Expedition 73 thread

[ddspaceman]

Nichole “Vapor” Ayers
@Astro_Ayers
Still reminiscing on the gravity of last Thursday. Did we get the best selfies ever? I definitely think so! But I’m biased. 😉 The fist bump definitely made my day. 😊

https://twitter.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1919794316379033999

[ddspaceman]

Crew Spends Tuesday Focused on Health Research

Abby Graf
May 6, 2025

A full suite of human health research kept the Expedition 73 crew busy Tuesday aboard the International Space Station.

Current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) started the day powering on and setting up the Ultrasound 2 device to assist NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim with an eye exam that looks at optic nerve health. Following the exam, Kim donned a lightweight thigh cuff while Onishi guided a cardiovascular ultrasound scan to measure Kim’s vision and blood flow changes. This ongoing health research is helping scientists better understand if wearing a device like the thigh cuff could prevent upward blood and fluid shifts.

Onishi then moved on to collect and process water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser before continuing to unpack a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft which arrived to the station April 22. Meanwhile, Kim photographed tomato plants for a space agricultural study before assisting NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain with additional health research.

McClain spent her morning on Dragon cargo operations then focused the rest of her day on a collection of human health research for the CIPHER study, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research. CIPHER takes a full-body approach to investigate how multiple systems of the body react to spaceflight, which could help prepare future crews on missions to the Moon and beyond. McClain collected biological samples for analysis by ground teams, then received an ultrasound scan guided by Kim that looks at the health of the back of her eye.

In the Columbus Laboratory Module, NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers set up and donned the Bio-Monitor, a garment and headband she’ll wear for the next 48 hours to investigate the effect of microgravity on the cardiovascular system. Later on, she removed and replaced cable arm ropes on the orbital lab’s Advanced Resistive Exercise Device before moving on to Dragon cargo operations.

In the Roscosmos segment, Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky took inventory of storage areas then continued yesterday’s work with Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov to install hardware for an experiment that will examine the station’s aerodynamic force. Their colleague, Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov, spent the day inventorying a variety of items including hygiene products, food, and more.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/06/crew-spends-tuesday-focused-on-health-research/

(From left) Astronauts Jonny Kim of NASA and Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Expedition 73 Flight Engineer and Commander respectively, work inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module stowing cargo recently delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft.
NASA

gökhan
@resmihesabim
How do they test those devices?

International Space Station
@Space_Station
Astronauts will sometimes wear a lightweight and compact thigh cuff then receive a cardiovascular ultrasound scan to measure vision and blood flow changes while wearing the thigh cuff.

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1919799785483120646

[ddspaceman]

Jonny Kim
@JonnyKimUSA
M+18: On the @Space_Station, just as we trained on Earth, astronauts maintain perishable skills like robotics and free-flyer operations.

We also handle our own maintenance, including the toilet.

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to use my ham radio license for the first time, connecting with students from Oakwood High School in Morgan Hill, CA.

https://twitter.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1919810006053970123

[ddspaceman]

Dr. Nicky Fox
@NASAScienceAA
Using @Space_Station's Cold Atom Lab, scientists are conducting atom interferometry in space, paving the way for future missions to explore physical laws that govern the universe, study the composition of planets, and even monitor ice sheet thickness on Earth: https://go.nasa.gov/4jEKcPH

https://twitter.com/NASAScienceAA/status/1919756646529614100

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Today was a tough day as some tasks did not go well along the way and we ended up falling behind schedule overall.
In the photo, I am checking the quality of drinking water, but this is where I had a really hard time.
Some of the drinking water samples will be returned to Earth on the Dragon resupply spacecraft for further analysis.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1919876021387440611

[Targeteer]

While packing items for SpaceX-32 return, the crew noted they have only 3 rolls of Kapton tape remaining.  They asked if they could use grey (duct) tape instead to wrap an item in bubble wrap.  The loss of the Cygnus 22 mission is not only effecting food and science.  Kapton tape is widely used for a variety of purposes on board...

[Targeteer]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Today was a tough day as some tasks did not go well along the way and we ended up falling behind schedule overall.
In the photo, I am checking the quality of drinking water, but this is where I had a really hard time.
Some of the drinking water samples will be returned to Earth on the Dragon resupply spacecraft for further analysis.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1919876021387440611

Tasks that go way over allotted time are an increasingly common occurrence...

[ddspaceman]

Jonny Kim
@JonnyKimUSA
M+20: Life is busy up here aboard the @Space_Station.

A typical day might involve anything from transferring water tanks, photographing colleagues conducting experiments or assembling glove boxes so we can perform scientific research.

We also ultrasound ourselves frequently for various research studies or in this case, to examine the vessels behind the knee (specifically the popliteal vein) to determine if there are any issues with blood flow that could cause problems down the line.

https://twitter.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1920189398047490118

[ddspaceman]

COL Anne McClain
@AstroAnnimal
Hey, it‘s me and @Astro_Ayers! Now on a new channel.

NASA
@NASA
If you have Amazon Prime, you have a new way to watch NASA live and original programming. Launches, landings, spacewalks, and documentaries are now available via our Amazon FAST channel, ad-free: https://go.nasa.gov/4lVUvR4

https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1920197350120673750

[ddspaceman]

Crew Expands on Health Research, Botany and Pharmaceutical Work

Abby Graf
May 7, 2025

A full day of experiment preparations and health research topped Wednesday’s Expedition 73 schedule aboard the International Space Station. The crew expanded on agricultural and pharmaceutical work that began earlier in the week and continued to study how spaceflight affects the human body.

In the morning, NASA Flight Engineers Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, along with current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), completed some spacesuit work, installing straps for stowage and later on, an electronics data recorder box and impact shield. Ayers then moved onto work that’s looking at capabilities for producing pharmaceutical ingredients in space that could be used to synthesize medications during future deep-space missions. She removed cassette carriers for the ADSEP-4 investigation, replacing them with a new set for future analysis.

Meanwhile, McClain spent a majority of the day expanding on CIPHER work that began yesterday. CIPHER, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, takes a full-body approach through a suite of 14 studies to investigate how the human body reacts to spaceflight, insights that could prepare astronauts on future lunar missions. Today, McClain collected a host of biological samples then stored them inside MELFI—the station’s freezer used to preserve science samples at ultra-cold temps—for ground teams to analyze.   

Onishi swabbed surfaces throughout various U.S. modules and the Japanese Experiment Module for microbial analysis. He then took to photographing tomato plants currently growing in microgravity for a space agricultural study. These photos will later be analyzed by researchers on the ground to better understand crop growth in space and if crops can be cultivated without photosynthesis. Onishi ended his day unpacking additional cargo from a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim got straight to experiment prep work in the morning. He deployed the Life Sciences Glovebox—a work area crew members often use for life science and technology investigations—before preparing for a study that builds upon past work to develop nanomaterials that mimic DNA in space. After experiment prep work, Kim moved on to some orbital plumbing and Dragon cargo operations before meeting Ayers at the end of the day, where she then guided a cardiovascular ultrasound scan to measure his blood flow. 

Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos spent the morning throughout the Rassvet, Poisk, and Zarya modules to take inventory of equipment connected to electrical sockets. He then monitored CO2 levels in the Roscosmos segment before updating a collection of computer software. His colleagues, Flight Engineers Alexey Zubritsky and Kirill Peskov took inventory of personal hygiene items before auditing cargo that will be loaded in the Progress 90 spacecraft for its eventual departure from the station.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/07/crew-expands-on-health-research-botany-and-pharmaceutical-work/

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.
NASA

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Packing for the Dragon supply ship's return began in earnest this week. Dragon is the only supply ship returning to Earth so far, so it has a big role to play.
As the cargo is packed tightly into the small space inside the ship, we constantly check in with each other to see what progress we are making, and go through the cycle of packing, bagging, and loading onto the ship.

It seems like the packing and loading process takes much longer than the unpacking and unpacking process.
You will need to follow detailed instructions and pack each item as necessary, including wrapping it in bubble wrap, and then securely strap it into place on the ship.
Two weeks until withdrawal, working in parallel with science

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1920220758002835575

[ddspaceman]

Jonny Kim Discusses Life In Space With Meltwater Summit Attendees – Wednesday, May 7, 2025

[ddspaceman]

Nichole “Vapor” Ayers
@Astro_Ayers
I see you @af_academy! Proud of the @ISS_Research my alma mater is doing up here and excited to set it up and take part!

Couldn’t miss a chance to wear an Air Force shirt or two. 😉

Rhodium USAFA Non-Photosynthetic Inquiry into Growth Habit Traits, or Rhodium USAFA NIGHT, assesses the growth of genetically modified Small Plants for Agriculture in Confined Environments tomatoes (or SPACE tomatoes!) on the @Space_Station.

Understanding how these plants respond to space stressors could support the development of crops in closed agricultural systems that can grow with techniques other than photosynthesis.

These SPACE tomatoes will be compared to plants grown on the ground to further characterize the effects of cultivation in space.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1920509997701603476

[ddspaceman]

Biotech and Health Research Top Thursday’s Workday, Crew Completes Training

Abby Graf
May 8, 2025

Biotechnology work and health research was the main focus on Thursday aboard the International Space Station. Five Expedition 73 crew members also scheduled some time for training and additional experiment cleanup duties.

Understanding how the human body reacts to spaceflight is crucial as humans prepare for missions to the Moon and beyond. The CIPHER investigation, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, is one of many ongoing health-focused studies in microgravity that looks at how various systems in the body—the heart, muscles, bones, and eyes—adapt to longer missions. NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain dedicated a large portion of her week to CIPHER activities and continued through today as she collected biological samples for processing and analysis. Later on, she completed a cognition test, then teamed up with NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim, as he guided her through a vestibular exam before a scan that measures the pressure in her eyes.

Kim also spent a portion of his day working with the Life Sciences Glovebox. He and NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers conducted biotechnology work that aims to understand in-space manufacturing of nanomaterials that mimic DNA in space. Throughout experiment operations, three different products will be manufactured and returned to Earth for analysis. In the afternoon, current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) continued this work while Kim and Ayers moved onto other tasks.

After donning the Bio-Monitor for 48 hours to investigate the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system, Ayers doffed the headband and garment to collect data. She was then joined by McClain, Kim, Onishi and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov to complete a round of training in the event an emergency were to occur aboard station. Afterward, the five residents held a conference with ground teams to go over the materials.

Before winding down for the evening, Ayers cleaned out the Veggie facility after APEX-12 experiment operations wrapped. As part of the investigation, earlier this week, she and McClain harvested thale cress plants to observe how space radiation affects plant genetics.

Peskov, along with Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, completed some orbital plumbing duties today. Additionally, Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky both completed a virtual reality test that tracks their eye and brain movement.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/08/biotech-and-health-research-top-thursdays-workday-crew-completes-training/

iss073e0006003 (April 26, 2025) — This oblique of view of the sun’s glint beaming off Lake Superior was taken at about 8:34 a.m. local time from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the state of Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes.
NASA

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Today I am working on the second demonstration mission for NASA's DNA Nano Therapeutics research.
Apparently it was a demonstration of the production of nanomaterials that mimic DNA in space, but it was so outside my field of expertise that I couldn't understand it at all even after reading the experiment outline 🤯
My role was to analyze the samples using a spectrophotometer and to ultrasonicate them 🤯

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1920598252686078014

[ddspaceman]

Crew Works Tech Demos and Maintenance on Friday

Abby Graf
May 9, 2025

Friday’s schedule aboard the International Space Station included maintenance and tech demonstration set up for the Expedition 73 crew.

In the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers teamed up in the morning to remove MISSE hardware and sample carriers before bagging them for return to Earth. The facility provides a unique platform for the testing of materials, coatings, and components in the space environment.

Afterward, the duo split up for a majority of the afternoon to focus on other tasks. McClain photographed tomato plants for a space agricultural study, while Ayers set up ELVIS—a microscope for 3D imaging of objects such as bacteria—in the Life Sciences Glovebox. She then inserted Colwellia bacteria samples into GLACIER, one of the station’s ultra-cold freezers, before conducting a sample run to analyze the active behavior and genetic changes in the bacteria. Ayers and McClain were then joined by NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim and current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for a conference with ground support.

Kim spent most of the day on maintenance and IT activities. He first set up hardware on the orbital lab’s bicycle, CEVIS, then scanned the disk drive of the Microgravity Science Glovebox for any system errors. Later on, he conducted some computer hard drive tests, then took inventory of supplies in the Human Research Facility.

Onishi had a light-duty morning before work picked up in the afternoon. In the Harmony Module, he installed a crystallizer in the ADvanced Space Experiment Processor, or ADSEP, a biotech facility that contains three thermal zones to accommodate a variety of experiments, including crystal growth. He then replaced the controller card in the Potable Water Dispenser before setting up a tech demo in JEM that will more efficiently transfer space-to-ground data.

The station’s three Roscosmos cosmonauts, Alexey Zubritsky, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Kirill Peskov, all enjoyed a day off, relaxing and completing their routine two hours of daily exercise.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/09/crew-works-tech-demos-and-maintenance-on-friday/

This long-duration photograph from the International Space Station highlights star trails and an atmospheric glow blanketing Earth’s horizon. In the foreground, is a set of the space station’s main solar arrays (left), the Kibo laboratory module (right), and Kibo’s External Platform that houses experiments exposed to the vacuum of space. The orbital outpost was soaring 259 miles above the Pacific Ocean southeast of Japan moments before sunset.
NASA

[ddspaceman]

COL Anne McClain
@AstroAnnimal
EVA Perspective 1: The Tale of EVA Selfies

EVA time is precious and requires uninterrupted focus, so sometimes there just is not an opportunity to take many photos. We normally carry a camera attached to our suit for a variety of reasons – we get to see parts of @Space_Station that our permanently mounted cameras cannot see, so we take them for the ground teams, or we install some hardware and take closeout photos to verify the final configuration, or we see some damage from a micrometeorite and snap a shot. In between all that work, we try to find a moment here or there for some fun photos – spacewalking is rare, and we want to capture the moment. The opportunity normally presents itself when ground is talking through the plan and we are waiting on our next instructions – if you listen closely to a spacewalk, you are apt to hear something like “this will take a couple minutes, you can hold there and take some photos.” That is our cue to pull out the camera to capture everything around us, and perhaps turn the camera back on ourselves.

Grabbing a selfie during a spacewalk is not as easy as it looks. We use commercial cameras wrapped in a thermal blanket, and with our gloves it is hard to tell where the button is or if we successfully clicked it. If we try to hold the camera in one hand, it feels like holding a basketball with a ski glove, so two-handed is the way to go. Our arms also don’t extend super far in the suit; if your wingspan is 6 feet normally, you can expect a wingspan of 3.5-4 feet in a suit. So in a two-handed selfie pose, the camera ends up pretty close, and we aren’t quite sure where its aimed. The technique is to just start clicking and hope for the best.

1st photo: My first spacewalk selfie in 2019, and I remember it because it was the first time I went “hands free” from ISS. Meaning, connect a local (short) tether, let go and back away a little bit, hold the camera in two hands, and start clicking. I think I took about 25 of these, 3-4 of which turned out okay. This was taken while I was at the airlock waiting for my crewmate to translate back.

2nd photo: From our 1 May spacewalk, a shot into the sun visor. I had actually forgotten to put it up, but love the reflections that resulted. It also shows the camera set up well as well as my crewmate, @Astro_Ayers. We were located over Arizona at the time, and over my right shoulder you can see Baja California.

3rd photo: Also from 1 May, taken when we were both given a few minutes by the ground while they re-worked the forward plan. It is rare to both get a break at the same time, and even rarer to be co-located. So, we had to try for an epic shot. Amongst many photos of helmet lights, fingers, space, and bag straps was this gem … the extremely rare two-person spacewalk selfie! Note Nichole’s hand – she was having to hold me in place because I had two hands on the camera – and on just a tether, we are basically a balloon on a string.

4th photo: Bonus content, a spacewalk fist bump. This required one-handed camera ops, so while I thought I took about 30 photos, I actually took only 5. This one is the only relatively decent one! My tether was connected far off to my side, so it did not provide any stability, and I was not in an area that had handrails. I floated away every time we bumped. So, our technique was to bump then Nichole would pull me back over and we would try again. This will be a treasured memory for me!

John Kraus
@johnkrausphotos
Are the cameras in full automatic settings for this? I have to imagine it’s hard to modulate shutter speed (or any settings) with large gloves and the camera being wrapped in a thermal blanket!

COL Anne McClain
@AstroAnnimal
We set it and forget it! We use a 28mm EVA lens with EVA filter (w/o glass), set program mode, no bracket, auto-focus, no exposure comp, matrix meter, auto ISO control with max sensitivity 102400 and shutter speed 1/125s. We also cover the on/off switch with tape, just in case!

John Kraus
@johnkrausphotos
Super cool, thanks for the reply - awesome shots.

https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1920852135521964040

https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1922407703642611741

[ddspaceman]

NASA's Johnson Space Center
@NASA_Johnson
For the benefit of our blue marble. 🌎

On this week’s #HWHAP, a @NASA scientist discusses how imagery and data collected from the @Space_Station can support natural disaster response teams on the ground. https://go.nasa.gov/4iWiQDI

https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1920897630701252925

[ddspaceman]

NASA Space Operations
@NASASpaceOps
.@NASA_Astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain will answer prerecorded questions about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from students in Bethpage, New York. The two astronauts are currently aboard the @Space_Station.

Watch the 20-minute Earth-to-space call at 12:45 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 16, on the @NASASTEM YouTube Channel.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronauts-to-answer-questions-from-students-in-new-york-2/

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceOps/status/1920912271116583065

[ddspaceman]

International Space Station
@Space_Station
This week on #SpaceToGround, learn about new space-based research Exp 73 will be conducting, how science off Earth provides benefits for the Earth, and hear insights @Astro_Ayers shared after last week’s spacewalk.

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1920939331428249866