed for the large-scale liquid carrier rocket, the Tianlong 3. This test fully simulated the product status of the Tianlong 3 rocket during the first flight. The engine remained on the test stand and underwent six consecutive ignitions, with a total test duration exceeding 1,000 seconds. This is over six times the flight time of a single engine.
Recent funding secured by the company is financing the launch of its larger Tianlong-3 rocket with a reusable first stage, rivaling SpaceX. Beijing Tianbing Technology Co. successfully sent its kerosene-oxygen liquid-propellant Tianlong-2 rocket into orbit on April 2, 2023 from the Jiuquan Launch Centre in northwest China, becoming the first private Chinese launch company to send a liquid-propellant rocket into space and taking another step towards developing reusable rockets.
Recent funding secured by Beijing Tianbing is expected to support the launch of the larger Tianlong-3 rocket with a reusable first stage.
Chinese commercial space firms have rushed into the sector since 2014, when private investment in the industry was allowed by the state. Many started making satellites, while others, including Beijing Tianbing, focused on developing reusable rockets that can significantly cut mission costs.
Unlike solid-propellant rockets that cannot adjust their flow of fuel, liquid-propellant rockets have significantly greater control over their flight, with those, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9, capable of returning to Earth in controlled descents and making vertical landings.
Reusable rockets will help expedite the building of Chinese constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments.
In its latest five-year plan for 2021-2025, the Chinese government has called for an integrated network of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation. China currently has over 400 satellites in space, including commercially owned satellites, according to state media.
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