Spacesuit Check and Student Robotics Contest Today as Station Orbits Higher

The Canadarm2 robotic arm extends from the Harmony module as the orbital outpost soared above the coast of Peru. Partially obscured in the top background, is the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
The Canadarm2 robotic arm extends from the Harmony module as the orbital outpost soared above the coast of Peru. Partially obscured in the top background, is the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

Spacesuits, robotics, and maintenance were the main priorities for the Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test crews after the International Space Station raised its orbit on Wednesday. The nine orbital residents also split their day on a variety of human research activities and docked crew spaceship activities.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick evaluated a spacesuit in the Quest airlock today with assistance from fellow NASA astronaut Mike Barratt. The duo powered up the spacesuit, configured its components, and tested the suit’s communications and life support systems during Dominick’s fit verification.

Astrobee free-flying robotic assistants, powered by fans and a vision-based navigation system, were maneuvering inside the Kibo laboratory module during the Astrobee Zero Robotics 3 finals competition on Wednesday. The Astrobees were controlled and manipulated by winning algorithms written by students on Earth and downloaded to the robotics platform by mission controllers. NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson readied the toaster-sized, cube-shaped Astrobees then monitored the contest designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and space exploration.

During the morning, NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps removed blood samples that were stowed overnight inside the Kubik research incubator. She spun those samples in a centrifuge before placing them inside a science freezer for preservation and later analysis to understand microgravity’s effect on humans. Afterward, Epps conducted several hours of airflow measurements inside the crew quarters located in the Harmony module’s deck compartment to maintain ventilation systems and crew health.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, had their day packed primarily with lab upkeep duties aboard the orbiting outpost. Wilmore spent his morning inspecting advanced plumbing hardware then packed the life support components for return to Earth. Williams set up high-definition video gear inside the Columbus laboratory module then inspected a bar code reader and radio frequency hardware. The duo also partnered up and organized cargo packed inside the Tranquility module before calling down to Boeing mission controllers for a conference.

The space station is orbiting higher today after the docked Progress 87 cargo craft fired its thrusters for over 20 minutes early Wednesday morning. The orbital reboost places the station at the correct altitude to receive the next cargo craft from Roscosmos after it launches in mid-August.

Commander Oleg Kononenko examined the cargo space available inside the Nauka and Rassvet modules to prepare for the upcoming space delivery. The five-time station visitor also inspected the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, in the Zvezda service module. The TORU would be used to remotely control an approaching Roscosmos resupply ship in the unlikely event the spacecraft would be unable to complete its automated docking sequence.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Aleksander Grebenkin had their day full as they conducted a variety of space research and maintained orbital lab systems on Wednesday. Chub continued studying how magnetic and electrical fields affect fluid physics and serviced life support systems. Grebenkin pointed a digital video camera out a station window and videotaped the condition of the Roscosmos segment modules for analysis.


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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Blood Tests, Eye Scans on Station Helping Doctors Improve Crew Health

Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams work on science maintenance inside the International Space Station's Unity module.
Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams work on science maintenance inside the International Space Station’s Unity module.

Blood sample collections and eye scans took a big part of the day on Tuesday as the International Space Station residents continuously explore how living in space affects their bodies. The two crews representing Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test also trained for robotics activities, serviced spacesuits, and kept up household tasks aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Mike Barratt began the day collecting their blood and saliva samples to help scientists understand how microgravity affects cellular immune functions. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps gathered the samples from the duo, first stowing the saliva specimens in a science freezer, then spinning the blood samples in a centrifuge, before inserting the sample tubes inside the Kubik research incubator for later observations.

The trio joined up again for a series of eye checks with fellow astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of NASA and cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin of Roscosmos. Epps, Dominick, and Chub led the eye scans using the Ultrasound 2 device to image their crewmates’ cornea, lens, and optic nerve. Doctors on Earth monitored the scans in real-time ensuring the crew captured the right imagery to learn how to protect and treat crew vision issues in space.

At the end of the day, Barratt partnered with NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson for more eye checks as the duo explored how weightlessness affects the retina’s response to light. Dyson and researchers on the ground observed Barratt as sensors attached to the side of his eyes measured his retinal function during the hourlong test. The eye exam is just one of 14 studies that comprise the CIPHER investigation devoted to astronaut health and well-being.

Barratt and Dominick also teamed up inside the Kibo laboratory module to reroute cables, reorganize cargo, and clean up trash. Dominick then joined Epps on the robotics workstation simulator and practiced techniques to capture the Cygnus space freighter with the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Dyson also got ready for the Cygnus cargo mission, due to launch on Aug. 3 and arrive on Aug. 5, reviewing mission operations and cargo procedures once the Northrop Grumman spacecraft is berthed to the Unity module.

Aside from eye checks, Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams hand their hands full all day with station maintenance duties. Wilmore cleaned up cargo and photographed open spaces inside the Columbus laboratory module while Williams worked in the Quest airlock servicing spacesuit components. Next, the duo gathered for a conference with Boeing mission controllers then reviewed the upcoming Cygnus cargo mission.

Grebenkin removed his body sensors and completed a 24-hour session that recorded his heart rate and blood pressure. Afterward, he photographed Earth landmarks using a specialized camera that captures image data beyond the spectral range of the human eye. Chub participated in cargo cleanup duties in the Zarya module then worked on life support and electronic systems maintenance. Commander Oleg Kononenko cleaned fans and filters in Zarya before inspecting and photographing windows in the Zvezda service module. At the end of the day, Kononenko took turns with Chub studying ways to improve communications between international crews and mission controllers.

NASA, Boeing Complete Second Docked Starliner Hot Fire Test

Image shows Boeing's Starliner crew capsule docked to the Harmony module's forward port at the International Space Station
Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule docked to the Harmony module’s forward port at the International Space Station on July 3, 2024.
Photo credit: NASA

Engineering teams with NASA and Boeing completed a hot fire test of the Starliner spacecraft’s reaction control system jets on July 27 to evaluate the spacecraft’s propulsion system. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, assigned to the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, were seated inside the docked spacecraft during the test as part of preparations before their return aboard Starliner from the International Space Station.

The test involved firing 27 of the spacecraft’s 28 jets for short bursts, moving through them one at a time to check thruster performance and helium leak rates. Preliminary results show all the tested thrusters are back to preflight levels based on thrust and chamber pressure.

As part of the test configuration, all helium manifolds, which control and direct the flow of helium, were opened allowing engineers to continue evaluation of Starliner’s helium supply and leak rates. The teams verified Starliner continues to show the margin needed to support a return trip from the station. Following the test, the helium manifolds were closed and will remain closed until Starliner activates its propulsion system ahead of undocking. Teams also will verify the helium leak rate before Starliner undocks.

Teams are reviewing data from the docked hot fire test and the recent ground testing of a Starliner thruster at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico before holding an agency return readiness review. Following this agency-level review, NASA and Boeing will select a target return date.

While ground teams work to finalize Starliner’s return to Earth, Wilmore and Williams continue to work alongside the Expedition 71 crew, assisting with science investigations and maintenance activities. On July 29, Wilmore and Williams entered their spacecraft and checked its water systems, called down to Boeing mission personnel for a conference, and put on their space suits long enough to perform a pressure test. Wilmore started his morning in the Harmony module, assembling the BioServe centrifuge as Williams reviewed procedures for operating the Astrobee free-flying robotic assistants.

For the latest mission updates, follow the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

Crews Prep for Cargo Mission and Checks Out Starliner Systems

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port as the International Space Station orbited above Egypt's Mediterranean coast.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited above Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.

The Expedition 71 crew turned its attention to an upcoming U. S. cargo mission, spacesuit work, and a variety of life science on Monday. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test members began the week servicing their Starliner flight suits and the spacecraft’s life support systems following a morning of light research duties.

The next cargo mission to resupply the residents living and working aboard the International Space Station is counting down to a launch at 11:28 a.m. EDT on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 8,200 pounds of science, supplies, and hardware for the station. Cygnus will orbit Earth for just over a day-and-a-half before approaching the orbital outpost where the Canadarm2 robotic arm will be waiting to capture the spacecraft.

NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps spent Monday preparing for Cygnus’ arrival reviewing its mission profile and practicing robotic capture maneuvers on a computer. Dominick will command the Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus at 5 a.m. on Aug. 5 while Epps backs him up and monitors the approach and rendezvous activities. Afterward, robotics controllers on the ground will remotely take over Canadarm2 and guide Cygnus toward the Unity module’s Earth-facing port where it will be mated for five-and-a-half months.

NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt kicked off his day checking on plumbing hardware stowed in the Zarya module before swapping components and configuring a U.S. spacesuit in the Quest airlock. NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson spent her morning in the Columbus laboratory module troubleshooting the MARES rack, or Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System, then spent the afternoon installing drawer handle brackets on a pair of Human Research Facility racks.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams entered their spacecraft Monday afternoon and checked its water systems, called down to Boeing mission personnel for a conference, then wore their flight suits momentarily for a pressure test. Wilmore started his morning in the station’s Harmony module assembling the BioServe centrifuge as Williams reviewed procedures for operating the Astrobee free-flying robotic assistants.

The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts refocused their activities on Monday to standard space research and lab maintenance duties following a week of inspection tasks in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub worked all day on science first studying a 3D printer’s ability to manufacture tools in microgravity, then explored how magnetic and electrical fields affect fluid physics, before finally installing hardware to image Earth’s nighttime atmosphere in near-ultraviolet wavelengths. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin attached sensors to himself during the morning for a 24-session measuring his heart rate and blood pressure. Afterward, he pointed a camera outside a station window taking pictures for a pair of Earth observation studies. At the beginning of his shift, station Commander Oleg Kononenko installed radiation detection hardware cables then inventoried food rations.


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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Astronauts, Cosmonauts Focus on Maintenance; SpaceX Crew-9 Introduces Itself

Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson unpacks and examines research gear inside the International Space Station's Columbus laboratory module.
Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson unpacks and examines research gear inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module.

The orbital residents representing Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test switched gears on Friday and turned their attention to a host of lab maintenance activities. The nine astronauts and cosmonauts living and working aboard the International Space Station focused on spacewalking tools, computer networks, housecleaning, and inspections at the end of the week.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps joined each other midday Friday and reorganized cargo inside the Unity module ahead of the Aug. 5 arrival of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter. Dyson and Barratt then finished the afternoon inside the Quest airlock collecting and stowing tools used during earlier spacewalk preparations.

Epps began her day with NASA astronaut and Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore examining the Permanent Multipurpose Module for open spaces before spending her afternoon exercising. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick checked the overhead crew quarters in the Harmony module and measured its ventilation system airflows after spending his morning working out.

Wilmore also joined Starliner Pilot Suni Williams and tested cloud network connectivity using a pair of computer tablets linked to mission applications and other computer services. Williams then recorded a video for junior high and high school students demonstrating 3D printing operations in microgravity. Toward the end of the day, the NASA duo called down to Boeing mission personnel and discussed Starliner spacecraft systems and operations. The day before, NASA and Boeing managers provided a Starliner status update during a televised news conference.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko kicked off his day synchronizing digital cameras with space station clocks.  The five-time visitor to the orbital outpost worked the rest of the day with Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub continuing ongoing inspections in the aft-end of the Zvezda service module. Chub began his day conducting research activities in Zvezda before the inspection work.

The next crew to visit the International Space Station, SpaceX Crew-9, introduced itself today during a televised crew news conference live on NASA TV on Friday. Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Aleksander Gorbunov are counting down to a mid-August launch to the orbital lab aboard the SpaceX Dragon for a six-month mission. Earlier, mission managers from NASA and SpaceX discussed the Crew-9 mission and other upcoming missions to the orbiting lab. Watch the SpaceX Crew-9 Crew News Conference and the Mission Overview on YouTube.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.


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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Ultrasound Scans Continue to Understand Space Effects on Humans

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is pictured from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the Harmony module's forward port.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port.

Space biology was back on the schedule Thursday as the crewmates aboard the International Space Station resumed exploring how living in weightlessness affects the human  body. The orbital residents also worked on Starliner spacecraft configurations, serviced spacesuit components, and continued lab inspections.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominick, both from NASA, kicked off their day collecting blood and saliva samples, processing them for upcoming analysis, and stowing the biological specimens in a science freezer. The duo then joined NASA astronaut Mike Barratt in the afternoon for vein scans with the commercial ButterlyIQ Ultrasound device before and after workout sessions on the advanced resistive exercise device. Results may inform researchers what happens to the body when exercising in microgravity and demonstrate the effectiveness of the FDA-approved portable scanner for space operations.

Barratt began his day with NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson in the Columbus laboratory module and explored how living in space affects blood pressure. Dyson scanned Barratt’s veins with the Ultrasound 2 device and collected data from a monitor measuring his heart rate. The study is just one of 14 investigations that are part of the CIPHER human research experiment and explores the cardiovascular health risks of living and working on a long-term space mission. Dyson then spent her afternoon uninstalling and stowing spacesuit batteries and metal oxide containers in the Quest airlock.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Commander and Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, entered their Starliner crew ship for checkouts on Thursday. The duo examined the spacecraft’s communications systems, set up computer tablets, and charged camera batteries inside the vehicle docked to the Harmony module’s forward port.

Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich of NASA and Mike Nappi of Boeing provided a status update of the Starliner spacecraft on NASA TV today. Watch the televised news conference on YouTube.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub partnered together throughout Thursday continuing to inspect the vestibule in the aft end of the Zvezda service module where the Progress 87 is docked. While Kononenko spent most of his shift checking out Zvezda, Chub had time for swapping out an electronics unit on an exercise cycle then tested video communications and command gear in the Progress 88 resupply ship docked to the Poisk module.

Mission managers will discuss the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the orbital outpost during a mission overview live on NASA TV at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday. Then at 1 p.m., the Crew-9 members Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Aleksander Gorbunov will introduce themselves and discuss more details of their space station mission.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.


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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Ultrasound Scans for Crew Today on Station Promoting Health

The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the dimly lit SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station's Harmony module.
The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the dimly lit SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station’s Harmony module.

Human research to protect crew health was the dominant science topic aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. Household duties such as cleaning and inspections to keep the orbital outpost in tip-top shape also continued in low Earth orbit for the nine lab crewmates.

Researchers have learned that living in the weightless environment for months at a time affects the human body in numerous ways. Scientists constantly examine crews working on the space station to understand the space-caused physiological changes. Observations will help doctors develop countermeasures and keep astronauts healthy as NASA plans months long and possibly years long missions beyond low Earth orbit and to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps partnered together all-day Wednesday to test a thigh cuff that may reverse fluid shifts that impact a crew member’s vision while living in space. Dyson attached sensors to her chest and the cuff to her leg with assistance from Epps during the morning. Next, Epps scanned Dominick’s veins with the Ultrasound 2 device then measured his blood pressure. Epps also examined Dominick’s eyes using standard medical imaging hardware found in an optometrist’s office on Earth. The thigh cuff study is exploring ways to prevent headward fluid shifts in astronauts that cause eye structure and vision changes.

Ultrasound scans were also on the schedule for NASA astronauts Mike Barratt from Expedition 71 and Butch Wilmore from Boeing’s Crew Flight Test to image an astronaut’s veins following an exercise session. Barratt led the biomedical work and scanned Wilmore’s veins after his hourlong workout on the advanced resistive exercise device. Barratt used the commercial ButterlyIQ Ultrasound imaging device during the 90-minute research session to understand how the human body adjusts to exercising in space. Results may also demonstrate the effectiveness of the FDA-approved portable scanner for space operations.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson and Starliner Pilot Suni Williams from NASA spent their day on maintenance tasks including housecleaning and science hardware installations. Dyson started her morning cleaning the starboard side of the Unity module and organizing cargo stowed in the Columbus laboratory module. During the afternoon, she went back to Unity and wiped down surfaces in its deck compartment. Williams was back inside the Tranquility module finalizing the installation of the ArgUS Mission 1 hardware inside the NanoRacks Bishop airlock. The advanced technology demonstration will be placed outside in the vacuum of space to test the external operations of communications, computer processing, and high-definition video gear.

Over in the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, Commander Oleg Kononenko kicked off his day exploring futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques crews may use on planetary missions. He worked the rest of the day continuing inspections in the aft end of the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub began his shift with the ongoing Zvezda inspections then wrapped up his day servicing a Roscosmos oxygen generator.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.


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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Station Schedule Returns to Science on Tuesday

A red sprite is pictured above the white light of an active thunderstorm as the space station orbited above North America in August of 2015.
A red sprite is pictured above the white light of an active thunderstorm as the space station orbited above North America in August of 2015.

Microgravity science picked up on Tuesday following the previous day’s focus on lab maintenance and housecleaning activities aboard the International Space Station. The nine orbital residents set up a host of science gear for external research and explored future space piloting techniques while also concentrating on daily household tasks.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore from NASA pointed a pair of cameras in the cupola toward Earth for thunderstorm monitoring. He plugged the high-speed Thor-Davis camera and a regular digital camera into the Astro Pi computer to record lightning and electrical activity at speeds up to 100,000 frames per second. Observations may help improve Earth climate models, lead to a better understanding of atmospheric dynamics, and demonstrate the advanced camera’s potential for future space applications.

NASA astronaut and Starliner Pilot Suni Williams installed the ArgUS Mission 1 research hardware inside the NanoRacks Bishop airlock where it will soon be robotically placed outside in the vacuum of space for experimentation. The advanced technology demonstration consists of three types of payloads designed to explore communications, computer processing, and high-definition video in the external microgravity environment.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson spent the first half of her day inspecting a variety of station hardware including cryogenic gloves, cold stowage hardware, and the BioFabrication Facility, a research device being tested for its ability to print organ-like tissues in microgravity. During the afternoon, Dyson turned her attention to commercial activities and tested proprietary gear inside the Kibo laboratory module.

NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps spent all day Tuesday on maintenance tasks. Dominick replaced carbon dioxide removal components in the Destiny laboratory module then videotaped his crew quarters’ airflow ducts as mission controllers monitored in real time. Barratt cleaned ventilation systems in his crew quarters located in the port side of the Harmony module before servicing electronic components on the Kermit fluorescence microscope. Epps started her day relocating a vibration sensor then took a cognition test just before lunchtime. In the afternoon, she set up a thigh cuff to study space-caused fluid shifts in astronauts then examined electrical systems supporting life support components.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos was back on inspection activities in the aft end of the Zvezda service module. He photographed glass panes and installed a smoke detector in Zvezda’s rear port where the Progress 87 cargo craft is docked. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub studied futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques on a computer during the morning then assisted Kononenko with the Zvezda inspection activities in the afternoon. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin focused his efforts on life support system maintenance in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.


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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Station Begins Week with Maintenance and Eye Checks

The Nanoracks Bishop Airlock is in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm as it is positioned away from the station prior to jettisoning a trash container for disposal.
The Nanoracks Bishop Airlock is in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm as it is positioned away from the station prior to jettisoning a trash container for disposal.

The week kicked off with lab maintenance aboard the International Space Station as the Expedition 71 and Starliner crews relocated science gear, cleaned crew quarters, and conducted inspections. Eye checks were also on the schedule at the end of the day for four orbital residents.

Three NASA astronauts took turns during the first half of Monday moving the NanoRacks external platform from the Tranquility module to the Kibo laboratory module. Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test started the work moving gear and making space to access the NanoRacks Bishop airlock in Tranquility where the external platform was stowed. Afterward, station Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Matthew Dominick removed the external platform from Tranquility’s airlock and installed it inside Kibo’s airlock. The platform from NanoRacks can host a variety of payloads exposed to the external space environment for science experiments, technology demonstrations, and more.

Dominick then spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning his crew quarters located in the overhead compartment of the Harmony module. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps started her morning also cleaning her crew quarters in Harmony’s deck compartment. The pair each worked half a day cleaning their living spaces’ ventilation systems and airflow sensors. Epps later set up the camera robot, which can capture imagery and real-time video for downloading to mission controllers, and checked out its free-flying operations in Kibo.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson started her day servicing a research furnace before configuring panels inside the Destiny laboratory module. Dyson spent the rest of the afternoon deep cleaning the Unity module vacuuming dust and wiping down surfaces with disinfectant wipes. Starliner Pilot Suni Williams of NASA reconfigured power systems in the Columbus laboratory module, loaded software on a Microgravity Science Glovebox computer, then wrapped up her shift collecting station air samples for analysis.

At the end of the day, Dominick, Barratt, and Epps joined Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin for a regularly scheduled eye exam. The quartet took turns looking at a standard eye chart and reading characters off of it to test their vision acuity and contrasty sensitivity.

Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub split their day on inspection activities in the aft end of the Zvezda service module where the Progress 87 cargo craft is docked. Kononenko also set up hardware to observe luminous clouds and Earth’s upper atmosphere while Chub checked out batteries and their cables inside Zvezda.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.


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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Crewmates Off-Duty on Station as Cosmonauts Work Cargo and Lab Upkeep

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson shows off food packets from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in the space station's galley located in the Unity module.
NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson shows off food packets from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in the space station’s galley located in the Unity module.

It was an off-duty day at the end of the week for most of the crew members aboard the International Space Station. The astronauts and cosmonauts relaxed most of Friday with time set aside for their daily workouts, light household duties, and public affairs activities.

Two cosmonauts representing Expedition 71, Commander Oleg Kononenko and Fight Engineer Nikolai Chub, had a busy day however, packing a cargo craft, transferring fluids, and inspecting lab hardware. Kononenko, who is on his fifth space station mission, continued loading the Progress 87 resupply ship with trash and discarded gear ahead of the spacecraft’s departure in mid-August. He also inspected surfaces inside the vestibule in the aft end of the Zvezda service module where the Progress 87 is docked. Chub also performed inspection work in the aft end of Zvezda then worked on orbital plumbing tasks transferring fluids from the Roscosmos segment of the station into the Progress 87 vehicle.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spent a few moments inside the spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. The duo entered Starliner in the afternoon, turned on its lights and displays to access tablet computers, then powered them down after recharging overnight.

The rest of the Expedition 71 crew, including NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin, took a break from their daily research and maintenance activities. The quintet used their day off for personal time with calls to family, recreation, looking at the Earth below, and more. The crewmates also  continued their daily workouts on the treadmill, the exercise cycle, and advanced resistive exercise device to maintain muscle and bone health in microgravity.

Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.


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/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe