Latest news with #SpaceShuttle
News18
14 hours ago
- Science
- News18
International Space Station: Why Is Every Astronaut Given A Number?
Last Updated: As Shubhanshu Shukla reached the ISS, he was assigned a unique number. But why are astronauts given these numbers? Here's what they mean and how they're used India's Shubhanshu Shukla spent his first night aboard the International Space Station (ISS), alongside astronauts from three other nations. Upon his arrival, he was assigned a unique crew number. But what exactly is the purpose of this number, and why is it issued to every newcomer? This identifier isn't just a formality; it plays a vital role in everything from logging medical data to coordinating spacewalks, especially when names and faces are hard to distinguish in bulky suits. Did Kalpana Chawla And Sunita Williams Have Crew Numbers? Yes, both Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams were assigned crew numbers prior to Shubhanshu Shukla. Each astronaut on the ISS is given a specific crew ID and position number. However, during day-to-day interactions, they are addressed by name. These identifiers are used in certain operational contexts. To date, around 640 individuals have been to space, with roughly 30 to 35 making the journey more than once. People from over 45 countries have participated in space missions. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to travel to space aboard the Soyuz T-11 in 1984. Kalpana Chawla, who later became a US citizen, was the first Indian woman in space. Why Are Crew Numbers Used? These numbers primarily serve security and system-logging purposes. The ISS contains various systems that log medical updates and activity records. For example, during health checks, emergency simulations, or scientific experiments, astronauts must enter their crew ID to access equipment or input data. During extravehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks, each astronaut's suit displays a number such as EVA-1 or EVA-2. Since facial recognition is difficult while suited up, Mission Control and crewmates use these numbers for identification. These are especially useful when multiple astronauts have similar names or accents. However, on board the ISS, astronauts typically call one another by name, fostering a relaxed, collegial atmosphere. However, during formal communication with ground control, whether with NASA or Roscosmos, crew call signs or numbers are occasionally used, especially during high-stakes operations like spacewalks. When Was Crew Numbers Introduced? In the early space missions of the 1960s, astronauts were simply addressed by name or mission call sign. But by the 1970s, with longer, more complex missions to space stations, it became clear that a more systematic method of identification was needed. Numbering helped avoid confusion when recognising faces inside helmets or communicating clearly via radio across multilingual crews. NASA introduced the EVA-1, EVA-2 format during the Space Shuttle era in the 1980s. With up to eight astronauts per mission, these identifiers were critical. Once the ISS became operational in 1998, the practice became standardised for all spacewalks and vital crew activities. Did Rakesh Sharma Receive A Crew number? Rakesh Sharma was not given a crew number as per today's system. His 1984 mission was designated Soyuz T-11, with the crew using the call sign 'Jupiter'. At that time, Soviet missions referred to astronauts by name or collective mission identifiers. Kalpana Chawla flew aboard STS-87 in 1997 but did not perform any spacewalks, so she was designated Mission Specialist-1 (MS-1) rather than an EVA number. Sunita Williams, on the other hand, participated in four spacewalks during her STS-116 mission and was assigned identifiers like EVA-1 and EVA-2 for those activities. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Science
- Indian Express
From Orbiter Columbia to Discovery: Here are the top 5 biggest space shuttles
The Space Shuttle, as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) describes, represented an 'entirely new generation of space vehicle,' the world's first reusable spacecraft, which were 'launched like a rocket, maneuvered in Earth's orbit like a spacecraft and landed like an airplane.' There are about three Space Shuttle orbiters currently in operation – Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, which are all designed to fly at least 100 missions, NASA stated on its website. As India takes a step ahead in its space program, with Shubhanshu Shukla heading to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Axiom-4 mission this week, we take a look at the top five biggest space shuttles operated from all corners of the world: Orbiter Enterprise An early Space Shuttle Orbiter, the Enterprise, never flew in space but was 'used for approach and landing tests at the Dryden Flight Research Center and several launch pad studies in the late 1970s,' according to the website. Orbiter Columbia America's first reusable Space Shuttle, Columbia was launched for the first time with NASA astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen aboard on April 12, 1981. The space shuttle continued the heritage of intrepid exploration, becoming one of groundbreaking scientific research and notable 'firsts' in space flight, as per NASA. Commander John Young even called the flight 'something just short of a miracle.' It was delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in March 1979. One of its crowning moments remain the deployment of the gleaming Chandra X-ray Observatory in July 1999, which specialized in viewing deep space objects and finding the answers to astronomy's most fundamental questions. However, it had some limitations. The heaviest of NASA's orbiters, Columbia weighed too much and lacked the necessary equipment to assist with the assembly of the ISS. Moreover, Columbia and its crew were tragically lost during STS-107 in 2003 after a small portion of foam broke away from the external fuel tank and hit the orbiter's left wing, NASA noted. The consequential damage created a hole in the wing's leading edge, causing the vehicle to break apart during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere. Orbiter Challenger Next in line is the Orbiter Challenger, which was built to serve as a test vehicle for the Space Shuttle program. Being the second orbiter to join NASA's Space Shuttle fleet, OV-099 arrived at NASA's KSC in Florida in July 1982, bearing the name 'Challenger.' Launched on her maiden voyage on April 4, 1983, Challenger saw the deployment of the first satellite in the Tracking and Data Relay System constellation, besides other scientific experiments and satellite deployments. Challenger's service to America's space program ended in tragedy on January 28, 1986 when just 73 seconds into the mission STS 51-L, a booster failure caused an explosion that resulted in the loss of seven astronauts, as well as the vehicle, the official website of NASA noted. Orbiter Discovery Discovery (OV-103) was NASA's third space shuttle orbiter to join the fleet, arriving for the first time at the KSC in Florida in November 1983. Since its inaugural flight in 1984, Discovery has completed more than 30 successful missions, surpassing the number of flights made by any other orbiter in NASA's fleet. It has carried 'satellites aloft, ferried modules and crew to the International Space Station, and provided the setting for countless scientific experiments,' as the NASA states. This Orbiter clearly benefited from the lessons learned during the construction and testing of Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger, such that at rollout, its weight was about 6,870 pounds less than Columbia. Orbiter Atlantis Another Orbiter which learnt its lessons from Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger was the Atlantis (OV-104), whose construction was completed in about half the time in man-hours spent on Columbia. Nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia, the orbiter arrived at NASA's KSC on April 9, 1985, NASA mentioned. Atlantis served as the on-orbit launch site for various noteworthy spacecraft, including planetary probes Magellan and Galileo, as well as pioneered the Shuttle-Mir missions, flying the first seven missions to dock with the Russian space station, NASA highlighted. It has also delivered several vital components to the ISS in the recent years. Orbiter Endeavour Authorized as a replacement for the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger, Endeavour (OV-105) arrived at the KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility on May 7, 1991. One of the space shuttle's primary assignments was to capture INTELSAT VI, an orbiting, but non-functioning, communications satellite, and replace its rocket motor. After numerous attempts, the satellite was finally captured for repair. 'An unprecedented three-person spacewalk took place after the procedure was evaluated by the astronauts and ground team,' NASA states. The crew onboard also conducted medical tests assessing the human body's performance in microgravity. It was the first time when four spacewalks were conducted on a Space Shuttle mission, with one of them being the longest in space history, lasting more than eight hours. NASA underlines, 'OV-105 became the first Space Shuttle orbiter to use a drag chute during a landing — only one of many technical improvements made to Endeavour.'
Business Journals
a day ago
- Science
- Business Journals
Smithsonian: Moving shuttle to Houston would cost over $300M
From left to right: Tim Kopra, CEO of Starlab Space and a former Space Shuttle astronaut; Congressman Randy Weber of Texas' 14th District; U.S. Senator John Cornyn, and Sandy Cornyn.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Abandoned UK airport could reopen and offer cheap Ryanair and easyJet flights to Europe
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An abandoned airport, shut for the past decade, is poised to make a return, offering budget flights to some of Europe's top destinations. Manston Airport in Kent, a former Royal Air Force base renowned for its pivotal role in both World Wars, is currently undergoing substantial refurbishment with an anticipated reopening in 2028. Initially, the rejuvenated airport will focus on cargo operations, but plans are afoot to introduce passenger services eventually. Tony Freudmann, a main board director at RiverOak Strategic Partners, the firm overseeing the airport, conveyed his optimism about the reintroduction of passenger services to the BBC, stating they have plans to attract short-haul carriers to popular European destinations. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone The refurbishment of Manston is estimated to cost a whopping £500 million, encompassing new terminals and upgraded runways. The airport features a single runway that measures 2,748 meters (9,016 feet) in length and is notably wide at 60 metres, designed to accommodate emergency landings for Concorde and the Space Shuttle, reports The Mirror. If the cargo side of the operation proves to be successful, passenger routes to countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta could be introduced. It was reported three years ago that the airport's owners were in discussions with budget airlines including Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air. At the time, Mr Freudmann told KentOnline: "Looking at the way the passenger market is going, we are confident we can persuade one or more low-cost carriers to base their planes here. "It does not work for us if they fly in just once a day because that is not economic. If they base three or four planes at Manston, we will have rotations three or four times a day, as they have at Southend. "That will cover our costs and bring passenger footfall through the terminal all day and every day. We will reinstate the twice daily KLM service to Amsterdam Schiphol that we had before and that will give business people in particular access to almost anywhere in the world." Despite there being no further updates on this endeavour since then, with RiverOak not responding to The Mirror's request for an update this month, the bustle at nearby hubs like Luton and Stansted could indicate ample demand for more passenger flights in the area. Reflecting on the steps required to launch services, a message from earlier in the year on the RiverOak website said: "Opening an airport – even one like Manston which already has in place a full-length runway, taxiways and airport buildings – takes a huge amount of preparation and planning first and so it will be many months before we are ready to welcome construction teams on site." (Image: KMG / SWNS) Survey work is set to commence this year and the next at the airport site, with ambitions to finalise "the airport master plan – a process which we expect to conclude in early 2026". A public consultation on potential flight paths will also be initiated during this period. "In early 2028, we expect construction works to be complete and recruitment for operational roles to begin to allow us to assemble the team and begin detailed preparations for reopening later on in 2028," the statement continued. However, the plans to refurbish the airport have faced some significant opposition, with groups like Don't Save Manston Airport highlighting the site's previous commercial failures and raising concerns about environmental impacts from increased aviation capacity. RiverOak, which acquired the site for £14million has indicated intentions to initiate operations with five cargo flights daily. Despite recommendations for refusal by planners, the redevelopment of Manston Airport was approved in 2023. The Planning Inspectorate expressed reservations about the airport's ability to offer services that are "additional to, or different from" those at other airports, its potential detrimental effects on the environment, and the likelihood of increased traffic on local roads. Since its closure in 2015 following years of financial difficulties, Manston Airport has been repurposed as a lorry park to ease temporary cross-Channel traffic congestion. The final flight to leave Manston was bound for Amsterdam on 9 April 2014. Formerly Kent's sole large airport, the region is home to smaller aviation facilities including Rochester Airport and Lydd Airport. The developers of the new scheme have claimed that up to 650 construction jobs and an additional 2,000 permanent jobs will be created when the project is finished, per their website. They said: "The project requires no government funding and has attracted several international investors who are prepared to invest £800 million in this deprived part of the country." Although the development bypassed local planning bodies due to being classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, it faced legal hurdles. After the Secretary of State for Transport gave the green light in 2020 for Manston to reopen as a freight hub, the approval was initially quashed, leading to resubmission and subsequent reapproval, according to the Kent Messenger. In World War II, Manston airfield nearly met with destruction from heavy bombing and played host to numerous undetonated explosives. Positioned near the battlefront, the site was used as an emergency landing strip for badly damaged planes. Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Abandoned UK airport could reopen and offer cheap Ryanair and easyJet flights to Europe
An abandoned airport, shut for the past decade, is poised to make a return, offering budget flights to some of Europe's top destinations. Manston Airport in Kent, a former Royal Air Force base renowned for its pivotal role in both World Wars, is currently undergoing substantial refurbishment with an anticipated reopening in 2028. Initially, the rejuvenated airport will focus on cargo operations, but plans are afoot to introduce passenger services eventually. Tony Freudmann, a main board director at RiverOak Strategic Partners, the firm overseeing the airport, conveyed his optimism about the reintroduction of passenger services to the BBC, stating they have plans to attract short-haul carriers to popular European destinations. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone The refurbishment of Manston is estimated to cost a whopping £500 million, encompassing new terminals and upgraded runways. The airport features a single runway that measures 2,748 meters (9,016 feet) in length and is notably wide at 60 metres, designed to accommodate emergency landings for Concorde and the Space Shuttle, reports The Mirror. If the cargo side of the operation proves to be successful, passenger routes to countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta could be introduced. It was reported three years ago that the airport's owners were in discussions with budget airlines including Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air. At the time, Mr Freudmann told KentOnline: "Looking at the way the passenger market is going, we are confident we can persuade one or more low-cost carriers to base their planes here. "It does not work for us if they fly in just once a day because that is not economic. If they base three or four planes at Manston, we will have rotations three or four times a day, as they have at Southend. "That will cover our costs and bring passenger footfall through the terminal all day and every day. We will reinstate the twice daily KLM service to Amsterdam Schiphol that we had before and that will give business people in particular access to almost anywhere in the world." Despite there being no further updates on this endeavour since then, with RiverOak not responding to The Mirror's request for an update this month, the bustle at nearby hubs like Luton and Stansted could indicate ample demand for more passenger flights in the area. Reflecting on the steps required to launch services, a message from earlier in the year on the RiverOak website said: "Opening an airport – even one like Manston which already has in place a full-length runway, taxiways and airport buildings – takes a huge amount of preparation and planning first and so it will be many months before we are ready to welcome construction teams on site." Survey work is set to commence this year and the next at the airport site, with ambitions to finalise "the airport master plan – a process which we expect to conclude in early 2026". A public consultation on potential flight paths will also be initiated during this period. "In early 2028, we expect construction works to be complete and recruitment for operational roles to begin to allow us to assemble the team and begin detailed preparations for reopening later on in 2028," the statement continued. However, the plans to refurbish the airport have faced some significant opposition, with groups like Don't Save Manston Airport highlighting the site's previous commercial failures and raising concerns about environmental impacts from increased aviation capacity. RiverOak, which acquired the site for £14million has indicated intentions to initiate operations with five cargo flights daily. Despite recommendations for refusal by planners, the redevelopment of Manston Airport was approved in 2023. The Planning Inspectorate expressed reservations about the airport's ability to offer services that are "additional to, or different from" those at other airports, its potential detrimental effects on the environment, and the likelihood of increased traffic on local roads. Since its closure in 2015 following years of financial difficulties, Manston Airport has been repurposed as a lorry park to ease temporary cross-Channel traffic congestion. The final flight to leave Manston was bound for Amsterdam on 9 April 2014. Formerly Kent's sole large airport, the region is home to smaller aviation facilities including Rochester Airport and Lydd Airport. The developers of the new scheme have claimed that up to 650 construction jobs and an additional 2,000 permanent jobs will be created when the project is finished, per their website. They said: "The project requires no government funding and has attracted several international investors who are prepared to invest £800 million in this deprived part of the country." Although the development bypassed local planning bodies due to being classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, it faced legal hurdles. After the Secretary of State for Transport gave the green light in 2020 for Manston to reopen as a freight hub, the approval was initially quashed, leading to resubmission and subsequent reapproval, according to the Kent Messenger. In World War II, Manston airfield nearly met with destruction from heavy bombing and played host to numerous undetonated explosives. Positioned near the battlefront, the site was used as an emergency landing strip for badly damaged planes.
