boeing – Space Station

Wednesday’s Station Research Focuses on Space Plants, Free-Flying Robotics

The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station's Harmony module. — The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station’s Harmony module.

On Wednesday, space plants and free-flying robotics dominated the science schedule aboard the International Space Station. Orbital plumbing, cargo packing, and an emergency drill rounded out the day for the nine crew members living aboard the orbital outpost.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test continued exploring ways to effectively water plants in the weightless environment. The duo took turns throughout the day in the Harmony module testing how root models and plants of various sizes would absorb water in microgravity . The Plant Water Management study looks at techniques such as hydroponics and air circulation to nourish plants growing aboard spacecraft and space habitats.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson coordinated with ground controllers and tested an Astrobee robotic free flyer’s ability to autonomously maneuver and recognizes gestures inside the Kibo laboratory module. She set up the cube-shaped, toaster-sized robotic assistant ahead of a student competition to write the best algorithms that will guide the Astrobee. NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps activated the Astrobee before lunchtime and removed items in Kibo allowing Dyson to access the robotic free flyer’s docking apparatus. Epps also recorded another DNA research demonstration video for students on Earth.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Mike Barratt took turns on Wednesday cleaning up orbital plumbing tools used to service the Tranquility module’s bathroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment. Dominick also relocated protein crystal research hardware, loaded software on the Microgravity Science Glovebox computer, then reorganized cargo and trashed stowed in the Destiny laboratory module. Barratt trained Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin on the operations of the COLBERT treadmill then audited and stowed spacesuit components.

At the beginning of the day, the crew of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, Dominick, Barratt, Epps, Grebenkin, trained for the unlikely event they would need to evacuate the station in an emergency. Dyson, who rode to the station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship, also joined the quartet reviewing their emergency responses and procedures during the hourlong session.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub began loading the Progress 87 cargo craft with garbage and discarded gear prior to its departure from the Zvezda service module in mid-August. Grebenkin had an off-duty day spending most of his time relaxing and working out on the treadmill and advanced resistive exercise device.

Beginning Monday, July 29^th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

To learn more about the groundbreaking science and engineering happening daily on the International Space Station, please visit the space station blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/, or browse a variety of space station research resources at https://nasa.gov/iss-science.

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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Space Plants, Healthy Humans Top Tuesday’s Research on Station

The Cygnus space freighter and its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station's on July 12, 2024. — The Cygnus space freighter and its two cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm before its release from the space station’s on July 12, 2024.

Space agriculture and human research operations were the prime science activities aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The four NASA astronauts and three Roscosmos cosmonauts representing Expedition 71 and the two NASA Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts also participated in a variety of cargo activities and lab maintenance aboard the orbiting lab.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent the majority of their day testing ways to water plants growing without soil in the weightless environment of microgravity. Williams first set up the Plant Water Management hardware in the Harmony module then tested a variety of liquid flow methods while video recording the results. Following her work, Wilmore ran more tests using hydroponics and air circulation techniques to learn how to effectively nourish a variety of plants on spacecraft and space habitats.

Cosmonaut Nikolai Chub attached sensors to his chest that recorded his heart activity while he relaxed Tuesday morning. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick performed isometric mid-thigh pulls on the advanced resistive exercise device testing his strength and force production in microgravity. Doctors use the insights from the numerous space biology studies aboard the station to keep crews healthy on long-term missions.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps began and ended her day relocating NASA and Roscosmos hardware aboard the orbital outpost. In the middle of her shift, Epps replaced hardware in the station’s bathroom located in the Tranquility module then transferred radiation data, including electrons, protons, neutrons, and gamma-rays, collected from optical fibers to a computer.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt spent most of the day inside SpaceX Dragon Endeavour configuring the spacecraft for cargo packing operations. Dominick, commander of Endeavour, pitched in to help update software, synchronize data, and charge batteries on the spacecraft’s computer tablets.

Commander Oleg Kononenko kicked off his day inside the Nauka science module continuing to explore the capabilities of a 3D printer in microgravity. He later worked on cargo transfers inside the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship docked to the Prichal docking module. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked on household duties throughout Tuesday including orbital plumbing, reviewing inspection tasks, and cleaning smoke detectors, before ending his shift photographing Earth landmarks.

At the end of the day, all nine space station residents gathered together and practiced an emergency drill in response to unlikely scenarios such as a fire, a pressure leak, or a chemical release. The crew reviewed individual responsibilities, practiced evacuation techniques, and coordinated communications with mission controllers on the ground.

Beginning Monday, July 29^th, the IMC Daily Summary will be discontinued.

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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Cargo Craft Packed for Departure, Crews Work Science and Spacesuits

The Canadarm2 robotic arm reaches out to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter on Feb. 1, 2024. — The Canadarm2 robotic arm reaches out to capture Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter on Feb. 1, 2024.

A U.S. cargo craft is being readied for its departure on Friday from the International Space Station after a five-and-a-half-month resupply mission. In the meantime, the nine orbital residents comprising the Expedition 71 and Starliner crews studied space biology and 3D printing while servicing a pair of spacesuits on Thursday.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply ship will end its stay at the orbital outpost at 7 a.m. EDT on Friday. Robotics controllers will command the Canadarm2 robotic arm to remove Cygnus from the Unity module then release it into orbit where it will descend into the Earth’s atmosphere above the South Pacific.

Watch Cygnus’s departure live beginning at 6:30 a.m. Friday on the NASA+ streaming service via the web or the NASA app. Departure coverage also will air live on NASA Television, YouTube, and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick finished packing Cygnus with trash and obsolete gear on Thursday. Afterward, the duo exited Cygnus, closed the hatch, and prepared the spacecraft for its depressurization and separation early Friday. Cygnus arrived at the orbital outpost on Feb. 1 replenishing the crew with over 8,200 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies.

Advanced biology research also was underway aboard the orbiting lab on Thursday with a pair of astronauts exploring how living in space affects the human body and mind. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day drawing his blood samples and stowing them in a science freezer for future analysis. Next, he took a cognition test measuring space-caused changes in brain structure and function. NASA astronaut and Boeing Starliner Pilot Suni Williams extracted DNA to identify microbe samples collected from station water systems. Results from the genetic biotechnology experiment may improve ways to keep crews healthy and spacecraft systems clean on future missions.

Barratt also assisted Starliner Commander Butch Wilmore from NASA who spent all day servicing a pair of spacesuits in the Quest airlock. The duo cleaned the suits’ cooling loops and checked the communication systems ahead of a spacewalk planned for July 29.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps worked Thursday morning in the Kibo laboratory module replacing carbon dioxide bottles that supply payload racks inside Kibo. During the afternoon, Epps worked inside the Tranquility module replacing life support components and servicing orbital plumbing gear.

Working from the Roscosmos segment of the orbital outpost, cosmonaut Nikolai Chub started the morning studying ways future crews might pilot spacecraft and robots on planetary missions. In the afternoon, Chub powered on the Nauka science module’s 3D printer and continued testing its ability to manufacture space hardware on demand. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked throughout the day on orbital plumbing while Commander Oleg Kononenko deconfigured scientific gear to access Zvezda service module panels for maintenance and cleaning.

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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Crews Speak to Managers and News Media, Keep Up Advanced Research

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are pictured during a space-to-ground conference with journalists on Earth. Credit: NASA TV — NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are pictured during a space-to-ground conference with journalists on Earth. Credit: NASA TV

All nine astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station practiced responding to a simulated emergency on Wednesday. Earlier, the orbital residents split their day researching blood pressure, remote robotics, and 3D printing.

The seven-member Expedition 71 crew joined the two Boeing Crew Flight Test and practiced an emergency drill in collaboration with mission controllers. The teams aboard the orbital outpost and on the ground coordinated communications and reviewed procedures in the unlikely event of a pressure leak, chemical leak, or a fire aboard the space station.

At the beginning of the day, NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt worked on a pair of human research experiments to understand how the human body adapts to the lack of gravity. Dyson powered up research hardware to measure her brain blood flow for the Cerebral Autoregulation investigation. Barratt collected and stowed his urine samples in a science freezer for the CIPHER study. The space biology experiment looks at a broad set of long-term biological and psychological data collected from astronauts to promote health and well-being on space missions.

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps spent most of her day in the Columbus laboratory module exploring ways to control a robot on the ground from a spacecraft. Epps coordinated with robotics engineers on Earth remotely manipulating a robot using a computer interface while testing its ergonomic features and haptic feedback for conditions such as wind and gravity. Results may inform future exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick performed a video inspection of components on the Inter-Orbit Communications System (ICS) rack located in the Kibo laboratory module. The ICS enables data to be uplinked to the orbital outpost and downlinked to mission controllers using JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Data Relay Test Satellite.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, spoke to reporters today from the space station answering questions about their mission and the Starliner vehicle. NASA and Boeing managers also discussed the Crew Flight Test mission with the media in an audio teleconference afterward. Watch the crew news conference here and listen to the media briefing here. The duo earlier completed life support work refilling temperature loops with water in the Tranquility module’s internal thermal control system.

Working in the space station’s Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub activated a 3D printer in the Nauka science module and tested its operations and ability to manufacture hardware on demand in space. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin’s day was filled mostly with household duties such as checking carbon dioxide monitors, synchronizing cameras with station clocks, and downloading scientific data to a laptop computer. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko started his day speaking to science, technology, and education professionals near Moscow. Afterward, he jogged on a treadmill while attached to sensors for a physical fitness test.

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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Space Biology, Spacesuits, and Dragon Training Top Day for Astronauts, Cosmonauts

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works on spacewalking hardware aboard the International Space Station's Unity module. — NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt works on spacewalking hardware aboard the International Space Station’s Unity module.

Life science and docked spacecraft training were the prime tasks aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The nine orbital residents also split their day on a variety of maintenance tasks including spacesuit work and orbital plumbing.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick kicked off their day collecting biological samples and data to understand how living in weightlessness affects the human body. Dyson first processed her saliva samples and stowed them in a science freezer for later analysis. She then attached an acoustic monitor near her ear to measure station noise levels a crew member experiences in a 24-hour period. Dominick removed brain wave sensors from his ears that recorded his sleep patterns then he filled out a questionnaire documenting his sleep quality.

Dyson also worked in the Columbus laboratory module and studied the ability to remotely control robots on a planetary surface from a spacecraft for the Surface Avatar experiment. Dominick spent the afternoon in the Tranquility module checking the performance of components on the waste and hygiene compartment, the orbital outpost’s bathroom.

NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps photographed Dyson during her robotics experiment. She then spent the afternoon reconfiguring life support gear before removing batteries from spacesuits at the end of the day. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day inspecting spacesuit safety jetpacks that would be used to maneuver safely back to the station in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the orbital lab.

Epps and Barratt also joined Dominick and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin midday and reviewed standard SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft emergency undocking procedures. The SpaceX Crew-8 quartet docked to the station on March 5 and is due to return to Earth aboard Endeavour in late August.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, representing Boeing’s Crew Flight Test, took turns during the morning pedaling on an exercise cycle while attached to heart and breathing sensors that measured their aerobic capacity. The duo then split up as Wilmore serviced a pair of research freezers that preserve scientific samples and Williams installed hardware on an experiment that is exploring atmospheric reentry and thermal protection systems.

The Roscosmos segment’s three cosmonauts including Grebenkin had their day packed with continuing space research and laboratory upkeep duties. Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko spent the morning working on ventilation systems in the Nauka science module then completed his day studying futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub replaced life support gear in the Zarya module then joined Grebenkin for a photographic inspection of panels inside the Zvezda service module. Grebenkin earlier jogged on a treadmill for a regularly scheduled physical fitness test.

NASA’s Johnson Space Center remained closed to all but essential personnel today following Hurricane Beryl’s landfall near Matagorda, Texas. Mission Control continues to support International Space Station and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. If employees feel safe to do so, the center will be open for on-site work beginning Wednesday.

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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Maintenance Tasks Continue Into Friday for Crew

The International Space Station was orbiting above Africa at night when this long duration photograph was taken of city lights along the the Nile River, the atmospheric glow above the Earth, and star trails.

Orbital maintenance and upkeep occupied Friday’s schedule aboard the International Space Station as the two crews went back to work following a day off on Thursday to observe the Independence Day holiday.

In preparation for the future installation of new exercise equipment, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick and Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams worked together throughout the day inside the Columbus module to swap out an empty rack that previously housed retired exercise gear.

Afterward, Dominick and Williams moved into the Tranquility module to reinstall the toilet system after the pressure control pump motor was replaced on Wednesday. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Mike Barratt focused on additional orbital plumbing tasks, including a fluid transfer from the wastewater processing system and a manual fill of the water recovery system.

In the Kibo Laboratory, NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps spent a majority of the day recording a video survey of hardware that enables data communications between space and Earth. The video was then downlinked to ground teams for analysis. After lunch, Epps analyzed water samples that were collected on Wednesday to assess for microbial growth.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson kicked off her day by loading new software onto the Surface Avatar program which allows crew members to remotely control robots on Earth and investigate how haptic controls, user interfaces, and virtual reality could command surface-bound robots from long distances. Dyson was then joined by cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub to complete on-orbit emergency training.

Kononenko and Chub also completed hearing assessments on Friday, then loaded trash and discarded gear inside Progress 87, which is slated to undock from the orbiting laboratory in mid-August. Their crewmate, Alexander Grebenkin, worked maintenance on the water recovery system then completed some computer work in the Nauka module.

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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Crews Wrap Week; Managers Provide Starliner, Spacewalk, and Cargo Updates

The Starliner spacecraft on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test approaches the International Space Station while orbiting 263 miles above Quebec, Canada, on June 6. — The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test approaches the International Space Station while orbiting 263 miles above Quebec, Canada, on June 6.

The Expedition 71 crew members packed a U.S. cargo craft, cleaned up the International Space Station, studied futuristic piloting techniques, and conducted eye exams on Friday. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts spent the end of their workweek reconfiguring a space botany facility.

Robotics controllers are scheduled to detach the Cygnus space freighter from the Unity module on July 12 and release it into Earth orbit for disposal over the South Pacific Ocean ending a five-and-a-half-month mission at the orbital lab. NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick spent most of Friday loading trash and discarded gear inside the Cygnus with assistance from fellow NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Tracy C. Dyson. Cygnus was captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm on Feb. 1 with over 8,200 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies.

At the end of the day, Epps operated standard medical imaging gear found in an optometrist’s office on Earth and peered into Dyson’s eyes. She examined Dyson’s cornea, retina, and lens to help flight surgeons understand and counteract microgravity’s effect on crew vision.

Earlier, Dyson collected and stowed excess space station hardware for disposal. Epps spent her morning inside the Kibo laboratory module troubleshooting an airflow sensor then reorganizing the JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) module for upcoming cargo operations.

NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started his day routing cables and reprogramming communications systems inside the Columbus laboratory module. In the afternoon, he stowed hardware and components used earlier in the week for advanced orbital plumbing in the Tranquility module’s bathroom. Afterward, Barratt refilled supply kits in Columbus’ two Human Research Facility racks with biomedical gear including sample tubes and needles.

Starliner’s Commander and Pilot, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, partnered together inside Kibo on Friday for space botany work. The duo removed the Plant Habitat growth chamber from Kibo’s EXPRESS rack, replaced its camera and carbon dioxide sensors, then reinstalled the research device. The Plant Habitat has enabled the growth of small crops of lettuce, tomatoes, and more in microgravity for both research and consumption.

NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate Starliner’s propulsion system performance before returning to Earth from the orbiting lab. NASA and Boeing leaders participated in a media teleconference today to discuss Starliner and station operations.

NASA is now targeting the end of July for the next spacewalk outside the space station. This change allows teams on the ground to continue to troubleshoot and understand the water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit that forced an early end to a spacewalk on Monday, June 24.

Working in the Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub started his day practicing planetary spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques future crew members may use. Afterward, he conducted two sessions of an investigation exploring ways to create new materials on the lunar surface. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin worked throughout the day inventorying medical kits and cleaning fans inside the Rassvet module. Finally, Station Commander Oleg Kononenko replaced thermal components inside Roscosmos’ life support hardware.

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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Ongoing Spacewalk Preps, Science, and Plumbing Keep Crews Busy

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore (at center) pose with Expedition 71 Flight Engineers (far left) Mike Barratt and Tracy C. Dyson (far right), both NASA astronauts, in their spacesuits. — NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore (at center) pose with Expedition 71 Flight Engineers (far left) Mike Barratt and Tracy C. Dyson (far right), both NASA astronauts, in their spacesuits.

Preparations continue for the next spacewalk at the International Space Station planned for next week. In the meantime, the orbital residents are rebuilding advanced plumbing gear and servicing video and science hardware.

Beginning around 8:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 26 NASA instructed crews aboard the space station to shelter in their respective spacecraft as a standard precautionary measure after it was informed of a satellite break-up at an altitude near the station’s earlier Wednesday. Mission Control continued to monitor the path of the debris, and after about an hour, the crew was cleared to exit their spacecraft and the station resumed normal operations.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt began Thursday morning reviewing procedures for a spacewalk that will see hardware replacements and installations, preparations for future upgrades on science gear, and photographic inspections of station pipelines. After lunchtime, the two astronauts turned on a computer that visualized the upcoming spacewalk tasks using 3D graphics. NASA will release an advisory soon announcing the spacewalking details and NASA TV coverage times.

NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps had a busy day with spacesuit maintenance, computer updates, and orbital plumbing. Dominick then worked in the Quest airlock during the afternoon recharging spacesuit batteries and dumping and filling the suit water tanks. Epps swapped out a hard drive on a science laptop computer then replaced plumbing components in the Tranquility module’s bathroom, also called the water and hygiene compartment.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both from NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, were back on orbital plumbing duty Thursday. The Starliner Commander and Pilot spent the afternoon preparing the rebuilt pressure control and pump assembly motor for installation in Tranquility’s bathroom.

The orbital outpost’s three cosmonauts relaxed part of Thursday morning before going right into their standard science maintenance tasks. Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub first began outfitting cables on video cameras. Kononenko then replaced video systems hardware in the Zvezda service module as Chub studied ways to create new materials on the lunar surface. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin photographed microbe samples, dismantled a science cooler, then cleaned air ducts in the Nauka science module.

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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Cargo, Science, and Spacewalk Preps Fill Station’s Day

The first rays of an orbital sunrise reflect off the International Space Station's roll-out solar arrays that overshadow and augment the orbital outpost's main solar arrays. — The first rays of an orbital sunrise reflect off the International Space Station’s roll-out solar arrays that overshadow and augment the orbital outpost’s main solar arrays.

Six NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station had a day filled with cargo packing, orbital plumbing, and a spacewalk conference. The orbital outpost’s three cosmonauts from Roscosmos spent their day testing a 3D printer, collecting microbial air samples, and servicing life support gear.

Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps worked throughout Wednesday packing trash and discarded cargo inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo space freighter. Cygnus is targeted to complete a five-and-a-half-month mission in mid-July and depart the station’s Unity module before descending into Earth’s atmosphere for a fiery, but safe disposal above the South Pacific Ocean.

In the midst of the cargo work, Dominick videotaped the location of station hardware stowed in the starboard side of the Columbus laboratory module. Epps swapped sample cartridges inside the Materials Science Laboratory, a research furnace that safely exposes metals, alloys, polymers, and other materials to high temperatures to discover new applications for Earth and space industries. Dyson and Barratt continued spacesuit and tool configurations in the Quest airlock.

At the end of the workday, the four NASA astronauts gathered in the Destiny laboratory module for a video conference with mission controllers on the ground. The quartet called down to the NASA engineers and discussed procedures and readiness for an upcoming spacewalk.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams started their morning with exercise sessions before organizing cargo packed inside the Permanent Multipurpose Module. The duo then spent the afternoon working to remove and replace a failed pressure control and pump assembly module that is part of the Tranquility module’s bathroom, or waste and hygiene compartment.

Station Commander Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos spent all day Wednesday testing a 3D printer and its ability to manufacture space hardware on demand. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub spent half his day servicing plumbing hardware in the Nauka science module before working out on the advanced resistive exercise device and jogging on a treadmill during the afternoon. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin’s list of duties included collecting more microbial air samples for analysis and maintaining electronics systems.

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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Crews Conduct Spacewalk Review, Physics Research, and Orbital Plumbing

Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson is pictured in her spacesuit prior to the start of a spacewalk that ended early after her suit experienced a water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit.

The nine residents aboard the International Space Station comprising both the Expedition 71 and NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test teams had a day filled with spacesuit checks, advanced microgravity research, and orbital lab maintenance.

NASA Flight Engineers Tracy C. Dyson and Mike Barratt kept up their spacewalk preparations following the early end to Monday’s excursion. The duo’s spacewalk only lasted 31 minutes following a water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit on Dyson’s spacesuit. Dyson and Barratt safely ended the spacewalk, repressurized the Quest airlock, and removed their spacesuits just over an hour after the spacewalk ended.

Barratt began Tuesday morning troubleshooting Dyson’s spacesuit and inspecting the suit’s components. Afterward, he joined Dyson for ongoing procedure reviews with fellow astronauts Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps for future spacewalks.

Dyson wrapped up her day swapping out a water resupply tank in the Destiny laboratory module while Barratt serviced spacesuit lithium-ion batteries in Quest. Dominick worked in the Kibo laboratory module testing flight trajectories and gesture-recognition software on an Astrobee robotic free flyer. Epps traded foam samples inside the Columbus laboratory module for a fluid physics investigation exploring the hydrodynamics of wet foams potentially benefitting mechanical and industrial processes.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Starliner Commander and Pilot respectively, spent Tuesday inside the Harmony module maintaining orbital plumbing gear. The Crew Flight Test duo replaced the pressure control and pump assembly motor that supports the space station’s main restroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment, in the Tranquility module.

Working in the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting outpost, Station Commander Oleg Kononenko photographed the condition of handrails in the Zvezda, Poisk, and Nauka modules to determine of they need replacing. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub swapped out toilet components inside Zvezda during the morning. He then spent the afternoon with Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin collecting microbial air samples in the Roscosmos modules for analysis. During his morning, Grebenkin downloaded radiation data then explored spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques future crews might use on planetary missions.

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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