Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

Crew Swaps Command on Friday Before Soyuz Departure and Dragon Launch

Expedition 72 will come to an end and segue into the Expedition 73 mission after three veteran crewmembers depart the International Space Station on Saturday. Meanwhile, the orbital residents stayed busy on Thursday with cargo mission preparations, spacesuit checks, and microgravity research.

Station Commander Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will hand over command of the orbital laboratory to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi at 2:40 p.m. EDT on Friday. Afterward, Ovchinin will turn his attention to returning to Earth with Flight Engineers Don Pettit of NASA and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos after 220 days in space. The trio will undock in their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft from the Rassvet module at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday ending Expedition 72 then parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan at 8:20 p.m. the same day (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, in Kazakhstan) on Pettit’s 70^th birthday. NASA+ will broadcast Saturday’s crew farewell, undocking, and landing activities live beginning at 2 p.m.

Onishi will stay onboard the space station leading Expedition 73 and orbiting Earth until July. Remaining with Onishi will be NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky, and Kirill Pskov.

Onishi and Kim will be on duty early next week monitoring the automated approach and rendezvous of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft carrying about 6,700 pounds of science and supplies for the orbital residents. Dragon will launch at 4:15 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 21, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and dock at 8:20 a.m. the following day to the Harmony module’s space-facing port for a month long cargo mission. The duo continued training on Thursday for Dragon’s arrival reviewing spacecraft monitoring techniques on a computer.

Kim began his Thursday shift studying how McClain‘s sense of balance is adapting to microgravity as she wore virtual reality goggles for the CIPHER human research investigation. Afterward, Kim examined the retina, optic nerve, and cornea of his crew mates Ayers and Onishi using medical imaging hardware.

McClain and Ayers are due to exit the orbital outpost on May 1 for a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. The duo will prepare the port side truss structure for a new rollout solar array and relocate an antenna that communicates with commercial spacecraft at the station. Pettit spent Thursday preparing their spacesuits, cleaning the cooling loops, and inspecting suit components. Later, Kim and Onishi practiced installing jetpacks on the spacesuits that would be used to maneuver back to safety in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the space station.

Ryzhikov and Zubritsky are settling in for a seven-and-a-half-month space research mission and beginning to pick up Ovchinin’s and Vagner’s crew responsibilities. The cosmonauts also attached sensors to themselves and studied how a long duration spaceflight affects the respiratory system. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov wrapped up a research session with the departing Vagner as they tested the lower body negative pressure suit that may help a crew member returning to Earth adjust quicker to gravity.

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

Crew Departure, Dragon Mission, and Spacewalk Preps Fill Crew’s Day

Three International Space Station residents will return to Earth this weekend just a couple of days before the expected arrival of the next SpaceX Dragon cargo mission. Soon after that, two NASA astronauts will exit the orbital outpost for a solar array maintenance spacewalk.

Veteran orbital residents Don Pettit of NASA and Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, both from Roscosmos, are winding down a seven-month space research mission that began on Sept. 11, 2024. The Earthbound crewmates are scheduled to undock from the station’s Rassvet module at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday inside their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft ending the Expedition 72 mission. They will orbit Earth twice before firing the Soyuz’ braking engines, descend into the atmosphere, then parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan at 8:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, in Kazakhstan).

The trio from NASA and Roscosmos spent the first half of Wednesday reviewing the steps they will perform to ready the Soyuz spacecraft for undocking, as well as the procedures they will use once they depart the station and head back to Earth. Pettit then continued packing up his personal gear for stowage aboard the Soyuz MS-26. Ovchinin and Vagner spent the last of half of their shift handing off their mission responsibilities to the orbiting lab’s two newest cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky who arrived at the station on April 8.

Next, the new Expedition 73 crew will turn its attention to the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft that will launch at 4:15 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 21, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Dragon will dock to the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 8:20 a.m. the following day delivering about 6,700 pounds of new science experiments and station supplies. Flight Engineers Jonny Kim of NASA and Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) trained on Wednesday for the spacecraft’s arrival and will be on duty next week monitoring Dragon’s automated approach and docking.

Just over a week after Dragon’s arrival, NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will put on their spacesuits and exit the orbiting lab’s Quest airlock for a six-and-half-hour spacewalk on May 1. First, the duo will install a modification kit to prepare the port side truss structure for a new rollout solar array. Next, they will relocate an antenna that communicates with approaching and departing commercial crew and cargo spacecraft. The astronauts spent Wednesday familiarizing themselves with the spacewalking tools and parts they will use and organizing them inside Quest.

Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov spent the first portion of his day collecting air samples from the Zvezda, Zarya, and Nauka modules for analysis. Later, he focused on orbital plumbing duties transferring water between the station’s U.S. and Roscosmos segments.

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

Astronauts Prep for May Spacewalk Amid Human Research and Crew Departure

Two NASA astronauts are preparing their spacesuits for a spacewalk planned for the beginning of May to ready the International Space Station for a new rollout solar array. In the meantime, the rest of the Expedition 72 crew on Tuesday kept up its ongoing vision, respiratory, and circulatory system research ahead of this weekend’s crew departure.

Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers have been tapped by mission managers to exit the orbital outpost’s Quest airlock on May 1 for a spacewalk and work six-and-half hours in the vacuum of space. The NASA duo will install a modification kit on the port side of the station’s truss structure enabling the future installation of the orbiting lab’s seventh rollout solar array. They will also relocate an antenna that communicates with approaching and departing commercial crew and cargo spacecraft. McClain will be going on her third spacewalk and Ayers will be conducting her first spacewalk.

McClain and Ayers spent Tuesday inside Quest adjusting the spacesuits ensuring the helmets, boots, and arm and leg assemblies they will wear fit together. Next, the pair powered up and checked the functionality of suit components such as  glove heaters, data recorders, cameras, and helmet lights. Finally, McClain and Ayers began collecting and configuring the tools they will use during the upcoming maintenance spacewalk.

Ayers earlier assisted NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim during the CIPHER investigation on Tuesday checking his blood pressure and performing an ultrasound scan. Kim wore electrodes as Ayers measured his blood pressure and scanned his chest using the Ultrasound 2 device. Doctors will use the data to determine if longer spaceflights lead to changes in vascular structure and function that may affect an astronaut’s eyes and vision. Ayers, Onishi, and McClain later took a vision test reading characters off a standard eye chart.

Kim also took turns with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi and trained for the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft next week. The duo reviewed the different approach and rendezvous profiles Dragon may use based on the station’s position in space and the techniques used to monitor the spacecraft before it docks to the orbital outpost. Dragon is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 4:15 a.m. on Monday, April 21, and dock to the station’s space-facing port on the Harmony module at 8:20 a.m. the next day.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexander Zubritsky continued their human research studies first measuring their exhalation rate for a respiratory study then observing how blood flows back and forth from the head to the limbs. Doctors will use the insights to understand how microgravity affects the human body and learn how to keep crews healthy on long duration spaceflights. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov started Tuesday with orbital plumbing work then checked the station’s Roscosmos segment for stowage space and inspected batteries and electronics components.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner continue preparing for their return to Earth planned for 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19 (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, May 20, Kazakh time). The trio is cleaning crew quarters, packing personal items, and handing over responsibilities to the crewmates staying behind. Ovchinin will also turn his station command over to Onishi the day before he leaves. Expedition 72 will end and Expedition 73 will officially begin when Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner undock from the Rassvet module inside the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship at 5:57 p.m. on Saturday.

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

Crew Studies Space-Caused Eye Changes as Trio Preps for Departure

The Expedition 72 crew began the week exploring what happens to a crew member’s eyes after living in space for months or years at a time. The International Space Station residents also kept up a host of other microgravity research, continued servicing spacesuits, and prepared for the departure of three crewmates.

Astronauts on future missions to the Moon or Mars will experience increased risk to their vision and eye structure due to longer periods of exposure to microgravity. The CIPHER study, composed of 14 human research investigations, looks at the physical and psychological health of astronauts living in space and applies the knowledge to keep crews healthy on long term missions farther away from Earth.

One portion of the CIPHER investigation seeks to identify how much a crew member’s brain and eye structure changes the longer they stay in space. NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain led that study today peering into the eyes of NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim. She first measured how his retinas respond to light activity using electrodes and eye drops. Next, she took a closer look at his retina, optic nerve, and cornea using medical imaging hardware. Scientists will use the insights gained from the research data to understand how the human body adapts to spaceflight and provide countermeasures.

Earlier, McClain partnered with Flight Engineers Nichole Ayers of NASA and Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and worked on a variety of spacesuit hardware. McClain and Onishi first checked out the functionality of controllers that display the operational status of a spacesuit during a spacewalk. Next, Onishi joined Ayers and organized spacewalking tools inside the Quest airlock where spacewalks in U.S. spacesuits are staged.

Kim studied procedures to monitor a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft as it approaches the orbital outpost for a docking. Kim then reviewed the various approach and rendezvous scenarios Dragon may encounter during its upcoming mission this month to deliver several thousand pounds of science and supplies to the crew.

NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit is nearing the end of his mission with station Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos. The trio will undock aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 19, and land in Kazakhstan about 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, May 20, Kazakh time) ending the Expedition 72 mission. Ovchinin and Vagner prepared for the end of their mission by testing the lower body negative pressure suit that may help them adjust quicker to Earth’s gravity. Pettit packed his personal belongings for the ride back to Earth and found time to disassemble, service, and stow a variety of space physics hardware onboard the orbiting lab.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky who, along with Kim, are in their second week in space, continued studying how their circulatory system is adjusting to microgravity. Once again, the duo attached sensors to their foreheads, fingers, and toes measuring how blood flows back and forth from the head to the limbs in space. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov assisted Ovchinin and Vagner as they tested the lower body negative pressure suit then cleaned and disinfected 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

Crew Works on Spacesuits, Studies How Space Affects Breathing, Blood System

Spacesuit checks and breath and blood circulation studies wrapped up the week for the Expedition 72 crew aboard the International Space Station. Meanwhile, three new crewmates are getting used to life in space while another trio is preparing to return to Earth.

NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers worked throughout Friday inside the Quest airlock installing display and control modules on a pair of spacesuits. The liquid crystal electronics gear features controllers and displays the operational status of the spacesuit. Next, NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Don Pettit reviewed procedures to ensure the spacesuits are ready to wear and the necessary suit hardware is installed.

Kim has been in space less than a week having arrived aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8 with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. The trio has been getting used to life in weightlessness, learning how to operate space station systems, and rapidly getting to work on standard maintenance and research tasks.

Kim spent a portion of Friday installing orbital plumbing gear and transferring fluids in the Tranquility module. Ryzhikov and Zubritsky were back together at the end of the week working on two different space biology experiments. The pair first explored how microgravity affects their breathing rate. Next, the two cosmonauts wore sensors on their forehead, fingers, and toes measuring how their blood circulates in space.

Pettit is turning his attention to his upcoming departure with station Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner who have been aboard the station since Sept. 11, 2024. Pettit is gradually handing over his responsibilities to his new crewmates and spent a few moments on Friday training them how to use the advanced resistive exercise device. Ovchinin and Vagner practiced on a computer the techniques they will use when they into Earth’s atmosphere inside the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft. The threesome will undock aboard the Soyuz from the Rassvet module and land in Kazakhstan on April 19 ending the Expedition 72 mission.

Pettit had spent the first part of Friday studying how water, liquid salt, and olive oil droplets transition from a frozen state to a liquid state in microgravity for a student experiment. He then scanned JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins using the Ultrasound 2 device to understand how his body is adapting to space.

Ovchinin and Vagner also partnered with Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov and tested the lower body negative pressure suit that may pull body fluids toward the feet and prevent space-caused head and eye pressure. The specialized suit may also help crews quickly readjust to Earth’s gravity after living in space for months or years at a time.

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