Month: June 2024

Astronauts Gear Up for Spacewalk Amidst Cardiac Research

Astronauts Jeanette Epps and Mike Barratt assist astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, all three from NASA, during a spacesuit fit check inside the space station's Quest airlock.
Astronauts Jeanette Epps and Mike Barratt assist astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, all three from NASA, during a spacesuit fit check inside the space station’s Quest airlock.

The two crews living and working aboard the International Space Station continued gearing up for next week’s science and maintenance spacewalk. The nine space lab inhabitants also focused on long-running heart research and continuous maintenance on orbital lab systems.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt are getting ready for the first spacewalk of the Expedition 71 mission set to begin at 8 a.m. EDT on Monday, June 24. The suited up duo will exit the depressurized  Quest airlock into the vacuum of space for six-and-a-half hours of radio hardware removal tasks and sample collections of microorganisms that may have exited through station vents.

The veteran astronauts joined Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps, both first time NASA flight engineers, studying and practicing the Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers necessary to support Monday’s spacewalk. Afterward, the astronaut quartet called down to mission controllers and discussed readiness for the communications hardware and research excursion. This will be Dyson’s fourth career spacewalk since 2010 when she was an Expedition 24 Flight Engineer. This will Barratt’s third spacewalk since 2009 when he was an Expedition 20 Flight Engineer.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Commander and Pilot respectively for the Boeing Crew Flight Test, helped tidy up the orbital lab on Thursday and adjusted seats inside the Starliner spacecraft. Wilmore first swapped out thermal gear that protects electronics hardware then refreshed crew provisions inside the orbital outpost. Williams packed trash inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter, swapped out plumbing components, then exchanged space physics research hardware. The two experienced crewmates also entered Starliner and configured the seats aboard the spacecraft before its upcoming departure.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub took turns on Thursday staying still for a period of time while wearing sensors recording their heart activity. The yearslong Roscosmos space cardiac study is helping researchers understand how the human heart adapts to long-term weightlessness. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin assisted the duo with the heart research, then set up a camera for automated photography of the Earth’s surface, and finally focused on life support maintenance.

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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NASA, Boeing Update Starliner Crew Flight Test Return from Station

The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the Mediterranean Sea.

Teams from NASA and Boeing now are targeting no earlier than 10:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, for the undocking of the Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station. For the primary undocking opportunity, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first crew to fly aboard Starliner, would land about 4:51 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

Mission teams supporting NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test continue to review Starliner’s data from the completed test objectives.

During a media teleconference on Tuesday, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, discussed the flight test and upcoming return plans. Stich was joined by Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program; Mike Lammers, flight director at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; and Mark Nappi, vice president and manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program. Listen to a full replay of the teleconference.

Following undocking and the deorbit burn, Starliner will descend under parachutes to land in the desert grounds of White Sands. Airbags attached to the bottom of Starliner will soften the spacecraft’s touchdown. The landing will mark the first time an American capsule has touched down on land with astronauts aboard. A team of NASA and Boeing specialists will retrieve the crew soon after landing.

Wilmore and Williams docked the Starliner spacecraft to the space station’s forward port on June 6 and have been testing spacecraft systems and performing tasks aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Get the latest mission updates by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

Spacewalks, Biotech Research are Tuesday’s Focus on Station

Tracy C. Dyson assists Mike Barratt, both NASA astronauts, during a spacesuit fit check inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.
Tracy C. Dyson assists Mike Barratt, both NASA astronauts, during a spacesuit fit check inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock.

Spacewalk preparations and biotechnology research are keeping the Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test crews busy aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday.

The next spacewalk at the orbital outpost will be June 24 when NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt will remove faulty radio hardware and swab station surfaces for microorganisms as was initially planned. A second spacewalk to remove and replace a gyroscope assembly, relocate an antenna, and prepare for future Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer upgrades is planned for July 2. NASA will determine assignments for the July 2nd spacewalk once the June 24 activities are complete.

The duo was joined by fellow astronauts Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps on Tuesday afternoon and reviewed procedures on a computer that illustrated the planned spacewalking maneuvers. Afterward, Dominick and Epps practiced on a computer the Canadarm2 robotic arm operations they will use to support the two spacewalkers. At the end of the day, the foursome called down to mission controllers to discuss their spacewalk readiness.

The International Space Station’s main purpose is to support scientific research and advance technologies benefitting humans living on and off the Earth. The microgravity experiments reveal new phenomena that can only be observed in the weightless environment of the orbiting lab. Scientists and engineers then apply the unique results to promote the health care, commercial, and space industries.

Starliner crewmates Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams focused their Tuesday research activities on a treatment for respiratory conditions and DNA sequencing to identify microbes living on spacecraft. Wilmore worked in the Harmony module performing sample operations and videotaping liquid flows to improve the transport of liquid drugs in human airways. Afterward, Williams also worked in Harmony and sequenced microbial and fungal DNA samples collected from station water systems. Results may advance crew health, increase spacecraft safety, and upgrade health care systems on Earth.

Dyson worked in the Kibo laboratory module during the afternoon configuring space biology hardware. She removed research habitats and accessed the Cell Biology Experiment Facility, an incubator with an artificial gravity generator, setting it up for future experiments.

From the station’s Roscosmos segment, Commander Oleg Kononenko studied how free-floating objects move aboard the space lab then inventoried gear stowed inside the Poisk module. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub transferred water delivered aboard the Progress 88 resupply ship into station water tanks. Flight Engineer Alexander spent his day working on life support gear, cleaning ventilation systems, and measuring the vibrations the Roscosmos modules experience as the station orbits the planet.

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, Starliner Crews Working Advanced Science Ahead of Spacewalks

The Starliner spacecraft on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port on the International Space Station.
The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on the International Space Station.

The seven Expedition 71 crew members and the two astronauts on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test started the week with spacewalk preparations and an array of advanced microgravity research. The nine residents aboard the International Space Station also maintained electronic, life support, and orbital plumbing systems.

Two spacewalks are now scheduled for June 24 and July 2. The first spacewalk will see two spacewalkers remove faulty radio hardware and swab station surfaces for microorganisms. The tasks planned for the second spacewalk include removing and replacing a gyroscope assembly, relocating an antenna, and preparing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future upgrades.

Throughout Monday, NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps worked on a variety of spacesuit tasks, including cleaning cooling loops inside a spacesuit and swapping spacesuit components in the Quest airlock.

Epps started her day in the Kibo laboratory module removing camera hardware inside Kibo’s airlock for reconfiguration and stowage with assistance from Barratt. Epps then worked in the Destiny laboratory module swapping sample cartridges inside the Materials Science Laboratory, a research facility used to discover new applications for existing materials and new or improved materials. Barratt inspected and serviced components on the Tranquility module’s advanced resistive exercise device, workout gear that mimics the inertial forces on Earth when lifting free weights.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson set up biomedical gear then wore a sensor-packed vest and headband that recorded her heart and lung data while she pedaled on an exercise cycle. Afterward, she worked on space botany hardware removing water bags ahead of a plant experiment.

Starliner Pilot Suni Williams started her day transferring wastewater between station modules then replaced a video camera in the Columbus laboratory module. Afterward, she moved to the Kibo lab and watered the Advanced Plant Habitat to prepare for upcoming science operations.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore worked in the Harmony module’s maintenance work area setting up hardware and researching liquid flows to improve the health care and food industries. The Gaucho Lung study is exploring ways to optimize drug delivery for respiratory conditions, treat infants with respiratory distress syndrome, and prevent contamination of tubes with intermittent flows of liquids.

NASA and Boeing will discuss Starliner’s mission and departure from the orbital outpost as part of the agency’s Crew Flight Test in a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 18. Audio of the teleconference will stream live on NASA’s website at https://nasa.gov/nasatv.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub spent his day testing the operations of a 3D printer while fellow cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin studied the vibrations the space station experiences while orbiting Earth. Cosmonaut and station Commander Oleg Kononenko worked throughout Monday replacing smoke detectors in the space station’s Russian segment.

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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Spacewalks Rescheduled Before Station Boosts Orbit

The space station is pictured from the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour during its departure and flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021.
The space station is pictured from the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour during its departure and flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021.

The Expedition 71 crew members are relaxing today following the delay of Thursday’s spacewalk. Mission planners rescheduled the spacewalk for June 24 when two spacewalkers will remove faulty radio hardware and swab station surfaces for microorganisms. A second spacewalk to remove and replace a gyroscope assembly, relocate an antenna, and prepare for future Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer upgrades is planned for July 2. Meanwhile, the two Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts from NASA continued vehicle testing.

NASA and Boeing will discuss Starliner’s mission and departure from the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test in a pre-departure media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 18. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have previously visited the orbital outpost, called down to Boeing mission controllers on Friday and discussed their upcoming departure. Afterward, the duo entered Starliner and reviewed the spacecraft’s flight operations and procedures.

Roscosmos’ Progress 87 resupply ship, docked to the Zvezda service module, will fire its engines late Friday night boosting the space station’s orbit. The reboost maneuvers occur regularly restoring the orbiting lab’s altitude as it degrades over time due to Earth’s gravity and atmospheric drag.

The three cosmonauts working aboard the space station stayed busy on Friday with their standard complement of space research and life support maintenance duties. Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub wrapped their work shift with eye scans using a medical imaging device looking at the retina, optic nerve, and cornea. Flight Engineer Alexander worked throughout the day on computer maintenance, vent cleaning, and 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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NASA, Boeing Target June 22 for Flight Crew Test Return

This view from a window on the cupola overlooks a portion of the International Space and shows the partially obscured Starliner spacecraft from Boeing docked to the Harmony module's forward port.
This view from a window on the cupola overlooks a portion of the International Space and shows the partially obscured Starliner spacecraft from Boeing docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. Photo credit: NASA

NASA and Boeing now are targeting no earlier than Saturday, June 22, to return the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission from the International Space Station. The extra time allows the team to finalize departure planning and operations while the spacecraft remains cleared for crew emergency return scenarios within the flight rules.

NASA and Boeing leadership will discuss the details of the new return target, flight status, and weather considerations for landing during a pre-departure media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 18. NASA will provide additional media teleconference details soon.

“We are continuing to understand the capabilities of Starliner to prepare for the long-term goal of having it perform a six-month docked mission at the space station,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “The crew will perform additional hatch operations to better understand its handling, repeat some ‘safe haven’ testing and assess piloting using the forward window.”

NASA and Boeing teams also prepared plans for Starliner to fire seven of its eight aft-facing thrusters while docked to the station to evaluate thruster performance for the remainder of the mission. Known as a “hot fire test,” the process will see two bursts of the thrusters, totaling about a second, as part of a pathfinder process to evaluate how the spacecraft will perform during future operational missions after being docked to the space station for six months. The crew also will investigate cabin air temperature readings across the cabin to correlate to the life support system temperature measurements.

“We have an incredible opportunity to spend more time at station and perform more tests which provides invaluable data unique to our position,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing. “As the integrated NASA and Boeing teams have said each step of the way, we have plenty of margin and time on station to maximize the opportunity for all partners to learn – including our crew.”

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are serving as Starliner’s crew for the mission, arrived at the International Space Station on June 6. They’ve completed numerous flight objectives required for NASA certification of Boeing’s transportation system for flights to the orbiting laboratory under the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

Over the past three days, Wilmore and Williams have performed tasks as part of the space station team, including installing research equipment, maintaining the lab’s hardware, and helping station crewmembers Matt Dominick and Tracy Dyson prepare for a spacewalk. After NASA called off Thursday’s spacewalk, Williams worked to help the crew out of their spacesuits.

Engineering teams continue to increase their understanding of previous observations from Starliner propulsion systems on the spacecraft’s service module.

Pending spacecraft return readiness and acceptable weather conditions, Starliner will undock from the space station for a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States. Get the latest mission updates by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA Provides Updated U.S. Spacewalk Dates

NASA astronaut pictured completing an installation outside of the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut pictured completing an installation outside of the International Space Station.

The U.S. spacewalk 90 planned Thursday at the International Space Station did not proceed as scheduled due to a spacesuit discomfort issue.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick completed taking off their spacesuits about an hour before the crew was anticipated to exit the Quest airlock.

With consideration to NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and other spaceflight operations, the next spacewalk will be Monday, June 24, followed by another on Tuesday, July 2, as was previously planned. The June 24 spacewalk will focus on radio frequency group hardware removal, while the content of the July 2 spacewalk is under evaluation and will be shared as available. The crew members on the station are healthy, and spacesuits are functioning as expected.

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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Spacewalk Postponed Due to Spacesuit Discomfort Issue

The space station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during its departure and flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021.
The space station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during its departure and flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021.

The spacewalk today, June 13, at the International Space Station did not proceed as scheduled due to a spacesuit discomfort issue.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick completed taking off their spacesuits about an hour before the crew was anticipated to exit the Quest airlock. NASA will continue to provide additional information on the space station blog.

 

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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Spacewalk is Postponed

NASA astronaut pictured completing an installation outside of the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut pictured completing an installation outside of the International Space Station.

The spacewalk today, June 13, with NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick at the International Space Station will not be proceeding as scheduled. The crew has just begun taking off their suits, at approximately 6:25 am CDT, about an hour before the crew was anticipated to exit the Quest airlock. We are standing by for more information and will share as we know it. 

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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Astronauts Exiting Station Soon for Maintenance and Science Spacewalk

NASA astronaut pictured completing an installation outside of the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut pictured completing an installation outside of the International Space Station.

NASA’s coverage is underway on NASA+, NASA Television, YouTube, the NASA app, and the agency’s website as two astronauts will conduct a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. EDT and last about six and a half hours.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick will exit the station’s Quest airlock to complete the removal of a faulty electronics box, called a radio frequency group, from a communications antenna on the starboard truss of the space station. The pair also will collect samples for analysis to understand the ability of microorganisms to survive and reproduce on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory.

Dyson will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Dominick will serve as spacewalk crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. U.S. spacewalk 90 will be the fourth for Dyson and the first for Dominick. It is the 271st spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

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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