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Advanced microgravity science is moving full speed ahead now that the International Space Station is fully staffed with the six-member Expedition 43 crew. New science gear is also headed to the station as SpaceX readies its Dragon cargo craft for their sixth Commercial Resupply Services mission (SpaceX CRS-6). Commander Terry Virts studied how blood pressure …

Blood Pressure Regulation (BP Reg) Experiment:  Virts set up a video camera and configured hardware in preparation for leg cuff and re-breathing protocol tomorrow. This Canadian Space Agency (CSA) investigation tests the effectiveness of in-flight manipulation of arterial blood pressure (BP) as an indicator of post-flight response to a brief stand test, since space flight …

Commander Terry Virts and One-Year crew member Scott Kelly, both NASA astronauts, partnered together Monday for spacesuit maintenance in the Quest airlock. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti also worked throughout the U.S. segment on a variety of botany science and life research benefitting humans on Earth and crews in space. A trio of cosmonauts, Flight Engineers …

Ocular Health (OH): Kelly and Kornienko performed the last of the activities for their Flight Day (FD) 10 Ocular Health session, completing ocular and cardiac ultrasound scans.  The ultrasound images will be used to identify changes in globe morphology, including flattening of the posterior globe, and document optic nerve sheath diameter, optic nerve sheath tortuosity, …

A wide variety of research exploring how life adapts to long-term exposure to microgravity took place on the International Space Station Friday. The crew members also worked on cargo transfers to and from a pair of docked vehicles. More crew Ocular Health eye checks were on the schedule as scientists study the fluid shifts caused …

FLame Extinguishment Experiment-2JAXA (FLEX-2J) Preparations:  Virts prepared the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) for the FLEX-2J activities scheduled later in the Increment. To access the Low Light Level (LLL)-Ultraviolet (UV) Imaging Package, he rotated the CIR Optics Bench then secured the LLL-UV Imaging Package on the Maintenance Work Area (MWA).  He then installed the LLL-Infrared (IR) …

Medical science and training took a significant portion of the Expedition 43 crew’s schedule Thursday. The newest three crew members are getting used to their new home on orbit. Finally, the International Space Station boosted its orbit. Several crew members participated in eye checks for the Ocular Health study as scientists study how microgravity affects …

Human Research Program (HRP) Collections: Kelly continued his week-long saliva collections for the Microbiome and Salivary Markers experiments and inserted the samples into Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI).   Salivary Markers experiment aims to identify if there are any risks of an adverse health event in crewmembers due to an impaired immune …

On Saturday morning, April 4, 2015 not long before sunrise, the bright full moon over North America should turn a lovely shade of celestial red during a total lunar eclipse. Join NASA astronomer Mitzi Adams as she takes questions via Twitter @NASA_Marshall. For Twitter questions, use the hashtag #eclipse2015. The question and answer via Twitter will …

SpaceX is targeting Monday, April 13 to launch the next commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft is targeted for approximately 4:33 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. A Monday launch …