Crew Replaces Scientific Hardware; Cargo Craft Readies for Launch

The ISS Progress 81 resupply ship from Roscosmos is pictured 265 miles above the Pacific Ocean after undocking from the Zvezda service module's rear port on Feb. 7, 2023.
The ISS Progress 81 resupply ship from Roscosmos is pictured 265 miles above the Pacific Ocean after undocking from the Zvezda service module’s rear port on Feb. 7, 2023.

The Expedition 70 crew is counting down to the arrival of new cargo as Progress nears its launch on Wednesday. Aboard the International Space Station, scientific hardware replacements and cargo audits topped the schedule for the seven orbital residents.

The Progress 87 cargo craft is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:25 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Loaded with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies, Progress will dock to the station around 1:12 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, where it will remain for approximately six months.

In the Kibo Laboratory, Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) spent the day working on the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF). ELF allows safe thermophysical research in microgravity, providing scientists and engineers the opportunity to observe what happens to materials exposed to high temperatures in the space environment. With assistance from Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara of NASA, Furukawa retrieved ELF, then replaced sensor controllers on the device before reinstalling it.

O’Hara completed some orbital plumbing tasks in the morning, and after assisting Furukawa, she swapped the sleeves in the Life Sciences Glovebox, which is a sealed work area astronauts use to conduct various life sciences and technology investigations.

In the Destiny module, Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) installed new sample cartridges in the Materials Science Laboratory, a payload used for materials research in microgravity. Afterward, Mogensen collected water samples from the station’s Potable Water Dispenser, before completing a VR for Exercise and VR Mental Care session.

As part of ongoing science, crew members study burning in microgravity to determine how material flammability is affected by fuel temperatures through an experiment called SoFIE-GEL. In the morning, Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA replaced experiment samples for the investigation. She then moved on to cargo ops, unloading supplies and science that were delivered aboard Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply mission.

In the Roscosmos segment, the trio of cosmonauts—Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov—kept busy with inventory and cargo audits throughout the day. Borisov also ran a Pilot-T session, an ongoing experiment that allows crew members to practice piloting techniques.

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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Tech Installs and Maintenance for Crew Ahead of Cargo Launch

Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, both from NASA, pose for a portrait inside the Destiny laboratory module.
Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, both from NASA, pose for a portrait inside the Destiny laboratory module.

Equipment installs and station maintenance topped the in-orbit schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 70 crew members expanded on work that began yesterday while completing some maintenance around station as they await the arrival of an upcoming cargo craft.

The Progress 87 cargo craft is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:25 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Loaded with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies, Progress will dock to the station around 1:12 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17.

As one cargo resupply ship readies for launch, two cosmonauts—Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub—were on duty last night, Feb. 12, to monitor the departure of the Progress 85 cargo craft. Progress undocked from the orbital lab at 9:09 p.m. before it reentered Earth’s atmosphere three hours later and harmlessly burned up over the Pacific Ocean.

Kononenko and Chub had a light duty day afterward, focusing on cargo audits and preparations for future experiments.

Meanwhile, ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen spent the bulk of his day working in the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock. He installed the Nanoracks-GITAI S2 modular robotic arm, which demonstrates the design, build, and operations of extravehicular robotic systems. This tech demonstration aims to aid in the development of robots for in-space assembly and manufacturing, supporting future commercial lunar missions.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli spent her day on a few different tasks, collecting blood pressure data for the Vascular Aging investigation, stowing the Bio-Monitor garment and headband she donned yesterday, and collecting atmosphere samples throughout the station.

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara assisted Mogensen with the Nanoracks-GITAI S2 install before photographing Plant-Microbe Interactions in Space (APEX-10) petri plates, which launched aboard Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply mission to the station. The new investigation examines whether beneficial microbes can mitigate some of the negative effects the space environment can have on plant growth and development.

In the Kibo Laboratory, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa spent his day recording space demonstrations suggested by students for JAXA’s Try Zero-Gravity educational activity. Students can vote for and suggest tasks for JAXA astronauts to carry out on station, such as putting in eye drops, performing push-ups on the ceiling, and more, to allow the youth to interact with station residents and learn about living and working in microgravity.

In the Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov completed some orbital maintenance tasks and ran a distillation cycle on the Roscosmos water management 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 Conducts Stem Cell Research and Training as Cargo Craft Nears Launch

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flght Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli works inside the Life Science Glovebox for the Microgravity Associated Bone Loss-A investigation.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flght Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli works inside the Life Science Glovebox for the Microgravity Associated Bone Loss-A investigation.

A busy week of science and prep for an upcoming cargo delivery kicked off aboard the International Space Station on Monday as the Expedition 70 crew set its sights on new stem cell research and orbital training.

Two cosmonauts, Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, are gearing up to be on duty monitoring the automated docking of the Progress 87 cargo craft, which is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:25 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Loaded with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies, Progress will dock to the station around 1:12 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17. In preparation of the upcoming cargo delivery, the cosmonauts trained on the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, which allows them to remotely control an arriving spacecraft in the unlikely event it could not automatically dock.

Meanwhile, the Progress 85 cargo craft, which arrived to the station about six months ago, will undock from the station at 9:09 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12 About three hours later, it will be commanded to deorbit before harmlessly burning up over the Pacific Ocean.

While training for the upcoming mission was underway, two NASA Flight Engineers, Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, focused a majority of their day on the Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Microgravity Induced Bone Loss (MABL-A) investigation. MABL-A, which was delivered aboard Northrop Grumman’s 20th Commercial Resupply Mission nearly two weeks ago, assesses the effects of microgravity on bone marrow stem cells. The duo worked separately throughout the day to sample BioCells inside the habitat with assistance from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa.

Later on, Moghbeli donned the Bio-Monitor garment and headband, which monitors and records vital signs while crew members perform daily activities. Afterward, she was joined by Furukawa, ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen, and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov to complete orbital training in the unlikely event an emergency were to occur on station.

Near the end of the day, Mogensen, with assistance from Furukawa, unstowed the NanoRacks External Platform then mounted a pressure management device to it before configuring power and data cables.

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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Expedition 70 Focuses on Science as Ax-3 Crew Returns to Earth

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

The Expedition 70 crew was in the middle of its shift aboard the International Space Station when the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew splashed down off the coast of Florida on Friday. The seven orbital residents were exploring how microgravity affects bone cells and optical fibers while the Ax-3 crew was retrieved aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean near Daytona.

NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara took turns on Friday processing bone cells inside the Kibo laboratory module on Friday afternoon. The cells are housed inside a specialized habitat designed for the Microgravity Associated Bone Loss-A investigation and may provide a better understanding of space-caused bone loss and aging-related bone conditions on Earth.

O’Hara also swapped optical fiber samples being drawn inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox for the Flawless Space Fibers study. The space physics study seeks to produce optical fibers in space that are superior to those manufactured in Earth’s gravity environment. Moghbeli photographed plants growing for the APEX-10 space botany study then checked power connections on the European Drawer Rack, a research facility that can support experiments running autonomously.

Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) stowed centrifuge-spun and incubated blood samples in a science freezer. Those samples will be analyzed later to gain insights into the adaptability of the human immune system in weightlessness. The ESA astronaut later attached sensors and breathing monitors to himself then pedaled on an exercise bike for an aerobics and fitness test.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency) Satoshi Furukawa spent his day servicing a variety of orbital plumbing gear and exercise hardware. Furukawa started the day inside the Tranquility module replacing hydraulic components inside the station’s restroom, also known as the Waste and Hygiene Compartment. In the afternoon, he went back in Tranquility and installed a new instrumentation box and set up a laptop computer to support operations on the advanced resistive exercise device which mimics the inertial load of free-weights on Earth.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub joined each other Friday afternoon training on a computer for next week’s departure of the Progress 85 resupply ship. Earlier, Kononenko packed the Progress 85 with trash and discarded gear for disposal. Chub investigated futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques that may inform planetary missions. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov spent his day inside the Nauka science module cleaning smoke detectors.

Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría returned to Earth on Friday with Pilot Walter Villadei and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı and Marcus Wandt. The private quartet of astronauts from Axiom Space spent 18 days aboard the orbital outpost. The foursome orbited Earth for two more days after their departure before splashing down in the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft off the coast of Daytona, Florida.

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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Immunity, Robotics, and Optical Fibers Top Station’s Research Schedule

Astronauts (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara are pictured inside the cupola with the Cygnus resupply ship outside in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Astronauts (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara are pictured inside the cupola with the Cygnus resupply ship outside in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

The International Space Station has returned to its standard configuration of seven Expedition 70 crew members conducting advanced microgravity research and orbital lab maintenance. The four Axiom Mission 3 guests ended their stay at the orbital outpost on Wednesday and are targeting a return to Earth on Friday.

Biomedical science and space physics dominated the research schedule on Thursday as the crew investigated human immunity, robotic surgery, and optical fibers. The investigations have the potential to improve astronaut health, expand commercial space opportunities, and benefit the communications industry on Earth.

Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA and Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) began Thursday morning collecting their blood and saliva samples for analysis. Next, Commander Andreas Mogensen spun the blood samples in a centrifuge preparing the samples for stowage in a science freezer and others for placement in an incubator. The high-flying lab work will help doctors understand how spaceflight impacts an astronaut’s immune system.

Moghbeli then spent the afternoon, assisted by cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, inspecting the condition of structures inside the Zvezda service module. Furukawa collected metallic samples exposed to extreme heat then cleaned the inside of the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace, a specialized, high-temperature furnace. Mogensen later photographed the Moon then readied the Columbus laboratory module for the installation of a new Metal 3D Printer.

NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara installed a miniature surgical robot in the Destiny laboratory module that will demonstrate remotely controlled, or tele-operated, surgical techniques from Earth. Afterward, O’Hara worked in the Microgravity Science Glovebox testing the production of optical fibers superior to those manufactured in Earth’s gravity environment.

Prior to assisting Moghbeli, Kononenko strapped on a sensor-packed cap that measured his responses while practicing futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques on a computer. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub checked out a carbon dioxide removal device then replaced an air conditioner power supply unit. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov spent his day servicing orbital plumbing gear, testing video hardware, and replacing smoke detectors.

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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Ax-3 Astronauts Undock in Dragon from Station for Earth Return

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft (left) backs away from the space station carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts. The SpaceX Dragon Endurance (right) is pictured docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft (left) backs away from the space station carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts. The SpaceX Dragon Endurance (right) is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port. Credit: NASA TV

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 9:20 a.m. EST over the Pacific Ocean, west of Ecuador, to complete the third all-private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

Dragon is slowly maneuvering away from the orbital laboratory into an orbital track that will return the astronaut crew and its cargo safely to Earth, targeting a splashdown off the coast of Daytona, Florida, at approximately 8:30 a.m. EST Friday, Feb. 9.

Ax-3 astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci will complete 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Joint operations with the Axiom and SpaceX mission teams end and NASA coverage of the mission concludes when the spacecraft exits the area of the space station, approximately 30 minutes after undocking.

Axiom Space leads independent mission operations for Ax-3 and will resume coverage of Dragon’s re-entry and splashdown.

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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Ax-3 Astronauts Close Dragon Hatch Before Undocking

The Axiom Mission 3 crew members are seated inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft preparing for their undocking from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV
The Axiom Mission 3 crew members are seated inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft preparing for their undocking from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV

At 7:25 a.m. EST, the hatch closed between the Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking and return to Earth of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) with astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci.

NASA Television will air live coverage resuming at 9 a.m. in advance of the planned departure of Dragon with undocking about 9:20 a.m. and will continue until about 30 minutes after undocking when joint operations with the Axiom and SpaceX mission teams ends.

Today’s undocking will begin the Ax-3 mission’s journey home with splashdown off the coast of Daytona, Florida, targeted for approximately 8:30 a.m. EST Friday, Feb 9.

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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Ax-3 Astronauts Enter Dragon for Departure Live on NASA TV

The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts (front row) and the seven Expedition 70 crew members wave to the camera after greeting each other on Jan. 20, 2024. Credit: NASA TV
The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts (front row) and the seven Expedition 70 crew members wave to the camera after greeting each other on Jan. 20, 2024. Credit: NASA TV

NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website are providing live coverage from the International Space Station for the closure of the hatches between the station and the Dragon spacecraft to prepare for undocking and departure of the third private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).

Hatch closure is expected at about 7:15 a.m. EST. The four-member private astronaut crew is scheduled to undock at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, to begin the journey home with splashdown off the coast of Florida on Friday, Feb. 9.

NASA coverage will break following hatch closure and resume at 9 a.m. in advance of the planned undocking and will continue until about 30 minutes after undocking when joint operations with the Axiom and SpaceX mission teams ends.

Ax-3 crew members Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci will complete 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth with more than 550 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 30 different experiments.

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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Bone, Optical Fiber Studies as Ax-3 Crew Nears Departure

Astronauts (from left) Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli are pictured in front of the Microgravity Science Glovebox, a biology and physics research facilty.
Astronauts (from left) Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli are pictured in front of the Microgravity Science Glovebox, a biology and physics research facilty inside the Destiny laboratory module.

Four Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) astronauts continue waiting for favorable weather conditions before ending their stay at the International Space Station. Meanwhile, the seven-member Expedition 70 crew focused its research objectives on bone health and high-quality optical fibers on Tuesday.

Mission managers from NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space waved off Tuesday’s planned undocking for the Ax-3 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft. Ax-3 is now targeted to undock from the Harmony module’s forward port no earlier than 9:05 a.m. EST on Wednesday. Officials will continue to monitor weather at the potential splashdown sites off Florida’s coast before giving the final go for Ax-3 to return to Earth.

Veteran astronaut Michael López-Alegría is commanding Ax-3 leading Pilot Walter Villadei and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı and Marcus Wandt on their first spaceflight. The foursome docked to the orbital laboratory on Jan. 20 beginning two weeks of science, educational, and commercial activities. All four Ax-3 astronauts spent their 17th day in space performing light science duties, photographing Earth, and relaxing.

The Expedition 70 crew stayed busy learning how to keep humans healthy in space and improve optical fiber production processes. The orbital septet also kept up its ongoing cargo work and life support maintenance.

NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara spent the day processing bone cell samples obtained from human donors on Earth. She was exploring space-caused bone loss helping doctors learn how to protect and treat astronauts on long-term missions. Results may also inform treatments for bone conditions on Earth.

Several investigations on the space station have tested producing optical fibers using the microgravity environment that are higher quality than those made on Earth. The newest investigation, Flawless Space Fibers-1, is examining fiber drawn aboard the station and comparing the results to samples drawn on Earth. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli set up the experiment inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox that may expand commercial production opportunities in space and communication and remote-sensing applications on Earth.

Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) treated blood samples that are being analyzed to understand how weightlessness impacts an astronaut’s immune system. Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) worked in the Kibo laboratory module and checked out a free-flying camera robot for its ability to videotape and photograph activities on behalf of the crew.

The three cosmonauts representing Roscosmos spent their day readying a cargo ship for its departure while maintaining orbital lab systems. Veteran Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko packed the Progress 85 resupply ship with discarded gear for disposal ahead of the spacecraft’s departure planned for next week. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub set up a personal carbon dioxide monitor then collected hair samples to be examined for a Roscosmos space adaptation study. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov spent his day servicing orbital plumbing gear and electronics components.

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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Private Astronauts Target Undocking for No Earlier Than Wednesday

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts is pictured docked to the space station shortly after an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts is pictured docked to the space station shortly after an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 9:05 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 7, for the undocking of Axiom Mission 3 from the International Space Station following the latest review of weather conditions off the coast of Florida. The next weather briefing is at 2 a.m.

For this undocking opportunity, NASA will provide live coverage of space station joint operations with Axiom Space and SpaceX. Coverage of hatch-closure preparations will begin at 7 a.m. NASA coverage of undocking will resume at 8:45 a.m. (times subject to change based on operations).

Coverage will be available on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

NASA’s coverage ends approximately 30 minutes after undocking when space station joint operations with Axiom Space and SpaceX mission teams conclude. Axiom Space will resume coverage of Dragon’s re-entry and splashdown on the company’s website.

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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