Blogs

It’s the first day of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, and the first of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Why the difference? It’s all about Earth’s tilt! Earth’s axis is an imaginary pole going right through the center of Earth from “top” to “bottom.” Earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each …

The Expedition 59 crew is going into the weekend preparing to split up on Monday amidst an array of ongoing human research. The orbital residents are also working on power upgrades and filming a virtual reality experience today. Astronauts Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques are in their final weekend aboard the International Space Station. They …

Fiber Optic Production (FOP): The crew performed a preform and spool exchange allowing the ground to initiate a print run. The Hardware was then removed from the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and stowed. The Fiber Optic Production investigation creates optical fibers with high commercial value aboard the ISS using a blend of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, …

Three Expedition 59 crewmembers are getting ready to end their stay at the International Space Station after six and a half months in space. Meanwhile, mission scientists continue exploring how microgravity impacts the human body. Flight Engineers Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques will flank Commander Oleg Kononenko inside the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft when they return …

Three Expedition 59 crewmembers are reviewing the procedures they will use on their way to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station early next week. In the midst of the departure preparations, the six orbital residents also had time set aside for biomedical science and physics research aboard the orbiting lab. Commander Oleg Kononenko …

Materials International Space Station Experiment-11 (MISSE-11): Robotics Ground Controllers swapped MISSE Mission Science Carrier-5 (MSC-5) and MISSE MSC-6 positions. The ground then  commanded theElectrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) hardware located in MSC-6 to an active status and verified full door open/closing capability. MSC-5 which is a passive payload was only able to open its hinge doors …

Three Expedition 59 crewmembers are less than one week away from completing their 204-day mission aboard the International Space Station. In the meantime, space research continues into advanced life support systems and nanoparticle therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Astronauts Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques collected and stowed their biological samples for the Probiotics human research experiment …

Vascular Echo: The crew performed Blood pressure measurement setup and performed 14 measurements in support of the Vascular Echo study. The Vascular Echo experiment examines changes in blood vessels, and the heart, while the crewmembers are in space, and then follow their recovery on return to Earth. The results could provide insight into potential countermeasures …

Biomedicine and physics topped the research schedule aboard the International Space Station today. The Expedition 59 crew also checked out U.S. spacesuits while preparing a Russian crew ship for return to Earth next week. NASA is preparing for human missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The astronauts aboard the orbiting lab are helping scientists …

VECTION: The crew performed a Vection experiment session. The objective of the study is to determine to what extent an astronaut’s ability to visually interpret motion, orientation, and distance may be disrupted in a microgravity environment, and how it may adapt, and how it may be changed upon return to Earth. Multiple experimental time points …