Tag: boeing

Astronauts Rest After Starliner Lands; Soyuz Crew Nears Launch

The New Moon sets behind Earth's colorful, but dimming atmosphere in this long-duration photograph taken with a camera programmed for high sensitivity.
The New Moon sets behind Earth’s colorful, but dimming atmosphere in this long-duration photograph taken with a camera programmed for high sensitivity.

Six of the nine orbital residents living and working aboard the International Space Station relaxed on Monday following last week’s departure of Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft. The trio on duty today readied for the next crew to launch to the orbital outpost and tested a negative pressure suit.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams congratulated flight teams and said goodbye to the Starliner spacecraft (listen to the audio on X) that launched the duo to the station on June 5. The uncrewed Starliner undocked from the Harmony module’s forward port at 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 6, and parachuted to a landing in New Mexico nearly six hours later. Wilmore and Williams will remain in low-Earth orbit until February when they are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-9 mission.

The two veteran station residents relaxed today enjoying a three-day weekend along with fellow NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps. However, Wilmore, Williams, and Epps spent a few moments during Monday afternoon setting up hardware for human research activities planned for all day Tuesday. The trio prepared a specialized thigh cuff being studied for its ability to reverse the space-caused headward fluid shifts in astronauts potentially preventing vision issues and helping crews adjust to different gravity environments.

Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko readied the Rassvet module for the docking of the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship planned for 3:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. Kononenko organized tools and cargo making space inside Rassvet and set up crew sleep stations for the new crewmates. The Soyuz rocket will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:23 p.m. on Wednesday carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner to the space station for a six-and-a-half month mission.

Kononenko also joined fellow cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin and tested the lower body negative pressure suit for its ability to counter the effects of weightlessness on the human body and help crews adjust quicker to the return to Earth’s gravity. Kononenko and Chub are due to return to Earth with Dyson inside the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft in late September. Grebenkin is targeting his return to Earth in early October with SpaceX Crew-8 crewmates Dominick, Barratt, and Epps.

Uncrewed Starliner Undocks from Station for Return to Earth

The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft backs away from the International Space Station shortly undocking from the Harmony module. Credit: NASA+
The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft backs away from the International Space Station shortly undocking from the Harmony module. Credit: NASA+

At 6:04 p.m. EDT, Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station. Starliner is headed for a deorbit burn at 11:17 p.m. and a targeted landing at 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

NASA’s coverage will begin at 10:50 p.m. for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Learn more about the mission by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and @NASACommercialCrew on Facebook.

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 updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Starliner Nears Departure, Crew Focuses on Space Research

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

Mission managers have given the first “go” for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft to undock from the International Space Station at 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday and land in New Mexico about six hours later. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finished packing Starliner with cargo and configuring its cabin for return. The duo closed Starliner’s hatch for the final time Thursday afternoon readying the spacecraft for its uncrewed departure.

Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the orbital outpost until February when they are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-9 mission. Starliner’s departure coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. Friday on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

In the meantime, a multitude of science occurred aboard the orbital outpost on Thursday with the crew exploring microgravity’s effect on the heart and breathing, space botany, fire safety, and Earth observations. Scientists on the ground analyze the research data for unique insights on improving human health on and off the planet as well as promoting Earth and space industries.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson kicked off her day wearing a sensor-packed headband and vest while pedaling on an exercise cycle inside the Destiny laboratory module. Her cardio-respiratory data was recorded to a computer helping scientists understand how weightlessness affects a crew member’s blood pressure and breathing.

NASA astronaut Mike Barratt photographed and watered plants growing for the C4 Photosynthesis in Space experiment inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie space botany facility. The investigation observes space-caused photosynthesis and plant metabolism changes in two types of grasses growing inside the EXPRESS Rack’s Veggie research device. Results may inform bioregenerative life support systems on future spacecraft and boost fundamental knowledge of botanical processes on Earth.

Fire safety on spacecraft is just as critical and important as fire safety on Earth. However, flames and materials burn differently in the weightless environment requiring a different approach to fire protection. Researchers are using the space station’s Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) to safely study flames in space to learn how to protect spacecraft and space habitats. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps swapped components and removed burnt samples inside the CIR for a series of experiments exploring space flammability and fire suppression in microgravity.

Pointing his camera out a window in the cupola and toward the Moon, NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick photographed light reflecting off the lunar surface illuminated from Earth, also called earthshine. Measuring changes in Earth’s light reflected from the Moon may help scientists update their climate models and inform the design of future atmosphere observing satellites.

Roscosmos Commander Oleg Kononenko spent his day preparing for upcoming Soyuz spacecraft operations. The five-time station resident is collecting cargo that will soon be packed in the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft for its departure in late September. Afterward, the veteran cosmonaut readied the Rassvet module for the Sept. 11 docking of the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship bringing to the orbital lab NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner. Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin split their day conducting a variety of Roscosmos research and lab maintenance tasks. Chub and Kononenko also participated in eye checks at the end of the day on Thursday.

The ISS Progress 89 cargo craft docked to the Zvezda service module’s rear port fired its thrusters at 3:45 p.m. for 13 minutes today raising the space station’s altitude. The orbital reboost is the third and final maneuver setting up the proper phasing for the arrival of the Soyuz MS-26 next week and Starliner’s undocking opportunity on Friday.

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 Effects on Humans, Prepares Spaceships for Departure

Stars glitter above a yellow-green atmospheric glow crowning Earth's horizon nn this long-duration shot taken by NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps.
Stars glitter above a yellow-green atmospheric glow crowning Earth’s horizon nn this long-duration shot taken by NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps.

On Wednesday, the crew aboard the International Space Station continued researching ways to protect the human body from the effects of spaceflight and packed a pair of spaceships for return to Earth.

One common symptom of living in space is called “puffy face” and is the result of body fluids moving toward a crew member’s head caused by living in weightlessness. NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps explored ways to prevent that phenomena that may create health issues including changes in eye structure and vision. The duo first conducted eye checks, then collected blood samples, before Dominick put on a pair of thigh cuffs with assistance from Epps. The thigh cuff is being tested for its ability to reverse the space-caused headward fluid shifts. During the test, a variety of sensors, the Ultrasound 2 device, and blood pressure checks collected Dominick’s health data to determine the effectiveness of the thigh cuff.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent the day loading cargo inside the Boeing Starliner spacecraft for return to Earth. The pair removed Starliner’s crew seats, which will later be reinstalled, for better access when storing the extra cargo, then photographed and inspected the spaceship’s cabin ahead of its hatch closure scheduled for Thursday. Afterward, the veteran astronaut duo conducted a vision test reading characters off an eye chart so eye doctors could assess their visual acuity, or vision sharpness.

The uncrewed Starliner is scheduled to undock from the Harmony module’s forward port at 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday and land in New Mexico about six hours later. Undocking coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. Friday on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the orbital outpost until February when they are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the Crew-9 mission.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt spent their day on a host of standard maintenance tasks on the orbital outpost. Dyson videotaped cable configurations in the Kibo laboratory module, collected and stowed biological samples for analysis, then swapped out orbital plumbing hardware. Barratt configured computer tablets, assisted with the Starliner cargo packing, then transferred files stored on an ultrasonic inspection device to a space station computer.

Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos began collecting station hardware and science gear that will soon be packed aboard the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship docked to the Prichal docking module. He, Dyson, and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub are planning to return home aboard the Soyuz spacecraft in late September. Chub worked throughout Wednesday photographing station surfaces being treated with an experimental disinfectant then collecting air samples for microbial analysis. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin explored futuristic piloting techniques on a computer before setting up Earth observation hardware to image Earth’s atmosphere in ultraviolet wavelengths.

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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Crew Works Human Research and U.S. Spacecraft Ops on Tuesday

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Suni Williams smile for a selfie portrait aboard the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Suni Williams smile for a selfie portrait aboard the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module.

Human research and U.S. spacecraft operations were the primary activities aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The crew is exploring how the human body adapts to microgravity while also preparing Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for its departure at the end of the week.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick kicked off his day setting up wearable biomedical hardware then working out to understand how living in space affects the human heart and breathing. He first put on a vest and headband packed with sensors measuring his heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, and other health parameters. Next, he pedaled on the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle while his cardio-respiratory data was recorded to a computer. Scientists will study the results to understand how weightlessness affects a crew member’s blood pressure and breathing and learn how to keep astronauts healthy on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Dominick joined fellow NASA astronauts Mike Barratt and Tracy C. Dyson for eye exams as personnel on the ground monitored the checks in real time. Dyson took charge as the crew medical officer operating a medical imaging device in the Harmony module viewing her crewmates’ optic nerve, retina, and cornea. Some astronauts have reported vision issues and doctors have noted changes in eye structure that they seek to understand and counter to ensure successful long-term space expeditions.

Space physics and life support research were also on the science schedule to help NASA and its international partners design next generation spacecraft and space habitats for lunar and planetary human missions. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps opened up the Combustion Integrated Rack inside Destiny and replaced and cleaned research components for a series of fire safety investigations. The experiments explore how flames spread, how materials burn, and ways to extinguish fires in microgravity to improve safety in space. Dyson swapped out test life support gear inside the Packed Bed Reactor Experiment taking place inside Destiny’s Microgravity Science Glovebox. The investigation is exploring advanced water recovery systems for crew missions in a variety of gravity scenarios.

Dominick and Barratt also reviewed operations procedures inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft ahead of the Crew-8 departure later this month. The duo then invited NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams inside Dragon bringing the pair up-to-speed with the spacecraft’s systems and crew configuration. Wilmore and Williams will return to Earth aboard another Dragon when Crew-9 ends its mission in February.

Wilmore and Williams, both veteran NASA astronauts, prepared Starliner for its weekend departure. The Starliner commander and pilot reconfigured the spacecraft’s seats for an uncrewed landing and packed cargo inside the vehicle this week for retrieval on Earth. They also returned standard visiting vehicle emergency hardware stowed inside Starliner back to the station for future mission operations.

Starliner is due to end its stay at the orbital outpost at 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday and undock from Harmony’s forward port. The uncrewed spacecraft from Boeing will return to Earth and land in New Mexico about six hours later. Undocking coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. Friday on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

In the Roscosmos segment of the orbital outpost, station Commander Oleg Kononenko checked power generation and life support systems then set up Earth observation hardware to image the atmosphere in infrared and visible spectral ranges. Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin joined each other and tested an anti-gravity suit for its ability to counter the effects of weightless on the human body and help crews adjust quicker to the return to Earth’s gravity.

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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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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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.

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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.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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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.
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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This Week’s Science Informing Lunar, Planetary Crewed Missions

Astronaut Matthew Dominick displays a bag containing simulated lunar cement to explore how cement materials could be used to build infrastructure on the lunar surface.
Astronaut Matthew Dominick displays a bag containing simulated lunar cement to explore how cement materials could be used to build infrastructure on the lunar surface.

Space botany, lunar construction, and science maintenance were the top research tasks at the beginning of the week for the orbital residents living and working aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps of NASA spent all day Monday carefully treating thale cress plant samples growing inside the Plant Experiment Unit. The botany research device located in the Kibo laboratory module’s Cell Biology Experiment Facility housed the growing plants for 10 days before Epps picked the samples with forceps, washed them in a specialized saline solution, then exposed them to high ultraviolet light for one hour. She is helping researchers understand how plants grow in the radiation and microgravity environment to inform space agriculture techniques for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Scientists are also exploring ways to build crew habitats on lunar and planetary surfaces without launching supplies on fuel-consuming cargo missions from Earth. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick mixed and prepared small bags of simulated lunar cement on Monday for a 24-hour incubation period inside a thermos can. Afterward, the samples will be stowed for several more weeks of hardening at ambient temperatures on the orbital outpost. The space-created cement samples will be returned to Earth for scientists to analyze their microstructure and mechanical strength.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt worked throughout Monday servicing a variety of research hardware ensuring ongoing space science operations produce high-quality results. Dyson worked in the Columbus laboratory module during Monday troubleshooting components on the MARES exercise rack, also known as the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System. MARES enables scientists to gain detailed insights on the effects of weightlessness on an astronaut’s musculoskeletal system. Barratt swapped sample cartridges inside the Materials Science Laboratory, a research furnace facilitating discoveries of new and improved materials as well as new uses for existing materials such as metals, alloys, polymers, and more.

NASA astronaut and Boeing Starliner Pilot Suni Williams assisted Dyson with the MARES troubleshooting work throughout Monday. Afterward, she and Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore from NASA called down to Boeing flight controllers for an hourlong crew conference. Earlier, Wilmore was on life support duty transferring and draining fluids from resupply tanks as well as collecting water samples for microbial analysis.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub have begun unpacking some of the nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies that arrived aboard the Progress 89 cargo craft at 1:53 a.m. EDT on Saturday. The duo was on duty early Saturday monitoring Progress during its automated docking to the Zvezda service module’s aft port for six months of cargo activities. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin updated operations documents for the orbiting lab’s Roscosmos segment. He also joined Dominick, Barratt, and Epps and trained for emergency scenarios and an upcoming crew departure aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.

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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