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Axiom Mission 4 Preps and Ongoing Space Science Fill Crew Schedule

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander is pictured during maintenance operations on the Japanese robotic arm's Small Fine Arm inside the Kibo laboratory module. The Small Fine Arm is used for precise and dexterous robotic maneuvers when grappling small components or payloads on the outside of the International Space Station. There are two other robotic arms on the outside of the orbital outpost including the Canadarm2 robotic arm and the European robotic arm (ERA). Canadarm2 can be used to maneuver spacecraft, spacewalkers, and large payloads. ERA can also be used to maneuver spacewalkers and space station components.
JAXA astronaut is pictured during maintenance operations on the Japanese robotic arm’s Small Fine Arm which can grapple and maneuver small science payloads on the outside of the Kibo laboratory module.
NASA

Expedition 73 continues preparing for the arrival of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew targeted to launch to the International Space Station on Wednesday. Meanwhile, space science operations continued for advancing human health, promoting future missions, and observing Earth landmarks.

The Falcon 9 rocket that is targeted to launch Ax-4 inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the station at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday stands at its launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Ax-4 Commander and veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson will lead Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts will ride inside Dragon to an automated docking on the Harmony Module’s space-facing port planned for 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 12. Live launch coverage on NASA+ begins at 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday.

Back on the orbiting lab, NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Nichole Ayers partnered together for eye checks today using standard medical imaging gear found in an optometrist’s office on Earth. Kim led the eye exam in Harmony operating the biomedical imaging hardware as Ayers peered inside. Doctors on the ground remotely monitored in real time to observe Ayers’ retinas for any space-caused issues.

Kim earlier collected station drinking water samples for analysis then continued setting up sleep stations for the arrival of Ax-4. Ayers swapped components on a U.S. spacesuit in the Quest airlock then cleaned and photographed the condition of metal oxide containers used to remove carbon dioxide from the spacesuits.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) worked on a spacecraft fire safety experiment taking place in the Kibo laboratory module. He swapped sample cartridges inside Kibo’s Solid Combustion Experiment Module that safely observes how solids and fuels burn in weightlessness. Results from the combustion study in weightlessness may improve the design and safety of spacecraft systems and space habitats.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain began her shift draining orbital plumbing tanks that are part of the waste and hygiene compartment, also known as the space station’s bathroom, located in the Tranquility module. After her lunchtime, McClain gathered emergency hardware prepared ahead of every crew mission to the orbital lab and staged it for Ax-4’s arrival.

Working in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment, cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov was back on Earth observation duties conducting a pair of ongoing investigations. He set up specialized cameras to image landmarks throughout Europe and Asia in a variety of wavelengths. Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritskiy configured research hardware to understand how neutron radiation caused by solar flares and gamma-ray bursts may affect spacecraft to plan for future missions. Three-time station resident and veteran Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov checked communication and life support systems in the Zvezda and Rassvet modules.

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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