Tag: Jeff Williams

  • Record Breaking NASA Astronaut Discusses His Recent Mission

    Record Breaking NASA Astronaut Discusses His Recent Mission

    During a live satellite interview Sept. 14 on NASA TV, astronaut and Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams spoke about his recent record-breaking mission aboard the International Space Station.

    Williams and Russian crewmates Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, returned to Earth Sept. 6 in Kazakhstan (7:13 a.m. Sept. 7, Kazakhstan time) to wrap up a 172 day mission aboard the station. Williams now has spent 534 days in space, making him first on the all-time NASA astronaut list. During the mission, Williams was instrumental in preparing the station for the future arrival of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft. The first International Docking Adapter was installed during a spacewalk by Williams and fellow NASA astronaut Kate Rubins Aug. 19. Outfitted with a host of sensors and systems, the adapter’s main purpose is to connect spacecraft bringing astronauts to the station in the future. Its first users are expected to be Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, now in development in partnership with NASA.

  • Second ISS Spacewalk in Two Weeks on This Week @NASA – September 2, 2016

    Second ISS Spacewalk in Two Weeks on This Week @NASA – September 2, 2016

    Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA conducted a spacewalk Sept. 1 to retract a thermal radiator, install the first of several enhanced high definition cameras on the station’s truss and tighten bolts on a joint that enables one of the station’s solar arrays to rotate. This was the second spacewalk for the pair in just 13 days. They installed the station’s first international docking adapter during their previous spacewalk on Aug. 19. The adapter will provide a parking place for new U.S. commercial crew spacecraft delivering astronauts to the station on future missions. Also, Space Station Cameras Capture Hurricanes, Future Space Station Crews Prepare for Missions, Record-Breaking Galaxy Cluster Discovered, Up-Close with Jupiter, and more!

  • NASA TV Briefing Previews Upcoming U S  Spacewalk to Install Space Station Docking Port

    NASA TV Briefing Previews Upcoming U S Spacewalk to Install Space Station Docking Port

    NASA TV aired a briefing from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday, August 15, to preview the August 19 spacewalk to install a new gateway for American commercial crew spacecraft at the International Space Station — a significant milestone in NASA’s work to return crew launches to U.S. soil. Experts from the ISS and commercial crew programs discussed the process and significance of installing and connecting the first of the two international docking adapters (IDAs), which was launched on a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and arrived at the station July 20. Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA will conduct the spacewalk to install the equipment. Coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT Aug. 19, on NASA TV and the agency’s website, with the spacewalk scheduled to begin at 8:05 a.m.

  • NASA Astronauts Talk About Life Aboard the ISS

    NASA Astronauts Talk About Life Aboard the ISS

    Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams of NASA discussed the pace of research on the orbital lab and recent cargo vehicle deliveries in an in-flight interview April 7 with NBC News’ website Today.com. Kopra is in the second half of a six-month mission on the station while Williams, who is in his third long duration flight on the complex, is nearing the completion of the first month of his half-year stay on the outpost.