Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

Week Ends With Vein Scans, Cartilage Engineering Before New Crew Launches

Vein scans and cartilage engineering wrapped up a busy week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew members also configured the orbital outpost for a new crew, tested new cooking gear, and conducted muscle measurements.

Scientific operations for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research studies started the day for NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams. The duo gathered inside the Columbus laboratory module where Meir scanned Williams’s chest with the Ultrasound 3 biomedical device to help doctors understand how an astronaut’s cardiovascular system adapts to weightlessness. The ultrasound biomarkers are compared with the astronaut’s health data collected before and after a mission, as well as with other crew members’ diagnostic results for a broader view of a spaceflight’s risk factors on the human body.

Williams moved on and installed an upgraded temporary sleep station in Columbus to prepare for the arrival of three new crew members due to arrive at the orbital outpost next week. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina will launch aboard a Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, July 14. The trio will orbit Earth for about three-and-a-half hours before docking to the Prichal module and beginning an eight-and-a-half-month space research mission.

Meir continued her cartilage engineering research first powering on the KERMIT fluorescent microscope inside the Destiny laboratory module. Next, she nourished growing cartilage tissue samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox then placed them inside the microscope for observation. After the imaging session, Meir removed and preserved the samples for later analysis then powered down the microscope. Results from the biotechnology study may help create cartilage that forms more naturally in space, improving treatments and preventing joint injuries on and off the Earth.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway wrapped up his week on maintenance beginning in the Tranquility module and replacing components on a cooling system. Hathaway followed that up installing batteries and testing the performance of a sensor that checks the station’s atmosphere for harmful gases. He completed his shift in the Quest airlock and swapped out spacesuit battery cables.

An experimental food processor is in operation aboard the orbital outpost and flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) tested the new device’s cooking functions. Adenot prepared a Mediterranean dish for dinner using an inflight recipe then recorded the taste results on a computer form. She also joined Meir for a muscle measurement session to study how space affects muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev kicked off their shift with blood and saliva collections for later analysis. Kud-Sverchkov then continued packing cargo for stowage inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft that he, Mikaev, and Williams will ride back to Earth at the end of the month. Mikaev spent his shift swabbing station surfaces and collecting microbe samples for stowage and analysis. Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev worked throughout Friday inspecting electronics and ventilation systems.

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

Neurology Studies and Crew Departure Preps Fill Station Schedule

Neurology studies and crew departure preparations filled the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. Expedition 74 also kept up the maintenance of the orbital lab replacing electronics and GPS gear and organizing cargo.

NASA flight engineer Chris Williams continued a second day scientific operations for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research studies. Williams began his shift collecting his blood and urine samples for processing and analysis. Next, he participated in a series of robotics and spatial cognition tests to assess his thinking skills and how he judges distance, direction, and motion in microgravity. Results of the tests will help doctors assess the effects of microgravity on an astronaut’s brain structure and function.

Williams then joined NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir in the Quest airlock and cleaned the spacesuit helmets they wore during a spacewalk together on June 30. The pair then gathered together inside the Kibo laboratory module and called down to officials from Spain and talked about promoting the space economy. Meir wrapped up her shift transferring cargo in and out of the Cygnus XL resupply ship and disposing obsolete biology research gear.

Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) focused mainly on lab maintenance inside the orbital outpost throughout Thursday. Hathaway began by powering down the Harmony module’s electronic systems and hardware connections. Next, he installed a temporary ventilation system to keep Harmony cool while he replaced a remote power controller module. Afterward, he returned Harmony to a powered configuration and stowed the maintenance hardware.

Adenot kicked off her shift reorganizing cargo inside Kibo and stowing packing gear leftover after the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft departed on June 14. The ESA astronaut wrapped up her shift swapping out a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver in the Destiny laboratory module. The GPS receiver provides high‑precision position, velocity, timing, and orientation information of the space station and visiting spacecraft.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, who are returning to Earth at the end of the month with Williams, tested a specialized suit that reverses space-caused fluid shifts toward a crew member’s head. The lower body negative pressure suit may offset the effects of living in weightlessness and ease the adjustment to Earth’s gravity after a long-term spaceflight. Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev inspected the Zarya module’s stowage areas then serviced the Elektron oxygen generator inside the Zvezda service module.

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

Crew Works Health Checks, CubeSat Maintenance, and Soyuz Seat Checks

Health checks and CubeSat hardware maintenance were the prime research objectives aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 74 crew members also stowed spacewalking gear, transferred cargo, and checked seats in a Soyuz spacecraft.

Continuous health monitoring in space helps doctors keep crews safe while living in weightlessness for months at a time and informs researchers how the human body adapts to microgravity. The astronauts often wear a variety of sensors comfortably measuring vital signs throughout their shift. Advanced portable health gear and standard medical imaging hardware on the orbital outpost can analyze an astronaut’s blood samples, DNA, eyes, and more, then downlink the results to doctors on Earth.

The long-running CIPHER suite of 14 human research studies collects a crew member’s mental and physical health data before, during, and after mission. The multi-year investigation provides doctors a deeper understanding of the effects of living in space long term and helps promote an astronaut’s safety and health to ensure mission success. NASA flight engineer Chris Williams contributed to a portion of that investigation collecting his blood and urine samples using medical tools adapted for microgravity. Next, he processed his samples with a centrifuge and small tubes then stowed the biological specimens in a science freezer for preservation and later analysis.

Williams, in between his blood work and urinalysis, worked inside the Quest airlock with NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir continuing to stow the tools that they used during a spacewalk to repair the Canadarm2 robotic arm on June 30. Williams also joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev and checked the custom-fit seat liners they will sit in when they ride back to Earth inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft at the end of the month. Meir finished her shift inside the Unity module replacing brackets and panels to make room for life support equipment.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway retrieved the NanoRacks CubeSat deployer from inside the Kibo laboratory module’s airlock then uninstalled it from Kibo’s multipurpose experiment platform. Several days earlier, the device deployed tiny satellites designed by university students for a variety of communications and technology investigations into Earth orbit. Hathaway then entered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and cleaned up cargo.

ESA (European Space Agency) flight engineer Sophie Adenot began her shift transferring cargo in and out of the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft with assistance from Meir. Next, she set up eye imaging hardware then powered on the Ultrasound 2 device and checked its video connections. Adenot, at the end of her shift, collected airflow measurements in the station’s modules and inspected ventilation system components.

Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev participated in eye checks using the same gear Adenot set up earlier. The duo also collected their blood and saliva samples for analysis before staging cargo to be packed later inside the Souz MS-28.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev spent his shift swapping out radiation detection gear, measuring his blood pressure with a series of arm, wrist, and finger cuffs, then inspecting laptop computers inside the Nauka science module.

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

More Cartilage, Blood Pressure Studies on Station as Crew Swap Preps Begin

Cartilage engineering and blood pressure studies to improve health on Earth and in space continued aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 74 crew members also serviced an experimental module, configured a temporary sleep station, and began preparing for the return to Earth of three crewmates.

Lab-grown cartilage tissues on Earth are subject to gravity resulting in lesser quality than samples engineered in the weightless environment of the orbital outpost. NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir is helping scientists take advantage of microgravity to mimic how cartilage tissues are produced in the human body. Meir continued processing the growing cartilage cells inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox for viewing inside a fluorescent microscope. Observations from the biotechnology study may enable the engineering of more natural cartilage tissues than those produced on Earth leading to the advanced treatment and prevention of cartilage and joint injuries.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway spent his day on maintenance and stowage inside BEAM, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, attached to the Tranquility module. Hathaway first replaced batteries inside sensors that monitor BEAM’s internal and external condition. Next, he opened BEAM’s hatch and retrieved hardware from inside the experimental module that was installed on April 16, 2016. Meir assisted Hathaway with the BEAM work during a break in her cartilage research.

NASA flight engineer Chris Williams, who will be returning to Earth soon with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, recorded a video message for European students describing the effects of microgravity and readjusting to Earth’s gravity. Williams also worked inside the Quest airlock inspecting tethers and stowing tools that he and Meir used during a spacewalk on June 30. He wrapped up his shift in the Columbus laboratory module replacing air ducts and measuring the airflow in an upgraded temporary sleep station in preparation for the arrival of a new crew next week.

Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) began her shift retrieving cartilage cell samples from an incubator and handing them over to Meir for her research. Adenot then collected and analyzed her saliva samples using the Aphrodite portable device. The biomedical gear enables real-time, diagnostic health monitoring in space without sending samples back to Earth for analysis. Next, she worked on orbital plumbing inside Tranquility then installed protective covers on sensitive scientific equipment inside Kibo.

Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev are preparing for their upcoming return to Earth with Williams aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft. The duo called down to Roscosmos mission controllers for a conference with the support personnel who will greet the trio after they complete their eight-month space research mission at the end of July. The two cosmonauts then continued their cardiac research using light-based sensors and lasers on their skin to measure how blood flows in their tiny vessels, or the micro-circulatory system.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev spent most of his shift collecting station water and atmospheric moisture samples for analysis. Fedyaev also checked the operation of life support equipment in the Zvezda service module and cleaned ventilation systems in the Zarya module.

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

Cartilage Engineering, Blood Pressure Studies Kick Off Week Aboard Station

Cartilage engineering and cardiac research to advance human health on and off the Earth topped Monday’s research schedule aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew members also continued spacesuit maintenance and cargo operations aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir was back working inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox processing cartilage cell samples to promote their growth in microgravity. NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway assisted with the biotechnology experiment setting up a fluorescent microscope to view the space-engineered cartilage samples. Meir and Hathaway then packed a selection of samples for preservation in a science freezer and future analysis on Earth. Scientists will analyze the space-grown specimens to learn how to repair and regenerate injured cartilage on Earth and develop advanced fitness techniques for astronauts on a long-term spaceflight.

The duo also joined NASA flight engineer Chris Williams transferring cargo in and out of the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft from Northrop Grumman. Williams and Meir later worked together collecting hardware from inside the Permanent Multipurpose Module and staging the gear for stowage inside BEAM, the Bigelow Expandable Access Module. Hathaway configured a temporary sleep station being installed in the Columbus laboratory module before three new crew members visit the space station next week.

ESA (European Space Agency) flight engineer Sophie Adenot worked throughout Monday on spacesuit maintenance inside the Quest airlock. Adenot spent a couple of hours cleaning cooling loops inside a pair of spacesuits that Williams and Meir wore during a robotics repair spacewalk on June 30. Hathaway joined Adenot at the end of the job and helped her clean up Quest, place protective covers on the spacesuits, and power down spacewalking systems.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, station commander and flight engineer respectively, partnered together on Monday and studied how weightlessness affects blood flow in the tiny vessels, or the micro-circulatory system. They first attached light-based sensors to their forehead, fingers, and toes. Next, they pointed a laser beam at their skin that interacted with the sensors providing signals measuring their blood flow and distribution. Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev also explored how living in space affects the respiratory system by wearing an acoustic sensor around their necks that recorded their rapid exhalation.

Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev spent most of his shift conducting a photographic survey inside the space station’s Roscosmos segment. Fedyaev photo-documented the condition of stowage areas for future usage as well as inventoried items to secure cargo and other 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.

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Mark A. Garcia