The next launch to the Space Station is planned for April 9th and is only a few days away and will leave the ISS with only one NASA astronaut on board. Preparations for the launch have been complicated with illness and coronavirus complications. AS OF NOW, the launch is still on track to rocket American astronaut Chris Cassidy and his two Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. Originally, Ivanishin and Vagner were backup for expedition 63. Due to a temporary health condition, Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner were moved forward onto the prime crew. Because of delays in the US Commercial Crew Program, the crew on the ISS may be lower than normal.
During a press conference Wednesday, April 8th at, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy answered questions about the upcoming mission. The astronauts appeared in good health and high spirits. You could see the reflection from the glass wall separating the astronauts from the non-essential individuals.
The current coronavirus situation was brought up early in the press conference. When asked, if he had any concern about COVID19 the possibly of the virus being delivered to the ISS and infecting the crew, Chris calmly explained that he and his fellow cosmonauts are in good health. He further added that they also have been well taken care of and have maintained a strict quarantine for about a month which is typical.
Regarding the isolation, Chris was asked how difficult has it been to be distanced from everyone during this time? Chris explained that as a crew, they are affected by the family’s not being present but understand that this is normal. For the astronauts, he explained that their day to day life has not been much different than prior quarantine. Some minor differences, with more cameras, and less talking to many people. He also expressed that they would love to have their families present, but all understand that it is what we need to do to be safe since the whole world is impacted currently by the virus.
Some other topics were brought up including Clothing and food. Chris was cheerful when he mentioned that the kitchen is always open on the ISS but it should not cause any issues since Ivan and he eats exactly the same stuff, so the weight and balance of the ISS remain stable. When asked about doing laundry, Chris explained that Astronauts don’t do laundry. This is not because Astronauts will not do laundry, but rather the ISS was not equipped with equipment to do laundry.
“We don’t do any laundry, we wear it until we can’t stand it anymore and then we throw it away.”
Chris Cassidy Quote During press conference April 8, 2020
Chris was also asked about spacewalks, which he has a lot of experience. Chris was very humble when answering that the experience is unique getting into a one-person suit that will keep you alive. He describes the spacesuit as a one-person spaceship. He explained that you can hear the fans and equipment that is keeping you alive. “Spacewalks are hard work – but also very rewarding. “ He went on to explain that there are a lot of people working hard to make it successful.
SpaceX and Impact on Soyuz?
During the press conference, he was asked about the SPACEX dragon? And how historic?
Chris did a good job answering the question. He explained that it will be extremely important for there to be redundant pathways for the crew to get to the ISS. He importantly added that international cooperation and options were an important part of that. He expressed that Russia does it very well and has great experience. He added that it should be an exciting moment to open the hatch and great our two new crew members when they arrive on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Chris Cassidy Quote During press conference April 8, 2020.
“We in the united states are happy to be back in this business again.”
Boeing and SpaceX delays put ISS operations at Risk
Since delays to the US Commercial Crew Program might leave Cassidy as the only crew member on the USOS for an extended time, Anatoli Ivanishin has been training on US EMU spacesuits. Cassidy has completed multiple EVAs in the past, including an unscheduled EVA. In the unlikely event that an unscheduled EVA is required before additional USOS crew members arrive at the station, then Ivanishin can support Cassidy. Should Ivanishin participate in EVA in the EMU he would be the first Russian cosmonaut to use an EMU since 2007 where Yuri Malenchenko performed the EVA with NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson. Vagner has been to training on the operation of the USOS Robotic Arm (Canadarm 2) should there be a need to robotically support any EVA carried out by Cassidy and Ivanishin.
Originally Soyuz was designed to carry cosmonauts to the Moon, however, it was repurposed to be the main transport vehicle for Russia over the years. The Soyuz spacecraft is capable of carrying three crewmembers at a time and is certified to remain docked with the ISS for a maximum of 200 days and is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site.
NASA Commercial Crew Program (CCP)
Until the NASA Commercial Crew Program (CCP) is completed, Roscosmos remains the sole option for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. At all times, at least one of the Soyuz spacecraft is docked at the International Space Station serves as an emergency lifeboat or escape pot should evacuation be needed. Typically two Soyuz capsules are docked at the ISS which allows up to six astronauts to remain on the International Space Station. The limit of six astronauts is established by the number of seats available for evacuation.NASA Shifted from the Space Shuttle
The 2003 Columbia accident resulted from the loss of insulating foam from the External Tank, which hit the Orbiter’s left wing during launch and created a hole in the protective tiles required for safe reentry. When The Space Shuttle Columbia entered the Earth’s atmosphere, the left wing leading edge thermal protection was compromised and unable to prevent heating due to the hole from the foam. The shuttle ultimately lost of control and was lost killing the crew.
All flights were put on hold for more than 2 years as NASA implemented numerous safety improvements, like redesigning the External Tank with an improved bipod fitting that minimized potential foam debris from the tank. Additional other improvements included Solid Rocket Booster Bolt Catcher, the newly added impact sensors on wing’s leading edge, and additional tools to inspect the vehicle for any possible damage while in orbit. Knowing the limitations of the Space Shuttle and the ultimate completions of the ISS, NASA started to think about how to best move forward since the Space Shuttle was nearing 30 years old.
- A successful human space transportation system would strengthen the ISS Program. The ISS for safety reasons could not leave more astronauts at the space station than Soyuz seats. The Shuttle was not designed for long duration stays in space and complex missions lasted 14 days. For longer duration stays, NASA needed a new option.
- NASA outsourcing development and transportation of crew to and from LEO would allow NASA to focus on beyond LEO exploration as well as potentially reduce the cost of human access to space.
- NASA envisioned commercial human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) creating a robust, vibrant, profit-making commercial enterprise with many providers and a wide range of private and public users and likely would significantly contribute to the US National economy.
Ultimately, the Space Shuttle costs per flight were roughly 1.7 Billion USD (adjusted for inflation and original development costs) NASA needed a new option for getting crew to and from the Space Station until it could complete the NASA Commercial Crew Program
Soyuz, the *only* option at the time to the Space Shuttle
Over the past two decades, more than 80 flights have transported over 200 astronauts to the International Space Station on either a NASA Space Shuttle or a Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (Roscosmos) Soyuz spacecraft.
Since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, the Soyuz launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site has served as the sole means of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. These seats were purchased by NASA in place of transporting astronauts to and from the Space Station previously done with the Space Shuttle. (Read more about another spacecraft that could have been used to dock with the Space Station- Click here to learn about Shenzhou)
NASA has purchased, flown or plan to fly 71 astronauts since 2006. Two additional Soyuz flights are planned for 2020, each with one USOS crew-member aboard. (USOS is United States On-Orbit Segment of the ISS and is operated by NASA and its international partners—the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.)
The total cost to NASA for the transport to and from the ISS and emergency escape services total roughly $3.9 billion. On average the cost per seat has been $55 million for missions from 2006 through 2020. The costs have been rising steady. Original seats purchased for less than $30 million each. The price increased up to about $55 million per seat by 2013. Most Recently, seats are costing 86 million dollars. For comparison Boeing has quoted $90 million and SpaceX has quoted $55 for ongoing crew transportation through 2024.[These per seat numbers do not include up front development costs]
(Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap). awarded by NASA in September 2014, are firm-fixed-price contracts worth $6.9 billion with Boeing and SpaceX to complete development of their commercial crew transportation systems and carry astronauts to and from the ISS on a total of 12 missions through the ISS’s planned retirement in 2024.) (see also 7 Spacecraft Critical for the ISS Survival)
In order to operate the ISS and conduct research, NASA and its partners have generally maintained a rotating crew of three to four astronauts on the USOS side. Less astronauts translate into higher percentage of operations and upkeep time spent as there is still the same amount of work to be done. This translates into less time available to conduct experiments and science. For example, two astronauts are required to conduct space walks. If one astronaut only was available on the ISS, spacewalks could not be conducted. Since Roscosmos has generally maintained two to three cosmonauts in the Russian segment, NASA has engaged in cross-training in the event that the USOS crew is reduced to one resulting from continuing delays on the commercial crew program.
USOS crew typically stay aboard the ISS for 5-month rotations as extended time in microgravity can have adverse impacts on humans. Although NASA typically limits the negative health impact extended stays in microgravity two astronauts have remained on the International Space Station for a year to study the long term health effects of extended space exposures. These extended stay missions allow NASA to collect data that can be used for the upcoming return to the Moon and eventually traveling to Mars.
Some interesting related items on Amazon.
The Soyuz spacecraft succeeded the Russian Voskhod spacecraft and was originally designed as part of the Soviet crewed lunar programs. An advantage Soyuz had over the Space Shuttle was the ability to abort in the event of a failure with the launch vehicle. The Soyuz spacecraft is launched on a Soyuz rocket and has needed to leverage the abort feature successfully protecting the crew in the process.
Since November 2000, at least one Soyuz has always been at the International Space Station, generally to serve as a lifeboat should the crew have to return to Earth unexpectedly.The retirement of the US Space Shuttle in 2011 left the Soyuz TMA as the sole means of transportation for crew members going to or returning from the orbiting laboratory.
The Soyuz rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station are both automated processes. The Soyuz crew also has the capability to manually intervene or execute these operations. Once docking is complete, the crew members must equalize the air pressure of the Soyuz with the Station before opening the hatches.
No more than three crew are able to launch and return to Earth from the station aboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft. Upon return to Earth, the vehicle lands on the flat steppe of Kazakhstan in central Asia.
The return to Earth aboard a Soyuz takes less than 3.5 hours.
Soyuz Specifications
Length: 22.9 feet
Diameter: 8.9 feet
Mass Descent module: 6,393 pounds
Orbital module: 2,866 pounds
Propulsion module: 5,732 pounds
Solar array span: 34.8 feet
Volume Descent module: 141.3 ft3
Orbital module: 229.5 ft3
Descent g-loads: 4-5 times the force of gravity
Landing speed: 6.6 feet per second
About The Author
Bill D’Zio
Co-Founder at WestEastSpace.com
Bill founded WestEastSpace.com after returning to China in 2019 to be supportive of his wife’s career. Moving to China meant leaving the US rocket/launch industry behind, as the USA and China don’t see eye to eye on cooperation in space. Bill has an engineering degree and is an experienced leader of international cross-functional teams with experience in evaluating, optimizing and awarding sub-contracts for complex systems. Bill has worked with ASME Components, Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) for use in launch vehicles, satellites, aerospace nuclear, and industrial applications.
Bill provides consulting services for engineering, supply chain, and project management.
