March 2009 Constellations,
Treadmill With Vibration Isolation System
Exercise
Main article: Space medicine – exercise
Following the advent of space stations that can be inhabited for long periods of time, exposure to weightlessness has been demonstrated to have some deleterious effects on human health. Humans are well-adapted to the physical conditions at the surface of the Earth. In response to an extended period of weightlessness, various physiological systems begin to change and atrophy. Though these changes are usually temporary, long term health issues can result.
The most common problem experienced by humans in the initial hours of weightlessness is known as space adaptation syndrome or SAS, commonly referred to as space sickness. Symptoms of SAS include nausea and vomiting, vertigo, headaches, lethargy, and overall malaise. The first case of SAS was reported by cosmonaut Gherman Titov in 1961. Since then, roughly 45% of all people who have flown in space have suffered from this condition. The duration of space sickness varies, but in no case has it lasted for more than 72 hours, after which the body adjusts to the new environment. NASA jokingly measures SAS using the “Garn scale”, named for United States Senator Jake Garn, whose SAS during STS-51-D was the worst on record. Accordingly, one “Garn” is equivalent to the most severe possible case of SAS. “Jake Garn was sick, was pretty sick. I don’t know whether we should tell stories like that. But anyway, Jake Garn, he has made a mark in the Astronaut Corps because he represents the maximum level of space sickness that anyone can ever attain, and so the mark of being totally sick and totally incompetent is one Garn. Most guys will get maybe to a tenth Garn, if that high. And within the Astronaut Corps, he forever will be remembered by that.”
The most significant adverse effects of long-term weightlessness are muscle atrophy and deterioration of the skeleton, or spaceflight osteopenia. These effects can be minimized through a regimen of exercise. Other significant effects include fluid redistribution, a slowing of the cardiovascular system, decreased production of red blood cells, balance disorders, and a weakening of the immune system. Lesser symptoms include loss of body mass, nasal congestion, sleep disturbance, excess flatulence, and puffiness of the face. These effects begin to reverse quickly upon return to the Earth.
Many of the conditions caused by exposure to weightlessness are similar to those resulting from aging. Scientists believe that studies of the detrimental effects of weightlessness could have medical benefits, such as a possible treatment for osteoporosis and improved medical care for the bed-ridden and elderly.
To prevent some of the effects associated with weightlessness, a treadmill with vibration isolation and stabilization designed for the International Space Station (ISS) was first evaluated during STS-81. Three crew members ran and walked on the device, which floats freely in the micro-gravity experienced during orbit. For the majority of the more than 2 hours of locomotion studied, the treadmill operated well, and vibration transmitted to the vehicle was within the micro-gravity allocation limits that are defined for the ISS. Refinements to the treadmill and harness system, which ultimately led to development of the COLBERT model, were studied after this first flight. One goal of the treadmill design is to offer the possibility of generating 1 g-like loads on the lower extremities while preserving the micro-gravity environment of the ISS for structural safety and vibration free experimental conditions.
The treadmills are intended to help astronauts stay fit, fighting off the bone loss (spaceflight osteopenia) and muscle decay that otherwise comes with space travel. Astronauts use bungee cords to strap themselves to the treadmill in order to remain in contact with the equipment while in micro-gravity. Researchers believe that exercise is a good countermeasure for the bone and muscle density loss that occurs when humans live for a long time without gravity.
Maintenance
Station residents are currently using the Treadmill with Vibration Isolation System (TVIS) that is recessed into the floor of the Zvezda Service Module. Expedition 20 flight engineers Michael Barratt and Koichi Wakata have performed a complete overhaul of that treadmill to extend its life. Both treadmills will continue to be used, which will nearly double the availability of these critical work-out devices for space station crews.
Treadmill with Vibration Isolation System (TVIS) also required repair in 2002, during Expedition 5 while STS-112 was docked. Valery Korzun spent an entire day performing maintenance on the unit.
Naming COLBERT
Wikinews has related news: Comedian Stephen Colbert wins NASA space station name contest
Official patch for COLBERT
Main article: NASA ISS Naming contest
In early 2009 NASA held an online poll to name what became the Tranquility module. On the 3 March 2009, episode of The Colbert Report, host Stephen Colbert instructed his viewers to suggest “Colbert” as the name for Node 3 in the online poll. On 23 March 2009, it was announced that “Colbert” had garnered the most votes, but NASA did not immediately commit to using the name.
Congressman Chaka Fattah had pledged to use congressional power to ensure that democratic voting is honored in outer space as well as on planet Earth, in response to the possibility that NASA would overrule the voting. On the 14 April 2009 episode of The Colbert Report, astronaut Sunita Williams appeared on the show to announce that NASA decided to name the node 3 “Tranquility”, the eighth most popular response in the census, and announced that they would name a new treadmill on the station after the comedian Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT). Colbert was invited to Houston to test the treadmill, and later to Florida for its launch. The treadmill was taken to the ISS in August 2009, aboard STS-128 and will be installed in the Tranquility module after the node arrives at the station in February 2010.
NASA poked fun at itself in a humorous press release included in the STS-128 flight day 6 execute package report which claimed that Jon Stewart demanded to be honored similarly but turned down the agency’s offer to name the ISS Urine Processor “Space Toilet Environmental Waste Accumulator/Recycling Thingy.”
Development
The COLBERT decal being placed during construction
The treadmill, COLBERT, was developed by Wyle Laboratories, under a bioastronautics contract to NASA, by a team lead by Curt Wiederhoeft. Engineers started development with a medical treadmill design which is available to anyone on Earth, and they asked the manufacturer to nickel plate the parts and make some other modifications, but it is fundamentally the same running-in-place device as the commercially available model. The structures which support the treadmill are a different story. Without gravity to hold the runner to the surface of the treadmill, designers added elastic straps that fit around the shoulders and waist in order to keep the runner from rocketing across the space station with the first hard step. Designers also had to work out a way to keep the treadmill from shaking the whole station with every step. Preventing vibrations is relatively easy to do on Earth, but the station is floating just like the astronauts are, and it wants to react against any movement that is made inside of it. Even small actions can shake up delicate microgravity experiments taking place inside the station laboratories. Developing a system to stop the vibrations was the biggest challenge, Wiederhoeft said.
The first station treadmill, which was brought to the Space Station aboard STS-98, relied on a powered system of gyroscopes and mechanisms to reduce vibrations. COLBERT’s Vibration Isolation System was designed to work without power, and also to be more reliable than its predecessor. COLBERT will rest on springs that are hooked to dampers, which are then connected to a standard-sized rack that has been extensively reinforced in order to handle the power produced by COLBERT users. The rack alone weighs 2,200 pounds, which is its contractual design limit, and is also louder than the first treadmill which is a trade-off Wiederhoeft said is necessary to increase its reliability. “Noise and reliability are fighting against each other here,” Wiederhoeft said. ith a lot more time we could have had both quiet and reliable. We went for reliable, and did what we could with noise.13]
Development of the treadmills was also utilized in order to further development of commercial products. Possible secondary effects of development include improved vibration and acoustic isolation applications in sensitive equipment such as equipment used in optical, microelectronic and precision manufacturing.
COLBERT delivery
Main article: STS-128: Mission Payload
Pete Gauthier, a packing engineer for United Space Alliance, prepares the COLBERT and its parts for loading into the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo in preparation for launch to the International Space Station.
A team of engineers was required in order to prepare COLBERT to survive the rigorous vibrations of the launch process. COLBERT had to be disassembled into scores of parts and separated into more than six bags and strapped to racks inside the Leonardo cargo module, which flew to the International Space Station aboard STS-128. COLBERT will reside first inside the Harmony module, and will be moved to the Tranquility module after it is delivered to the Space Station in 2010.
The packing team set out to make sure everything that is launched reaches the station in good working order. f it the COLBERT, or if it something else, it still not going to be useful in orbit if it broken, said Pete Gauthier, packing engineer for United Space Alliance. he difference with something like this is that it big and it heavy, so we have to use our biggest bag, he said. t easier for the crew if you have all the pieces in one bag, but when you have six bags, you just can do that. The astronauts on the station are expected to spend about 20 hours putting the whole thing together, including the vibration system. After assembly, the only care COLBERT should need is an occasional greasing of its bearings.
References
^ “Colbert tops poll to name NASA space module”. CNN. 24 March 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/24/colbert.nasa/. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/StevensonRE/RES_5-13-99.pdf, pg 35, Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, interview with Dr. Robert Stevenson
^ McCrory JL; Lemmon DR; Sommer HJ; Prout B; Smith D; Korth DW; Lucero J; Greenisen M et al. (August 1999). “Evaluation of a Treadmill with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (TVIS) for use on the International Space Station.”. Journal of Applied Biomechanics (Pennsylvania State University) 15 (3): 292302. PMID 11541844. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11541844. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
^ Foster, Andrea (16 June 2009). “Bungee Cords Keep Astronauts Grounded While Running”. NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/bungee_running.html. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
^ Kauderer, Amiko (19 August 2009). “Do Tread on Me”. NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/colbert_feature.html. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
^ Harwood, William (26 September 2002). “Radiator deploy, treadmill repair and a final spacewalk”. Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/sts112/020926preview/index6.html. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
^ “Name the NASA Module After Stephen”. colbertnation.com. 3 March 2008. http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/220492/march-03-2009/name-the-nasa-module-after-stephen. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
^ Mark, Roy (26 March 2009). “Lawmaker Backs Stephen Colbert’s NASA Win”. EWeek. http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Government-IT/Lawmaker-Backs-Stephen-Colberts-NASA-Win-105780/. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
^ Coyle, Jake (14 April 2009). “NASA names treadmill after Colbert”. San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/14/entertainment/e171111D36.DTL&type=health. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
^ Malik, Tariq (19 August 2009). “Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch 25 Aug.”. Space.com. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090819-sts128-launch-date.html. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
^ Atkinson, Nancy (14 April 2009). “COLBERT on the ISS”. Universe Today. http://www.universetoday.com/2009/04/14/colbert-on-the-iss/. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
^ “Colbert Elated, Stewart Miffed”. STS-128/17A FD 06 Execute Package. NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/383132main_fd06_exec_pkg.pdf. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
^ a b c d Ryba, Jeanne (5 May 2009). “COLBERT Ready for Serious Exercise”. NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/colberttreadmill.html. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
^ NASA (7 July 1999). “Treadmill Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System RME 1318″. Press release. http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/sts-93/dto53.htm. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
^ “Vibration Isolation of Exercise Treadmill in Microgravity”. SIBR. NASA. 12 January 2005. http://www.sbir.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/88/sbir/phase1/SBIR-88-1-12.05-8148.html. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
External links
NASA (20 August 2009). “COMBINED OPERATIONAL LOAD BEARING EXTERNAL RESISTANCE TREADMILL (COLBERT)” (PDF). Press release. http://treadmills.com/news/Nasa_Press_Kit.pdf. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
v d e
Components of the International Space Station
Major components
in orbit
Zarya (Functional Cargo Block) Unity (Node 1) Zvezda (Service Module) Destiny (Laboratory) Quest (Airlock) Pirs (Airlock / Docking Module) Harmony (Node 2) Columbus (Laboratory) Kib (PM, ELM-PS, EF) Poisk (MRM 2) Tranquillity (Node 3) Cupola Integrated Truss Structure (ITS)
Subsystems
in orbit
Canadarm2 (MSS) Dextre (SPDM) Kib Remote Manipulator System External Stowage Platforms (ESPs) ExPRESS Logistics Carriers 1&2 (ELCs) Pressurised Mating Adapters (PMAs) Electrical System ECLSS
Launched periodically
Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLMs) Kib (ELM-ES)
Scheduled for Shuttle
Rassvet (MRM 1) ExPRESS Logistics Carriers 3&4 (ELCs) Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Leonardo (PMM) OBSS
Scheduled for Proton
Nauka (Multipurpose Laboratory Module) European Robotic Arm (ERA)
Not currently scheduled
ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 5 (ELC5) Interim Control Module (ICM)
Cancelled
Propulsion Module Centrifuge Accommodations Module (CAM) Habitation Module Crew Return Vehicle (CRV/ACRV) Science Power Platform (SPP) Universal Docking Module (UDM) Russian Research Module (RM)
Support vehicles
Current: Space Shuttle Soyuz Progress Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)
Future: Dragon Cygnus Orion Rus
Mission Control
MCC-H (NASA) TsUP (RKA) Col-CC (ESA) ATV-CC (ESA) JEM-CC (JAXA) HTV-CC (JAXA) MSS-CC (CSA)
Station Assembly Project Major Incidents
v d e
Spaceflight
General spaceflight
History (Space Race, Accidents and incidents) Astrodynamics Lists and timelines
Applications
Earth observation satellites (Spy satellites, weather satellites) Space exploration Space tourism Satellite navigation Space architecture Space colonization
Human spaceflight
General
Astronaut Life support system
Hazards
Weightlessness (space adaptation syndrome) cosmic radiation
Major projects
Vostok Mercury Voskhod Gemini Soyuz Apollo Space Shuttle Shenzhou Mir ISS Constellation
Other
Extra-vehicular activity
Spacecraft
Launch vehicle Space Shuttle Robotic spacecraft Spacecraft propulsion Rocket
Destinations
Sub-orbital Orbital (Geosynchronous orbit, Geocentric orbit) Interplanetary spaceflight Interstellar travel Intergalactic travel
Space launch
Expendable and Reusable systems Escape velocity Direct ascent Non-rocket spacelaunch Spaceport Launch pad
Main agencies
ESA NASA RKA CNSA ISRO JAXA
Other
Private spaceflight Space weather Lagrangian point Space and survival
v d e
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Policy & History
NACA (1915) National Aeronautics and Space Act (1958) Paine (1986) Rogers (1986) Ride (1987) Space Exploration Initiative (1989) Augustine (1990) U.S. National Space Policy (1996) CFUSAI (2002) CAIB (2003) Vision for Space Exploration (2004) Aldridge (2004) Augustine (2009)
General: Space Race Administrators Chief Scientist NASA Budget NASA spin-off NASA TV
Robotic Programs
Past
New Millennium Hitchhiker Pioneer Mariner Lunar Orbiter Ranger Surveyor Viking Planetary Observer Mariner Mark II MESUR Mars Surveyor ’98
Current
Living With a Star Lunar Precursor Robotic Program Earth Observing System Great Observatories program Explorer Small explorer Voyager Discovery New Frontiers Mars Exploration Rover Project Prometheus Mars Scout
Human spaceflight
Programs
Past
X-15 (suborbital) Mercury Gemini Apollo Apollooyuz Test Project (with USSR) Skylab Shuttleir (with Russia)
Current
Space Shuttle program International Space Station program
Future/Planned
Constellation program
Individual
Featured Missions
(Human and robotic)
Past
COBE Magellan Pioneer 10/11 Voyager 1/2 Galileo
Currently
Operating
WISE MRO Mars Odyssey Dawn New Horizons Kepler Space Shuttle International Space Station Hubble Space Telescope Spitzer RHESSI WMAP SWIFT GALEX THEMIS Mars Exploration Rover Cassini GOES 14 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter SDO
Future
GOES-P Aquarius Glory NuSTAR GRAIL NPP James Webb Space Telescope Juno MAVEN EJSM JDEM RBSP MSL LISA IXO
Space Comm and Nav (SCaN)
Space Network Near Earth Network Deep Space Network (Goldstone Madrid Canberra)
NASA Categories
and Lists
NASA personnel NASA programs NASA probes NASA images NASA
NASA Astronaut Groups List of astronauts by selection List of NASA aircraft List of NASA missions List of NASA contractors
v d e
The Colbert Report
People/characters
Stephen Colbert Stephen Colbert (character) Tek Jansen Recurring characters Writers
Elements
Better Know a District Truthiness Wikiality Recurring segments
Special series
Indecision 2006: Midterm Midtacular Indecision 2008 A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! Who Made Huckabee?
Episodes
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 The Best of The Colbert Report
Related
Aptostichus stephencolberti Correspondents’ Dinner The Daily Show I Am America (And So Can You!) Megyeri Bridge Presidential campaign Tranquility (ISS module) C.O.L.B.E.R.T. “Stephen, Stephen”
Categories: International Space Station components | Exercise equipment | The Colbert Report
About the Author
I am an expert from China Toys Suppliers, usually analyzes all kind of industries situation, such as darner , fastener gun.
Where can i find online info about Comet Lulin? (How to locate it etc.))?
The newly discovered comet (mentioned here: http://www.universetoday.com/2009/01/14/comet-lulin-is-on-the-way/) is approaching earth as we speak, and it will reach the closest point in its orbit around the 24th of feb. I remember having read it’s currently in the constellation of Libra and will pass through Virgo during March. Hopefully, i’ll come across some sort of professional astronomer or enthusiast in here. My question is that is it even possible to view it in the +41° North and if it is so, what’s the best hour to go out and look for it? I think it’s in the south-east direction but i’m not sure about that either. Thanks for any help.
Just do a search for comet Lulin. I found several sites.
“After moving about 1° per day at the start of February, by February 11th Lulin is creeping westward at 2° per day On that date it crosses into Virgo and passes within a quarter degree of Lambda Virginis. But there’s bad moonlight in the early-morning sky from about February 7th through the morning of the 15th or 16th.
On the night of February 15-16 (look around midnight, just before moonrise at your location), Comet Lulin will pass 3° north of Spica. By now the comet’s speed has increased to 3° per day.
On the night of February 23rd, in a moonless sky and near its peak brightness, Comet Lulin is passing 2° south-southwest of Saturn.
Lulin’s closest approach to Earth, 0.41 a.u. (61 million km), occurs on February 24th, when the comet may be at a peak of magnitude 5. By now it’s high up by late evening.
On the night of February 25th the comet goes through opposition, nearly 180° from the Sun in our sky. Will there be an “opposition effect” brightening of its dusty coma and dust tail?
And it’s now speeding along at just over 5° per day! That’s about 1 arcsecond every 5 seconds of time, enough to show obvious motion during a short telescopic observing session. Similarly, that’s 1 arcminute per 5 minutes of time if you’re using binoculars.
After that Lulin moves away from both Earth and the Sun, so it fades quickly. The evening of February 27 will see it at 5th or 6th magnitude within 1° of Regulus. Moonlight starts interfering again around the 28th.”
“This potential naked eye comet could be a very interesting one since it follows an unusual orbit. Comet Lulin is actually moving in the opposite direction of the planets! It also occupies a very low-inclination orbit of about 1.6° from the ecliptic. On top of all this, the comet is in a parabolic trajectory, which means it may have never interacted with the planets and that this may be its first trip into the inner Solar system. As we will see below, this comet’s strange orbit will make for some odd behavior.
Comet Lulin’s closest approach will be on February 24th, 2009 at a distance of about 61 million kilometers. By now, Comet Lulin is predicted to be 5th magnitude, which means it could be visible to the naked eye in rural locations. The most interesting thing about closest approach, however, is the comet’s ridiculously high apparent velocity. Comet Lulin will be speeding along at more than 5° per day! This means that in a telescope or binoculars, one will actually be able to see the comet’s apparent motion against the background stars! This effect is a must-see, and does not present itself often.”
Saturn rings visible under Constellation Leo & Constellation Orion explained
March 2009 Constellations,
Saturn rings visible under Constellation Leo & Constellation Orion explained
We custom create Portals into Space.
3″ to 6″ with your choice of any of the major
star constellations.
We also can use the entire ceiling – to create a night time replica of our galaxy
- including the Milky Way
- mostly invisible –
until the lights turn out for sleep or other night time activities.
Or we can use all 5 faces – the 4 walls and ceilings … and create an experience
that could be as you and your sweet heart are standing on a volcano in Hawaii
- watching the stars move by as you stand in awe of it all.
Or views of mountains scapes and the night time star sky line..
We create jaw dropping depictions of the stars …
and help those people who love them also …
“to keep reaching for the stars!”
******************************************.
For young boys, we offer battles in space – with fighters similar
to those first depicted in Battle Star Galactica along with seasoned actors
Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict.
Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and Boxey
… complete with photon torpedoes, exploding ships and all the imagination
that might be stimulated for exploring the “Final Frontier”.
For Some Space adventure fans, this will never grow old …
For the girls, we have pixie fairies, roses, and even an awesome guardian angel
- to place over her bed to let her know … she is loved and watched over as she sleeps.
Custom created for each new friend.
Almost invisible during daylight hours.
Awe inspiring … gifts for those that you love.
