This month, NASA opened the International Space Station for more commercial opportunities, including the possibility for private astronauts to visit the outpost as early as next year. Bigelow Aerospace has already announced its intention to take advantage of this new shift in how the U.S. space agency conducts business in low Earth orbit.
Read MoreThe Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, better known as BEAM, has been given the green light to stay attached to the aft portion of the International Space Station’s Tranquility node for a further three years. The new contract began in November 2017, according to NASA.
Read MoreJust days after arriving at the ISS, NASA astronaut and Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Randy Bresnik got to visit the usually sealed-off BEAM module.
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module is a technology demonstrator designed to test the effectiveness of an "inflatable" habitat as an alternative or supplement to traditional rigid modules. Astronauts periodically enter the module to collect various data points such as temperature, radiation exposure, condensation, etc.
Read MoreBetween cargo ships servicing the outpost and spacewalks to maintain it, 2016 was arguably one of the busiest years for the International Space Station since the end of the space shuttle era.
Probably the most visible event for the space station in 2016 was the yearlong crew – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko – returning to Earth. They had launched to the outpost on March 27, 2015.
Read MoreWith the installation of a high definition camera during the U.S. spacewalk earlier this month, the exterior of the International Space Station can now show images and video in high resolution.
That includes the docking or berthing of visiting vehicles such as Progress, Soyuz, HTV, Cygnus or Dragon. But it can also mean really neat, clear pictures of the structure of the orbiting outpost
Read MoreOrbital Velocity is designed to be "living time capsule" about the International Space Station.
This project is an attempt to bridge an information gap between space agencies and companies, as well as a public that supports space endeavors with their tax dollars. Despite the importance of the space station, the general public doesn't always know what is happening aboard this amazing complex on a regular basis. Research being conducted isn't always readily available and what information is out there can sometimes be difficult to understand. Some people aren't even aware there is an active space program, let alone a space station.
Orbital Velocity hopes to change that by building a database of information through blogs, a website, small videos and longer documentary-like series'.
Copyright © 2024 Orbital Velocity
