Tag: Canadarm2

Cygnus Unpacking and Research Continue as Managers Discuss Starliner Updates

The Cygnus cargo craft is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea.
The Cygnus cargo craft is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea.

The residents aboard the International Space Station continued unpacking several tons of science and supplies packed inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft on Wednesday. The seven-member Expedition 71 crew also studied an array of space research while the two Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts from NASA reviewed their Starliner spacecraft’s systems.

NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps spent the afternoon transferring cargo out of the newly arrived Cygnus space freighter. Starliner Pilot Suni Williams started the cargo work during the morning beginning the job of replenishing the orbital outpost with food, fuel, supplies, and new science experiments.

Earlier in the day, Dominick and Barratt conducted science operations to learn more about Earth’s climate and install a new research incubator. Dominick photographed the Moon from inside the cupola to measure sunshine reflected from the Earth. Results may provide scientists insights into climate change. Barratt installed and activated the Space Automated Lab Incubator (SALI) inside the Kibo laboratory module. The SALI can host a variety of samples at a range of temperatures supporting numerous space investigations into biology and physics.

Epps and NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson also spent their day on a variety of station science and maintenance duties. Epps transferred water between life support systems, configured a radiation detector, then wrapped up her shift with biomedical checks. Dyson worked inside the Destiny laboratory module throughout Wednesday configuring research hardware to study stem cells for treatment purposes and commercial use.

Williams joined Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and reviewed on a pair of tablet computers the Boeing Starliner crew flight procedures and systems to maintain their operational proficiency. NASA managers also provided mission updates and answered reporter’s questions about Starliner and space station operations during a media teleconference on Wednesday.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub tested the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit’s, or TORU, ability to communicate with the Progress 87 space freighter docked to the Zvezda service module’s rear port. The Progress 87 is due to depart the orbital outpost early next week making space for the arrival of the Progress 89 cargo craft with a fresh load of food, fuel, and supplies just over a week later. The TORU would be used to remotely control a Roscosmos spaceship in the unlikely event the spacecraft would be unable to complete its automated arrival or departure.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin spent a portion of his day on a host of orbital household duties including plumbing and camera battery charging. He later partnered with Kononenko and Chub and recorded a series of congratulatory and greeting videos for their home space agency.

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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Station Awaits Cygnus Cargo Delivery During Science, Hardware Duties

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft launches atop a SpaceX 9 Falcon rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft launches atop a SpaceX 9 Falcon rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024.

A U.S. cargo craft packed with 8,200 pounds of science and supplies is orbiting Earth today heading toward the International Space Station for a Tuesday morning cargo delivery. Meanwhile, the orbital residents started the work week with their normal complement of microgravity research and standard lab maintenance tasks.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:02 a.m. EDT on Sunday from Florida. The cargo craft is loaded with a range of new experiments to investigate liquid and gas flows, centripetal force, DNA repair mechanisms, cellular expansion, and more. The weightless environment of the orbital outpost allows investigators to explore phenomena and gain insights not possible in Earth’s gravity conditions.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps will be on duty Tuesday morning as Cygnus nears the space station during its automated approach and rendezvous. Dominick will be at the controls of the robotics workstation ready to command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to reach out and grapple Cygnus. Epps will be at Dominick’s side backing him up as the spacecraft completes its slow and methodical space delivery. The two Cygnus teammates had a light-duty day on Monday and went to bed early to get a fresh start and prepare for the spacecraft’s early arrival. After Cygnus is captured, robotics controllers on the ground will take over and remotely command the Canadarm2 and guide Cygnus to a berthing on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

The Cygnus spacecraft has completed two delta velocity burns, and it remains on track for a capture by the space station’s robotic arm slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The Cygnus spacecraft is in a safe trajectory, and all other systems are operating normally.

Shortly after launch on Sunday, the spacecraft performed as designed by cancelling a scheduled engine burn due to a slightly low initial pressure reading flagged by the Cygnus onboard detection system. Engineers at Northrop Grumman’s mission control center in Dulles, Virginia evaluated the pressure reading, confirmed it was acceptable and re-worked the burn plan to arrive at the space station on the originally planned schedule.

NASA will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival beginning at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 6 on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website. Additional updates will be posted as needed.

The rest of the Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test crews spent Monday on an array of physics and biology studies, as well as hardware cleanup and life support duties.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt participated in eye checks on Monday for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research experiments. Dyson peered into the eyes of Barratt using standard medical imaging hardware found on Earth with real-time assistance from flight surgeons on the ground. Doctors are exploring how living in space affects eye structure and function. Dyson also stowed spacesuit components in the Quest airlock. Barratt reorganized the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to make room for the new Cygnus cargo then replaced fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack.

Boeing Starliner Pilot Suni Williams from NASA assisted Barratt inside the PMM before working throughout the day on orbital plumbing tasks. Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore, also from NASA, installed a light meter in the Veggie space botany facility, obtained light measurements, then adjusted the light settings inside the plant research device. The duo called down to Boeing flight controllers at the end of the day and discussed mission updates.

The three Roscosmos cosmonauts had their day full as the trio tested a pressure suit and serviced life support gear. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin evaluated the lower body negative pressure suit and its ability to reverse the space-caused upward flow of body fluids in space crew members. The specialized suit may also help crews adapt faster to the return to Earth’s gravity. The duo then split up and serviced life support and ventilation systems in the Nauka science module. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub also worked in Nauka photographing plumbing components before replacing air flow sensors and inspecting video hardware throughout the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment.

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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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.

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

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Astronauts Work Final Spacewalk Preps and Genetic Sequencing

Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson works inside the Quest airlock and checks procedures on a computer tablet to prepare a spacesuit for a fit verification.
Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson works inside the Quest airlock and checks procedures on a computer tablet to prepare a spacesuit for a fit verification.

The Expedition 71 crew is in final preparations for a science and maintenance spacewalk set to begin Thursday morning. The two astronauts on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test spent their day aboard the International Space Station performing genetic sequencing and orbital plumbing.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick are in their final day of preparations for a spacewalk planned to start at 8 a.m. EDT on Thursday. Once the astronauts set their spacesuits to battery power, the spacewalkers will exit the Quest airlock into the vacuum of space for six-and-a-half hours of maintenance and science work. The duo will first remove the radio frequency group hardware from a pallet on the side of the Destiny laboratory module with assistance from the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Next, the spacewalkers will swab surfaces on the Destiny and Quest modules to determine if microorganisms released through station vents can survive the external microgravity environment.

Dyson and Dominick readied Quest, checked their spacesuits, and organized spacewalking tools on Wednesday morning. NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps practiced on a computer the Canadarm2 maneuvers they will use during Thursday’s spacewalk. All four astronauts at the end of the day called down to mission controllers for a final spacewalk preparedness conference.

NASA TV will begin its spacewalk broadcast at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday. Live coverage will air 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 astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent Wednesday focusing on lab maintenance and researching advanced biotechnology. Wilmore started his day checking cargo stowed in the Harmony module before replacing components in the station’s bathroom, known as the waste and hygiene compartment located in the Tranquility module. Williams extracted DNA from microbes collected from station water samples and sequenced their genes for identification. Results may inform ways to keep crews healthy and space habitats cleaner.

The station’s three cosmonauts, Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, had an off-duty day on Wednesday spending time relaxing, exercising, and on light housekeeping tasks.

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/

Cygnus Counts Down to Launch, Station Crews Keep Up Research

NASA’s Northrop Grumman 20th commercial resupply mission will carry more than 8,200 pounds (3,720 kilograms) of cargo to the International Space Station.
NASA’s Northrop Grumman 20th commercial resupply mission will carry more than 8,200 pounds (3,720 kilograms) of cargo to the International Space Station.

Cargo mission preparations and space research kept the Expedition 70 and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crews busy at the beginning of the week. The 11 residents working together aboard the International Space Station also continued their ongoing biomedical science and lab maintenance activities.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is sitting atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket counting down to a lift off no earlier than 12:07 p.m. EST on Tuesday. Cygnus is packed with more than 8,200 pounds of science and supplies scheduled for delivery to the orbital outpost on Thursday, Feb. 1. Among the new science experiments being delivered are the Metal 3D Printer that tests the 3D printing of small metal parts in space and the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo that tests remotely controlled surgical techniques.

NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara trained on a computer Monday afternoon for Cygnus’ arrival. Moghbeli will be at the robotics workstation on Thursday commanding the Canadarm 2 robotic arm to capture Cygnus at 4:20 a.m. O’Hara will also be on duty monitoring Cygnus’ automated approach and rendezvous early Thursday.

The duo along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa started the day with blood, saliva, and urine sample collections. The samples were processed first then stowed in a science freezer for later analysis to understand how living in weightlessness affects the human body. Furukawa later assisted Ax-3 crewmates Michael López-Alegría and Alper Gezeravcı as they studied how to use the CRISPR method to genetically modify plants promoting space agriculture and sustainable life support systems.

Station Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) started his day with a cognition test measuring his spatial orientation, visual tracking, and decision-making abilities in microgravity. Afterward, he supported the Ax-3 crew throughout the day, prepared the station for Cygnus cargo transfers, and recorded video messages for European students.

Ax-3 Pilot Walter Villadei documented his meals on Monday and answered a few questions about his dining experience. Villadei then videotaped a simple space physics experiment using a yo-yo then recorded a video message for future Italian pilots. Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt from ESA also recorded a video message using 360-degree virtual reality gear to promote science for Swedish audiences. He later documented his sleep experiences, took a cognition test, then uninstalled a high speed camera that photographed Earth’s thunderstorms.

Over in the orbiting lab’s Roscosmos segment, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko repressurized thermal control system components then swapped batteries inside hardware designed to inspect difficult to reach areas on the station. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub spent his day inventorying tools and equipment inside the Poisk module and photographing windows on the Zvezda service module. Cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov started his day disconnecting a student-controlled Earth observation camera then serviced ventilation systems in Zvezda and the Nauka science module.

The space station is orbiting a few miles higher after the Roscosmos Progress 85 cargo craft fired its engines for over 13 minutes on Saturday. The orbital reboost lifted the station to the correct altitude for an upcoming Progress cargo launch in February and the next Soyuz crew swap planned for early spring.

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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Station Wraps Busy Week Before Cygnus Cargo Mission Launches

This high exposure photograph from the International Space Station shows Earth's atmospheric glow and a starry sky as the orbital complex soared above the Pacific Ocean.
This high exposure photograph from the International Space Station shows Earth’s atmospheric glow and a starry sky as the orbital complex soared above the Pacific Ocean.

The Expedition 70 crew is looking ahead to the arrival of a U.S. cargo craft due to arrive at the International Space Station next week. Meanwhile, the Axiom Space 3 (Ax-3) crew finished its first week in orbit with a busy schedule of research, education, and media activities.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft will take its first ride atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket when it lifts off no earlier than 12:07 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 30,  from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The private space freighter will be carrying over 8,200 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and lab hardware to the orbiting outpost. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli is due to capture Cygnus with the Canadarm 2 robotic arm at 4:15 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1. She will be on duty that morning along with fellow NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara who will monitor Cygnus’ automated approach and rendezvous.

Both NASA astronauts along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa relaxed on Friday following the weeklong Cygnus preparations and Ax-3 orientation activities. Station Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) had a light duty day at the end of the week spending a couple of hours aiding the Ax-3 foursome during its science and maintenance-filled itinerary.

Ax-3 Commander and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría joined his crewmates Walter Villadei and Alper Gezeravcı at the start of their shift with blood draws for stowage in a science freezer and later analysis. Afterward, the five-time station visitor partnered with Italian astronaut Villadei configuring hardware that monitors space radiation and how it affects astronauts. At the end of the day, López-Alegría tested a digital voice assistant for its potential to assist with crew operations.

Gezeravcı, Turkey’s first astronaut, tended to algae samples growing in petri dishes for an antibacterial investigation then photographed his Ax-3 crewmates as they worked throughout the day. Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt representing ESA spent Friday juggling a variety of science experiments. The Swedish astronaut powered on plasma physics hardware, collected station air samples for chemical analysis, and taped high frame rate video of thunderstorm conditions in Earth’s stratosphere.

In the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko spent his morning updating laptop computer software before inventorying cargo in the Prichal docking module. First time space flyers Nikolai Chub and Konstantin Borisov split their day studying fluid physics, servicing life support components, and maintaining communications and computer systems.

Four Ax-3 Astronauts Board Station and Meet Expedition 70 Crew

The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts (front row) gather with the Expedition 70 crew inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. Credit: NASA TV
The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts (front row) gather with the Expedition 70 crew inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module. Credit: NASA TV

Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci are now aboard the International Space Station following Dragon’s hatch opening at 7:13 a.m. EST, Saturday, Jan. 20.

Ax-3 docked to the orbital complex at 5:42 a.m. while the spacecraft was flying 262 miles above the Pacific Ocean, west of South America. It is the third mission with an entirely private crew to arrive at the orbiting laboratory.

The Axiom Space crew are joining Expedition 70 crew members aboard station, including NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Furukawa Satoshi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub.

Next up, the station crew members will take part in a welcome ceremony aboard the International Space Station.

Axiom Space astronauts are expected to depart the space station Feb. 3, pending weather, for a return to Earth and splashdown at a landing site off the coast of 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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Robotics Activities Continue; Crew Completes an Array of Research

An aurora glows in Earth's atmosphere as the International Space Station soared 260 miles above Utah during orbital nighttime.
An aurora glows in Earth’s atmosphere as the International Space Station soared 260 miles above Utah during orbital nighttime.

Another busy day of science activities is underway for the Expedition 70 crew and robotics ground controllers following the arrival of SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft last weekend. The seven members aboard the International Space Station spent time on an array of research today while grounds teams remotely retrieved science hardware from Dragon.

Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara started work in the morning on an experiment that studies age-related liver dysfunction and regeneration. The first-time station resident of NASA processed liver tissue samples in the Life Sciences Glovebox, research that could help scientists understand the biology of aging and its effects on disease mechanisms. Later in the day, Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA took over this work before stowing the samples.

After yesterday’s ILLUMA-T extraction, mission controllers from the U.S. spent another day on robotics activities to retrieve more science hardware delivered inside Dragon’s unpressurized trunk. Remotely controlling the Canadarm2 robotic arm, engineers extracted the new Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) payload to mount it to the exterior of the orbiting laboratory. From its perch, AWE will track small-scale atmospheric gravity waves in our home planet’s upper atmosphere to investigate how they contribute to space weather, which affects space- and ground-based comms, navigation, and tracking systems.

While ground teams worked remotely outside the station, research experiments continued for other residents aboard. Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) spent the majority of his day deploying six antimicrobial placards for a four-month investigation that will test a coating to inhibit microbial growth on several surfaces aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Meanwhile, after yesterday’s start on treating cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory, astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) continued this work for the Cell Gravisensing-2 study. Using a microscope, he observed additional samples to help researchers learn how lack of gravity affects cell response.

The trio of cosmonauts kept busy with their own scientific research and maintenance activities. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov worked on an ongoing investigation that observes Earth’s nighttime atmosphere in near-ultraviolet and photographed the Zarya and Nauka modules to assist in future planning of repairs and science equipment placement. Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko inspected hardware in Nauka, while Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub completed some orbital plumbing and investigated the processes of liquid phases in microgravity.

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 Installed on Station, Crew Begins Cargo Ops

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is guided to its installation point on the space station's Unity module by the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Credit: NASA TV
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is guided to its installation point on the space station’s Unity module by the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Credit: NASA TV

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft installation at the International Space Station is now complete. Cygnus, carrying over 8,200 pounds of cargo and science experiments, launched atop the company’s Antares rocket at 8:31 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 1, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At 5:52 a.m., NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, along with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio as backup, captured Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Highlights of space station research facilitated by delivery aboard this Cygnus are:

Cygnus will remain at the space station until October before it departs for a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

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

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