Tissue Regeneration Research Benefits Humans On and Off the Earth

Tissue Regeneration Research Benefits Humans On and Off the Earth

A brilliant aurora streams above Earth's horizon in this photograph from the space station as it orbited 270 miles above the Indian Ocean.
A brilliant aurora streams above Earth’s horizon in this photograph from the space station as it orbited 270 miles above the Indian Ocean.

The orbital residents aboard the International Space Station continued exploring ways to heal wounds in space today. A host of other space research was under way on Tuesday to understand how living in microgravity affects humans.

Four astronauts partnered together again today exploring how skin heals in weightlessness. Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), studied surgical techniques such as biopsies, suture splints, and wound dressing, throughout Tuesday.

The quartet worked inside the Kibo laboratory module conducting the medical research in the Life Science Glovebox. The advanced study seeks to identify the biological changes that affect tissue regeneration in space. Results may improve wound therapies and treatments for humans living on and off the Earth.

Lindgren also had time on Tuesday to review procedures for a nighttime photography session using the AstroPi science computer in the Harmony module. AstroPi will enable European students to conduct experiments using a pair of different lenses on the computer in conjunction with a variety of station sensors. The academic study seeks to promote interest in and guide students toward STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers.

The three cosmonauts of the Expedition 67 crew focused on their contingent of microgravity research and lab maintenance today. Commander Oleg Artemyev juggled several experiments in the station’s Russian experiment as he explored space exercise methods, Earth photography using ultrasound sensors, and the human digestive system. Flight Engineer Denis Matveev checked radiation detectors and worked on power systems inside the Zarya module. Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov analyzed urine samples during the morning then spent the afternoon collecting air samples in the Zvezda, Poisk, and Nauka modules.

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Mark Garcia

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Biomedical Research in Space Today Benefits Astronauts and Earthlings

Biomedical Research in Space Today Benefits Astronauts and Earthlings

The seven-member Expedition 67 crew poses for a portrait inside the International Space Station's Harmony module.
The seven-member Expedition 67 crew poses for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module.

International Space Station studies about wound healing and cardiology kicked off the week for the Expedition 67 crew following last week’s departure of a U.S. resupply ship. A variety of other space research, spacesuit cleaning, and maintenance rounded out the day for the seven orbital residents.

Four astronauts spent the majority of the day on Monday exploring surgical techniques to heal wounds in microgravity. The quartet, including Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), worked throughout the day inside the Kibo laboratory module conducting research operations in the Life Science Glovebox. The medical study may provide advanced skin healing therapies both in space and on Earth.

Lindgren then installed an AstroPi science computer in the Harmony module where Cristoforetti would adjust its camera lens allowing European students to take night time photography of the Earth below. Watkins recorded video of the AstroPi activities and downlinked it for viewing by the participating students on Earth. Hines checked fluids and plants growing for the XROOTS botany study that uses hydroponics and aeroponics techniques to promote space agriculture.

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship completed its cargo mission after 34 days attached to the space station on Friday. It undocked from the Harmony module’s forward port at 11:05 a.m. EDT and parachuted to a splashdown off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday at 2:53 p.m. Shortly afterward, support personnel retrieved the commercial cargo craft, packed with scientific cargo and station gear, floating in the Atlantic.

Cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev continued stowing spacewalking gear today after last week’s spacewalk to outfit the European robotic arm for payload operations on the station’s Russian segment. The duo also researched cardiology onboard the station today exploring how weightlessness affects blood circulation. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov also participated in the heart research before he and Artemyev studied how to pilot spacecraft and maneuver robots on future planetary missions.

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Mark Garcia

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Dragon Splashes Down With Scientific Cargo for Analysis

Dragon Splashes Down With Scientific Cargo for Analysis

Aug. 19, 2022: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom and Russia's Soyuz MS-21 crew ship and the Progress 80 and 81 resupply ships.
Aug. 19, 2022: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom and Russia’s Soyuz MS-21 crew ship and the Progress 80 and 81 resupply ships.

SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down at 2:53 p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 20, north of Cape Canaveral off the Florida coast, marking the return of the company’s 25th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft carried more than 4,000 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth.

Some of the scientific investigations returned by Dragon include:

  • Space’s impact on materials: The Materials International Space Station Experiment-15-NASA (MISSE-15-NASA) experiment tests, qualifies, and quantifies the impact of the low-Earth orbit environment on new materials and components, such as spacecraft materials and wearable radiation protection. Successful experiment results could have applications both in the harsh environments of space and on Earth.
  • Spacesuit cooling: Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment (SERFE) demonstrates a new technology using water evaporation to remove heat from spacesuits and maintain appropriate temperatures for crew members and equipment during spacewalks. The investigation determines whether microgravity affects performance and evaluates the technology’s effect on contamination and corrosion of spacesuit material.
  • Cell signaling in microgravity: The ESA (European Space Agency) sponsored investigation Bioprint FirstAid Handheld Bioprinter (Bioprint FirstAid) enables the rapid use of formerly prepared bio-inks, containing the patient’s own cells, to form a band-aid patch in the case of injury.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog@space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Mark Garcia

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Dragon Departs Station to Return Scientific Cargo to Earth

Dragon Departs Station to Return Scientific Cargo to Earth

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking from the Harmony module's forward port during an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking from the Harmony module’s forward port during an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV

At 11:00 a.m. EDT, flight controllers on the ground sent commands to release the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module. At the time of release at 11:05 a.m., the station was flying about 259 miles over the Pacific Ocean.

The Dragon spacecraft successfully departed the space station one month after arriving at the orbiting laboratory to deliver about 4,000 pounds of scientific investigations and supplies.

Tomorrow, ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, will command a deorbit burn. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida. NASA TV will not broadcast the de-orbit burn and splashdown, and updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog.

Dragon arrived at the space station July 16, following a launch two days prior on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the company’s 25th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog@space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

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Mark Garcia

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Dragon Resupply Ship Departing Station Live on NASA TV

Dragon Resupply Ship Departing Station Live on NASA TV

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship (at top) is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port on the space station.
The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship (at top) is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on the space station.

Live coverage of the departure of SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app.

Ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, will send commands at approximately 11:00 a.m. EDT for Dragon to undock from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module and fire its thrusters to move a safe distance away from the station. Tomorrow, controllers will command a deorbit burn.

After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida. NASA TV will not broadcast the de-orbit burn and splashdown. Updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog@space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Get The Details…

Mark Garcia

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