Expedition 73 thread

[ddspaceman]

Human Spaceflight
@esaspaceflight
Countdown to #ACES: L-6️⃣
Europe is about to revolutionise timekeeping from orbit 🌍🛰️.
Led by @esa and @AirbusSpace, with clocks from @CNES 🇫🇷 & @Safran 🇨🇭, time transfer by TimeTech 🇩🇪 and operations from CADMOS 🇫🇷 & Col-CC 🇩🇪.
Built in Europe, built for precision ⏱️

Human Spaceflight
@esaspaceflight
🗓️ Countdown to #ACES launch begins!
@esa's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space is scheduled to launch on 21 April aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 to the @Space_Station 🚀, where it will measure time from space with unprecedented precision ⏱️.
Find out more 👉https://esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/ACES_Atomic_Clock_Ensemble_in_Space

@AirbusSpace @CNES @SAFRAN

https://twitter.com/esaspaceflight/status/1912053628556218447

[ddspaceman]

Crew Swaps Command on Friday Before Soyuz Departure and Dragon Launch

Mark A. Garcia
April 17, 2025

Expedition 72 will come to an end and segue into the Expedition 73 mission after three veteran crewmembers depart the International Space Station on Saturday. Meanwhile, the orbital residents stayed busy on Thursday with cargo mission preparations, spacesuit checks, and microgravity research.

Station Commander Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will hand over command of the orbital laboratory to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi at 2:40 p.m. EDT on Friday. Afterward, Ovchinin will turn his attention to returning to Earth with Flight Engineers Don Pettit of NASA and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos after 220 days in space. The trio will undock in their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft from the Rassvet module at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday ending Expedition 72 then parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan at 8:20 p.m. the same day (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, in Kazakhstan) on Pettit’s 70th birthday. NASA+ will broadcast Saturday’s crew farewell, undocking, and landing activities live beginning at 2 p.m.

Onishi will stay onboard the space station leading Expedition 73 and orbiting Earth until July. Remaining with Onishi will be NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky, and Kirill Pskov.

Onishi and Kim will be on duty early next week monitoring the automated approach and rendezvous of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft carrying about 6,700 pounds of science and supplies for the orbital residents. Dragon will launch at 4:15 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 21, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and dock at 8:20 a.m. the following day to the Harmony module’s space-facing port for a month long cargo mission. The duo continued training on Thursday for Dragon’s arrival reviewing spacecraft monitoring techniques on a computer.

Kim began his Thursday shift studying how McClain‘s sense of balance is adapting to microgravity as she wore virtual reality goggles for the CIPHER human research investigation. Afterward, Kim examined the retina, optic nerve, and cornea of his crew mates Ayers and Onishi using medical imaging hardware.

McClain and Ayers are due to exit the orbital outpost on May 1 for a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. The duo will prepare the port side truss structure for a new rollout solar array and relocate an antenna that communicates with commercial spacecraft at the station. Pettit spent Thursday preparing their spacesuits, cleaning the cooling loops, and inspecting suit components. Later, Kim and Onishi practiced installing jetpacks on the spacesuits that would be used to maneuver back to safety in the unlikely event a spacewalker became untethered from the space station.

Ryzhikov and Zubritsky are settling in for a seven-and-a-half-month space research mission and beginning to pick up Ovchinin’s and Vagner’s crew responsibilities. The cosmonauts also attached sensors to themselves and studied how a long duration spaceflight affects the respiratory system. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov wrapped up a research session with the departing Vagner as they tested the lower body negative pressure suit that may help a crew member returning to Earth adjust quicker to gravity.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/17/crew-swaps-command-on-friday-before-soyuz-departure-and-dragon-launch/

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Expedition 72 Commander Alexey Ovchinin (left) will hand over command of the orbital outpost to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander Takuya Onishi (right) on Friday, April 18.
NASA

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY M25-047

APRIL 17, 2025


NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Colorado Students

Students from Woodland Park, Colorado, will connect with NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers as she answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions from aboard the International Space Station.

Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:55 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 21, on the NASA STEM YouTube Channel.

The event, hosted by Woodland Park High School, also is open to students from Woodland Park Middle School. The Colorado high school wants to show students that even though they reside in a small town, they can achieve big dreams. Ayers, who considers Colorado Springs and Divide, Colorado, home, is a graduate of Woodland Park.

Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Friday, April 18 to Lindsey Prahl at [email protected] or 719-922-1019.

For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.

Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.

See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

[catdlr]

[ddspaceman]

NASA's Kennedy Space Center
@NASAKennedy
Weather is 90% favorable for Monday's cargo mission to @Space_Station!

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 4:15am ET April 21 for the company's 32nd commercial resupply mission to station.

Tune in for the prelaunch telecon TODAY at 3pm ET: https://go.nasa.gov/43ZCiM4

https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/1913265704666628116

[ddspaceman]

Station Has New Commander; Soyuz Trio Ready for Saturday Departure

Mark A. Garcia
April 18, 2025

The International Space Station has a new commander as three Expedition 72 crew members get ready to return to Earth on Saturday. The orbital residents staying behind will soon welcome a U.S. cargo craft and get ready for their increment’s first spacewalk.

Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) took control of the orbital outpost from Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin during a change of command ceremony on Friday afternoon. Onnishi will officially lead the new Expedition 73 mission when Ovchinin undocks from the station’s Rassvet module aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft with NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday. The Earthbound trio will parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan at 9:20 p.m. the same day (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, in Kazakhstan) of Pettit’s 70th birthday. NASA+ will broadcast Saturday’s crew farewell, undocking, and landing activities live beginning at 2 p.m.

Ovchinin and Vagner had one last research session on Friday with assistance from Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov testing the lower body negative pressure suit. The specialized suit from Roscosmos may prevent space-caused head and eye pressure symptoms and help a crew member adjust to Earth’s gravity quicker. Vagner also wrapped up handing over his crew responsibilities to his fellow cosmonauts while Pettit finished cleaning out his crew quarters. Ovchinin will complete packing the Soyuz crew ship with cargo on Saturday before activating the spacecraft’s systems.

A day-and-a-half later, NASA’s SpaceX 32nd commercial resupply mission will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying about 6,700 pounds of new science experiments and crew supplies for the Expedition 73 crew. Dragon will launch at 4:15 a.m. EDT on Monday and dock at 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday to the Harmony module’s space-facing port for a month long cargo mission. Onishi and NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim will be on duty Tuesday monitoring Dragon’s automated arrival and docking. NASA+ will provide live launch and docking coverage of Dragon’s 32nd cargo mission to the orbiting laboratory.

NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers are getting ready for the first spacewalk of Expedition 73 planned for May 1. The duo spent Friday organizing the Quest airlock where their spacewalk will begin and checking their spacesuits’ components and systems. Next, the duo verified the suits’ helmets, boots, and arm and leg assemblies fittings. McClain and Ayers will spend six-and-a-half hours in the vacuum of space preparing the station for a new rollout solar array and relocating an antenna that communicates with commercial spacecraft.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky have finished transitioning their new crew responsibilities from their departing crewmates Vagner and Ovchinin. Ryzhikov also spent Friday on life science activities collecting samples of mold and bacteria for analysis while Zubritsky set up and activated Earth observation gear.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/18/station-has-new-commander-soyuz-trio-ready-for-saturday-departure/

Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin (left) hands over command of the International Space Station to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi (right) as the rest of the Expedition 72 crew looks on.
NASA

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
At the end of the day there was a Change of Command ceremony, with Russian astronaut Alexei Ovchinin taking over command of the ISS.
He has been appointed ISS Commander ahead of the 73rd long-term mission, which will officially begin with the Soyuz docking tomorrow.
We will continue to work hard together as a team!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1913352824538222737

[ddspaceman]

Nichole “Vapor” Ayers
@Astro_Ayers
Lots of EVA (spacewalk) prep this week!

We resized the spacesuits to fit @AstroAnnimal and me (pic 1), cleared out the suits and gear we won’t need in the airlock for this EVA (pics 2 & 3), and spent some time getting familiar with the modification kit we’ll be installing.

We also packed all the parts into a bag that I’ll carry with us out to the work site (pic 4). We’re affectionately calling it EV3 because it’s about 8 feet long and weighs around 300 lbs! It’ll be slow and steady for me as I carry it out to the base of the solar arrays.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1913390823942586570

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
The Soyuz carrying Alexei, Ivan and Don undocked.
I guess this is what they call a bittersweet moment. Thank you so much to all three of you.
And at this moment, Expedition 73 began.
I'll try my best again starting tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1913730394442129541

[ddspaceman]

Expedition 72 Trio Undocks for Earth Return Aboard Soyuz

Mark A. Garcia
April 19, 2025

At 5:57 p.m. EDT, the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft undocked from the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module with NASA astronaut Don Petitt and Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.

NASA’s live coverage of deorbit burn, entry, and landing will begin at 8 p.m. on NASA+. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted landing at 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time, Sunday, April 20) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/19/expedition-72-trio-undocks-for-earth-return-aboard-soyuz/

[ddspaceman]

Soyuz Fires Braking Engines; Crew Entering Atmosphere Soon

Mark A. Garcia
April 19, 2025

NASA’s live return coverage is underway on NASA+. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft, with NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, will make a parachute-assisted landing about 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time, Sunday, April 20) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan. The spacecraft will execute its deorbit burn at 8:26 p.m.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/19/soyuz-fires-braking-engines-crew-entering-atmosphere-soon/

[ddspaceman]

COL Anne McClain
@AstroAnnimal
The end of an era.

A little while ago, we closed the hatch after saying goodbye to our @Space_Station crewmates, the Soyuz 72S crew of Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and @astro_pettit. Just minutes ago, they detached from station and departed on their orbital journey back to Earth.

Earlier, as I floated through the US Lab segment, I passed by our camera wall and noticed this: a camera stowed back on the wall with the initials “DP.” Don Pettit. Most of you are quite familiar with his mastery of the camera, the multiple settings and lenses he used over the past months to bring you all the incredible views of our shared home planet. But now his camera is back on the wall, like a cowboy hanging up his spurs. A quiet reminder that his mission is done, his last photo from space was taken (for this mission).

The auroras will dance, the stars will shine, and the moon will rise without him, but man … it just won’t be the same.

https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1913718094679208223

[ddspaceman]

NASA's Johnson Space Center
@NASA_Johnson
Houston, we have a successful undocking. See you soon, @astro_Pettit. 🚀

https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1913727617682878927

[ddspaceman]

Jonny Kim
@JonnyKimUSA
My crewmates @AstroAnnimal and @Astro_Ayers are set to head out on a spacewalk in early May to upgrade one of our solar arrays. There’s a ton of prep involved before they go out the hatch. @Astro_Onishi and I will be their suit IVs — basically, we help them get in and out of their suits, walk them through prebreathe protocols (so they don’t get decompression sickness sometimes called the ‘bends’), and handle all sorts of other behind-the-scenes stuff.
One of the cooler things we get to do is help them don their SAFERs — the closest thing to a jetpack that an astronaut can wear. It’s hard to describe, but it’s kind of like a backpack with 24 tiny thrusters powered by compressed nitrogen that let you move in some degrees of freedom. It’s only used in emergencies, if someone ever gets untethered and drifts away from the station.
We’ve practiced with SAFERs on Earth, but this is my first time handling one in space. Tak and I have been rehearsing how to get them on and off the same suits Anne and Vapor will be using. It’s great to see all this training come to life up here.

M+10: In prep for the upcoming spacewalk, @Astro_Onishi and I helped @AstroAnnimal and @Astro_Ayers suit up in their real suits today for final checks to ensure proper fit and function. Anne made a great time lapse of the process. We also held our Change of Command ceremony aboard the ISS: a proud tradition marking the formal handover of authority and leadership. Expedition 72 Commander Alexei Ovchinin passed the ISS keys to Expedition 73 Commander Takuya Onishi. Excited for the science and spacewalks ahead, but sad to say goodbye to friends from Soyuz MS-26. Wishing @astro_Pettit a happy birthday and a joyful reunion with his family back on Earth.

M+11: Photos taken from Node2 nadir hatch window (Earth facing) of the MS-26 Soyuz undocking from the @Space_Station on its way to Earth. The undocking officially begins our Expedition 73 mission. Glad to see @astro_Pettit and his crewmates back on Earth. Happy Birthday Don and happy Easter.

I’m still getting the hang of this photography thing, photos are a bit overexposed. Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 50mm, ISO 1250, f1.2, 1/32000s

https://twitter.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1913978644554252431

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
After 35 days in space, you'll need to get a little creative with your diet.
For lunch today, I made a cheeseburger imitation using a recipe that Ann and Nicole taught me.
We use tortillas instead of buns and the cheese is from the classic American dish macaroni and cheese.
It was different from 🍔 , but it was still delicious 😋

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1913956875978056044

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
If all goes according to plan, the Dragon supply ship will arrive on Tuesday this week. It will be a busy month, as it will be necessary to complete all of the loading and unloading of cargo, as well as time-sensitive experimental work, during the roughly month-long stay.
In preparation for their arrival, a humidifier was installed on the cell culture equipment for JAXA's third Cell Gravissensing experiment.

ISS Research
@ISS_Research
This JAXA experiment captures live images of cell responses to microgravity. Results may help scientists understand if and how cells can sense a loss of gravity when in space. http://go.nasa.gov/42AxAlp

https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1914337083319263581

[ddspaceman]

NASA's Johnson Space Center
@NASA_Johnson
3...2...1... liftoff!

Just over three tons of food, supplies, and science are now making way to the International @Space_Station.

@NASA's @SpaceX 32nd resupply services mission lifted off at 4:15am ET.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center
@NASAKennedy
New cargo incoming!

NASA's SpaceX 32nd commercial resupply services mission to @Space_Station lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 4:15am ET April 21.

International Space Station
@Space_Station

The @SpaceX Dragon is orbiting Earth and will dock to the station's Harmony module at 8:20am ET on Tuesday with about 6,700 pounds of science and supplies live on @NASA+. https://plus.nasa.gov

https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1914236690081656897

[ddspaceman]

Skip the first 9.5 minutes

Astronaut Q&A with Colorado Students: What is the Most Inconvenient Thing About Living in Space?

https://www.youtube.com/live/0uB0U6DQzPo

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
This was the first task for the Solid Combustion Experimental Device (SCEM) on Kibo, where Professor Fujita from Hokkaido University, whom I visited last summer, is conducting research.
We checked the condition and connections of the bottles and piping that supply gas to the experimental equipment.
I am very happy to be able to support the experiment of a professor I met in person from orbit.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1914585573886714205

[ddspaceman]

Dragon Docks to Station Delivering Science, Supplies to Crew

Mark A. Garcia
April 22, 2025

At 8:40 a.m. EDT, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the zenith, space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module.

The spacecraft carried about 6,700 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory on SpaceX’s 32nd commercial resupply services mission for NASA. The mission launched at 4:15 a.m. April 21 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/22/dragon-docks-to-station-delivering-science-supplies-to-crew/

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft with its nose cone open approaches the International Space Station’s Harmony module for a docking.
NASA