Kentucky Space Blog

New IKAROS pic of deployed solar sails

Taken by a daughter craft, check out this new pic of the first solar sail deployed in space. More like this may be found online at JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency.

Taken by the images, Paul Gilster has recounts his first brush with the idea in a 1960 issue of Galaxay magazine, and writes that solar sailing is a future "that is at once alien and deeply human."

Two similar missions are planned. Dean Ahorn, the principle investigator for the ill-fated NanoSail-D has let Kentucky Space know that a second unit is being readied for flight. And The Planetary Society is targeting the end of this year to launch LightSail-1.

Wayne

Jun 21, 2010

Powered NanoRacks ops may begin in late July

The latest word is that powered operations for the first two NanoRacks Platforms on the International Space Station will probably begin late July.

Installation of the two racks, which arrived on shuttle flights in April and May, will be filmed.

Wayne

Jun 18, 2010

Carnival of Space no. 158 online

Carnival of Space no. 158 has been posted and features a number of notable events, including the fiery return of the asteroid lander Hayabusa, and the unfurling of the first solar sail in space. Both achievements are courtesy of the Japanese space agency, JAXA.

Wayne

Jun 17, 2010

Special delivery from NASA, CubeLab-2

Having made round trip to the ISS, CubeLab-2 arrived back in the offices of Kentucky Space yesterday and was soon whisked off to the clean room at the University of Kentucky Space Lab.

This cubelab passively measured radiation levels inside the station.

NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, who departed for the station aboard Soyuz TMA-19 yesterday (video), will oversee the permanent installation of the two NanoRacks Platforms already onboard the ISS. Each platform can host up to 16 individual plug-and-play microlabs.

Through its strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC, Kentucky Space has regular access to the station.

Wayne

Jun 15, 2010

Expedition 24 to fly today at 5:35p EDT

Scheduled for liftoff today at 5:35 EDT, the crew of Expedition 24 will double the crew members aboard the ISS.

Trained as a co-pilot on the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft, NASA astronaut Shannon Walker will be making her first trip. Among her many duties while aboard the station, she will install the first two NanoRacks Platforms, which were taken to orbit via Discovery and Atlantis in April and May, respectively.

Each NanoRacks Platforms can host up to 16 individual plug and play microlabs called "CubeLabs," which share the same form factor as CubeSats. Kentucky Space is working with organizations wishing to do repeatable, low cost microgravity research.

Spaceflight Now has more on today's launch.

Wayne

Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Jun 15, 2010