![\"The](\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/240\/2022\/09\/blog_NHQ202209180016.jpg\")
<\/a>The International Space Station<\/a> is gearing up for the arrival of three new crew members due to begin their mission on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Expedition 67<\/a> astronauts continue researching a wide array of microgravity phenomena to benefit humans on and off the Earth.<\/p>\n The Soyuz MS-22 rocket that will launch NASA astronaut Frank Rubio<\/a> and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev<\/a> and Dmitri Petelin<\/a> to the space station stands at its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio will liftoff inside the Soyuz crew ship at 9:54 a.m. EDT on Wednesday<\/a> and dock to the Rassvet module<\/a> less than three-and-a-half hours later beginning a six-month research mission in Earth orbit. NASA will broadcast the launch live on NASA TV<\/a>, the app, and its website, beginning at 9 a.m.<\/p>\n Just over a week later, three cosmonauts who have been living in space since March 18 will board their Soyuz MS-21 crew ship and return to Earth. The Soyuz vehicle, with station Commander Oleg Artemyev<\/a> and Flight Engineers Denis Matveev<\/a> and Sergey Korsakov<\/a> inside, will undock from the Prichal module<\/a>, descend through Earth\u2019s atmosphere, and parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan, ending the threesome\u2019s six-month-long orbital journey. The trio spent Tuesday packing up cargo and personal gear for stowage inside the returning Soyuz and conditioning their bodies for the return to Earth\u2019s gravity.<\/p>\n ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti<\/a> will take over as station commander from Artemyev before he departs during the traditional Change of Command ceremony next week. The leadership change will be seen live on NASA TV<\/a>, the agency\u2019s app, and its website at 9:35 a.m. on Sept. 28.<\/p>\n Research operations aboard the station are always ongoing whether the astronauts run the experiments themselves or scientists remotely conduct the studies from control centers on the ground. Tuesday\u2019s space science schedule saw the astronauts busy all day exploring biology, botany, physics, and robotics.<\/p>\n Humans and plants are significant topics of study in space as researchers learn to sustain crews in space for longer missions and farther away from Earth. NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins<\/a> scanned her arteries with an ultrasound device and measured her blood pressure on Tuesday to understand the risks of space radiation<\/a> on the cardiovascular system. NASA astronaut Bob Hines<\/a> planted vegetables for the soilless XROOTS<\/a> botany study that explores using hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow crops in space.<\/p>\n Technology is also key to the success of crewed missions so astronauts can focus more on science activities and become less reliant on ground controllers. NASA Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren<\/a> looked at how weightlessness affects the microstructures of foam through the KERMIT microscope<\/a> to advance research and commercial opportunities on Earth and in space. Finally, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti<\/a> of ESA (European Space Agency) tested using a smartphone device<\/a> to guide and control Astrobee<\/a> robotic free-flyers while assisting crews with scientific operations.<\/p>\n Learn more about station activities by following the\u00a0space station blog<\/a>,\u00a0@space_station<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@ISS_Research<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter, as well as the\u00a0ISS Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0ISS Instagram<\/a>\u00a0accounts.<\/p>\n Get weekly video highlights at:\u00a0http:\/\/jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov\/videoupdate\/<\/a><\/p>\n Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here:\u00a0www.nasa.gov\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Garcia <\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The International Space Station is gearing up for the arrival of three new crew members due to begin their mission on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Expedition 67 astronauts continue researching a wide array of microgravity phenomena to benefit humans on and off the Earth. The Soyuz MS-22 rocket that will launch NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and \u2026 Continue reading
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