The Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter approaches the International Space Station as both spacecraft orbited 272 miles above the southern Indian Ocean.
NASA’s coverage is underway for the capture of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft. At approximately 3:10 a.m. EDT, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.
The spacecraft is carrying 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory for Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.
The mission launched at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA will provide coverage of the spacecraft’s installation beginning at 4:30 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, X, Facebook, and the agency’s website.
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.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft completed the deployment of its two solar arrays at 2:21 p.m. EDT after launching at 11:02 a.m. Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station for NASA.
Shortly after launch, the spacecraft missed its first burn slated for 11:44 a.m. due to a late entry to burn sequencing. Known as the targeted altitude burn, or TB1, it was rescheduled for 12:34 p.m., but aborted the maneuver shortly after the engine ignited due to a slightly low initial pressure state. There is no indication the engine itself has any problem at this time.
Cygnus is at a safe altitude, and Northrop Grumman engineers are working a new burn and trajectory plan. The team aims to achieve the spacecraft’s original capture time on station, which is currently slated for 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
If all remains on track, 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’swebsite. Additional updates will be posted as needed.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will capture Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at approximately 3:10 a.m., and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port.
This is Northrop Grumman’s 21st commercial resupply mission for NASA.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm after its capture on Feb. 21, 2024.
Preparations are underway aboard the International Space Station to capture and install a U.S. cargo craft due to arrive next week. Spacesuit checks and health studies were also on the program at the end of the week for the two crews living and working aboard the orbital outpost.
Mission managers have given the go for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft set for 11:29 a.m. EDT on Saturday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Cygnus will orbit Earth for a day-and-a-half before arriving at the orbital outpost early Monday.
Expedition 71 Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps will be on duty Monday monitoring Cygnus’ approach and rendezvous. Dominick will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to reach out and grapple Cygnus at approximately 3:55 a.m. on Monday. Dominick will be inside the cupola with Epps backing him up Monday morning and keeping an eye on Cygnus as it advances toward the orbital outpost.
The duo spent Friday morning continuing to train on a computer and simulated the robotics activities necessary to capture Cygnus next week. At the end of the day, the NASA pair joined fellow astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams for a Cygnus cargo operations conference with mission controllers on the ground.
Earlier, Dyson, Wilmore, and Williams took turns throughout the day servicing a U.S. spacesuit in the Quest airlock. Dyson started the job first cleaning the spacesuit’s cooling loops. Afterward, Wilmore and Williams took over finishing up the loop cleaning job then finally deconfiguring and stowing the suit components inside Quest.
Dyson later examined the eyes of NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt using standard medical imaging hardware found in an optometrist’s office on Earth. Doctors on Earth guided Dyson as she peered in Barratt’s cornea, retina, and lens to understand microgravity’s effect on crew vision. Before the eye checks began, Barratt spent his day servicing a variety of research hardware including the Life Science Glovebox in the Kibo laboratory module and the CIMON mobile crew helper powered by artificial intelligence.
Wilmore and Williams, Boeing’s Crew Flight Test Commander and Pilot respectively, focused primarily on lab maintenance before they began their spacesuit work Friday afternoon. Wilmore spent some time inside the Tranquility module cleaning up cables and stowing electronics components. Williams worked during her morning inside the Columbus laboratory module installing networking gear including a video and data processing unit and a high-rate modem.
Working in the station’s Roscosmos segment, Commander Oleg Kononenko set up Earth observation hardware to study luminous clouds in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub started day servicing on oxygen generator, then studied the effects of magnetic and electrical fields on fluid physics, before uninstalling navigation hardware from the Progress 88 resupply ship. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin spent his day working on orbital plumbing and cleaning ventilation systems while also fitting in an Earth photography session in the middle of the day.
The Cygnus space freighter with its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station’s on July 12, 2024.
Thursday’s main activities aboard the International Space Station on Thursday were Cygnus cargo craft preparations and microgravity science. Amidst the mission and research duties, the two crews living and working aboard the orbital outpost also kept up standard household duties and plumbing tasks.
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply ship is targeted to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:29 a.m. EDT on Saturday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Cygnus is planned to take a day-and-a-half trip around Earth before arriving at the space station for its robotic capture at 6 a.m. on Monday.
NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps practiced Cygnus capture techniques on Thursday using the Canadarm2 robotic arm and guiding it toward a grapple fixture on the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM). Dominick will be commanding the Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus early Monday while Epps will back him up and monitor Cygnus’ approach and rendezvous.
Epps began her day with blood and saliva sample collection work, processing the specimens for analysis, then stowing the samples in a science freezer and the Kubik research incubator for future retrieval. Dominick set up a notebook computer and connected it to the advanced resistive exercise device for an experiment that measures how muscles and bones are impacted when working out in space.
Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt, both Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, worked on science maintenance and housekeeping tasks throughout the day. Dyson swapped samples and components inside a flame research device that safely studies how materials burn in weightlessness aboard the Kibo laboratory module. Barratt measured the airflow in the Harmony module’s port side crew quarters to ensure the upkeep of ventilation systems and maintain crew health.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Commander and Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spent their day on a variety of household tasks. Wilmore first organized food stowed in the Unity module and the PMM then installed a light meter on the Veggie botany research facility. Williams deep cleaned Unity temporarily uninstalling racks and hardware to access and wipe down hard to reach areas with disinfectant.
Station Commander Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos began his day checking laptop computers before spending the afternoon photographing crew activities and inspecting windows in the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub was back on physics research Thursday as he studied how fluids are affected by magnetic and electrical fields in space. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked throughout the day an orbital plumbing and life support tasks in the station’s Roscosmos segment.
The Canadarm2 robotic arm extends from the Harmony module as the orbital outpost soared above the coast of Peru. Partially obscured in the top background, is the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
Spacesuits, robotics, and maintenance were the main priorities for the Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test crews after the International Space Station raised its orbit on Wednesday. The nine orbital residents also split their day on a variety of human research activities and docked crew spaceship activities.
NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick evaluated a spacesuit in the Quest airlock today with assistance from fellow NASA astronaut Mike Barratt. The duo powered up the spacesuit, configured its components, and tested the suit’s communications and life support systems during Dominick’s fit verification.
Astrobee free-flying robotic assistants, powered by fans and a vision-based navigation system, were maneuvering inside the Kibo laboratory module during the Astrobee Zero Robotics 3 finals competition on Wednesday. The Astrobees were controlled and manipulated by winning algorithms written by students on Earth and downloaded to the robotics platform by mission controllers. NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson readied the toaster-sized, cube-shaped Astrobees then monitored the contest designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and space exploration.
During the morning, NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps removed blood samples that were stowed overnight inside the Kubik research incubator. She spun those samples in a centrifuge before placing them inside a science freezer for preservation and later analysis to understand microgravity’s effect on humans. Afterward, Epps conducted several hours of airflow measurements inside the crew quarters located in the Harmony module’s deck compartment to maintain ventilation systems and crew health.
Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, had their day packed primarily with lab upkeep duties aboard the orbiting outpost. Wilmore spent his morning inspecting advanced plumbing hardware then packed the life support components for return to Earth. Williams set up high-definition video gear inside the Columbus laboratory module then inspected a bar code reader and radio frequency hardware. The duo also partnered up and organized cargo packed inside the Tranquility module before calling down to Boeing mission controllers for a conference.
The space station is orbiting higher today after the docked Progress 87 cargo craft fired its thrusters for over 20 minutes early Wednesday morning. The orbital reboost places the station at the correct altitude to receive the next cargo craft from Roscosmos after it launches in mid-August.
Commander Oleg Kononenko examined the cargo space available inside the Nauka and Rassvet modules to prepare for the upcoming space delivery. The five-time station visitor also inspected the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, in the Zvezda service module. The TORU would be used to remotely control an approaching Roscosmos resupply ship in the unlikely event the spacecraft would be unable to complete its automated docking sequence.
Roscosmos Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Aleksander Grebenkin had their day full as they conducted a variety of space research and maintained orbital lab systems on Wednesday. Chub continued studying how magnetic and electrical fields affect fluid physics and serviced life support systems. Grebenkin pointed a digital video camera out a station window and videotaped the condition of the Roscosmos segment modules for analysis.
Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams work on science maintenance inside the International Space Station’s Unity module.
Blood sample collections and eye scans took a big part of the day on Tuesday as the International Space Station residents continuously explore how living in space affects their bodies. The two crews representing Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test also trained for robotics activities, serviced spacesuits, and kept up household tasks aboard the orbital outpost.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Mike Barratt began the day collecting their blood and saliva samples to help scientists understand how microgravity affects cellular immune functions. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps gathered the samples from the duo, first stowing the saliva specimens in a science freezer, then spinning the blood samples in a centrifuge, before inserting the sample tubes inside the Kubik research incubator for later observations.
The trio joined up again for a series of eye checks with fellow astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of NASA and cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin of Roscosmos. Epps, Dominick, and Chub led the eye scans using the Ultrasound 2 device to image their crewmates’ cornea, lens, and optic nerve. Doctors on Earth monitored the scans in real-time ensuring the crew captured the right imagery to learn how to protect and treat crew vision issues in space.
At the end of the day, Barratt partnered with NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson for more eye checks as the duo explored how weightlessness affects the retina’s response to light. Dyson and researchers on the ground observed Barratt as sensors attached to the side of his eyes measured his retinal function during the hourlong test. The eye exam is just one of 14 studies that comprise the CIPHER investigation devoted to astronaut health and well-being.
Barratt and Dominick also teamed up inside the Kibo laboratory module to reroute cables, reorganize cargo, and clean up trash. Dominick then joined Epps on the robotics workstation simulator and practiced techniques to capture the Cygnus space freighter with the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Dyson also got ready for the Cygnus cargo mission, due to launch on Aug. 3 and arrive on Aug. 5, reviewing mission operations and cargo procedures once the Northrop Grumman spacecraft is berthed to the Unity module.
Aside from eye checks, Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams hand their hands full all day with station maintenance duties. Wilmore cleaned up cargo and photographed open spaces inside the Columbus laboratory module while Williams worked in the Quest airlock servicing spacesuit components. Next, the duo gathered for a conference with Boeing mission controllers then reviewed the upcoming Cygnus cargo mission.
Grebenkin removed his body sensors and completed a 24-hour session that recorded his heart rate and blood pressure. Afterward, he photographed Earth landmarks using a specialized camera that captures image data beyond the spectral range of the human eye. Chub participated in cargo cleanup duties in the Zarya module then worked on life support and electronic systems maintenance. Commander Oleg Kononenko cleaned fans and filters in Zarya before inspecting and photographing windows in the Zvezda service module. At the end of the day, Kononenko took turns with Chub studying ways to improve communications between international crews and mission controllers.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited above Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
The Expedition 71 crew turned its attention to an upcoming U. S. cargo mission, spacesuit work, and a variety of life science on Monday. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test members began the week servicing their Starliner flight suits and the spacecraft’s life support systems following a morning of light research duties.
The next cargo mission to resupply the residents living and working aboard the International Space Station is counting down to a launch at 11:28 a.m. EDT on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 8,200 pounds of science, supplies, and hardware for the station. Cygnus will orbit Earth for just over a day-and-a-half before approaching the orbital outpost where the Canadarm2 robotic arm will be waiting to capture the spacecraft.
NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps spent Monday preparing for Cygnus’ arrival reviewing its mission profile and practicing robotic capture maneuvers on a computer. Dominick will command the Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus at 5 a.m. on Aug. 5 while Epps backs him up and monitors the approach and rendezvous activities. Afterward, robotics controllers on the ground will remotely take over Canadarm2 and guide Cygnus toward the Unity module’s Earth-facing port where it will be mated for five-and-a-half months.
Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams entered their spacecraft Monday afternoon and checked its water systems, called down to Boeing mission personnel for a conference, then wore their flight suits momentarily for a pressure test. Wilmore started his morning in the station’s Harmony module assembling the BioServe centrifuge as Williams reviewed procedures for operating the Astrobee free-flying robotic assistants.
The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts refocused their activities on Monday to standard space research and lab maintenance duties following a week of inspection tasks in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub worked all day on science first studying a 3D printer’s ability to manufacture tools in microgravity, then explored how magnetic and electrical fields affect fluid physics, before finally installing hardware to image Earth’s nighttime atmosphere in near-ultraviolet wavelengths. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin attached sensors to himself during the morning for a 24-session measuring his heart rate and blood pressure. Afterward, he pointed a camera outside a station window taking pictures for a pair of Earth observation studies. At the beginning of his shift, station Commander Oleg Kononenko installed radiation detection hardware cables then inventoried food rations.
Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson unpacks and examines research gear inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module.
The orbital residents representing Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test switched gears on Friday and turned their attention to a host of lab maintenance activities. The nine astronauts and cosmonauts living and working aboard the International Space Station focused on spacewalking tools, computer networks, housecleaning, and inspections at the end of the week.
NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps joined each other midday Friday and reorganized cargo inside the Unity module ahead of the Aug. 5 arrival of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter. Dyson and Barratt then finished the afternoon inside the Quest airlock collecting and stowing tools used during earlier spacewalk preparations.
Epps began her day with NASA astronaut and Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore examining the Permanent Multipurpose Module for open spaces before spending her afternoon exercising. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick checked the overhead crew quarters in the Harmony module and measured its ventilation system airflows after spending his morning working out.
Wilmore also joined Starliner Pilot Suni Williams and tested cloud network connectivity using a pair of computer tablets linked to mission applications and other computer services. Williams then recorded a video for junior high and high school students demonstrating 3D printing operations in microgravity. Toward the end of the day, the NASA duo called down to Boeing mission personnel and discussed Starliner spacecraft systems and operations. The day before, NASA and Boeing managers provided a Starliner status update during a televised news conference.
Station Commander Oleg Kononenko kicked off his day synchronizing digital cameras with space station clocks. The five-time visitor to the orbital outpost worked the rest of the day with Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub continuing ongoing inspections in the aft-end of the Zvezda service module. Chub began his day conducting research activities in Zvezda before the inspection work.
The next crew to visit the International Space Station, SpaceX Crew-9, introduced itself today during a televised crew news conference live on NASA TV on Friday. Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Aleksander Gorbunov are counting down to a mid-August launch to the orbital lab aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endurance for a six-month mission. Earlier, mission managers from NASA and SpaceX discussed the Crew-9 mission and other upcoming missions to the orbiting lab. Watch the SpaceX Crew-9 Crew News Conference and the Mission Overview on YouTube.
Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.
To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port.
Space biology was back on the schedule Thursday as the crewmates aboard the International Space Station resumed exploring how living in weightlessness affects the human body. The orbital residents also worked on Starliner spacecraft configurations, serviced spacesuit components, and continued lab inspections.
Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominick, both from NASA, kicked off their day collecting blood and saliva samples, processing them for upcoming analysis, and stowing the biological specimens in a science freezer. The duo then joined NASA astronaut Mike Barratt in the afternoon for vein scans with the commercial ButterlyIQ Ultrasound device before and after workout sessions on the advanced resistive exercise device. Results may inform researchers what happens to the body when exercising in microgravity and demonstrate the effectiveness of the FDA-approved portable scanner for space operations.
Barratt began his day with NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson in the Columbus laboratory module and explored how living in space affects blood pressure. Dyson scanned Barratt’s veins with the Ultrasound 2 device and collected data from a monitor measuring his heart rate. The study is just one of 14 investigations that are part of the CIPHER human research experiment and explores the cardiovascular health risks of living and working on a long-term space mission. Dyson then spent her afternoon uninstalling and stowing spacesuit batteries and metal oxide containers in the Quest airlock.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Commander and Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, entered their Starliner crew ship for checkouts on Thursday. The duo examined the spacecraft’s communications systems, set up computer tablets, and charged camera batteries inside the vehicle docked to the Harmony module’s forward port.
Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich of NASA and Mike Nappi of Boeing provided a status update of the Starliner spacecraft on NASA TV today. Watch the televised news conference on YouTube.
Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub partnered together throughout Thursday continuing to inspect the vestibule in the aft end of the Zvezda service module where the Progress 87 is docked. While Kononenko spent most of his shift checking out Zvezda, Chub had time for swapping out an electronics unit on an exercise cycle then tested video communications and command gear in the Progress 88 resupply ship docked to the Poisk module.
Mission managers will discuss the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the orbital outpost during a mission overview live on NASA TV at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday. Then at 1 p.m., the Crew-9 members Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Aleksander Gorbunov will introduce themselves and discuss more details of their space station mission.
Beginning Monday, July 29th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.
To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.
