Space Station – Page 111 – Off The Earth, For The Earth

Crew Studies Exercise, Physics and Preps for Tuesday Spacewalk

Astronaut Tom Marshburn wraps up a biology experiment that studied why microgravity accelerates skin aging in astronauts.

Space exercise and space physics were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 66 crew also juggled spacewalk preparations and crew departure training throughout the day.

Two investigations conducted on Wednesday are exploring how to exercise effectively in microgravity and keep astronauts and cosmonauts healthy and fit in weightlessness. The lack of gravity contributes to muscle and bone loss requiring station crew members to exercise daily for two hours using a cycle, the COLBERT and Russian treadmills, and the advanced resistive exercise device.

ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer has been wearing the EasyMotion suit that stimulates muscles during workout sessions. Researchers are studying the specialized suit’s ability to maximize the impact and lessen the duration of space exercise. Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos attached sensors to himself during the morning and jogged on the Zvezda service module’s treadmill. The sensors measured the cosmonaut’s heart and breathing rate providing more insight into a crew member’s physiology during physical exertion in microgravity.

Kayla Barron of NASA spent the afternoon training for spacewalk emergency scenarios. She wore virtual reality goggles and digitally practiced maneuvering using the spacesuit’s jetpack, also known as the SAFER, in the unlikely event she became untethered from the station. Barron also trained on the suit’s enhanced caution and warning system then reviewed a safety checklist she will attach to her suit’s cuff. Barron and fellow NASA Flight Engineer Raja Chari are scheduled to perform a six-and-half hour spacewalk on Tuesday live on NASA TV to continue augmenting the space station’s power system.

Chari partnered with NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn and practiced on a computer the procedures they will use when they return to Earth next month inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance. Chari will command the mission and Marshburn will pilot the vehicle when they depart the orbiting lab near the end of April with Barron and Maurer ending the SpaceX Crew-3 mission.

Marshburn also photographed station science racks and work areas for a space archeological study that may improve the design of future spacecraft and habitats. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei set up components for a space fire safety study then serviced probes for the Intelligent Glass Optics experiment. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov assisted with Shkaplerov’s exercise research, studied how international crews and mission controllers operate, then wrapped up Russian module inspection work.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Eye Research, Treadmill Servicing Keeps Crew Busy Tuesday

NASA astronaut Raja Chari works on a biotechnology study that may advance technologies for use in space and in extreme environments on Earth.

A full day of eye research and treadmill maintenance kept the Expedition 66 crew members busy on Tuesday. Two crew mates also had a light duty day aboard the International Space Station ahead of their return to Earth at the end of the month.

Three astronauts worked throughout the day continuing to research how living in space affects eye structure and visual function. NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron were assisted by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer in the Kibo laboratory module to help doctors understand why some astronauts have reported vision issues in microgravity and after returning to Earth. Results may help doctors develop treatments for eye conditions experienced by astronauts and Earthlings.

NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn spent Tuesday working in the Tranquility module servicing the COLBERT treadmill. He started with a visual inspection before aligning components on the exercise device to ensure it remained centered inside Tranquility. COLBERT was delivered to the orbital lab over 12 years ago aboard space shuttle Discovery.

Two crew members had minimal duties on Tuesday as they near the end of their 355-day mission. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov are due to return to Earth on March 30 just 10 days short of a one-year stay on the space station. Vande Hei set up a camera for an ongoing archaeological experiment aboard the station while Dubrov conducted inspections in the Russian segment. The duo will ride alongside Commander Anton Shkaplerov, who has been aboard the station since October, inside the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship.

Shkaplerov will be completing his fourth space station mission, while Vande Hei will land with the NASA single spaceflight record surpassing astronaut Scott Kelly’s record of 340 days set back in 2016. Dubrov will be completing his first spaceflight.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Life Science, Fire Safety Top Monday’s Station Science Schedule

The Cygnus space freighter is pictured after its capture and installation to the space station's Unity module. — The Cygnus space freighter is pictured after its capture and installation to the space station’s Unity module.

An array of space biology and combustion investigations topped the microgravity research program aboard the International Space Station on Monday. Life support work and cargo transfers also kept the Expedition 66 crew busy at the beginning of the week.

Living in space has been shown to impact an astronaut’s vision even after returning to Earth. NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron worked throughout the day studying how weightlessness affects eye structure and visual function. The duo’s research efforts may help scientists develop treatments for eye conditions in space and on Earth.

Astronauts are also learning how to exercise more effectively in space. The lack of gravity leads to muscle and bone loss that crews seek to avoid with daily two-hour workout sessions on the station. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer used the Tranquility module’s advanced resistive exercise device during the morning performing exercises such as bench presses, squats, and dead lifts. He wore a specialized suit for the EasyMotion study that was stimulating his muscles during the workout which may improve and lessen the duration of exercise sessions in space.

Flames and materials burn longer and differently in microgravity and scientists and engineers use the data to keep astronauts safe in outer space. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei opened up the Combustion Integrated Rack today and configured components inside the research device. He set up the rack for the Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction study to improve fire suppression techniques and improve spaceship safety.

NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn worked throughout the day in Tranquility servicing components on the oxygen generation assembly. He collected samples from the life support device for analysis on the ground.

Commander Anton Shkaplerov focused on a pair of Russian experiments on Monday. He explored ways to create a sterile research environment aboard the station then researched how the human heart adapts to space. Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov unpacked medical kits delivered recently inside the ISS Progress 80 resupply ship.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Spacesuit Checks and Eye Study Wrap Up Station Work Week

The Canadarm2 robotic arm is pictured extending from the space station as it orbited above Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The Expedition 66 crew is continuing its preparations for a pair of spacewalks at the International Space Station scheduled for later this month. The seven orbital residents also pursued ongoing life science while maintaining operations at the orbital lab.

Three NASA astronauts and an ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut participated in a fit check for a pair of U.S. spacesuits on Friday. Flight Engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA started the work by readying spacesuits and tools inside the U.S. Quest airlock. In the afternoon, NASA Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Tom Marshburn assisted the two astronauts as they verified the correct sizing of the suits ahead of a pair of spacewalks planned for March 15 and 23.

Vande Hei and Marshburn started their day pairing up inside the Kibo laboratory module researching how microgravity affects eye structure and visual function. The experiment that takes place in Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox and examines changes in the vascular system of the retina and tissue remodeling.

NASA Flight Engineer Kayla Barron took a break from today’s spacewalk preparations and installed computer hardware on combustion research gear located in the Kibo module. She also helped Vande Hei and Marshburn stow science gear after they wrapped up a half-a-day of visual function research.

Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos kept up this week’s maintenance in the station’s Russian segment as he replaced life support gear before checking on a space biology experiment. Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov focused on support work for a variety of electronics components and computer gear throughout the day.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Spacewalks Preps Continue, NASA Astronaut Continues Record-Breaking Mission

The waxing gibbous Moon is pictured on from the space station as it orbited above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Canada.

Two NASA astronauts are assembling gear today they will install on the International Space Station during an upcoming spacewalk. The rest of the Expedition 66 crew focused on life science, space physics gear, and orbital maintenance.

NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron began assembling modification kits today to ready the station’s truss structure for new roll-out solar arrays during the first spacewalk. The roll-out solar arrays will be delivered on an upcoming SpaceX Cargo Dragon mission and installed at a later date. The duo will set their U.S. spacesuits to battery power at 7:50 a.m. on March 15, signifying the beginning of their planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. The second spacewalk on March 23 will see more roll-out solar array preparations by two yet to be named astronauts.

Roll-out solar array technology will not only augment the space station’s existing solar arrays and power system, they will also be used to power the Lunar Gateway. Gateway is a space station developed by NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, ESA (European Space Agency), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that will orbit the Moon and will serve as a hub for crew visiting the lunar surface and beyond. Gateway will enable new scientific investigations in the cis-lunar environment during crewed and uncrewed periods.

As usual, science is always ongoing aboard the space station, both remotely and with astronaut participation, as crew members explored how microgravity affects human physiology on Thursday. NASA Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Tom Marshburn partnered together in the Kibo laboratory module to study what happens to eye structure and visual function in weightlessness. Research operations were conducted inside the Life Science Glovebox and may provide insights and inform treatments for eye conditions in space and on Earth.

Astronaut Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) collected his urine samples and stowed them in a science freezer for future analysis to understand how his body is adapting to the space environment. Maurer then moved on and replaced parts inside the Electromagnetic Levitator, a physics research facility that enables safe, high-temperature observations of the thermophysical properties of metallic alloys.

Vande Hei reached 328 days in space today passing NASA astronaut Christina Koch’s record set back on Feb. 6, 2020. He will break NASA’s all-time single spaceflight record of 340 days on March 15 set by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly back on March 1, 2016. Vande Hei will return to Earth on March 30 having achieved a NASA record-breaking 355 days on orbit.

Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos was on duty on Thursday replacing life support gear in the station’s Russian segment. Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov worked on computer and video gear then checked thermal hardware in the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Advanced Physics, Human Research as Crew Readies for Pair of Spacewalks

Astronaut Kayla Barron poses for a portrait in front of the VEGGIE space botany facility inside the space station's Columbus laboratory module. — Astronaut Kayla Barron poses for a portrait in front of the VEGGIE space botany facility inside the space station’s Columbus laboratory module.

The seven-member Expedition 66 crew juggled a variety of science experiments on Wednesday including space physics and human research. Four International Space Station astronauts also reviewed procedures for a pair of spacewalks set to begin in less than two weeks.

A new experiment on the space station is using artificial intelligence to help process complex glasses in microgravity. NASA Flight Engineer Kayla Barron began setting up hardware for the Intelligent Glass Optics investigation in the Microgravity Science Glovebox today. The advanced physics study may provide insights into manufacturing systems for Earth and space including communications, aerospace, and medical diagnostics.

Barron also joined fellow flight engineers Raja Chari and Thomas Marshburn from NASA and Matthias Maurer from ESA (European Space Agency) to prepare for two upcoming spacewalks to continue modifying the orbiting lab’s power system. The quartet reviewed the tools and procedures that Barron and Chari will use on March 15 when they exit the U.S. Quest airlock to ready the station for its third roll-out solar array. The second excursion will be on March 23 with two astronauts yet to be named. NASA TV will begin its live spacewalk coverage at 7:50 a.m. EST on both days.

At the beginning of the day, Chari assisted Marshburn and Maurer as they collected their blood, saliva, and urine samples. The samples were stowed in a science freezer for later analysis as part of the long-running Repository investigation. That study looks at a bank of biological specimens collected from station astronauts over the years for insights into the physiological changes occurring in humans living in space.

NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei worked throughout the day inside the Kibo laboratory module on payload hardware that will soon be placed outside the station in the harsh environment of space. Vande Hei is also on track to surpass two NASA single spaceflight records this month. He will pass NASA astronaut Christina Koch’s mark of 328 days on March 3, then he will break NASA astronaut Scott Kelly’s record of 340 days on March 15. When Vande Hei returns to Earth on March 30, he will hold the NASA single spaceflight record having spent 355 days in space.

The orbiting lab’s two cosmonauts, Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov, replaced life support components in the station’s Russian segment.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Station Crew Works on Space Biology and Spacesuits

Astronaut Raja Chari tests using tools while wearing a spacesuit glove inside the space station's U.S. Quest airlock. — Astronaut Raja Chari tests using tools while wearing a spacesuit glove inside the space station’s U.S. Quest airlock.

A host of life science experiments is underway today as the Expedition 66 crew explores how living in space affects the human body. The International Space Station is also gearing up this month for a pair of spacewalks to upgrade its power systems.

Skin, hearing, and mold were the main focus of today’s biology research aboard the orbiting lab. Blood, saliva, and urine sample collections were also on Tuesday’s schedule as scientists keep check of astronaut health.

NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn looked at skin tissue samples to understand why microgravity accelerates skin aging in astronauts. Afterward, he cleaned the Life Science Glovebox and closed out operations for the experiment that seeks to prevent skin deterioration in space and improve skin conditions on Earth.

Marshburn also collected his blood and urine samples before stowing them in a science freezer. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei collected his saliva samples then stowed them for future analysis. Doctors on the ground observe the biological samples to gain insights into how the human body adapts to long-term microgravity. Vande Hei also activated the Space Biofilms experiment to learn how to control mold growth on the station to maintain spacecraft safety and crew health.

Scientists also want to understand how the station’s operating environment, including weightlessness itself, affects a crew member’s hearing. ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer participated in the Acoustic Diagnostics study during the afternoon that is monitoring any transitory or permanent hearing affects that might occur in crew members.

Two spacewalks are scheduled at the station for March 15 and 23 to ready the orbiting lab for a third set of roll out solar arrays. Vande Hei joined NASA Flight Engineer Raja Chari and scrubbed cooling loops in a pair of U.S. spacesuits throughout Tuesday. Two astronauts will exit the station and set up a power channel for the first spacewalk then replace components and perform more upgrades on the second spacewalk.

NASA Flight Engineer Kayla Barron spent most of the day on an orbital plumbing demonstration. She worked in the Harmony module observing fill and drain cycles on two different Collapsible Contingency Urinal designs.

In the station’s Russian segment, Commander Anton Shkaplerov worked inside the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship readying the vehicle for its undocking on March 30. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov inspected the Zvezda service module then explored cell biology.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Crew Works Robotics, Spacesuits as Station Orbits Higher for Crew Swap

The aurora australis streams above the Indian Ocean in this picture from the space station as it orbited 270 miles above the Earth.

The Expedition 66 crew kicked off the week working on robotics, spacesuits, and advanced research equipment. The International Space Station is also orbiting higher to get ready for a crew swap at the end of March.

Flight Engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) started Monday collecting their blood samples then stowing them for future analysis. The duo then split up, as Chari spent the afternoon studying robotics mobility using the cube-shaped, toaster-sized Astrobee free-flyer. The Astrobatics investigation explores using hopping maneuvers to minimize propellant to inform future robotic missions. Maurer set up the Fluid Science Laboratory for the PASTA experiment that has implications for commercial applications such as pharmaceuticals, oil and fuels, paints and coatings, and more.

The crew is also revving up for a pair of spacewalks in mid-March to continue modifying the orbiting lab’s power systems. Maurer and NASA Flight Engineer Thomas Marshburn worked on U.S. spacesuit jet packs that an astronaut could use to maneuver to safety in the unlikely event of becoming untethered from the station. Marshburn also reviewed plans to assist spacewalkers from inside the space station including suit up procedures, hardware checks and a communications gear overview.

Orbital maintenance is key in space ensuring the station’s multitude of systems, including research and life support, operate safely and continuously. Astronaut Kayla Barron of NASA worked on payload components that support science experiments outside the space station’s Kibo laboratory module on its exposed facility unit. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei spent some time unpacking cargo from the Cygnus space freighter before swapping out gear inside the U.S. oxygen generation assembly.

The space station is orbiting slightly higher after Russia’s ISS Progress 79 cargo craft fired its engines for eight minutes on Friday evening. The orbital reboost maneuver puts the station at the proper altitude for the Soyuz MS-21 crew ship launch on March 18 and Vande Hei’s return to Earth on March 30 with cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov inside the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship.

Friday’s Station Research Looks at Skin Cells, Plant Genetics and Exercise

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei harvests plants and collects samples to analyze later for a space agriculture study.

Friday’s research schedule aboard the International Space Station included exploring how microgravity affects skin cells and cotton genetics. The Expedition 66 crew is also learning how to exercise more effectively in weightlessness.

Living in space has been shown to accelerate the rate of skin aging and a new study delivered aboard the Cygnus space freighter seeks to understand why and protect astronaut’s health. NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn started the experiment on Tuesday and has been servicing skin tissue samples that will grow inside the Life Science Glovebox. The samples will be stowed later in a science freezer and analyzed back on Earth to evaluate the cellular and molecular changes that take place in microgravity.

Weightlessness also affects how plants grow and Flight Engineers Kayla Barron of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) spent Friday morning exploring genetic expression in cotton cultures. The duo worked on cotton cell samples being grown in the Plant Habitat to learn more about the process of plant regeneration possibly improving crop production on Earth.

Exercise is very important in space as the microgravity environment can lead to muscle and bone loss. Two exercise studies on the orbiting lab are investigating different ways to maximize the effectiveness of working out in microgravity. Maurer began his day pedaling on an exercise cycle wearing the EasyMotion body suit that stimulates muscles. The specialized suit may improve and lessen the duration of exercise sessions in space. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov attached sensors to himself and worked out on the Zvezda service module’s treadmill for a Russian exercise study. That investigation looks at how an exercising crew member expends energy and other physiological factors to help keep crews fit and healthy on a long duration spaceflight.

NASA Flight Engineer Raja Chari worked throughout Friday troubleshooting components on the COLBERT treadmill located in the Tranquility module. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei performed orbital plumbing duties and took photos for the ongoing SQuARE archaeological project.

At the end of the day, all six flight engineers joined Commander Anton Shkaplerov and practiced an emergency drill. The seven-member crew located station safety gear, translated along escape paths, and coordinated communications with mission controllers for unlikely events such as an ammonia leak, depressurization, or a fire.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Station Gears Up for Spacewalks While Conducting Cancer Research

This image shows immunofluorescence of breast cancer cells treated with a MicroQuin therapeutic. Staining shows a normal nucleus (blue) and the therapeutic (green) localized to the cell’s endoplasmic reticulum (red). The drug forces the cytoskeleton (yellow) to collapse, inducing cell death. Credits: Scott Robinson, MicroQuin.

Spacewalk preparations and cancer research were among the activities scheduled aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 66 crew also unpacked a U.S. cargo craft and explored using virtual reality while exercising.

NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron began readying the U.S. Quest airlock and collecting tools ahead of a pair of spacewalks planned for mid-March. The duo also reviewed step-by-step spacewalk procedures on a computer using 3D graphics. NASA is continuing to set up the space station’s truss structure for a third set of roll out solar arrays augmenting the orbiting lab’s power system.

Chari earlier partnered with ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer investigating how living in space affects visual function. NASA Flight Engineer Thomas Marshburn assisted the duo with the research in the morning before spending the afternoon troubleshooting components on the COLBERT treadmill. Maurer ended his day wearing virtual reality goggles while pedaling on an exercise cycle to learn how to improve the work out experience in space.

A new cancer study started this week after arriving aboard the Cygnus space freighter on Monday. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei set up the Life Science Glovebox on Wednesday and began observing tumor cells shipped inside a Cygnus science freezer. On Thursday, Vande Hei continued servicing those samples to better understand the onset and progression of cancer and potentially improve treatments on Earth.

Commander Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos was back on plasma physics research Thursday and also transferred cargo from Russia’s ISS Progress 80 cargo craft. Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov inspected Russian station modules before exploring ways to maximize space exercise. The duo rounded out the day with eye scans using the Ultrasound 2 device with remote guidance from doctors on the ground.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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