![The aurora australis, or \"southern lights\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2019\/06\/blog_iss059e099150.jpg\")
Three Expedition 59<\/a> crewmembers are less than one week away from completing their 204-day mission aboard the International Space Station<\/a>. In the meantime, space research<\/a> continues into advanced life support systems and nanoparticle therapies for Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n Astronauts Anne McClain<\/a> and David Saint-Jacques<\/a> collected and stowed their biological samples for the Probiotics<\/a> human research experiment this morning. The study from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency<\/a> is researching the consumption of beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, to promote healthy intestines and immune systems in space.<\/p>\n The two flight engineers are also packing cargo and personal items for return to Earth inside the Soyuz MS-11 crew craft<\/a>. Commander Oleg Kononenko<\/a> will lead the duo home inside the Russian spaceship for a June 24 landing in Kazakhstan. The threesome blasted off Dec. 3<\/a> and docked to the station\u2019s Poisk module<\/a> about six hours later inside the same Soyuz vehicle.<\/p>\n NASA TV<\/a> will cover all the homecoming activities live beginning Sunday at 3:35 pm. EDT with the Change of Command Ceremony. Monday\u2019s crew farewell and hatch closing will be at 4:10 p.m. with Soyuz undocking at 7:25 p.m. The Soyuz vehicle will fire its engines one last time at 9:55 p.m., followed by a parachute-assisted a landing in Kazakhstan on Monday at 10:48 p.m. EDT (Tuesday 8:48 a.m. Kazakh time).<\/p>\n NASA is evaluating technologies for a lightweight, advanced life support system that can recover water and remove carbon dioxide in space. Flight Engineer Nick Hague<\/a> is supporting that research today with more Capillary Structures<\/a> work. Hague is using specialized hardware to demonstrate the flow of fluid and gas mixtures using surface tension and fluid dynamics.<\/p>\n NASA Flight Engineer Christina Koch<\/a> is helping doctors on Earth target therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). She collected samples from a temperature-controlled experiment facility<\/a> and stowed them in a science freezer for analysis on Wednesday. The research is exploring manufacturing nanoparticles<\/a> that target a disease\u2019s underlying cause rather than its symptoms.<\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Garcia <\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Three Expedition 59<\/a> crewmembers are less than one week away from completing their 204-day mission aboard the International Space Station<\/a>. In the meantime, space research<\/a> continues into advanced life support systems and nanoparticle therapies for Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n Astronauts Anne McClain<\/a> and David Saint-Jacques<\/a> collected and stowed their biological samples for the Probiotics<\/a> human research experiment this morning. The study from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency<\/a> is researching the consumption of beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, to promote healthy intestines and immune systems in space.<\/p>\n The two flight engineers are also packing cargo and personal items for return to Earth inside the Soyuz MS-11 crew craft<\/a>. Commander Oleg Kononenko<\/a> will lead \u2026 Continue reading Alzheimer\u2019s Research and Homecoming Packing Aboard Lab Today<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
The International Space Station was orbiting 269 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia when this nighttime photograph was taken of the aurora australis, or \u201csouthern lights.\u201d Russia\u2019s Soyuz MS-12 crew ship (foreground) and Progress 72 resupply ship are seen in this mesmerizing view. <\/p>\n