Archivos de la categoría ISS News

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Go for Undocking on Wednesday

Expedition 74 is preparing to split up as four crew members turn their attention to Wednesday’s departure. The homebound quartet—representing NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission—spent Tuesday packing cargo, reviewing return to Earth procedures, and transferring hardware aboard the International Space Station.

Mission managers have given the “go” for the return to Earth of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. Cardman will command and Fincke will pilot Dragon alongside Mission Specialists Yui and Platonov when it undocks from the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 5:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday. Weather is looking excellent for Dragon’s parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of California at 3:41 a.m. on Thursday.

NASA+ begins its live coverage at 3 p.m. on Wednesday when the foursome enters Dragon, says goodbye to the crew on the orbital outpost, and closes the hatch. NASA+ returns at 4:45 p.m. for Dragon undocking coverage. Next, NASA+ will be back on the air at 2:15 a.m. on Thursday when Dragon begins its descent toward Earth. Finally, at 5:45 a.m. NASA+ will broadcast the post-splashdown news conference. All the activities can be viewed on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.

Cardman began Tuesday with her departing crewmates and trained to use respirators during unlikely events such as an ammonia leak. Next, she transferred standard emergency gear from Dragon and stowed it inside the space station with assistance from NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams. Fincke and Yui partnered together and uninstalled science hardware from the station and loaded it inside Dragon. All four crew members, including Platonov, continued packing personal items, practiced Dragon deorbit procedures on a computer, and discussed their mission readiness with mission controllers on the ground. Three crew members will remain aboard the orbital outpost after Crew-11 leaves.

Expedition 74 will be commanded by Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov leading Flight Engineers Sergei Mikaev and Williams. Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev started their shift on Tuesday taking a test assessing how crews make decisions and work together in space. Next, Kud-Sverchkov participated in a blood pressure study then jogged on a treadmill for a physical fitness test. Mikaev also took part in the blood pressure study then inventoried cargo and hardware stowed throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment. Williams spent the day supporting his departing crewmates.

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

Fincke Hands Over Station Command, Crew Preps for Wednesday Departure

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke handed over command of the International Space Station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov at 2:35 p.m. EST today. The traditional Change of Command Ceremony precedes the targeted departure of Fincke with Zena Cardman of NASA, Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission is targeted undock from the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 5:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Crew-11 will then complete a parachute-assisted lamnding inside Dragon to a splashdown off the coast of California less than 12 hours later at about 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15. NASA and SpaceX support personnel will retrieve Dragon and the crew from the Pacific Ocean and return them to California before the crewmates fly back to their home agencies.

Fincke, with assistance from his three homebound crewmates, packed gear and personal items inside Dragon throughout Monday. At the end of Monday’s shift, the foursome retrieved computer tablets from inside Dragon and reviewed the steps they will use while departing the station and reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

The three crew members remaining aboard the orbital outpost, Kud-Sverchkov with Chris Williams of NASA and Sergey Mikaev of Roscosmos will await the arrival of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 members Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, both from NASA, Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency), and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos. Crew-12 is due to launch to the space station in February and join Expedition 74 for a nine-month-long space research mission.

There was still time for science on Monday as Cardman scanned Williams’ arteries with the Ultrasound 2 device and collected his blood pressure measurements. Next, Williams assisted Cardman as she peered into medical imaging gear to help doctors assess the condition of her retina, cornea, and lens in microgravity. Afterward, Williams worked with Yui and treated microbe samples in the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox, exploring the use of ultraviolet light to disinfect spacecraft surfaces.

Cosmonauts Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev focused on maintenance Monday servicing electronic and ventilation systems then inventorying hardware throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment. Platonov assisted the duo amid his departure preparations.

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

Change of Command of International Space Station to Occur

NASA will provide live coverage of the International Space Station change of command ceremony starting at 2:35 p.m. EST Monday, Jan. 12. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. As Crew-11 prepares to depart from the space station, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke will hand command of Expedition 74 aboard the orbital complex to Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.

Following Crew-11’s departure on Wednesday, Jan. 14, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15. NASA and SpaceX are reviewing weather conditions in the splashdown zones, which currently are favorable for return.

On Jan. 8, NASA announced its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth from the space station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory, who is stable. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member. 

NASA will share more details about its coverage plans in the coming days.

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Joseph Zakrzewski

NASA, SpaceX Set Target Date for Crew-11’s Return to Earth

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 14, for the undocking of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station, pending weather conditions. 

On Jan. 8, NASA announced its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth from the space station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory, who is stable. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member. 

NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking. 

NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to changed based on real-time operations): 

Wednesday, Jan. 14 

3 p.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins

3:30 p.m. – Hatch closing 

4:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins

5 p.m. – Undocking 

Thursday, Jan. 15 

2:15 a.m. – Return coverage begins

2:50 a.m. – Deorbit burn 

3:40 a.m. – Splashdown 

5:45 a.m. – Return to Earth media news conference

NASA will set share more details about its coverage plans in the coming days.

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

Expedition 74 Preps for Crew Departure, Keeps Up Advanced Research

Four Expedition 74 crew members are preparing for their return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. Amid departure preparations, the International Space Station residents also conducted spacesuit maintenance, space biology research, and an artificial intelligence study.

Mission managers have decided to move up the return date for the four SpaceX Crew-11 members living and working aboard the orbital outpost. No departure date has been announced, though the crew has begun checking the fit and operability of their Dragon pressure suits. Fit verification is necessary because the spine lengthens and body fluids shift toward the head in microgravity, affecting torso and limb dimensions. The quartet also tested the suits’ audio and video communication systems.

Dragon Commander Zena Cardman will lead Pilot Mike Fincke, both NASA astronauts, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos back to Earth inside Dragon. The foursome began collecting their personal items and packing them for stowage aboard the spacecraft.

Cardman also worked on a pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock on Friday. She cleaned and flushed the suits’ internal water-cooling loops that regulate a spacewalker’s body temperature. Afterward, she powered down and inspected the suits, then uninstalled suit hardware, components, and batteries.

Yui wrapped up his shift by swapping sample cassettes holding protein crystal samples inside the Advanced Sample Experiment Processor-4 in support of the Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory experiments. NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams photographed Yui during the scientific operations. This research promotes the development and manufacturing of medicines in space, as the lack of gravity enables more pristine results.

Platonov explored vascular health while wearing chest electrodes and blood pressure cuffs on his arms, wrists, and fingers for the Endothelium human research experiment. He studied how the inner lining of blood vessels works to keep blood flowing smoothly, regulate pressure, and prevent clots in crew members. Doctors are monitoring how weightlessness and space radiation affect a cosmonaut’s arteries, blood pressure, and heart during spaceflight.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev continued testing artificial intelligence as a way to transcribe audio files, document daily crew activities, and improve operations aboard spacecraft. Earlier, the duo videotaped Platonov’s blood study activities, inventoried hardware in the Rassvet and Nauka modules, and packed trash and obsolete gear inside the Progress 93 cargo craft.

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