Tag: Soyuz

Science Ops, Axiom Mission Announced After Soyuz Relocation

The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship with three Expedition 69 crew members aboard is pictured shortly after relocating from the Poisk module and docking to the Prichal docking module. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship with three Expedition 69 crew members aboard is pictured shortly after relocating from the Poisk module and docking to the Prichal docking module. Credit: NASA TV

Three Expedition 69 crewmates are relaxing today after relocating their Soyuz crew ship to another port. Meanwhile, the other four International Space Station residents continued a variety of space research while maintaining orbital lab systems. Axiom Space also announced its second private mission to the orbital outpost.

NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio took a 37-minute ride inside the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship Thursday morning alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. The trio undocked from the Poisk module at 4:45 a.m. EDT and docked to the Prichal docking module, on the opposite side of the station, at 5:22 a.m. The relocation maneuver opens up Poisk’s airlock for a series of upcoming spacewalks in Orlan spacesuits and frees its docking port for the ISS Progress 84 resupply mission.

After a couple of hours of pressure and leak checks, the Soyuz and Prichal hatches opened with assistance from Roscosmos Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev. Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin then reentered the station, completed some Soyuz closeout tasks, and went to sleep early. They will be back on duty Friday for ongoing microgravity research and upcoming mission preparations.

Two NASA astronauts spent Thursday continuing their research into how living long-term in weightlessness changes the human body. NASA Flight Engineers Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg have been teaming up for the biology study before its return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship later this month. Scientists on the ground will use the observations to learn how to counteract space-caused symptoms and keep astronauts healthy as NASA prepares for human missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

UAE (United Arab Emirates) Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi spent his day on a pair of different experiments studying both space physics and biotechnology. Alneyadi first swapped sample hardware inside the Materials Science Laboratory‘s low gradient furnace that supports research into new applications for existing materials or new and improved materials. Afterward, the UAE astronaut peered through a microscope at protein crystals for the Monoclonal Antibodies study that may improve the development of drugs on Earth.

Fedyaev, who earlier assisted his crewmates during their Soyuz relocation, worked on ventilation maintenance inside the Zvezda service module. He ended his day inside the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module inspecting and photographing cables.

Axiom Space announced its next private astronaut mission to the space station today. The Axiom-2 crew is, retired NASA astronaut and Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, all three first-time space flyers. Axiom-2 is targeting a launch to the station no earlier than 10:43 p.m. EDT on May 8 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

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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Crewmates Relocate Soyuz Crew Ship to New Docking Port

The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship with three Expedition 69 crewmates aboard is pictured shortly after docking to the Prichal docking module. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship with three Expedition 69 crewmates aboard is pictured shortly after docking to the Prichal docking module. Credit: NASA TV

The Soyuz MS-23, with Expedition 69 crew members Frank Rubio of NASA, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin aboard, has successfully docked to the Prichal module on the Earth-facing side of the International Space Station at 5:22 a.m. EDT.

This was the 26th spacecraft relocation in space station history. The move makes room for the arrival of the uncrewed Roscosmos Progress 84 cargo spacecraft later this year and frees the Poisk airlock for the upcoming Roscosmos spacewalks in April and May.

Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft upon undocking Sept. 27.

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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Soyuz Crew Ship Undocks for Short Ride to New Port

The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship slowly backs away from the station carrying three Expedition 69 crewmates to a new docking port. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship slowly backs away from the station carrying three Expedition 69 crewmates to a new docking port. Credit: NASA TV

The Soyuz MS-23, with Expedition 69 crew members Frank Rubio of NASA, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin aboard, has undocked from the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the complex, and is on its way to redock to the Prichal module on the Earth-facing side of the outpost.

Redocking is planned for 5:23 a.m. airing live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

This will be the 26th spacecraft relocation in station history. The move will make room for the arrival of the uncrewed Roscosmos Progress 84 cargo spacecraft later this year and frees the Poisk airlock for the upcoming Roscosmos spacewalks in April and May.

Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft upon undocking Sept. 27.

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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Three Crew Members Relocating Soyuz to New Station Port

The passengerless Soyuz MS-23 crew ship arrives at the space station for an automated docking to the Poisk module on Feb. 25, 2023. Credit: NASA TV
The passengerless Soyuz MS-23 crew ship arrives at the space station for an automated docking to the Poisk module on Feb. 25, 2023. Credit: NASA TV

NASA TV coverage is underway as three crew members aboard the International Space Station take a short trip inside the Soyuz MS-23 to relocate the spacecraft from one docking port to another.

Undocking is scheduled at 4:45 a.m. EDT with redocking planned at 5:23 a.m. Relocation activities will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

The Soyuz MS-23, with Expedition 69 crew members Frank Rubio of NASA, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin aboard, will undock from the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the complex, and redock to the Prichal module on the Earth-facing side of the outpost.

Prokopyev, the Soyuz commander, will manually fly the spacecraft away from Poisk for its redocking to Prichal. He will be strapped into the descent module of the Soyuz with Petelin seated to his left and Rubio to his right.

This will be the 26th spacecraft relocation in station history. The move will make room for the arrival of the uncrewed Roscosmos Progress 84 cargo spacecraft later this year and frees the Poisk airlock for the upcoming Roscosmos spacewalks in April and May.

Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft upon undocking Sept. 27.

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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Expedition 69 Trio Preps for Soyuz Ride Around Station

(From left) NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin will take a short ride around the space station inside the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship.
(From left) NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin will take a short ride around the space station inside the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship.

Three Expedition 69 crew members had a short day on Wednesday and went to sleep early ahead of the relocation of their Soyuz crew ship on Thursday morning. The rest of the International Space Station crew had its hands full throughout the day conducting biology research and packing a cargo craft.

Two Roscosmos cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut will take a short ride around the space station inside the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship relocating it from the Poisk module to the Prichal docking module early Thursday. Commander Sergey Prokopyev will guide the MS-23 to its new docking port flanked by flight engineers Dmitri Petelin and Frank Rubio. The relocation opens up Poisk’s airlock for future Roscosmos spacewalks in Orlan spacesuits and frees its docking port for the upcoming ISS Progress 84 resupply mission.

The Soyuz vehicle with the three crewmates will undock from Poisk’s space-facing port at 4:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, maneuver behind and under the space station, then dock to Prichal’s Earth-facing port at 5:23 a.m. After leak and pressure checks are performed, the trio will reenter the orbiting lab, and go to bed early before continuing their space research mission on Friday. NASA TV, on the agency’s app and website, begins its live coverage at 4:15 a.m. on Thursday.

A U.S. space freighter is being packed with cargo ahead of its departure and return to Earth later this month. Rubio and Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of UAE (United Arab Emirates) have begun loading the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft with completed science experiments and used station hardware for retrieval and analysis by scientists and engineers on the ground. Dragon docked to the orbiting lab on March 16 packed with 6,200 pounds of research gear, crew supplies, and other cargo to replenish the station crew.

NASA Flight Engineers Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg spent their day on biology research to understand how the human body changes in space. Hundreds of investigations have taken place aboard the orbital outpost since Expedition One to gain increasing knowledge about how humans adapt to long-term weightlessness and learn more effective ways to counteract space-caused symptoms.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev participated in a pair of heart studies and a crew behavior experiment on Wednesday. The first-time space flyer first completed a 24-hour session that monitored his heart activity and blood pressure. Afterward, he attached sensors to himself for another study observing his blood circulation. In the afternoon, Fedyaev submitted his answers to a questionnaire to learn how international crews and mission controllers from around the world communicate. Fedyaev will also be up early on Thursday assisting and monitoring his crewmates during their Soyuz relocation maneuver.

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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Crew Trains for Port Move During Busy Science Day

NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg shows off a fresh orange, recently delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship, flying in microgravity aboard the station.
NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg shows off a fresh orange, recently delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship, flying in microgravity aboard the station.

Three Expedition 69 crew members are training to take a short ride around the International Space Station and move their Soyuz crew ship to another docking port later this week. The rest of the orbital residents focused on pharmaceutical studies, space physics, and biology research at the beginning of the week.

NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev on Monday and practiced on a computer the procedures to relocate the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship to a new docking port. The trio will enter the MS-23 and undock from the Poisk module 4:42 a.m. EDT on Thursday and maneuver to the Prichal docking module about 38 minutes later.

Petelin and Prokopyev, station flight engineer and commander respectively, also readied the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module, to which Prichal is attached, for the upcoming Soyuz relocation. Rubio finished his day working on orbital plumbing tasks and analyzing water samples for microbes.

The station’s other four residents spent Monday on a variety of microgravity research learning how to stay healthy on long-term space missions while also benefitting humans on Earth. The weightless environment of the space station offers unique insights impossible in Earth’s gravity potentially offering advanced solutions benefitting humans on and off the Earth.

NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen attached breathing gear and sensors to himself then pedaled on the station’s exercise cycle at the beginning of his day. Doctors use the data from the exercise session to evaluate an astronaut’s aerobic fitness during a space mission. In the afternoon, Bowen then serviced samples for a study exploring using microbes to produce food and pharmaceuticals in different gravity levels.

NASA Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg spent his Monday morning tending to a life science study to understand how the human body adapts to weightlessness. Afterward, he and Bowen partnered up for more cargo work in the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship. Hoburg then scanned the eyes of Bowen at the end of the day using standard medical imaging gear found in an optometrist’s office on Earth.

UAE (United Arab Emirates) Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi focused his science activities on the Foam and Emulsions physics experiment that may lead to newer, more advanced space research and expanded commercial opportunities in space. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev began his day photographing wildfires on Earth before spending the rest of his shift on ventilation maintenance inside Nauka and the Zvezda service module.

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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Expedition 69 Officially Begins on Station

The official insignia of the Expedition 69 mission aboard the International Space Station.
The official insignia of the Expedition 69 mission aboard the International Space Station.

The Expedition 69 mission is officially under way following the undocking of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on Tuesday. The seven-member International Space Station crew split its day on Wednesday as the four astronauts conducted space research while the three cosmonauts had the day off.

The uncrewed Soyuz MS-22 space ship completed a six-month stay at the orbiting lab when it undocked from the Rassvet module at 5:57 a.m. EDT on Tuesday. The undocking marked the moment Expedition 69 began and Expedition 68 ended with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev continuing his command aboard the space station. The passengerless MS-22 parachuted to a safe landing in Kazakhstan less than two hours later.

Meanwhile, science and health checks filled the day for the astronauts belonging to the Expedition 69 crew. Flight Engineers Frank Rubio of NASA and Sultan Alneyadi of UAE (United Arab Emirates) worked on the BioFabrication Facility testing its ability to print knee cartilage tissue for treating injuries in space and remote environments on Earth. The pair also participated in neck, shoulder, and leg vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 medical device.

The station’s three cosmonauts, including Prokopyev and Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin and Andrey Fedyaev, relaxed on Wednesday taking time out for their daily exercise sessions. The trio from Roscosmos having prepared the MS-22 vehicle for its departure the day before.

Uncrewed Soyuz Spaceship Lands in Kazakhstan

March 28, 2023: International Space Station Configuration. Five spacecraft are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour and Cargo Dragon vehicles, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter, and Russia's Soyuz MS-23 crew ship and Progress 83 resupply ship.
March 28, 2023: International Space Station Configuration. Five spacecraft are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour and Cargo Dragon vehicles, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter, and Russia’s Soyuz MS-23 crew ship and Progress 83 resupply ship.

The uncrewed Roscosmos Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft made an automated, parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan at 7:46 a.m. EDT (5:46 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on Tuesday after undocking from the International Space Station at 5:57 a.m.

Remaining aboard the station is the seven-person crew of Expedition 69 with Station Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, and Frank Rubio, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Andrey Fedyaev and Dmitri Petelin.

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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Uncrewed Soyuz Spacecraft Undocks from Station

The Soyuz MS-22 begins to depart the station following its undocking from the Rassvet module. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-22 begins to depart the station following its undocking from the Rassvet module. Credit: NASA TV

The uncrewed Roscosmos Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station at 5:57 a.m. EDT, heading for an automated, parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan at 7:45 a.m. (5:45 p.m. Kazakhstan time).

Expedition 69 officially began aboard the station at the time of undocking. Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev is the station commander for the crew consisting of NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, and Frank Rubio, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Andrey Fedyaev and Dmitri Petelin.

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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Uncrewed Soyuz Vehicle Departing Station Live on NASA TV

The Soyuz MS-22 crew ship is pictured docked to the Rassvet module. In the background, the Prichal docking module is attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.
The Soyuz MS-22 crew ship is pictured docked to the Rassvet module. In the background, the Prichal docking module is attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.

NASA is providing live coverage on NASA TV, the agency’s website, and the NASA app of the undocking and departure of the uncrewed Roscosmos Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from the International Space Station.

The spacecraft is scheduled to undock at 5:57 a.m. EDT, heading for an automated, parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan at 7:45 a.m. (5:45 p.m. Kazakhstan time).

There will be no televised coverage of the deorbit burn or Soyuz landing. The station blog will be updated after the events occur.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 in September 2022. Following an external coolant leak detected on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft in December, the replacement Soyuz MS-23 was launched to the station on Thursday, Feb. 23 to return Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin later this year. The trio are scheduled to undock from the station Sept. 27 for their return to Earth.

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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