Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

Crew Awaits Cygnus’ Arrival and Works on Spacesuits and Eye Checks

Preparations are underway aboard the International Space Station to capture and install a U.S. cargo craft due to arrive next week. Spacesuit checks and health studies were also on the program at the end of the week for the two crews living and working aboard the orbital outpost.

Mission managers have given the go for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft set for 11:29 a.m. EDT on Saturday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Cygnus will orbit Earth for a day-and-a-half before arriving at the orbital outpost early Monday.

Expedition 71 Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps will be on duty Monday monitoring Cygnus’ approach and rendezvous. Dominick will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to reach out and grapple Cygnus at approximately 3:55 a.m. on Monday. Dominick will be inside the cupola with Epps backing him up Monday morning and keeping an eye on Cygnus as it advances toward the orbital outpost.

The duo spent Friday morning continuing to train on a computer and simulated the robotics activities necessary to capture Cygnus next week. At the end of the day, the NASA pair joined fellow astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams for a Cygnus cargo operations conference with mission controllers on the ground.

Earlier, Dyson, Wilmore, and Williams took turns throughout the day servicing a U.S. spacesuit in the Quest airlock. Dyson started the job first cleaning the spacesuit’s cooling loops. Afterward, Wilmore and Williams took over finishing up the loop cleaning job then finally deconfiguring and stowing the suit components inside Quest.

Dyson later examined the eyes of NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt using standard medical imaging hardware found in an optometrist’s office on Earth. Doctors on Earth guided Dyson as she peered in Barratt’s cornea, retina, and lens to understand microgravity’s effect on crew vision. Before the eye checks began, Barratt spent his day servicing a variety of research hardware including the Life Science Glovebox in the Kibo laboratory module and the CIMON mobile crew helper powered by artificial intelligence.

Wilmore and Williams, Boeing’s Crew Flight Test Commander and Pilot respectively, focused primarily on lab maintenance before they began their spacesuit work Friday afternoon. Wilmore spent some time inside the Tranquility module cleaning up cables and stowing electronics components. Williams worked during her morning inside the Columbus laboratory module installing networking gear including a video and data processing unit and a high-rate modem.

Working in the station’s Roscosmos segment, Commander Oleg Kononenko set up Earth observation hardware to study luminous clouds in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub started day servicing on oxygen generator, then studied the effects of magnetic and electrical fields on fluid physics, before uninstalling navigation hardware from the Progress 88 resupply ship. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin spent his day working on orbital plumbing and cleaning ventilation systems while also fitting in an Earth photography session in the middle of the day.

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.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Mark Garcia

NASA’s Northrop Grumman’s NG-21 Launch Readiness Review Complete, Prelaunch News Conference Next

Teams with NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX completed the final major review before launch – the Launch Readiness Review – for the 21st Northrop Grumman commercial resupply to the International Space Station.

Participants include:

• Bill Spetch, operations integration manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
• Meghan Everett, deputy chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
• Ryan Tintner, vice president, civil space systems, Northrop Grumman
• Jared Metter, director, flight reliability, SpaceX
• Melody Lovin, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to deliver more than 8,200 pounds of crew supplies, equipment, and science experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron are currently predicting a 50% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. Primary weather concerns are for potential violations of the cumulus cloud, surface electric fields, and thick cloud layers rules.

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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Stephanie Plucinsky

Crew Trains for Cygnus Capture, Keeps Up Space Research

Thursday’s main activities aboard the International Space Station on Thursday were Cygnus cargo craft preparations and microgravity science. Amidst the mission and research duties, the two crews living and working aboard the orbital outpost also kept up standard household duties and plumbing tasks.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply ship is targeted to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:29 a.m. EDT on Saturday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Cygnus is planned to take a day-and-a-half trip around Earth before arriving at the space station for its robotic capture at 6 a.m. on Monday.

NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps practiced Cygnus capture techniques on Thursday using the Canadarm2 robotic arm and guiding it toward a grapple fixture on the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM). Dominick will be commanding the Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus early Monday while Epps will back him up and monitor Cygnus’ approach and rendezvous.

Epps began her day with blood and saliva sample collection work, processing the specimens for analysis, then stowing the samples in a science freezer and the Kubik research incubator for future retrieval. Dominick set up a notebook computer and connected it to the advanced resistive exercise device for an experiment that measures how muscles and bones are impacted when working out in space.

Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt, both Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, worked on science maintenance and housekeeping tasks throughout the day. Dyson swapped samples and components inside a flame research device that safely studies how materials burn in weightlessness aboard the Kibo laboratory module. Barratt measured the airflow in the Harmony module’s port side crew quarters to ensure the upkeep of ventilation systems and maintain crew health.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Commander and Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spent their day on a variety of household tasks. Wilmore first organized food stowed in the Unity module and the PMM then installed a light meter on the Veggie botany research facility. Williams deep cleaned Unity temporarily uninstalling racks and hardware to access and wipe down hard to reach areas with disinfectant.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos began his day checking laptop computers before spending the afternoon photographing crew activities and inspecting windows in the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub was back on physics research Thursday as he studied how fluids are affected by magnetic and electrical fields in space. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked throughout the day an orbital plumbing and life support tasks in the station’s Roscosmos segment.

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.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Mark Garcia

Spacesuit Check and Student Robotics Contest Today as Station Orbits Higher

Spacesuits, robotics, and maintenance were the main priorities for the Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test crews after the International Space Station raised its orbit on Wednesday. The nine orbital residents also split their day on a variety of human research activities and docked crew spaceship activities.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick evaluated a spacesuit in the Quest airlock today with assistance from fellow NASA astronaut Mike Barratt. The duo powered up the spacesuit, configured its components, and tested the suit’s communications and life support systems during Dominick’s fit verification.

Astrobee free-flying robotic assistants, powered by fans and a vision-based navigation system, were maneuvering inside the Kibo laboratory module during the Astrobee Zero Robotics 3 finals competition on Wednesday. The Astrobees were controlled and manipulated by winning algorithms written by students on Earth and downloaded to the robotics platform by mission controllers. NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson readied the toaster-sized, cube-shaped Astrobees then monitored the contest designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and space exploration.

During the morning, NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps removed blood samples that were stowed overnight inside the Kubik research incubator. She spun those samples in a centrifuge before placing them inside a science freezer for preservation and later analysis to understand microgravity’s effect on humans. Afterward, Epps conducted several hours of airflow measurements inside the crew quarters located in the Harmony module’s deck compartment to maintain ventilation systems and crew health.

Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both NASA astronauts, had their day packed primarily with lab upkeep duties aboard the orbiting outpost. Wilmore spent his morning inspecting advanced plumbing hardware then packed the life support components for return to Earth. Williams set up high-definition video gear inside the Columbus laboratory module then inspected a bar code reader and radio frequency hardware. The duo also partnered up and organized cargo packed inside the Tranquility module before calling down to Boeing mission controllers for a conference.

The space station is orbiting higher today after the docked Progress 87 cargo craft fired its thrusters for over 20 minutes early Wednesday morning. The orbital reboost places the station at the correct altitude to receive the next cargo craft from Roscosmos after it launches in mid-August.

Commander Oleg Kononenko examined the cargo space available inside the Nauka and Rassvet modules to prepare for the upcoming space delivery. The five-time station visitor also inspected the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, in the Zvezda service module. The TORU would be used to remotely control an approaching Roscosmos resupply ship in the unlikely event the spacecraft would be unable to complete its automated docking sequence.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Aleksander Grebenkin had their day full as they conducted a variety of space research and maintained orbital lab systems on Wednesday. Chub continued studying how magnetic and electrical fields affect fluid physics and serviced life support systems. Grebenkin pointed a digital video camera out a station window and videotaped the condition of the Roscosmos segment modules for analysis.

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.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Mark Garcia

Blood Tests, Eye Scans on Station Helping Doctors Improve Crew Health

Blood sample collections and eye scans took a big part of the day on Tuesday as the International Space Station residents continuously explore how living in space affects their bodies. The two crews representing Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test also trained for robotics activities, serviced spacesuits, and kept up household tasks aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Mike Barratt began the day collecting their blood and saliva samples to help scientists understand how microgravity affects cellular immune functions. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps gathered the samples from the duo, first stowing the saliva specimens in a science freezer, then spinning the blood samples in a centrifuge, before inserting the sample tubes inside the Kubik research incubator for later observations.

The trio joined up again for a series of eye checks with fellow astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of NASA and cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin of Roscosmos. Epps, Dominick, and Chub led the eye scans using the Ultrasound 2 device to image their crewmates’ cornea, lens, and optic nerve. Doctors on Earth monitored the scans in real-time ensuring the crew captured the right imagery to learn how to protect and treat crew vision issues in space.

At the end of the day, Barratt partnered with NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson for more eye checks as the duo explored how weightlessness affects the retina’s response to light. Dyson and researchers on the ground observed Barratt as sensors attached to the side of his eyes measured his retinal function during the hourlong test. The eye exam is just one of 14 studies that comprise the CIPHER investigation devoted to astronaut health and well-being.

Barratt and Dominick also teamed up inside the Kibo laboratory module to reroute cables, reorganize cargo, and clean up trash. Dominick then joined Epps on the robotics workstation simulator and practiced techniques to capture the Cygnus space freighter with the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Dyson also got ready for the Cygnus cargo mission, due to launch on Aug. 3 and arrive on Aug. 5, reviewing mission operations and cargo procedures once the Northrop Grumman spacecraft is berthed to the Unity module.

Aside from eye checks, Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams hand their hands full all day with station maintenance duties. Wilmore cleaned up cargo and photographed open spaces inside the Columbus laboratory module while Williams worked in the Quest airlock servicing spacesuit components. Next, the duo gathered for a conference with Boeing mission controllers then reviewed the upcoming Cygnus cargo mission.

Grebenkin removed his body sensors and completed a 24-hour session that recorded his heart rate and blood pressure. Afterward, he photographed Earth landmarks using a specialized camera that captures image data beyond the spectral range of the human eye. Chub participated in cargo cleanup duties in the Zarya module then worked on life support and electronic systems maintenance. Commander Oleg Kononenko cleaned fans and filters in Zarya before inspecting and photographing windows in the Zvezda service module. At the end of the day, Kononenko took turns with Chub studying ways to improve communications between international crews and mission controllers.

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Mark Garcia