August 2024 – Space Station

Space Botany, Combustion Physics, and Eye Checks Finish Week

NASA astronauts (from left) Tracy C. Dyson and Suni Williams update emergency procedure manuals aboard the space station's Columbus laboratory module. — NASA astronauts (from left) Tracy C. Dyson and Suni Williams update emergency procedure manuals aboard the space station’s Columbus laboratory module.

Space botany and combustion physics wrapped up the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Friday. The orbital residents also finalized life support maintenance work and conducted eye exams at the end of the week.

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps continued her weeklong plant research activities inside Kibo’s Advanced Plant Habitat. She began checking carbon dioxide bottles inside the space botany habitat installed in an EXPRESS rack. Next, Epps refilled a water reservoir inside the plant habitat for systems testing.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson began her day in the Kibo laboratory module swapping out sample hardware inside the Solid Combustion Experiment Module that observes how flames spread over solid fuels. She also joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub checking the seats inside the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship the trio will ride back to Earth in late September.

The NanoRacks Bishop airlock has been robotically reattached to the Tranquility module following several days of science transfers. The Canadarm2 robotic arm extracted radio frequency experiment hardware from Bishop earlier this week and then installed it on the Columbus laboratory module’s Bartolomeo external science platform. Canadarm2 returned and attached Bishop to Tranquility where NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Mike Barratt reconfigured and outfitted the science and cargo airlock for internal activities.

Dominick earlier joined Dyson in Columbus as she scanned his eyes using the Ultrasound 2 biomedical device. Dyson was imaging Dominick’s cornea, lens, and optic nerve with real time assistance from doctors on the ground studying how living long-term in weightlessness affects crew vision.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed several days of life support work that began on Tuesday when the duo removed the carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA) from Tranquility’s Air Revitalization System rack. The pair have been cleaning components inside the CDRA all week wrapping up that work at the end of Friday. The CDRA will be reinstalled on Monday and returned to service.

The International Space Station crew and ground teams have completed the configuration of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft supporting Crew-8 to now serve as the emergency return spacecraft for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, if needed, until NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission arrives following launch no earlier than Sept. 24. Station emergency procedures and crew trainings have been updated to reflect this change. The Starliner spacecraft is targeting an uncrewed undocking on Friday, Sept. 6, and landing on Saturday, Sept. 7, pending weather and operational readiness.

Station Commander Kononenko and Flight Engineer Chub participated in their own set of eye exams at the end of Friday. The duo from Roscosmos took turns in Columbus scanning each other’s eyes with the Ultrasound 2 downlinking real time imagery of their cornea, lens, and optic nerve. Earlier, the duo began collecting cargo for return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-25 and serviced an oxygen generator in the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin refilled coolant inside Zvezda’s air conditioning system then collected atmospheric measurements in the 24-year-old module 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.

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Busy Week of Science, Robotics, and Spacecraft Activities on Station

A waning gibbous moon sets over the Pacific Ocean as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above.

It has been a busy week aboard the International Space Station and Thursday was no exception with ongoing space research, systems maintenance, robotics activities, and an orbital reboost for an upcoming crew mission. The nine lab crewmates have been working together and coordinating closely with mission controllers from around the world ensuring safe and successful mission operations in low-Earth orbit.

NASA Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominick returned to space botany on Thursday servicing the Advanced Plant Habitat located in the Kibo laboratory module. The duo replaced a variety of life support components and sensors inside the microgravity greenhouse that supports space-grown plants for both research and consumption.

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams began their day continuing to configure emergency systems inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Williams also partnered with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson and updated Dragon emergency procedures. Barratt wrapped up his day inside Dragon charging computer tablet batteries and synchronizing the portable computers for satellite coverage. Dragon is due to return to Earth in early October bringing home four SpaceX Crew-8 members.

Wilmore and Dyson then finished the afternoon cleaning the inside of the carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA). Wilmore and Williams removed the CDRA from the Tranquility module’s Air Revitalization System (ARS) on Tuesday beginning the weeklong maintenance job. It will be reinstalled in the ARS and reactivated early next week.

Over the past week, robotics controllers on Earth remotely commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm to remove the science packed NanoRacks Bishop airlock from Tranquility. Bishop was then maneuvered toward the Mobile Transporter where it was temporarily installed for experiment transfers. Canadarm2 then retrieved the ArgUS multi-payload carrier from Bishop and installed it on the Columbus laboratory module’s Bartolomeo external science platform. The newly installed radio frequency research hardware will demonstrate advanced satellite communications to improve aerospace systems on Earth and space. Bishop has been returned to Tranquility where it will be repressurized and opened for crew entry on Friday.

The orbital outpost’s three cosmonauts from Roscosmos also remained busy on Thursday conducting their array of life science, lab upkeep, and robotics checks. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko focused on science, first swapping samples inside the Electromagnetic Levitator, a research device that measures the thermophysical properties of liquid metallic alloys at high temperatures. Next, he attached sensors to himself measuring his heart rate while relaxing. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub installed and tested a device that measures mass in microgravity then packed trash and discarded gear inside the Progress 88 cargo craft. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin inventoried components that control the European Robotic Arm then uninstalled software that supported a plasma physics study.

The International Space Station is soaring higher this week after the Progress 89 cargo craft, docked to the Zvezda service module’s rear port, fired its thrusters for nearly 18 minutes on Tuesday. The reboost puts the space station at the correct altitude for the arrival of the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship in September. The Soyuz spacecraft, carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, is due to dock to the station’s Rassvet module just three hours after launching 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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Crew Works Spacecraft Configurations and Eye Checks on Wednesday

The last rays of an orbital sunset fade below Earth's horizon illuminating the atmosphere in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared above the Atlantic Ocean. — The last rays of an orbital sunset fade below Earth’s horizon illuminating the atmosphere in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared above the Atlantic Ocean.

Dragon spacecraft configurations topped Wednesday’s task list aboard the International Space Station as the orbital residents prepare for crew swap activities in September and October. Human research duties and lab maintenance tasks rounded out the day for the nine crewmates living and working on the orbital outpost.

Six astronauts worked throughout the day configuring the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft’s emergency systems and updating the vehicle’s emergency procedures. The NASA astronauts split up the daylong tasks as Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Butch Wilmore worked inside the spacecraft configuring its emergency systems and computer tablets as it nears an October return to Earth with four SpaceX Crew-8 members.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, and Suni Williams focused on updating emergency procedures including responses to unlikely events such as a depressurization, fire, or ammonia leak aboard Dragon. The trio also documented individual roles and responsibilities for the astronauts in the event of a contingency aboard Dragon after it departs the orbital outpost.

The astronauts still had time for light science tasks and lab upkeep while ensuring Dragon is prepared for its upcoming departure. Epps watered two types of grasses growing inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie space botany facility. The grasses are being studied to observe space-caused changes to photosynthesis and plant metabolism and possibly inform bioregenerative life support systems on future spacecraft. Epps also drained resupply tanks and serviced orbital plumbing systems in the Tranquility module.

In the afternoon, Dominick examined Dyson’s eyes using standard medical imaging hardware in the Harmony module. Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub also participated in the regularly scheduled eye exams. Doctors on the ground remotely monitored both sessions to understand how living in weightlessness affects a crew member’s cornea, lens, and retina.

Kononenko and Chub kicked off their day with a cardiac study as Kononenko assisted Chub who attached sensors to himself that measured his heart rate while relaxing. The duo would then split up and work on a variety of electronics and life support systems in the station’s Roscosmos segment. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked on orbital plumbing duties in the Nauka science module during the morning before spending the afternoon collecting station air samples 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.

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Space Botany, Eye Research, Plasma Physics Fill Science Schedule on Station

Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson smiles for a portrait in the vestibule between the Kibo laboratory module and the Harmony module.

Tuesday was a science-packed day aboard the International Space Station as the astronauts and cosmonauts explored space botany, eye health, and plasma physics to promote longer spaceflights farther away from Earth.

NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps of Expedition 71 took turns tending to plants growing inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie space botany facility throughout the day. Barratt started first scanning leaves on two types of grasses using an agricultural multispectral device measuring leaf thickness, chlorophyll, and other plant properties. Epps followed and photographed the plants so scientists on the ground could analyze the space-grown grasses. Results from the botany experiment may show space-caused changes to photosynthesis and plant metabolism and possibly inform bioregenerative life support systems on future spacecraft.

Afterward, Epps peered into the eyes of NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick using standard medical imaging gear found in a doctor’s office on Earth. She was specifically looking at his optic nerve with real-time assistance from researchers on the ground. NASA scientists are trying to determine if genetics and a B vitamin condition could affect crew vision in space and develop countermeasures to prevent the swelling of the optic nerve on spaceflight missions.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson had a light-duty day first examining experimental life support hardware installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox. Next, she, Commander Oleg Kononenko, and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub took turns reading characters midday on an eye chart so eye doctors could assess their visual acuity, or vision sharpness. Afterward, Dyson spent about 25 minutes testing VHF communication systems with mission controllers in the United States, Japan, Germany, and Russia.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams worked together throughout Tuesday on life support maintenance in the Tranquility module. The duo uninstalled the carbon dioxide removal assembly from Tranquility’s Air Revitalization System rack then reconfigured and replaced components on the life support device.

Kononenko spent most of his morning swapping out computer and electronics gear in the Zarya module before working the rest of the afternoon inspecting modules in the Roscosmos segment of the orbital outpost. Chub started his day photographing surfaces treated with a variety of disinfectants analyzing their effectiveness in microgravity then finished his shift checking Roscosmos power supply diagnostics.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin dedicated his entire day to the Plasma Kristall-4 experiment supported by both Roscosmos and ESA (European Space Agency). Grebenkin checked the pressure on argon and neon gas bottles that supply the investigation which observes complex plasmas, or ionized gases produced by high temperatures, potentially benefitting spacecraft designs and fundamental research on Earth.

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 Sees Physical Science Prep and Training for Station Crew

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA's Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China. — Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China.

A suite of training and conferences kept the International Space Station residents busy on Monday as they embark on a new week of work in microgravity. Though a light duty science day, some crew members did schedule in time to assess how spaceflight affects the human body and prep for upcoming physical science investigations.

In the morning, NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps set up hardware for the CIPHER investigation and then conducted an exam on NASA astronaut Mike Barratt to assess how microgravity affects the vestibular system, including spatial orientation, cognitive function, and changes in head-eye coordination.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson spent some time in the Tranquility module troubleshooting the toilet pressure sensor, then replaced experiment samples and igniter tips in SoFIE, a physical science payload used to study the ignition and flammability of spacecraft materials. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick spent some time replacing Packed Bed Retractor Experiment hardware, another physical science investigation that looks at the behaviors of gases and liquids in microgravity.

Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams spent Monday powering up communication software and holding a conference with ground teams as they begin their formal integration into the Expedition 71/72 crew.

NASA announced on Saturday that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth uncrewed, allowing the agency and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew. Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard the orbiting laboratory through February 2025 and fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September. Since their arrival, the duo has been supporting station research, maintenance, Starliner system testing, and a host of other orbital activities.

To prepare for upcoming missions in September, Barratt, Epps, Dyson, Dominick, Wilmore, and Williams, along with cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, all completed a round of SpaceX Dragon overview training throughout the day. The septet then joined forces in the evening to review Dragon emergency procedures and hold a conference with ground teams to discuss future Dragon configuration.

Afterward, the septet was joined by station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos to discuss emergency response and coordination amongst all crew members.

Kononenko and Chub also partnered throughout the day to inspect and replace hardware in the Zvezda service module and install software to a few station computers.

Soyuz MS-26 prime and backup crew members flew to their launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan to begin final prelaunch training ahead of the launch of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, currently scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11.

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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Science Hardware Work Completes Week; NASA Managers Discuss Crew Flight Test

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Boeing's Crew Flight Test Commander and Pilot respectively, inspect safety hardware aboard the space station. — NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Boeing’s Crew Flight Test Commander and Pilot respectively, inspect safety hardware aboard the space station.

Advanced research hardware work took precedence aboard the International Space Station at the end of the week as the crew readied satellite gear and experimental communications components for placement in the vacuum of space.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick spent Friday installing the Small Satellite Orbital Deployer onto the Kibo laboratory module’s multipurpose experiment platform (MPEP). He then loaded the MPEP into Kibo’s airlock where JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) robotic arm will grapple the device and position it away from the space station to release a series of CubeSats into Earth orbit for a variety of educational and research activities. NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, assisted Dominick throughout the day and familiarized herself with CubeSat operations.

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer, and Butch Wilmore, Crew Flight Test Commander, configured the Tranquility module’s NanoRacks Bishop airlock that will soon open up to the external microgravity environment. Earlier, NASA Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps helped Barratt install the ArgUS multi-payload carrier inside Bishop. The Canadarm2 robotic arm will grapple Bishop with the ArgUS payload inside for installation on the Columbus laboratory module’s Bartolomeo external research platform for a satellite communications study.

Find out more and see what Wilmore and Williams have been up to during their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson spent her entire shift on Friday conducting lab maintenance. She started the morning reorganizing cargo stowed in Kibo. After lunch, she inspected rack hardware throughout the Destiny, Unity, Harmony, and Tranquility modules, including the Quest airlock. At the end of the day, she swapped out a tank and a hose and on the orbital lab’s restroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment, located in Tranquility.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub partnered Friday morning on inspections and hardware replacements in the aft end of the Zvezda service module. Kononenko also cleaned ventilation systems while Chub researched futuristic planetary and robotic piloting techniques. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin downloaded data collected from a radiation detector then worked inside the Nauka science module checking its ventilation hardware.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and leadership will hold an internal Agency Test Flight Readiness Review on Saturday, Aug. 24, for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Afterward, NASA will host a news conference at 1 p.m. EDT from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

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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NASA, Boeing Chart Course for Starliner Return Review

Image shows Boeing's Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA's Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China. — Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

Engineering and spaceflight specialists from NASA and Boeing continue data analysis ahead of a decision this week on the path forward for the Starliner spacecraft’s return from the International Space Station.

NASA’s decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts aboard is expected no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 24 at the conclusion of an agency-level review chaired by Ken Bowersox, the associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. The agency flight readiness review is where any formal dissents are presented and reconciled. Other agency leaders who routinely participate in launch and return readiness reviews for crewed missions include NASA’s administrator, deputy administrator, associate administrator, various agency center directors, the Flight Operations Directorate, and agency technical authorities.

NASA will host a televised news conference following the review’s conclusion to discuss the agency’s decision and next steps. More information on the news conference will be shared once confirmed. After the agency-level decision, program and flight control teams will continue preparing for Starliner’s return, including training sessions and other actions as appropriate.

Ahead of the agency-level review, NASA and Boeing are working to finalize and present flight rationale to various teams across the community and to the program control board. Engineering teams have been working to evaluate a new model that represents the thruster mechanics and is designed to more accurately predict performance during the return phase of flight. This data could help teams better understand system redundancy from undock to service module separation. Ongoing efforts to complete the new modelling, characterize spacecraft performance data, refine integrated risk assessments, and determine community recommendations will fold into the agency-level review.

Alongside the crew members of Expedition 71, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, continue supporting a host of research, maintenance, and other activities aboard the microgravity laboratory since arriving on Starliner on June 6.

Light Duty Day Still Sees Space Science and Orbital Reboost

The space station was orbiting above the Pacific Ocean when this photograph captured the first rays of an orbital sunrise illuminating Earth's atmosphere. — The space station was orbiting above the Pacific Ocean when this photograph captured the first rays of an orbital sunrise illuminating Earth’s atmosphere.

Six of the nine crew members living and working aboard the International Space Station had a light duty day on Thursday fitting in some time for science equipment maintenance. Meanwhile, three cosmonauts stayed busy with their full schedule of Roscosmos space research and lab upkeep.

Thursday’s main research activity consisted of cleaning the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) planned for Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson and Crew Flight Test Pilot Suni Williams, both from NASA. The duo worked together swapping samples and cleaning the inside of the advanced space research furnace. The ELF heats material samples using a containerless technique to observe their thermophysical properties and reduce imperfections and contamination common in Earth’s gravity. The orbital outpost’s weightless environment may improve the manufacturing of semiconductors, alloys, and more benefitting both Earth and space industries.

Williams’ crewmate Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore of NASA assembled the Sphere Camera-2 during the afternoon. The ultra-high resolution video camera is being tested for its ability to film crew activities possibly leading to advances in lunar and planetary photography and external spacecraft inspections.

NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps joined each other for a few moments of examining stem cells samples inside the KERMIT state-of-the-art microscope for a cancer treatment investigation. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick connected components on the advanced resistive exercise device, or ARED, for an investigation exploring ways to maximize the effects of exercise in microgravity.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter fired its engine for over 19 minutes early Thursday afternoon boosting the orbital outpost’s altitude to 260 miles by 257.9 miles. The orbital reboosts counter atmospheric drag and prepare the space station for upcoming spacecraft activities.

Roscosmos station Commander Oleg Kononenko set up Earth observation hardware to study clouds in the Earth’s upper atmosphere then configured camera and video hardware during his shift on Thursday. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub continued investigating how microalgae can be used to produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide improving space life support systems. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin strapped on a sensor-packed cap that recorded his reactions as he practiced futuristic planetary and robotic piloting techniques on a computer.

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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Wednesday’s Research Promoting Self-Sufficient Crews Farther Away from Earth

The Full Moon pictured above Earth's horizon as the space station soared above the Indian Ocean south of the African island nation of Madagascar. — The Full Moon pictured above Earth’s horizon as the space station soared above the Indian Ocean south of the African island nation of Madagascar.

Manufacturing tools and medicine in space is a key objective for NASA and its international partners as crews train for longer missions farther away from Earth. Humans living in space habitats will need to be self-sufficient to stay heathy and run successful missions since launching supplies from Earth will be less feasible and uneconomical.

NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps of Expedition 71 and Suni Williams, Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, joined each other in the Columbus laboratory module and configured the Metal 3D printer on Wednesday. The duo first uninstalled the device from Columbus’ European Drawer Rack-2 (EDR-2), a multipurpose experiment rack, to access an experimental sample printed with stainless steel. They replaced a substrate in the advanced manufacturing hardware then reinstalled the 3D printer back in the EDR-2. Researchers are exploring how the Metal 3D printer operates in the microgravity conditions of weightlessness and radiation as well as its ability to manufacture tools and parts on demand during space missions.

NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt explored how stem cells grow in microgravity to improve cell therapies on Earth and cell manufacturing in space. Working in the Kibo laboratory module, Barratt serviced stem cell samples inside the Life Science Glovebox. The cells are undergoing a cellular reprogramming process and the samples will be returned to Earth for further analysis. Scientists are pursuing the production of stem cells in space that can be regenerated into human cells or tissues for personalized medicine.

Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick partnered with Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore, both NASA astronauts, checking CubeSat configurations before they are deployed into Earth orbit. The duo ensured the shoebox-sized satellites were secured in their launch cases and clear of debris inside the Small Satellite Orbital Deployer they are packed in. Afterward, they installed the deployer onto a multipurpose experiment platform and loaded it inside Kibo’s airlock where it will soon be placed in the vacuum of space to release the CubeSats for a variety of research.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson focused on housekeeping tasks as she cleaned the crew quarters in the starboard side of the Harmony module. She vacuumed dust collected on ventilation systems and wiped down surfaces inside the module where Boeing’s Starliner and the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft are docked.

Working in the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, Commander Oleg Kononenko set up Earth observation gear, inspected the aft vestibule of the Zvezda service module, then explored futuristic planetary and robotic piloting techniques. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub assisted Kononenko with the Zvezda checks then he explored how microalgae can be used to produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide improving space life support systems. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin spent his day on life support maintenance transferring from resupply tanks and performing coolant leak checks on the aur conditioning system.

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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Crew Studies Space Botany, Lunar Cement to Inform Future Missions

NASA astronaut Suni Williams installs experimental life support hardware inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox located inside the Destiny laboratory module.

Space botany and lunar construction techniques once again dominated the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The orbital crewmates are helping researchers plan future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps continued studying how microgravity and radiation affect thale cress plants at the molecular and cellular levels in the Kibo laboratory module. She collected and treated plant samples that were incubated inside the Plant Experiment Facility for preservation. At the end of the day’s two experiment runs, she preserved and stowed the samples in a science freezer where they will stay before being returned to Earth for further analysis. Results may inform space agricultural techniques to sustain crews venturing further into space and beyond low-Earth orbit.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick explored ways to make cement on the lunar surface to help engineers learn how to build crew habitats in different gravity environments. He removed small simulated lunar cement sample bags that had cured overnight in a thermos and stowed them in a concrete kit for several weeks of hardening at ambient temperature. Afterward, he mixed more bags containing simulated lunar soil and other materials with a liquid solution, placed a bag with hot water in between them, then inserted the samples inside a thermos can for overnight incubation. The samples will be returned to Earth and examined to determine the space-created concrete’s microstructure and mechanical strength.

After the cement work, Dominick assisted NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson in the Tranquility module relocating cargo to access the NanoRacks Bishop airlock. Next, Dominick mounted a pressure management device and connected power and data cables inside Tranquility ahead of Bishop’s depressurization. Bishop can be used for cargo stowage or external science operations. Dyson later removed sample cassettes from an advanced sample processor that supported a pair of pharmaceutical manufacturing studies.

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt from Expedition 71 and Butch Wilmore from Boeing’s Crew Flight Test had a light duty day spending a few moments on life support duties. NASA astronaut Suni Williams relaxed all day on Tuesday before joining her crewmate Wilmore at the end of their shift for a crew conference with Boeing flight controllers.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub started their morning on maintenance tasks in the Zvezda service module. The duo then moved on transferring water delivered aboard the Progress 89 cargo craft and performing leak checks on the resupply ship. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin also had most of the day off taking time out for medical checks and updating operational documents shipped on Progress.

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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