ISS Reboost: Last night, the ISS performed a reboost using the Aft Progress 85P Rendezvous and Docking (R&D) thrusters. This was the second of four reboosts to set up proper phasing conditions for the upcoming Progress 86P launch on Friday, December 1st. The burn duration was 18 minutes 18 seconds and provided a delta-V of …
The Expedition 70 crew continued its space health and Earth science studies while servicing a variety of research hardware on Thursday. The International Space Station is orbiting higher today as its residents also inspected emergency gear and reviewed tasks for an upcoming spacewalk. DNA analysis was back on the schedule as NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli …
Payloads: Circadian Light: The crew performed a Circadian Light start-of-next-day assessment. The Circadian Light investigation tests a new lighting system to help astronauts maintain an acceptable circadian rhythm. This can help enhance cognitive performance during a long-duration mission and help combat monotony through automated, varied, and gradually changing lighting sequences and settings. Complement of Integrated …
Space biology and Earth science were the main research objectives aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 70 crew also continued its ongoing cargo operations and spacewalk preparations. NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara focused on a pair of different life science experiments to help keep crews healthy during long-term missions. The …
Four Expedition 70 astronauts had a light-duty day on Tuesday fitting in biology research and robotics during the afternoon. The International Space Station’s three cosmonauts continued focusing on an upcoming spacewalk while also working on their own slate of research and robotics. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli partnered together for a couple of hours on …
Payloads: Actiwatch-Plus (AWP): Multiple crew members retrieved and donned their AWPs in support of the Standard Measures investigation. The Actiwatch-Plus is a waterproof, non-intrusive, sleep-wake activity monitor worn on the wrist of a crewmember and contains a miniature uniaxial accelerometer that produces a signal as the subject moves. The data is stored in non-volatile memory …
Making stereoscopic images of asteroid Bennu was not part of the brief of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission; but we civilians, Claudia Manzoni and myself, were invited by mission principal investigator Dante Lauretta to join the science team and find opportunities for stereoscopy in the wealth of visual data acquired by the spacecraft's cameras at Bennu. To …
As a result of the ongoing review by NASA managers and engineers after a coolant leak from a backup radiator on the International Space Station’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module, a spacewalk that was targeted for no earlier than Thursday, Oct. 19 now is deferred until later this year. The spacewalk date was adjusted to allow engineers …
USOS Microorganisms ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) Deferral: Following the MLM radiator coolant leak and the resulting change in the environment around the ISS, the Microorganisms EVA was deferred from last Thursday, October 12th to this Thursday, October 19th. However, ground specialists continue to assess the external environment and need more time to determine possible contamination concerns …
Payloads: Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research on Varying Mission Durations (CIPHER): CIPHER Sample Collections and tests were completed. CIPHER consists of 14 studies designed to improve our understanding of physiological and psychological changes in humans on missions that range from weeks to one year in duration. Conducting the same research over missions …
