Free flying robotics and space agriculture topped Tuesday’s research schedule as the Expedition 72 crew helps advance the space industry. The International Space Station will also see the departure of a cargo craft and the arrival of its replacement this week.
The seven-member Expedition 72 crew relaxed on Monday before beginning a week with a host of advanced space research into robotics, biology, and more at the International Space Station. The orbital residents will also send off a cargo craft after a six-month mission before another resupply ship arrives to replace it this weekend.
The muscle, eye, and respiratory research that took place Friday on the International Space Station is helping doctors keep crews healthy on long term space missions and informing possible treatments on Earth. The Expedition 72 crew members also explored space agriculture while also working on spacesuits and emergency training.
Docked spacecraft operations were the main focus at the International Space Station on Thursday with crew departure training, cargo packing, and an orbital reboost also taking place. The Expedition 72 crew also worked on science hardware activating a free-flying robotic assistant and preparing for a fire safety experiment.
On Wednesday, the Expedition 72 crew aboard the International Space Station focused its efforts mostly on spacesuits and advanced exercise gear. The orbital residents also worked on crew and cargo spacecraft operations at the orbital outpost.
The Expedition 72 crew spent Tuesday setting up a free-flying robotics competition for students and a cleaning a 3D biological printer. The International Space Station residents also conducted blood and saliva tests, cleaned crew quarters, and packed a cargo ship for departure.
Muscle stimulation and blood tests topped the International Space Station research schedule on Friday helping doctors learn how to keep astronauts healthy on long-term missions. The Expedition 72 residents also winded down the work week cleaning spacesuits and life support gear aboard the orbital outpost.
Human research, the series of ongoing investigations to understand how an astronaut’s body adapts to living long-term in space, was the main science topic aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 72 residents also continued packing a cargo craft for its upcoming departure and conducted an emergency drill to stay familiar with response, communication, and coordination procedures.
The Expedition 72 crew continued its research on Wednesday to better understand space-caused eye pressure changes and ensure crew members stay healthy on future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The orbital residents also kept up the continuous operations of critical science gear and life support systems on the International Space Station.
Tuesday’s International Space Station research objectives included learning how to grow crops on spacecraft and produce vitamins and nutrients in space to sustain crews farther away from Earth. The Expedition 72 crewmates also explored how the human body orients itself in weightlessness and serviced a pair of docked spacecraft.702
