Archivo de la etiqueta: spacestation

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Flight Readiness Review Underway 

NASA and SpaceX managers, along with international partners, are meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida today for the Crew-11 mission’s Flight Readiness Review, as teams finalize preparations for the 11th crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. 

During the next several hours, the review will focus on the preparedness of SpaceX’s crew transportation system, the space station, and its international partners to support the flight, culminating in the certification of flight readiness. 

The Crew-11 mission will carry NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to the International Space Station for a long-duration mission.   

Stay up-to-date on Crew-11 mission details by following along on the mission blog, @NASAKennedy on X, or NASA Kennedy on Facebook. 

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Jason Costa

Robotics, Exercise Studies Improving Space Missions as Crew Swap Nears

Thursday’s research aboard the International Space Station explored ways to control robots on a planetary surface and how microgravity affects exercise and digestion. The Expedition 73 crew is also in the middle of its preparations to welcome a new crew then split up.

Human exploration of the solar system may include commanding robots on asteroids, the lunar surface, and Mars from an orbiting spacecraft. NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim tested space-to-ground robotic controlling methods on a laptop computer such as consoles, touchscreens, haptics, and virtual reality goggles in coordination with engineers in Earth. Results may provide safer methods of planetary exploration besides labor-intensive spacewalks and inform operations in disaster zones or inhospitable areas on Earth.

Living and working in weightlessness long-term requires daily workouts to maintain muscle and bone health ensuring crews stay fit and healthy. Aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning in microgravity are also important especially for more strenuous tasks such as spacewalks and the return to Earth’s gravity after months or even years.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers took turns pedaling on the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle for just one of many exercise investigations on the orbital outpost. They wore electrodes and breathing gear measuring their heart and breathing rate as researchers on the ground monitored in real time. Results will help doctors track an astronaut’s health and develop improved space workout programs.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain worked out on the advanced resistive exercise device, that mimics free weights on Earth and is in the Tranquility module, while wearing the sensor-packed Bio-Monitor headband and vest. The biomedical device is designed to comfortably monitor and collect a crew member’s heath data as they go about their daily activities. Afterward, she removed the wearable devices and downloaded her blood pressure data for review by specialists on the ground.

At the end of their shift, McClain, Ayers, and Onishi joined Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov and called down to flight controllers at SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, for a conference. The quartet coordinated with controllers from both SpaceX and NASA preparing to end a five-month stay in space and return to Earth next month inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. The four NASA SpaceX Crew-10 crewmates also practiced Earth reentry techniques on computer tablets and have already begun packing personal items and cargo inside Dragon for the ride home. They will gather at 10:40 a.m. EDT on Friday for a news conference and discuss their upcoming departure live on YouTube.

Waiting on Earth to replace Crew-10 is NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission with Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, both from NASA, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui of JAXA and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos. The Commercial Crew quartet is due to depart NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Saturday and arrive at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin their countdown to a launch inside Dragon atop the Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 12:09 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 31.

Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky joined each other for stomach scans with an ultrasound device after their breakfast on Thursday. The cosmonauts were exploring how microgravity affects the digestion system to understand potential space-caused biochemical changes. The duo then split up as Ryzhikov tested electrical cables in the Nauka science module and Zubritsky photographed Earth landmarks in multiple wavelengths. Peskov prepared computer hardware for a software update to add remote control functionality to the European robotic arm.

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.

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Mark A. Garcia

Station Preps for Crew Swap and Continues Space Health Studies

The Expedition 73 crew is preparing to split up in early August while another crew on the ground is beginning final preparations for a launch to the International Space Station next week. Meanwhile, the orbital residents continue their human research activities, space exercise studies, and lab maintenance duties on Wednesday.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain kicked off her shift packing personal items and cargo inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft she will ride back to Earth with Nichole Ayers of NASA, Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos. The four crewmates representing NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission have been gathering crew provisions for a couple of weeks for loading aboard Dragon preparing to end a space research mission that began on March 14. They will gather at 10:40 a.m. EDT on Friday for a news conference and discuss their upcoming departure live on YouTube.

Waiting on Earth to replace Crew-10 is NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission with Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, both from NASA, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui of JAXA and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos. The Commercial Crew quartet is due to depart NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Saturday and arrive at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin their countdown to a launch inside Dragon atop the Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 12:09 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 31.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim, on Wednesday, practiced on a computer the procedures he will use while monitoring Dragon’s rendezvous and approach with Crew-11 onboard. Dragon will automatically dock to the Harmony module’s space-facing port about a day-and-a-half after launch, the crew will enter the orbital outpost, and begin a seven-month research mission in low Earth orbit.

After her packing job, McClain focused on human research measuring her blood pressure, attaching electrodes to herself, and swapping out a sensor-packed headband and vest to comfortably measure her health data. Ayers continued packing items for return home, relocated genetic research gear, and serviced hardware that measures the vibrations caused by crew activities and orbital maneuvers that affect experiments on the station.

Station Commander Onishi began his shift on Wednesday activating and calibrating specialized video hardware that would track his movements later as he worked out on the advanced resistive exercise device (ARED). The data collected from the ARED Kinematics study helps researchers understand how exercising in microgravity affects the human body, protect muscles and bones from exercise loads on the equipment, and adjust workout plans for individual crew members to maintain maximum fitness.

Peskov continued testing the experimental lower body negative pressure suit that may help crews adjust quicker to the return to Earth’s gravity. Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky assisted Peskov as he tried on the suit that pulls fluids from the upper body potentially counteracting space-caused head and eye pressure.

Zubritsky later joined veteran cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov and set up biomedical hardware they will use to monitor how microgravity affects the digestion process after eating their breakfast on Thursday. Earlier, Ryzhikov set up hardware to image in Earth multiple wavelengths then serviced a pair of oxygen generators in the Zvezda and Nauka modules.

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.

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Mark A. Garcia

Brain, Muscles, and Robotics Research to Assist Healthy Crew Tops Schedule

Brain research, electrical muscle stimulation, and robotics topped the research schedule on Tuesday helping researchers keep the crew healthy and assist them on long-term missions. The Expedition 73 crew members also worked on spacesuit maintenance, radiation checks, and more aboard the International Space Station.

The ongoing human research in space provides scientists continuous physiological data they need to review to understand how astronauts’ bodies adapt to weightlessness over long periods of time. From analyzing blood and saliva samples, cognition tests, fitness tests, and a wide variety of other studies, the insights inform ways to ensure crews maintain their wellness off the Earth.

Astronauts Anne McClain of NASA and Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) began their day drawing their blood samples, spinning them in a centrifuge, and preserving the specimens in a science freezer for later analysis. Next, McClain took a set of tests measuring her cognitive performance to identify potential space-caused changes to her brain structure and function. At the end of her shift, McClain jogged on the COLBERT treadmill while strapped to a heart rate monitor then she wore a sensor-packed headband and vest for overnight health monitoring.

Onishi tested the artificial intelligence-powered CIMON robot assistant and its ability to command a free-flying robotic camera for JAXA’s ICHIBAN technology demonstration inside the Kibo laboratory module. In the middle of the robotics activities, Onishi also serviced a variety of science hardware including a wrist-worn sleep-wake monitor and a research incubator.

NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Nichole Ayers teamed up inside the Columbus laboratory module and explored a method to supplement space exercise and maintain muscle health. Kim helped Ayers attach electrodes to her legs and operated biomedical gear that applied small electrical signals stimulating the muscles. Results may improve muscle function, reduce workout times, and enable lighter exercise equipment on spacecraft. Kim also worked in the Quest airlock cleaning cooling loops and inspecting components on a pair of spacesuits.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky joined each other in the Zvezda service module and took turns wearing electrodes and blood pressure cuffs that measured how blood circulates to the arms and fingers in microgravity. Ryzhikov later photographed landmarks in the Indian and Pacific Oceans while Zubritsky transferred water into the station from tanks inside the Progress 92 cargo craft.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov checked radiation detectors for a monthly reading of the data then serviced orbital plumbing hardware. He also gathered with his NASA SpaceX Crew-10 crewmates McClain, Ayers, and Onishi and reviewed emergency breathing equipment inside the Dragon spacecraft they will ride back to Earth next month.

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Mark A. Garcia

Bone and Robotics Research Informing Future Missions as Crew Nears Departure

The Expedition 73 crew kicked off the week studying how to live and work in space during long-term missions including staying healthy in weightlessness and operating planetary robots from a spacecraft. The seven International Space Station (ISS) residents also replaced flight hardware and continued preparing for a crew swap beginning at the end of the month.

Scientists studies into the long-term effects of reduced gravity on an astronaut’s body enable NASA and its international partners to plan safe and successful missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Crews move around in microgravity with minimal effort; however, this affects their bodies in a similar way to how patients on Earth confined to bedrest experience. As a result, bones and muscles atrophy without daily exercise and proper nutrition.

Just one of many human research investigations taking place on the orbital outpost, the Bone on ISS study explores an astronaut’s bone health before, during, and after a spaceflight. Station commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers from NASA began their Monday with this experiment. Onishi assisted Ayers as she performed a blood draw then processed the samples for spinning in a centrifuge. The samples were stowed in a science freezer for later analysis. Results may provide insights into how an individual’s bones adjust to microgravity and help treat space-caused bone loss as well as Earthbound aging conditions.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain spent her day on the CIPHER suite of 14 human research experiments tracking multiple aspects of a crew member’s health in space. She processed her blood and urine samples for preservation and analysis for more insight into bone health and cardiovascular issues. The knowledge gained may prepare an astronaut for different gravity environments such as the Moon or Mars and lead to advanced care for patients on Earth.

McClain, along with Onishi and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov, spent time packing personal items for the ride back to Earth planned for early next month inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Ayers began packing her gear last week.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim explored ways to control robotic vehicles on a planetary surface from an orbiting spacecraft. Working with engineers on the ground, Kim set up a laptop computer inside the Columbus laboratory module and tested space-to-ground robotic controlling methods. The experiment tests a variety of technologies including consoles, touchscreens, haptics, and virtual reality goggles that may benefit future space exploration. Results may also inform missions to asteroids and operations in disaster zones or inhospitable areas on Earth. Kim later partnered with Onishi and Ayers replacing flight hardware in the Tranquility module.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky assisted Peskov on Monday helping him get ready to end his stay aboard the orbiting lab. Zubritsky set up biomedical hardware and applied sensors measuring Peskov’s blood flow as he wore the experimental lower body negative pressure suit. The data is being collected to test the suit’s ability to pull fluids from the upper body and counteract space-caused head and eye pressure. The suit operations may also help a crew member adapt quicker to the return to Earth’s gravity. Zubritsky then inventoried a variety of computer and electronics hardware while Peskov reviewed Dragon departure procedures on a computer tablet.

Veteran Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov videotaped his workout session on the advanced resistive exercise device helping researchers keep crews fit and healthy in space. He spent the rest of his shift replacing electronics and fire protection hardware and cleaning ventilation systems throughout the space station’s Roscosmos segment.

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.

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Mark A. Garcia