Circadian Rhythms: A 52S crewmember removed and stowed the Double Sensors and Thermolab Unit equipment that was used to complete a 36-hour Circadian Rhythms session that began on Wednesday. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the “biological clock,” and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle …
Probiotics Operations: Today a crewmember conducted the second half of the third sampling phase for the JAXA Probiotic investigation that began on GMT 331 with fecal sample collections. Today’s activities included saliva sample collections and a questionnaire. Some species of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella grow stronger and more virulent in the microgravity environment of …
The next crew to launch to the International Space Station is in Russia today for traditional ceremonies before heading to the launch site in Kazakhstan. Back in space, the Expedition 53 crew is preparing for the departure and arrival of a pair of cargo ships next week. Three new crew members from Russia, the United …
Rodent Research 6 (RR-6): During the installation of four Rodent Habitats yesterday, the crew noticed a leak on the outside of the first two habitats. The crew successfully installed the third and fourth habitats, but were instructed to temporarily stow the first two habitats until ground teams could develop a forward plan. Earlier today, the …
The International Space Station is orbiting slightly higher today to get ready for a pair of crews swapping places on the orbital laboratory in December. A Progress 67 resupply ship docked to the rear of the station fired its engines for just over three minutes this morning boosting the orbital lab to its correct altitude …
Sabatier Removal for Return: In preparation for returning Sabatier, today the crew completed the first of two days of activities by removing the Sabatier unit from the Oxygen Generation System (OGS) Rack. They also completed some near term preventive maintenance activities by performing an H2 Sensor Removal and Replacement (R&R) and Avionics Air Assembly (AAA) …
The Expedition 53 crew is configuring the orbital complex for a pair of cargo missions and a crew swap in December. Two colorful soccer ball-sized satellites were also floating around inside the International Space Station being tested today. SpaceX has announced it is now targeting Dec. 8 for the launch of its Dragon cargo craft …
Earth Imagery from ISS Target Operations: Over the weekend, the crew captured images and video footage of the Australian Desert, Italy at night, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and Ireland to Moscow at night. The Earth Imagery from ISS investigation creates a series of videos, displaying Earth from space. These videos will be taken with …
The Cygnus resupply ship is in its final week at the International Space Station and two astronauts are training for its departure on Monday. Meanwhile, a leg muscle study and CubeSat deployment operations are wrapping up today. Cygnus is now being filled with trash after delivering close to 7,400 pounds of research and supplies to …
Cygnus Cargo Operations: The crew completed 12 hours and 45 minutes of Cygnus cargo operations today, at this time the crew has completed 84% of the cargo operations for this Cygnus mission. Ground specialist estimate the crew will require approximately 8 hours to complete the remaining cargo operations. Sarcolab-3: After successfully completing three days of …
