Archivos de la categoría ISS News

Busy Week of Science, Robotics, and Spacecraft Activities on Station

It has been a busy week aboard the International Space Station and Thursday was no exception with ongoing space research, systems maintenance, robotics activities, and an orbital reboost for an upcoming crew mission. The nine lab crewmates have been working together and coordinating closely with mission controllers from around the world ensuring safe and successful mission operations in low-Earth orbit.

NASA Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominick returned to space botany on Thursday servicing the Advanced Plant Habitat located in the Kibo laboratory module. The duo replaced a variety of life support components and sensors inside the microgravity greenhouse that supports space-grown plants for both research and consumption.

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams began their day continuing to configure emergency systems inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Williams also partnered with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson and updated Dragon emergency procedures. Barratt wrapped up his day inside Dragon charging computer tablet batteries and synchronizing the portable computers for satellite coverage. Dragon is due to return to Earth in early October bringing home four SpaceX Crew-8 members.

Wilmore and Dyson then finished the afternoon cleaning the inside of the carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA). Wilmore and Williams removed the CDRA from the Tranquility module’s Air Revitalization System (ARS) on Tuesday beginning the weeklong maintenance job. It will be reinstalled in the ARS and reactivated early next week.

Over the past week, robotics controllers on Earth remotely commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm to remove the science packed NanoRacks Bishop airlock from Tranquility. Bishop was then maneuvered toward the Mobile Transporter where it was temporarily installed for experiment transfers. Canadarm2 then retrieved the ArgUS multi-payload carrier from Bishop and installed it on the Columbus laboratory module’s Bartolomeo external science platform. The newly installed radio frequency research hardware will demonstrate advanced satellite communications to improve aerospace systems on Earth and space. Bishop has been returned to Tranquility where it will be repressurized and opened for crew entry on Friday.

The orbital outpost’s three cosmonauts from Roscosmos also remained busy on Thursday conducting their array of life science, lab upkeep, and robotics checks. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko focused on science, first swapping samples inside the Electromagnetic Levitator, a research device that measures the thermophysical properties of liquid metallic alloys at high temperatures. Next, he attached sensors to himself measuring his heart rate while relaxing. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub installed and tested a device that measures mass in microgravity then packed trash and discarded gear inside the Progress 88 cargo craft. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin inventoried components that control the European Robotic Arm then uninstalled software that supported a plasma physics study.

The International Space Station is soaring higher this week after the Progress 89 cargo craft, docked to the Zvezda service module’s rear port, fired its thrusters for nearly 18 minutes on Tuesday. The reboost puts the space station at the correct altitude for the arrival of the Soyuz MS-26 crew ship in September. The Soyuz spacecraft, carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, is due to dock to the station’s Rassvet module just three hours after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark Garcia

Crew Works Spacecraft Configurations and Eye Checks on Wednesday

Dragon spacecraft configurations topped Wednesday’s task list aboard the International Space Station as the orbital residents prepare for crew swap activities in September and October. Human research duties and lab maintenance tasks rounded out the day for the nine crewmates living and working on the orbital outpost.

Six astronauts worked throughout the day configuring the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft’s emergency systems and updating the vehicle’s emergency procedures. The NASA astronauts split up the daylong tasks as Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Butch Wilmore worked inside the spacecraft configuring its emergency systems and computer tablets as it nears an October return to Earth with four SpaceX Crew-8 members.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, and Suni Williams focused on updating emergency procedures including responses to unlikely events such as a depressurization, fire, or ammonia leak aboard Dragon. The trio also documented individual roles and responsibilities for the astronauts in the event of a contingency aboard Dragon after it departs the orbital outpost.

The astronauts still had time for light science tasks and lab upkeep while ensuring Dragon is prepared for its upcoming departure. Epps watered two types of grasses growing inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie space botany facility. The grasses are being studied to observe space-caused changes to photosynthesis and plant metabolism and possibly inform bioregenerative life support systems on future spacecraft. Epps also drained resupply tanks and serviced orbital plumbing systems in the Tranquility module.

In the afternoon, Dominick examined Dyson’s eyes using standard medical imaging hardware in the Harmony module. Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub also participated in the regularly scheduled eye exams. Doctors on the ground remotely monitored both sessions to understand how living in weightlessness affects a crew member’s cornea, lens, and retina.

Kononenko and Chub kicked off their day with a cardiac study as Kononenko assisted Chub who attached sensors to himself that measured his heart rate while relaxing. The duo would then split up and work on a variety of electronics and life support systems in the station’s Roscosmos segment. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked on orbital plumbing duties in the Nauka science module during the morning before spending the afternoon collecting station air samples for analysis.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Mark Garcia

Space Botany, Eye Research, Plasma Physics Fill Science Schedule on Station

Tuesday was a science-packed day aboard the International Space Station as the astronauts and cosmonauts explored space botany, eye health, and plasma physics to promote longer spaceflights farther away from Earth.

NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps of Expedition 71 took turns tending to plants growing inside the Columbus laboratory module’s Veggie space botany facility throughout the day. Barratt started first scanning leaves on two types of grasses using an agricultural multispectral device measuring leaf thickness, chlorophyll, and other plant properties. Epps followed and photographed the plants so scientists on the ground could analyze the space-grown grasses. Results from the botany experiment may show space-caused changes to photosynthesis and plant metabolism and possibly inform bioregenerative life support systems on future spacecraft.

Afterward, Epps peered into the eyes of NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick using standard medical imaging gear found in a doctor’s office on Earth. She was specifically looking at his optic nerve with real-time assistance from researchers on the ground. NASA scientists are trying to determine if genetics and a B vitamin condition could affect crew vision in space and develop countermeasures to prevent the swelling of the optic nerve on spaceflight missions.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson had a light-duty day first examining experimental life support hardware installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox. Next, she, Commander Oleg Kononenko, and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub took turns reading characters midday on an eye chart so eye doctors could assess their visual acuity, or vision sharpness. Afterward, Dyson spent about 25 minutes testing VHF communication systems with mission controllers in the United States, Japan, Germany, and Russia.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams worked together throughout Tuesday on life support maintenance in the Tranquility module. The duo uninstalled the carbon dioxide removal assembly from Tranquility’s Air Revitalization System rack then reconfigured and replaced components on the life support device.

Kononenko spent most of his morning swapping out computer and electronics gear in the Zarya module before working the rest of the afternoon inspecting modules in the Roscosmos segment of the orbital outpost. Chub started his day photographing surfaces treated with a variety of disinfectants analyzing their effectiveness in microgravity then finished his shift checking Roscosmos power supply diagnostics.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin dedicated his entire day to the Plasma Kristall-4 experiment supported by both Roscosmos and ESA (European Space Agency). Grebenkin checked the pressure on argon and neon gas bottles that supply the investigation which observes complex plasmas, or ionized gases produced by high temperatures, potentially benefitting spacecraft designs and fundamental research on Earth.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Mark Garcia

Monday Sees Physical Science Prep and Training for Station Crew

A suite of training and conferences kept the International Space Station residents busy on Monday as they embark on a new week of work in microgravity. Though a light duty science day, some crew members did schedule in time to assess how spaceflight affects the human body and prep for upcoming physical science investigations.

In the morning, NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps set up hardware for the CIPHER investigation and then conducted an exam on NASA astronaut Mike Barratt to assess how microgravity affects the vestibular system, including spatial orientation, cognitive function, and changes in head-eye coordination.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson spent some time in the Tranquility module troubleshooting the toilet pressure sensor, then replaced experiment samples and igniter tips in SoFIE, a physical science payload used to study the ignition and flammability of spacecraft materials. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick spent some time replacing Packed Bed Retractor Experiment hardware, another physical science investigation that looks at the behaviors of gases and liquids in microgravity.

Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams spent Monday powering up communication software and holding a conference with ground teams as they begin their formal integration into the Expedition 71/72 crew.

NASA announced on Saturday that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth uncrewed, allowing the agency and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew. Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard the orbiting laboratory through February 2025 and fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September. Since their arrival, the duo has been supporting station research, maintenance, Starliner system testing, and a host of other orbital activities.

To prepare for upcoming missions in September, Barratt, Epps, Dyson, Dominick, Wilmore, and Williams, along with cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, all completed a round of SpaceX Dragon overview training throughout the day. The septet then joined forces in the evening to review Dragon emergency procedures and hold a conference with ground teams to discuss future Dragon configuration.

Afterward, the septet was joined by station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos to discuss emergency response and coordination amongst all crew members.

Kononenko and Chub also partnered throughout the day to inspect and replace hardware in the Zvezda service module and install software to a few station computers.

Soyuz MS-26 prime and backup crew members flew to their launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan to begin final prelaunch training ahead of the launch of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, currently scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Abby Graf

Science Hardware Work Completes Week; NASA Managers Discuss Crew Flight Test

Advanced research hardware work took precedence aboard the International Space Station at the end of the week as the crew readied satellite gear and experimental communications components for placement in the vacuum of space.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick spent Friday installing the Small Satellite Orbital Deployer onto the Kibo laboratory module’s multipurpose experiment platform (MPEP). He then loaded the MPEP into Kibo’s airlock where JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) robotic arm will grapple the device and position it away from the space station to release a series of CubeSats into Earth orbit for a variety of educational and research activities. NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Pilot for Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, assisted Dominick throughout the day and familiarized herself with CubeSat operations.

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer, and Butch Wilmore, Crew Flight Test Commander, configured the Tranquility module’s NanoRacks Bishop airlock that will soon open up to the external microgravity environment. Earlier, NASA Flight Engineers Jeanette Epps helped Barratt install the ArgUS multi-payload carrier inside Bishop. The Canadarm2 robotic arm will grapple Bishop with the ArgUS payload inside for installation on the Columbus laboratory module’s Bartolomeo external research platform for a satellite communications study.

Find out more and see what Wilmore and Williams have been up to during their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson spent her entire shift on Friday conducting lab maintenance. She started the morning reorganizing cargo stowed in Kibo. After lunch, she inspected rack hardware throughout the Destiny, Unity, Harmony, and Tranquility modules, including the Quest airlock. At the end of the day, she swapped out a tank and a hose and on the orbital lab’s restroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment, located in Tranquility.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub partnered Friday morning on inspections and hardware replacements in the aft end of the Zvezda service module. Kononenko also cleaned ventilation systems while Chub researched futuristic planetary and robotic piloting techniques. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin downloaded data collected from a radiation detector then worked inside the Nauka science module checking its ventilation hardware.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and leadership will hold an internal Agency Test Flight Readiness Review on Saturday, Aug. 24, for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Afterward, NASA will host a news conference at 1 p.m. EDT from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

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Mark Garcia