Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

NASA+ Broadcasting Ax-4 Preparing to Enter Dragon for Departure

NASA’s live coverage is underway on NASA+ for the departure of the fourth private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), from the International Space Station. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

Departure operations are expected to begin at about 4:55 a.m. EDT. The four-member private astronaut crew is scheduled to undock at 7:05 a.m. to begin the journey home with splashdown off the coast of California. Undocking coverage begins at 6:45 a.m. on NASA+.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary, will have completed 20 days in space at the conclusion of their mission.

The Dragon spacecraft will return with more than 580 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 60 experiments conducted during the mission.

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

Ax-4 Go for Monday Undocking, Finalizing Research

Mission managers have given the “go” for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and undock from the International Space Station’s space-facing port on the Harmony module at 7:05 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 14. Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson will lead Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu back to Earth completing a two-and-a-half-week research mission aboard the orbiting lab.

The Ax-4 private quartet had a full schedule on Friday first collecting blood samples for analysis as part of its biomedical research. Next, microalgae was studied as a food source for crews and a key part of biological life support systems on spacecraft. Nanomaterials were also investigated as a basis for constructing wearable devices that comfortably monitor crew health.

Ax-4 will go into Saturday finalizing science experiments including an electrical muscle stimulation study, testing suit fabrics that promote thermal comfort while exercising, and filming crew activities for a behavioral health study. On Sunday, they will begin packing science gear filled with research samples and loading personal items and other cargo inside Dragon for retrieval on Earth.

Station Flight Engineer Anne McClain from NASA began helping the Ax-4 crew turn its attention to Monday’s undocking gathering hardware and other items for packing inside Dragon. McClain also continued assisting the private crewmates as they kept up their science investigations using space station resources.

NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers began her day in the Columbus laboratory module also assisting the Ax-4 crew spinning the astronaut’s blood samples in a centrifuge and stowing them in a science freezer for preservation. She later worked inside the Quest airlock transferring water in a pair of spacesuits. NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim assisted Ayers with the blood sample processing then spent the rest of his day inspecting electronics gear and swapping computer cables.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) started his day processing saliva samples for analysis then recording his sleep experience for a computer questionnaire. He later worked in the Tranquility module replacing orbital plumbing hardware before deactivating and stowing a microscope in the Kibo laboratory module.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy took turns pedaling on an exercise cycle while wearing electrodes for a physical fitness evaluation. Researchers will use the data to understand the energy requirements crew members need for strenuous activities such as spacewalks. Fight Engineer Kirill Peskov replaced fire extinguishers in the Poisk, Rassvet, and Zvezda modules then checked computer hardware that supports the European robotic arm.

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

Busy Science Day on Station; Mission Updates for Ax-4 and SpaceX Crew-11

Exercise research and spacesuit maintenance topped the schedule for the Expedition 73 and Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crews on Thursday. The 11 orbital residents also kept up an array of space research to improve human health while ensuring the International Space Station continues orbiting Earth in tip-top shape.

NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers kicked off her shift activating the Bio-Monitor vest and headband to measure her health data. She wore the sensor-packed wearable gear that collected her blood pressure, heart, and breathing activity while she pedaled on the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle. Doctors will use the information to help monitor and protect crew health as NASA and its international partners plan missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Ayers then spent the second half of her shift swapping out life support components and transferring water in a pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) called down to high school students in Japan and the United Kingdom and talked to them about living and working in space. Afterward, Onishi set up a science laptop computer and a centrifuge in the Kibo laboratory module for the Plant Cell Division study to learn how to develop agricultural methods for missions to the Moon and Mars.

NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Anne McClain focused mainly on lab upkeep throughout the orbital outpost on Thursday. Kim worked in the Unity module setting up hardware and configuring cables to troubleshoot pressure valves used to depressurize the Nanoracks Bishop airlock. McClain performed fluid transfer duties inside Destiny while also continuing to assist the Ax-4 crewmates during their science experiments.

Ax-4 private astronauts Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu were busy all-day Thursday conducting their critical research. The quartet explored electrical muscle stimulation to supplement space exercise, a human-computer interface, and blood flow inside the brain. Ax-4 is scheduled to complete its mission at the orbital outpost no earlier than Monday, July 14, and undock inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the Harmony module’s space-facing port for a return to Earth.

Working in the station’s Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov serviced an oxygen generator then tested new cameras recently delivered aboard the Progress 92 resupply ship. Cosmonaut Alexey Zubritskiy spent his day continuing to unload some of the nearly three tons of cargo still packed inside the Progress 92. Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov worked throughout the day on life support maintenance and orbital plumbing in the station’s Roscosmos segment.

Four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission are targeting their launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon to the space station for no earlier than 12:09 p.m. on July 31. Commander Zena Cardman of NASA, Pilot Mike Fincke of NASA, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui from JAXA and Oleg Platonov are preparing for a research mission on the orbiting lab. Watch the Crew-11 Mission Overview and Crew News Conference that were broadcast on YouTube today for more information.

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

Light Duty Day Amid Space Research and Crew Swap Preps

A portion of the Expedition 73 crew as well as the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) quartet had a light duty day on Wednesday. There was still time aboard the International Space Station for a variety of research activities and preparations for an upcoming crew swap.

NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers relaxed for half-a-day on Wednesday following a week-and-a-half of supporting their Ax-4 visitors. McClain began her shift collecting her saliva samples for analysis while Ayers recorded her cardiovascular and respiratory data. Next, McClain deactivated a Kubik incubator following several days of blood and saliva processing. Ayers documented her reactions on a computer to an experimental lighting system that helps astronauts maintain their circadian rhythms in space.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim had a mostly off-duty day taking timeout for his daily exercise routine working out on the Tranquility module’s advanced resistive exercise device and pedaling on the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle.

Kim, at the end of his shift joined McClain, Ayers, and station Commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and called down to Earth and talked to the four SpaceX Crew-11 members as they count down to their mission to the orbital outpost. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke along with JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are preparing to launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft at the end of July to begin a seven-month space research mission. Program managers and the Crew-11 quartet will discuss the upcoming mission during a pair of news conferences set to begin a 12 p.m. EDT Thursday on YouTube.

Onishi stayed busy on Wednesday spending the first part of his shift setting up communications gear in the Kibo laboratory module preparing for an upcoming conference with Japanese high school students. After lunch, Onishi completed several days of blood and saliva sample work removing the specimens from incubation, spinning them in a centrifuge, then stowing them in a science freezer for preservation and later analysis. Scientists will analyze the biological samples to learn how space affects cellular immunity and potentially treat space-caused immunity symptoms.

The four Ax-4 private astronauts cleared their schedule on Wednesday for a break after several days of continuous research duties since they arrived on June 26 aboard the SpaceX Dragon. However, there was time for processing cyanobacteria samples to test recycling carbon dioxide and nitrogen on spacecraft. The astronauts also exercised using specialized bands of different tensions for a variety of upper and lower body exercises to stretch, activate muscles, and minimize back pain in the space environment.

The three flight engineers from Roscosmos had a full day on Wednesday staying busy with human research, life support maintenance, and cargo transfers. Veteran cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov on his third spaceflight kicked off his day checking out the Zarya module’s thermal control system. He then joined cosmonaut Alexey Zubritskiy for a blood pressure study then swapped out a lens on a student-controlled Earth observation camera. Zubritskiy tested new tablet computers delivered recently aboard the Progress 92 cargo craft. Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov began his shift downloading recently captured Earth imagery then spent the rest of his day collecting carbon dioxide measurements and on orbital plumbing tasks.

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

Tuesday’s Station Research Advancing Crew Health as Crew Unpacks Cargo

Biomedical research topped the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as the Expedition 73 and Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crews explored cellular immunity and electrical muscle stimulation. Cargo transfers and exercise gear maintenance rounded out the day for the orbital residents.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) began his shift continuing his space biology studies and collecting his blood and saliva samples for processing and stowage. He spun the specimens in a centrifuge then placed the blood samples in a science freezer. Next, he stowed the saliva samples in the Kubik incubator. The samples will be analyzed to understand microgravity’s effect on cellular immunity, monitor stress-related immune reactions in space, and learn how to treat space-caused immunity symptoms.

NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim, Nichole Ayers, and Anne McClain spent their day on a variety of orbital lab maintenance and crew support activities. Kim focused primarily on orbital plumbing as he drained and replaced tanks in the Tranquility module. Ayers checked power components and cables inside the Destiny laboratory module then deactivated and stowed a microscope. McClain took a cognition test on a laptop computer and continued supporting the Ax-4 crew during their busy research schedule.

Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson and her Ax-4 crewmates Shubhanshu Shukla, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu kept up their numerous space investigations throughout the orbital lab. The private astronauts in their second full week on the station explored electrical muscle stimulation to enhance space workouts and counter muscle atrophy in microgravity. Other Ax-4 experiments on Tuesday looked at suit fabrics that promote thermal comfort when exercising in weightlessness, crew behavioral health, and space agriculture.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy spent their Tuesday shift working together in the Zvezda service module repairing and placing components on a treadmill, one of two inside the space station including the COLBERT treadmill located in Tranquility. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov started his day analyzing biological samples from his cosmonaut crewmates then serviced video recording gear. He wrapped up his shift transferring water from the newly arrived Progress 92 cargo craft and unloading some of its three tons of crew supplies and hardware.

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