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Crew Researches Bone Loss, New Exercises and Emergency Training

Expedition 51 and Cygnus
The Expedition 51 crew poses for a portrait with the captured Cygnus resupply ship just outside the cupola. In the foreground is Flight Engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin. In the background from left, are Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Jack Fischer, Thomas Pesquet and Oleg Novitskiy.

The Expedition 51 quintet studied how long-term space missions affect bone loss and explored new ways to exercise in space today. The crew also reviewed emergency procedures and equipment onboard the International Space Station.

Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet set up samples today for the OsteoOmics bone study that will last four weeks on the station. Doctors are researching the molecular mechanisms that impact the bones of astronauts living in space. The experiment could lead to therapeutic insights improving the health of astronauts in space and humans on Earth.

New Flight Engineer Jack Fischer performed an ultrasound scan of his leg muscles with assistance from Whitson and remote guidance from ground personnel. The ultrasound data is being collected for the Sprint study that is exploring the benefits of high-intensity, low-volume exercise to maintain muscle, bone and heart functions.

Whitson and Fischer then joined veteran cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin for a couple of hours of emergency training. The trio took note of safety gear locations, followed escape paths to the docked Soyuz vehicles and inspected hatches for proper clearances.

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