Archivo de la etiqueta: spacestation

NASA Provides Update on Space Station Leak

The Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel, known as the PrK, on the International Space Station has experienced cracks since 2019 that have resulted in small atmosphere leaks and prompted ongoing monitoring and repair efforts by Roscosmos. NASA and Roscosmos have worked together to identify the root cause while Roscosmos has been applying leak mitigation measures, including temporary and permanent sealants.

The week of June 1, during Progress 95 spacecraft cargo operations, Roscosmos noted an increase of the previous leak rate to two pounds per day and identified new suspected leak areas in the PrK. Following this observation, Roscosmos made the decision to begin work toward a more extensive inspection and structural repair effort Friday morning. This revised approach involved cutting a bracket to better access an area identified as a possible leak source for further inspection, using a method that could have resulted in elevated risk to the structure in the area. In response, NASA directed the four SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who flew to station aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, to take a heightened safety posture, known as a safe haven, inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during the procedure.

Later Friday morning, Roscosmos paused and did not perform the structural repair work in favor of conducting additional measurements and data assessments, which included inspection of suspected areas of interest and review of areas where sealant was previously applied. NASA strongly supported that decision, and as a result, following that decision, Crew-12 and Williams ended their safe haven activities and returned to normal operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.

NASA will continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international partners that support the space station, to assess and ensure a resolution to this matter.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

Bioprinting Cartilage, Producing Stem Cells Fill Thursday’s Research Schedule

3D bioprinting and stem cell research were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 74 crew members also photographed growing plants and lab windows for inspection while continuing to pack a U.S. cargo spacecraft.

Flight engineers Jessica Meir of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) joined each other at the beginning of their shift and tested the operation of a 3D bioprinter inside the Kibo laboratory module. Adenot first mixed cartilage cell samples with bio-ink then handed them to over Meir for insertion inside a bioprinter cartridge to print human tissue. The biotechnology device may advance regenerative medicine leading to on-demand, personalized medical implants using the patient’s own cells. Later, Meir nourished blood stem cell samples inside Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox at the end of her shift for another investigation. The cell samples are growing inside a research incubator to help doctors learn how to manufacture and commercialize space-designed therapies for a variety of blood cancers and immune diseases.

Adenot later partnered with NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway packing cargo inside a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft as it nears the end of its stay docked to the Harmony module’s forward. Hathaway spent the first half of his shift tending plants growing for a pair of botany studies to promote space agriculture and self-sustaining space missions. He began watering and photographing alfalfa plants growing inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie facility for the Veg-06 study. Next, he photographed microgreens, or plants with higher vitamin and mineral content than mature leaves, growing inside specialized chambers in the Destiny laboratory module. Hathaway wrapped up his shift downlinking data to Earth that documents how space radiation affects semiconductor transistors.

NASA flight engineer Chris Williams primarily spent his day on hardware maintenance beginning inside Kibo and cleaning dust and debris collected in the module’s ventilation system. Williams then moved over to the Columbus lab and relocated parts and components associated with the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device. Next, he collected space radiation data recorded on the Lumina device before inspecting tethers that secure spacewalkers on the space station.

The station’s three cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and Andrey Fedyaev, coordinated throughout Thursday on inspections in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment. The trio partnered together in the Zvezda service module inspecting its hull and photographing windows in the Zvezda and Poisk modules.

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Mark A. Garcia

Human Research, Biotechnology for Advanced Health Fill Station Research Schedule

Wednesday’s science schedule aboard the International Space Station encompassed human research, microbial analysis, and 3D bioprinting to advance health on and off the Earth. The Expedition 74 crew members also worked on spacesuit maintenance and cargo spacecraft duties throughout the day rounding out their shift.

Doctors on the ground are constantly monitoring astronaut health using a variety of tools and techniques to ensure crews are healthy and learn how weightlessness affects the human body. One ongoing investigation is the CIPHER suite of 14 studies to understand space-caused changes to an astronaut’s physical and mental condition. NASA flight engineer Chris Williams took part in the long-running experiment first collecting his blood and urine samples for processing and analysis at the beginning of his shift. Next, Williams participated in a trio of tests to assess his thinking skills and how he judges distance, direction, and motion in microgravity. The research data is compared with measurements from other astronauts, as well as before and after a spaceflight, for a broader view of crew health in space.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway focused on a pair of studies using advanced hardware to sequence microbial DNA and print high quality cartilage tissue aboard the orbital outpost. Hathaway began his shift collecting microbe samples throughout the space station for analysis. The samples will be incubated for several days before their DNA is sequenced so scientists can understand how bacteria survive in space and identify their antibiotic-resistant genes. Afterward, he thawed and cleaned cartilage cells mixed with bio-ink then assisted NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir as she loaded the bio-ink into a 3D bioprinter to print cartilage tissues. The space environment may advance regenerative medicine leading to on-demand, personalized medical implants using the patient’s own cells.

Mier later partnered up with Williams at the end of their shift and replaced hardware on a spacesuit. The duo worked inside the Quest airlock swapping out the suit’s upper body section, or hard upper torso, with a new one and packing the old torso for return to Earth.

Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) spent the majority of her shift on maintenance and cargo duties. Adenot first powered on the Echo ultrasound device in the Columbus laboratory module so engineers on the ground could monitor and assess the medical hardware’s functionality. Next, she collected water samples for analysis from the Exploration Potable Water Dispenser that dispenses ambient and hot water into crew food and drink bags. Finally, Adenot packed cargo inside a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft ahead of its planned return to Earth later this month.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev took turns working inside the Progress 95 cargo spacecraft docked to the Zvezda service module’s aft port. Kud-Sverchkov removed air ducts between the Progress 95 and the orbital outpost while Mikaev pumped water from the cargo spacecraft into station tanks. Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev restored the operation of the ventilation systems connecting the station’s U.S. and Roscosmos segments then worked on orbital plumbing duties.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

Bacteria, Cartilage, and Metal Tops Tuesday’s Research Aboard Station

Microbiology,  biotechnology, and physics were the dominant research themes aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as the Expedition 74 crew explored how microgravity affects bacteria, cartilage growth, and metallic structure. Scientific hardware maintenance rounded out the schedule for the orbital residents to ensure continuous experimental operations.

NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway reviewed procedures ahead of an investigation to explore how bacteria adapt to the space environment. Hathaway familiarized himself with the tools and steps he will use to study how two sets of bacterial samples respond to weightlessness. One set will be treated with an antibiotic and the second set will be left alone. After the samples are incubated for five days their DNA will be sequenced for more insight into microbial adaptation to microgravity. Results may lead to advanced efforts to reduce the risk of bacterial infection and help protect an astronaut’s immune system during a spaceflight.

NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir nourished cartilage tissue samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox that are growing to gain a better understanding of the function of cartilage cells and tissue in microgravity. The tissue samples are being engineered aboard the orbiting lab to understand how cartilage develops and repairs itself possibly improving astronaut fitness regimens and promoting the development of advanced implants on Earth.

NASA flight engineer Chris Williams inserted StarSteel samples, a high‑performance engineered metal or alloy, into the Mochii electron microscope to observe space-caused changes to the advanced material’s surface and structure. The physics research work may lead to the development of stronger, lighter, or more durable materials for Earth and space applications.

Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) replaced a computer chip inside a research incubator located inside Kibo. Afterward, she updated the incubator’s network settings for the main internal memory chip that performs startup, runs experiments, stores data, and communicates with ground systems.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev took turns on Tuesday studying how living in space affects blood pressure. The duo wore a set of cuffs attached to their arms, wrist, and fingers measuring their cardiac data helping doctors keep an eye on crew health and understand how weightlessness affects the circulatory system. Next, they joined Williams and tested the custom-fitted seat liners they will sit in next month when they return to Earth inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev spent the first half of his shift inside the Nauka science module working on orbital plumbing and ventilation maintenance. Afterward, Fedyaev cleaned gas-liquid heat exchangers, devices that ensure the space station’s temperature and humidity remain safe and comfortable, inside the Zarya 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.

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Mark A. Garcia

Stem Cell Research for Cancer, Spacesuit Work Kick Off June

The Expedition 74 crew kicked off June with a busy schedule of microgravity research harvesting stem cells, installing physics hardware, and watering plants aboard the International Space Station. Spacesuit work and life support maintenance rounded out the day for the orbital residents.

Manufacturing blood stem cells in space is a key objective of a new biotechnology investigation taking place aboard the orbiting lab. NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir harvested stem cell samples growing inside the Kibo laboratory module and placed them inside the KERMIT fluorescent microscope for observation on Monday. Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) assisted Meir with the research operations collecting the samples for processing then stowing them in a science freezer for preservation and later analysis. Doctors are exploring how the stem cells self-replicate in weightlessness with an eye toward using the space environment to develop treatments for cancer and blood diseases.

Adenot started her Monday shift installing the Solid Combustion Experiment Module inside Kibo’s multi-purpose small payload rack. She then inserted a gas bottle in the combustion research device to continue studying how solid materials ignite, burn, propagate flame, and self-extinguish in microgravity. She also joined NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway and helped him unpack hardware stowed inside the Quest airlock to make room for upcoming spacewalk preparations.

Hathway spent the majority of his time inside Quest checking out the functionality and installing batteries on a spacesuit jetpack. A spacewalker would use the jetpack, also called Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER), to safely maneuver back to the space station in the unlikely event they became untethered from their worksite. He also activated sample-containing tubes filled with seeds and microbes for a variety of student-designed experiments in the Harmony module. Finally, he watered and photographed alfalfa plants growing inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie facility for the Veg-06 study to promote food production in space.

Flight engineer Chris Williams worked throughout Monday setting up fluid physics hardware and specialized imaging gear inside Columbus. The new components will enable the observation of how fluids boil, condense, and flow in microgravity possibly leading to newer, more advanced thermal systems for future spacecraft on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev continued stowing spacewalking tools they used during a science hardware spacewalk on May 27. The duo also returned a set of U.S. tools, including lights, cameras, and batteries, they wore on their Orlan suits, to William who stowed them back inside Quest.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev began his shift collecting air samples for analysis from inside the Zvezda and Nauka modules. The samples are analyzed for ammonia, carbon dioxide, and other elements to determine the quality of the station’s atmosphere. During the second half of his shift, Fedyaev was back inside Nauka inspecting and cleaning a pair of laptop computers before servicing the science module’s ventilation system.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia