Space Station – Off The Earth, For The Earth

Astronaut Health Studies Fill Crew Day Before Thursday’s Cargo Launch

Astronaut Suni Williams (left) and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov pose for a portrait wearing personal protective equipment before entering the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.

Keeping astronauts healthy on long term space missions is a key research topic this week aboard the International Space Station. Back on the ground, a cargo craft is counting down to its launch to resupply the Expedition 72 crew.

NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Nick Hague worked together all day Wednesday exploring how living in space affects inflammation, or how the body responds to injury or infection. The duo worked in the Kibo laboratory module servicing biological samples and observing space-caused inflammatory changes using specialized imaging gear. Insights from the biology study may help researchers prevent space-caused immune system dysfunction and protect astronaut health.

Station Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore, both from NASA, worked on a similar study exploring how spaceflight affects the immune system and blood clotting. The astronauts processed bone marrow cell samples and platelet samples, tiny blood cells that form clots to stop bleeding, in Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox. The Megakaryocyte Flying-One experiment seeks to understand how the cells respond to weightlessness and preserve their functionality protecting crew health during space missions.

Both astronauts also worked inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and unpacked a spacesuit for stowage inside the orbital outpost’s Quest airlock where spacewalks are staged. The duo then loaded another spacesuit inside Dragon for return to Earth and maintenance.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner took turns on Wednesday wearing a sensor attached to their trachea recording their exhalation rate. The cosmonaut duo was studying how the lack of gravity impacts breathing during a forced expiration maneuver. Afterward, Ovchinin studied 3D printing tools aboard the space station. Vagner partnered with Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov replacing parts and checking for leaks on Roscosmos’ lower body negative pressure suit. The specialized suit is being tested for its ability to counteract the space-caused pooling of fluids in a crew member’s upper body and protect vision and alleviate the effects of returning to Earth’s gravity.

Nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies destined for the Expedition 72 crew are packed inside the Progress 90 spacecraft counting down to a lift off at 7:22 a.m. EST (5:22 p.m. Baikonur time) on Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Progress 90 will orbit Earth for two days before beginning its automated approach and rendezvous sequence with the orbiting lab before docking to the Poisk module at 9:36 a.m. on Saturday. The Progress 90 replaces the Progress 88 resupply ship which vacated Poisk’s docking port on Tuesday completing a six-month cargo mission.

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, Student Robotics Top Day as Cargo Craft Departs

Nov. 19, 2024: International Space Station Configuration. Five spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Dragon Freedom, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply ship, the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship, and the Progress 89 resupply ship.

Space biology to improve health and robotics to promote education were the primary research topics aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 72 crew members also saw the departure of a cargo craft as another one prepares for launch.

NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit continued nourishing research samples and servicing an artificial gravity-generating incubator housing the samples inside the Kibo laboratory module. Pettit will process the samples during the week helping researchers prevent space-caused immune system dysfunction and protect astronaut health.

NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague reviewed the biology study’s operations and will soon assist Pettit as they process the samples. Hague also unpacked health accessories from the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft resupplying medical kits inside the space station. He later joined Pettit troubleshooting cargo-securing hardware located inside Dragon.

Commander Suni Williams collected station water samples for microbial analysis at the beginning of her shift. Then with assistance from Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore she serviced engineered bacteria and yeast samples for a biomanufacturing study and installed the specimens in cold stowage and a variable gravity simulator for later examination.

Wilmore also activated an Astrobee robotic free-flyer and tested its operation inside Kibo supporting a robotics competition to choose student-written algorithms that control the device. Wilmore worked in conjunction with engineers on the ground monitoring the Astrobee’s flight trajectory and its gesture recognition software. The Astrobee-Zero Robotics contest is meant to inspire students from around the world to pursue STEM and space-related careers.

The trash-packed Progress 88 cargo craft ended its resupply mission today undocking from the orbital outpost at 7:53 a.m. EST after six-months docked to the Poisk module. The Progress 88 descended into Earth’s atmosphere just over three hours later for a fiery, but safe destruction above the South Pacific Ocean.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner deactivated computer and video monitoring gear after the Progress 88’s departure. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov spent his day on orbital plumbing and cleaning duties throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment.

The Progress 90 resupply ship now stands at its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan counting down to a lift off 7:22 a.m. on Thursday. It will dock to the vacated Poisk module at 9:35 a.m. on Saturday loaded with about 5,500 pounds of cargo.

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 Station Raises Orbit Avoiding Orbital Debris

This mosaic depicts the space station pictured from the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft on Nov. 8, 2021.

The Progress 89 thrusters were fired at 2:09 p.m. CST today for 5 minutes, 31 seconds, to raise the orbit of the International Space Station to provide an extra margin of distance from a piece of orbital debris from a defunct defense meteorological satellite that broke up in 2015. The Pre-determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) was conducted in coordination with NASA, Roscosmos and the other space station partners.

Without the maneuver, ballistics officials estimated that the fragment could have come within around 2 ½ miles of the station.

The maneuver had no impact on station operations and will not affect Thursday’s scheduled launch of the Progress 90 cargo craft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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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Monday’s Research Boosting Astronaut Health Amid Cargo Mission Preps

NASA astronaut Nick Hague processes samples for a biotechnology experiment that explores using microorganisms and cell cultures to produce materials and biomolecules on a commercial scale.

The Expedition 72 crew members began the week exploring the numerous ways living in space affects the human body to develop advanced therapies promoting health on and off the Earth. The orbital residents are also preparing for the departure of a cargo ship and the arrival of another this week at the International Space Station.

Preventing space-caused changes in eye pressure, inflammation, and blood clotting were the dominant research themes aboard the orbital outpost on Monday. The insights can be achieved only in the microgravity environment and may provide new strategies researchers can use to treat space-caused and Earthbound symptoms and conditions.

NASA Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore tested a thigh cuff as a way to draw body fluids into their extremities. In microgravity, the human body adjusts by eliminating fluids no longer needed in an astronaut’s torso and head. The fluid shifts can apply pressure to an astronaut’s eyes affecting eye structure and vision. Wilmore assisted Hague at the beginning of the day, imaging his eyes to measure his retina’s thickness then attaching the tight-fitting, fluid-shifting thigh cuffs to both of his legs. Next, Wilmore conducted scans with the Ultrasound 2 device to observe Hague’s cardiac activity and collected blood pressure measurements. Hague had a second round of the same tests at the end of the day before stowing the biomedical hardware. The data was downloaded for doctors on the ground to analyze the effectiveness of the thigh cuff that may help protect astronauts on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit serviced biology hardware in the Kibo laboratory module to prepare for an upcoming study exploring ways to prevent space-caused inflammatory changes. He installed components inside Kibo’s artificial gravity-generating incubator to observe how weightlessness and radiation affect the immune system, bones, and muscles creating symptoms that are similar to age-related issues on Earth. Insights may lead to therapies counteracting the stresses of living in space as well as aging conditions on Earth.

Commander Suni Williams inserted cell samples inside a fluorescence microscope that scientists remotely controlled to observe inflammation and immunity response changes in microgravity. Researchers seek to identify genes regulated by gravitational forces and understand their impact on the human immune system to protect astronaut health on future missions.

A Roscosmos cargo mission swap is due to take place beginning at 7:53 a.m. EST on Tuesday when the trash-packed Progress 88 resupply ship undocks after six months attached to the Poisk module. The next cargo craft to replace it, the Progress 90, has already rolled out to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Loaded with about 5,500 pounds of cargo, the Progress 90 will launch at 7:22 a.m. on Thursday for a two-day trip to the station. The space delivery will arrive at 9:35 a.m. on Saturday for an automated docking to Poisk beginning another six-month cargo mission.

Cosmonaut Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner trained on Monday for the departure and arrival of the two Progress spacecraft. The Roscosmos duo practiced operating on a computer the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, in the unlikely event it would be necessary to remotely control the Progress spacecraft if they lost their automated capabilities. The duo then split up as Vagner closed the Progress 88 hatch and checked for leaks while Ovchinin serviced the treadmill inside the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov assisted Ovchinin with the treadmill maintenance and synchronized cameras with space station clocks.

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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Advanced Life Support, Robotics, and Repair Tech Studies Wrap Up Week

A long-exposure shot taken by NASA astronaut Don Pettit shows the intricacies of stars in the Milky Way as the International Space Station orbited 253 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

The Expedition 72 crew explored new technologies on Friday including life support systems supported by photosynthesis, capturing satellites with robots, and cold welding in microgravity. The International Space Station residents also continued checking out spacesuits while keeping up standard lab maintenance tasks at the end of the week.

Using micro-algae to remove carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and create food in the spacecraft environment is an important test for NASA as it plans longer human missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague worked in the Columbus laboratory module servicing samples of the Arthrospira C micro-algae for incubation and analysis. Scientists will expose the radiation-resistant samples to different light intensities while monitoring their cell growth and oxygen production. Results may advance life support systems and fresh food production in space.

Engineers are studying how satellites interact in close proximity with each other to learn how to capture space objects for servicing or removal. NASA Commander Suni Williams checked out the Astrobee robotic free-flyer in the Kibo laboratory module and installed tentacle-like arms containing gecko-like adhesive pads to demonstrate satellite capture techniques. Engineers on the ground then remotely-controlled the cube-shaped, toaster-sized robotic assistant testing its ability to conduct docking maneuvers and capture free-flying objects. Development of this robotic technology may increase the life span of satellites and enable the removal of space debris.

NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Butch Wilmore worked on installing new scientific hardware to explore materials exposed to space radiation and test a spacecraft repair technique. Pettit set up external research gear inside Kibo that will be placed in the vacuum of space to observe how a variety of materials react to the extreme thermal environment, different types of radiation, micrometeoroids, and more to promote the space industry. Wilmore installed the Nanolab Astrobeat space repair experiment hardware in the Destiny laboratory module that will explore a cold-welding technique to repair micrometeoroid impacts to spacecraft.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner were back on spacesuit duty Friday conducting leak checks, valve tests, and servicing the suits’ life support components. The duo is readying the suits for a spacewalk planned in mid-December. Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov primarily spent his day on orbital plumbing tasks before wrapping up his shift on computer maintenance in the Nauka science module.

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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Station Crew Studies Immunity, Digestion Systems to Benefit Health

Star trails, an aurora, and Earth's atmospheric glow highlight this long-duration photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above the North Pacific Ocean. — Star trails, an aurora, and Earth’s atmospheric glow highlight this long-duration photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above the North Pacific Ocean.

The Expedition 72 crew’s space biology research on Thursday explored how the human immune and digestion systems react to weightlessness to improve health on Earth and in space. The seven residents aboard the International Space Station also worked on a variety of other experiments while continuing the upkeep of the orbital lab.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Nick Hague , Expedition 72 Commander and Flight Engineer respectively, partnered together in the Kibo laboratory module processing cell samples using the Life Science Glovebox. The duo was exploring how spaceflight and radiation affect the immunity system and blood clotting possibly providing insights to advance health protecting astronauts in space and humans on Earth.

Space physics is also a key science topic as researchers study phenomena that can only be observed in the microgravity environment to build stronger, higher quality materials benefitting Earth and space industries. Working in Kibo’s Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF), a research facility that exposes materials to high temperatures, NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Butch Wilmore removed samples from inside the device stowing them for return to Earth. The ELF enables measurements of thermophysical properties unobtainable on the ground.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Aleksandr Gorbunov scanned their stomachs with an ultrasound device after breakfast again to observe how the gastrointestinal tract, part of the digestion system, changes in microgravity. The ultrasound scans, just one part of the long-running study, were looking at the system’s biochemistry, organs, and vessels.

Vagner later joined Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin and checked out a pair of Orlan spacesuits ahead of a planned spacewalk. Vagner then packed trash inside the Progress 88 resupply ship ahead of its departure next week. Ovchinin also took inventory of Roscosmos cargo and serviced communications gear. Gorbunov finished charging video camera batteries and conducting orbital plumbing.

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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DNA Tech, Life Science Top Science Schedule as Station Boosts Orbit

Astronauts (from left) Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore partner together inside the Kibo laboratory module on space biology research.

Wednesday’s research schedule aboard the International Space Station was packed with DNA-like nanomaterials, ultrasound scans, and a variety of advanced science hardware maintenance. The Expedition 72 crew also continued its ongoing life support and systems servicing ensuring the upkeep of the orbital outpost.

NASA Flight Engineers Suni Williams and Nick Hague continued exploring manufacturing DNA-like nanomaterials to develop therapies and treat space-caused and Earthbound conditions on Wednesday. The duo processed and imaged messenger RNA (mRNA) samples in the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox to evaluate their quality in space. The results will be compared to Earth-developed samples testing the hypothesis that space-manufacturing will create superior vaccines, regenerative medicine, and more.

NASA Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore kicked off the DNA therapy manufacturing experiment by relocating a laptop computer to support the biotechnology study. Afterward, Wilmore replaced hardware and experiment samples inside the Combustion Integrated Rack continuing a study that observes how solid fuels burn in microgravity potentially increasing spacecraft fire safety.

NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit spent most of his day transferring biology hardware from an incubator to a glovebox located inside Kibo to study the effects of space-caused inflammation. Following that, the four-time space station visitor spent the rest of the afternoon on orbital plumbing tasks in the Tranquility module.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Ivan Vagner and Aleksandr Gorbunov scanned their stomachs with an ultrasound device after breakfast on Wednesday. The cosmonauts were exploring how the digestive system adapts to the long-term weightless environment aboard the orbital outpost. Vagner and Gorbunov later joined Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin and checked the Zvezda service module’s telerobotically operated rendezvous system, or TORU, that can be used to control Roscosmos spaceships from the station. Finally, Ovchinin and Vagner tested ways to improve communications with international crews and flight controllers while Gorbunov checked thermal sensors inside the Zarya module.

The International Space Station is orbiting higher today after the Progress 89 cargo craft docked to the rear port of Zvezda fired its thrusters for over 31 minutes. The orbital reboost places the station at the correct altitude for the Progress 90 resupply mission planned to launch next week after the departure of the Progress 88 cargo craft.

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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Biotech and Human Research Fill Station Crew’s Schedule

Astronaut Butch Wilmore installs portable experiment hardware inside the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station.

Biotechnology research topped the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday to advance in-space manufacturing of health therapies. The Expedition 72 crew members also took a physical fitness test, studied futuristic piloting techniques, and maintained a variety of research and electronics hardware throughout the day.

NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Nick Hague worked together on Tuesday exploring how to manufacture nanomaterials to mimic DNA. The astronauts partnered together in the Kibo laboratory module processing and imaging samples of the DNA-inspired nanomaterials inside the Life Science Glovebox. Doctors expect results in microgravity will be superior to those on Earth helping build the space economy and improve treatments for space-caused and Earthbound health conditions.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Aleksandr Gorbunov joined each other for a pair of human research studies on Tuesday exploring physical fitness and planetary piloting techniques. Ovchinin attached electrodes to Gorbunov that recorded his heart and breathing activity while he pedaled on an exercise cycle. Afterward, the duo took turns wearing a sensor-packed cap that measured their responses as they practiced on a computer futuristic planetary and robotic piloting techniques crews might use.

Station Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore, both NASA astronauts, worked throughout the day servicing a host of research hardware and electronics components ensuring ongoing lab operations with high quality results. Williams first collected her blood sample, spinning it in a centrifuge, then stowing the specimen in a science freezer for later analysis. Next, she inspected a power cable in the Tranquility module, swapped batteries in medical hardware, then serviced samples for a 3D medical device printer. Wilmore started the sample operations for the 3D medical device printer study, then replaced a power cable for a wireless system, swapped fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack, and finally serviced racks and panels inside the Columbus laboratory module.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner spent his day primarily on orbital maintenance testing thermal sensors, transferring gases and liquids, and inspecting windows in the Zvezda service and Nauka science modules. He also explored ways to improve communications among international crews and flight controllers then joined Gorbunov and set up hardware for an upcoming space digestion study.

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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Dragon Spacecraft Boosts Station for First Time

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is pictured by an external camera attached to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

NASA and SpaceX monitored operations as the company’s Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of reboost capabilities for the International Space Station at 12:50 p.m. EST on Friday. The spacecraft’s Draco thrusters adjusted the station’s orbit through a reboost of altitude by 7/100 of a mile at apogee and 7/10 of a mile at perigee, lasting approximately 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

By testing the spacecraft’s ability to provide reboost and, eventually, attitude control, NASA’s International Space Station Program will have multiple spacecraft available to provide these capabilities for the orbital complex.

Currently, the Roscosmos Progress spacecraft and the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft also provide reboost for the space station.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft recently delivered more than 6,000 pounds of supplies to the orbiting laboratory. The resupply mission lifted off Nov. 4 on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrived at the space station on Nov. 5. This launch was the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission for the agency.

For more than two decades, the International Space Station has served as a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. The space station is a springboard for developing a low Earth economy and NASA’s next great leaps in exploration, including missions to the Moon under Artemis and, ultimately, human exploration of Mars.

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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Science Activation and Training Top Friday’s Orbital Schedule

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams, Expedition 72 Flight Engineer and Commander respectively, discuss orbital lab maintenance procedures aboard the International Space Station.

A host of activities topped Friday’s schedule aboard the orbital outpost as the Expedition 72 crew penned in time for experiment activation, spacesuit work, training, and more.

International Space Station Commander Suni Williams spent the first half of her day on spacesuit duty, removing the impact shields and inspecting the gear for any leaks. In the afternoon, she serviced biotechnology hardware and installed new cassettes for crystallization research.

Later on, Williams was joined by her three of her crewmates, NASA Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, to review medical emergency procedures and hardware.

Both Hague and Wilmore separately assisted NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit throughout the day to illuminate space-induced inflammation changes in organisms. Hague also set up new experiment containers for an investigation that will test how to transplant and grow micro-algae in space.

Meanwhile, Wilmore continued work that Williams began yesterday and activated additional mixing tubes that contain protein and bacteria for the NanoRacks Module-9 investigation, which is a student-led experiment that examines how microgravity affects protein synthesis.

The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts completed an array of upkeep tasks throughout the day. Gorbunov and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner conducted some orbital plumbing, while Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin worked some life support systems and electronics tasks before photographing various landmarks on Earth. At the end of the day, the trio was joined by their four NASA crewmates to review Dragon cargo emergency training materials and response.

On Earth, the four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8, who splashed down off the coast of Florida on Oct. 25, will discuss their microgravity science mission during a post-flight news conference this afternoon, Nov. 8, at 3:15 p.m. EST. Watch the quartet live on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

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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