Space Plants, Healthy Humans Top Tuesday’s Research on Station

The Cygnus space freighter and its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station's on July 12, 2024.
The Cygnus space freighter and its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station’s on July 12, 2024.

Space agriculture and human research operations were the prime science activities aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The four NASA astronauts and three Roscosmos cosmonauts representing Expedition 71 and the two NASA Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts also participated in a variety of cargo activities and lab maintenance aboard the orbiting lab.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent the majority of their day testing ways to water plants growing without soil in the weightless environment of microgravity. Williams first set up the Plant Water Management hardware in the Harmony module then tested a variety of liquid flow methods while video recording the results. Following her work, Wilmore ran more tests using hydroponics and air circulation techniques to learn how to effectively nourish a variety of plants on spacecraft and space habitats.

Cosmonaut Nikolai Chub attached sensors to his chest that recorded his heart activity while he relaxed Tuesday morning. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick performed isometric mid-thigh pulls on the advanced resistive exercise device testing his strength and force production in microgravity. Doctors use the insights from the numerous space biology studies aboard the station to keep crews healthy on long-term missions.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps began and ended her day relocating NASA and Roscosmos hardware aboard the orbital outpost. In the middle of her shift, Epps replaced hardware in the station’s bathroom located in the Tranquility module then transferred radiation data, including electrons, protons, neutrons, and gamma-rays, collected from optical fibers to a computer.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt spent most of the day inside SpaceX Dragon Endeavour configuring the spacecraft for cargo packing operations. Dominick, commander of Endeavour, pitched in to help update software, synchronize data, and charge batteries on the spacecraft’s computer tablets.

Commander Oleg Kononenko kicked off his day inside the Nauka science module continuing to explore the capabilities of a 3D printer in microgravity. He later worked on cargo transfers inside the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship docked to the Prichal docking module. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked on household duties throughout Tuesday including orbital plumbing, reviewing inspection tasks, and cleaning smoke detectors, before ending his shift photographing Earth landmarks.

At the end of the day, all nine space station residents gathered together and practiced an emergency drill in response to unlikely scenarios such as a fire, a pressure leak, or a chemical release. The crew reviewed individual responsibilities, practiced evacuation techniques, and coordinated communications with mission controllers on the ground.

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.

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Life Science, Spacesuit Checks Kick Off Week Aboard Station

Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Mike Barratt, Tracy C. Dyson, and Butch Wilmore, pose for a team portrait inside the Unity module.
Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Mike Barratt, Tracy C. Dyson, and Butch Wilmore, pose for a team portrait inside the Unity module.

The Expedition 71 crew kicked off the week with life science and spacesuit checkouts aboard the International Space Station. The orbital septet also juggled a variety of maintenance duties including life support tasks and lab inspections.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, participated in vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 device on Monday. Doctors on the ground monitored in real-time as the pair took turns imaging each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins. Afterward, Wilmore scanned the veins of NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick helping researchers understand how microgravity affects the human body.

Wilmore and Dominick also spent a portion of the day taking inventory of the food stored aboard the space station. Additionally, Dominick worked in the Columbus laboratory module checking the power supply and transferring computer files on the European Drawer Rack, a science facility that can host a variety of experiments controlled remotely from the ground or operated by station crews.

Williams worked on a pair of differing studies as she first explored using the microgravity environment to manufacture higher quality optical fibers than on Earth. At the end of the day, Williams also investigated using fluid physics such as surface tension to overcome the lack of gravity when watering and nourishing plants grown in space.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps first order of the day was life support work replacing gear inside the Tranquility module. Later on, she recorded a video for junior and high school students demonstrating how astronauts conduct DNA research in space.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt took turns on Monday servicing spacesuit components in the Quest airlock. The duo checked out newly installed parts, conducted leak checks, and reconfigured the spacesuit life support systems. The astronauts wrapped up their day checking out the spacesuit jetpacks that would be used in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the orbital outpost.

The three cosmonauts from Roscosmos worked throughout Monday collecting and organizing a variety of inspection gear. Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin kicked off the work reviewing the operation of some of the inspection hardware. Chub then joined Commander Oleg Kononenko to prepare for upcoming inspections in the lab’s Roscosmos segment.

Kononenko began his day on cardiac research attaching sensors to himself that recorded his activity while relaxing. Grebenkin wrapped up his day in the Nauka science module cleaning smoke detectors. Chub also joined Dominick of NASA and trained to use an ultrasonic inspection device.

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

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NASA Starliner Astronauts Work Research, Maintenance Aboard Station

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. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China. Photo credit: NASA

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, crewmembers of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission, performed a host of research activities and other roles aboard the International Space Station. Wilmore and Williams give the microgravity laboratory a complement of nine people working through daily tasks.

On Monday, Wilmore and Williams reviewed the procedures for using the Fluid Systems Servicer, which drains, purges, and circulates fluids on systems aboard the space station. Wilmore then refilled coolant loops in the water pump assembly located in the Columbus module. Tuesday saw the pair take turns during the morning pedaling on an exercise cycle while attached to heart and breathing sensors that measured their aerobic capacity. The duo then split up as Wilmore serviced a pair of research freezers that preserve scientific samples and Williams installed hardware on an experiment that explores atmospheric reentry and thermal protection systems.

The seven-member Expedition 71 crew joined the two Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts to practice an emergency drill in collaboration with mission controllers. The teams aboard the orbital outpost and on the ground coordinated communications and reviewed procedures in the unlikely event of a pressure leak, chemical leak, or fire aboard the space station. Following that, Wilmore and Williams spoke to reporters from the space station, answering questions about their mission and the Starliner vehicle. NASA and Boeing managers also discussed the Crew Flight Test mission with the media in an audio teleconference afterward. Watch the crew news conference here and listen to the media briefing here. The duo also completed life support work refilling temperature loops with water in the Tranquility module’s internal thermal control system.

Advanced biology research also was underway aboard the orbiting lab on Thursday with astronauts exploring how living in space affects the human body and mind. Williams extracted DNA to identify microbe samples collected from station water systems. Results from the genetic biotechnology experiment may improve ways to keep crews healthy and spacecraft systems clean on future missions.

NASA astronaut Michael Barratt also assisted Wilmore, who spent all day servicing a pair of spacesuits in the Quest airlock. The duo cleaned the suits’ cooling loops and checked the communication systems ahead of a spacewalk planned for July 29.

Robotic Arm Releases Cygnus From Station

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments after release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, ending its five-and-a-half month stay at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments after release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, ending its five-and-a-half month stay at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV

At 7:01 a.m. EDT, the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean.

The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more than five and a half months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory to deliver about 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA.

Up next, the Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2), stowed inside Cygnus, will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.

Following a deorbit engine firing on Saturday, July 13, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft – filled with trash packed by the station crew – will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Cygnus arrived at the space station Feb. 1, following a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It was the company’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut.

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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Cygnus Space Freighter Readying Departure From Station Live on NASA TV

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Live coverage of the departure of the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed Cygnus cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA+, NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app, with its release from the robotic arm scheduled for 7 a.m. EDT. Coverage will conclude following departure from station.

Flight controllers on the ground sent commands earlier Friday morning for the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach Cygnus from the Unity module’s Earth-facing port, and then maneuver the spacecraft into position for its release. NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson will monitor Cygnus’ systems during its departure from the space station.

After departure, the Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2), stowed inside Cygnus, will take measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.

After a deorbit engine firing on Saturday, July 13, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft – filled with trash packed by the station crew – will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Cygnus arrived at the space station Feb. 1, following a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It was the company’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut.

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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Cargo Craft Packed for Departure, Crews Work Science and Spacesuits

The Canadarm2 robotic arm reaches out to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter on Feb. 1, 2024.
The Canadarm2 robotic arm reaches out to capture Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter on Feb. 1, 2024.

A U.S. cargo craft is being readied for its departure on Friday from the International Space Station after a five-and-a-half-month resupply mission. In the meantime, the nine orbital residents comprising the Expedition 71 and Starliner crews studied space biology and 3D printing while servicing a pair of spacesuits on Thursday.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply ship will end its stay at the orbital outpost at 7 a.m. EDT on Friday. Robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to remove Cygnus from the Unity module then release it into orbit where it will descend into the Earth’s atmosphere above the South Pacific.

Watch Cygnus’s departure live beginning at 6:30 a.m. Friday on the NASA+ streaming service via the web or the NASA app. Departure coverage also will air live on NASA Television, YouTube, and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick finished packing Cygnus with trash and obsolete gear on Thursday. Afterward, the duo exited Cygnus, closed the hatch, and prepared the spacecraft for its depressurization and separation early Friday. Cygnus arrived at the orbital outpost on Feb. 1 replenishing the crew with over 8,200 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies.

Advanced biology research also was underway aboard the orbiting lab on Thursday with a pair of astronauts exploring how living in space affects the human body and mind. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day drawing his blood samples and stowing them in a science freezer for future analysis. Next, he took a cognition test measuring space-caused changes in brain structure and function. NASA astronaut and Boeing Starliner Pilot Suni Williams extracted DNA to identify microbe samples collected from station water systems. Results from the genetic biotechnology experiment may improve ways to keep crews healthy and spacecraft systems clean on future missions.

Barratt also assisted Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore from NASA who spent all day servicing a pair of spacesuits in the Quest airlock. The duo cleaned the suits’ cooling loops and checked the communication systems ahead of a spacewalk planned for July 29.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps worked Thursday morning in the Kibo laboratory module replacing carbon dioxide bottles that supply payload racks inside Kibo. During the afternoon, Epps worked inside the Tranquility module replacing life support components and servicing orbital plumbing gear.

Working from the Roscosmos segment of the orbital outpost, cosmonaut Nikolai Chub started the morning studying ways future crews might pilot spacecraft and robots on planetary missions. In the afternoon, Chub powered on the Nauka science module’s 3D printer and continued testing its ability to manufacture space hardware on demand. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked throughout the day on orbital plumbing while Commander Oleg Kononenko deconfigured scientific gear to access Zvezda service module panels for maintenance and cleaning.

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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Crews Speak to Managers and News Media, Keep Up Advanced Research

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are pictured during a space-to-ground conference with journalists on Earth. Credit: NASA TV
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are pictured during a space-to-ground conference with journalists on Earth. Credit: NASA TV

All nine astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station practiced responding to a simulated emergency on Wednesday. Earlier, the orbital residents split their day researching blood pressure, remote robotics, and 3D printing.

The seven-member Expedition 71 crew joined the two Boeing Crew Flight Test and practiced an emergency drill in collaboration with mission controllers. The teams aboard the orbital outpost and on the ground coordinated communications and reviewed procedures in the unlikely event of a pressure leak, chemical leak, or a fire aboard the space station.

At the beginning of the day, NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt worked on a pair of human research experiments to understand how the human body adapts to the lack of gravity. Dyson powered up research hardware to measure her brain blood flow for the Cerebral Autoregulation investigation. Barratt collected and stowed his urine samples in a science freezer for the CIPHER study. The space biology experiment looks at a broad set of long-term biological and psychological data collected from astronauts to promote health and well-being on space missions.

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps spent most of her day in the Columbus laboratory module exploring ways to control a robot on the ground from a spacecraft. Epps coordinated with robotics engineers on Earth remotely manipulating a robot using a computer interface while testing its ergonomic features and haptic feedback for conditions such as wind and gravity. Results may inform future exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick performed a video inspection of components on the Inter-Orbit Communications System (ICS) rack located in the Kibo laboratory module. The ICS enables data to be uplinked to the orbital outpost and downlinked to mission controllers using JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Data Relay Test Satellite.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spoke to reporters today from the space station answering questions about their mission and the Starliner vehicle. NASA and Boeing managers also discussed the Crew Flight Test mission with the media in an audio teleconference afterward. Watch the crew news conference here and listen to the media briefing here. The duo earlier completed life support work refilling temperature loops with water in the Tranquility module’s internal thermal control system.

Working in the space station’s Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub activated a 3D printer in the Nauka science module and tested its operations and ability to manufacture hardware on demand in space. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin’s day was filled mostly with household duties such as checking carbon dioxide monitors, synchronizing cameras with station clocks, and downloading scientific data to a laptop computer. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko started his day speaking to science, technology, and education professionals near Moscow. Afterward, he jogged on a treadmill while attached to sensors for a physical fitness test.

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 Biology, Spacesuits, and Dragon Training Top Day for Astronauts, Cosmonauts

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works on spacewalking hardware aboard the International Space Station's Unity module.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works on spacewalking hardware aboard the International Space Station’s Unity module.

Life science and docked spacecraft training were the prime tasks aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The nine orbital residents also split their day on a variety of maintenance tasks including spacesuit work and orbital plumbing.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick kicked off their day collecting biological samples and data to understand how living in weightlessness affects the human body. Dyson first processed her saliva samples and stowed them in a science freezer for later analysis. She then attached an acoustic monitor near her ear to measure station noise levels a crew member experiences in a 24-hour period. Dominick removed brain wave sensors from his ears that recorded his sleep patterns then he filled out a questionnaire documenting his sleep quality.

Dyson also worked in the Columbus laboratory module and studied the ability to remotely control robots on a planetary surface from a spacecraft for the Surface Avatar experiment. Dominick spent the afternoon in the Tranquility module checking the performance of components on the waste and hygiene compartment, the orbital outpost’s bathroom.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps photographed Dyson during her robotics experiment. She then spent the afternoon reconfiguring life support gear before removing batteries from spacesuits at the end of the day. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day inspecting spacesuit safety jetpacks that would be used to maneuver safely back to the station in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the orbital lab.

Epps and Barratt also joined Dominick and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin midday and reviewed standard SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft emergency undocking procedures. The SpaceX Crew-8 quartet docked to the station on March 5 and is due to return to Earth aboard Endeavour in late August.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, took turns during the morning pedaling on an exercise cycle while attached to heart and breathing sensors that measured their aerobic capacity. The duo then split up as Wilmore serviced a pair of research freezers that preserve scientific samples and Williams installed hardware on an experiment that is exploring atmospheric reentry and thermal protection systems.

The Roscosmos segment’s three cosmonauts including Grebenkin had their day packed with continuing space research and laboratory upkeep duties. Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko spent the morning working on ventilation systems in the Nauka science module then completed his day studying futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub replaced life support gear in the Zarya module then joined Grebenkin for a photographic inspection of panels inside the Zvezda service module. Grebenkin earlier jogged on a treadmill for a regularly scheduled physical fitness test.

NASA’s Johnson Space Center remained closed to all but essential personnel today following Hurricane Beryl’s landfall near Matagorda, Texas. Mission Control  continues to support International Space Station and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission.  If employees feel safe to do so, the center will be open for on-site work beginning Wednesday.

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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Robotics, Cargo Ops, and Health Research to Kick Start Week

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter, attached to the Unity module, is pictured firing its single engine boosting the International Space Station's orbital altitude. This long-duration photograph also shows an atmospheric glow hovering above Earth's horizon.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter, attached to the Unity module, is pictured firing its single engine boosting the International Space Station’s orbital altitude. This long-duration photograph also shows an atmospheric glow hovering above Earth’s horizon.

A full day of robotics and cargo ops kept the Expedition 71 and Boeing Crew Flight Test crews busy on Monday as the nine orbital residents kick off a week of maintenance and science aboard the International Space Station. The crew also scheduled in some time for human health research and physical science activities.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, Matthew Dominick, and Mike Barratt all completed a round of robotics training throughout the day ahead of the departure of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter. The quartet practiced capturing a cargo craft and trained to operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Cygnus, which was captured by the robotic arm on Feb. 1, will be released by robotics controllers later this month for disposal over the South Pacific Ocean, ending its five-and-a-half-month mission at the orbital lab. Along with training, Dominick and Epps spent part of the day loading trash and discarded gear inside the spacecraft.

Epps also processed and separated Hicari samples in the Kibo Laboratory for future return to Earth. Hicari, an experiment led by JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency), investigates high-quality crystal growth of semiconductors. Later on, she inventoried emergency equipment, including the fire extinguisher, masks, and air supply tanks.

Meanwhile, research to assess psychological and physiological responses to microgravity was underway in the Destiny module. Dyson collected biological samples for the Standard Measures investigation, then stowed them in MELFI, the orbital lab’s ultra-cold freezer, for future analysis.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams worked together to review use procedures for the Fluid Systems Servicer, which drains, purges, and circulates fluids on systems aboard the space station. Wilmore then refilled coolant loops in the water pump assembly located in the Columbus module.

Cargo ops, robotics activities, and health research also occupied the three cosmonauts’ schedules on Monday. In the morning, Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin donned a device that captures blood pressure measurements to study how the cardiovascular system adapts to microgravity. He then practiced his piloting techniques during a Pilot-T session. Current station Commander Oleg Kononenko loaded trash and discarded gear inside Progress 87, which is slated to undock from the station in August. He later joined by Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub to inspect and photograph windowpanes to assess their condition for future maintenance.

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

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Maintenance Tasks Continue Into Friday for Crew

The International Space Station was orbiting above Africa at night when this long duration photograph was taken of city lights along the the Nile River, the atmospheric glow above the Earth, and star trails.
The International Space Station was orbiting above Africa at night when this long duration photograph was taken of city lights along the the Nile River, the atmospheric glow above the Earth, and star trails.

Orbital maintenance and upkeep occupied Friday’s schedule aboard the International Space Station as the two crews went back to work following a day off on Thursday to observe the Independence Day holiday.

In preparation for the future installation of new exercise equipment, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick and Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams worked together throughout the day inside the Columbus module to swap out an empty rack that previously housed retired exercise gear.

Afterward, Dominick and Williams moved into the Tranquility module to reinstall the toilet system after the pressure control pump motor was replaced on Wednesday. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Mike Barratt focused on additional orbital plumbing tasks, including a fluid transfer from the wastewater processing system and a manual fill of the water recovery system.

In the Kibo Laboratory, NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps spent a majority of the day recording a video survey of hardware that enables data communications between space and Earth. The video was then downlinked to ground teams for analysis. After lunch, Epps analyzed water samples that were collected on Wednesday to assess for microbial growth.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson kicked off her day by loading new software onto the Surface Avatar program which allows crew members to remotely control robots on Earth and investigate how haptic controls, user interfaces, and virtual reality could command surface-bound robots from long distances. Dyson was then joined by cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub to complete on-orbit emergency training.

Kononenko and Chub also completed hearing assessments on Friday, then loaded trash and discarded gear inside Progress 87, which is slated to undock from the orbiting laboratory in mid-August. Their crewmate, Alexander Grebenkin, worked maintenance on the water recovery system then completed some computer work in the Nauka module.

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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