{"id":11563,"date":"2024-07-30T18:05:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T22:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/repair-kit-for-nasas-nicer-mission-heading-to-space-station\/"},"modified":"2024-07-30T18:05:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T22:05:00","slug":"repair-kit-for-nasas-nicer-mission-heading-to-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/repair-kit-for-nasas-nicer-mission-heading-to-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"Repair Kit for NASA\u2019s NICER Mission Heading to Space Station"},"content":{"rendered":"

Repair Kit for NASA\u2019s NICER Mission Heading to Space Station<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

4 min read<\/p>\n

Repair Kit for NASA\u2019s NICER Mission Heading to Space Station<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA will deliver a patch kit for NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station, on the agency\u2019s Northrop Grumman 21st commercial resupply mission. Astronauts will conduct a spacewalk to complete the repair.<\/p>\n

Located near the space station\u2019s starboard solar array, NICER<\/a> was damaged in May 2023. The mission team delivered the patch kit to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center<\/a> in Houston in May 2024 so it could be prepped and packed for the upcoming resupply mission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredible that in just one year, we were able to diagnose the problem and then design, build, test, and deliver a solution,\u201d said Steve Kenyon, NICER\u2019s mechanical lead at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a> in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cWe\u2019re so excited to see the patches installed during a future spacewalk, return to a more regular operating schedule, and keep doing groundbreaking science.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Photograph<\/figure>
\n
This image, obtained June 8, 2018, shows NASA\u2019s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) on the International Space Station, where it studies neutron stars and other X-ray sources. NICER is about the size of a washing machine. The sunshades of its X-ray concentrators are visible as an array of circular features.<\/div>\n
NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/figure>
\n
UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi captured this view of NICER from a window in the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 on the space station in July 2023. Photos like this one helped the mission team map the damage to the thermal shields over NICER\u2019s X-ray concentrators.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Sultan Alneyadi\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/figure>
\n
Some of NICER\u2019s damaged thermal shields (circled) are visible in this photograph.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Sultan Alneyadi\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t