Crew Continues Spacewalk Preps Following Date Adjustment

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) and Nikolai Chub (suit with blue stripes) are pictured during a spacewalk for maintenance on Oct. 25, 2023.
Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) and Nikolai Chub (suit with blue stripes) are pictured during a spacewalk for maintenance on Oct. 25, 2023.

The Expedition 70 crew is gearing up for another spacewalk planned at the beginning of November for maintenance on the outside of the International Space Station. The next United States orbital segment spacewalk now is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 1, to allow the International Space Station crew and flight control team additional time to prepare for the excursion.

NASA astronauts  Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will exit the station’s Quest airlock to remove an electronics box called the Radio Frequency Group that was part of a communications antenna system. They also will replace one of 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the station’s port solar alpha rotary joint. The bearings enable the station’s solar arrays to track the Sun. The spacewalk was previously planned for Monday, Oct. 30.

U.S. Spacewalk 89 will be the first for both Moghbeli and O’Hara. Moghbeli will serve as extravehicular activity crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. O’Hara will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit.

O’Hara and Moghbeli worked throughout Thursday checking tools and readying hardware they will take with them outside the Quest airlock for the maintenance spacewalk. The pair was also joined by astronauts Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) and Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) reviewing their spacewalk procedures during the afternoon.

O’Hara began her day installing communications hardware to support a laser technology study. Moghbeli spent a few moments on research maintenance removing a failed electronic unit from a science freezer and packing it for stowage. Mogensen analyzed station air samples then transferred data collected from wearable health-monitoring gear.

Furukawa had time throughout the day to focus on a variety of science activities including examining microgravity’s effects on astronauts and setting up a biology microscope. The two-time station visitor first took a cognition test measuring how long-term space missions impact a crew member’s brain structure and function. Next, Furukawa prepared a microscope to observe how cells respond to weightlessness. He later scanned the neck, shoulder, and leg veins of Mogensen using the Ultrasound 2 device with assistance from doctors on the ground.

The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts slept in Thursday following a seven-hour and 41-minute spacewalk the day before. Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov awoke mid-afternoon and conducted post-spacewalk cleanup activities then held a conference with specialists on the ground. Borisov would later collect air samples for analysis and configure life support gear in the Nauka science module.


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Cosmonauts Finish Spacewalk Following Hardware Installs and Inspections

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko (red stripes) and Nikolai Chub (blue stripes) prepare a synthetic radar communications system for installation during their seven-hour spacewalk. Credits: NASA TV
Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko (red stripes) and Nikolai Chub (blue stripes) prepare a synthetic radar communications system for installation during their seven-hour and 41-minute spacewalk. Credits: NASA TV

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub concluded their spacewalk Oct. 25 at 9:30 p.m. EDT after 7 hours and 41 minutes.

During the spacewalk, Kononenko and Chub inspected and photographed an external backup radiator on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module, as well as isolated the radiator from Nauka’s cooling system. During the radiator inspection, a bubble of coolant liberated at the leak site and the crew wiped down their suits prior to continuing the spacewalk.

The two cosmonauts also released a nanosatellite to test solar sail technology; however, the nanosatellite’s solar sail failed to deploy as far as cameras could track its departure from the station. The cosmonauts also installed a synthetic radar communications system. One of four panels on the radar system was not able to be fully deployed during the spacewalk and the work will be deferred to a future date.

At the end of the spacewalk, before reentering the Poisk airlock, the two spacewalking cosmonauts as usual inspected the Roscosmos Orlan spacesuits and the tools used during the spacewalk to look for signs of coolant and wipe off any coolant as necessary. The cosmonauts also wiped down their suits and tools as usual after repressurization to further reduce introduction of trace contaminates into the space station environment. Additional filtration will then be used inside the space station in order to quickly scrub the atmosphere of any remaining traces of contaminant. This was the sixth spacewalk in Kononenko’s career, and the first for Chub. It is the 268th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Up next, NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will conduct a spacewalk on Monday, Oct. 30. Live coverage of the spacewalk begins at 6:30 a.m. on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin about 8:05 a.m., and last about six-and-a-half hours.

During U.S. spacewalk 89, O’Hara and Moghbeli will exit the station’s Quest airlock to complete the removal of a faulty electronics box from a communications antenna bracket and replace one of twelve Trundle Bearing Assemblies on the port truss Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. It will be the first spacewalk for both astronauts.


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Cosmonauts Begin Spacewalk to Install Scientific Payloads and Inspect Radiator

Roscosmos spacewalker Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) attached to the Strela boom outside the International Space Station about 250 miles above Earth during a spacewalk on Dec. 11, 2018.
Roscosmos spacewalker Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) attached to the Strela boom outside the International Space Station about 250 miles above Earth during a spacewalk on Dec. 11, 2018.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub began a spacewalk at 1:49 p.m. EDT to install a synthetic radar communications system, release a nanosatellite to test solar sail technology, and inspect and photograph an external backup radiator on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Coverage of the spacewalk continues on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

Kononenko is wearing an Orlan spacesuit with red stripes, while Chub is wearing the suit with blue stripes. This is the sixth spacewalk in Kononenko’s career, and the first for Chub. It is the 268th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.


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Cosmonauts Exiting Station Soon for Spacewalk Live on NASA TV

Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko (left) and Nikolai Chub (right) of Roscosmos are pictured in the Orlan spacesuits they will wear during a seven-hour spacewalk.
Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko (left) and Nikolai Chub (right) of Roscosmos.

NASA Television coverage is underway for today’s spacewalk with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. The duo will venture outside of the International Space Station’s Poisk module to install a synthetic radar communications system and release a nanosatellite to test solar sail technology. While outside the station, they also will inspect and photograph an external backup radiator on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module that experienced a coolant leak on Oct. 9. Coverage of the spacewalk is on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

Kononenko and Chub will exit out of the Poisk module at about 1:55 p.m. EDT. Kononenko is wearing the Orlan spacesuit with red stripes, while Chub is wearing the suit with blue stripes. This is the sixth spacewalk in Kononenko’s career, and the first for Chub. It is the 268th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.


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Spacewalk Procedure Reviews Top Today’s Schedule

Roscosmos spacewalker Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) works outside the International Space Station over 250 miles above Earth on Dec. 11, 2018, during a seven-hour, 45-minute spacewalk.
Roscosmos spacewalker Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) works outside the International Space Station over 250 miles above Earth on Dec. 11, 2018, during a seven-hour, 45-minute spacewalk.

The seven orbital residents kept busy on Tuesday preparing for a round of upcoming spacewalks. While reviewing procedures and prepping tools were at the forefront of today’s tasks, the Expedition 70 crew members also had some time for station maintenance activities and health exams.

Two cosmonauts are gearing up to exit the station’s Poisk module tomorrow at 1:55 p.m. EDT for a planned seven-hour spacewalk. Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos had a light duty morning before preparing the Orlan suits they will wear outside of the station to install communications hardware, deploy a nanosatellite, and inspect the external backup radiator that experienced a coolant leak.

As a result of detailed analysis of contamination risk after a coolant loop leak occurred on the backup radiator of the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module, the NASA and Roscosmos teams have agreed to implement post spacewalk procedures to reduce traces of coolant from entering the International Space Station. The analysis, imagery review, and other testing performed has concluded that the quantities of contaminate entering space station and risk to systems is expected to be very low. However, the mitigations were agreed to in an abundance of caution to keep the risk as low as possible for hardware inside the space station. At the end of the Roscosmos spacewalk Wednesday, Oct. 25, before reentering the Poisk airlock, the two spacewalking cosmonauts as usual will inspect the Roscosmos Orlan spacesuits and the tools used during the spacewalk to look for signs of coolant and wipe off any coolant as necessary. The cosmonauts also will wipe down their suits and tools as usual after repressurization to further reduce introduction of trace contaminates into the space station environment. Additional filtration will then be used inside the space station in order to quickly scrub the atmosphere of any remaining traces of contaminant.

Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara of NASA teamed up with Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) in the morning to wrap up the installation of the new Teal CEVIS system, an upgrade to the International Space Station’s bicycle. The two then split up duties, O’Hara moving onto prep for next week’s spacewalk with Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA.

Both first-time spacewalkers will exit the station on Monday, Oct. 30 at 8:05 a.m. to remove the Radio Frequency Group and replace hardware on a solar array. The duo spent some time reviewing procedures and collecting and configuring tools they’ll use during their six-and-a-half-hour excursion. In the evening, Moghbeli operated tomography hardware and scanned O’Hara’s eyes for the ongoing CIPHER investigation. CIPHER, or Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, is an all-encompassing, total-body approach that examines how humans adapt to spaceflight.

After breakfast, Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) prepped cargo for return on SpaceX’s 29th cargo mission scheduled for launch no earlier than Nov. 5. Afterwards, Furukawa was joined by Mogensen to review robotics procedures they will use next week when O’Hara and Moghbeli are outside of the orbital lab.

Following this, Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos was joined by Chub and Kononenko late afternoon for inspections and assessments of the Nauka module.


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Spacewalk Prep Continues for Crew on Monday

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O'Hara is pictured trying on her spacesuit and testing its components aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara is pictured trying on her spacesuit and testing its components aboard the International Space Station’s Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk.

Spacewalk preparations topped the Expedition 70 crew members’ schedule today as two Roscosmos cosmonauts gear up to exit the station on Wednesday, Oct. 25, and two NASA astronauts look ahead to their first spacewalk next week.

Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will venture outside of the International Space Station’s Poisk module at 2:10 p.m. EDT on Wednesday to install communications hardware, deploy a nanosatellite, and inspect the external backup radiator that experienced a coolant leak. The duo worked together today prepping tools they’ll use during their seven-hour excursion and installing lights and video cameras to the helmets of the Orlan suits they will don.

NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara worked in tandem today as they prepare for their first spacewalk next week. The duo will exit the station on Monday at 8:05 a.m. to remove the Radio Frequency Group—an electronics box—and replace bearing assemblies on a solar array rotary joint. Today, their prep was geared towards procedure reviews and will continue to ramp up throughout the rest of the week. Later in the evening, they were joined by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa and ESA (European Space Agency) Commander Andreas Mogensen for a conference with grounds teams.

Last month, the final round of Arabidopsis plants was harvested from Plant Habitat-03, an investigation that aims to help researchers understand how adaptations in one generation of plants could transfer to the next, given the environmental stress of microgravity. Today, Mogensen cleaned the facility and prepped Seed Bags for future return to Earth. Meanwhile, Furukawa removed and replaced the filter assembly on an orbital system that processes wastewater.

While most of the station residents focused on prep and procedure reviews for the upcoming spacewalks, Roscosmos Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov completed maintenance tasks and conducted an experiment that assesses the glow of Earth’s atmosphere at night in near ultraviolet.


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Crew Continues Spacewalk Preps, Axiom Announces Ax-4 Launch Update

Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli is suited up testing her spacesuit's components with assistance from astronaut Andreas Mogensen.
Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli is suited up testing her spacesuit’s components with assistance from astronaut Andreas Mogensen.

The Expedition 70 crew reached the end of the week focusing primarily on a pair of upcoming spacewalks. There was also time aboard the International Space Station for research and cargo operations as Axiom Space announced future private missions dates.

NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli partnered together Friday afternoon organizing the tools they will use on a spacewalk planned for Oct. 30. The pair will exit the Quest airlock and spend about six-and-a-half hours removing electronics gear and replacing solar array hardware on the orbital lab.

Before the spacewalk preparations, O’Hara inspected hardware on the Human Research Facility, documented her daily food and medicine intake, and downlinked medical data to researchers on the ground. Moghbeli began her day collecting blood pressure measurements, moved on to life support maintenance, then swapped a vest and headband packed with sensors to comfortably measure her health as she worked throughout the day.

Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) studied the maneuvers he will use to operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm when O’Hara and Moghbeli go on their maintenance spacewalk at the end of the month. He also packed the Cygnus space freighter with trash and discarded gear before staging cargo for loading and return on the next SpaceX Dragon cargo mission scheduled for launch on Nov. 5.

Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) continued testing a specialized camera that can capture imagery at 100,000 frames per second. He worked in the cupola pointing the camera toward Earth and photographing thunderstorms and their electrical activity to improve atmospheric knowledge and promote future space applications.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub spent all day Friday getting ready for their spacewalk scheduled on Oct. 25. The flight engineers put on their Orlan spacesuits inside the Poisk airlock and practiced the spacewalking tasks they will use next week. During the excursion, the pair from Roscosmos will install science hardware, deploy a nanosatellite, and inspect a backup radiator that leaked coolant. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov joined the duo assisting the cosmonauts in and out of their spacesuits and reviewing their spacewalk procedures.

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX teams are targeting no earlier than October 2024 to launch Axiom Mission 4, a private astronaut mission, to the orbiting laboratory. The next private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3 with former NASA astronaut and Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria leading again, is scheduled to liftoff from Florida no earlier than January 2024.


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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More Space Health and Earth Science as Station Orbits Higher

Astronaut Loral O'Hara is pictured trimming her hair aboard the International Space Station.
Astronaut Loral O’Hara is pictured trimming her hair aboard the International Space Station.

The Expedition 70 crew continued its space health and Earth science studies while servicing a variety of research hardware on Thursday. The International Space Station is orbiting higher today as its residents also inspected emergency gear and reviewed tasks for an upcoming spacewalk.

DNA analysis was back on the schedule as NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli used a portable DNA sequencer to identify bacteria extracted from station water samples. The technology study will help keep crews and spacecraft safe with less dependence on Earth as NASA plans missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. She also wore the Bio-Monitor vest and headband for a 48-hour session testing the wearables’ ability to monitor an astronaut’s health comfortably while minimally interfering with their daily activities.

Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) worked inside the cupola again testing the ability of an advanced camera to observe Earth’s thunderstorms  and their electrical activity at 100,000 frames per second. Results may improve atmospheric knowledge and promote future space applications. The two-time station visitor from Denmark also transferred cargo and trash in and out of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft attached to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.

NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara photographed emergency hardware for inspection, then checked her blood pressure, and uninstalled components on a spacesuit. Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) replaced filters inside the Life Science Glovebox then swapped sample cassettes inside the Materials Science Laboratory.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai have been busy the last several days preparing for a spacewalk scheduled for 2:10 p.m. EDT on Oct. 25. The duo reviewed an updated spacewalking task list that includes installing science hardware, deploying a nanosatellite, and inspecting a backup radiator on the Nauka science module that leaked coolant.

Both cosmonauts also took turns practicing futuristic piloting techniques on a computer while wearing a cap filled with sensors that measured their responses. Researchers will use the data to understand how future crews may respond to flying spacecraft and controlling robots on planetary missions.

Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov joined the pair from Roscosmos for the spacewalk review before lunchtime. He also transferred water stored inside the Progress 85 (85P) cargo craft into tanks aboard the station then checked electronics systems in the Zvezda service module.

The space laboratory is orbiting slightly higher today after the 85P fired its thruster engines for over 18 minutes late Wednesday night. The orbital reboost raises the station to the correct altitude for the rendezvous and docking of the next Roscosmos cargo craft, the Progress 86, in early December.


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Health and Earth Studies, More Spacewalk Preps Continue on Station

The waning gibbous Moon is pictured from the space station as it soared into an orbital nighttime above the Atlantic Ocean.
The waning gibbous Moon is pictured from the space station as it soared into an orbital nighttime above the Atlantic Ocean.

Space biology and Earth science were the main research objectives aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 70 crew also continued its ongoing cargo operations and spacewalk preparations.

NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara focused on a pair of different life science experiments to help keep crews healthy during long-term missions. The research contributes not only to the knowledge of microgravity’s affect on humans but also informs countermeasures and innovations to protect future crews exploring farther away from Earth.

Moghbeli began her day using a portable DNA detection device that can be found in laboratories and classrooms on Earth to identify bacteria extracted from water samples collected aboard the orbital outpost. Known as BioMole, the study is demonstrating the ability to monitor the spacecraft’s microbial environment without sending samples back to Earth for analysis. O’Hara continued her CIPHER studies, a suite of 14 human research experiments, wearing a vest and headband packed with sensors measuring heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and more. The Bio-Monitor wearables from CSA (Canadian Space Agency) comfortably track an astronaut’s health while minimally interfering with their daily activities.

Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) worked in the cupola Wednesday pointing a digital camera toward the Moon for the Earthshine experiment. He was photographing the lunar surface to image sunlight reflecting off Earth, also known as albedo, for insights into our planet’s changing climate. Next, he tested a unique camera and its ability to observe thunderstorms and their electrical activity at 100,000 frames per second. Results may improve atmospheric knowledge and promote future space applications.

Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) continued unpacking supplies and loading trash inside the Cygnus space freighter. At the end of the day, he joined O’Hara in the Quest airlock and inspected spacesuit arm and leg components.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub kept up their preparations for a spacewalk scheduled on Oct. 25. The duo first reviewed the steps necessary to transfer their pressurized Orlan suits in the Poisk airlock. Afterward, both flight engineers pedaled on an exercise cycle to evaluate their physical fitness ahead of next week’s spacewalk. The two cosmonauts are expected to spend about seven hours conducting external maintenance on the Roscosmos segment of the space station.

Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov began his day with orbital plumbing duties inside the Nauka science module. In the afternoon, Borisov inspected surfaces on the inside of the Zvezda service module before closing Roscosmos module windows and finalizing the plumbing work in Nauka.


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Research, Robotics, and Spacesuits Top Schedule as Spacewalk Times Adjusted

(From left) Astronauts Andreas Mogensen, Loral O'Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, and Satoshi Furukawa show off dosimeters that monitor the amount of radiation the crew is exposed to in space.
(From left) Astronauts Andreas Mogensen, Loral O’Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, and Satoshi Furukawa show off dosimeters that monitor the amount of radiation the crew is exposed to in space.

Four Expedition 70 astronauts had a light-duty day on Tuesday fitting in biology research and robotics during the afternoon. The International Space Station’s three cosmonauts continued focusing on an upcoming spacewalk while also working on their own slate of research and robotics.

NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli partnered together for a couple of hours on cardiac research for the CIPHER study. Moghbeli operated the Ultrasound 2 device with support from ground doctors and scanned O’Hara’s chest to assess cardiovascular risks in microgravity. CIPHER is comprised of 14 studies exploring a range of psychological and physiological conditions astronauts may experience during long-term space missions. The duo also took turns unpacking cargo and loading trash inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply ship.

Read more about how the broad suite of experiments, known as CIPHER, or Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, is helping researchers understand how living and working in space affects the human body.

Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) set up a digital camera in the cupola for the Earthshine experiment and photographed the Moon to image sunshine reflected from the Earth. Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa checked the performance of a spherical robot camera that can operate remotely or autonomously inside the Kibo laboratory module.

O’Hara and Mogensen had been planning to conduct a spacewalk this month to collect samples and examine the possibility of microbes living on the outside of the orbital laboratory. However, mission managers have decided to defer that spacewalk to no earlier than December as they review data from a backup radiator leak that has since ceased.

In the meantime, two other spacewalks are still on the schedule for October. Two cosmonauts from Roscosmos are gearing up for a spacewalk planned for Oct. 25. The duo is scheduled to exit the Poisk airlock at 2:30 p.m. EDT and spend about six hours and 45 minutes on external Roscosmos maintenance tasks. Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub worked throughout Tuesday testing their Orlan spacesuits’ life support and communications components.

Kononenko also configured Poisk to support next week’s spacewalk activities. Chub began and ended his day studying how weightlessness affects the heart and exploring how international crews and mission controllers can communicate more effectively.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov assisted Chub with the heart study during the morning. Borisov would then spend the rest of the day testing operations with the European robotic arm attached to the outside of the Nauka science module.

The next NASA spacewalk will see Moghbeli and O’Hara set their spacesuits to battery power at 8:05 a.m. on Oct. 30 signifying the start of their first excursion together. The duo will spend about six-and-a-half hours removing electronics gear and replacing solar array hardware on the outside of the station.

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 10:01 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 5, for the launch of the company’s 29th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The date shift takes into account required time for teams to complete pad readiness after the agency’s Psyche launch on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which lifted off on October 13 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.


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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