Advanced Station Science Benefiting Humans

The International Space Station's two newest crew members, NASA astronauts (from left) Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, are pictured having just entered the orbiting lab shortly after arriving aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Credits: NASA
The International Space Station’s two newest crew members, NASA astronauts (from left) Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, are pictured having just entered the orbiting lab shortly after arriving aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Credits: NASA

The five-member Expedition 63 crew aboard the International Space Station continues exploring how microgravity phenomena may benefit humans on and off Earth.

Commander Chris Cassidy started off Thursday working on the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace, a device that heats materials to very high temperatures and measures their thermophysical properties. The unique furnace may provide scientists insights into synthesizing and producing new materials. The veteran astronaut then spent the afternoon servicing U.S. spacesuit components ahead of a series of spacewalks planned for June.

New NASA Flight Engineers Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken spent Thursday servicing space botany hardware and exploring bubbles in fluids. Both astronauts temporarily disassembled a plant habitat to access and replace environment control system gear. The duo also studied how bubbles affect microfluids to help produce oxygen on a spacecraft and deliver drugs though skin patches.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, worked throughout the orbital lab on Thursday ensuring ongoing research and maintenance operations.

Ivanishin was inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory swapping fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack to enable safe fuel and flame science. He also worked on cargo transfers inside the Progress 74 resupply ship. Vagner inspected surfaces inside the Russian portion of the space station. In the afternoon, the first-time space flyer set up a video camera to record crew activities for audiences back on Earth.

9 thoughts on “Advanced Station Science Benefiting Humans”

  1. Saludos cordiales, Catherine Williams, mi nombre es Marlon Vinces, tengo 55 años. Ustedes son la esperanza para la humanidad. Nuestro planeta que nunca se detiene en girar a si mismo, como alrededor del sol. Esto ocaciona pensar que no se nace en vano. Gracias por brindar información aeronáutica y del espacio al ciudadano común, por medio de la tecnología. Estoy convencido que nuestro mundo mejorará en todo y que lo salvaremos de cualquier catástrofe que se pueda presentar. Éxitos, hasta muy pronto.

  2. I absolutely loved watching the launch and docking!! Loved loved loved watching Chris Cassidy working/preparing for the docking! Saw the ISS fly over too! Love reading what you do although I can’t understand the technical stuff!! Enjoy your space walks in June!!

  3. Love all of this! Will the same two guys that went up, be coming back down? And is there a date set as to when they return to earth for splash down?

  4. I wish you success in learning all you can while in space. I am eager to learn what happens to plants in their unusual environment. Enjoy your time in space.

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