Station managers from Roscosmos have announced new Soyuz and Progress spacecraft launch dates through the end of the year. Meanwhile, the six member Expedition 43 crew on orbit has a packed schedule of homecoming preparations, science and maintenance. Three Soyuz crew missions to the International Space Station have been given new launch dates. The next …
Predetermined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM): The ISS performed a PDAM, using 58 Progress (58P) thrusters, due to a repeating conjunction. The PDAM executed nominally and the close approach with the object is no longer a concern. Rodent Research-2 Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (RR-2 CASIS): Kelly performed a fixative flush and swap …
Playing it conservatively, International Space Station flight controllers conducted a pre-determined avoidance maneuver (PDAM) today to steer the station well clear of a fragment of a spent Minotaur rocket body launched in 2013. Having tracked the object throughout the weekend and today, U.S. and Russian flight controllers executed a 5 minute, 22 second firing of …
A fragment from a spent Minotaur rocket body is being monitored today as flight controllers decide whether or not there will be a conjunction with the International Space Station. A docked ISS Progress 58 cargo craft would fire its engines should the space station need to get out of the way of the space debris. …
Rodent Research-2 Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (RR-2 CASIS): Kelly and Virts successfully completed the final of four sample collection sessions today. Kelly was the primary operator while Virts assisted, placing samples in containment then in MELFI. The primary objective of this research is to monitor the effects of the space environment …
Defining the Relationship Between Biomarkers of Oxidative and Inflammatory Stress and the Risk for Atherosclerosis in Astronauts During and After Long-duration Spaceflight (Cardio Ox): Cristoforetti performed her Return – 15 day (R-15) Cardio Ox ultrasound, with Virts assisting as the on-orbit operator. Following ultrasound scans of brachial and carotid arteries and of the heart, blood …
Expedition 43 crew members Terry Virts, Anton Shkaplerov and Samantha Cristoforetti will return to Earth June 11 at 9:43 a.m. EDT. The trio from the U.S., Russia and Italy will enter the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft, undock from the Rassvet module and land in Kazakhstan after 6-1/2 months in space. NASA Television will provide live coverage …
Fluid Shifts: Today was the final day for the Fluid Shift operations in the Russian Service Module (SM) for Flight Day (FD) 45 sessions. Kornienko donned the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP/Chibis) device while Padalka, with ground support in Moscow, assisted in the medical monitoring. While Kornienko was subjected to the negative pressure (pulling the …
Spacesuit maintenance took up most of the day for a pair of astronauts. Crew members also explored the long-term effects of microgravity on the brain and vision. Commander Terry Virts joined Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti in the Quest joint airlock to swap out a fan pump separator inside a U.S. spacesuit. The duo are checking …
Fluid Shifts: Fluid Shifts operations continued today in the Russian Service Module (SM). Kelly donned the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP/Chibis) device while Kornienko, with ground support in Moscow, assisted with medical monitoring. While Kelly was subjected to the negative pressure (pulling the fluid toward the feet), Padalka, with remote guidance in Houston, performed measurements …
