A pair of astronauts aboard the International Space Station studied advanced piloting controls using virtual reality today. In the meantime, four Expedition 66 crewmates are turning their attention to returning to Earth this month. An experiment sponsored by ESA European Space Agency is using virtual reality in the space environment to help engineers optimize workstations and interfaces for controlling future space robots and spacecraft.
She worked in the Columbus laboratory module wearing the VR goggles using a haptic controller to pilot and capture simulated spacecraft in a video game-like environment. Kimbrough worked in the in the U. Destiny laboratory module servicing thermal gear as Hoshide checked out lights and orbital plumbing systems in the Kibo laboratory module. The quartet have been packing Endeavour with personal items and station hardware, as well as training on a computer for the ride back home.
He also checked U. Shkaplerov continued cargo transfers inside the ISS Progress 79 resupply ship then photographed the Photobioreactor hybrid life support system experiment for inspection. Dubrov explored ways to maintain safe, sterile conditions when conducting microgravity biology research for the Aseptic study.
Four International Space Station astronauts continue packing their U. Meanwhile, the Expedition 66 crew continued its ongoing space research and maintenance aboard the orbital lab. The duo may undock for the ride back to Earth as early as Sunday, Nov. The particle physics detector will measure high-energy cosmic rays, and search for signs of antimatter and mysterious dark matter in the universe. The crew performed four spacewalks to make upgrades to the station.
The fourth and final outing marked the final spacewalk ever taken by members of a shuttle crew. On its last trip into space, the orbiter tacked more than 6 million miles onto its odometer, bringing the shuttle's total distance travelled to over million miles.
NASA has one final shuttle mission planned before its year space shuttle program is retired for good. Earlier tonight, Atlantis made its final slow crawl to the launch pad in advance of its targeted launch on July 8. The main engines are part of the orbiter. All the components were reusable except for the external tank, which by design burned up in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean following each launch.
Built to replace space shuttle Challenger , Endeavour was the final orbiter to join the shuttle fleet. Many newer features were added to Endeavour during construction, such as updated steering mechanisms, upgraded plumbing and electrical connections to allow for longer missions, and a drag chute that reduced wear and tear on the shuttle's brakes and tires. Many of the innovations that were developed for Endeavour were added later to the other shuttles in the fleet. Endeavour first launched on May 7, for mission STS The capture of the satellite did not go as smoothly as planned, but the crew aboard was able to complete the mission through a series of four spacewalks—the most ever completed on a shuttle mission up to that time.
This may be Endeavour's final flight, but the orbiter's performance so far has been near flawless, mission managers said. There are still some milestones ahead of us where we've got to continue to stay focused and continue to deal with things as they come, but the performance up until now has been just outstanding.
Endeavour is NASA's newest space shuttle, born out of the tragic loss of the shuttle Challenger in The STS flight, which launched May 16, is Endeavour's 25th and final mission before it is retired.
The orbiter has travelled more than million miles million kilometers over the course of its spaceflying career. Endeavour has visited the International Space Station 12 times in 25 flights, and delivered and attached the station's first U.
0コメント