Crew Studies Space Agriculture and Spacecraft Technology

Sunrise casts long shadows over a cloudy Philippine Sea
Sunrise casts long shadows over a cloudy Philippine Sea as the International Space Station orbited off the coast of the Philippines.

The Expedition 63 crew kicked off the work week exploring space agriculture and spacecraft technologies. The trio also split the day on upcoming mission preparations and International Space Station maintenance.

Ongoing botany studies on the station have been teaching scientists, engineers and astronauts how to grow crops in space, so crews can feed themselves farther away from Earth. Future astronauts on long-term missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond will need to be self-sufficient with less support from mission controllers and resupply missions.

Commander Chris Cassidy set up the Advanced Plant Habitat during the afternoon for upcoming grow operations in the research facility. The controlled plant growth chamber automates the delivery of nutrients and light to support a variety edible plants for harvesting, analysis and tasting.

Cassidy is also gearing up for a U.S. resupply mission due to replenish the orbiting lab in early October. The NASA astronaut is sharpening his robotics skills on a computer to get ready to capture Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft with the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

A Russian technology experiment is using acoustics to locate micrometeoroid impacts on the space station. The two flight engineers, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, partnered during the morning checking hardware and downloading data that may pinpoint the location of high-speed particle hits on the outside of the space lab.

The cosmonaut duo then spent the rest of Monday servicing life support gear and updating computer systems.

4 thoughts on “Crew Studies Space Agriculture and Spacecraft Technology”

  1. Dear NASA,
    I am very fan of yours and knowing the fact that you are studying about how to grow plants on space gives me chills and hope to work on your company/station someday.
    I’m studying BS Agricultural Engineer here in the Philippines and my mission in life is to work on your company and I do believe that I will be one of your astronauts someday, i really wish you would notice me, you always be my inspiration and guide to pursue my course even though its gonna be rough, please notice me. Please let me fly high as one of my dreams to go to the planet Mars and to raise some crops there. And please do believe on me.

    I’m praying for your lot of success and may God Bless you more

    Waving here from Earth,

    ERIKA MAE GARCIA GACA

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