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Blood, Oxygen Research for Crew Health, and Axiom Preps Fill Day

NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain works inside the Destiny laboratory module's Materials Science Research Rack and swaps filters inside the Kermit microscope. Kermit is an all-in-one fluorescence microscope system used to conduct biological, physical, and materials science research.
NASA astronaut Engineer Anne McClain works inside the Destiny laboratory module’s Materials Science Research Rack and swaps filters inside the Kermit microscope used to conduct biological, physical, and materials science research.
NASA

Blood and oxygen investigations to improve health in space dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 73 crewmates also trained for the arrival next week of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew inside the Space Dragon spacecraft.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim completed a 48-hour session on Wednesday wearing a sensor-packed headband and vest that comfortably monitored his health data while he worked aboard the orbital outpost. He also downloaded his blood pressure measurements so doctors on the ground could review his cardiac health and compare the data collected from astronauts on previous missions.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) attached electrodes to his neck and chest that measured blood flow from his brain to his heart. The Drain Brain 2.0 experiment is helping doctors test a rapid screening tool that may identify and prevent potential space-caused thrombosis, or blood clots, on future missions.

Next, Onishi turned his attention to Ax-4 checking out tablet computers the private astronaut crew will use aboard the orbiting lab. Finally, the two-time station visitor joined NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers and called down to mission controllers to discuss upcoming approach and rendezvous operations when Ax-4 docks autonomously aboard Dragon to Harmony module’s space-facing port on June 11. Earlier, McClain and Ayers reviewed on a computer a variety of approach scenarios Dragon may encounter as it nears the space station next week. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon crew spacecraft atop is targeted to launch Ax-4 no earlier than 8:22 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Before she began her Ax-4 mission review, McClain pedaled on the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle for a long-running workout study. She wore chest electrodes and breathing gear to measure her aerobic capacity, or the maximum amount of oxygen the body uses during exercise, in microgravity. Researchers will use the data to improve space exercise programs and ensure astronauts are in shape to conduct intense physical activities such as spacewalk. Ayers began her shift transferring nitrogen from Harmony to the Quest airlock. Ayers then organized food packs inside the Unity module before beginning her Ax-4 preparations.

Working from the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritskiy was back on Earth observation duty photographing landmarks across Eastern Europe. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov also pointed his camera at the Earth capturing imagery of the Volga River and Aral Sea for a study documenting the effects of natural and man-made disasters. Veteran cosmonaut and three-time station resident Sergey Ryzhikov electronically stored data collected for an investigation studying how to improve communication among international crews and mission controllers from around the world.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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