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Questions tagged [iss]

Questions about the ISS (International Space Station), a habitable man-made low Earth orbit satellite whose first component was launched in 1998 and used to conduct experiments for a wide variety of research fields in a microgravity environment.

2 votes
1 answer
164 views

Does the ISS keep pointing prograde for most of the time?

I know the solar panels rotate independently, so theoretically there should be no need for keeping the station pointing prograde. It would also be problematic for docking maneuvers. But on the other ...
Mister Smith's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
42 views

Identifying Antenna-Like Object with Gold Orb on ISS [duplicate]

Many photos of the Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) show it partially obscured by an object which looks like a golden orb on a poll. What is this object? Attempted Solution Zooming ...
user363165's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
231 views

Is there any way to predict if the ISS will lose its signal or to know it directly?

I am currently working on a project by using the ISS livestream: https://video.ibm.com/channel/iss-hdev-payload But sometimes there is a loss-of-signal and it displays a screen that breaks the ...
renadr's user avatar
  • 121
14 votes
1 answer
2k views

Does NASA have any rocket options to replace ISS segments?

Roscosmos has announced their ISS partnership will end in 2 years This might have been seen as an indication that the new administration at Roscosmos was in a more cooperative mood. Any such hopes ...
Machavity's user avatar
  • 7,925
4 votes
1 answer
959 views

Modelling ISS orbit in GMAT

I am a complete newbie in all things space related. I am trying to work out how I can model the orbit of the ISS in the NASA open source tool GMAT. I can get the TLE for ISS (ZAYRA) from space-track....
wolf72's user avatar
  • 141
19 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the orange material seen within the window frames of the Columbia Shuttle?

I'm seeing this orange material within the windows of Columbia shuttles -- any thoughts on its precise function? The ISS's Cupola also contains similar international orange bands, though they seem ...
Sylvester Silencio's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
612 views

What percentage of humans could execute the job of astronaut if given the opportunity? [closed]

Becoming an astronaut is notoriously difficult, with something on the order of 0.01% of all applicants getting picked for the job. To a large extent this is inevitable as only a dozen people per year ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 1,081
5 votes
1 answer
790 views

Why is the ISS camera (nearly) always off when passing over/near French Southern and Antarctic Lands / FSAL well south of India?

I have viewed ISS images for about 18 months and only twice seen partial glimpses of FSAL. Other areas of the world between 51 N&S latitudes routinely appear, although the camera is off sometimes....
CA Joe W's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
68 views

short duration of crew 4 mission

I am wondering why the crew 4 mission is (for the moment) only planned for 4 and half months and not the usual 6-6.5 months? Thanks.
ray's user avatar
  • 459
1 vote
0 answers
54 views

How spontaneously can a spacecraft be deorbited [duplicate]

Currently the return of AX-1 has been rescheduled multiple days due to weather concerns in the landing area. How quickly could astronauts on the ISS evacuate to the ground if so required? Scenarios ...
Hans's user avatar
  • 3,566
7 votes
5 answers
4k views

What is the maximum distance between two satellites orbiting at 400 km that would still allow them to communicate with each other using radio waves?

All satellites have the same inclination. At an altitude of 400 km, the circumference of their orbit is $2\pi \cdot (6371+400) = 42\ 543$ km. If, for example, you have only 2 satellites separated by ...
Sarah Williams's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
277 views

Specifications for Spacecraft interior and exterior paint colours

Are there specifications for Crewed mission spacecrafts in terms of interior and exterior paint colours? I.e. Only specific paint colours are required internally and externally. Can these paint ...
Prashant Akerkar's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

What will happen to the parts of the ISS after they burn up?

NASA has announced that the ISS (International Space Station) will be deorbited in 2031. Even if this date is moved the space station will eventually deorbit. Once the ISS has broken into thousands of ...
Starship - On Strike's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
1k views

Were Hasselblad cameras used in space after the Apollo mission?

Analog Hasselblad cameras with photochemical film were used extensively during the Apollo mission to the Moon. Were they used later for Spacelab, Space Shuttle and Mir or ISS?
Uwe's user avatar
  • 49.2k
6 votes
1 answer
837 views

What is this patch worn by the American astronauts?

In this image the American astronauts wear some patches on their chest but what is it? If it is the expedition's emblem, why it is so different from Russian ones?
Anixx's user avatar
  • 3,136

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