Blogs

Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments (ACME) Controller Replacement: The crew replaced one of the ACME fuel flow controllers. This was a nominally planned activity and allows different flow conditions to be observed. Following the completion of the activities, the crew photo documented the final configuration of ACME Chamber Insert. The ACME series being performed in …

The Expedition 59-60 crew arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan today. Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Christina Koch are final training before their March 14 liftoff aboard the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft. They will take a six-hour ride to their new orbital home where they will live and work …

SpaceX Demo-1 Dragon2 Training: The crew utilized a computer based trainer and reviewed procedures to refresh themselves with Dragon2 systems, rendezvous and docking, ingress operations, changes to emergency responses, and vehicle departure. SpaceX Demo-1 mission is the first unmanned demonstration flight to the ISS for the Dragon2 spacecraft. The vehicle is planned to launch from …

The ISS Experience: Today a crewmember performed the ISS Experience camera setup in the Node-3 to capture a recording session of nominal crew activities. The ISS Experience creates a virtual reality film documenting daily life aboard the space station. The 8 to 10 minute videos created from footage taken during the six-month investigation cover different …

Virtual reality filming and spacesuit cleaning highlighted the day aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 58 crew also configured a diverse array of life science and physics hardware. NASA astronaut Anne McClain set up a virtual reality camera inside the Tranquility module after lunch today. She has been filming hours of footage this month …

Electro-static Levitation Furnace (ELF): Today a crewmember cleaned the sample holder and installed a sample cartridge into the ELF facility. ELF is an experimental facility designed to levitate, melt and solidify materials by containerless processing techniques using the electrostatic levitation method. With this facility thermophysical properties of high temperature melts can be measured and solidification …

Spacesuit servicing and high-temperature physics kept the crew busy today aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 58 astronauts also researched meteorology from the station and explored more Earth phenomena from space. Astronaut David Saint-Jacques is returning a U.S. spacesuit to service today inside the U.S. Quest airlock. He verified successful installation of suit components …

The International Space Station is hosting a robotic experiment that may help enable and refuel future missions to the moon and Mars. The Expedition 58 crew installed that hardware today then worked on a variety of life science, astrophysics and combustion science gear. The Robotic Refueling Mission-3 (RRM3) experiment will demonstrate transferring and storing fuels …

Robotic Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3): Today crewmembers installed the RRM3 hardware on the JEM Airlock slide table. Robotic Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3) demonstrates the first transfer and long term storage of liquid methane, a cryogenic fluid, in microgravity. The ability to replenish and store cryogenic fluids, which can function as a fuel or coolant, can …

Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument – Diffusion and Soret Coefficient (SODI-DSC): Today, a crewmember changed-out the memory flash disk from the SODI hardware. The Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument – Diffusion and Soret Coefficient (SODI-DSC) experiment will study diffusion in six different liquids over time in the absence of convection induced by the gravity field. Sally Ride …