Blogs

Progress 69P ISS Reboost: This morning at 11:10 AM CT, the ISS completed a 3m 19s reboost using 69P thrusters.  The purpose of the reboost was to start phasing for 54S landing and 55S launch in October and increased the ISS velocity by 0.40 meters per second (m/s).     External High Definition Camera (EHDC) Preparation for …

The International Space Station got an orbital boost today to position itself for a crew swap taking place later this year. Inside the lab complex, the current residents spent their time today exploring a diversity of phenomena impacted by long-term exposure to microgravity. A docked Russian Progress 69 resupply ship fired its engines this morning …

Rodent Research-7 (RR-7):  Today the crew completed the second of two days of rodent operations for the RR-7 investigation today. Crewmembers performed bone densitometer scans, blood draws, fecal pellet collections, and sampling operations.  Following these operations, the crew performed clean-up activities in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) to prepare the facility for upcoming science.  RR-7 …

  Expedition 56 crewmembers collaborated for the second day in a row studying how living in microgravity impacts rodents. The space research onboard the International Space Station is helping doctors keep astronauts healthy in space and while developing advanced therapies for humans on Earth. Rodent research, and a variety of other life science studies observing …

NASA and its mission partners are targeting Aug. 11 for the launch of the Parker Solar Probe mission to the Sun. The 45-minute launch window will open at 3:48 a.m. EDT. During final inspections following the encapsulation of the spacecraft, a small strip of foam was found inside the fairing and additional time is needed for inspection.

Rodent Research-7 (RR-7): The crew completed the first of two days of rodent operations for the RR-7 investigation today. Crewmembers performed bone densitometer scans, blood draws, fecal pellet collections, and sampling operations.  RR-7 examines how the space environment affects the community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of mice (also known as the microbiota). It …

Life science took precedence today aboard the International Space Station as the crew explored how microgravity impacts rodent physiology. The space research can help scientists improve astronaut health and treat humans on Earth. Four Expedition 56 crew members worked together throughout the day examining mice for the Rodent Research-7 study. The experiment observes how microbes …

Direct Current Switching Unit (DCSU) 3A Power on Reset (POR): Early Saturday, morning DCSU 3A experienced a POR which, due to power balancing during the current high beta period, resulted in a loss of power to some downstream loads. The crew and ground teams worked together to recover from the failure and teams continue to …

Micro-11: Today the crew performed two sessions for the Micro-11 investigation. They checked out, configured and calibrated the Micro-11 microscope, thawed samples removed from a General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER), fixed those samples and loaded them into the microscope for imaging. Afterwards, they inserted the samples into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius …

The Expedition 56 crew members continued their work Friday on more fertility research and microbe studies aboard the International Space Station. They also worked on science gear for a study seeking advanced therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Commander Drew Feustel and Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor examined biological samples for the Micro-11 fertility …