👋🏻👋🏻From orbital velocity to splashdown, 🐉 Freedom has arrived back to base in Port Canaveral aboard SpaceX recovery ship, Megan, following the Ax-2 mission.📸 - @NASASpaceflight
T O A S T Y
Arrival! SpaceX recovery ship Megan has arrived at Port Canaveral to deliver the Axiom-2 Dragon capsule, following splashdown on Tuesday night.nsf.live/spacecoast
I guess we didn’t return it as clean as when we launched….but so cool that it will be reused on many future launches!
The jettisoned trunk section from the Axiom-2 Dragon has been cataloged as 56751 2023-070B in a 312 x 399 km x 51.4 deg orbit.
June 16, 2023Ax-2 Crew Conducted Studies During Mission to Understand Human Physiology in MicrogravityAx-2 MissionDuring Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the Ax-2 astronauts measured changes in their eyes, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and heart rate levels, as well as performed some brain imaging studies for the Nebula Human Research investigations. These human research studies observed how humans adapt and respond to spaceflight to better understand human health in microgravity with the goal to offset the long-term effects of living in weightlessness.EEG Monitoring in SpaceBy looking at the brain in space, we can learn about the mental health problems astronauts might face on long missions. It also provides a unique setting to unravel the mysteries of our own biology, particularly our brains. Studies conducted in space can offer unique insights and complement our terrestrial research, possibly leading to new breakthroughs in our understanding of neurological and cognitive function.Long-term space travel has physical and psychological effects on astronauts. Sleep disruptions, stress, and changes in cognition are only some of the issues they face. Continuous EEG monitoring helps assessing astronaut’s cognitive health, stress levels, sleep quality, and mental workload in real-time. The Smarting Pro EEG device, developed by mbraintrain, was the in-space EEG monitoring system used for the Nebula project during the Ax-2 mission. The crew onboard the ISS used the device to conduct brain studies in microgravity. The data collected could significantly improve safety and performance during extended space missions and identify potential issues early so appropriate countermeasures or treatments are made on time to ensure the safety and well-being of astronauts. Recording Brain Activity During Spaceflight:During the Ax-2 mission, a new neuroimaging technology called Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used for the first time to record the brain activity of astronauts during spaceflight. A Polish neurotech company, CortiVision, provided its fNIRS Photon Cap wireless system to be used for cognitive experiments that are part of the Nebula project. This is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique measured changes in the cerebral cortex's oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration. By using fNIRS, researchers will monitor changes in neural activity in the Ax-2 crew’s brains, which can help to understand better the effects of spaceflight on cognitive and neurological function. Before the mission, the Ax-2 crew performed experimental tasks while the fNIRS monitored different areas of their brain. Then the crew completed the same tasks and gathered measurements during two-time points throughout the mission. After returning to Earth, the Ax-2 astronauts participated in fNIRS measurement one last time. The results will allow researchers to compare whether brain activity patterns change in space travelers during a mission.The success of the first fNIRS measurement during the Ax-2 mission could open up many new applications to optimize astronaut performance and well-being during space missions. In particular, fNIRS can be applied to study the effects of isolation, confinement, and other psychosocial stressors that astronauts may experience during long-duration missions. Additionally, fNIRS can be used to study astronauts' brain activity during tasks critical for spaceflight, such as piloting a spacecraft or performing repairs on the ISS and, in the future, it may be able to monitor changes in brain physiology during planned expeditions to Mars.How Microgravity Affects Vision:Space-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is a not well-understood change seen in the eye due to the effects of microgravity on the vision of space travelers. It is a key area to observe when understanding the risk to humans during long spaceflight missions. Pupillometry is the study of how the pupil of the eye changes in size in response to stimuli and may be a way to study intracranial pressure (ICP, or the pressure inside the skull) in a non-invasive way. As researchers believe ICP may be linked to SANS, the purpose of the Nebula Biodata Pupillometry study is to get a rapid, easy, and non-invasive measure to infer changes in the pupil as a surrogate measure of ICP. A Pupilometer device was used during the Ax-2 mission to understand how microgravity affects the Ax-2 crew’s vision.
Ax-2 Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni uses the Smarting Pro EEG device aboard the ISS to conduct brain studies.
Jul 27, 2023In this episode of "Person to Person with Norah O'Donnell," O'Donnell speaks with astronaut Peggy Whitson about the future of commercial space flight, her latest mission with Axiom Space, and how she overcame rejection from NASA to become America's most experienced astronaut.
During Ax-2, we filmed a series of videos demonstrating life in microgravity that will be available as supplemental STEAM curriculum. Join me and @astro_peggy for the virtual premiere of “Habitat Space” on Monday, August 28 at 7pm CT!
10 days.126 orbits.26 research projects.4 crew: @AstroPeggy, @johnpshoffner, @AstroAli11, and @Astro_Rayyanah.We are two weeks away from the film premiere of Ax-2: A Step Beyond. Watch it on YouTube on September 23, 2024.
Set your alarm for 10 am CST on September 23rd to catch the premiere of "Ax-2: A Step Beyond"! Premiering on YouTube, this new documentary takes you on a journey from training to mission return, showcasing the #Ax2 mission like never before.
Peggy Whitson@AstroPeggyDuring Ax-2 I had the privilege to command a launch vehicle for the first time. It's not something I thought I would ever get to do. The Shuttle commander typically had a test-pilot background, and the Soyuz commander is always a Cosmonaut, so there was no reason to think it was a role that I would step into. Yet the unexpected opportunity made the experience novel for me - and I was thrilled to finally sit in the left seat!
