The International Space Station has been orbiting Earth since 1998, serving as a research platform for NASA astronauts and its international partners: the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Astronauts returning to Earth today
At the end of last month, (Nov. 27), Russia's Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crewmates NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. Their arrival marked the first time all eight ISS docking ports were occupied by spacecraft. Their arrival also meant the imminent departure of Soyuz MS-27 with NASA's Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.
That departure is scheduled for today. The trio are scheduled to leave the orbiting lab aboard their Soyuz spacecraft today at 8:41 p.m. EST (0141 GMT, Dec. 9), with touchdown expected about 3.5 hours later.
Space.com will carry the livestream via the space agency, covering the closing of the hatches between the Soyuz and the ISS beginning today at 4:45 pm EST (2145 GMT). The broadcast is scheduled to begin again at 8:15 p.m. EST (0115 GMT) and 10:30 p.m. EST (0330 GMT) for undocking and landing coverage, respectively.
Watch 3 astronauts head home to Earth from the International Space Station tonight
ROSCOSMOS Spacewalk 65
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy are headed back outside International Space Station (ISS) today for Spacewalk 65.
The extravehicular activity (EVA) is expected to begin around 10:20 a.m. EDT (1420 GMT) and last about six hours.
The duo "will install experiment hardware on the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module, and relocate a control panel for the European robotic arm attached to Nauka," NASA News Chief Cheryl Warner wrote in an emailed statement on Monday (Oct. 27).
ROSCOSMOS Spacewalk 64
Two cosmonauts, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy. of Roscosmos, are outside the International Space Station (ISS) this afternoon, beginning at about 12:50 p.m. EDT (1650 GMT), for a spacewalk that's expected to last 5.5 hours.
The pair will conduct a number of tasks during the extravehicular activity (EVA). Watch it live here, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency.
Watch 2 Russian cosmonauts spacewalk outside the International Space Station today
Cygnus XL NG-23 cargo spacecraft arrives at the ISS
The first "Cygnus XL" NG-23 cargo freighter arrived at the International Space Station ISS early this morning, and was captured by NASA astronaut Jonny Kim using the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm at 7:24 a.m. EDT (1124 GMT), as the ISS flew about 260 miles (420 kilometers) above the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cygnus was maneuvered to the Earth-facing port of the station's Unity module, and will be berthed at the ISS for until March 2026, when it will depart and deorbit to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
Cygnus rendezvous delayed
The most recent cargo launch to the ISS lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Sept. 14 from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:11 p.m. EDT (2211 GMT).
It was a new version of Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft, the Cygnus XL, a larger and more capable version of the veteran freighter. The previous iteration hauled about 8,500 (3,855 kilograms) pounds of cargo to the ISS, but Cygnus XL is taking 11,000 pounds (4,990 kg) up on this trip.
Cygnus suffered a thruster issue in orbit early Tuesday morning (Sept. 16). Now, the spacecraft will not arrive to the station on Wednesday, Sept. 17, as originally planned, with a new arrival date and time under review," NASA officials announced in an update on Tuesday afternoon.
Soyuz MS-26 lands back on Earth
Soyuz MS-26, with NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner touched down in Kazakhstan April 19, at 9:20 p.m. EDT (0120 GMT and 6:20 a.m. local Kazakh time on April 20). Their return wraps up 220 days in space.
MS-26 astronauts depart ISS
The Russian MS-26 Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) April 19, around 6:00 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT). The spacecraft is expected to touch down in Kazakhstan around 9:20 p.m. EDT (0120 GMT and 6:20 a.m. local Kazakh time on April 20).
Ovchinin passed control of the orbiting lab over to Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in a change-of-command ceremony April 18. In total, the MS-26 crew spent 220 days in space.
MS-27 astronauts arrive aboard ISS
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and his two cosmonaut colleagues have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). Russian MS-27 Soyuz spacecraft carrying Kim, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky docked with the orbiting lab on Tuesday (April 8) at 4:57 a.m. (0857 GMT).
It was a quick trip for the trio, who launched atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday at 1:47 a.m. EDT (0557 GMT; 10:47 a.m. local time in Kazakhstan).
Read more: NASA's Jonny Kim and 2 cosmonauts arrive at ISS aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft (video)
ISS Change of Command Ceremony March 7, 1:55 p.m. ET (1855 GMT)
NASA will stream a change of command ceremony aboard the International Space Station today, Friday, March 7, beginning at 1:55 p.m. (1855 GMT).
In preparation for the arrival of Crew-10 and subsequent departure of Crew-9, Expedition 72 station Commander NASA astronaut Suni Williams will pass command to Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, and the two are expected to share remarks. There ceremony will be broadcast on the NASA+ streaming service, as well as on the Space.com homepage.
NASA to livestream Roscosmos Spacewalk 63
Roscosmos Spacewalk 63, the 272nd spacewalk at the International Space Station (ISS), is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19, beginning at approximately 10:10 a.m. ET (1510 GMT).
The extravehicular activity (EVA) will be performed by Expedition 72 crew members, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. This will be the second EVA for Ovchinin, and first for Vagner. During the EVA, the pair will exit Russia's Poisk module, Ovchinin wearing an Orlan spacesuit with red stripes, with Vagner's spacesuit sporting blue stripes.
Ovchinin and Vagner will position an experiment component for monitoring celestial x-ray sources, detach old experiments for disposal, install an electrical connector patch panel, and relocate a control panel for the European robotic arm. The pair will be supported by fellow cosmonaut Alexsandr Gorbunov, who will operate the arm from inside the ISS.
NASA will stream the spacewalk live on its NASA+ streaming service, beginning about 15 minutes before the start of the EVA, here and the Space.com homepage.
Watch Russian cosmonauts install new X-ray detector during ISS spacewalk today (video)
Soyuz undocks from the ISS
"Expedition 71 in is the history books!"
Soyuz MS-25 undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:37 am EDT (08:37 UTC) on Monday (Sept. 23). The undocking represents the beginning of a journey back to Earth for NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson and Russian Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub.
When the undocking command was given, the capsule was docked to the ISS Prichal module with the space station over Eastern Mongolia. The hooks needed just 90 seconds to secure Prichal and retract.
Soyuz MS-25 commander Kononenko and Chub have broken records for stays on the ISS, spending 374 days on the station. The prior record of 371 days was held by their fellow cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin along with NASA's Frank Rubio, who occupuied the ISS from September 2022 to September 2023.
If the return of the Soyuz MS-25 goes according to plan NASA said it will touchdown will occur at around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), southeast of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan.
New ISS crew launching today
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a new three-person crew to the International Space Station today to kick off the Expedition 72 mission to the orbiting lab.
The Soyuz rocket will launch the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft for Roscosmos to ferry NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to the space station from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Liftoff will be at 12:23 p.m. EDT (1623 GMT; 9:23 p.m. local Baikonur time).
Pettit is renowned for his ability to squeeze amazing science out of his space missions. Check out our feature on this "space MacGyver" by Space.com's Elizabeth Howell ahead of his launch.
You can watch the Expedition 72 crew's Soyuz launch live online, courtesy of NASA TV, starting at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT). A livestream video feed is available at the top of this page.
NASA will also broadcast the Soyuz's planned docking at the ISS, which is scheduled for 3:33 p.m. EDT (1933 GMT). That docking webcast will begin at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), with another livestream set for 5:30 p.m. EDT (2150 GMT) to cover a hatch opening ceremony at 5:50 p.m. EDT (2150 GMT).
Starliner remains at ISS port as SpaceX eyes Aug. 18 launch
"Teams are taking their time to analyze the results of recent docked hot-fire testing, finalize flight rationale for the spacecraft’s integrated propulsion system, and confirm system reliability ahead of Starliner's return to Earth," NASA officials wrote in a blog post.
Starliner's location at the forward port of the ISS Harmony module is supposed to be cleared to make way for SpaceX Crew-9, which is launching no earlier than Aug. 18. Starliner originally was expected to spend about 10 days in space after launching June 5, but remained for what has now been two months.
While the two NASA astronauts with Starliner are cleared to return anytime and are not stranded in space, they are staying at ISS to allow the root causes of helium leaks and thruster misfirings to be determined. Boeing wants to send the first operational mission to the ISS, which would last six months, in 2025 and may require changes to the design or how the propulsion system is used to achieve that.
NASA spacewalks to resume in fall
Astronaut Tracy Dyson experienced the coolant leak while in the hatch of the International Space Station (ISS), during the beginning minutes of a spacewalk. The hatch was open, but she had not left the facility yet. She and her spacewalking partner, Mike Barratt, were never in any danger.
NASA postponed future spacewalks pending an investigation, moving back future extravehicular activity (EVA) dates several times to allow time for the work to complete. The agency has now identified a fix and will replace the umbilical on her suit, agency officials said in a briefing today (July 26).
"We're just working to find time in the busy [ISS] schedule to replan that series of EVAs," ISS program manager Dana Weigel said in the livestreamed briefing, referring to dockings and undockings of other spacecraft in the summer. "My expectation is that's that's out in the fall timeframe sometimes, so we're still working through that."
ISS operations unaffected by global tech outage
The Cloudstrike outage has created issues with air and train travel, as well as key services with banks and businesses around the world. The outage occurred early this morning in EDT hours, and resolution efforts by Microsoft and Cloudstrike are ongoing.
NASA plans independent review of Falcon 9 failure
On SpaceX's near-term launch manifest is NASA's next International Space Station astronaut rotation. Called Crew-9, it is slated to send four astronauts to the ISS as early as mid-August. But NASA program manager Dana Weigel said the agency will have "its own process that's outside of what the FAA does" even if the administration rules in favor of SpaceX's request.
Read more: SpaceX launches to ISS are under independent NASA review after rare Falcon 9 rocket failure
ISS will gently fall back to Earth before SpaceX vehicle pushes it into atmosphere
"Our plan is for [the astronauts] to leave about six months before the final reentry, as ISS reaches about 220 kilometers [136 miles]," Weigel said, explaining that's as low as human vehicles are typically rated to fly. For comparison, the typical ISS orbit is 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
Read more: ISS could 'drift down' for a year before SpaceX vehicle destroys it in Earth's atmosphere
NASA slates next spacewalk for July 29 after coolant leak
"This change allows teams on the ground to continue to troubleshoot and understand the water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit that forced an early end to a spacewalk on Monday, June 24," NASA officials wrote in the update.
Tracy Dyson and Mike Barratt, who were on the last EVA attempt that lasted just 31 minutes of its planned 6.5-hours, will make "hardware replacements and installations, preparations for future upgrades on science gear and photographic inspections of station pipelines" during the rescheduled spacewalk, NASA officials noted in a blog post June 27.
Related: NASA delays next ISS spacewalk until end of July due to spacesuit leak issue
No landing date for Boeing Starliner, more tests required
A test campaign will start as soon as July 2 at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to replicate how the thrusters were used during the flight, NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said during a livestreamed update today (June 28) with reporters. The testing will take approximately two weeks, but that depends on what is found — and more analysis will be required afterwards. As such, NASA and Boeing do not yet have a landing date for Starliner.
"We're not going to target a specific date until we get that testing completed, and we look at the fault tree, and then we understand the path for it," Stich said.
Read more: Boeing's Starliner spacecraft still doesn't have a landing date, NASA says
NASA to update reporters on ISS issues at 2 p.m. EDT
The Expedition 71 crew also temporarily took shelter in their return spacecraft June 26 after a satellite broke up in low Earth orbit, although the precautionary procedure lasted only an hour.
Read more: Listen live today as NASA, Boeing discuss Starliner return, spacewalk issues
NASA spacewalk concludes after coolant leak, crew not in any danger
Read more: NASA cancels ISS spacewalk due to spacesuit coolant leak (video)
Watch NASA astronauts collect microbe samples during ISS spacewalk today
The spacewalk is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) and last about 6.5 hours, although at the time of this story at 8:35 a.m. EDT (1235 GMT), depressurization was ongoing. (Spacewalk timing is always approximate as operational needs come first.)
Read more: Watch NASA astronauts collect microbe samples during ISS spacewalk today (livestream video)
NASA reschedules spacewalk to June 24 after astronaut 'discomfort'
The spacewalk was postponed during the livestream on NASA Television June 13. "Spacewalkers Tracy Dyson and Matt Dominick were preparing for US EVA 90 — spacewalk 90 — today, but today's spacewalk will not be proceeding as planned," a NASA commentator said on the stream just after the postponement decision was made, adding, "we're standing by for more information, and we will share as we learn that."
Shortly after, a NASA update said the call was made due to a "spacesuit discomfort issue," but it did not indicate specify which astronaut or astronauts it had affected or what exactly had occurred.
The rescheduled Expedition 71 spacewalk will see astronauts "remove faulty radio hardware and swab station surfaces for microorganisms", NASA officials wrote. Then a second spacewalk is planned on July 2 for several maintenance tasks: removing and replacing a gyroscope assembly, relocating an antenna, and working on a dark matter experiment known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Spacewalk postponed due to 'discomfort issue'
Read more: NASA calls off spacewalk at International Space Station due to 'spacesuit discomfort'
NASA calls off spacewalk
But according to a recent NASA statement, "The crew has just begun taking off their suits, at approximately 6:25 am CDT, about an hour before the crew was anticipated to exit the Quest airlock. We are standing by for more information and will share as we know it."
No emergency situation on space station, NASA says
Russian spacewalk begins outside ISS
Two Russian cosmonauts have begun a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) today (April 25).
Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub exited the space station at 10:57 a.m. ET (1457 GMT). They will now "spend about seven hours configuring hardware and installing experiments on the Roscosmos segment of the space station," NASA officials said in an update on Wednesday (April 24). (Roscosmos is Russia's space agency.)
You can watch it live here, courtesy of NASA.
Related: Watch 2 cosmonauts conduct spacewalk outside the ISS today
Russian Soyuz rocket launch of 3 astronauts to ISS aborted at last-minute
The launch of Russian Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station on Thursday (March 21) was aborted with just 21 seconds before liftoff.
The Soyuz rocket was set to launch NASA astronaut Tracey Caldwell Dyson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus to the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Liftoff was scheduled for 9:21 a.m. EDT (1321 GMT).
The rare abort was called due to a battery issue, Roscosmos reported. The next available launch window is on Saturday (March 23).
Related: Russian Soyuz rocket suffers rare last-minute abort during launch of 3 astronauts to ISS (video)
Crew-7 departs ISS for March 12 splashdown
The international crew includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov. Their mission will last 199 days, assuming an on-time splashdown tomorrow (March 12).
Read more: SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts undock from the ISS for March 12 return to Earth
SpaceX Crew-7 to undock from ISS today: watch live
Read more: Watch live as SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts undock from the ISS today
Two cargo ships depart International Space Station
Also, Northrop Grumman's uncrewed Cygnus NG-19 spacecraft left the International Space Station (ISS) at 8:06 a.m. EST (1306 GMT) on Friday, Dec. 22. The Canadarm2 robotic arm released the spacecraft over the north Atlantic ocean just one minute past the expected schedule, NASA official Rebecca Turkington said in a livestream on NASA Television. Cygnus will do a fire experiment for a couple of weeks before being commanded for a destructive re-entry in Earth's atmosphere in January 2024; the exact date of re-entry has not been released yet.
NASA shows what 2 tomatoes look like after being lost on International Space Station
We finally have imagery of NASA's lost space tomato — and surprise, there are two.
Read more: NASA reveals what 2 tomatoes look like after being lost in space for 8 months (video)
SpaceX Dragon to undock from the ISS on Dec. 15 after delay
The Dragon undocking was delayed from Thursday (Dec. 14) due to "unfavorable weather conditions as a result of a cold front passing through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida," agency officials stated. Coverage starts at 4:45 p.m. EST (2105 GMT) here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Read more: Watch SpaceX Dragon undock from the ISS on Dec. 15 after delay
Astronaut reveals vintage Nobel Prize in space
The International Space Station (ISS) is hosting a quantum experiment based on a discovery made by new Nobel laureate Moungi Bawendi, a French-born American/Tunisian chemist. What's more, an old Nobel medal is in space right now.
European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who is from Denmark, revealed the medal of Danish physicist Niels Bohr on the ISS in a livestream Monday (Dec. 11) with Nobel laureates.
Read more: Astronaut shows off vintage Nobel Prize in space — and talks 'quantum dots' ISS experiment (video)
Tomato lost in space for 8 months on ISS found at last
A foodie space mystery has finally been solved.
The remains of a tiny tomato lost by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio after an off-Earth harvest in March finally showed up on the International Space Station (ISS), more than eight months later.
"Our good friend Frank Rubio, who headed home [already], has been blamed for quite a while for eating the tomato. But we can exonerate him. We found the tomato," NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli said during a livestreamed event on Wednesday (Dec. 6) that celebrated the ISS' 25th anniversary.
Read more: ISS astronauts find tomato that was lost in space for 8 months (video)
ISS Russian Progress cargo ship successfully undocks: Report
With Progress MS-23 vacated from Poisk, that makes room for the next cargo ship to arrive. The Progress MS-25 ship is scheduled to launch with 5,600 pounds (2,540 kg) of cargo from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Friday (Dec. 1) at 4:25 a.m. EST (0925 GMT or 3:25 p.m. local time), and you can watch that event live here at Space.com, via NASA Television. Docking will happen at 6:14 a.m. EST (1114 GMT) on Sunday (Dec. 3) and will also be available live.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut will join Boeing Starliner crew to ISS in 2025
The Canadian Space Agency announced a new long-duration mission Tuesday (Nov. 22) for an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS).
Joshua Kutryk, a test pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, will fly on the first operational Boeing Starliner mission in 2025 for a six-month mission to the ISS. Kutryk, on his first spaceflight, will join NASA veteran astronauts Scott Tingle (commander) and Mike Fincke (pilot). Another crew member will be assigned "following review and approval by the agency and its international partners."
Canada typically receives missions every six years based on its ISS contributions, and current spacecraft capacity. Kutryk wasn't the only Canadian with big news to share: fellow astronaut Jenni Gibbons was named backup to Jeremy Hansen, the CSA astronaut flying around the moon with Artemis 2 in 2024.
Read more: Canada assigns astronauts to launch on Boeing's Starliner, back up Artemis 2 moon mission
SpaceX cargo craft flies to International Space Station Nov. 9
The CRS-29 Dragon launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida at 8:28 p.m. EST (0128 GMT on Nov. 10). If all goes according to plan, the Dragon will arrive at the ISS around 5:20 a.m. EST (1020 GMT) on Saturday (Nov. 11). You can watch the rendezvous and docking here at Space.com.
Read more: SpaceX launches its 29th cargo mission to the International Space Station
SpaceX, NASA delay International Space Station launch to Nov. 9
SpaceX and NASA have delayed the next Dragon cargo launch to the International Space Station to Nov. 9, an additional two-day wait. The decision was to allow for "completion of final prelaunch closeout ahead of liftoff," NASA officials wrote in a blog post on Thursday evening (Nov. 2).
It's the second delay in recent days for mission CRS-29. It was first set for launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Sunday (Nov. 5), but pushed back to Nov. 7 days ago to provide more time for prelaunch processing.
You can watch live during the new Nov. 9 launch time of 8:28 p.m. EST (0128 GMT Nov. 10) at Space.com, via NASA Television.
Read more: SpaceX, NASA delay CRS-29 cargo launch again, to Nov. 9
Two NASA astronauts finish 4th all-female spacewalk
Read more: NASA astronauts complete 4th-ever all-female spacewalk outside International Space Station
International Space Station all-female spacewalk begins
Watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency.
Read more: Watch 2 NASA astronauts conduct 4th-ever all-female spacewalk today
All-woman spacewalk today on International Space Station: Watch live
Watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency.
Read more: Watch 2 NASA astronauts conduct 4th-ever all-female spacewalk today
New ISS study with mice suggests humans can reproduce in space
Read more: Can humans reproduce in space? Mouse breakthrough on ISS a promising sign
NASA ready for delayed Nov. 1 all-female spacewalk
NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara will do only the fourth extravehicular activity (EVA) with an all-woman crew, following a trio with Christina Koch and Jessica Meir of NASA in 2019 and 2020.
The spacewalk was postponed from Oct. 20 following a leak on the ISS on the Russian side that remains under investigation following an Oct. 25 spacewalk by Roscosmos cosmonauts. A second NASA spacewalk, originally set for October as well, has also been postponed until later in the year.
Read more about the new all-woman spacewalk here.
ISS spacewalking astronauts find toxic 'blob' of coolant
Oleg Kononenko came so close to the growing "blob" or "droplet" — as the pooling ammonia was described — that one of his tethers became contaminated, necessitating it being bagged and left outside of the space station when the spacewalk ended.
Read more: Cosmonauts on ISS spacewalk encounter toxic coolant 'blob' while inspecting leaky radiator
Hatch opens and ISS spacewalk begins
Read more: Cosmonauts will hunt for source of ISS leak during a spacewalk today. Watch it live
Watch live today as cosmonauts seek source of ISS leak
Expedition 70 cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will install communications hardware, release a nanosatellite, and look at a suspected leaky radiator on Russia's new Nauka science module.
Related: Cosmonauts will hunt for source of ISS leak during a spacewalk today. Watch it live
Rare all-woman spacewalk remains on schedule after ISS leak
NASA astronauts Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will do the fourth-ever all-woman spacewalk, following a trio by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir in 2019 and 2020. Moghbeli and O'Hara will remove a faulty electronics box and replace a bearing needed for one of the station's solar arrays.
A second spacewalk, originally set and then rescheduled for October, will now happen later in 2023 as NASA and Russia's federal space agency, Roscosmos, continue their analysis, NASA officials stated this week. The excursion will include O'Hara and European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen on other maintenance tasks.
The leak in Russia's Nauka science module started and stopped on Oct. 9, with an unknown cause. Roscosmos plans its own spacewalk on Oct. 25 to look at a suspect radiator up close, which was transferred from the Rassvet module earlier in 2023.
Read more: NASA delays spacewalk a 2nd time due to leak on International Space Station
1-year International Space Station crew readies for Sept. 27 arrival on Earth
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft with Rubio and two cosmonauts — Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos — is expected to leave the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday at 3:54 a.m. EDT (0754 GMT). The trio would then touch down in Kazakhstan at 7:17 a.m. EDT (1117 GMT).
You can watch all these events live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA.
SpaceX Crew-7 launch to International Space Station delayed
Read more: SpaceX, NASA delay launch of Crew-7 astronauts to International Space Station
SpaceX Crew-7 go for launch on Aug. 25
SpaceX Crew-7 passed its flight readiness review with no major issues, NASA officials said in a late-night update Thursday (Aug. 24). Weather conditions also are positive, according to Patrick Space Force Base, which manages the airspace in the region of the launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Crew-7 mission will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than Friday (Aug. 25) at 3:50 a.m. EDT (0750 GMT) and you can watch live here at Space.com, via a feed from NASA Television. The broadcast will begin at Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25).
The astronauts for Expeditions 69/70: NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, the second Iranian-American in space; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa; and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX launch Crew-7 astronauts for NASA early on Aug. 25 with free livestream
International Space Station crew celebrates Chandrayaan-3 landing
An orbiting astronaut found out about Chandrayaan-3's successful landing on the moon today (Aug. 23) on social media.
It was "all over the news" during the lunch break of Sultan Al Neyadi, an International Space Station astronaut conducting the first long-duration orbital mission for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"It was really big," the SpaceX Crew-6 astronaut told Space.com from orbit during a press conference today. "I saw multiple clips of mission control in India ... it was really great watching that achievement, and, hopefully, as I've mentioned, many nations will follow the same footsteps of India."
Read more: India's historic Chandrayaan-3 moon landing celebrated by ISS astronauts
SpaceX astronauts are in Florida ahead of Aug. 25 launch
The SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Sunday (Aug. 20) for their International Space Station launch. They will head to space no earlier than Aug. 25, and you can watch the whole thing live here at Space.com, via NASA TV.
On board is Jasmin Moghbeli, the second Iranian-American to reach space on Crew-7, and joining her is a fully international crew: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen.
Read more: SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts arrive in Florida ahead of Aug. 25 launch (photos, video)
Cygnus berths with ISS, bringing cargo to space station
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-19 spacecraft berthed with the the International Space Station on Friday (Aug. 4), bringing 8,200 pounds (3,700 kg) of experiments and supplies to the orbiting lab after two days in space.
The cargo craft is the last to launch on a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket using a first stage built in Ukraine. This spacecraft is named after NASA astronaut Laurel Clark, who died during the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003.
Read more: Cygnus space freighter arrives at space station with 8,200 pounds of cargo aboard
Humanoid robot, Rollin' Justin, works with International Space Station astronauts
The humanoid robot Rollin' Justin is exploring landscapes like the moon or Mars, driving in Germany under control from orbiting International Space Station astronauts.
Justin most recently worked with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in July, and is next slated to partner with European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen after the SpaceX Crew-7 launch on Aug. 17.
"It's one of the experiments that I'm really looking forward to," Mogensen said in an individual interview with Space.com on July 25.
Read more: Meet Rollin' Justin, the human-like robot that astronauts control from space
Denmark astronaut aims for aurora imaging on ISS
European Space Agency Andreas Mogensen captured auroras when he last stayed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015, and he's aiming to do it again soon. The sun is reaching its peak of activity, just as he prepares to fly to space next month on SpaceX's Crew-7 mission.
"Practice, practice, practice, because it is tricky to get good photos," Mogensen, the first Danish citizen in space, told Space.com during a livestreamed press conference from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Read more: SpaceX Crew-7 astronaut plans to snap aurora photos on the ISS
International Space Station crew safe during brief power drop
"We were able to talk to the crew through Russian assets about 20 minutes after the failure," Joel Montalbano, NASA's ISS program manager, told reporters during a press conference Tuesday.
Read more: NASA briefly lost contact with International Space Station after power drop
Watch SpaceX Dragon depart the International Space Station today
A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station today (June 29), and you can watch it live.
The Dragon cargo flight arrived at the International Space Station on June 6, carrying a variety of crucial supplies and cutting-edge scientific experiments. The SpaceX capsule's departure is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT). Watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV, starting at 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT).
After a 14-hour return flight, the cargo craft will splash down in the ocean off the coast of Florida on Friday (June 30) at around 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT). The ocean landing will not be livestreamed.
Read more: World's 1st 'hacking sandbox' satellite and more to ride on SpaceX's next NASA cargo launch
Spacewalk concludes after 5 hours, 35 minutes
"Today’s spacewalk concluded at 2:17pm ET (1817 UTC) and lasted 5 hours and 35 minutes. (NASA astronauts) Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg installed a new roll-out solar array and completed numerous additional tasks outside the space station," NASA officials wrote in a tweet.
Spacewalk underway at International Space Station
You can watch the extravehicular activity (EVA) live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency.
Read more: Watch 2 NASA astronauts spacewalk outside space station on June 15 in this free livestream
Watch NASA astronauts perform a 6.5-hour spacewalk today
NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg are conducting a spacewalk today (June 9) to install a new upgraded IROSA (International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array) for the International Space Station (ISS).
The spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), began at 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 UTC) when the pair exited the station's Quest airlock. The EVA will last approximately six and a half hours.
This is the ninth spacewalk for veteran astronaut Bowen, while it will be the first for Hoburg. Bowen will wear an unmarked suit and Hoburg will be in an EVA suit featuring red stripes. Watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of NASA.
Another spacewalk is scheduled to follow on June 15 to install an additional solar array.
Read more: SpaceX Dragon CRS-28 cargo capsule docks with space station to deliver vital supplies
Watch Russian cosmonauts perform six-hour spacewalk
Read more: Watch Russian cosmonauts make their 3rd try at a spacewalk tonight
Damaged Soyuz touches down in Kazakhstan
"Its de-orbiting and descent to Earth went smoothly," Roscosmos officials announced on Telegram after landing. Images showed the spacecraft descending under its parachute and at rest on its side after landing.
Read more: Leaky Soyuz spacecraft departs space station and returns to Earth in speedy landing
SpaceX is ready to launch its latest cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (March 14). Officials will hold a briefing today at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) and the launch is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 GMT Wednesday, March 11). You can watch both live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Watch Crew-5 come home from International Space Station
A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the Crew-5 roster — NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Japan's Koichi Wakata — is expected to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) at 2:05 a.m. EST (0705 GMT) on Saturday, wrapping up five months in orbit.
You can watch the Dragon's departure live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency.
Read more: Watch SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts leave the space station March 11 after delay
SpaceX Crew-6 docks with International Space Station an hour late
Crew-6 was positioned to dock about an hour earlier than that, but Endeavour stood down while SpaceX troubleshot a faulty sensor with one of the 12 hooks that helps the capsule connect to the ISS. Eventually, ground teams beamed up a software override that fixed the sensor problem, and Endeavour pulled off a successful rendezvous.
Read more: SpaceX's Crew-6 astronauts arrive at space station after hour-long delay
Crew-6 astronauts begin first full day in space
- 1:11 a.m. EST (0611 GMT): Docking with the ISS occurs.
- 3:27 a.m. EST (0827 GMT): Hatch opening with the ISS occurs.
- 3:40 a.m. EST (0840 GMT): The welcome ceremony at the ISS begins.
SpaceX, NASA confirm Thursday (March 2) launch for Crew-6
A launch attempt Monday (Feb. 27) to the International Space Station (ISS) had been called off 2.5 minutes before T-0 due to a ground-system issue, but NASA said the issue has been addressed.
SpaceX and NASA found a problem with ignition fluid, called triethylaluminum triethylboron or TEA-TEB, that sparks the oxidizer for the engines to turn on.
"During prelaunch, the TEA-TEB fluid—which originates in a ground supply tank— flows to the rocket's interface and back to a catch tank to remove gas from the ground plumbing," NASA officials wrote. "During engine start, the fluid then flows to the engines for ignition. Flow into the catch tank is one of several parameters used to determine that the fluid has been properly bled into the system."
A clogged ground filter reducing the flow to a TEA-TEB catch tank caused the issue and that filter has been replaced. The TEA-TEB nitrogen line was also purged with nitrogen and everything has been cleared for launch.
Following launch, Crew-6 and its four astronauts are scheduled to dock with the Harmony module at the ISS at 1:17 a.m. EST (0617 GMT) on Friday (March 3). Hatch opening is expected at 3:27 a.m. EST and the welcome ceremony at 3:40 a.m. EST. Space.com will also carry these events, courtesy of NASA.
SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-6 by one day
Read more: SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-6 astronaut launch to Feb. 27
Russia accelerates Soyuz launch as Crew-6 arrives for their own liftoff
Meanwhile, the SpaceX Crew-6 crew of four astronauts will arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center today (Feb. 21) ahead of their expected launch on Sunday (Feb. 26). Learn how to watch live here and to stay connected to all the activities and news conferences, which we will run live here at Space.com through the week.
International Space Station astronauts conclude spacewalk
Our preview story has more details about their plans for the day and how it fits into space station operations, and our wrap talks about how the spacewalk went.
International Space Station spacewalk begins
Watch the extravehicular activity live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency.
Read more: Watch 2 astronauts perform 2nd spacewalk of 2023 today
Astronauts wrap up spacewalk, port some tasks to another day
Full story: Spacewalking astronauts hit snags installing new solar array mount outside space station
Watch live: 2 astronauts do first spacewalk of 2023
Preview story: Watch 2 astronauts perform 1st spacewalk of 2023 at space station today
Russian engineers study Soyuz coolant leak
"Experts in Moscow are going to be taking a look at their systems and responding to the leak according to their procedures and polices," NASA space station flight director Emily Nelson said during live NASA TV commentary. "Once they have a good understanding of the final status of the Soyuz tonight, we will then jointly make a decision about where to go forward from here."
NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said NASA will provide an update Thursday morning on the latest news from Roscosmos over the leak.
Inspection underway of leaky Soyuz spacecraft
Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina is using the space station's European Robotic Arm to inspect the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft as flight controllers on Earth study telemetry and other data from the spacecraft.
Flight controllers with Russia's Roscosmos and NASA are weighing options on what to do about the Soyuz spacecraft, which serves as a return ship and lifeboat for three members of the station's 7-person crew.
Breaking: Soyuz spacecraft leaking coolant at space station
Russia's space agency Roscosmos has called off a spacewalk by two cosmonauts at the International Space Station today after an apparent coolant leak on a Soyuz MS-22 crew capsule spewed coolant around its docking port on the orbiting lab.
The leak was first detected at 7:45 p.m. EST (0045 Dec. 15 GMT) as cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin were preparing to exit the space station for a 7-hour spacewalk outside the station. The Soyuz spacecraft launched to the space station on Sept. 21 to deliver the two cosmonauts and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio to the space station and was due to return to Earth size months later.
"The cause of this leak [is] not known at this time," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during live commentary. "Russian specialists are continuing to look at the data and discussing what may have triggered the leak."
This is a developing story and we'll share updates as they are available.
International Space Station crew begins unloading SpaceX Dragon science delivery
SpaceX-delivered science is being unloaded right now in space. The robotic Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Sunday (Nov. 27) around 7:39 a.m. EST (1239 GMT) over the Pacific Ocean.
"We're excited to unpack and get to work," NASA astronaut Josh Cassada radioed Mission Control from the station after the successful docking.
Dragon has about 7,700 pounds (3,500 kilograms) of cargo. The manifest includes two new International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs) to boost power on the solar wings. Scientific experiments were also prominent, including a study to grow dwarf cherry tomatoes and another to do microgravity research with 3D-cultured heart tissue.
Read more: SpaceX Dragon cargo ship docks at space station to deliver solar arrays, seeds and more
International Space Station crew completes two spacewalks
Astronauts and cosmonauts at the International Space Station completed two spacewalks this week amid a lot of other station activities in November.
On Thursday (Nov. 17), Expedition 68 commander Sergey Prokopyev and flight engineer Dmitry Petelin, from Russian federal space corporation Roscosmos, finished a 6 hour, 25 minute EVA (extravehicular activity) to prepare an airlock and radiator to transfer between space station modules.
On Tuesday (Nov. 15), Expedition 68 NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio worked together on Tuesday (Nov. 15) added hardware to support two more upgraded solar arrays during a 7 hour and 11 minute EVA.
It's been a busy few weeks for the space station, as the crew also received a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on Nov. 9, which reached the ISS safely despite a solar array problem. And at least one U.S. astronaut, Josh Cassada, voted from space during the 2022 midterm election.
SpaceX will fly two Saudi astronauts to International Space Station on Axiom-2
NASA and Houston-based company Axiom Space will send Saudi astronauts aboard Ax-2, fully filling out the four seats for the SpaceX mission, according to SpaceNews. The group will fly to the International Space Station following the first-ever private effort, Ax-1, that launched and landed in April.
Read more: SpaceX will fly 2 Saudi astronauts to space station on private Axiom Space mission
Russian space debris is still haunting the International Space Station a year later
It's been nearly a year since a Russian anti-satellite test took place on Nov. 15, 2021, which has caused swarms of debris to threaten the International Space Station numerous times already. That happened once again earlier this week.
On Monday (Oct. 24) at 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025 GMT on Oct. 25), the ISS team fired thrusters on Progress 81, a Russian cargo ship attached to the station, to boost the station's orbit and avoid the debris fragment, NASA officials stated.
Read more: International Space Station dodges space debris from Russian anti-satellite test
Teamwork and a '2001' cosplay
Expedition 67 commander Samantha Cristoforetti had a cosplay strategy in orbit. The Italian astronaut, despite having seen "about 15 movies", is a fan of the classic 1968 space opera film "2001: A Space Odyssey."
A visit to a thrift store, and consultations with SpaceX and fellow space station residents,, helped on her long-standing quest to build up teamwork in orbit, while replicating an iconic scene from the film during which a flight attendant hangs upside down in a hatch.
"That is not something that I would buy for myself, normally," the European Space Agency astronaut told Space.com of her costume during a post-flight press conference with other SpaceX Crew-4 members on Thursday (Oct. 20). "But it seemed to fit perfectly for that need."
SpaceX Crew-4 mission departure delayed due to weather
During departure remarks and the change-of-command ceremony earlier today, Expedition 68 commander Samantha Cristoforetti thanked her "space ninja" crew for support during the two weeks she commanded the orbiting complex. "I just want to say what a privilege it's been to serve as a commander for this short period of time — short but intense," Cristoforetti, the first European female to command ISS, said during the broadcast.
Crew-4 gives farewell remarks before ISS departure
At 10:05 a.m. EDT (1405 GMT), the four Crew-4 astronauts will give some farewell remarks. And one of them — European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the current ISS commander — will hand the reins of the orbiting lab over to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev during a change-of-command ceremony around that same time.
Read more: Watch SpaceX Crew-4 mission depart space station today (Oct. 12)
Crew-5 arrives at International Space Station
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft safely delivered Crew-5 to the International Space Station. The hatches between Endurance and the ISS opened around 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT) on Thursday (Oct. 7), and the Crew-5 astronauts — NASA's Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan's Koichi Wakata and cosmonaut Anna Kikina — came aboard roughly 10 minutes later.
Read more: SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut mission arrives at the International Space Station
Hurricane Ian spotted from International Space Station after Florida landfall
NASA cameras on the International Space Station showed live views of Hurricane Ian as the storm surge reached Florida's coast Wednesday (Sept. 28), near Cayo Costa, according to the National Hurricane Center.
"Hurricane Ian has made landfall as an extremely dangerous hurricane near Cayo Costa, Florida with maximum sustained winds at 150 mph," NHC officials wrote in an update on Twitter at 3:05 p.m. EDT (1905 GMT).
Full story: 'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida as NASA watches from space (video)
First European female commander helms International Space Station
Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took command of the International Space Station and Expedition 68 in a ceremony today (Sept. 28) livestreamed from orbit.
The expedition officially begins when previous ISS commander Oleg Artemyev and fellow cosmonauts Denis Matveev and Sergei Korsakov depart the orbiting lab early Thursday (Sept. 29) aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Cristoforetti is the fifth European commander of the ISS, following Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
Artemyev struck notes of peace during the changeover ceremony, closing an expedition that had taken place in its entirety during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine that started in February. "War will end everywhere," he said at one point.
"In spite of everything, in spite of all the storms on Earth, we continue our international cooperation, and thank God that there are smart people who do not stop such a thread of peace," Artemyev added in Russian. (This translation was provided by Google from an automated transcript of his speech.)
Full story: European woman takes command of International Space Station for 1st time
Hurricane Ian delays SpaceX Crew-5 launch
SpaceX and NASA will push back the Crew-5 flight to the International Space Station to Oct. 4 at the least, a day later than planned.
The mission is scheduled to launch from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. But Hurricane Ian, which may be 'catastrophic' to Florida as some officials termed it, has delayed the launch; the new target date is uncertain.
"Mission teams will continue to monitor the impacts of Ian on the Space Coast and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and could adjust the launch date again, as necessary," NASA officials wrote in an update Tuesday (Sept. 27).
Read more: Hurricane Ian delays SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut launch to Oct. 4
SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts ready for launch
The three astronauts and Russian cosmonaut of Crew-5 may launch as soon as Oct. 3 on a historic mission to the International Space Station. Not only is it the first time a Russian cosmonaut took a seat on a SpaceX spacecraft, but the mission is launching at a time when American and Russian relations are strained due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Read more: NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts ready for historic mission
Hatch opens, new Soyuz crew welcomed to International Space Station
The crew had a swift trip to orbit, taking just two orbits and three hours to reach their destination after launching at 9:54 a.m. EDT (1354 GMT) earlier today. You can also read our full story on the launch.
Soyuz docks at International Space Station
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin docked their Soyuz crew ship to the station's Rassvet module at 1:06pm ET today. https://t.co/JoYQjM2QxOSeptember 21, 2022
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station on Wednesday (Sept. 21) at 1:06 p.m. EDT (1706 GMT) after just two orbits and three hours in space, which is a super-speedy trip.
The Expedition 67 crew will soon welcome the new arrivals to the orbiting complex: NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin.
The hatch opening will be broadcast at about 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT) live on NASA Television. You can also read our full story on the launch.
International Space Station astronauts spot Soyuz launch
We had a spectacular view of the #Soyuz launch! Sergey, Dmitry and Frank will come knocking on our door in just a couple of hours… looking forward to welcoming them to their new home! #MissionMinerva pic.twitter.com/b6PP8L6AElSeptember 21, 2022
The International Space Station Expedition 67 crew saw the successful Russian Soyuz spacecraft launch of three crewmates earlier this morning.
European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti captured imagery of the launch at 9:54 a.m. EDT (1354 GMT), which she shared on Twitter from orbit. "Looking forward to welcoming them to their new home," she said of the upcoming trio.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin are about to perform docking, which you can watch live on NASA Television. You can also read our full story on the launch.
NASA astronaut, two Russian cosmonauts launch to International Space Station
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin launched to the International Space Station today from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:54 a.m. EDT (1354 GMT or 6:54 p.m. local time in Baikonur.)
The trio are now in their preliminary orbit. They will take just just two orbits and three hours to reach the ISS. The Soyuz will then dock and the hatches connecting the two spacecraft should open two hours later.
Read our preview story to see timings on all the events today, as well as coverage times on NASA Television.
NASA requests two additional private International Space Station missions
NASA said Wednesday (Sept. 14) that it has asked private industry for proposals for two private missions to the International Space Station (ISS) that will run between late 2023 and 2024.
It's not the first time such a mission has happened; the Houston-based company Axiom Space sent three paying customers and a retired NASA spaceflyer to the ISS earlier this year on a mission called Ax-1, and a second mission is booked with Axiom for next year.
Full story: NASA requests 2 new private astronaut missions to International Space Station
International Space Station spacewalk concludes
The duo blazed through the remaining tasks left over from an Aug. 17 spacewalk cut short due to a power issue in a spacesuit; the spacesuits, incidentally, worked perfectly this time during the 7 hour, 47 minute spacewalk.
"You completed more than you set out to do! Very productive," a representative from Moscow Mission Control told the cosmonauts just after they closed the hatch. (The transmission was in Russian; interpretation was available in English on NASA Television.)
The cosmonauts concluded several configuration tasks for the European Robotic Arm and in one of several get-ahead activities, extended the Strela crane boom between the Poisk and FGB modules on the Russian side of the ISS.
Read more: Russian spacewalkers test European robotic arm on the space station Friday
Russian cosmonauts extend boom on International Space Station
Expedition 67 commander Oleg Artemyev and flight engineer Denis Matveev exited the Poisk airlock at 9:25 a.m. EDT (1325 GMT) to work on the European Robotic Arm. Coverage is ongoing on NASA Television.
Spacewalking cosmonauts pivot to 'get-ahead' tasks
They installed a work platform on the Russian Nauka module, configured a control panel, adjusted the arm's "end effector" for grasping payloads, and tied down launch restraints and insulation they removed earlier in the spacewalk.
Cosmonauts more than an hour ahead of schedule
So far the cosmonauts have removed and bundled some extra insulation, worked with a control panel and done other configuration activities to get the robotic arm ready for service.
The spacewalk is scheduled for 6.5 hours.
Roscosmos spacewalkers 50 minutes ahead of schedule
Two Russian cosmonauts working at the International Space Station are 50 minutes ahead of the timeline on their 6.5-hour scheduled spacewalk.
Expedition 67 commander Oleg Artemyev and flight engineer Denis Matveev, who exited the Russian Poisk module at 9:25 a.m. EDT (1325 GMT), are approximately three hours into their effort to configure the European Robotic Arm.
They have removed an external control panel on the arm and are now working on removing and bundling insulation, NASA officials said in an update.
Coverage continues live on NASA Television.
Read more: Watch Russian spacewalkers test European robotic arm on the space station Friday
Russian cosmonauts see forest fires from space
They were referring to powerful forest fires raging in California amid heat warnings that are forcing evacuations nearby Los Angeles.
Expedition 67 commander Oleg Artemyev and flight engineer Denis Matveev are finishing up tasks they could not complete in August after a spacewalk was cut short due to a spacesuit power issue.
The duo are configuring the European Robotic Arm ahead of operations. They have removed a protective cover and are now working on a control panel to get the arm set up after its first ground control test a few days ago.
Read more: Watch Russian spacewalkers test European robotic arm on the space station Friday
Russian cosmonaut spacewalkers approach the International Space Station worksite
Read more: Watch Russian spacewalkers test European robotic arm on the space station Friday
International Space Station spacewalk begins
Read more: Watch Russian spacewalkers test European robotic arm on the space station Friday
Coverage begins on International Space Station spacewalk
Read more: Watch Russian spacewalkers test European robotic arm on the space station Friday
Former NASA chief expresses concern about ISS transition
A former Trump-era NASA administrator says Congress needs to do more to have commercial space stations ready in time.
During a livestream on Sunday, former chief Jim Bridenstine, who led NASA between April 2018 and January 2021, said Congress is moving too slowly on approving replacements to the International Space Station (ISS), especially given Russia is now saying it will pull out after 2024 to focus on building a Russian-owned space station.
He expressed worry that NASA-funded commercial stations will not be ready in time to fill gaps in low Earth orbit research. (The agency is banking on the ISS partnership being extended to 2030, from 2024, to allow time for those replacements to get up and running.)
"Congress, quite frankly, is at fault for any gap we have on low Earth orbit, because they have been negligent in a replacement for the International Space Station," Bridenstine said. "We've known forever that it [the ISS] is not going to last forever, but we haven't been doing what's necessary to prevent the gap from happening. Now that gap seems to be accelerating, and nobody is talking about it."
Full story: Former NASA chief criticizes 'schizophrenic' US space policy regarding Russia
ISS will bring a surgical robot on board in 2024
While it's no hologram doctor like in "Star Trek", more surgical assistance will be coming to the International Space Station in just two years. MIRA, or "Miniaturized in vivo Robotic Assistant," will fly to there on the back of a $100,000 award to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, through the U.S. Department of Energy's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The test mission will use a microwave-sized experimental locker.
Full story: International Space Station will host a surgical robot in 2024
Expedition 67 crew spots auroras, gets ready for Dragon departure
A solar storm generated auroras within view of the International Space Station crew. "Absolutely SPECTACULAR aurora today!!!," NASA astronaut Bob Hines tweeted, along with several pictures of the sun-generated storm that hit the atmosphere of Earth. "Thankful for the recent solar activity resulting in these wonderful sights."
The Expedition 67 crew also prepared a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for departure, which is currently scheduled for Friday (Aug. 19). Read more details about how to watch live here.
Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before that, since 2012. Elizabeth's on-site reporting includes two human spaceflight launches from Kazakhstan, three space shuttle missions in Florida, and embedded reporting from a simulated Mars mission in Utah.
Both cosmonauts inside airlock, spacewalk ends
Total elapsed spacewalk time: 4 hours, 1 minute of 6 planned hours.
Spacewalk aborted over spacesuit power problem
Watch the Russian spacewalk live now.
The spacewalk, which began around 9:20 a.m. EDT today, was expected to run about six hours. But about three hours in, Artemyev experienced a spacesuit voltage drop as he and Matveev worked on the station's new European Robotic Arm. Flight controllers immediately ordered Artemyev back inside the station's Poisk airlock to plug his suit into the station's power system.
While Artemyev is inside the Poisk airlock, Matveev has been outside performing clean up tasks. He will not complete the robotic arm prep work due to it being cut short. Flight controllers cautioned Matveev not to rush.
"Take your time, do not be in a hurry," they said.
Cosmonaut feels good despite spacesuit issue
"I'm energized, I've had a good nap," Artemyev said. "I've had a good rest."
He added that he definitely felt better than at the start of the airlock.
Russian flight controllers weigh spacewalk options
Artemyev remains inside the Russian-built Poisk airlock with his Orlan spacesuit plugged directly into the station's power grid while Matveev waits outside. Today's spacewalk begin at about 9:20 a.m. EDT (1320 GMT) and was expected to last about 6 hours. The spacesuit issue cropped up at about the midpoint of the spacewalk around 12 p.m. EDT.
Cosmonaut suffers spacesuit issue on spacewalk
"Artemyev is in the airlock, never was in any danger," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said.
The issue occurred at about 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT), Navias said.
First camera installed, working on second camera installation
As we approach the two-hour mark of today's International Space Station spacewalk, the two Russian cosmonauts have set up the first elbow camera and removed thermal insulation and a launch restraint from the European Robotic Arm, according to NASA.
They are now waiting for the arm to be maneuvered into the correct configuration to allow for installation of a second elbow camera. The cameras will be useful to allow for correct depth perception of the arm, which is needed to maneuver objects safely in the harsh lighting conditions of space.
Expedition 67 commander Oleg Artemyev, in red stripes, is on his seventh spacewalk and flight engineer Denis Matveev, in blue, is on his third spacewalk. The spacewalkers are expected to spend about 6.5 hours working outside in their Orlan spacesuits. Live coverage continues.
Spacewalk officially begins
Their goal is to continue preparing the European Robotic Arm for operations.
Two Russian cosmonauts prepare to depart ISS for spacewalk
Two Russian cosmonauts will continue working on the European Robotic Arm in a spacewalk today (Aug. 17).
Expedition 67 commander Oleg Artemyev (in red stripes) and flight engineer Denis Matveev (n blue stripes) are scheduled to start their 6.5-hour International Space Station spacewalk around 9:20 a.m. EDT (1320 GMT), according to NASA.
You can watch live here at Space.com in the link above, on NASA's YouTube(opens in new tab) channel or directly at NASA's website.
Read more: Watch Russian spacewalkers boot up a European robotic arm on the International Space Station today
Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before that, since 2012. Elizabeth's on-site reporting includes two human spaceflight launches from Kazakhstan, three space shuttle missions in Florida, and embedded reporting from a simulated Mars mission in Utah.
President Biden approves ISS extension act to 2030
President Joe Biden signed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act into law Thursday (Aug. 9).
That authorization bill approves NASA's participation in the International Space Station (ISS) program through September 2030, six years beyond the current 2024 target.
The act, which Congress approved late last month, pledges $53 billion for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The included NASA authorization bill is the first Congress approved in the past five years.
Read more: President Biden signs CHIPS Act, approving International Space Station extension to 2030
NASA and private companies expect commercial space station demand
NASA, along with companies working on new low Earth orbit space stations, are optimistic these complexes will meet the needs of the International Space Station post-retirement.
These complexes will be necessary due to the amount of research being generated by the International Space Station, panelists said at a July 26 discussion at NASA's 11th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC).
"A platform to be able to continue to do the science and other research that we're doing on ISS will absolutely be needed for exploration," said NASA's Angela Hart, program manager for the agency's Commercial LEO Development Program Office, at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
Read more: NASA, private companies count on market demand for future space stations after ISS
SpaceX rocket for Crew 5 being repaired after damage
SpaceX is working through analysis "to assure that that stage would be ready to go, and absolutely safe to fly the crew as we do for every mission," said Benjamin Reed, SpaceX's senior director of the human spaceflight program.
NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, commander of Crew-5, said SpaceX has been in regular contact with her crew. "We have full confidence that NASA and SpaceX and the international partners are not going to put us on a rocket or a spacecraft that they feel is not ready to go," she added in the same briefing.
Read more: SpaceX addressing Falcon 9 rocket damage ahead of next NASA astronaut launch
NASA requests former astronauts chaperone private missions
NASA is asking that all private astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS) have an experienced former agency astronaut commanding the group. A new solicitation notice by NASA, not finalized, includes this request among other changes for private astronaut missions.
The new rule comes from lessons learned based on Axiom Space's first mission to the ISS earlier this year. The crew required help from professional astronauts of Expedition 67 to complete some of their experiments. (The solicitation was first noticed by SpaceNews).
Read more: Former astronauts must chaperone private missions to the International Space Station, NASA says
Russia says it will leave the International Space Station after 2024
Speaking from space through video chat at the 11th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren briefly addressed the matter. "That is very recent news, and so we haven't heard anything officially," he said. "Of course ... we were trained to do a mission up here, and that mission is one that requires the whole crew, and so we continue to work every day to conduct the science and research that we've been trained to conduct."
Read more in our story about Roscosmos leaving the ISS partenrship.
Spacewalk concludes
Russian mission control elected to move one of the major tasks to another day, citing limited resources in the Orlan spacesuits to accomplish the work. (The spacesuited crew were delayed by roughly 50 minutes during routine equipment checkouts prior to opening the hatch at 10:50 a.m. EDT or 1450 GMT.)
The spacewalkers and the rest of the Expedition 67 crew were also advised today that there will be no need to perform an orbital debris avoidance maneuver after the spacewalk concludes. The possibility had been brought up during the spacewalk when a piece of unidentified debris strayed a little close to the orbit of ISS. No one was ever in any danger, NASA emphasized during the broadcast.
Watch Space.com for our wrap-up story covering the spacewalk.
ISS controllers tracking space debris, no action at this time
"At the moment there is no concern or no action that will be required unless future tracking updates dictate otherwise. We'll keep you posted," Navias said during the spacewalk broadcast. Spacewalkers Samantha Cristoforetti (European Space Agency) and Oleg Artemyev (Roscosmos) are roughly 4.5 hours through their extravehicular activities that began at 10:50 EDT (14:50 GMT).
The space station is capable of avoiding the space debris, should that be required, Navias emphasized. No further details were provided by Navias about the time of the expected conjunction, how far away the debris is, the size of the object, or what object is being tracked.
Russian-European spacewalk coverage begins
You can watch a Russian cosmonaut and the first European female spacewalker work outside the International Space Station today. The Expedition 67 spacewalk is expected to begin around 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT). Coverage is available in the video above, via NASA Television.
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Samantha Cristoforetti will join experienced Russian cosmonaut spacewalker Oleg Artemyev for up to seven hours. Cristoforetti will make history as the first European female spacewalker, while Artemyev will embark on his third spacewalk.
Much of their time will be spent readying the European Robotic Arm for operational use, but the duo will also deploy nanosatellites and perform numerous other tasks on the Russian segment of the ISS.
Artemyev and Cristoforetti will both wear Russian-built Orlan spacesuits during their spacewalk today, with Artemyev in a suit with red stripes while Cristoforetti's suit will bear blue stripes. The spacewalk will likely be conducted in the Russian language with live interpretation.
You can learn more in our preview story here.
Soyuz crew in good health after landing
The U.S.-Russian crew of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft is in good health and spirits after their smooth landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan. Read our full landing story.
Roscosmos TV cameras showed NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov with wide smiles on their faces as they were helped out of their Soyuz capsule. Each of the space travelers were hoisted out of the Soyuz, which had rolled over after landing due to winds, and placed in reclined couches as they readapt to life on Earth.
They waved to cameras during a photo session and were then carried into a nearby medical tent for medical checks and to doff their Russian Sokol spacesuits and climb into more comfortable flight suits.
Once those medical checks are complete, each of the Soyuz crewmembers will head to a rally point airport in Kazakhstan. A NASA jet is awaiting Vande Hei to take him back to Houston while a Roscosmos plane will ferry Shkaplerov and Dubrov home to Russia's Star City training site near Moscow.
That's a wrap for our landing coverage of Soyuz MS-19.
The next mission to the ISS will be the private Ax-1 mission launching on a SpaceX rocket on April 6. We'll have live coverage of that here and on our Ax-1 mission updates page during the 11-day trip.
NASA and SpaceX will then launch the Crew-4 mission to the ISS on April 19.
TOUCHDOWN! Soyuz lands with crew of 3
First, Russian recovery teams will set up an inflatable medical tent to prepare to receive the Soyuz crew while others safeguard the vehicle so the crew can be extracted.
Once the crew is extracted from the Soyuz, they will have a short photo session outside the capsule before heading off to medical tents, and then to an airport in for their trip home. Vande Hei will be headed back to Houston while Dubrov and Shkaplerov will head home to Moscow. -- Tariq Malik
Soyuz spacecraft module separation
The crew capsule will deploy a main parachute to slow its descent to the Earth's surface in Kazakhstan. It will fire retrorockets just before touchdown to further cushion its landing.
Landing remains on schedule for 7:28 am ET (1128 GMT).
Deorbit burn: Soyuz returning to Earth
The deorbit burn has begun for today's Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft landing to return astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov home from the International Space Station.
The deorbit burn is a short 4-minute, 59-second maneuver to slow the Soyuz so that it can leave orbit and descend back to Earth for a landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan. You can see a profile of the landing approach above.
Below is the target landing area and approach in Kazakhstan for today's landing.
Soyuz MS-19 crew prepares for landing
With today's undocking from the International Space Station complete, the Soyuz MS-19 crew is now preparing for the return to Earth in three hours. NASA's live webcast coverage of the landing has resumed ahead of the planned deorbit burn at 6:34 a.m. EDT (1034 GMT). You can watch the Soyuz landing live on Space.com. We have feeds on our homepage and our preview for today's landing.
The deorbit burn will place the Soyuz MS-19 on a descending track for its planned 7:38 a.m. EDT (1138 GMT) landing on the steps of Kazakhstan.
While we wait for the deorbit burn. Check out some amazing views of the Soyuz's undocking earlier today.
So
Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov is continuing his photo and video session of the International Space Station as fellow cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov flies the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft around the station after today's undocking.
"That's beautiful, we are flying over some continents and it all looks beautiful but the Russian segment is all in shadow," one of the cosmonauts said.
"Wow!" a cosmonaut added. "Every time you see it, it's almost like a surprise."
The Soyuz and space station were passing over western China when this view was captured from the Soyuz's onboard camera.
Undocking! Soyuz MS-19 departs space station
Undocking confirmed! With Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov at the controls, the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station on time at 3:21 a.m. EDT (0721 GMT) as both craft sailed high over the South Atlantic Ocean.
Shkaplerov has backed the Soyuz away to a station-keeping point about 70 meters away from the station to allow cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov to take photos and videos of the station's Russian segment.
Dubrov is taking the photos and videos from the Soyuz capsule's orbital module, which will be discarded along with the propulsion module later today ahead of reentry.
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is remaining in his seat during this space station photo session.
It's landing day for ISS astronauts
It's undocking and landing day for American astronaut Mark Vande Hei and two Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station. Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov.
A Soyuz spacecraft carrying the trio will undock from the space station today at 3:21 a.m. EDT (0721 GMT) and land at 7:28 a.m. EDT (1128 GMT). You can watch the undocking live on Space.com's homepage, courtesy of NASA TV. Undocking coverage is live now.
At 6:15 a.m. EDT (1015 GMT), NASA's coverage of the Soyuz landing will begin to chronicle the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft's deorbit burn, which is scheduled for 6:34 a.m. EDT (1034 GMT) setting up the planned landing on the remote steppes of Kazakhstan.
Vande Hei and Dubrov are returning to Earth after a 355-day mission to the International Space Station, the longest single spaceflight for an American astronaut. Shkaplerov is returning home to end a 176-day spaceflight.
Soyuz reaches orbit with 3 cosmonauts aboard
- 11:15 a.m. – Coverage of the launch of the Soyuz MS-21 crew to the ISS (Launch scheduled at 11:55 a.m. EDT; Artemyev, Matveev, Korsakov)
- 2:15 p.m. – Coverage of the rendezvous and docking of the Soyuz MS-21 crew to the ISS (Docking to the Prichal module scheduled at 3:05 p.m. EDT; Artemyev, Matveev, Korsakov)
- 5:15 p.m. – Coverage of the Soyuz MS-21 hatch opening at the ISS (Hatch opening for Artemyev, Matveev and Korsakov scheduled at appx. 5:30 p.m. EDT)
- 8:30 p.m. – Video File of the Soyuz MS-21 launch, docking and hatch opening at the ISS (streamed on NASA TV's media channel)
Liftoff! Soyuz rocket launches new crew
Liftoff! Russia's Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft and rocket have launched toward space on time at 11:55 a.m. EDT.
All systems are nominal as it heads to space.
Russia launching 3 cosmonauts to space station
Three Russian cosmonauts will launch toward the International Space Station on Friday (March 18), and you can watch the action live.
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov is scheduled to lift off atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Friday at 11:55 a.m. EDT (1555 GMT).
You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency. Coverage will start at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT). You can also see a Roscosmos feed here
Here's a schedule of ISS docking and crew arrival events for later today after liftoff (All times in EDT):
- 11:15 a.m. – Coverage of the launch of the Soyuz MS-21 crew to the ISS (Launch scheduled at 11:55 a.m. EDT; Artemyev, Matveev, Korsakov)
- 2:15 p.m. – Coverage of the rendezvous and docking of the Soyuz MS-21 crew to the ISS (Docking to the Prichal module scheduled at 3:05 p.m. EDT; Artemyev, Matveev, Korsakov)
- 5:15 p.m. – Coverage of the Soyuz MS-21 hatch opening at the ISS (Hatch opening for Artemyev, Matveev and Korsakov scheduled at appx. 5:30 p.m. EDT)
- 8:30 p.m. – Video File of the Soyuz MS-21 launch, docking and hatch opening at the ISS (streamed on NASA TV's media channel)
Spacewalk today! 2 NASA astronauts working outside ISS
Two NASA astronauts will spend hours working outside the International Space Station today to upgrade the orbiting lab's systems.
Astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari are scheduled to step outside the orbiting lab Tuesday at 8:05 a.m. EDT (1205 GMT), kicking off a planned 6.5-hour spacewalk aimed at preparing for upcoming solar array upgrades.
You can watch the spacewalk live in the video at the top of this page, courtesy of NASA TV. The live webcast began at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT).
Northrop Grumman launching cargo ship today
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the commercial cargo ship Cygnus NG-17 today at 12:40 p.m. EST (1740 GMT) and you'll be able to watch it live here and on our mission overview page, courtesy of NASA TV. The live webcast will begin at 12:15 p.m. EST (1715 GMT).
The Cygnus NG-17 cargo ship, named the S.S. Piers Sellers in honor of the late astronaut who died in December 2016, will launch from Pad 0A of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. It is carrying more than 8,300 pounds of supplies and other gear for the Expedition 66 crew on the International Space station.
"The launch range forecast remains 75% favorable, with ground winds being the primary concern," NASA officials wrote in an update today.
Here's a look at the science aboard:
Progress cargo ship docks early Thursday
Russia's Progress 80 cargo resupply ship, which launched on Monday (Feb. 14), will arrive at the International Space Station early Thursday (Feb. 17).
The uncrewed cargo freighter is scheduled to dock with the orbiting laboratory at 2:06 a.m. EST (0706 GMT). You can watch the docking live in the window above, courtesy of NASA TV, or directly via NASA's website.
Dragon undocking webcast underway
If all goes well, Dragon will perform two short departure burns and ultimately return to Earth on Monday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. EST (2105 GMT) off the coast of Panama City, Florida.
Undocking day for SpaceX Dragon CRS-24
It's undocking day (again) for SpaceX's Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship at the International Space Station.
After a 24-hour delay due to unfavorable weather at its splashdown site in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dragon cargo ship is once again expected to cast off from the space station's space-facing docking port atop NASA's Harmony module and begin its trip back to Earth. Undocking is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. EST (1540 GMT) and you can watch it live on this page beginning at 10:15 a.m. EST (1515 GMT), courtesy of NASA TV.
The Dragon cargo ship launched to the station on Dec. 21 and has spent just over a month at the orbiting lab. For its return trip, it will be carrying nearly 5,000 pounds (2,267 kilograms) of science experiment results and other gear back to Earth.
SpaceX's Dragon is currently the only cargo ship capable of returning cargo, equipment and other items back to Earth.
Dragon undocking delayed by bad weather
This is the second undocking delay for the Dragon CRS-24 spacecraft, which was originally scheduled to depart from the space station on Friday, Jan. 21. That undocking was also delayed by bad weather at the splashdown sites.
SpaceX now aims to undock the Dragon CRS-24 capsule from the space station's space-facing Harmony module on Sunday at 10:40 a.m. EST (1540 GMT). NASA's live webcast will begin at 10:15 a.m. EST (1515 GMT).
SpaceX Dragon CRS-24 undocking today
A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship will undock from the International Space Station today and you'll be able to watch it live online. Undocking is set for 10:40 a.m. EST (1540 GMT). Read our full undocking preview here.
NASA's webcast of the Dragon CRS-24 departure will begin at 10:15 a.m. EST (1515 GMT). You can watch it live in the NASA TV video feed at the top of this page.
SpaceX launched the Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship to the space station in December to deliver 6,500 pounds (2,900 kilograms) of science gear and supplies to astronauts on the orbiting lab. For its return to Earth, the spacecraft is carrying nearly 5,000 pounds (2,267 kilograms) of science experiments and other gear aboard.
The Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship will return to Earth on Monday, Jan. 24, at 12:44 a.m. EST (0544 GMT) with a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. SpaceX and NASA will not provide a live webcast of the splashdown, but updates are expected to be shared on Twitter by SpaceX and on NASA's space station blog.
Cosmonauts to take spacewalk outside ISS today
Two Russian cosmonauts will take a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today to outfit the orbiting lab's new Prichal module. You can watch the spacewalk live in the video feed at the top of this page. Read our preview story on the spacewalk here.
Expedition 66 commander Anton Shkaplerov and flight engineer Pyotr Dubrov, both of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, will spend the day working to add new handrails, antennas, a television camera and docking targets to Prichal, allowing the docking module to accept its first visiting spacecraft in March.
During the spacewalk, you can spot Shkaplerov in a Russian Orlan spacesuit with red stripes, distinguishing him as the lead spacewalker. Dubrov's spacesuit will have blue stripes.
SpaceX Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship arriving at ISS
The Dragon CRS-24 resupply ship is carrying 6,500 pounds of supplies and experiment gear to the International Space Station. The spacecraft was originally scheduled to dock at 4:30 a.m. EST but is running ahead of schedule.
Dragon CRS-24 successfully in orbit
NASA will provide live coverage of the Dragon spacecraft's autonomous docking, beginning at 3 a.m. EST (0800 GMT). You can watch that docking live on this page via the NASA TV feed at the top of this page.
Touchdown! SpaceX rocket lands as Dragon reaches orbit
SpaceX's Falcon 9 1st stage has landed successfully after launching Dragon CRS-24 cargo mission for NASA. That's landing no. 100 for SpaceX.
Meanwhile, the Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship has reached orbit and separated from its Falcon 9 upper stage. Nose cone deployment is expected soon.
SpaceX to launch NASA CRS-24 cargo mission
SpaceX is counting down to launch a new Falcon 9 rocket carrying the CRS-24 cargo mission to the International Space Station for NASA today (Dec. 21) and you can watch it live at the top of this page. Liftoff is at 5:06 a.m. EST (1006 GMT).
NASA and SpaceX will begin webcasting today's launch at 4:45 a.m. EST (0945 GMT).
SpaceX is using a rare new Falcon 9 rocket for today's launch. Its Cargo Dragon spacecraft previously flew to the space station. The mission will deliver about 6,500 pounds of supplies and experiment gear to the International Space Station for its Expedition 66 crew.
Soyuz MS-20 crew is safe on Earth
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, his videographer Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin have exited the Soyuz capsule and are headed to the Karaganda airport to begin their journeys home.
After a 12-day spaceflight, the trio touched down at about 10:13 p.m. EST (0313 GMT or 9:13 a.m. local time on Dec. 20) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.
You can see video of the crew emerging from the Soyuz capsule above, and read our full story about today's Soyuz landing here.
Roscosmos confirms Soyuz landing
Recovery teams "had visuals of the Soyuz descending under parachutes, but because of the visibility issues with the weather there at the landing site [they] did not see the actual touchdown," Dean said. "So they're working on getting to the Soyuz at this point and we are standing by for confirmation that they are there with the crew."
The Soyuz is on its way to Earth
The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft successfully separated from the International Space Station at 6:50 p.m. EST (2350 GMT) and is now on its way to Earth with Maezawa, Hirano and Misurkin on board. The space station was orbiting 263 miles (423) kilometers above Mongolia at the time of undocking.
NASA TV's live coverage of their return to Earth will resume at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT), 18 minutes before the planned deorbit burn. After the deorbit burn, the Soyuz spacecraft will spend just under an hour descending to Earth. The crew is expected to touch down in Kazakhstan at 10:13 p.m. EST (0313 GMT).
Landing day for Japanese space tourists
It's landing day for Japanese billionaire space tourist Yusaku Maezawa, his video producer Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.
The trio will return to Earth tonight, Dec. 19, in their Soyuz spacecraft with a landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan scheduled for 10:18 p.m. EST (0318 GMT on Dec. 20). You can watch it live on this page in the NASA TV video feed at the top.
NASA will broadcast several events today leading up to tonight's landing. Here's a schedule to plan your afternoon and evening:
- 3 p.m. EST / 2000 GMT — NASA TV coverage begins for hatch closing at 3:32 p.m. EST (2032 GMT)
- 6:30 p.m. EST / 2300 GMT — NASA TV coverage begins for undocking at 6:54 p.m. EST (2354 GMT)
- 9 p.m. EST / 0200 GMT Dec. 20 — NASA TV coverage begins for deorbit and landing. Landing is targeted for 10:18 p.m. EST / 0318 GMT Dec. 20.
Maezawa, Hirano and Misurkin launched to the space station on Dec. 8 on a mission brokered for Maezawa by the U.S. space tourism company Space Adventures. Maezawa is financing the entire trip for an undisclosed sum, though past tourist flights to the station have cost more up to $35 million for one person based on reports from Cirque du Soliel founder Guy Laliberte's flight in 2009. Maezawa has paid for two people, suggesting an even higher fee.
Maezawa and Hirano have spent their time in space recording videos of Maezawa showcasing the spaceflight experience. They also delivered the first Uber Eats meal in space and Hirano is participating in some medical experiments to study the effects of spaceflight on the human body.
Watch NASA TV tonight to see the trio return to Earth.
Postcard from the space station
Hi from space. pic.twitter.com/tZGOHHCYg7December 10, 2021
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has figured out how to float. Two days into his stay aboard the International Space Station, Maezawa on Twitter shared an image of him seated cross-legged and waving at the camera with the caption, "Hi from space."
Japanese billionaire
Japanese space tourists Yusakuy Maezawa and Yozo Hirano have begun their 12-day stay aboard the International Space Station after entering the orbiting laboratory at 11:11 a.m. EST (1611 GMT) with veteran Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.
The two space tourists, whose flight was arranged by the Virginia-based company Space Adventures with Russia's space agency Roscosmos, are due to return to Earth on Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT Dec. 20) on the remote steppes of Kazakhstan.
Japanese space tourists, cosmonaut to enter ISS
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, video producer Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin have climbed out of their Sokol launch pressure suits and are preparing to enter the International Space Station after their successful docking earlier today. The Soyuz MS-20 crew are conducting final leak checks between their Soyuz and the space station before opening the hatches between their two spacecraft.
NASA is broadcasting live views of today's hatch opening ceremony, which you can watch in the video feed at the top of this page.
Docking complete!
The Soyuz capsule carrying Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, his video producer Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin docked to the International Space Station at 8:40 a.m. EST (1340 GMT) after four orbits around Earth and about six hours after launch. Read the full story.
The trio are scheduled to enter the space station at about 10:35 a.m. EST (1535 GMT), with a live webcast beginning about 20 minutes prior.
Watch Japanese space tourists dock at space station
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and his video producer Yozo Hirano will dock at the International Space Station today at 8:41 a.m. EST (1341 GMT) with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and you can watch it live here. The live webcast will begin at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT) from NASA.
Maezawa and his crewmates launched to the space station early Wednesday and will spend 12 days on the space station. Maezawa bought the flight with Space Adventures, which has arranged several space tourism flights to the International Space Station with Russia's Roscosmos space agency.
Maezawa, Hirano and Misurkin are scheduled to enter the space station at 10:35 a.m. EST (1535 GMT). A hatch opening ceremony webcast will begin at 10:15 a.m. EST (1515 GMT).
Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, two others launch toward space station
The trio is expected to arrive at the space station around 8:41 a.m. EST (1341 GMT) on Wednesday. The spaceflyers will remain in orbit for nearly 12 days, returning to Earth on Dec. 19.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa launching to space station early Wednesday
Maezawa paid for his seat and that of Hirano, who will document the mission. Their flight was organized by Virginia company Space Adventures, which has sent eight other people on seven trips to the orbiting lab over the years.
Get ready for tomorrow's spacewalk!
At 2 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) today (Nov. 29), NASA will be hosting a news conference detailing what they expect to happen during tomorrow's upcoming spacewalk.
The news conference will include three experts who will discuss the spacewalk and answer questions with a Q&A. Those experts include Dana Weigel, NASA's deputy manager of the International Space Station Program, Vincent LaCourt, NASA's spacewalk flight director and Art Thomason, NASA's spacewalk officer.
Check out the NASA TV live video above to catch the press conference.
The spacewalk being discussed will see NASA astronauts Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron, who recently arrived at the orbiting lab aboard SpaceX's Crew-3 mission. They will exit the station's Quest airlock around 7:10 a.m. EDT (1210 GMT) tomorrow (Nov. 30) to replace a faulty antenna system. Live coverage for the spacewalk itself is set to begin at 5:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT).
DOCKING! Progress 79 at space station
Progress 79 has successfully docked at the International Space Station, linking up with the orbiting lab's Russian-built Zvezda service module at 9:31 p.m. EDT (0131 GMT) as the two ships sailed 258 miles over Argentina, just south of Buenos Aires.
"It doesn't get much smoother than that," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said of the docking during live commentary. "A flawless ride from the launch pad at Baikonur to docking at the International Space Station."
That will wrap our coverage of Roscosmos' Progress 79 cargo ship docking at the International Space Station. Stay tuned for more updates from the station as they come up!
Progress 79 in sight of space station
Progress 79 is now less than 1 kilometers from the International Space Station as it nears the space station. Cameras on the station are showing stunning views of the approaching spacecraft.
Today's docking approach is on track with no issues.
NASA livestream underway for Progress 79 docking
You can watch the docking live above at the top of this page.
Progress 79 is currently about 7 kilometers away from the space station as it approaches a flyaround point to reach its docking port.
Progress 79 cargo ship to dock tonight
You can watch the events live in the window at the top of this page. At 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT), NASA and SpaceX will also conduct a launch readiness review press conference for the Crew-3 SpaceX astronaut mission, due to launch on Oct. 31.
Progress 79 launches to space station
Russia's space agency Roscosmos successfully launched the Progress 79 cargo ship to the International Space Station tonight at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) from Pad 6 of Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was 5 a.m. local time at the launch site.
NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during live commentary that the Soyuz 2.1a rocket's liftoff was a "perfect launch."
The Progress 79 cargo ship is now making its uncrewed flight to the station, where it will dock late Friday night at the aft end of the station's Russian-built Zvezda service module.
Docking is set for 9:34 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 29 (0134 GMT Saturday, Oct. 30).
Russian Progress 79 cargo ship ready to launch
A Russian Soyuz rocket is poised to launch a new Progress cargo ship to the International Space Station tonight and you can watch it live here at the top of this page.
The Progress 79 cargo ship will launch about 3 tons of supplies to the space station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The ship will dock at the station on Friday, Oct. 29.
You can watch the launch live above, or from our launch preview page here.
Progress 78 successfully docks at Nauka
Contact and capture confirmed! The @roscosmos Progress 78 cargo craft redocked to station at 12:21am ET as Progress and the station flew 258 miles over the south Pacific. https://t.co/cBNqC5JGaz pic.twitter.com/XoQLUVRftxOctober 22, 2021
Watch Progress 78 dock with the space station
Russia's Progress 78 cargo resupply spacecraft successfully undocked from the space station's Poisk module late Wednesday (Oct. 20) and is currently scheduled to dock at the Nauka module at 12:24 a.m. EDT (0424 GMT) on Friday (Oct. 22). You can watch a live webcast of the docking in the window above.
Read the full story: Russian cargo ship moves to new parking spot at space station
That's a wrap!
Russian actress Yulia Peresild and producer Klim Shipenko landed with cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy Sunday (Oct. 17) at 12:35 a.m. EDT (0435 GMT or 10:35 a.m. local time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan. Read the full story
Soyuz undocking complete
Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, actor Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko are on their way back to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station in their Soyuz spacecraft.
NASA TV's live coverage of the deorbit burn and landing will resume tonight (Oct. 16) at 11:15 p.m. EDT (0315 GMT); the landing in Kazakhstan is scheduled for approximately 12:36 a.m. (0436 GMT; 10:36 a.m. Kazakhstan time) on Sunday, Oct. 17.
It's landing day!
It's landing day! Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, who is wrapping up a six-month stay in space, and a Russian actor Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko, who have spent less than two weeks in orbit, are headed back to Earth.
If you're thinking of tuning in, check out our full guide to today's landing webcasts.
The trio will say their goodbyes at about 4:15 p.m. EDT (2015 GMT) before climbing into the Soyuz MS-18 capsule, which will undock from Russia's Nauka module of the International Space Station on Saturday (Oct. 16) at 9:14 p.m. EDT (0114 GMT on Oct. 17) for the trip home.
The capsule, slowed by parachutes, will land in Kazakhstan on Sunday (Oct. 17) at 12:36 a.m. EDT (0436 GMT; 10:36 a.m. local time).
NASA TV and Space.com will offer live coverage of all three milestones, so stay tuned!
Megan McArthur shares stunning Earth timelapse
Lightning storms, auroras and city lights glow across planet Earth in this gorgeous new timelapse video captured by NASA astronaut Megan McArther at the International Space Station.
"Friday Night Lightning!" McArthur tweeted. "Checkout this time lapse taken over Africa from our cupola. In addition to thunderstorms, you can see city lights, the Milky Way, satellites, and even a bit of aurora at the end."
Russian film crew boards space station
Russian actress Yulia Peresild and producer-director Klim Shipenko have entered the International Space Station with their cosmonaut guide Anton Shkaplerov to begin their 12-day movie shoot in orbit.
The trio entered the station's Rassvet module at about 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), jus about 6 hours after launching into orbit on their Soyuz rocket. They joined seven other crewmembers already aboard the station, including Expedition 65 cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, who will appear in the film Peresild and Shipenko are shooting. It's called "The Challenge," with Peresild portraying a surgeon sent into orbit to help a cosmonaut (Novitskiy) in medical distress.
"I still feel that it's all a dream and I'm still asleep," Peresild, 37, told Russia's Channel One during a welcome ceremony on the station.
Shipenko agreed.
"Yes, it's almost impossible to think that this all came to reality," the 38-year-old director said.
During the welcome ceremony, Peresild received a congratulatory call from Valentina Tereshkova, who became the first woman in space in 1963 on the Vostok 6 mission.
"It was extremely emotional for everyone, from sadness to happiness," Tereshkova said of the launch in Russian, which was translated on NASA TV. "We're very proud of you," she added, saying she had only one wish for the crew.
"Everything should go nominal, that's our best wish," Tereshkova said. "We want all your dreams to come true and we'll be waiting for you back here on Earth."
Amazing views of Soyuz docking with Russian film crew
Today's successful docking of a Russian film crew at the International Space Station had some star quality of its own. As the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft carrying Russian actress Yulia Peresild, director Klim Shipenko and cosmonaut Anton Shklaperov neared the station, a camera on the orbiting lab captured spectacular views of the approaching spacecraft.
Check out the views in the video above!
Docking! Soyuz delivers Russian film crew to space station
The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft carrying a Russian actress and her producer/director has successfully docked at the International Space Station. It linked up with a port on the station's Rassvet module at 8:22 a.m. EDT (1222 GMT), about 10 minutes later than planned after communications issues forced cosmonaut Anton Shklaperov to take manual control of the Soyuz for the docking.
Despite the communications issue, Shklaperov docked the Soyuz at its port to deliver Russian actress Yulia Peresild and producer-director Klim Shipenko to the station. The duo will film scenes for an upcoming space film called "The Challenge," with Peresild portraying a surgeon launched into space to help an ailing cosmonaut, to be portrayed by cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, who is already aboard the space station.
"So the Soyuz MS-19's safely at port, and a Russian actress and her producer-director are on set at the International Space Station for 12 days of movie making," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during live commentary.
Peresild, Shipenko and Shklaperov will enter the space station at 10:05 a.m. EDT (1405 GMT) when the hatches are due to open between the Soyuz and station. NASA's live coverage will resume at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT).
Soyuz reaches orbit with Russian film crew
Spacecraft separation! The Soyuz spacecraft carrying cosmonaut Anton Shklaperov, actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko has successfully reached orbit after separating from its third stage and deploying solar arrays.
'We're feeling great, everything's working nominally' Soyuz commander Shklaperov reports.
The three space travelers are on a two-orbit trip to the International Space Station and will arrive at 8:12 a.m. EDT (1212 GMT). NASA's docking coverage will begin at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT). You can watch that in the window at the top of this page at start time.
LIFTOFF! Russian film crew launches to space station
Liftoff! The Soyuz rocket carrying a Russian film crew to the International Space Station lifted off on time at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT).
Russian film crew before launch
Here are a few views of the Soyuz MS-18 crew taken in the hours before launch. NASA TV is showcasing their pre-flight activities with a series of video clips as we near the T-10 minute mark for launch.
Russia launching film crew to International Space Station
Russia is counting down to launching the world's first film crew to the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft. Liftoff is set for 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT) from Launch Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz is carrying Russian actress Yulia Perselid and director Klim Shipenko alongside veteran cosmonaut Anton Shklaperov. Perselid and Shipenko will spend 12 days in space filming scenes for a feature film called "The Challenge" while Shklaperov will begin a months-long stay on the space station.
The trio are currently tucked inside their Soyuz spacecraft and rocket as they await launch.
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