![\"NASA](\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2018\/12\/blog_iss057e114192.jpg\")
The Expedition 57<\/a> crew were allowed to catch a few extra hours of sleep today after a lengthy spacewalk Tuesday<\/a> by the two cosmonauts on board. They then went to work on a variety of microgravity science and lab maintenance aboard the International Space Station<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko<\/a> and Sergey Prokopyev<\/a> performed routine maintenance on their Russian Orlan spacesuits after a seven-hour, 45-minute spacewalk to inspect the Soyuz MS-09<\/a> crew ship docked to the station. The duo took detailed photos and captured video of some of the sealant on the outer hull of the Habitation Module used in the repair of a hole discovered inside the vehicle in August.<\/p>\n The other four orbital residents also put in a good night\u2019s sleep after supporting the eighth spacewalk<\/a> at the station this year. The quartet moved headlong into human research and departure preps after waking up a few hours later than usual today.<\/p>\n Alexander Gerst<\/a> and Serena Au\u00f1\u00f3n-Chancellor<\/a> drew their own blood samples today and processed them in the Human Research Facility\u2019s centrifuge. The samples were then coagulated and stowed in a science freezer for later analysis. The Biochemical Profile<\/a> is a long-running study on astronauts and is providing insight into the human body\u2019s adaptation to living in space.<\/p>\n Gerst is also packing the Soyuz spacecraft that will take him, Au\u00f1\u00f3n-Chancellor and Prokopyev back to Earth Dec. 19. This is the same spaceship that was inspected Tuesday by the two Russian spacewalkers.<\/p>\n The station\u2019s newest astronauts Anne McClain<\/a> and David Saint-Jacques<\/a> are still getting used to their new home in space. The pair also went about the day working on a variety of maintenance and research.\u00a0 McClain strapped on an armband monitoring how her body adapts<\/a> to orbiting Earth 16 times a day after setting up research hardware for two separate experiments. Saint-Jacques deployed over a dozen radiation monitors throughout the station today before some light plumbing work with Gerst in the orbital restroom.<\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Garcia <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Expedition 57<\/a> crew were allowed to catch a few extra hours of sleep today after a lengthy spacewalk Tuesday<\/a> by the two cosmonauts on board. They then went to work on a variety of microgravity science and lab maintenance aboard the International Space Station<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko<\/a> and Sergey Prokopyev<\/a> performed routine maintenance on their Russian Orlan spacesuits after a seven-hour, 45-minute spacewalk to inspect the Soyuz MS-09<\/a> crew ship docked to the station. The duo took detailed photos and captured video of some of the sealant on the outer hull of the Habitation Module used in the repair of a hole discovered inside the vehicle in August.<\/p>\n The other four orbital residents also put in a good night\u2019s sleep after supporting the eighth \u2026 Continue reading Well Rested Crew Moves To Human Research, Departure Preps After Spacewalk<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
NASA astronauts Serena Au\u00f1\u00f3n-Chancellor (background) and Anne McClain work inside the Japanese Kibo laboratory module cleaning vents to maintain air circulation aboard the International Space Station. <\/p>\n