Blogs

After a globetrotting journey that started in Texas and included stops in Belgium and Singapore, an 18.8 million-cubic-foot (532,000 cubic-meter) super pressure balloon (SPB) arrived in Wanaka, New Zealand, March 9, in preparation for another journey—one that should take it around the world multiple times. This is the third consecutive year NASA has flown the …

Rodent Research-4: Over the weekend and continuing today, the crew performed Rodent Research operations, in coordination with ground specialists, collecting samples and stowing them in Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return on SpX-10.  The Tissue Regeneration-Bone Defect (RR-4) investigation studies what prevents vertebrates such as rodents and humans from regrowing …

Advanced Plant Experiments (APEX)-04: The crew configured the Veggie facility for the next APEX-04 Petri Plate sample for a four-day growing cycle. After the four days of growth, the petri plate will be inserted into the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) Light Microscopy Module (LMM) facility for detailed imaging. The APEX-04 (Epigenetic change in Arabidopsis thaliana in response to …

Fluid Shifts Chibis Measurements, Day 1: The 48S crew member performed the first of two days of operations in the Russian Segment conducting the Return minus 45 day (R-45) Fluid Shifts operations. The subject donned the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP/Chibis) device while the operator, with ground support in Moscow, assisted in the medical monitoring. …

The crew is harvesting plants today grown on the International Space Station that will be returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon. Also, a variety of student experiments submitted from schools across the United States were activated inside the orbital laboratory. Dragon is due to return to Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean …

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations:  Overnight, Robotics Ground Controllers unstowed the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) Instrument Panel from the SPDM Enhanced Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) Temporary Platform (EOTP) and installed it on the SAGE Nadir Viewing Platform (NVP).  They then maneuvered the SSRMS to support surveys of the SAGE IP, the EXpedite the …

Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight (Energy): The crew completed urine collections for Day 6 of the 11-day Energy protocol, logging food and drink consumptions as well.  The Energy investigation measures adaptations in the components of total energy expenditure of crewmembers so that an equation to determine the energy requirements of crewmembers during space flight …

NASA is preparing for longer human journeys deeper into space and is exploring how to keep astronauts healthy and productive. The Expedition 50 crew members today studied space nutrition, measured their bodies and checked their eyes to learn how to adapt to living in space. The space residents also unloaded a cargo ship, worked on …

Microgravity Expanded Stem Cells (MESC) Microscope Operations: Over the weekend the crew completed the MESC experiment, performing two days of back-to-back operations.  The crew viewed the BioCells on the microscope, then sampled and preserved the BioCells which were inserted into the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for cold stowage.  The crew …

Four CubeSats were deployed this morning as the crew researched fluid shifts toward the head that may affect astronaut vision. Tools were also being collected and organized today ahead of possible maintenance spacewalks. Four CubeSats were ejected Monday morning from outside Japan’s Kibo lab module using the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer. The LEMUR-2 satellites will help …