Archivo de la etiqueta: International Space Station

Biotech and Health Research Top Thursday’s Workday, Crew Completes Training

Biotechnology work and health research was the main focus on Thursday aboard the International Space Station. Five Expedition 73 crew members also scheduled some time for training and additional experiment cleanup duties.

Understanding how the human body reacts to spaceflight is crucial as humans prepare for missions to the Moon and beyond. The CIPHER investigation, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, is one of many ongoing health-focused studies in microgravity that looks at how various systems in the body—the heart, muscles, bones, and eyes—adapt to longer missions. NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain dedicated a large portion of her week to CIPHER activities and continued through today as she collected biological samples for processing and analysis. Later on, she completed a cognition test, then teamed up with NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim, as he guided her through a vestibular exam before a scan that measures the pressure in her eyes.

Kim also spent a portion of his day working with the Life Sciences Glovebox. He and NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers conducted biotechnology work that aims to understand in-space manufacturing of nanomaterials that mimic DNA in space. Throughout experiment operations, three different products will be manufactured and returned to Earth for analysis. In the afternoon, current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) continued this work while Kim and Ayers moved onto other tasks.

After donning the Bio-Monitor for 48 hours to investigate the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system, Ayers doffed the headband and garment to collect data. She was then joined by McClain, Kim, Onishi and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov to complete a round of training in the event an emergency were to occur aboard station. Afterward, the five residents held a conference with ground teams to go over the materials.

Before winding down for the evening, Ayers cleaned out the Veggie facility after APEX-12 experiment operations wrapped. As part of the investigation, earlier this week, she and McClain harvested thale cress plants to observe how space radiation affects plant genetics.

Peskov, along with Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, completed some orbital plumbing duties today. Additionally, Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky both completed a virtual reality test that tracks their eye and brain movement.

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

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Abby Graf

Crew Expands on Health Research, Botany and Pharmaceutical Work

A full day of experiment preparations and health research topped Wednesday’s Expedition 73 schedule aboard the International Space Station. The crew expanded on agricultural and pharmaceutical work that began earlier in the week and continued to study how spaceflight affects the human body.

In the morning, NASA Flight Engineers Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, along with current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), completed some spacesuit work, installing straps for stowage and later on, an electronics data recorder box and impact shield. Ayers then moved onto work that’s looking at capabilities for producing pharmaceutical ingredients in space that could be used to synthesize medications during future deep-space missions. She removed cassette carriers for the ADSEP-4 investigation, replacing them with a new set for future analysis.

Meanwhile, McClain spent a majority of the day expanding on CIPHER work that began yesterday. CIPHER, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, takes a full-body approach through a suite of 14 studies to investigate how the human body reacts to spaceflight, insights that could prepare astronauts on future lunar missions. Today, McClain collected a host of biological samples then stored them inside MELFI—the station’s freezer used to preserve science samples at ultra-cold temps—for ground teams to analyze.   

Onishi swabbed surfaces throughout various U.S. modules and the Japanese Experiment Module for microbial analysis. He then took to photographing tomato plants currently growing in microgravity for a space agricultural study. These photos will later be analyzed by researchers on the ground to better understand crop growth in space and if crops can be cultivated without photosynthesis. Onishi ended his day unpacking additional cargo from a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim got straight to experiment prep work in the morning. He deployed the Life Sciences Glovebox—a work area crew members often use for life science and technology investigations—before preparing for a study that builds upon past work to develop nanomaterials that mimic DNA in space. After experiment prep work, Kim moved on to some orbital plumbing and Dragon cargo operations before meeting Ayers at the end of the day, where she then guided a cardiovascular ultrasound scan to measure his blood flow.  

Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos spent the morning throughout the Rassvet, Poisk, and Zarya modules to take inventory of equipment connected to electrical sockets. He then monitored CO2 levels in the Roscosmos segment before updating a collection of computer software. His colleagues, Flight Engineers Alexey Zubritsky and Kirill Peskov took inventory of personal hygiene items before auditing cargo that will be loaded in the Progress 90 spacecraft for its eventual departure from the station. 

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

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Abby Graf

Crew Spends Tuesday Focused on Health Research

A full suite of human health research kept the Expedition 73 crew busy Tuesday aboard the International Space Station.

Current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) started the day powering on and setting up the Ultrasound 2 device to assist NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim with an eye exam that looks at optic nerve health. Following the exam, Kim donned a lightweight thigh cuff while Onishi guided a cardiovascular ultrasound scan to measure Kim’s vision and blood flow changes. This ongoing health research is helping scientists better understand if wearing a device like the thigh cuff could prevent upward blood and fluid shifts.

Onishi then moved on to collect and process water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser before continuing to unpack a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft which arrived to the station April 22. Meanwhile, Kim photographed tomato plants for a space agricultural study before assisting NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain with additional health research.

McClain spent her morning on Dragon cargo operations then focused the rest of her day on a collection of human health research for the CIPHER study, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research. CIPHER takes a full-body approach to investigate how multiple systems of the body react to spaceflight, which could help prepare future crews on missions to the Moon and beyond. McClain collected biological samples for analysis by ground teams, then received an ultrasound scan guided by Kim that looks at the health of the back of her eye.

In the Columbus Laboratory Module, NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers set up and donned the Bio-Monitor, a garment and headband she’ll wear for the next 48 hours to investigate the effect of microgravity on the cardiovascular system. Later on, she removed and replaced cable arm ropes on the orbital lab’s Advanced Resistive Exercise Device before moving on to Dragon cargo operations.

In the Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky took inventory of storage areas then continued yesterday’s work with Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov to install hardware for an experiment that will examine the station’s aerodynamic force. Their colleague, Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov, spent the day inventorying a variety of items including hygiene products, food, and more.

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

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Abby Graf

Crew Kicks off Week with Agriculture and Tech Work, Wraps Spacewalk Cleanup

The Expedition 73 crew members are kicking off a busy week aboard the International Space Station. Technology development, space botany, and clean up following last Thursday’s spacewalk topped Monday’s schedule.

The morning started with NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers and current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) teaming up to check out the petri plates housing thale cress plant in the station’s Veggie facility. The duo harvested some of the plants as part of the APEX-12 experiment, which observes how space radiation affects plant genetics.

Following space botany work, Ayers moved onto troubleshooting communications and network hardware before completing her daily two hours of exercise on the station’s treadmill and Advanced Resistive Exercise Device.

To wrap up cleanup duties following Ayers’ and NASA Astronaut Anne McClain’s 5 hour and 44-minute spacewalk last Thursday, Onishi spent the afternoon on spacesuit work, performing a cooling loop scrub. He was later joined by NASA’s Jonny Kim as the first-time space resident removed batteries from the spacesuits and the propulsive jetpack system (SAFER).

Kim also spent part of his day connecting with students from Verona, Italy, where he answered questions about living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory during a Ham Radio call and later performed routine on-orbit plumbing.

McClain set her sights to monitoring an ongoing tech demonstration that looks at capabilities for producing pharmaceutical ingredients in space that could be used to synthesize medications during future deep-space missions. She removed samples in the ADSEP cassette carriers then installed new cassettes for future analysis. Midafternoon, she photographed tomato plants for a space agricultural study to help researchers better understand if crops can be cultivated in space without photosynthesis. She later collected water samples from the Water Processing Assembly for chemical analysis and reorganized cargo racks in SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft, which arrived to the microgravity lab April 22.

The station’s three cosmonauts had a busy day of cleaning, cargo operations, and experiment prep. Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky worked together auditing Roscosmos cargo that will be loaded in the Progress 90 spacecraft before its eventual departure from the station. The duo then installed photo and videography hardware for a future experiment that will examine the station’s aerodynamic force. Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov conducted routine orbital cleaning in the Roscosmos segment and synced up the cameras the trio uses to photograph Earth and its landmarks.

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

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Abby Graf

Crew Cleans Up After Spacewalk, Studies Biology, Earth Science, and More

The Expedition 73 crew members are cleaning up after a spacewalk on Thursday to upgrade power systems on the International Space Station. The lab residents also continued research and maintenance activities aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers are reorganizing the Quest airlock and servicing a pair of spacesuits following their five-hour and 44-minute spacewalk on Thursday. The duo started Friday stowing spacewalking hardware inside Quest where they suited up for their spacewalk the day before. McClain and Ayers then checked their spacesuit water tanks and collected water samples from the tanks for chemical analysis. They were also joined by NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) station Commander Takuya Onishi for a conference with engineers on the ground to review their spacewalking accomplishments.

During their spacewalk, McClain and Ayers installed a modification kit on the space station’s port side truss structure preparing it for the arrival of a new rollout solar array. Afterward, the spacewalkers relocated a communications antenna, installed a jumper cable, and removed bolts from a micrometeoroid cover completing their excursion in the vacuum of space.

Kim also spent some time on Friday photographing tomato plants growing for a space agricultural study to learn if crops can be cultivated without photosynthesis. Onishi used a specialized 3D microscope obtaining imagery of the behavior of bacteria samples in a liquid to learn how to monitor water quality, detect infectious microorganisms, and keep crews and spacecraft safe.

The three cosmonauts representing the Roscosmos portion of the crew spent time in their segment of the orbiting lab on their contingent of science and upkeep duties.

Three-time space station resident Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov took an opportunity to photograph the effects of a landslide in Brazil as the station orbited above the South American nation. Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky downloaded data measuring the vibrations the space station experiences during spacecraft arrivals and departures, as well as other orbital operations, that may help engineers design stronger space structures. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov checked radiation detectors that McClain and Ayers wore during their spacewalk and cleaned smoke detectors in the Nauka science module.

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

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Mark A. Garcia