Astronauts repeat spacewalk to complete camera job

[Buster's Uncle]

Astronauts repeat spacewalk to complete camera job
Associated Press
By MARCIA DUNN  1 hour ago



CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two Russian space station astronauts took a spacewalk Monday to complete a camera job left undone last month.

Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy quickly got one of two commercially provided cameras installed outside the International Space Station, a task requiring multiple power connections. Everything checked out well, unlike the post-Christmas spacewalk where no data emanated from the cameras.

The two men worked so hard — determined to accomplish the job this time — that Russian Mission Control outside Moscow urged them to "get your breath."

"We'll force ourselves to rest," one of the spacewalkers replied in Russian.

The astronauts had hooked up the Earth-observing cameras during a spacewalk right after Christmas. But ground controllers received no data from the cameras, and the spacewalkers had to haul everything back in.

The problem was traced to indoor cabling and fixed, according to NASA.

This time, after the spacewalkers reattached the high-definition camera to the outside of the Russian portion of the space station, good electrical connectivity was reported between the instrument and Russian Mission Control.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said Russian flight controllers were pleased with the results.

"The second time a charm for its installation and activation," Navias said.

Next, Kotov and Ryazanskiy tackled the medium-resolution camera.

Images from these new cameras will be distributed by the Canadian company that owns them, UrtheCast (pronounced EARTH-cast) Corp. The cameras were launched to the space station last November in a deal between the Vancouver-based UrtheCast and the Russian Space Agency.

UrtheCast will post near-real-time video on its website and sell images. The company envisions customers wanting video feeds for environmental, agricultural and humanitarian purposes.

The company expects it will take three months to calibrate the cameras, and that the system should be fully operational by summer.

Because of all the camera data trouble during the Dec. 27 spacewalk, which dragged on for eight hours, Kotov and Ryazanskiy had to put off other chores. Those tasks were on Monday's to-do list.

The four other space station astronauts — two Americans, one Japanese and another Russian — kept tabs on the spacewalk from inside.

Russian flight controllers outside Moscow directed Monday's 260-mile-high excursion.

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

UrtheCast: http://www.urthecast.com/


http://news.yahoo.com/astronauts-repeat-spacewalk-complete-camera-job-144038495.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Astronauts repeat spacewalk with mixed results
Associated Press
By MARCIA DUNN  1 hour ago



In an image made from NASA TV, the helmet camera of flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy shows commander Oleg Kotov Monday Jan. 27, 2014, as they install a high-resolution camera outside the International Space Station. Ryaazansky's gloved hand is at lower left. Kotov and Ryazanskiy made the spacewalk to install a pair of commercially provided cameras. (AP Photo/NASA)



CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two Russian space station astronauts took a spacewalk Monday to complete a camera job left undone last month, but ran into new trouble.

Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy successfully installed one of two commercially provided cameras for Earth observations, a task requiring multiple power connections outside the International Space Station. Everything checked out well with this high-definition camera, unlike the post-Christmas spacewalk where there was no data stream.

But the second, medium-resolution camera did not provide good data to ground controllers after Monday's hookup.

Ryazanskiy redid the electrical connections — to no avail. He spotted no damage.

"I put everything in place as it used to be, maybe even better," Ryazanskiy radioed. "I think it's much better."

But still, the data link was flawed.

"Sergey, don't overdo it there," Russian Mission Control said, warning him not to damage the connectors.

The spacewalkers worked so hard — determined to accomplish the job this time — that Russian Mission Control outside Moscow urged them early in the spacewalk to "get your breath."

"We'll force ourselves to rest," one of the spacewalkers replied in Russian.



In an image made from NASA TV broadcast flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy completes installation of the high-resolution camera on the Insternational Space Station Monday Jan. 27, 2014. Ryazanskiy and commander Oleg Kotov ventured outside the International Space Station to install a pair of commercially provided cameras. (AP Photo/NASA)


The astronauts had hooked up both Earth-observing cameras during a spacewalk right after Christmas. But ground controllers received no data from either camera, and the spacewalkers had to haul everything back in.

The problem was traced to indoor cabling and thought to be fixed.

Russian Mission Control ended Monday's spacewalk right around the six-hour mark, as originally planned. It was unclear what the next course of action would be regarding the incommunicado camera, but Kotov and Ryazanskiy were assured there would be no more spacewalks to deal with the problem.

"Well, at least one of them is working," one of them said.

All the external camera connections are believed to be solid, Russian Mission Control told the astronauts, and it was suggested that some files might be to blame.

The Canadian company that owns the two cameras, UrtheCast (pronounced EARTH-cast) Corp., has a business plan to distribute the images collected. The cameras were launched to the space station last November in a deal between the Vancouver-based UrtheCast and the Russian Space Agency.

UrtheCast seeks to post near-real-time video on its website and sell images. The company envisions customers wanting video feeds for environmental, agricultural and humanitarian purposes.

The company had expected the system to be fully operational by summer.

Because of all the camera data trouble during the Dec. 27 spacewalk, which dragged on for eight hours, Kotov and Ryazanskiy had to put off other chores. Those tasks were completed Monday.

The four other space station astronauts — two Americans, one Japanese and another Russian — kept tabs on the spacewalk from inside.

Russian flight controllers outside Moscow directed Monday's 260-mile-high excursion.

Before going back inside, Kotov, the station's commander, was told to check out the orbiting outpost "as the master of the house."

"Let's take a picture for future generations," one of the spacewalkers said. And so they did.

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

UrtheCast: http://www.urthecast.com/


http://news.yahoo.com/astronauts-repeat-spacewalk-mixed-results-203635790.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Cosmonauts Repeat Spacewalk to Add Earth-viewing Cameras to Space Station
SPACE.com
By Robert Z. Pearlman, collectSPACE.com  1 hour ago



GoPro camera view of UrtheCast's high- (upper left) and medium-resolution (lower right) commercial video cameras mounted on the International Space Station.



It was 'take two' for the installation of commercial video cameras on the outside the International Space Station Monday (Jan. 27), as Russian cosmonauts ventured out on a second spacewalk to add the two Earth-viewing cameras to the orbiting outpost's exterior.

But despite getting both of the cameras properly installed again, the two cosmonauts had to return inside the space station without one of the cameras returning a good signal.

Expedition 38 commander Oleg Kotov and flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy opened the hatch to the station's Pirs docking compartment at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), starting their second spacewalk in a month aimed at installing the cameras for Vancouver, Canada-based UrtheCast Corp.

Kotov's and Ryazanskiy's earlier outing on Dec. 27, which set a Russian duration recordof 8 hours and 7 minutes, ended with the two UrtheCast cameras being brought back inside the space station due to connectivity issues. In the month since, the cosmonauts worked with UrtheCast and Roscosmos ground engineers to troubleshoot and fix the two cameras, which were both found to have configuration problems.

According to NASA, the high-resolution camera was found to have an internal wiring problem. The second of the two cameras, the medium-resolution unit, was thought to have had its external cabling inadvertently routed to the wrong connection terminal.

Monday's spacewalk saw the cosmonauts reinstall the two cameras on a biaxial pointing platform previously added to the space station's Zvezda service module. The 6-hour, 8-minute extravehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalk) also included Kotov and Ryazanskiy retrieving a cassette for a Russian materials exposure experiment and a NASA foot restraint mounting fixture from the Canadarm2 robotic arm that had a loose connector pin.



Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy, as seen during their Dec. 27, 2013 spacewalk to install two UrtheCast cameras. The pair repeated the spacewalk Jan. 27, 2014 as a result of wiring and cabling issues with the cameras.


Russian flight controllers were able to confirm that one of the two UrtheCast Earth-observation cameras, the high-definition unit, was transmitting a good signal before Kotov and Ryazanskiy returned into the space station at 3:08 p.m. EST (2008 GMT).

The status of the medium-resolution camera however, was unknown. The two cosmonauts tried reseating the external cabling leading to the camera but needed to wait until they were back inside the station to gain access a panel in the Zvezda service module to determine if the telemetry from the camera was steady.

Regardless the outcome, ground controllers advised Kotov and Ryazanskiy that there would not be a third spacewalk to work on the cameras.

According to the UrtheCast website, the company intends to use the cameras to "stream unprecedented footage" of the Earth to anyone with an internet connection. "In near real-time, you will be able to visit your favorite locales and learn about current events as they unfold," the company advertised.

UrtheCast's chief executive Scott Larson stated in media interviews prior to the December spacewalk that their plan was to begin offering sample still photos from the medium-resolution, fixed-view camera by this spring. The company later plans to offer free internet streaming of a continuous view of the Earth from the vantage of the space station.

The commercial use of UrtheCast's 4K "ultra-HD" camera will follow after a commissioning period expected to take a few months.

The fixed-view, medium-resolution camera will be able to resolve targets that are about 16 feet (5 meters) across or larger and will record 25-mile-wide (40 kilometers) strips of imagery showing the Earth 260 miles (420 km) below. The high-resolution camera will be able to make out objects as small as 3.3 feet (1 meter) across.

The delay installing the pair of cameras is not expected to hold up UrtheCast's plans.

"At this time, the company expects that there will be little or no material impact on its business plan for 2014," the company's officials stated after the first spacewalk.

Monday's spacewalk marked the 178th EVA in support of the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station. The outing marked Kotov's sixth career EVA and the third for Ryazanskiy.

In addition to their first attempt at installing the UrtheCast cameras, Kotov and Ryazanskiy also conducted an EVA together in November, during which they carried outside a torch to be used as part of the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Sochi Olympics on Feb. 7.


http://news.yahoo.com/cosmonauts-repeat-spacewalk-add-earth-viewing-cameras-space-220520692.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Cosmonauts make repeat spacewalk for Canadian video venture
Reuters
By Irene Klotz  13 minutes ago



CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan 27 (Reuters) - A pair of Russian cosmonauts floated outside the International Space Station on Monday in a second attempt to set up cameras for a Canadian space video venture.

Station commander Oleg Kotov and flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy initially installed a telescope video camera and a medium-resolution still imager for Vancouver-based UrtheCast Corp during a December 27 spacewalk.

However, cabling issues prevented ground control teams from verifying if the imagers were receiving power, so Kotov and Ryazanskiy brought both back inside the station so ground control teams could try to resolve the problem.

On Monday, the spacewalkers tried again, this time with mixed results, in a live broadcast on NASA Television. The high-resolution video camera, which was mounted onto a swiveling platform, was transmitting signals as expected. The still imager was not.

Flight directors at the Russian mission control center outside Moscow told the crew there would be no more spacewalks to work with the cameras, a translator said during the broadcast.

"Well, at least one of them is working, and that's a big deal," one of the cosmonauts said, according to the translator.

Troubleshooting to resolve the problem with the second camera will continue, said NASA commentator Rob Navias.

UrtheCast - pronounced "Earthcast" - designed the medium-resolution still camera to capture and transmit images of the ground as the station flies about 260 miles (420 km) overhead. The sharper-eyed video camera can be pointed to pick up objects and features as small as 3.3 feet (1 meter) across.

UrtheCast intends to sell data to companies and government agencies that buy Earth-observing satellite imagery. It also plans to stream images over the Internet for free to subscribers, with the aim of attracting advertisers and sponsors. It has not yet set pricing, company Chief Executive Scott Larson said in a telephone interview.

The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, agreed to host the cameras on the station, a $100 billion project of 15 nations, in exchange for rights to use images and video taken over Russia for natural resources management, agriculture and other uses, Larson said.

UrtheCast has commercial rights to images and video of the rest of the world.

The agreement runs through 2021 and is likely to be extended through the life of the station, Larson said.

The cameras, which are designed to last at least 10 years, cost a combined $17 million, he added.

UrtheCast plans to begin commercial operations in mid-2014. It is not yet known what impact, if any, the problems with the medium-resolution imager will have on the company's business plans.


http://news.yahoo.com/cosmonauts-repeat-spacewalk-canadian-video-225743581.html