Expedition 71 wrapped up per week of upkeep and well being investigations aboard the International Space Station on Friday. The septet labored robotics, two human well being research, and completed some cleansing within the cupola.
NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps began her day within the Japanese Experiment Module to energy on Astrobee, the station’s free-flying robots, to later rehearse the system’s flight and tech operations for an upcoming Kibo Robot Programming Challenge. The problem is an academic program designed for college students to unravel varied given issues through the use of the free-flying robots, transferring and controlling them remotely.
Afterward, Epps eliminated yesterday’s Immunity Assay samples from Kubik, then incubated them within the Human Research Facility’s centrifuge. The system is designed to separate organic substances from the samples by spinning at excessive charges in microgravity. As soon as accomplished, Epps stowed the samples in MELFI, an ultra-cold freezer, to protect them for future evaluation on Earth.
As a part of the CIPHER research, NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt arrange tomography {hardware} within the morning and later obtained an eye fixed look at. In microgravity, physique fluids shift towards a crew member’s head, which might trigger some of the seen signs of dwelling in house, generally known as “puffy face.” As fluids shift upward, this could alter the construction and performance of the eyes and mind. Astronauts routinely carry out eye examines aboard the orbiting complicated to assist scientist on Earth research these modifications.
Barratt then moved onto some spacesuit work, manually eradicating gasses from the Contingency Water Containers, then filling the water tanks in preparation for a spherical of spacewalks this summer time.
Astronauts usually use the station’s cupola to seize pictures of Earth or full robotics actions, amongst different duties. NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Tracy C. Dyson spent the morning within the “window to the world” to take away and substitute some acrylic scratch panes on just a few of the home windows, work that started earlier within the week, then cleaned the first strain panes.
Within the Roscosmos section, Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub and present station Commander Oleg Kononenko spent the day changing a belt on one of many treadmills. In the meantime, their crewmate, Alexander Grebenkin, accomplished some robotic arm simulation coaching.
NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) groups will take further time to work by way of spacecraft closeout processes and flight rationale earlier than continuing with the launch of the company’s Boeing Crew Flight Take a look at. The groups now are focusing on a launch no sooner than 3:09 p.m. EDT Saturday, Could 25, for the flight check carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the Worldwide Area Station.
The extra time permits groups to additional assess a small helium leak within the Boeing Starliner spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single response management system thruster. Stress testing carried out on Could 15 on the spacecraft’s helium system confirmed the leak within the flange is secure and wouldn’t pose a danger at that degree in the course of the flight. The testing additionally indicated the remainder of the thruster system is sealed successfully throughout the whole service module. Boeing groups are working to develop operational procedures to make sure the system retains enough efficiency functionality and acceptable redundancy in the course of the flight. As that work proceeds, NASA’s Business Crew Program and the Worldwide Area Station Program will take the following few days to assessment the info and procedures to make a closing dedication earlier than continuing to flight countdown.
The ULA Atlas V rocket and Boeing’s Starliner stay within the Vertical Integration Facility at Area Launch Advanced-41 on Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida. The NASA, Boeing, and ULA groups stay dedicated to making sure a secure Starliner flight check.
Wilmore and Williams will stay quarantined in Houston as prelaunch operations progress. They are going to fly again to NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida nearer to the brand new launch date. The duo is the primary to launch aboard Starliner to the house station as a part of the company’s Business Crew Program. The astronauts will spend a few week on the orbiting laboratory earlier than returning to Earth and making a parachute and airbag-assisted touchdown within the southwestern United States.
After profitable completion of the mission, NASA will start the ultimate means of certifying Starliner and its programs for crewed rotation missions to the house station.
Study extra about station actions by following the house station weblog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, in addition to the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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