![\"From](\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2019\/03\/Exp59newsconference.png\")
The last full day of <\/span>Expedition 58<\/a>\u2014before the launch, docking and consolidation of crews to become <\/span>Expedition 59<\/a>\u2014was mostly spent on housekeeping items for the continued, successful operation of the <\/span>International Space Station<\/a>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n NASA astronaut <\/span>Anne McClain<\/a> floated through the <\/span>Tranquility<\/a> and <\/span>Zvezda<\/a> service modules, deploying acoustic monitors. She paused in the U.S. lab at an <\/span>EXPRESS<\/a><\/span>\u00a0rack<\/a><\/span> to install communications gear and perform additional maintenance. <\/span>David Saint-Jacques<\/a> of the Canadian Space Agency also worked with EXPRESS today, moving <\/span>S<\/a>pace<\/a> Aut<\/a>omated<\/a> Bioproduct<\/a> Labs<\/a> from rack-1 to rack-2. This miniature laboratory within the larger orbiting laboratory supports life science research, hosting microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, algae, fungi, viruses, etc.), small organisms, animal cells, tissue cultures and small plants for evaluation in space. <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Expedition Commander Oleg Kononenko<\/a> of Roscosmos replaced fuel bottles on the <\/span>Combus<\/a><\/span>tion<\/a><\/span> In<\/a><\/span>tegrated<\/a><\/span> Rack<\/a><\/span>, which allows the crew members to conduct fluids and combustion studies in microgravity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Today in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, NASA astronauts\u00a0<\/span>Nick<\/a> Hague<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Ch<\/a>ristina<\/a> Koch<\/a>, and cosmonaut\u00a0<\/span>Alexe<\/a>y<\/a> Ovchinin<\/a>\u00a0of Roscosmos, were certified for flight by the Russian state commission and held their final news conference. <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tomorrow, the soon-to-be station residents will hitch a ride aboard a <\/span>Soyuz MS-12 for blastoff at 3:14 p.m. EDT on, coincidentally, 3\/14. After a relatively speedy six-hour flight, the Soyuz is expected to dock to station\u2019s Rassvet module at 9:07 p.m. Expedition 59 will begin officially at the time of docking.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The events<\/span> will unfold live on NASA TV<\/a>, with launch coverage beginning at 2 p.m. and docking coverage at 8:1<\/span>5 p.m., respectively. After a brief break, tune in at 10:30 p.m. for the hatch opening and welcome, which will return the orbiting laboratory\u2019s population to six\u2014including three NASA astronauts. And, just in time for Women\u2019s History Month, this launch marks the fourth Expedition crew with two female astronauts. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Learn more about station activities by following\u00a0@space_station<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@ISS_Research<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter, as well as the\u00a0ISS Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0ISS Instagram<\/a>\u00a0accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Catherine Williams <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The last full day of Expedition 58<\/a>\u2014before the launch, docking and consolidation of crews to become Expedition 59<\/a>\u2014was mostly spent on housekeeping items for the continued, successful operation of the International Space Station<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA astronaut Anne McClain<\/a> floated through the Tranquility<\/a> and Zvezda<\/a> service modules, deploying acoustic monitors. She paused in the U.S. lab at an EXPRESS<\/a>\u00a0rack<\/a> to install communications gear and perform additional maintenance. David Saint-Jacques<\/a> of the Canadian Space Agency also worked with EXPRESS today, moving S<\/a>pace<\/a> Aut<\/a>omated<\/a> Bioproduct<\/a> Labs<\/a> from rack-1 to rack-2. This miniature laboratory within the larger orbiting laboratory supports life science research, hosting microorganisms \u2026 Continue reading Housekeeping and Maintenance Punctuate Last Full Day of Expedition 58<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
From left, Expedition 59 crew members Christina Koch, Alexey Ovchinin and Nick Hague show solidarity before their upcoming launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Image Credit: NASA <\/p>\n