The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, loaded with over 7,700 pounds of science, supplies, and cargo, approaches the space station for a docking on Nov. 27, 2022.
A SpaceX Dragon is on track to arrive at the International Space Station today, Thursday, March 16, with an expected docking of the cargo spacecraft about 7:28 a.m. EDT. Live coverage is underway on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
When it arrives to the space station, Dragon will dock to the station’s Harmony module.
Dragon successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 8:30 p.m. EDT, March 14, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying more than 6,200 pounds of research, hardware, and supplies to the International Space Station.
Lab, Plumbing, and Ultrasounds Keep Crew Busy Before Cargo Delivery
A SpaceX Dragon cargo craft is seen approaching the International Space Station on Nov. 27, 2022.
The SpaceX Dragon is on track to deliver cargo to the International Space Station after lifting off on March 14, marking the company’s 27th commercial resupply mission. Meanwhile, the Expedition 68 crew kept busy completing lab work, ultrasounds, and plumbing duties.
NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen spent time moving equipment to the cupola to help monitor Dragon’s docking. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously at 7:52 a.m. EDT Thursday, March 16, to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. NASA Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg will monitor the automated docking.
Bowen and Hoburg also drew blood samples for the Immunity Assay study. Bowen spun blood tubes in a centrifuge and stowed them in a freezer for later analysis. The results of the study are expected to provide a better understanding of how the immune system changes in space.
NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio and Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi from UAE (United Arab Emirates) were tasked with removing and replacing a toilet. Alneyadi also repaired damages to paint on a stall wall.
Toward the end of the day, Rubio and Bowen had their eyes scanned using an ultrasound device. Doctors on the ground remotely guide astronauts during the exam, which looks at the health of the retina, cornea, and optic nerve. They also performed ultrasounds of their necks, clavicles, shoulders, and behind the knees.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin, and Andrey Fedyaev boarded the damaged Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station and closed the hatch, without latching, for a 3-hour-and-45-minute thermal test to simulate temperature and humidity levels the descent module of a Soyuz could experience during an expedited crew return to Earth. The data from the test could be used by engineers if ever needed to return a damaged Soyuz in the future.
The Soyuz MS-22 will undock from the station March 28 for its uncrewed, parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan. Prokopyev, Petelin, and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will return to Earth later this year in the new Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft that arrived at the orbital complex in February.
SpaceX Resupply Mission Launches to the Space Station
SpaceX’s 27th commercial resupply mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 8:30 p.m. EDT, carrying over 6,200 lbs. of science, supplies, and food for the international crew.
A SpaceX Dragon launched on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8:30 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying more than 6,200 pounds of research, hardware, and supplies to the International Space Station.
About 12 minutes after launch, Dragon separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, opened its nosecone, and began a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the space station.
Dragon is on track to arrive at the International Space Station Thursday, March 16, with an expected docking about 7:52 a.m. EDT. Live coverage on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website will begin at 6:15 a.m.
Biology, Botany, and Training Fill Crew Schedule Ahead of Cargo Launch
A view of red dwarf tomato plants growing in the Veggie plant growth facility aboard the International Space Station as part of the Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-05) investigation from Feb. 5, 2023.
The Expedition 68 crew members spent their day carrying out biological research, harvesting vegetables, and prepping for a commercial resupply mission delivering more than 6,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to launch at 8:30 p.m. EDT this evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft is providing the crew with new science investigations, food, fuel, and supplies. Dragon is slated to dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module Thursday morning.
NASA Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg is scheduled to monitor Dragon’s automated docking. In the meantime, he completed a session using the Robotics On-board Trainer, which teaches astronauts docking and grappling techniques.
NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen continued to work on the Immunity Assay study. The study aims to monitor how the immune system changes in response to the stresses of space by analyzing biological samples taken before, during, and after flight. Bowen was tasked with uninstalling containers and prepping test tubes for the experiment.
NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio plucked tomatoes from the Veggie Vegetable Production System (Veggie) for the Veg-05 space botany study. The investigation seeks to determine the best horticultural practices for growing fresh vegetables in space. Rubio and Bowen both capped the evening with a remotely guided eye exam.
Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi from UAE (United Arab Emirates) had a chance to record a video for an educational series focused on demonstrating scientific concepts in space for students and teachers. He later fit in an exercise session on the treadmill.
The cosmonauts aboard the station gathered to shoot a series of video greetings as well. Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin, and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscomsos also reviewed a procedure together for checking the temperature and humidity conditions during the undocking and descent of a Soyuz spacecraft.
At 7:54 a.m. the ISS Progress 83 thrusters performed a 2-minute, 35-second burn to provide extra distance from a fragment of Russian Cosmos 1408 satellite debris. NASA and Russian flight controllers worked together to conduct the maneuver. Without the maneuver, which will have no impact on the rendezvous profile for the Dragon cargo craft or downstream vehicle operations, it is estimated that the fragment could have passed within 1/10th of a mile of the station. Crew were notified of the conjunction in advance and were never in danger.
Expedition 68 Adjusts to Life in Space Following Crew-5 Return
Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi from UAE (United Arab Emirates) harvests tomatoes grown aboard the International Space Station and stows samples in a bag for later analysis as part of the Veg-05 space botany investigation on Mar. 7, 2023.
The Expedition 68 crew is adjusting to life aboard the International Space Station after four Crew-5 members safely returned to Earth last Saturday. The remaining crew members kickstarted the week by continuing to carry out a mix of science experiments and operational tasks.
NASA Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen spent the morning collecting and storing blood and saliva samples for the Immunity Assay investigation. The study aims to monitor how the immune system responds to the stresses of human spaceflight with the aid of a functional immunity test. Until recently, the test could only be performed before and after flight. Conducting the test inflight will help provide researchers with a clearer idea about how the immune system changes in space.
NASA Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg spent a portion of the day training on how to use the Veggie Vegetable Production System (Veggie) for the Veg-05 space botany study. He later checked leaves and tomatoes inside the unit for signs of microbial growth. Sultan Alneyadi of UAE (United Arab Emirates) also had a chance to harvest plants from the growth chamber.
Among the station’s three cosmonauts, Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin tag teamed preparing biological samples for another study focused on the immune system. Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos was tasked with performing an inventory of medical kits and closed the day communicating with students on Earth using a ham radio.
Meanwhile, NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio was off duty today. He rounded off his evening with a combination of aerobic and resistive exercises. The newest residents aboard the space station, Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev, were each afforded an hour to orient themselves to the spaceflight environment as well.
Looking ahead, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to liftoff Tuesday evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft will deliver new science investigations, supplies, and equipment for the international crew. Hoburg will monitor Dragon’s automated docking to the Harmony module’s forward port on March 16.
