International Space Station Update

Feb 1-12, 2016

• Space Marathon: Into the homestretch: Kelly and Kornienko to pass 300 days in space, heading for 2 March return to Earth
  Closing in on the early March finale of a near yearlong stay aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s Scott Kelly and Russia’s Mikhail Kornienko passed the 300-day-mark on Thursday.
• New Space Suits: New spacesuits to be delivered to ISS
  Russia plans to deliver three new space suits to the cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station by the end of 2016.
• Rebot Arm: Dextre demo paving the way for robotic EVA
  assistanceNASAspaceflight.com A Canadian built extension of the International Space Station’s Remote Manipulator System, or robot arm, has achieved a milestone, demonstrating that it could take on a task once assigned to NASA space walkers, the change out of an external Main Buss Switching Unit.
• ISS and Commercial Space: Gerstenmaier: LEO commercialization requires space industry to be innovative, nimble
  As NASA looks increasingly toward deep space for its future investments, the low Earth orbit realm now anchored by the International Space Station will become the province of commercial space. Speaking before an FAA sponsored commercial space flight gathering last week, NASA human exploration Chief Bill Gerstenmaier counseled its pioneers to make wise, timely decisions.
  (See also: NanoRacks project could be a giant leap for commercial space)

Citizens for Space Exploration – a pro-space, taxpayer, grassroots advocacy group (http://www.bayareahouston.com/content/c_s_e/c_s_e) – has traveled to Washington, D.C. the past 24 years to meet face-to-face with Members/staff of Congress to discuss the value of America’s investment in space exploration. In order to sustain that dialogue on a regular basis, Citizens distributes “Space Exploration Update” to Congressional offices on a weekly basis. The intent is to provide an easy, quick way to stay abreast of key human space exploration program and policy developments.