ISS
”NASA Toilet Might Force Emergency Evacuation
The International Space Station's toilet is still broken, people. And all of our toilet humor isn't doing anything to fix what could be a potentially extremely hazardous situation. And as Russian ISS chief Vladimir Solovyov explained, it could lead to a complete evacuation. More »Buzz Lightyear Goes to Infinity and... the International Space Station?
Buzz Lightyear is now part of the International Space Station crew, after astronauts from mission STS-124 boarded the orbital outpost yesterday at 3:36PM EDT—bringing in the 12-inch to guard us against Emperor Zurg, who has been secretly building a weapon with the destructive capacity to annihilate an entire planet. Or maybe just teach kids about math and science. I can go either way, death rays or deathly equations.
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Shuttle to Repair ISS Toilet, Save the Day
It must be a relief for the ISS crew to hear that their malfunctioning toilet will get some urgently-needed repairs next week, now that Discovery will be whizzing a new pump aloft. The dodgy loo has been unable to deal with liquid waste, and repair attempts failed. So NASA has cleared Discovery to fly on Saturday with a 13kg replacement pump, even though it means leaving other stuff behind. "Having a working toilet is a priority for us," said Scott HigginbothamVideo of Space Boomerang Is Exactly What You Expect
We knew that boomerangs work in space because Takao Doi tried one in the International Space Station last month. Now, thanks to JAXA's obsession with cameras we have proof on video. The usual skeptics who think that Elvis is really the only human that ever went to the moon—and still lives there—will be happy. [JAXA via Pink Tentacle]Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk Watch Brings Out Your Inner Space Cowboy
Just 100 of Seiko's Spring Drive Spacewalk watches, space-proof wristwatches being developed with a little help from the Russian Federal Space Agency, are expected to be made. Designed for Richard Garriott, the video-game honcho-turned-future space tourist, the titanium-encased timepiece weighs just 92.5 grams and is airtight, and waterproof to 100 meters. Seiko has developed a new luminescent material so that Richard will be able to see if it's teatime yet on the International Space Station, and it has large control buttons so that he doesn't have to take his space gloves off to adjust the time. Full specs are below. More »Space Truck Executes "Text-Book" Automated Docking at International Space Station
At 10.45 EST this morning, the Jules Verne docked at the International Space Station, with a 7,500-pound cargo containing equipment, supplies, water, food and gases—and no human driver. The AI-assisted landing of the European space truck after a 26-day journey was described as "text-book" and here it is, courtesy of NASA TV. While the Jules-ISS hook-up is not the first unmanned docking, anything with an automated system that can track down an object that is moving at 16,777 miles per hour and attach itself with just a 2-centimeter leeway, is pretty damn awesome in Giz's book. [NASA]Japanese Astronaut's Space Boomerang Came Back
Japan's Takao Doi has just checked out an aerodynamics conundrum we were all curious about: would a boomerang return when thrown in zero-G? World boomerang champion Yasuhiro Togai had asked him to find out, you see. So, taking time out from his work aboard the International Space Station, he gave it a whirl.
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satellite in satellite
Direct TV Offering NASA HDTV in International Space Station, Service Calls To Be a Real Mother
When it comes to product placement, I can't think of a more high-profile scoop than the International Space Station. DirecTV is wisely offering NASA a chance to install a 42" HDTV, DirecTV Satellite DVR/receiver and a remote covered in Velcro to avoid losing the remote to spacewalk in the orbital lab. Guess you'd get tired of viewing the entire friggin' planet from space after a few days. [Forbes]NASA Drops $19 Million on Toilet, Doesn't Let Russians Use It
Tension is bound to flare over the $19 million toilet NASA purchased from Russian aerospace firm RCS Energia, as only half of the International Space Station will enjoy the upgrade—the American side. The toilet justifies its steep price by being able to recycle urine as drinkable water, Waterworld-style.
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