Author Topic: Expedition 73 thread (Read 46909 times)

ddspaceman · « **Reply #80 on:** 04/25/2025 02:31 am »

大西卓哉（JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Protein crystal growth experiments have also begun on Kibo!
The samples, which were brought on the supply ship in specially made insulated containers, were stored in a small refrigerator-freezer.
The temperature will then be controlled to promote high-quality crystallization in a microgravity environment where no thermal convection occurs.
By the way, this was the first time Int-Ball2 was used in actual combat!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1915591169612112359

Yellowstone10 · « **Reply #81 on:** 04/25/2025 01:48 pm »

Dextre has extracted ACES from the CRS-32 trunk.

Yellowstone10 · « **Reply #82 on:** 04/25/2025 03:50 pm »

ACES has been installed on the SDN site of the Columbus EPF.

ddspaceman · « **Reply #83 on:** 04/25/2025 04:12 pm »

Human Spaceflight
@esaspaceflight
⏰ Ticking 400km above Earth, @esa's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space is set to explore time ⏳, gravity 🍎 & fundamental physics 💡.
🚀 Launched Monday, installation outside Columbus on the @Space_Station is set for Friday 🛰️
🔎 Science of #ACES: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/aces-time-for-science/

https://twitter.com/esaspaceflight/status/1915020391082229872

ddspaceman · « **Reply #84 on:** 04/25/2025 04:15 pm »

大西卓哉（JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
"Intoball 2 is surprising and confusing"

I flew out from the docking station to take a photo of the samples being stored, but the NASA glove box, which is usually stored away, was deployed halfway inside the spacecraft this morning, and I was stunned by the unfamiliar sight 😮

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1915702243032023360

ddspaceman · « **Reply #85 on:** 04/25/2025 05:24 pm »

ISS Research
@ISS_Research
JAXA's protein crystal growth (PCG) experiments account for two-thirds of all PCG experiments on @Space_Station! Producing high-quality crystals in space allows researchers to analyze the structure of proteins and discover potential drug uses.
http://go.nasa.gov/4jMa9fV

https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/1915768678794277281

ddspaceman · « **Reply #86 on:** 04/25/2025 05:34 pm »

International Space Station
@Space_Station
.@Astro_Pettit returned to Earth on his 70th birthday, the @SpaceX Dragon launches advanced space science experiments, and Exp 73 gets ready for a spacewalk on #SpaceToGround.

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1915781822270894424

ddspaceman · « **Reply #87 on:** 04/25/2025 05:42 pm »

Nichole “Vapor” Ayers
@Astro_Ayers
Astronaut photography not only shows you our view of the world, but also gives scientists high-resolution imagery to analyze.

This week has been an active photography week trying to gather information on city lights at night. Specifically, researchers are studying the effects of artificial lights at night. Here is Phoenix, Mumbai, Delhi, and Melbourne!

It’s amazing that we can see an entire city out of one window, and really almost the whole state. I’ve got an uncle in Phoenix, and I was definitely waving!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1915798442904858850

ddspaceman · « **Reply #88 on:** 04/25/2025 06:05 pm »

Jonny Kim
@JonnyKimUSA
M+14: Our first resupply mission for Expedition 73. Tak and I were the visiting vehicle officers for @NASA’s CRS-32 mission, meaning we monitored the rendezvous, approach and docking from the Cupola as the @SpaceX Cargo Dragon autonomously docked to the International @Space_Station carrying science, equipment, and resources like food.

We can’t do our job as astronauts without regular resupply missions like this, and the success of CRS-32 is a testament to NASA’s partnership and collaboration with the commercial industry.

While our job was not to take pictures, during the approach we had a short window of opportunity to snap some photos of Dragon as it maneuvered in a semicircular fashion from underneath (nadir) the ISS to in front of us where it gets obscured by the Japanese Experimental Module and finally maneuvers above us as it docks to the zenith port of the Node 2 module.

Unfortunately I caught some light artifacts around Dragon, which I think could be minimized if I had grabbed a camera shroud. Welcome to any suggestions from experts.

Nikon Z9, VR 50-500mm, ISO 800, f6, 1/1000s

https://twitter.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1915826879799427469

ddspaceman · « **Reply #89 on:** 04/25/2025 06:08 pm »

ISS National Lab
@ISS_CASIS
Our friends at Sen shared this spectacular view of #Seattle from the @Space_Station. 🤩

Join us for #ISSRDC 2025 and see the #EmeraldCity for yourself.
Register now: https://ow.ly/TJZ550VGwrZ

https://twitter.com/ISS_CASIS/status/1915828292411678797

ddspaceman · « **Reply #90 on:** 04/25/2025 08:45 pm »

Crew Studies Space Biology Advancing Health in Space and on Earth

Mark A. Garcia
April 25, 2025

Synthetic DNA, how cells respond to weightlessness, and cognitive performance in space wrapped up the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 73 crew is also gearing up for a spacewalk to ready the orbital outpost for a new rollout solar array.

Space biology is helping doctors understand how humans adapt to living in space and providing countermeasures to keep crews healthy on long duration missions farther away from Earth. Results may also provide advanced treatments for ailments on Earth.

A new experiment recently delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is exploring the ability to manufacture DNA-like nanomaterials that could be used to deliver therapeutics, vaccines, and regenerative medicine. NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers kicked off that experiment on Friday mixing solutions to create the nanomaterial products inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox. Ayers then pointed an electromagnetic light tool at the newly created materials, measured the wavelengths emitted, and evaluated their space-manufactured quality. The samples will be returned to Earth for further analysis.

McClain and Ayers are also getting ready for a spacewalk scheduled for May 1. The duo will exit the Quest airlock into the vacuum of space and spend six-and-a-half hours preparing the station’s port side truss structure for a new rollout solar array and relocating an antenna that communicates with visiting vehicles. McClain spent an hour-and-a-half on Friday studying the paths she and Ayers will take to their worksites outside the space station.

A second investigation unloaded from Dragon and activated by station Commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is observing how cells sense gravity. Onishi spent Friday processing cell samples inside Kibo’s Cell Biology Experiment Facility before placing the samples inside a confocal microscope for observation. How those cells samples adapt to microgravity may help scientists provide advanced treatments for space-caused as well as Earth-based conditions such muscle atrophy, osteoporosis, and aging-like symptoms.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim focused his research activities on learning how living in space is affecting his cognition, or the ability to think and perform actions in microgravity. CIPHER is a suite of 14 human research studies looking at the physical and mental changes an astronaut experiences during spaceflight. Kim first collected his blood samples for processing and analysis. Next, he took a series of tests that included simulating Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers on a computer. The Spatial Cognition portion of the CIPHER study will help doctors learn about and prevent any adverse effects of space on a crew member’s brain structure and function.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov wrapped up an Earth observation experiment that imaged the planet’s nighttime atmospheric glow in near-ultraviolet wavelengths. Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky spent their day on life support maintenance throughout the orbiting lab’s Roscosmos segment.

Robotics controllers completed the extraction late Thursday of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) experiment from Dragon’s unpressurized trunk. ACES will be installed outside the Columbus laboratory module for a variety of tests including testing Einstein’s theory of general relativity as well as researching fundamental physics using high accuracy atomic clocks in space.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/25/crew-studies-space-biology-advancing-health-in-space-and-on-earth/

Astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander Takuya Onishi inspects combustion science hardware inside the Kibo laboratory module.
NASA

ddspaceman · « **Reply #91 on:** 04/26/2025 04:17 am »

A few photos from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/54440500287/in/photostream/

Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov enters the International Space Station

iss072e940013 (April 8, 2025) --- Roscosmos cosmonaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov enters the International Space Station shortly after docking to the Prichal module aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. Ryzhikov is greeted by station Commander Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos (left) and flight engineers Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), at right, and Don Pettit of NASA (far right).

Astronaut Anne McClain works inside the Quest airlock assembling spacewalk hardware

iss072e921946 (April 7, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Anne McClain works inside the Quest airlock assembling hardware that will be installed during an upcoming spacewalk to prepare the International Space Station for a new rollout solar array. On either side of McClain, are two spacesuits staged inside Quest being readied for the maintenance spacewalk.

Astronaut Nichole Ayers poses for a portrait inside the Kibo laboratory module

iss072e978952 (April 8, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers poses for a portrait in front of a window inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.

Astronaut Don Pettit monitor Astrobee robotic free-flyer outfitted with tentacle-like grippers

iss072e921201 (April 4, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Don Pettit watches as an Astrobee robotic free-flyer outfitted with tentacle-like grippers grapples a "capture cube" inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.

ddspaceman · « **Reply #92 on:** 04/26/2025 04:10 pm »

Space Systems Command
@USSF_SSC
Our Space Test Program = Advantage in the Space Domain. #USSF & NASA successfully launched the STP-H10 mission delivering six experiments to the International Space Station. More: https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article/4166891/us-space-force-launches-six-experiments-to-international-space-station-to-expan

https://twitter.com/USSF_SSC/status/1915916456442704072

ddspaceman · « **Reply #93 on:** 04/26/2025 05:09 pm »

大西卓哉（JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Celgra's intensive seven-day mission included fixing some of the samples for preservation and preparing them for observation under a fluorescence microscope.
For the groups being cultured under artificial gravity, it is important to move quickly from stopping the centrifuge to starting observation, so perfect coordination with the ground is essential.
Experimental work is fun 😊

Later today we will have the second preparation for microscope observation, and the second fixation work in the afternoon.
For experiments that are time-constrained by science requirements, we, the crew, work even on weekends. Our colleagues on the ground also work 24 hours a day in three shifts 🔥

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1916078873457930544

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1916079948403458472

ddspaceman · « **Reply #94 on:** 04/26/2025 10:07 pm »

大西卓哉（JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
The great thing about the ISS's muscle training machines is that they can be used for a variety of different exercises, but above all, they offer the spectacular view that unfolds below.
Even though I hate exercise, I can enjoy exercising here every day. 🏋️‍♀️

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1916245185761075378

Yellowstone10 · « **Reply #95 on:** 04/28/2025 03:00 am »

SSRMS has set up with Dextre near the JEM Airlock, and Dextre has grabbed an RMCT - probably an indication that they'll be starting the next round of MISSE sample carrier swaps shortly.

jacqmans · « **Reply #96 on:** 04/28/2025 02:10 pm »

https://twitter.com/esaspaceflight/status/1916848416740577571

ddspaceman · « **Reply #97 on:** 04/28/2025 04:33 pm »

大西卓哉（JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
The CellGra experiment, which investigates the mechanism of gravity detection at the cellular level, completed the second fixation over the weekend, and is continuing with cell culture and observations using the live imaging system COSMIC. I'm curious to see what kind of images are being taken, but since the microscope is remotely controlled from the ground, I'll do my best to replace the samples!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1916734481739702623

Yellowstone10 · « **Reply #98 on:** 04/28/2025 04:44 pm »

Dextre has retrieved the MISSE Transfer Tray (MTT) from the JEM Airlock slide table. Doesn't look like there's any sample carriers on this side of the MTT.

... actually, I just found a post on Aegis Aerospace's LinkedIn from April 18 saying that MISSE-21 (the next set of samples to fly) will launch on HTV-X1 (which would make these ops retrieval-only), but a post from last November says it was scheduled to launch on CRS-32. I wonder if that's one of the experiments that got bumped after NG-22 got cancelled?

ddspaceman · « **Reply #99 on:** 04/28/2025 05:06 pm »

NASA Space Science
@NASASpaceSci
A quantum chemistry lab is forming in space! Thanks to breakthroughs made aboard the @Space_Station, scientists can study how different types of atoms interact and combine with each other in a quantum state. http://go.nasa.gov/4i0e1JV
#QuantumLeaps #thrivingInSpace

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/nasas-cold-atom-lab-sets-stage-for-quantum-chemistry-in-space/

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceSci/status/1916824720520970618