U.S. - Russian Crew Re-Docks Spaceship

ABC reports that the 2 man crew of the international space station successfully re-docked a Soyuz spaceship at a new port on the station Monday in preparation for two spacewalks early next year.

"Russian Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao re-docked the Soyuz TMA-5 spaceship after a 23-minute flight from the Pirs docking port to the Zarya cargo module, Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said.

"Sharipov used manual controls to move the Soyuz 100 to 165 feet away from the station and then re-approach. The re-docking was aimed at ensuring "maximum safety" of the crewmen when they leave and re-enter the station through the Pirs for the two spacewalks scheduled for January and March, Lyndin said."

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Moon Dance on Saturn's Canvas

According to the BBC, the Cassini space probe has captured an incredible image of Saturn's tiny moon Mimas. It is shown suspended against the grey-blue backdrop of Saturn's rings.

"Mimas has been dubbed the "Death Star" because it resembles the moon-sized space station in the Star Wars films." Read the article...

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New Explorers Energized By Visit to Dryden


Following on the heels of a milestone X-43A scramjet flight, astronaut candidates from NASA's newest class visited the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center on Nov. 17, 2004, according to the Dryden Flight Research Center.

The fledgling astronauts viewed advanced aeronautics projects at NASA Dryden such as the F-15B Research Testbed aircraft currently being readied to possibly support NASA's Space Shuttle return to flight effort and for future sonic boom reduction flight experiments. Flight simulation lab facilities were included on the tour, in which the group took turns piloting research aircraft simulators. In addition to other research projects visited, the enthusiastic candidates were treated to a tour of NASA's venerable B-52B mothership aircraft, which is retiring after completing its last research mission, launching the third X-43A on Nov. 16, 2004.

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After Trio Of Explosions, Scientists Say Supernova Is Imminent

Goddard Space Flight Center reports that The three powerful blasts from three wholly different regions in space have left scientists scrambling. The blasts, which lasted only a few seconds, might be early alert systems for star explosions called supernovae, which could start appearing any day now.

The first two blasts, called X-ray flashes, occurred on September 12 and 16. These were followed by a more powerful burst on September 24 that seems to be on the cusp between an X-ray flash and a full-fledged gamma-ray burst, a discovery interesting in its own right. If these signals lead to supernovae, as expected, scientists would have a tool to predict star explosions and then watch them go off from start to finish.

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Expedition 9 crew makes beautiful music on Space Station

To help teach hearing impaired students the physics of sound, the crew aboard the International Space Station conducted an educational experiment, demonstrating a musical instrument called a chicken shake. The crew showed how microgravity affects the egg-shaped percussion instrument, similar to Cuban maracas without handles. The sessions will be used in educator workshops, according to Space Station Science Operations.

NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Fincke conducted another imaging session of the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-3 (BCAT-3) experiment. Fincke took a total of 157 photos documenting the formation of particle suspensions in homogenized liquids. Possible future applications of the colloidal alloy experiments are photonic crystals for telecommunications and computer applications and extremely low threshold lasers, as well as improved use of supercritical fluids for food extractions, pharmaceuticals, dry cleaning, and rocket propellants.

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