Tag: European Space Agency

Crewmates Off-Duty on Station as Cosmonauts Work Cargo and Lab Upkeep

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson shows off food packets from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in the space station's galley located in the Unity module.
NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson shows off food packets from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in the space station’s galley located in the Unity module.

It was an off-duty day at the end of the week for most of the crew members aboard the International Space Station. The astronauts and cosmonauts relaxed most of Friday with time set aside for their daily workouts, light household duties, and public affairs activities.

Two cosmonauts representing Expedition 71, Commander Oleg Kononenko and Fight Engineer Nikolai Chub, had a busy day however, packing a cargo craft, transferring fluids, and inspecting lab hardware. Kononenko, who is on his fifth space station mission, continued loading the Progress 87 resupply ship with trash and discarded gear ahead of the spacecraft’s departure in mid-August. He also inspected surfaces inside the vestibule in the aft end of the Zvezda service module where the Progress 87 is docked. Chub also performed inspection work in the aft end of Zvezda then worked on orbital plumbing tasks transferring fluids from the Roscosmos segment of the station into the Progress 87 vehicle.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spent a few moments inside the spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. The duo entered Starliner in the afternoon, turned on its lights and displays to access tablet computers, then powered them down after recharging overnight.

The rest of the Expedition 71 crew, including NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin, took a break from their daily research and maintenance activities. The quintet used their day off for personal time with calls to family, recreation, looking at the Earth below, and more. The crewmates also  continued their daily workouts on the treadmill, the exercise cycle, and advanced resistive exercise device to maintain muscle and bone health in microgravity.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Crew Explores Fluid Shifts, Hot Physics During Cargo and Household Duties

NASA astronaut Suni Williams investigates ways to overcome the lack of gravity when watering plants grown in space for the Plant Water Management investigation.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams investigates ways to overcome the lack of gravity when watering plants grown in space for the Plant Water Management investigation.

Thursday’s scientific objectives aboard the International Space Station included exploring ways to counter the effects of weightlessness on the human body and understanding how microgravity affects high-temperature physics. The two orbital crews also worked on research hardware, cargo transfers, household duties, and more throughout the workday.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominick from NASA spent their shift together on Thursday testing a thigh cuff that may reverse the space-caused flow of body fluids toward an astronaut’s head. Dominick wore the thigh cuff that may change how fluids flow in the body as sensors recorded his physiological data. Epps scanned his veins with the Ultrasound 2 device, measured his blood pressure, and peered into Dominick’s eyes using standard medical imaging gear. Doctors on the ground remotely monitored the biomedical activities to determine the effectiveness of the thigh cuff. Results may counter the headward fluid shifts and prevent changes to eye structure and vision that may occur during long-term space missions.

Working in the Kibo laboratory module, NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson stowed gear in Kibo’s logistics module to make space for an upcoming cargo delivery on the next Cygnus mission from Northrop Grumman. Afterward, Dyson cleaned the inside of Kibo’s Electrostatic Levitation Furnace and swapped samples inside the research facility that safely explores the thermophysical properties of materials exposed to temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius or more.

NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt focused mainly on household tasks throughout Thursday. He first replaced lithium-ion batteries in radiation detectors and lab hardware before swapping out orbital plumbing gear inside the Tranquility module.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test started their day servicing a variety of research hardware. Wilmore installed science gear inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox setting up a physics study that will observe how microparticles react to an electrical field. Williams disconnected cables and flash drives from a microscope ahead of troubleshooting activities. In the afternoon, the duo entered the Starliner spacecraft and conducted proficiency training inside the vehicle docked to the Harmony module’s forward port.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub, both from Roscosmos, partnered together loading the Progress 87 resupply ship with trash and obsolete gear ahead if its departure planned for mid-August. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin tested Roscosmos laptop computers and recharged their batteries.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Wednesday’s Station Research Focuses on Space Plants, Free-Flying Robotics

The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station's Harmony module.
The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station’s Harmony module.

On Wednesday, space plants and free-flying robotics dominated the science schedule aboard the International Space Station. Orbital plumbing, cargo packing, and an emergency drill rounded out the day for the nine crew members living aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test continued exploring ways to effectively water plants in the weightless environment. The duo took turns throughout the day in the Harmony module testing how root models and plants of various sizes would absorb water in microgravity . The Plant Water Management study looks at techniques such as hydroponics and air circulation to nourish plants growing aboard spacecraft and space habitats.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson coordinated with ground controllers and tested an Astrobee robotic free flyer’s ability to autonomously maneuver and recognizes gestures inside the Kibo laboratory module. She set up the cube-shaped, toaster-sized robotic assistant ahead of a student competition to write the best algorithms that will guide the Astrobee. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps activated the Astrobee before lunchtime and removed items in Kibo allowing Dyson to access the robotic free flyer’s docking apparatus. Epps also recorded another DNA research demonstration video for students on Earth.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Mike Barratt took turns on Wednesday cleaning up orbital plumbing tools used to service the Tranquility module’s bathroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment. Dominick also relocated protein crystal research hardware, loaded software on the Microgravity Science Glovebox computer, then reorganized cargo and trashed stowed in the Destiny laboratory module. Barratt trained Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin on the operations of the COLBERT treadmill then audited and stowed spacesuit components.

At the beginning of the day, the crew of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, Dominick, Barratt, Epps, Grebenkin, trained for the unlikely event they would need to evacuate the station in an emergency. Dyson, who rode to the station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship, also joined the quartet reviewing their emergency responses and procedures during the hourlong session.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub began loading the Progress 87 cargo craft with garbage and discarded gear prior to its departure from the Zvezda service module in mid-August. Grebenkin had an off-duty day spending most of his time relaxing and working out on the treadmill and advanced resistive exercise device.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Space Plants, Healthy Humans Top Tuesday’s Research on Station

The Cygnus space freighter and its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station's on July 12, 2024.
The Cygnus space freighter and its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station’s on July 12, 2024.

Space agriculture and human research operations were the prime science activities aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The four NASA astronauts and three Roscosmos cosmonauts representing Expedition 71 and the two NASA Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts also participated in a variety of cargo activities and lab maintenance aboard the orbiting lab.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent the majority of their day testing ways to water plants growing without soil in the weightless environment of microgravity. Williams first set up the Plant Water Management hardware in the Harmony module then tested a variety of liquid flow methods while video recording the results. Following her work, Wilmore ran more tests using hydroponics and air circulation techniques to learn how to effectively nourish a variety of plants on spacecraft and space habitats.

Cosmonaut Nikolai Chub attached sensors to his chest that recorded his heart activity while he relaxed Tuesday morning. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick performed isometric mid-thigh pulls on the advanced resistive exercise device testing his strength and force production in microgravity. Doctors use the insights from the numerous space biology studies aboard the station to keep crews healthy on long-term missions.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps began and ended her day relocating NASA and Roscosmos hardware aboard the orbital outpost. In the middle of her shift, Epps replaced hardware in the station’s bathroom located in the Tranquility module then transferred radiation data, including electrons, protons, neutrons, and gamma-rays, collected from optical fibers to a computer.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt spent most of the day inside SpaceX Dragon Endeavour configuring the spacecraft for cargo packing operations. Dominick, commander of Endeavour, pitched in to help update software, synchronize data, and charge batteries on the spacecraft’s computer tablets.

Commander Oleg Kononenko kicked off his day inside the Nauka science module continuing to explore the capabilities of a 3D printer in microgravity. He later worked on cargo transfers inside the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship docked to the Prichal docking module. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked on household duties throughout Tuesday including orbital plumbing, reviewing inspection tasks, and cleaning smoke detectors, before ending his shift photographing Earth landmarks.

At the end of the day, all nine space station residents gathered together and practiced an emergency drill in response to unlikely scenarios such as a fire, a pressure leak, or a chemical release. The crew reviewed individual responsibilities, practiced evacuation techniques, and coordinated communications with mission controllers on the ground.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Life Science, Spacesuit Checks Kick Off Week Aboard Station

Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Mike Barratt, Tracy C. Dyson, and Butch Wilmore, pose for a team portrait inside the Unity module.
Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Mike Barratt, Tracy C. Dyson, and Butch Wilmore, pose for a team portrait inside the Unity module.

The Expedition 71 crew kicked off the week with life science and spacesuit checkouts aboard the International Space Station. The orbital septet also juggled a variety of maintenance duties including life support tasks and lab inspections.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, participated in vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 device on Monday. Doctors on the ground monitored in real-time as the pair took turns imaging each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins. Afterward, Wilmore scanned the veins of NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick helping researchers understand how microgravity affects the human body.

Wilmore and Dominick also spent a portion of the day taking inventory of the food stored aboard the space station. Additionally, Dominick worked in the Columbus laboratory module checking the power supply and transferring computer files on the European Drawer Rack, a science facility that can host a variety of experiments controlled remotely from the ground or operated by station crews.

Williams worked on a pair of differing studies as she first explored using the microgravity environment to manufacture higher quality optical fibers than on Earth. At the end of the day, Williams also investigated using fluid physics such as surface tension to overcome the lack of gravity when watering and nourishing plants grown in space.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps first order of the day was life support work replacing gear inside the Tranquility module. Later on, she recorded a video for junior and high school students demonstrating how astronauts conduct DNA research in space.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt took turns on Monday servicing spacesuit components in the Quest airlock. The duo checked out newly installed parts, conducted leak checks, and reconfigured the spacesuit life support systems. The astronauts wrapped up their day checking out the spacesuit jetpacks that would be used in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the orbital outpost.

The three cosmonauts from Roscosmos worked throughout Monday collecting and organizing a variety of inspection gear. Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin kicked off the work reviewing the operation of some of the inspection hardware. Chub then joined Commander Oleg Kononenko to prepare for upcoming inspections in the lab’s Roscosmos segment.

Kononenko began his day on cardiac research attaching sensors to himself that recorded his activity while relaxing. Grebenkin wrapped up his day in the Nauka science module cleaning smoke detectors. Chub also joined Dominick of NASA and trained to use an ultrasonic inspection device.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Robotic Arm Releases Cygnus From Station

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments after release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, ending its five-and-a-half month stay at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments after release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, ending its five-and-a-half month stay at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV

At 7:01 a.m. EDT, the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean.

The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more than five and a half months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory to deliver about 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA.

Up next, the Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2), stowed inside Cygnus, will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.

Following a deorbit engine firing on Saturday, July 13, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft – filled with trash packed by the station crew – will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Cygnus arrived at the space station Feb. 1, following a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It was the company’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Cygnus Space Freighter Readying Departure From Station Live on NASA TV

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Live coverage of the departure of the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed Cygnus cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA+, NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app, with its release from the robotic arm scheduled for 7 a.m. EDT. Coverage will conclude following departure from station.

Flight controllers on the ground sent commands earlier Friday morning for the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach Cygnus from the Unity module’s Earth-facing port, and then maneuver the spacecraft into position for its release. NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson will monitor Cygnus’ systems during its departure from the space station.

After departure, the Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2), stowed inside Cygnus, will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.

After a deorbit engine firing on Saturday, July 13, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft – filled with trash packed by the station crew – will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Cygnus arrived at the space station Feb. 1, following a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It was the company’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Cargo Craft Packed for Departure, Crews Work Science and Spacesuits

The Canadarm2 robotic arm reaches out to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter on Feb. 1, 2024.
The Canadarm2 robotic arm reaches out to capture Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter on Feb. 1, 2024.

A U.S. cargo craft is being readied for its departure on Friday from the International Space Station after a five-and-a-half-month resupply mission. In the meantime, the nine orbital residents comprising the Expedition 71 and Starliner crews studied space biology and 3D printing while servicing a pair of spacesuits on Thursday.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply ship will end its stay at the orbital outpost at 7 a.m. EDT on Friday. Robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to remove Cygnus from the Unity module then release it into orbit where it will descend into the Earth’s atmosphere above the South Pacific.

Watch Cygnus’s departure live beginning at 6:30 a.m. Friday on the NASA+ streaming service via the web or the NASA app. Departure coverage also will air live on NASA Television, YouTube, and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick finished packing Cygnus with trash and obsolete gear on Thursday. Afterward, the duo exited Cygnus, closed the hatch, and prepared the spacecraft for its depressurization and separation early Friday. Cygnus arrived at the orbital outpost on Feb. 1 replenishing the crew with over 8,200 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies.

Advanced biology research also was underway aboard the orbiting lab on Thursday with a pair of astronauts exploring how living in space affects the human body and mind. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day drawing his blood samples and stowing them in a science freezer for future analysis. Next, he took a cognition test measuring space-caused changes in brain structure and function. NASA astronaut and Boeing Starliner Pilot Suni Williams extracted DNA to identify microbe samples collected from station water systems. Results from the genetic biotechnology experiment may improve ways to keep crews healthy and spacecraft systems clean on future missions.

Barratt also assisted Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore from NASA who spent all day servicing a pair of spacesuits in the Quest airlock. The duo cleaned the suits’ cooling loops and checked the communication systems ahead of a spacewalk planned for July 29.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps worked Thursday morning in the Kibo laboratory module replacing carbon dioxide bottles that supply payload racks inside Kibo. During the afternoon, Epps worked inside the Tranquility module replacing life support components and servicing orbital plumbing gear.

Working from the Roscosmos segment of the orbital outpost, cosmonaut Nikolai Chub started the morning studying ways future crews might pilot spacecraft and robots on planetary missions. In the afternoon, Chub powered on the Nauka science module’s 3D printer and continued testing its ability to manufacture space hardware on demand. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked throughout the day on orbital plumbing while Commander Oleg Kononenko deconfigured scientific gear to access Zvezda service module panels for maintenance and cleaning.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Crews Speak to Managers and News Media, Keep Up Advanced Research

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are pictured during a space-to-ground conference with journalists on Earth. Credit: NASA TV
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are pictured during a space-to-ground conference with journalists on Earth. Credit: NASA TV

All nine astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station practiced responding to a simulated emergency on Wednesday. Earlier, the orbital residents split their day researching blood pressure, remote robotics, and 3D printing.

The seven-member Expedition 71 crew joined the two Boeing Crew Flight Test and practiced an emergency drill in collaboration with mission controllers. The teams aboard the orbital outpost and on the ground coordinated communications and reviewed procedures in the unlikely event of a pressure leak, chemical leak, or a fire aboard the space station.

At the beginning of the day, NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt worked on a pair of human research experiments to understand how the human body adapts to the lack of gravity. Dyson powered up research hardware to measure her brain blood flow for the Cerebral Autoregulation investigation. Barratt collected and stowed his urine samples in a science freezer for the CIPHER study. The space biology experiment looks at a broad set of long-term biological and psychological data collected from astronauts to promote health and well-being on space missions.

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps spent most of her day in the Columbus laboratory module exploring ways to control a robot on the ground from a spacecraft. Epps coordinated with robotics engineers on Earth remotely manipulating a robot using a computer interface while testing its ergonomic features and haptic feedback for conditions such as wind and gravity. Results may inform future exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick performed a video inspection of components on the Inter-Orbit Communications System (ICS) rack located in the Kibo laboratory module. The ICS enables data to be uplinked to the orbital outpost and downlinked to mission controllers using JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Data Relay Test Satellite.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spoke to reporters today from the space station answering questions about their mission and the Starliner vehicle. NASA and Boeing managers also discussed the Crew Flight Test mission with the media in an audio teleconference afterward. Watch the crew news conference here and listen to the media briefing here. The duo earlier completed life support work refilling temperature loops with water in the Tranquility module’s internal thermal control system.

Working in the space station’s Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub activated a 3D printer in the Nauka science module and tested its operations and ability to manufacture hardware on demand in space. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin’s day was filled mostly with household duties such as checking carbon dioxide monitors, synchronizing cameras with station clocks, and downloading scientific data to a laptop computer. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko started his day speaking to science, technology, and education professionals near Moscow. Afterward, he jogged on a treadmill while attached to sensors for a physical fitness test.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Space Biology, Spacesuits, and Dragon Training Top Day for Astronauts, Cosmonauts

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works on spacewalking hardware aboard the International Space Station's Unity module.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works on spacewalking hardware aboard the International Space Station’s Unity module.

Life science and docked spacecraft training were the prime tasks aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The nine orbital residents also split their day on a variety of maintenance tasks including spacesuit work and orbital plumbing.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick kicked off their day collecting biological samples and data to understand how living in weightlessness affects the human body. Dyson first processed her saliva samples and stowed them in a science freezer for later analysis. She then attached an acoustic monitor near her ear to measure station noise levels a crew member experiences in a 24-hour period. Dominick removed brain wave sensors from his ears that recorded his sleep patterns then he filled out a questionnaire documenting his sleep quality.

Dyson also worked in the Columbus laboratory module and studied the ability to remotely control robots on a planetary surface from a spacecraft for the Surface Avatar experiment. Dominick spent the afternoon in the Tranquility module checking the performance of components on the waste and hygiene compartment, the orbital outpost’s bathroom.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps photographed Dyson during her robotics experiment. She then spent the afternoon reconfiguring life support gear before removing batteries from spacesuits at the end of the day. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day inspecting spacesuit safety jetpacks that would be used to maneuver safely back to the station in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the orbital lab.

Epps and Barratt also joined Dominick and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin midday and reviewed standard SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft emergency undocking procedures. The SpaceX Crew-8 quartet docked to the station on March 5 and is due to return to Earth aboard Endeavour in late August.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, took turns during the morning pedaling on an exercise cycle while attached to heart and breathing sensors that measured their aerobic capacity. The duo then split up as Wilmore serviced a pair of research freezers that preserve scientific samples and Williams installed hardware on an experiment that is exploring atmospheric reentry and thermal protection systems.

The Roscosmos segment’s three cosmonauts including Grebenkin had their day packed with continuing space research and laboratory upkeep duties. Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko spent the morning working on ventilation systems in the Nauka science module then completed his day studying futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub replaced life support gear in the Zarya module then joined Grebenkin for a photographic inspection of panels inside the Zvezda service module. Grebenkin earlier jogged on a treadmill for a regularly scheduled physical fitness test.

NASA’s Johnson Space Center remained closed to all but essential personnel today following Hurricane Beryl’s landfall near Matagorda, Texas. Mission Control  continues to support International Space Station and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission.  If employees feel safe to do so, the center will be open for on-site work beginning Wednesday.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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