The Soyuz MS-24 crew ship is pictured docked to the Rassvet module in January 2024 as the space station orbited 268 miles above the Tasman Sea.
At 8:45 p.m. EDT, the hatch closed between the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus are scheduled to undock their Soyuz spacecraft at 11:54 p.m. to begin their journey back home.
Mission coverage will continue on NASA+, NASA TV, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website at the following times (all EDT):
Friday, April 5
11:30 p.m. – NASA’s undocking coverage begins
11:54 p.m. – Undocking
Saturday, April 6
2 a.m. – NASA’s coverage of deorbit burn and landing begins
3:17 a.m. – Landing
The Soyuz will undock from the Rassvet module, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 3:17 a.m. (12:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan.
Trio Finalizes Packing, Science Activities Before Friday Departure
Astronaut Loral O’Hara is pictured inside the cupola as the orbital complex soared 259 miles above Turkmenistan.
The 10 residents aboard the International Space Station worked a half-day then went to bed early on Friday resting up before the departure of three crewmates. During their shortened day, the orbital crewmates packed the departing Soyuz crew ship and continued ongoing science tasks.
NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya are in their sleep period having gone to bed just before lunchtime. The trio is sleep-shifting before entering the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship and undocking from the Rassvet module at 11:54 p.m. EDT tonight. They will ride the Soyuz back to Earth and parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan at 3:17 a.m. on Saturday (12:17 p.m. Kazakh time). Live mission coverage will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday on NASA+, NASA TV, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
On Friday morning, O’Hara finished her packing work and wrapped up biomedical activities documenting her adaptation to microgravity. Novitskiy continued transferring cargo inside the Soyuz and made final checks of the spacecraft’s systems. Vasilevskaya relaxed during her shift. The threesome will wake up several hours before their departure, finalize science tasks, and complete loading the Soyuz spacecraft.
NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Tracy C. Dyson teamed up Friday morning for biology work inside the Destiny laboratory module. The duo cleaned habitats and fed mice being observed for a study testing a gene therapy to improve eye health in space. NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps gathered in the Kibo laboratory module and removed external research hardware that had been placed outside in the space environment. The gear holds samples exposed to space radiation and extreme temperatures to inform the development of advanced materials and promote the commercial space industry.
Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Alexander Grebenkin began their day swabbing station surfaces and collecting microbe samples for analysis. Kononenko also prepared salt tablets for the departing crewmates to ingest and help with their adjustment to Earth’s gravity. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub also assisted with the microbe sampling duties then stowed protein crystal growth kits inside the returning Soyuz crew ship.
Crew Readies for Departure While Human Research Continues
Astronaut Loral O’Hara conducts leak checks and tries on the Sokol launch and entry suit she will wear when she returns to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship.
Three International Space Station residents are in their final full day aboard the orbital outpost focusing their attention on Friday night’s departure. The rest of the Expedition 70 crew continued its human research activities ensuring crews remain healthy in space.
NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara is nearing the end of her spaceflight that began on Sept. 15, 2023. She is returning to Earth with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya aboard the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship. The trio will undock from the Rassvet module at 11:54 p.m. EDT on Friday and parachute to landing inside the Soyuz in Kazakhstan at 3:17 a.m. on Saturday (12:17 p.m. Kazakh time).
Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya arrived at the station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson on March 25. The two international crew members will be completing a 12-day mission full of science, education, and maintenance activities. Dyson will remain aboard the orbital outpost for a six-month space research mission.
While packing personal items for return, O’Hara found time to swap brain organoid samples inside a fluorescence microscope for a neurodegenerative disease study. She was assisted by fellow astronauts Dyson and Matthew Dominick who also set up the samples for imaging following the previous day’s test drug injections into the brain organoids. The new drug therapy may prevent and treat Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis on Earth.
Dyson earlier strapped on a specialized cap and attached sensors to herself to simultaneously measure her blood flow, blood pressure, and electrical heart activity for a brain blood flow regulation study. Dominick joined NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps for neck, shoulder, and leg vein scans with the Ultrasound 2 device. The trio then moved on to eye checks as Barratt operated the standard medical imaging hardware and viewed Dominick’s and Epps’ retina, optic nerve, and cornea. The biomedical exams inform doctors of the effects of weightlessness on the human body and may lead to treatments for space-caused and Earthbound conditions.
Station Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub spent their day on a variety of maintenance activities including inspecting Roscosmos segment windows and updating the station’s inventory management system. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin started his day with orbital plumbing work before moving on and investigating futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques that may be used on planetary missions.
Brain Research Tops Science Schedule Ahead of Crew Departure
Astronaut Mike Barratt processes brain organoid samples to learn how microgravity affects the central nervous system and ways to counteract neurodegenerative conditions.
Brain research topped the science schedule on Wednesday while the Expedition 70 crew kept up its cargo work. Three individuals also continue focusing on their departure from the International Space Station this weekend.
The Human Brain Organoid Models for Neurogenerative Disease and Drug Discovery (HBOND) investigation on the station is helping researchers understand how microgravity affects the central nervous system. Results may also shed light on ways to prevent and treat Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis on Earth. NASA astronauts Mike Barratt and Tracy C. Dyson treated brain organoid samples exposed to Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis with a drug injection for the neurodegenerative disease study today. Those samples will be analyzed under the KERMIT fluorescence microscope to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug treatment.
Barratt then moved on and cleaned cupola window scratch panes in preparation for the total eclipse of the sun on April 8 before joining NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara for an eye exam. O’Hara imaged Barratt’s retina, optic nerve, and cornea using standard medical imaging hardware with support from doctors on the ground. Earlier in the day, O’Hara operated the Ultrasound 2 device and scanned the neck, shoulder, and leg veins on NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps. The eye and vein exams were part of regularly scheduled medical checkups ensuring astronauts remain healthy in space. O’Hara also spent a few moments with Dyson replacing batteries on and calibrating chemical sensors.
NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick started his day exploring how the brain regulates blood flow in weightlessness. He wore a specialized cap and attached sensors to himself measuring his blood flow, blood pressure, and electrical heart activity simultaneously. Results may help counteract Earthbound and space-caused blood pressure issues such as light-headedness or fainting. Dominick then spent the rest of the day on a variety of cargo and cleaning tasks. Epps and Barratt also continued unpacking some of the more than 6,000 pounds of science and supplies aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.
Cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy continued stowing equipment and readying the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft that he, O’Hara, and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya will ride back to Earth on April 6. O’Hara packed personal items for return aboard the Soyuz as well as excess gear that will be returned aboard the Dragon spacecraft. Vasilevskaya spent her day researching how diet affects microbes that live in a crew member’s gut system.
Station Commander Oleg Kononenko gathered science hardware and radiation detectors for return to Earth aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub explored futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques then collected station microbe samples for analysis. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin assisted Chub with the microbe collections and also serviced computer and video gear throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment.
Ten-Member Crew Works on Cargo, Spacesuits, and Human Research
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the space station for a docking to the Harmony module’s space-facing port on March 23, 2024.
The 10 crew members aboard the International Space Station, including five NASA astronauts, four Roscosmos cosmonauts, and one Belarus spaceflight participant, turned their attention on Tuesday toward cargo transfers and spacesuit work. There was still time for science on the orbital outpost as the Expedition 70 crew continued more human research.
The NASA astronauts worked throughout the day swapping cargo in and out of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port. Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara kicked off Tuesday’s cargo work releasing launch restraints that had secured payloads during Dragon’s ascent to space. Next, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps took over unstrapping more cargo to move into the station.
O’Hara then unpacked a new U.S. spacesuit helmet from Dragon and swapped it with an older helmet for return to Earth aboard the spacecraft. Dominick packed the upper torso of a U.S. spacesuit in a box then labeled and prepared it for stowing on Dragon for analysis and servicing back on Earth. NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson assisted the duo during the spacesuit cargo work then finalized battery charging duties in preparation for an upcoming Roscosmos spacewalk.
NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt released and transferred science hardware from inside Dragon for installation on a space station EXPRESS rack. The EXPRESS racks are multipurpose research facilities enabling astronaut-operated or ground-controlled experiments. Barratt also installed and set up new research gear in the Harmony module expanding protein crystallization research for a space pharmaceutical study.
The Roscosmos segment’s four cosmonauts fit in an array of space science while also working on their contingent of cargo activities. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin operated gear monitoring Flight Engineer Oleg Novitskiy while has was attached to sensors recording his blood circulation. Novitskiy also partnered with spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya photographing Earth landmarks and filming educational activities. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub continued collecting his blood and saliva samples for a space immunity study.
Novitskiy also packed cargo inside the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship that he, Vasilevskaya, and O’Hara will return to Earth in on April 6. Chub stowed more cargo inside the Progress 86 resupply ship and updated the space station’s inventory management system. Expedition 70 Commander Oleg Kononenko spent his day on electronics maintenance checking video gear and computer hardware.
