[ad_1]
The International Space Station is still a busy place. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory perform experiments, make observations and perform all kinds of scientific work during space cruises around our planet. But this week will be more busy than usual, with not one, but two rocket launcher sending supplies and travelers to the ISS.
The Japanese space agency JAXA is due to send its cargo HTV-8 to space Tuesday, containing more than four tons of vital supplies, as well as new scientific equipment and experiments. Roscosmos (Russia) is expected to send a new trio of ISS crewmembers Wednesday morning, with Jessica Meir of NASA, Oleg Skripochka (Russia) and Hazzaa Ali Almansoori (United Arab Emirates) arriving at the space station at mid-afternoon, Caribbean daylight time.
The JAXA replenishment mission is a relatively standard affair, with the ISS regularly receiving loads of supplies such as air, food and water, as well as new experiments and new equipment to be installed on the space station. full expansion. After the launch, the freighter will orbit the Earth as it prepares to confront the ISS. NASA is waiting for the spacecraft to arrive at ISS Saturday morning.
The Russian crew Soyuz will arrive much faster: he will leave the Earth Wednesday in the middle of the morning to dock at the ISS six hours later. Two of the new travelers – NASA's Meir and Russia's Skripochka – are part of the Expedition 61 mission and will replace Nick Hague of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, who will be leaving the ISS next week.
The launch of the Soyuz mission will be broadcast live by NASA via its NASA TV portal and on Youtube.
Source of image: NASA
[ad_2]
Source link