Three Expedition 71 crewmates are of their closing weekend aboard the International Space Station preparing for a return to Earth. In the meantime, the remainder of the orbital residents have been busy on Friday exploring how the human physique adapts to weightlessness, manufacturing instruments on demand, and operating an academic robotics competitors.
NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson is finishing a six-month mission, whereas Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub are wrapping up simply over a yr in low-Earth orbit. The Earth-bound trio is scheduled to depart the orbital lab contained in the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft at 4:47 a.m. EDT on Monday. At the moment, Expedition 71 will finish and Expedition 72 will formally be underneath approach. The crew contained in the Soyuz will parachute to a touchdown simply over three hours later in Kazakhstan. NASA’s reside undocking and touchdown protection will stream on NASA+ and the company’s website. Learn to stream NASA content by way of a wide range of platforms, together with social media.
Microgravity analysis was full pace forward on the finish of the week regardless of the touchdown preparations as the remainder of the crew carried out area biology and superior expertise investigations. Scientists can remotely monitor the experiments on the station or analyze the samples after they’re returned to Earth to advance human well being, area industries, manufacturing, family merchandise, and extra.
NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt spent his day exploring how residing in area impacts his cognition and imaginative and prescient as a part of the CIPHER suite of 14 human analysis experiments. Barratt first took a check whereas practising robotic maneuvers to measure any space-caused adjustments in his mind construction and performance. Afterward, NASA Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps peered into Barratt’s eyes utilizing medical imaging {hardware} on the lookout for alterations in his eye structure and vision.
Epps additionally activated the Astrobee robotic free-flyers within the Kibo laboratory module and monitored because the toaster-sized robotic assistants carried out pre-programmed maneuvers designed by Asian faculty college students. Algorithms have been written to resolve particular issues similar to guiding the Astrobee to discover a misplaced merchandise on this robotics competition sponsored by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Company) to encourage the following technology of engineers, scientists, and leaders.
NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick spent his day on train analysis to learn the way figuring out in microgravity impacts the bones and muscular tissues. Dominick carried out squats, deadlifts, and heel raises on the advanced resistive exercise device as specialised cameras with movement detection programs monitored his exercise. Medical doctors already know astronauts want to extend the depth of train in area to cut back the speed of physique mass loss. Now they’re studying methods to maximise the effectiveness of an area exercise to maintain crews more healthy on long-term missions.
The station’s latest trio, with NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, was busy on Friday sustaining orbital lab programs and learning state-of-the-art applied sciences. Pettit inspected security {hardware} documenting the situation, areas, and ID numbers. Ovchinin and Vagner investigated futuristic planetary piloting strategies then examined printing instruments on a 3D printer. Fellow cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin additionally participated within the futuristic pilot examine. Each experiments are making ready crews for longer missions farther away from Earth.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams began the day reviewing up to date emergency procedures as they settle right into a mission set to finish in February 2025. Subsequent, Wilmore assisted Pettit with the protection gear checks whereas Williams organized cargo contained in the Cygnus area freighter.
Be taught extra about station actions by following the area station weblog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, in addition to the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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