May 27, 2013 - Kibo Grows

Kibo Grows The Japanese Experiment Module Kibo (Hope) is the largest single module on the International Space Station. It is so large, in fact, that it took three separate shuttle missions to deliver all of the components. The first mission, STS-123, brought the first two components, and the STS-124 mission, launched five years ago this week, brought the large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system. Seen here, STS-124 astronaut Mike Fossum works outside during a seven-hour spacewalk during which he and crew mate Ron Garan installed television cameras on Kibo to assist robotic arm operations, removed thermal covers from the Kibo robotic arm, and prepared an upper docking port for later attachment of the Kibo logistics module, which had been delivered on STS-123.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

May 27 - June 2, 2013

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 27

Memorial Day

Mercury 2° north of Jupiter

2009: Soyuz TMA-15 launched carrying ISS Expedition 20/21 crew

Tuesday 28

Venus 1° north of Jupiter

1959: First primates in space, Able and Baker (monkeys), complete suborbital flight
1964: SA-6 launched, second Saturn I Block 2
2013: Soyuz TMA-09M launched carrying ISS Expedition 36/37 crew

Wednesday 29

1919: Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity tested during total solar eclipse

Thursday 30

1966: Surveyor 1 launched
1971: Mariner 9 probe launched

Friday 31

Neptune 6° south of Moon
Last Quarter Moon 2:56 PM ET

1975: European Space Agency formed
1990: Kristall module launched to Mir space station
2008: STS-124 Discovery launched

Saturday 1

Sunday 2

1930: Charles “Pete” Conrad born
1966: Surveyor 1 lands on Moon
1970: First glide test of M2-F3 lifting body
1998: STS-91 Discovery launched
2003: Mars Express / Beagle 2 launched