Gadgets Blog

Canadarm2 Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) operating abouard the International Space Station ISS030-E-270563 (21 April 2012) --- high res (1.7 M) low res (75 K)

An unpiloted Progress resupply vehicle approaches the International Space Station, carrying 2.8 tons of food, fuel and supplies. The cargo delivery includes 1,988 pounds of propellant, 110 pounds of oxygen and air, 926 pounds of water and 2,703 pounds of spare parts, resupply items and experiment hardware for the residents of the space station.

Boeing successfully completed the second parachute drop test of the company's Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft on May 2 at the Delamar Dry Lake Bed near Alamo, Nev. The test demonstrated the performance of the entire landing system.

At 10:31 p.m. PDT on April 27 NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, carrying the one-ton Curiosity rover, was within 100 days from its appointment with the Martian surface. At that moment, the mission had about 119 million miles (191 million kilometers) to go and was closing at a speed of 13,000 mph (21,000 kilometers per hour).

A team of scientists representing several international institutions, including Texas A&M University, has succeeded in installing the first of three Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3-1) at the Chinese Kunlun Station at Dome Argus, the highest point of the Antarctic Plateau.

This view in the International Space Station's Cupola was photographed by an Expedition 30 crew member during the first of three Canadarm2 Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Offset Grapple sessions in the onboard training plan for SpaceX-Demo Dragon capture.