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Canadarm2 Grips Cargo Spacecraft, Spacewalk Prep and Biology Continue

A JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) cargo spacecraft is in the grasp of the Canadarm2 robotic arm following its detachment from the International Space Station’s Harmony module on Thursday. The Expedition 74 crew continued its spacewalk preparations, transferred more cargo, and conducted biology research throughout the day.

The HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft was uninstalled from Harmony with the Canadarm2 at 2:26 p.m. EST Thursday and maneuvered to an overnight parking position. During the crew’s sleep shift, Japanese mission controllers will conduct a laser ranging sensor demonstration test with HTV-X1 still held by the robotic arm.

Then at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 to release HTV-X1 into Earth orbit. The spacecraft will remain at a safe distance from the station for approximately three months while conducting a series of remotely controlled science experiments. NASA will broadcast the release live, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Friday on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

While robotic operations continued outside the space station, the astronauts pressed ahead with spacewalk preparations. NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir, Chris Williams, and Jack Hathaway gathered together and reviewed the tools and equipment required to install a modification kit and route cables for a future roll-out solar array on the port side of the orbital outpost. NASA will soon announce the date and name the two spacewalkers who will exit the station’s Quest airlock into the vacuum of space for the roll-out solar array preparation work.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot began her shift packing cargo for disposal inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft attached to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. Cygnus will conclude its mission soon at the orbital outpost that began on Sept. 18 with its robotic capture and installation to Unity. Adenot also worked in the Kibo laboratory module removing computer and electronics hardware for stowage and later reuse.

Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev teamed up early Thursday for a Roscosmos digestion study. Shortly after waking, the duo scanned their stomachs with an ultrasound device before eating their breakfast. After their meal, the station commander and flight engineer repeated the stomach scans helping researchers understand how the digestive system adapts to weightlessness.

Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev kicked off his shift servicing the Elektron oxygen generator and its components in the station’s Roscosmos segment. Fedyaev then inspected video recording gear, downloaded video and imagery for mission controllers, and installed automated Earth observation hardware to capture imagery of islands across the Asia-Pacific region.

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

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Mark A. Garcia

Canadarm2 Grips Cargo Spacecraft, Spacewalk Prep and Biology Continue

A JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) cargo spacecraft is in the grasp of the Canadarm2 robotic arm following its detachment from the International Space Station’s Harmony module on Thursday. The Expedition 74 crew continued its spacewalk preparations, transferred more cargo, and conducted biology research throughout the day.

The HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft was uninstalled from Harmony with the Canadarm2 at 2:26 p.m. EST Thursday and maneuvered to an overnight parking position. During the crew’s sleep shift, Japanese mission controllers will conduct a laser ranging sensor demonstration test with HTV-X1 still held by the robotic arm.

Then at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 to release HTV-X1 into Earth orbit. The spacecraft will remain at a safe distance from the station for approximately three months while conducting a series of remotely controlled science experiments. NASA will broadcast the release live, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Friday on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

While robotic operations continued outside the space station, the astronauts pressed ahead with spacewalk preparations. NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir, Chris Williams, and Jack Hathaway gathered together and reviewed the tools and equipment required to install a modification kit and route cables for a future roll-out solar array on the port side of the orbital outpost. NASA will soon announce the date and name the two spacewalkers who will exit the station’s Quest airlock into the vacuum of space for the roll-out solar array preparation work.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot began her shift packing cargo for disposal inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft attached to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. Cygnus will conclude its mission soon at the orbital outpost that began on Sept. 18 with its robotic capture and installation to Unity. Adenot also worked in the Kibo laboratory module removing computer and electronics hardware for stowage and later reuse.

Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev teamed up early Thursday for a Roscosmos digestion study. Shortly after waking, the duo scanned their stomachs with an ultrasound device before eating their breakfast. After their meal, the station commander and flight engineer repeated the stomach scans helping researchers understand how the digestive system adapts to weightlessness.

Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev kicked off his shift servicing the Elektron oxygen generator and its components in the station’s Roscosmos segment. Fedyaev then inspected video recording gear, downloaded video and imagery for mission controllers, and installed automated Earth observation hardware to capture imagery of islands across the Asia-Pacific region.

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

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.

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Mark A. Garcia

Japanese Spacecraft Ready for Departure, Crew Studies Biology and Advanced Tech

Expedition 74 is ready to send off a Japanese cargo spacecraft on Friday after four months attached to the International Space Station. The orbital residents also spent Wednesday conducting a wide array of biology investigations to keep humans healthy on and off the Earth and tested advanced technology to benefit crew operations.

NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir finalized operations with the HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft readying it for its departure on Friday. The duo disconnected power supply systems to the HTV-X1, installed electronic control units that will command components to detach from the spacecraft, and then closed the vehicle and station hatches.

At 2:25 p.m. EST on Thursday, robotics controllers will remotely command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to uninstall HTV-X1 from the Harmony module’s Earth-facing port then maneuver it to a parking position for an overnight laser ranging sensor demonstration test. Finally, at 12 p.m. on Friday, robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 to release HTV-X1 into Earth orbit where it will stay for three months at a safe distance from the orbital outpost to conduct remotely-controlled science experiments. NASA will broadcast the release of HTV-X1 with coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. Friday  on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

Before completing the HTV-X1 work on Wednesday, Williams configured experimental robotics hardware in the Kibo laboratory module designed to automate tasks and reduce crew workload. Next, he took a cognition test to measure any space-caused changes to his brain structure and function for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations. Meir filmed stuffed toys floating in weightlessness inside Kibo to promote the commercialization of space and excite youngsters about space exploration.

Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) kicked off their shift testing the EchoFinder-2 biomedical device inside the Columbus laboratory module. Each took turns scanning the other’s abdomen and vascular system with the EchoFinder-2 that uses augmented reality for ultrasound scanning guidance and artificial intelligence for organ detection. The objective of the human research study is to reduce reliance on ground support for medical procedures as a crew flies farther away from Earth.

Working in the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev wore a variety of arm, wrist, and finger cuffs measuring his blood pressure to help researchers understand how living in microgravity affects vascular health. Afterward, Fedyaev wrapped up his shift inside the Nauka science module cleaning ventilation system fans and photographing his work.

Flight engineer Sergei Mikaev wrapped up an automated overnight Earth photography session that imaged South American and African landmarks in different wavelengths. Next, Mikaev configured data and communications hardware or stowage in the Zvezda service module. He later pointed a camera out a window on Zvezda and photographed South America’s Patagonia region and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands near Antarctica.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov continued a space physics experiment pointing a molecular beam, or a stream of atoms and molecules, at semiconductor materials to observe how they react and learn how to create advanced device structures with ultra-clean surfaces. At the end of his shift, Kud-Sverchkov set up hardware he and Mikaev will use the following day to scan their stomachs after breakfast to understand how weightlessness affects the digestion system.

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

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.

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Mark A. Garcia

Japanese Spacecraft Ready for Departure, Crew Studies Biology and Advanced Tech

Expedition 74 is ready to send off a Japanese cargo spacecraft on Friday after four months attached to the International Space Station. The orbital residents also spent Wednesday conducting a wide array of biology investigations to keep humans healthy on and off the Earth and tested advanced technology to benefit crew operations.

NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir finalized operations with the HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft readying it for its departure on Friday. The duo disconnected power supply systems to the HTV-X1, installed electronic control units that will command components to detach from the spacecraft, and then closed the vehicle and station hatches.

At 2:25 p.m. EST on Thursday, robotics controllers will remotely command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to uninstall HTV-X1 from the Harmony module’s Earth-facing port then maneuver it to a parking position for an overnight laser ranging sensor demonstration test. Finally, at 12 p.m. on Friday, robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 to release HTV-X1 into Earth orbit where it will stay for three months at a safe distance from the orbital outpost to conduct remotely-controlled science experiments. NASA will broadcast the release of HTV-X1 with coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. Friday  on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

Before completing the HTV-X1 work on Wednesday, Williams configured experimental robotics hardware in the Kibo laboratory module designed to automate tasks and reduce crew workload. Next, he took a cognition test to measure any space-caused changes to his brain structure and function for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations. Meir filmed stuffed toys floating in weightlessness inside Kibo to promote the commercialization of space and excite youngsters about space exploration.

Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) kicked off their shift testing the EchoFinder-2 biomedical device inside the Columbus laboratory module. Each took turns scanning the other’s abdomen and vascular system with the EchoFinder-2 that uses augmented reality for ultrasound scanning guidance and artificial intelligence for organ detection. The objective of the human research study is to reduce reliance on ground support for medical procedures as a crew flies farther away from Earth.

Working in the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev wore a variety of arm, wrist, and finger cuffs measuring his blood pressure to help researchers understand how living in microgravity affects vascular health. Afterward, Fedyaev wrapped up his shift inside the Nauka science module cleaning ventilation system fans and photographing his work.

Flight engineer Sergei Mikaev wrapped up an automated overnight Earth photography session that imaged South American and African landmarks in different wavelengths. Next, Mikaev configured data and communications hardware or stowage in the Zvezda service module. He later pointed a camera out a window on Zvezda and photographed South America’s Patagonia region and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands near Antarctica.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov continued a space physics experiment pointing a molecular beam, or a stream of atoms and molecules, at semiconductor materials to observe how they react and learn how to create advanced device structures with ultra-clean surfaces. At the end of his shift, Kud-Sverchkov set up hardware he and Mikaev will use the following day to scan their stomachs after breakfast to understand how weightlessness affects the digestion system.

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

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.

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Mark A. Garcia

Japan’s Cargo Spacecraft Nears Departure as Crew Works Spacewalk Preps, Science

Mission managers have given the go for a Japanese cargo spacecraft to depart the International Space Station at the end of the week. Meanwhile, the Expedition 74 crew is reviewing upcoming spacewalk procedures, packing a second cargo spacecraft for its departure, studying artificial intelligence tools, and conducting Earth observations.

JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft is packed with disposable cargo and ready to complete its mission at the orbital outpost in two steps. First, at 1:25 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, the Canadarm2 robotic arm will uninstall the HTV-X1 from the Harmony module’s Earth-facing port and place it in a temporary parking position. Japanese mission controllers will then conduct sensor demonstration tests on the HTV-X1 while it is still in the grips of the Canadarm2. Finally, at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 6, Canadarm2 will release it into Earth orbit where it will conduct three more months of science activities at a safe distance from the orbiting lab. Live release coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

Spacewalk preparations are underway as the astronauts gear up to ready the space station for a new roll-out solar array later this month. NASA will soon announce the date and name the two spacewalkers who will install a modification kit and route cables on the port side of the orbital lab where the roll-out solar array will be attached on a future spacewalk. This will be the seventh roll-out solar array on the station augmenting the main solar arrays’ power generation capabilities.

Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) joined each other in the first half of their Tuesday shift and reviewed procedures for the upcoming spacewalk. The duo, both first-time space flyers, printed out checklists, familiarized themselves with tools and the Quest airlock where spacewalks are staged, and studied emergency procedures. Hathaway also configured a spacesuit installing its components, checking a helmet, and cleaning suit seals.

NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams began their shift partnering together and transferring standard emergency hardware from the space station to a docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that launched the Crew-12 mission. Meir then moved on and assisted Adenot loading trash and obsolete gear inside the Cygnus XL cargo craft that is due to end its mission next week when the Canadarm2 grapples it and releases it for an atmospheric reentry above the south Pacific Ocean.

In the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting laboratory, station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov worked throughout the day using molecular beams to study the growth of high purity semiconductor materials in microgravity. Flight engineers Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev took turns installing and operating a pair of Earth observation experiments. Fedyaev first configured photography equipment then captured imagery of landmarks across South America. Afterward, Mikaev installed automated multi-wavelength photography gear and programmed it to capture more South American landmarks as well as African landmarks during the crew’s sleep shift. Mikaev also continued studying using artificial intelligence tools as a way to improve crew operations and communications with mission controllers.

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

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.

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Mark A. Garcia