Blogs

Miniature Exercise Device (MED-2):  The crew set up cameras in Node 3 and Cupola to capture video from multiple views of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) and MED-2 hardware, applied body markers, performed exercises and transferred video for downlink.  The microgravity environment of space weakens muscle and bone, so orbiting crew members spend significant …

A pair of Expedition 52 astronauts checked out new, smaller exercise gear today. The crew also worked on a variety of human research while a new cosmic ray detector has begun scanning outer space. The space station’s two newest astronauts, Paolo Nespoli and Randy Bresnik, joined forces today to measure the effectiveness of the new …

Multi-Omics-Mouse: The crew performed routine maintenance on the Multi-Omics-Mouse Cage Units that are being maintained in microgravity, exchanging waste collection equipment and odor filters. Several studies have reported space flight effects on the human immune system, but the relationship between microbiota and immune dysfunction during flight remains unclear. In the Multi-Omics-Mouse investigation, food with and …

CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass):  Last night the CREAM external payload was removed from the SpX-12 trunk by the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and handed off to the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), which then installed it on Exposed Facility Unit-2 (EFU-2) on the JEM Exposed Facility (JEF).  Ground controllers …

Overnight, robotics controllers extracted a new astrophysics experiment from the trunk of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft. The Canadarm2 will hand off the new astronomy gear to the Japanese robotic arm which will then install it outside the Kibo laboratory module. Dubbed CREAM, short for Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Investigation, it will observe a …

Solar Eclipse Viewing: The crew removed scratch panes from Cupola windows #4 and #6 and cleaned the window #3 scratch pane. The crew then took both HD video and still images of the moon’s umbra on Earth from the Cupola. They also obtained images of both the sun and the moon. In addition, the P1 …

Rodent Research 9 (RR-9):  The crew activated the water lixits and installed food bars in two Animal Habitats for the RR-9 investigation today.  They then transferred 20 mice from the Transporter to the habitats after checking the health of the mice. The RR-9 experiment studies how microgravity affects the immune systems, muscles and bones of …

The Expedition 52 crew wrapped up a busy week on Friday with more science work, cargo unloading and cleanup after a Russian spacewalk on Thursday. They are also busy preparing for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse on Monday with the chance at several unique views of the event. The crew participated in several studies including …

The two spacewalkers exited the Pirs Docking Compartment Station at 10:36 a.m. EDT. Among their accomplishments was manual deployment of five nanosatellites from a ladder outside the airlock. One of the satellites, with casings made using 3-D printing technology, will test the effect of the low-Earth-orbit environment on the composition of 3-D printed materials. Another …

Russian Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #43: Yurchikhin and Ryazanskiy performed a seven hour 30 minute EVA. Completed activities include manual deployment of 5 nanosatellites, collection of research samples and structural maintenance. During EVA ingress timeframe, Whitson and Fischer were isolated in 50 Soyuz. Bresnik and Nespoli had access to the FGB and USOS modules. Multi-Omics-Mouse:  The …