Aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition 45 crew – including new Commander Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren of NASA, said goodbye to Gennady Padalka of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) and Aidyn Aimbetov of the Kazakh Space Agency (Kazcosmos) as the trio climbed aboard their Soyuz spacecraft for the return trip to Earth. The Soyuz landed safely in Kazakhstan on Sept. 11 Eastern time, Sept. 12 in Kazakhstan — closing out a 168-day mission for Padalka and an 8-day stay on the station for Mogensen and Aimbetov. Also, First Orion crew module segments welded, SLS Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter, New Ceres imagery, New Horizons update, 9/11 tribute and National Preparedness Month!
Tag: Russian Federal Space Agency
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Schedule changes for space station traffic on This Week @NASA
NASA and its international partners are making changes to the International Space Station’s schedule of arriving and departing spacecraft, following the Russian Federal Space Agency’s preliminary findings on its recent loss of the Progress 59 cargo craft. Exact dates will be announced in the coming weeks, with a Roscosmos update about the Progress 59 investigation expected May 22. The schedule adjustments mean NASA’s Terry Virts and Expedition 43 crewmates, Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov – now will return to Earth in June instead of May. NASA’s Kjell Lindgren, who is conducting pre-flight training in Russia with the other members of Expedition 44, now will launch to the station in July. Also, Small satellite launch services, Latest images of Ceres, Europa’s sea salt? Antarctica Ice Shelf Nearing Its Final Act and No major U.S. hurricanes in nine years!