Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

Astronauts Prepare to Exit Station for Robotics Repair Spacewalk

Live coverage is underway as two NASA astronauts prepare for a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at about 8:35 a.m. EDT and last roughly six and a half hours.

Watch NASA’s live U.S. spacewalk 95 coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir will exit the station’s Quest airlock to replace a wrist joint that malfunctioned during normal Canadarm2 operations on May 27 after the arm drew elevated motor current and did not move as expected. NASA worked with CSA to understand the issue and determined a spacewalk was required to replace the joint using a spare already aboard the space station. Repairs to robotics, like Canadarm2, are normal and expected after more than 25 years of continuous operations, as the system was designed with replaceable components and planned maintenance in mind.

Williams will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Meir will serve as crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. This spacewalk will be the second for Williams and the fifth for Meir. It also will be the 280th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Learn more about station activities by following @NASASpaceOps and @space_station on X, as well as the International Space Station’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Mark A. Garcia

Astronauts Ready for Tuesday Spacewalk to Repair Canadarm2 Robotic Arm

The Expedition 74 astronauts are ready for a spacewalk on Tuesday following the completion of spacesuit configurations and procedure reviews on Monday. The International Space Station’s three cosmonauts kept busy throughout the day servicing Roscosmos scientific, electronics, and life support systems.

Mission managers have given the final go for  NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir to begin a spacewalk at 8:35 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 30. Williams and Meir will work in the vacuum of space for about six hours and 40 minutes and replace a malfunctioning wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm that was installed on the orbital outpost on April 26, 2001. This will be the duo’s second spacewalk together. NASA+ will begin its live coverage at 7 a.m. EDT on June 30.

Williams and Meir spent Monday organizing spacewalking tools and checking spacesuits inside the Quest airlock where they will exit the space station for the robotics maintenance job. Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) assisted the upcoming spacewalkers with the tool work and studied the delicate maneuvers they will use to position the Canadarm2 for its repair job. Hathaway and Adenot will monitor the spacewalkers on Tuesday, help them in and out of their suits, and carefully maneuver Canadarm2 into position for repair access. All four astronauts gathered together at the end of Monday’s shift for a final procedures review and a readiness conference with specialists on the ground.

In the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting laboratory, station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov swapped out electronics gear then photographed windows inside the Zvezda and Poisk modules for analysis. The two-time station resident also joined the astronauts for a portion of their spacewalk procedure reviews.

Flight engineer Sergei Mikaev kicked off his shift charging batteries and checking cable connections. Afterward, Mikaev tested the activation of atmospheric purification valves, checked the condition of lights in the Zarya module, and filled out a questionnaire documenting his experience with international crews and flight controllers from around the world.

Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev replaced a computer hard drive inside scientific hardware that measures the radiation environment the space station experiences while orbiting Earth. Next, Fedyaev wrapped up his shift with orbital plumbing in the Nauka science module and ventilation system maintenance in the Zvezda service module.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon 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

Off-Duty Day for Upcoming Spacewalkers and Assistants as Cosmonauts Stay Busy

Four Expedition 74 crew members enjoyed an off-duty day on Friday relaxing ahead of a robotics repair spacewalk planned for next week. The rest of the crew focused on artificial intelligence and virtual reality studies aboard the International Space Station at the end of the week.

NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams, the two spacewalkers scheduled to exit the orbital outpost on Tuesday, June 30, along with flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency), cleared their schedule on Friday beginning a three-day weekend. The four astronauts will use their free time to connect with family members on Earth, look at our planet from the cupola, watch movies, play games, and more. The quartet will go into the weekend with light house-keeping duties and continue their daily workouts to maintain their muscle and bone health in microgravity.

On Monday, Williams and Meir will complete spacewalk preparations ensuring their gear such as tethers, pistol grip tools, cameras, and more will be ready for use. They will also check their spacesuits for air and pressure leaks then stage them inside the Quest airlock to wear the following day. Hathaway and Adenot, who will monitor the astronauts during the spacewalk and help them in and out of their suits, will assist the duo with the tool and suit work then study the delicate maneuvers they will use to position the Canadarm2 robotic arm for its repair job.

Williams and Meir will spend about six hours and 40 minutes in the vacuum of space replacing a malfunctioning wrist joint on the Canadarm2 that has been in operation since it was installed on April 26, 2001. This will be the duo’s second spacewalk together. NASA+ begins its live coverage at 7 a.m. EDT on June 30 with the astronauts set to turn their spacesuits to battery power at 8:35 a.m. signifying the beginning of their spacewalk.

The orbiting lab’s three cosmonauts from Roscosmos stayed busy on Friday keeping up advanced microgravity research to benefit humans on and off the Earth and maintaining an array of life support systems.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov started his shift uninstalling an automated camera that photographed Asian and Pacific Ocean landmarks during the crew’s sleep shift. Next, Kud-Sverchkov set up sensors to measure station vibrations caused during crew exercise then studied artificial intelligence tools to boost crew efficiency.

Flight engineer Sergei Mikaev began his shift testing the functionality of oxygen-generating components housed inside the Nauka science module. Afterward, he tested his sense of balance and direction in weightlessness while wearing virtual reality goggles and electrodes. The electrodes tracked his brain signals and eye movement as he responded to computerized stimuli sent to the VR headset.

Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev kicked off his shift with orbital plumbing transferring fluids between Roscosmos tanks then filling them with disinfectant. Next, he inspected the Zvezda service module’s ventilation system then wrapped up his day collecting station air samples to analyze for a safe breathing environment.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon 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 Eye Exams, DNA Sequencing, and Spacesuit Preps

Life science topped the research schedule on Thursday as the Expedition 74 crew studied how space affects vision and sequenced DNA collected from microbes. More spacesuit preparations, a virtual reality investigation, and exercise gear maintenance rounded out the day aboard the International Space Station.

Eye exams were once again underway as NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams joined each other in the Columbus laboratory module for the vision portion of the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations. Meir took charge first attaching electrodes around Williams’ eyes then sending flashing light signals to measure his retina’s electrical response. Next, she operated medical imaging hardware that Williams peered into providing doctors on the ground a real time view of his retina, cornea, and lens. The biomedical data will help researchers detect potential space-caused changes to eye structure and function.

Meir and Williams also partnered together preparing the components they will install on their spacesuits on June 30 when they go on a spacewalk to repair the Canadarm2 robotic arm’s malfunctioning wrist joint. Meir wore virtual reality goggles and trained to maneuver the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) that would return a spacewalker to safe haven in the unlikely event they became untethered from the orbital outpost. Williams checked out the SAFER he will wear on his spacesuit next week ensuring its latches, sensors, and controls are in operating condition.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway focused on sequencing microbial DNA using a handheld reader in the Harmony module’s maintenance work area. Scientists are exploring how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics in microgravity and seek to characterize the microbes’ genomic identity possibly revealing their adaptive mechanisms to weightlessness. Insights from the biotechnology investigation may reduce the risk of crew infections during a spaceflight and improve patient health care on Earth.

A new spaceflight workout system has recently been installed and is being tested inside the Columbus lab module. Flight engineer Sophie Adenot ESA (European Space Agency) powered on and configured the advanced gear—known as the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) from ESA—returning it to normal workout mode. The E4D is being evaluated for its ability to maintain astronaut bone, muscle, and cardiovascular health on future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov strapped on a virtual reality headset and responded to computerized stimuli as electrodes tracked his brain signals and eye movement documenting his sense of direction and motion in space. Next, Kud-Sverchkov installed automated photography gear in the Zvezda service module to capture imagery of Asian and Pacific Ocean landmarks during the crew’s sleep shift.

Roscosmos flight engineer Sergei Mikaev disconnected computerized docking hardware then reorganized cargo stowed inside the Nauka science module making more room for crew activities. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev tested the communications and network systems of the European robotic arm.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon 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

Spacewalk Preps and Human Research Fill the Expedition 74 Schedule

The Expedition 74 crew members continued their spacewalk preparations on Wednesday reviewing robotics activities and configuring tools. The orbital residents also kept up their ongoing biomedical research and advanced technology studies aboard the International Space Station.

NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir continue gearing up for their second spacewalk together set to begin at 8:35 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 30. The duo joined each other inside the Quest airlock and inspected the tethers that will secure the spacewalkers to the outside of the orbital outpost. They also collected and organized the equipment they will carry with them into the vacuum of space including pistol grip tools, cameras, stowage bags, and more. Williams and Meir will spend about six hours and 40 minutes next week replacing a malfunctioned wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) officials will preview the upcoming spacewalk tasks during a news conference on NASA’s YouTube channel at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 25.

Williams and Meir also gathered with flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and called down to mission controllers in Houston, Texas, to talk about the upcoming spacewalk procedures. Afterward, the quartet practiced on a computer the delicate robotic maneuvers required to access and replace the wrist joint on the Canadarm2. Hathaway and Adenot will support the two spacewalkers next week helping them in and out of their spacesuits, monitoring their spacewalking activities, and carefully adjusting the Canadarm2 into position during the repair work.

Eye exams were the final task of the day for Meir as she operated medical imaging hardware inside the Harmony module and examined Williams’ retina, lens, and cornea to check his eye health. Hathaway loaded a CubeSat-packed deployer onto a platform inside the Kibo laboratory module for placement outside of the space station. Adenot wrapped up her shift testing the network connectivity of a computer tablet inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft.

Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, the station’s commander and flight engineer from Roscosmos, also conducted eye checks, this time using the Ultrasound 3 device inside the Columbus laboratory module. Doctors on the ground monitored the ultrasound scans in real time to detect potential space-caused changes to eye pressure and structure. The duo then took turns testing artificial intelligence tools to boost crew efficiency and communications in space. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev focused on studying how living in space affects the human body throughout Wednesday.

Fedyaev kicked off his shift placing sensors on his chest to measure his heart’s electrical activity. Next, he attached cuffs to his arm, wrist, and fingers measuring his blood pressure. Doctors are exploring how the circulatory system adjusts in microgravity since the human heart doesn’t pump blood as hard as it does on Earth. Finally, the two-time space lab resident wore an acoustic sensor around his neck that recorded his rapid exhalation for insights into his respiratory health.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon 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