Latest Space station Stories

Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday that the country will charge U.S. astronauts $51 million per return trip to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2012 and will resume selling seats to space tourists, Reuters reported.Much like NASA's own shuttle fleet, Russia's Soyuz capsule will soon be retired after nearly 3 decades in service.However, a replacement for its space shuttle is not due until at least 2014.Interfax quoted Anatoly Perminov head of Russian space agency Roskosmos...

Astronauts set to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) later this month said Thursday that building a new dinner table to accommodate the station's expanded six-person permanent crew would be a top priority.The three astronauts will blast off into orbit on a Russian Soyuz capsule, and will join an existing three-person team already onboard the ISS. It will be the first time the station's permanent crew consists of six astronauts."We are now going to have six people in orbit,...

Russia's leading spacecraft maker RSC Energia said an agreement has been reached to continue using the International Space Station until 2020. Vitaly Lopota, president of the company, said Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency have reached a verbal agreement to extend the use of the orbiter, RIA Novosti reported Thursday. Previously, the United States had said ISS missions would end in 2015. Lopota said 39 space launches are planned for this year, up from 27...

O.I. Corporation (NASDAQ: OICO) today announced that a next-generation Total Organic Carbon Analyzer ("TOCA") is scheduled to be launched tomorrow on the Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station. OI developed the core TOCA technology for this analyzer, which will be a key component of the water recycling system that should allow the Space Station to be fully manned for the first time. Gary Erickson, Research and Development Manager for OI, commented, "The implementation of...

Plans to add crew members to the International Space Station might be delayed, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos said Saturday. RIA Novosti reported the space agency is considering a boost the number of astronauts on the space station from three to six in 2009. "I doubt that the ISS crew will be increased to six people from next year because the final decision has not been taken yet," Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov said. "All countries participating in the ISS program have to...

Russian media reported that a Russian cargo ship docked at the International Space Station on Wednesday, after Hurricane Ike delayed the mission last week.  Local news agencies reported that the Progress M-65 cargo ship successfully coupled with the multibillion-dollar orbit outpost at 2243 Moscow time, which equals 4:43 p.m. ET.  Last Wednesday the cargo ship was launched. It carried some 2.5 tons of food, fuel, water, specimens for scientific experiments, a Russian-designed, fully...

The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has found a sponsor to build a spacecraft that will bring space tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2011, Roscosmos deputy head Vitaly Davydov said. "We do have people willing to buy this spacecraft and to perform this flight," Davydov said at the Farnborough International Airshow. Recently, Roscosmos has had an opportunity to launch one space tourist aboard a three-seat Soyuz spacecraft; however, after the ISS crew...

Europe's first unmanned space freighter is clear to dock at the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow after acing two rendezvous tests, mission managers said Wednesday. The European Space Agency (ESA) approved plans to dock the massive automated cargo ship Jules Verne at the station on Thursday at 10:41 a.m. EDT (1441 GMT). The first of Europe's new fleet of Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs), the 21-ton spacecraft has already made two approaches to the space station - on...

Seeking an out-of-this-world travel destination?Outer space will rocket into reality as "the" getaway of this century, according to researchers at the University of Delaware and the University of Rome La Sapienza.In fact, the "final frontier" could begin showing up in travel guides by 2010, they predict."In the twenty-first century, space tourism could represent the most significant development experienced by the tourism industry," says Prof. Fred DeMicco, ARAMARK Chair in UD's Hotel,...