Archivo de la etiqueta: International Space Station

Crew Works on Biomedicine, Spacesuits Day Before Swapping Commanders

The Expedition 74 crew is wrapping up its final weekend together with biomedical checks, spacesuit cleaning, and cargo packing inside the Soyuz MS-28 crew spacecraft. The orbital residents will swap commanders on Saturday the day before three crewmates depart the International Space Station for a ride back to Earth.

Blood sample processing and vein scans were the main scientific activities aboard the orbital outpost on Friday. Doctors are continuously collecting crew biomedical data to help astronauts stay healthy while living and working long-term in space. The unique insights are only possible in microgravity and also have the potential to advance health on Earth.

NASA flight engineer Anil Menon was back on cell immunity research spinning crew blood samples in a centrifuge then stowing them in a science freezer for preservation and later analysis. Doctors will examine the samples to monitor crew health and cellular immune function for the Immunity Assay investigation.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir took her turn as crew medical officer and operated the Ultrasound 3 device to scan the veins of flight engineers Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos.  NASA flight engineer Chris Williams then took over from Meir and scanned her veins with the Ultrasound 3 as part of his final duties aboard the space station.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathway spent his shift inside the Quest airlock cleaning a pair of spacesuits. Hathaway first cleaned the water-cooling loops that keep the suit’s temperature stable during a spacewalk. Then he checked the spacesuits for operability before refilling their tanks and liquid cooling ventilation garments with water.

Roscosmos flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina are still continuing lab orientation activities as they adapt to weightlessness and learn new technical skills. Dubrov also checked the Elektron oxygen generator’s external tanks for water and air bubbles. Kikina assisted cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev as they tested the lower body negative pressure suit that may ease the duo’s adjustment to gravity after returning to Earth on Sunday.

Kud-Sverchkov will hand over command of the orbital outpost to Meir at 9:40 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Then he, Mikaev, and Williams will end their eight-month space research mission at 3:03 a.m. on Sunday when they undock from the Rassvet module aboard the Soyuz MS-28. Expedition 75 officially begins and Expedition 74 ends when the Soyuz departs the orbital outpost. They will parachute back to Earth inside the Soyuz and land in Kazakhstan at 6:25 a.m. (3:25 p.m. local time). All mission events will be streamed live on NASA+ and other platforms.

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

Science and Spacesuit Work Before Crew Changes Commanders

The International Space Station will change commanders on Saturday before three Expedition 74 crew members return to Earth on Sunday. As the homebound trio prepares for departure, the rest of the orbital crewmates are keeping up microgravity research and checking out spacewalking gear.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev are getting ready to return to Earth this weekend inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft. They will undock from the Rassvet module at 3:03 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 26, and land in Kazakhstan at 6:25 a.m. (3:25 p.m. local time). They spent Thursday packing the Soyuz with cargo and practicing their landing procedures on a computer.

Kud-Sverchkov, the station’s commander, will hand over leadership of the orbital outpost to NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir during the change of command ceremony scheduled for 9:40 a.m. on Saturday. Meir will take charge of the seven-member crew until the end of summer. Expedition 75 will officially begin when the Soyuz carrying the Expedition 74 trio home undocks from Rassvet.

Meir spent Thursday setting up advanced scientific hardware to expand biology research in space. Meir first installed a specialized microscope in the Destiny laboratory module to observe microgravity’s effects on disease, tissue development, and drug responses. Next, she mixed living cartilage cell samples with bioink and placed them in a bioprinter to test printing viable tissues on demand to treat a range of health conditions on and off the Earth.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway assisted Meir with the bioprinting duties. Hathaway also joined flight engineers Anil Menon of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and checked out the functionality of spacesuit components including batteries, lights, and cameras. Menon also processed his blood samples for the Immunity Assay investigation that monitors health and cellular immune function in space. Adenot continued testing workout techniques on the new European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device.

Roscosmos flight engineers Andrey Fedyaev and Pyotr Dubrov partnered together collecting air and surface samples then processing and stowing the samples for microbial analysis on Earth. Flight engineer Anna Kikina continued her human research measuring the blood pressure in her tiny vessels, or microcirculatory system, and wearing an acoustic monitor that recorded her rapid exhalation rate for a respiratory study.

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

Weekend Departure Preps Continue as Crew Works Science, Spacesuits

Three Expedition 74 crew members are nearing the end of their stay aboard the International Space Station handing over mission responsibilities and packing up cargo for return to Earth. Science hardware, lab maintenance, and spacesuits kept the rest of the crew busy aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev will ride back to Earth inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft to land in Kazakhstan at 6:26 a.m. (3:26 p.m. local time) on Sunday, July 26, completing an eight-month space research mission. They are spending the rest of the week packing cargo inside the Soyuz while helping their replacements get up to speed with space station operations and systems. The Expedition 74 mission will end and Expedition 75 will officially begin when the homebound trio undocks from the Rassvet module inside their Soyuz spacecraft at 3:02 a.m. on Sunday.

NASA flight engineer Anil Menon and Roscosmos flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Ana Kikina are in the second week of their planned eight-and-a-half-month mission. They are using their new skills to conduct space research while still familiarizing themselves with living and working in space. Menon setup a pair of research incubators and connected them to the Columbus laboratory module’s power supply. Dubrov and Kikina collected and processed their blood samples, then stowed the specimens inside a Roscosmos science freezer for later analysis.

Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) partnered together at the end of their shift on Wednesday and checked out procedures and spacesuits in the Quest airlock. Hathaway also replaced orbital plumbing components in the Tranquility module. Adenot videotaped herself working out on the new European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device to inform future workout techniques on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir inspected crew quarters acoustic blankets, organized food packages stowed inside the Unity module, and tested the operation of plumbing hardware. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev strapped a series of cuffs around his arm, wrist, and fingers to measure how blood flows through his microcirculatory system in microgravity then worked on life support maintenance the rest of his shift.

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

Biomedical Research, Crew Swap Operations Pack Busy Day Aboard Station

Biomedical research to keep the Expedition 74 crew healthy and advance health on Earth packed Tuesday’s schedule aboard the International Space Station. The orbital residents are also handing over their mission responsibilities as three crewmates prepare to return to Earth this weekend.

Blood pressure measurements, vein scans, and eye checks kept the crew busy as they conducted a variety of health studies to help doctors understand how the human body adapts to a long-term spaceflight. The research data also provides researchers unique insights unobtainable in Earth’s gravity and enables opportunities to develop advanced treatments for space-related and Earthbound conditions.

CSA (Canadian Space Agency) is testing the ability of its sensor-packed Bio-Monitor vest and headband to comfortably and continuously monitor health throughout an astronaut’s shift. NASA flight engineer Chris Williams wore the health-wear for a 24-hour recording session while also using CSA’s Mobil-o-Graph to measure his blood pressure during his work shift.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir peered into medical imaging hardware operated by NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway inside the Harmony module for a standard eye exam. Doctors on the ground assisted the crew as they examined Meir’s retina, cornea, and lens in real time. Hathaway also operated the Ultrasound 3 biomedical device and scanned the veins of Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev. Meir set up the PhysioTool research gear to measure the cognition level of flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) as she performed a mental acuity task.

NASA flight engineer Anil Menon is continuing to get up to speed with living aboard the orbital outpost with his fellow crewmates flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, who began their mission on July 14. Menon is also picking up new skills from Williams, who is handing over his mission responsibilities before he ends his mission and flies back to Earth with Kud-Sverchkov and Roscosmos flight engineer Sergei Mikaev in a few days. Menon, Dubrov, and Kikina also gathered together and reviewed the location and operation of safety gear.

Williams, Kud-Sverchkov, and Mikaev have been packing personal items and cargo inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft they will ride back to Earth when they depart the space station over the weekend ending Expedition 74. The trio began their mission launching from Kazakhstan on Nov. 27, 2025 and docking to the Rassvet module the same day.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev photographed growing microbes to analyze how they adapt to microgravity and learn how to maintain safe, sterile conditions during biological experimentation aboard a spacecraft. Fedyaev then inspected orbital plumbing components and serviced ventilation gear throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment.

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 Turns Attention to Departing Crewmates

Three Expedition 74 crew members are packing up cargo and handing over their responsibilities with less than one week to go before returning to Earth. The International Space Station’s three newest crewmates are already in the second week of their mission getting used to life on orbit and researching how microgravity affects the human body.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev are nearing the end of their mission that began with a launch from Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on Nov. 27, 2025. The trio will undock from the Rassvet module in the Soyuz MS-28 over the weekend signifying the beginning of Expedition 75. They will take a short ride back to Earth for a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan inside the Soyuz. NASA will soon release a Soyuz landing media advisory with official mission times, dates, and links to live NASA+ coverage.

Williams is handing over his mission responsibilities this week to NASA flight engineer Anil Menon who arrived at the orbital outpost on Tuesday, July 14 aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. Williams is also helping Menon locate food, cargo, and medical supplies, practice safely moving around the space station, and operate the multitude of lab hardware and systems.

Kud Sverchkov and Mikaev continued testing the lower body negative pressure suit that my help the duo adapt quicker to Earth’s gravity after living and working in weightlessness for eight months. The experimental suit works by reversing the space-caused fluid shifts from a crew member’s head toward their feet helping their blood pressure adjust to gravity. The cosmonauts will also spend the rest of week packing the Soyuz MS-28 with cargo and handing over their responsibilities to Roscosmos flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, who began their mission with Menon last week.

Menon, Dubrov, and Kikina are now transitioning from familiarization and orientation activities to full time space research and lab maintenance. Menon kicked off Monday with blood sample collections, blood pressure checks, and artery scans using the Ultrasound 3 biomedical device. Dubrov and Kikina took turns wearing virtual reality goggles and responding to computerized stimuli testing how their sense of balance and direction is adapting to microgravity. The human research helps doctors keep crews healthy in space revealing how the body changes during a long-term spaceflight.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir, who will become station commander when Expedition 75 begins, started her shift assisting Menon with his health studies. After lunchtime, Meir serviced an external high-definition camera that will be installed outside of the orbiting lab. Flight engineer Jack Hathaway of NASA photographed tiny particles suspended in fluid that naturally arrange themselves into crystal‑like structures for a space physics investigation. Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) tried on and tested two different suits on Monday—the EasyMotion-2 suit aims to increase the effectiveness of working out in microgravity, while the EuroSuit seeks to improve comfort and ergonomics aboard a spacecraft. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev assisted his departing crewmates with the lower body negative pressure suit tests.

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