OrbitalHub

Wikipedia dicit:

Venturing into the environment of space can have negative effects on the human body. Significant adverse effects of long-term weightlessness include muscle atrophy and deterioration of the skeleton (spaceflight osteopenia). Other significant effects include a slowing of cardiovascular system functions, decreased production of red blood cells, balance disorders, eyesight disorders and changes in the immune system. Additional symptoms include fluid redistribution (causing the “moon-face” appearance typical in pictures of astronauts experiencing weightlessness), loss of body mass, nasal congestion, sleep disturbance, and excess flatulence.

The engineering problems associated with leaving Earth and developing space propulsion systems have been examined for over a century, and millions of hours of research have been spent on them. In recent years there has been an increase in research on the issue of how humans can survive and work in space for extended and possibly indefinite periods of time. This question requires input from the physical and biological sciences and has now become the greatest challenge (other than funding) facing human space exploration. A fundamental step in overcoming this challenge is trying to understand the effects and impact of long-term space travel on the human body.

In October 2015, the NASA Office of Inspector General issued a health hazards report related to space exploration, including a human mission to Mars. On 12 April 2019, NASA reported medical results, from the Astronaut Twin Study, where one astronaut twin spent a year in space on the International Space Station, while the other twin spent the year on Earth, which demonstrated several long-lasting changes, including those related to alterations in DNA and cognition, when one twin was compared with the other.

In November 2019, researchers reported that astronauts experienced serious blood flow and clot problems while onboard the International Space Station, based on a six month study of 11 healthy astronauts. The results may influence long-term spaceflight, including a mission to the planet Mars, according to the researchers.

Video Credit: NASA

Wikipedia dicit:

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner (Crew Space Transportation) is a crew capsule manufactured by Boeing as its participation in NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. Its primary purpose is to transport crew to the International Space Station (ISS) and to private space stations such as the proposed Bigelow Aerospace Commercial Space Station.

The capsule has a diameter of 4.56 meters (15.0 ft), which is slightly larger than the Apollo command module and smaller than the Orion capsule. The Starliner is to support larger crews of up to seven people and is being designed to be able to remain in-orbit for up to seven months with reusability of up to ten missions. It is designed to be compatible with four launch vehicles: Atlas V, Delta IV, Falcon 9, and Vulcan.

In the first phase of its CCDev program NASA awarded Boeing US$18 million in 2010 for preliminary development of the spacecraft. In the second phase Boeing was awarded a $93 million contract in 2011 for further spacecraft development. On August 3, 2012, NASA announced the award of $460 million to Boeing to continue work on the CST-100 under the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) Program. On September 16, 2014, NASA selected the CST-100, along with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) program, with an award of $4.2 billion. On July 30, 2019, NASA had no specific dates for Commercial Crew launches, stating that this was under review pending a leadership change.

Starliner’s uncrewed test flight launched with the Atlas V N22, on December 20, 2019 from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. During the test, the Starliner experienced an anomaly that precluded a docking with the International Space Station. Two days after launch, on December 22, 2019 at 7:58 a.m. EST (1258 GMT), with the successful landing at White Sands, New Mexico, the CST-100 became the first-ever, crew-capable space capsule to make a land-based touchdown in the United States.

Video Credit: NASA

NASA dicit:

Launching Americans from U.S. soil, sending a new rover to Mars and continuing to prepare for human missions to the Moon are just a few of the things NASA has planned for 2020.

Video Credit: NASA

NASA dicit:

The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is a NASA asteroid study and sample-return mission. The mission’s main goal is to obtain a sample of at least 60 grams (2.1 oz) from 101955 Bennu, a carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid, and return the sample to Earth for a detailed analysis. The material returned is expected to enable scientists to learn more about the formation and evolution of the Solar System, its initial stages of planet formation, and the source of organic compounds that led to the formation of life on Earth. If successful, OSIRIS-REx will be the first U.S. spacecraft to return samples from an asteroid. The Lidar instrument used aboard the OSIRIS-REx was built by Lockheed Martin, in conjunction with the Canadian Space Agency.

OSIRIS-REx was launched on 8 September 2016, flew past Earth on 22 September 2017, and reached the proximity of Bennu on 3 December 2018, where it began analyzing its surface for a target sample area over the next several months. It is expected to return with its sample to Earth on 24 September 2023.

Video Credit: NASA

NASA dicit:

MAVEN is the first spacecraft specifically designed to study the Mars upper atmosphere, in order to better understand the evolution of its climate. By measuring windspeed and direction near the top of the atmosphere, MAVEN has discovered that high-altitude wind currents are being disturbed by terrain features far below. This unexpected and surprising finding means that MAVEN can sense the presence of mountains and valleys on the surface of Mars while skimming the edge of space.

Video Credit: NASA/Goddard/MAVEN/CU Boulder/University of Michigan/Dan Gallagher (USRA): Producer/Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC): Lead Data Visualizer/Jonathan North (USRA): Lead Animator/Ernie Wright (USRA): Visualizer/Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC): Visualizer/Michael Lentz (USRA): Animator/Walt Feimer (KBRwyle): Animator/Chris Smith (USRA): Animator/John/Blackwell (LPI): Animator/Dan Gallagher (USRA): Narrator/Michael Lentz (USRA): Art Director/Mehdi Benna (UMBC): Lead Scientist/Kali Roeten (UM): Scientist/Paul Mahaffy (NASA/GSFC): Support/Bruce Jakosky (LASP): Principal Investigator/Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support

Blue Origin dicit:

Blue Origin has been demonstrating the safety, reliability and robustness of the New Shepard vehicle through its flight program and is moving towards verifying the system for human spaceflight. An important part of preparing for our astronauts is rehearsing procedures for training and launch day, like entering the capsule on the tower, which is shown here.

Video Credit: Blue Origin