Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

Biomedical Research, CubeSat Deployments Top Crew Schedule

Biomedical research to keep crews healthy and CubeSat deployments for educational research topped the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 74 crew also focused on cargo swaps and life support maintenance throughout the day.

NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams processed his body samples during the first half of his shift for the long-running CIPHER astronaut health study. He collected then stowed his urine samples inside a science freezer for preservation and later analysis. The human research investigation looks at a broad range of physiological and psychological parameters before, during, and after a spaceflight to understand how the human body adapts to weightlessness. Doctors will use the insights to keep crews healthy as they travel farther away from Earth.

Williams also pointed a camera out a window on the cupola as a set of CubeSats were deployed outside the Kibo laboratory module by a small satellite orbital deployer into Earth orbit. Students from Mexico, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan designed the shoe-boxed satellites for a series of Earth observations and technology demonstrations.

Williams also logged onto a station computer and studied procedures to monitor the approach and rendezvous of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission aboard a Dragon spacecraft targeted to launch no earlier than Feb. 11 from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The first-time space flyer then continued packing completed science experiments and station hardware for return to Earth inside a Dragon spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port.

Flight Engineer Sergei Mikaev started his shift in the Nauka science module replacing battery controllers to maintain safe operations of the Roscosmos segment’s electrical power system. After lunchtime, Mikaev inspected and cleaned a pair of laptop computers before removing hardware and crew supplies from the Progress 92 cargo craft and stowing them inside the orbital outpost.

Station Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov spent his shift primarily on lab maintenance in the station’s Roscosmos’ modules. He first verified the location and configuration of a variety tool kits then inventoried and photographed the tools for analysis on the ground. Afterward, Kud-Sverchkov cleaned and inspected station smoked detectors and their components verifying they were in functional condition.

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.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Mark A. Garcia

Expedition 74 Kicks Off Week with Dragon Preps and Science Gear Work

The Expedition 74 crew kicked off the week with SpaceX Dragon spacecraft preparations and science hardware maintenance ensuring research continues providing pristine results aboard the International Space Station. The orbital trio is gearing up for a pair of missions targeted to arrive and depart the station this month while keeping up ongoing microgravity science impossible to achieve in Earth’s gravity environment and benefitting humans on and off the Earth.

The next mission to the orbital outpost, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12, is targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, no earlier than Feb. 11. Two NASA astronauts, commander Jessica Meir and pilot Jack Hathaway, will ride a SpaceX Dragon alongside mission specialists Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos. After docking to the Harmony module’s space-facing port, they will join Expedition 74 and begin a nine-month space research mission.

Expedition 74 Flight Engineer Chris Williams studied the monitoring tools and techniques he will use when Crew-12 aboard Dragon begins its approach and rendezvous maneuvers toward Harmony. Williams reviewed the variety of computers that control the station’s orientation and the procedures he will use during Dragon’s approach to Harmony.

Later in his shift, Williams focused on cargo operations packing some of the completed experiments and associated research samples, as well as used hardware and trash, inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for retrieval and analysis on the ground. Dragon delivered a host of science experiments, crew supplies, and more on August 25, 2025.

In between the Dragon operations, Williams serviced advanced science gear supporting different research operations aboard the orbiting lab. He first replaced power, control, and stowage components inside the TangoLab facility that supports numerous investigations including virulent bacteria research and early cancer detection. Next, he swapped a hard drive inside the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4 that houses and processes research samples for an array of microbiology and physics studies and can be operated on Dragon and Cygnus cargo spacecraft, as well as the space station.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergei Mikaev began his shift pedaling on an exercise cycle while attached to electrodes and a blood pressure cuff. Station Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos assisted Mikaev during the fitness evaluation that monitors how a crew member’s heart activity and blood pressure are affected by living in weightlessness. Afterward, Mikaev packed obsolete hardware and trash for disposal inside the Progress 92 cargo craft then cleaned the ventilation system inside the Zvezda service module.

Kud-Sverchkov also set up the Plasma Kristall-4 physics study and switched from neon to argon gas inside the Columbus laboratory module. The experiment explores complex plasmas to advance spacecraft designs, better understand planetary formation, and improve fundamental physics research. The two-time space station resident later conducted a photographic inspection of windows inside Zvezda for analysis.

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.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Mark A. Garcia

Week Wraps with Cargo Packing, Tech Research as Crew-12 Discusses Mission

The Expedition 74 trio wrapped up the week packing cargo for return to Earth and exploring artificial intelligence to benefit crew operations. Earth observations and lab gear maintenance rounded out the shift aboard the International Space Station on Friday.

NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams ended his shift on Friday loading gear inside a SpaceX Dragon for return to Earth next month. Williams, with assistance from station Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos, has begun packing some of the completed experiments and their associated research samples, as well as used hardware and trash, inside Dragon for retrieval and analysis on the ground. Dragon delivered a host of science experiments, crew supplies, and more on August 25, 2025.

Williams spent the first half of his shift working in the Tranquility module servicing a variety of life support systems. He first swapped out orbital plumbing gear that helps recycle wastewater aboard the orbital outpost. Next, he cleaned the ventilation system inside the Harmony module’s overhead crew quarters then measured the airflow from Harmony into the Destiny laboratory module to ensure a safe breathing environment.

Kud-Sverchkov, on his second spaceflight, worked on a pair of different experiments, the first one documenting the effects of natural disasters across the Earth’s surface, and the second exploring plasma physics. He pointed a camera out different windows in the Zvezda service module and photographed landmarks near water bodies and mountains from northwest Africa to eastern Europe. Next, Kud-Sverchkov studied procedures for the upcoming Plasma Kristall-4 physics investigation that explores complex plasmas possibly advancing spacecraft designs, leading to a better understanding of planet formation, and improving fundamental physics research.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergei Mikaev uninstalled Earth observation gear completing an overnight automated photography session that captured multi-spectral imagery of wildfires from Africa to Southeast Asia during the crew’s sleep session. Next, Mikaev configured data management and control hardware that supports experiment platforms from materials research to space physics, and artificial intelligence systems. Finally, the first-time space flyer turned his attention to another artificial intelligence study studying tools to convert speech-to-text and improve data handling and communications between the crew and ground controllers. Researchers seek to use the new technology to speed up and increase the accuracy of crew documentation benefitting operations aboard spacecraft.

The four members representing NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission discussed their upcoming flight to the space station during a Crew News Conference on YouTube. Commander Jessica Meir and Pilot Jack Hathaway, both from NASA, and Mission Specialists Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos are targeting a launch on Feb. 11 to begin a space research mission aboard the orbital laboratory. Mission managers from NASA, ESA, and SpaceX also discussed the research objectives of Crew-12 during the Mission Overview Conference today.

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.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Mark A. Garcia

Expedition 74 Preps CubeSats and Photographs Earth for Research

Expedition 74 focused on installing CubeSats and observing Earth aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The trio from NASA and Roscosmos kept up ongoing research operations along with standard orbital lab maintenance throughout the day.

The numerous modules that make up the orbital outpost support a wide array of continuous microgravity experiments difficult or impossible to support in Earth’s gravity environment to benefit humanity on and off the planet. A portion of that research takes place on the outside of the space station and is even deployed into Earth orbit. NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams spent his shift inside the Kibo laboratory module loading a small satellite orbital deployer with CubeSats on Thursday then installing the device inside Kibo’s airlock. The Japanese robotic arm—attached to Kibo—will retrieve the small satellite deployer from the airlock then point it away from the station. Afterward on an upcoming date, a series of shoebox-sized CubeSats will be deployed into Earth orbit for educational, government, and private research.

Other research aboard the International Space Station looks at the Earth to understand how the landscape is affected by natural catastrophes such as wildfires, storms, and more. Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev was back inside the Zvezda service module on Thursday pointing a camera outside windows at the Earth below. Mikaev photographed landmarks from northwest Africa to eastern Europe then downloaded the imagery for analysis by specialists on the ground. At the end of his shift, he configured a multi-spectral camera for an automated Earth photography session capturing imagery of wildfires from Africa to Southeast Asia during the crew’s sleep session.

The station’s commander, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos, worked throughout his shift on electronics and life support maintenance. Kud-Sverchkov began his day servicing orbital plumbing hardware and testing communication systems inside Zvezda. After lunch, he moved into the Nauka science module cleaning and inspecting its ventilation system. The two-time space station resident wrapped up his day cleaning Roscosmos fluid systems using compressed air and water to remove residues, particulates, and chemical deposits.

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.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Mark A. Garcia

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Begins Quarantine for Space Station Mission

The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission began their routine two-week quarantine on Wednesday at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston ahead of their upcoming launch to the International Space Station.

The earliest opportunity for Crew-12 to launch to the orbital complex is 6 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 11, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The next available launch opportunities are 5:38 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, and 5:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. NASA continues working toward potential launch windows for two important crewed missions this February: Artemis II and Crew-12. The agency will make any decisions on the best launch opportunity for each mission closer to flight.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to travel Friday, Feb. 6, from Houston to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where they’ll remain in quarantine while conducting prelaunch operations.

Crew quarantine began during Apollo to reduce preflight illnesses and prevent subsequent symptoms during flight. During Crew 12’s quarantine, contact with other people is limited, and most interactions are handled remotely. Family members and select mission personnel undergo medical screening and must be cleared before interacting with the crew.

Before quarantine, the team also completed the crew equipment interface test on Jan. 12. The daylong exercise included crew members putting on their spacesuits, entering the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, conducting suit leak checks, and confirming seat fitting. They also familiarized themselves with the spacecraft’s interior, completed communications checkouts, and listened to the Dragon’s fans and pumps to prepare for sounds they will hear during the flight to the orbiting laboratory.

More details about the launch will be posted on the mission blog, @NASAKennedy on X, or NASA Kennedy on Facebook.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Elyna Niles-Carnes