All Questions
24
questions
3
votes
2
answers
170
views
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, ...
- 167
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 ...
- 148k
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 ...
- 22.7k
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 ...
- 148k
11
votes
1
answer
1k
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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 ...
- 920
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 ...
- 148k
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 ...
- 148k
2
votes
1
answer
786
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 ...
- 3,296
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, ...
- 148k
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 ...
- 148k
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 ...
- 148k
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 ...
- 363
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 ...
- 148k
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 ...
- 1,750