Anatoly Ivanishin, left, Dan Burbank and Anton Shkaplerov train at NASA's Johnson Space Center for a six-month voyage to the International Space Station. Photo Credit/NASA photo
The next NASA astronauts assigned to live and work on the International Space Station will be prepared for the arrivals of two U. S. commercial re-supply capsules that are taking over the cargo duties once handled by the space shuttle.
The Space X Dragon could be launched to the station in late November and rendezvous with the orbiting science laboratory for the first time on Dec. 8.
Dan Burbank, a veteran of two previous shuttle missions, has been trained to use the station’s robot arm to grapple the visiting cargo carrier and berth it to the orbital outpost.
“We’ve got some visiting vehicles that we’re hoping for and looking forward to seeing while we’re onboard space station, one of which at least — hopefully more — will be the first of the commercial re-supply ships,” Burbank told a NASA news briefing on Wednesday. “I feel pretty good that the training we’ve had so far is adequate.”
Shuttle Atlantis touched down last Thursday, following a 13-day re-supply mission to the space station. The flight by four astronauts, which marked the end of NASA’s 30-year shuttle program, dropped off enough food, spare parts and other gear to sustain a crew of six aboard the station through 2012 — while SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. carry out their first station supply missions and establish a launch rhythm.
An artist's concept of the SpaceX Dragon capsule. Image Credit/SpaceX
Orbital Sciences anticipates a launch of its first Cygnus cargo capsule in early 2012.
Burbank, 50, a retired U. S. Coast Guard pilot, will join Russians Anatoly Ivanishin, 42, and Anton Schkaplerov, 39, both Russian Air Force officers, aboard a Soyuz capsule for launching on Sept. 21. Their six-month stay on the station appears likely to feature the first supply deliveries by the two companies.
The U. S. cargo capsule berthing operations are similar to those that station astronauts have employed successfully several times over the past few years to capture unpiloted European Automated Transfer Vehicles as well as Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicles. Each of the station crews that have served this year have included NASA astronauts trained to capture Dragon as well.
The most difficult part of the operation is tracking the approaching capsule with the station’s robot arm and carrying out a smooth grapple.
“That is probably the most critical phase of the operation,” Burbank said.
Burbank’s backup for the activities may be NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Pettit is scheduled to launch to the station aboard another Soyuz spacecraft with European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko on Nov. 30.
During the briefing from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Burbank spoke optimistically of NASA’s spaceflight future in the post-shuttle era.
“Space station is a capable research facility in orbit. It’s something I think will enjoy longevity,” said Burbank. “This is the beginning of a new era without the shuttle. We have a lot of new vehicles that are waiting to fill the gap.”