All Questions
24
questions
3
votes
2
answers
170
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Does earth orbiting debris that threatens the space station have a particular direction bias?
I'm starting to investigate the danger of orbital debris on the ISS (international space station). One could assume that due to the orbital velocity vector, that any debris that the ISS encounter, ...
4
votes
0
answers
98
views
Why is ~280 km one month before reentry the lowest altitude that the final ISS crew may see? Isn't that cutting it kinda close?
Writing this answer to When will the ISS deorbit? I came across Space Policy Online's NASA Solidifies Planning to Deorbit ISS in 2031 and the image below.
It shows the estimated last crew occupying ...
6
votes
1
answer
273
views
What generates static charge on the ISS?
There are two plasma contactors on the ISS Z1 truss, designed to neutralize static electrical charge of the space station.
What generates static charge on a spacecraft? If it is picking up charge from ...
4
votes
2
answers
374
views
Do standard procedures for securing the ISS before an orbital boost burn include making sure that at least large objects are securely "strapped down"?
In discussions on previous posts it was debated whether ISS crew would need to "batten down the hatches" and confirm all objects were "lashed to the deck" before an orbital boost ...
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What is the procedure in case the ISS loses one of the evacuation crafts?
Suppose that a micrometeorite or a sudden failure renders one of the Soyuz inoperable, or that a routine inspection discovers a defect in one of them that makes it unsafe.
What is the protocol to ...
2
votes
0
answers
189
views
How often are fewer than three astronauts present when moving a Soyuz spacecraft from one docking port to another?
CNN's Astronauts relocated a spacecraft outside the International Space Station (was it inside before?) says:
Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, along with NASA astronaut ...
3
votes
1
answer
187
views
Do ISS crew have the opportunity to take daily naps if they'd like to?
Could "days" on the space Station be made shorter to accomodate sleep patterns? raises an interesting point. I've often heard that for some astronauts they never really were able to sleep as ...
2
votes
1
answer
789
views
How do we use Fire Extinguishers to Control Fire in the Space Station?
In this NASA Webpage for Fire Prevention in Space, it is given that
If a fire were to occur on the ISS, the astronauts would become firemen and follow a three-step response system.
First, they would ...
118
votes
6
answers
27k
views
What makes (or at least made) Ada the language of choice for the ISS's safety-critical systems?
We have it on good authority that Ada is widely used for "safety critical software" on at least the US side of the International Space Station.
Of all the possible languages to choose from, ...
1
vote
1
answer
156
views
How are airborne particulates monitored on the ISS? Are they distinguished at all by size and/or type?
The question What kinds of activities, experiment and, procedures done on the ISS must be done in chambers vented to space? links to and quotes from this answer to the 3D Printing SE question How is ...
2
votes
2
answers
271
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What kinds of activities experiment and procedures done on the ISS must be done in nominal-pressure chambers that need to be vented to space?
This answer to the question in 3D Printing SE How is 3D printing done in space? says
The first big space-specific issue is actually air quality. You can't just open a window to air out the molten-ABS ...
7
votes
0
answers
196
views
Is the ISS in danger of the outer radiation belt?
Is the ISS in danger of the outer radiation belt? I know that the ISS is in the low earth orbit and that it briefly passes through the base of the outer RB, but it is actually in danger? How does the ...
26
votes
3
answers
2k
views
August 30th 2018 Soyuz leak, any dangers for re-entry?
On August 30th 2018, Soyuz MS-09 had a leak that was fixed by the ISS crew (source).
Does the leak/fix have any consequences on using the Soyuz for returning to Earth?
Would the fix hold the stress ...
4
votes
2
answers
812
views
Was this large pieces of "space junk" just released from the ISS in the "nadir and retrograde" direction?
According to Space.com's 02-Feb-2018 article Cosmonauts Break Russian Spacewalk Record During Space Station Antenna Repair:
The cosmonauts spent the day replacing an electronics box for a high-gain ...
8
votes
0
answers
756
views
ISS - Tiangong 2 minimum safe distance
Using the SGP4 propagator, I calculated the minimum distance between ISS and Tiangong-2 for this year.
I obtained 12.32 km for 2017-09-27 17:29:36.376 UTC (which ...
21
votes
5
answers
12k
views
Is it safe to observe the ISS with the naked eye?
As far as I understand, when we view the ISS, it is because the sunrays get reflected from the solar panels of the ISS and reach us at the appropriate angle. So that would be equivalent to viewing the ...
5
votes
1
answer
493
views
Does the ISS have any ability to detect or sense unexpected/unscheduled objects in close proximity?
In a recent science fiction movie there was a space station similar to the ISS, and it had a "proximity alert".
This made me wonder; in the real world, does the real ISS have any capability to ...
32
votes
4
answers
11k
views
Why would a box full of 1cm balls released into LEO be so scary to an engineer supporting the ISS?
update March 2018: I just saw this in Buzzfeed (Google sent me there, I don't normally read it): Rich People Will Soon Be Able To Buy Fake Meteor Showers On Demand. It seems this might happen in 2018.
...
10
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Can astronauts wear eyeglasses inside their helmets during launches and landings?
Are astronauts allowed to wear their eyeglasses inside their helmets during launches and landings?? Are there any special considerations or rules?
During spaceflight (launches and landings) there can ...
19
votes
1
answer
6k
views
What is the "ISS's Keep Out Sphere" and what is its radius?
The comment:
In a similar vein, it would be interesting to know if going around the moon rather than to the ISS removes any legal hurdles. Do we have any questions covering the legal ramifications (...
4
votes
1
answer
874
views
Is 45 km unusually close to pass the ISS and deploy a microsatellite without warning?
Eight years ago, on September 27, 2008, the Shenzhou-7 carying three taikonauts deployed the microsatellite Banxing-1 for testing maneuvers and external imaging. A few hours later at 15:07 UTC the ...
2
votes
0
answers
48
views
What systems or technologies are developed to protect ISS from space debris? [duplicate]
What kind of systems or technology is developed for ISS (International Space Station)? There are so many debris at higher orbits than ISS, but many of them has started deorbiting so we have a ...
4
votes
1
answer
971
views
Do meteor showers from 209P/LINEAR cometary debris pose a threat to the ISS and other Earth-orbiting satellites?
This is a somewhat similar question to What risk management options are available for Mars orbiters and rovers to mitigate threat of impacting with Siding Spring cometary debris?, only this time much ...
21
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What is the procedure if communication with the ISS is lost for an extended period?
Between ground control and the ISS there is the occasional short communications loss which they are obviously able to deal with, but is there a procedure to follow if the communication is lost for ...