ISS Expedition 36 Crew to Return to Earth

In preparation for the Expedition 36 return to Earth, Commander Pavel Vinogradov of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) handed over control of the International Space Station Monday, Sept. 9, 2013 at 2:25 p.m. EDT in a traditional Change of Command Ceremony. 

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin will take over command and officially lead Expedition 37 when Expedition 36 undocks Tuesday at 7:35 p.m.

Going home with Vinogradov are Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos, who arrived at the station March 28. 

They will land a few hours later in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft at 10:58 p.m. (8:58 a.m. Wednesday Kazakhstan time).

Soyuz landing coverage begins Tuesday on NASA TV at 4 p.m. with farewell and hatch closure.

In the bottom half of this photo, left to right, are Vinogradov and Flight Engineers Karen Nyberg of NASA and Misurkin.

In the top half of the photo are, left to right, Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, Cassidy, and Yurchikhin. This photo was taken on June 8, 2013.

Image Credit: NASA

NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy Takes a Photo during EVA

Astronaut Chris Cassidy Takes a Photo

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, Expedition 36 flight engineer, uses a digital still camera during a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as work continues on the International Space Station. 

A little more than one hour into the spacewalk on July 16, 2013, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano (out of frame) reported water floating behind his head inside his helmet. 

The water was not an immediate health hazard for Parmitano, but Mission Control decided to end the spacewalk early.

Image Credit: NASA

NASA ISS EVA Cancelled because of Water Leak in Spacesuit

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano takes a moment to say hello to NASA's Chris Cassidy during their spacewalk, July 9, 2013. 

This was the first of two Expedition 36 excursions to prepare the International Space Station for a new Russian module and perform additional installations on the station’s backbone.



NASA aborted a planned six-hour spacewalk by two astronauts outside the International Space Station today (July 16) when one of the spacewalkers reported "a lot of water" inside his spacesuit helmet, a potentially scary situation.

European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano reported that helmet started filling with water, making it difficult for him to continue the spacewalk outside of the International Space Station.

The spacewalk ended after one hour and 32 minutes. It was supposed to last six hours and 15 minutes. The crew was in no immediate danger during the spacewalk, NASA officials said.

"There is some in my eyes, and some in my nose," Parmitano said. "It's a lot of water."

This is the second shortest spacewalk in history. The shortest — lasting only 14 minutes — happened in 2004 when astronaut Mike Fincke had a pressurization problem in his oxygen tank.

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Parmitano began their spacewalk today at 7:57 a.m. EDT (1157 GMT). They wore NASA-issue spacesuits called Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. It ended at 9:29 a.m. EDT (1329 GMT).

Parmitano reported the water in his spacesuit about one hour and nine minutes into the spacewalk. The cause of the water leak isn't yet known, but the tasks scheduled for the spacewalk can be deferred until a later excursion, NASA officials said

ISS Astronauts Parmitano and Cassidy EVA: Orbital repair men

Astronauts Luca Parmitano and Chris Cassidy switched their spacesuits to battery power and began their spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

The sortie was planned for six and half hours, but the astronauts proceeded faster than planned and had time for extra 'get-ahead' tasks, routing cables and staging equipment to help future spacewalkers.

The final duration of Tuesday's extravehicular activity was 6 hours and 7 minutes.

The primary goals were to replace a Ku-band communications transceiver, retrieve two science experiments that exposed material samples to space, install cables for Russia's coming Nauka laboratory module, and carry out routine maintenance.

An artist impression of Nauka in situ on the ISS.

Nauka will replace the Pirs module currently attached to the Station.

The highlight of the spacewalk for Luca was surely riding on the platform at the end of the Station's Canadarm2 robot arm - this moment is shown in the image.

Operated by Karen Nyberg inside the Station, the arm moved Luca to the port side of the Station's long central truss to remove a failed camera that will be returned to Earth for analysis.

Finally, Luca installed a multilayer insulation cover to protect the docking interface of the Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 on the Harmony module.

Luca and Chris will venture out to space again next week to continue work started during this spacewalk.

ISS Astronauts preparations for next EVA

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy (left) and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, both Expedition 36 flight engineers, attired in their Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits, participate in a “dry run” in the International Space Station’s Quest airlock in preparation for the first of two sessions of extravehicular (EVA) scheduled for July 9 and July 16. NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, flight engineer, assists Cassidy and Parmitano.

NASA: Celebrating Fathers' Hallmark Day on the ISS

Pictured on the front row are Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov (left) and Flight Engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin. Pictured from the left (back row) are Flight Engineers Alexander Misurkin, Chris Cassidy, Luca Parmitano and Karen Nyberg. Image credit: NASA

On Sunday, May 16, 10 children will celebrate Father's Day on Earth while their fathers orbit overhead as members of the Expedition 36 crew aboard the International Space Station.

The crew has numerous ways to stay connected with family: email updated daily by Mission Control, use of a special phone to call when they have free time and video conferences, usually planned for the weekends when work is light.

Inside the ESA Cupola: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy captures the Earth

Inside the Cupola, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, an Expedition 36 flight engineer, uses a 400mm lens on a digital still camera to photograph a target of opportunity on Earth some 250 miles below him and the International Space Station. 

Cassidy has been aboard the orbital outpost since late March and will continue his stay into September. 

 Image Credit: NASA

NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy

Credit: NASA

Expedition 35 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy, who currently is living and working aboard the International Space Station, is captured in a close-up image in the Quest Airlock prior to a spacewalk.

On Thursday, May 16, 2013, at noon EDT, NASA is hosting a Google+ Hangout connecting the Space Station and "Star Trek Into Darkness" crews. Cassidy; astronauts Michael Fincke and Kjell Lindgren at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter and producer Damon Lindelof; and stars of the film, Chris Pine, Alice Eve and John Cho will take part in the event.

The participants will ask questions of each other and take questions from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City (home of the space shuttle Enterprise), the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, and social media followers.

NASA ISS Emergency EVA: Expedition 35 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy

Expedition 35 Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy (pictured) and Tom Marshburn (out of frame) completed a spacewalk at 2:14 p.m. EDT May 11, 2013. 

The emergency EVA was needed to inspect and replace a pump controller box on the International Space Station’s far port truss (P6) leaking ammonia coolant. 

The two NASA astronauts began the 5-hour, 30-minute spacewalk at 8:44 a.m.

A leak of ammonia coolant from the area near or at the location of a Pump and Flow Control Subassembly was detected on Thursday, May 9, prompting engineers and flight controllers to begin plans to support the spacewalk. 

The device contains the mechanical systems that drive the cooling functions for the port truss.

Image Credit: NASA

NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy v Robonaut-2

Astronaut vs. Robonaut

Following a session of Robonaut 2 operations controlled by ground personnel, Expedition 35 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy has a few light moments with the robot in the Destiny Laboratory onboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. 

Robonaut 2 is the first humanoid robot to travel to space and the first U.S.-built robot to visit the space station. 

Image Credit: NASA