Crew Spends Day Preparing for New Research and Operations Aboard the Space Station

Following the arrival of the uncrewed SpaceX CRS-27 resupply vehicle last week, the Expedition 68 crew continues transferring the 6,200 pounds of research hardware and supplies between the International Space Station and the cargo vehicle. NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio spent his day participating in a cell biology experiment and replacing the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device cable arm Read full post

Dragon Cargo Transfer, Installations, and Eye Exams Cap Crew Week

The Expedition 68 crew members wrapped up their week aboard the International Space Station by removing payloads for a resupply mission, installing equipment for microgravity research, and performing eye exams for a routine checkup. NASA Flight Engineers Frank Rubio and Woody Hoburg and Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi from UAE (United Arab Read full post

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/17/2023

Payloads: Engineered Heart Tissue-2: The appropriate hardware was gathered in preparation for the upcoming EHT-2 experiment operations. A Human iPSC-based 3D Microphysiological System for Modeling Cardiac Dysfunction in Microgravity-2 (Engineered Heart Tissues-2) continues work with 3D cultured cardiac muscle tissue to assess human cardiac function in microgravity. Previous work with 3D Read full post

SWOT Science Instrument Is Up and Running; Continues with Commissioning

On March 9, the international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite’s main scientific instrument – the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) – returned to regular commissioning activities. KaRIn was shut off in late January. Since then, the team has worked to analyze the situation and developed a plan to restore operations Read full post

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/16/2023

SpaceX-27 (SpX-27) Docking: The SpX-27 Cargo Dragon docked to the ISS at 6:31 AM CT, delivering more than 6,200 pounds of cargo. Since its launch Tuesday evening, the spacecraft has successfully performed a series of maneuvers to setup today’s docking to the Node 2 (Harmony Module) forward port of the Read full post

Crew Focus on Cargo Operations, Science, and Maintenance

The Expedition 68 crew focused on cargo operations, science experiments, and maintenance tasks after the SpaceX Dragon docked to the International Space Station at 7:31 a.m. EDT. Dragon successfully docked to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, delivering more than 6,200 pounds of research, hardware, and supplies. Afterward, NASA Flight Read full post

NASA’s AIM Mission Ends Operational Support

After more than 15 years of scientific discoveries, NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, or AIM, spacecraft is no longer supporting operations after experiencing issues with its battery. AIM’s batteries initially started to decline in 2019, but the Earth-studying spacecraft continued to return a significant amount of data. Now, with Read full post

SpaceX Resupply Mission Docks to the Space Station

While the International Space Station was traveling more than 261 miles over North Eastern China, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to station’s Harmony module at 7:31 a.m. EDT, with NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg monitoring operations from the station. The Dragon launched on SpaceX’s 27th contracted commercial resupply mission for Read full post

NASA TV is Live for Cargo Dragon Docking

A SpaceX Dragon is on track to arrive at the International Space Station today, Thursday, March 16, with an expected docking of the cargo spacecraft about 7:28 a.m. EDT. Live coverage is underway on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. When it arrives to the space station, Dragon Read full post

Lab, Plumbing, and Ultrasounds Keep Crew Busy Before Cargo Delivery

The SpaceX Dragon is on track to deliver cargo to the International Space Station after lifting off on March 14, marking the company’s 27th commercial resupply mission. Meanwhile, the Expedition 68 crew kept busy completing lab work, ultrasounds, and plumbing duties. NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen spent time moving equipment to the cupola Read full post