Advancing Area Biology and Dragon Expertise as ISS Celebrates 25 Years in Orbit
The Worldwide Area Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour throughout a fly round of the orbiting lab that occurred following its undocking from the Concord module’s space-facing port on November 8, 2021. Credit score: NASA
Area biology and Dragon work had been the highest duties firstly of the week for the Expedition 70 crew. The Worldwide Area Station (ISS) additionally turned 25 years previous right now with its first module having orbited Earth since 1998.
Biomedical Analysis and Eye Exams
Eye scans had been on the biomedical analysis schedule for 4 astronauts on Monday afternoon. Commander Andreas Mogensen kicked off the exams activating the Ultrasound 2 machine after which establishing communications gear permitting medical doctors on the bottom to remotely monitor the actions. Mogensen from ESA (European Area Company) then took turns with flight engineers Loral O’Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, and Satoshi Furukawa within the Columbus laboratory module taking part within the usually scheduled eye exams.
ESA (European Area Company) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen will get prepared for the Christmas season and poses for a enjoyable portrait sporting a Santa Claus hat. Credit score: NASA
Dragon Endurance Coaching and Upkeep
Mogensen partnered with Moghbeli from NASA on the finish of the day and practiced SpaceX Dragon Endurance undocking and touchdown procedures on the crew spacecraft’s computer systems. Mogensen earlier unpacked medical provide kits from Endurance and stowed them contained in the orbital outpost. O’Hara from NASA and Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Company) labored inside Endurance as nicely configuring orbital plumbing gear within the automobile that has been docked to the station since August 27.
Area Botany and Cell Gravity Research
O’Hara later labored on an area botany research to advertise STEM (Science, Expertise, Engineering, and Math) training amongst tribal members. 5 sorts of seeds supplied by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma are uncovered to microgravity for a number of months then returned to Earth and planted subsequent to the identical seeds left on Earth for comparability. Furukawa turned off a microscope within the Kibo laboratory module and eliminated samples for a research that was observing how cells sense gravity or the dearth gravity. He then stayed in Kibo establishing analysis {hardware} and connecting an incubator for an upcoming experiment to look at stem cell development that will assist regenerative drugs know-how.
Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, each NASA astronauts, configure spacewalking instruments contained in the Worldwide Area Station’s Quest airlock. Credit score: NASA
Russian Cosmonauts’ Actions
Within the Roscosmos phase of the area station, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko spent the day contained in the Nauka science module checking its airlock, air flow, and docking techniques. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub connected sensors to himself monitoring his cardiac exercise then cleaned air ducts contained in the Nauka and Poisk modules. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov wore a sensor-packed cap that recorded his responses whereas working towards futuristic planetary and robotic piloting strategies on a pc.
ISS Anniversary
On November 20, the Worldwide Area Station handed 25 years for the reason that first module launched into orbit. The Zarya module lifted off in November 1998 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and would shortly be joined by the Unity module lower than a month later. Via this world endeavor, 273 individuals from 21 nations now have visited the distinctive microgravity laboratory that has hosted greater than 3,000 analysis and academic investigations from individuals in 108 nations and areas.