Expedition 73 thread

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
I wrote about vision tests the other day, but changes in vision caused by weightlessness are currently one of the biggest concerns in space medicine.
Throughout your stay, we will periodically dilate your eyes to perform fundus examinations and retinal tomography.
Despite communication delays, the inspection is carried out following the instructions of a person on the ground called a remote guider.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1932554616316834010

[ddspaceman]

SpaceX
@SpaceX
Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date

Jared Isaacman
@rookisaacman
An inconvenience for the guests and families expecting a launch, but hopefully the @Axiom_Space AX-4 crew is having a fun time in quarantine.  Won't be long before the big moment. All the best on the mission 🚀

https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status/1932602157737644372

[ddspaceman]

Nichole “Vapor” Ayers
@Astro_Ayers
I got to install some hardware into our Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) this week! This is the Ring-Sheared Drop-IBP-2 experiment that studies the behavior of protein fluids in microgravity and tests computer models to predict that fluid’s behavior.
 
In microgravity, we can study protein solutions without the usual interference of container walls and gravity driven forces present on Earth. This project could help build better models to predict how these solutions behave in different situations.
 
Why is this important? These improved models could help advance manufacturing processes in space and on Earth and support the development of next-generation medicines to treat cancer and other diseases.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1932819239829704968

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
There were a lot more people there than when we astronauts were working, which made me laugh 🤣

JAXAきぼうフライトディレクタ / JAXA Flight Directors
@JAXA_JFLIGHT
GT:
Here is a scene from the ground control room during "My First Errand." Many controllers were watching.

The biggest challenge was the two cables that crossed the entrance to the onboard storage facility...
Although Mr. Onishi had told us beforehand to "be careful!", it was still a tense moment when we passed through.
Although he teaches me, Mr. Onishi doesn't remove the cable and puts Int-Ball 2 to the test...

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1932877548892942763

[ddspaceman]

Light Duty Day Aboard Station as Crew Awaits Axiom Mission 4

Mark A. Garcia
June 11, 2025

The Expedition 73 crew members lightened their schedule on Wednesday following several days of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) preparations including readying International Space Station systems, tablet computers, and temporary crew quarters. The orbital residents relaxed throughout the day while setting aside some time to continue ongoing human research and orbital maintenance.

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX have postponed the launch opportunity on Wednesday, June 11, of Ax-4 to the orbital outpost to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair a liquid oxygen leak identified during post-static fire Falcon 9 rocket inspections.  A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once repair work is complete, pending range availability.

Four astronauts, three from NASA and one from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, moderated their shifts on Wednesday opening up time to relax after focusing on the upcoming arrival of the Ax-4 mission. The quartet still kept up some space science duties while maintaining the upkeep of the orbital outpost.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA, during the middle of his short day, opened up the Microgravity Science Glovebox and installed samples into research hardware to study how proteins behave in a liquid in microgravity. Results may lead to a better understanding and newer treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and promote space commercialization opportunities.

The three NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim, Anne McClain, and Nichole Ayers worked on a variety of life support maintenance tasks during their light duty day ensuring the orbital outpost operates in tip-top shape.

Kim calibrated and checked the functionality of the total organic carbon analyzer, one of several on-orbit tools that measure the quality of the station’s water. McClain activated audio hardware and measured the station’s acoustic environment, with its continuously running science racks and ventilation systems, to learn how it affects a crew member’s hearing. Finally, Ayers inspected and cleaned fans inside the Destiny laboratory module.

The three cosmonauts had a full shift on Wednesday studying space biology and maintaining life support systems in the Roscosmos segment of the space station. Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy joined each other at the beginning of their day and studied how microgravity affects the exchange of blood between the bloodstream and surrounding tissues. Ryzhikov then pumped water from the Progress 90 spacecraft into station tanks and serviced the Elektron oxygen generator located in the Zvezda service module. Zubritsky photographed the condition of windows inside Zvezda and also partnered with Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov documenting and organizing cargo space inside the Nauka science module.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/11/light-duty-day-aboard-station-as-crew-awaits-axiom-mission-4/

South Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba are prominently featured in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above the Sunshine State.
NASA

[ddspaceman]

COL Anne McClain
@AstroAnnimal
Good evening Toronto, Cleveland, New York, and everyone in between!

https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1932944866104799559

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
The other day, just when it seemed like one experiment had finished in NASA's glove box, the next one had already begun.
By investigating the behavior of container-free protein solutions, the aim is to improve the accuracy of computer modeling on Earth and lead to next-generation drug discovery.
Similar to ELF in that it captures data that is not affected by the container

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1932924009567396049

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Good morning 😃
Today, all orbital crew members have the day off to mark a Russian holiday.

The crack in the earth visible from the center to the upper right of the photo is America's Grand Canyon.
They also look like the veins of a plant.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1933081277890015556

[ddspaceman]

NASA, Axiom Space Delay Axiom Mission 4 Launch to Space Station

Mark A. Garcia
June 12, 2025

NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure. The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary. NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module.

A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

The crew will lift off aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/12/nasa-axiom-space-delay-axiom-mission-4-launch-to-space-station/

The official crew portrait of the Axiom Mission 4 private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. From left are, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Commander Peggy Whitson from the U.S., and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
Axiom Space

[Targeteer]

CAPCOM update to crew.  No launch tomorrow or dock on Saturday.  Ongoing "pay er kah" investigation is the reason

[ddspaceman]

International Space Station
@Space_Station
Space station’s view of Earth gives researchers a vantage point to study  upper atmosphere phenomena, including lightning, thunderstorms, and other events. The data may improve weather and climate prediction models. More: http://go.nasa.gov/45CA9a3

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1933188572598747471

[ChrisC]

CAPCOM update to crew.  No launch tomorrow or dock on Saturday [of the Axiom-4 mission].  Ongoing "pay er kah" investigation is the reason

For context, that is apparently referring to the PRK vestibule ( "ПРК" in Cyrillic).  From this Feb 2024 SpaceNews article by Jeff Foust during a previous leak investigation:

The leak is in a vestibule known as PrK between the docking port and the rest of the module. That section can be sealed off to minimize the loss of air from the rest of the station.

That CAPCOM quote above does seem to conflict with the NASA statement today, posted above:

NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

[ddspaceman]

Jonny Kim
@JonnyKimUSA
M+62: We don’t work behind payload racks often, but sometimes maintenance calls for it.

In this case, cleaning out air filters and inspecting seals, and replacing chipsets in our servers, all with the assistance of Mission Control following along with live video.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate with maintenance in space is how much gravity helps keep things where they belong. For example, on the ground, I can simply set my pliers down and I know they won’t disappear. But in space, we have to think before every action, because setting pliers down is a recipe for losing them.

Space is one of the most humbling environments I’ve operated in.

https://twitter.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1933219313390927943

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
The other day, my colleagues on Earth gave me a surprise celebration to celebrate my 200th day in space 😊
I was deeply touched by the realization that I am supported by so many people.
I will continue to do my best in the second half of my long-term stay.

By the way, the world record for the number of days spent in space is approximately 1,110 days, held by Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko.

Over 3 years ;ﾞﾟ'ωﾟ' ):

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1933283170306199869

[Targeteer]

Tak was just asked by CAPCOM to call the Flight Director on the IP phone.  Again, NASA wanted to pass something to Tak without it being broadcast...

[Galacic01]

It is known who will command ISS-73 after Crew-10 departs while MS-27 will be with Crew-11 from August to December. It will be Sergey Ryshikov from MS-27 or rather Mike Fincke from Crew-11?

[ddspaceman]

International Space Station
@Space_Station
Work continues to prepare for the launch of the Ax-4 crew, from @Axiom_Space, and the science it is carrying to the orbital outpost to advance human health on Earth and in space. #SpaceToGround

https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1933502112530669946

[ddspaceman]

大西卓哉 （JAXA宇宙飛行士）Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
This morning I had my monthly weigh-in.
Taking turns getting our blood pressure checked reminds me of school health checks 😁
As for the important thing, my weight has only slightly decreased since last time.
I've been able to eat properly lately.
It has gotten a lot lighter over the last few years, but I'm confident that it will rebound in no time once it returns to Earth.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1933535719189811351

[ddspaceman]

Station Crew Ends Week with Half-Shift Filled with Space Research

Mark A. Garcia
June 13, 2025

The Expedition 73 crew wrapped up the week with another light duty day working half a shift filled with vein scans, a pharmaceutical study, and International Space Station upkeep.

NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers kicked off her day with station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) taking turns operating the Ultrasound 2 device and scanning each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins. Afterward, Ayers handed over the biomedical hardware to NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain who scanned the veins of Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov. Doctors on the ground monitored the regularly scheduled scans in real time checking for potential blood clots arising due to blood pooling toward a crew member’s upper body in microgravity.

Onishi and McClain then spent some time on different maintenance duties in the Quest airlock. Onishi observed, photographed, and documented the condition and location of a variety of spacewalking tools, while McClain transferred wastewater collected from a spacesuit into a contingency water container bag.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim began his shift inside Quest searching for and locating a specialized socket that will be used on a future spacewalk. Next, he worked inside the Destiny laboratory module installing hardware and setting up samples inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox to explore the behavior of amyloids, or protein deposits that affects organs and tissues, in weightlessness. Results may lead to a better understanding and newer treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and promote space commercialization opportunities.

Peskov began his shift in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment and attached himself to a device that applies a known force to a crew member and uses the resulting acceleration to accurately calculate mass. After his vein scans, Peskov worked in the Zarya module and cleaned life support equipment and checked lighting systems.

Veteran space station resident and cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov spent his half-day in Zarya organizing electronics hardware to create more stowage space. First-time space-flyer cosmononaut Alexey Zubritskiy transferred fluids from the station into the Progress 90 cargo craft’s tanks then copied science data collected from a protein crystallization investigation to a flash drive.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/13/station-crew-ends-week-with-half-shift-filled-with-space-research/

Astronaut Anne McClain checks out a pair of spacesuits during routine maintenance operations inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock.
NASA

[ddspaceman]

A few photo's from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/54566565907/in/photostream/

Astronauts Anne McClain and Takuya Onishi work together and draw blood samples

iss073e0078566 (May 23, 2025) --- Astronauts Anne McClain of NASA and Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Expedition 73 Flight Engineer and Commander respectively, work together inside the International Space Station's Columbus laboratory module drawing blood samples for testing and monitoring an astronaut's health in microgravity.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain swaps filters inside the Kermit microscope

iss073e0118086 (May 29, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain works inside the Destiny laboratory module's Materials Science Research Rack and swaps filters inside the Kermit microscope. Kermit is an all-in-one fluorescence microscope system used to conduct biological, physical, and materials science research.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain swaps hardware that promotes physical science and crystalization research

iss073e0011100 (May 5, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain swaps hardware that promotes physical science and crystalization research inside the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4 (ADSEP-4) aboard the International Space Station. The ADSEP-4 is supporting a technology demonstration potentially enabling the synthesis of medications during deep space missions and improving the pharmaceutical industry on Earth.

Astronaut Nichole Ayers trims Astronaut Takuya Onishi's hair

iss073e0120070 (May 31, 2025) --- Astronauts Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Nichole Ayers of NASA, Expedition 73 Commander and Flight Engineer respectively, are pictured inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. Ayers trims Onishi's hair using an electric razor with a suction hose attached that collects loose hairs to protect the station's atmosphere.

Astronaut Nichole Ayers trims Astronaut Anne McClain's hair

iss073e0120086 (May 31, 2025) --- NASA astronauts (left to right) Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, both Expedition 73 Flight Engineers, are pictured inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. Ayers trims McClain's hair as a suction hose collects loose hairs to protect the station's atmosphere.

JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi stows physics research hardware used during the Colloidal Solids experiment

iss073e0134908 (June 6, 2025) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander Takuya Onishi stows physics research hardware used during the Colloidal Solids experiment to understand the behavior of tiny particles (colloids) and proteins in water. Onishi is pictured in front of the Microgravity Science Glovebox, located in the Destiny laboratory module, where the investigation took place that may lead to the space-based production of pharmaceuticals and advances in human health.

JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi stows physics research hardware used during the Colloidal Solids experiment

iss073e0134912 (June 6, 2025) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 73 Commander Takuya Onishi stows physics research hardware used during the Colloidal Solids experiment to understand the behavior of tiny particles (colloids) and proteins in water. Onishi is pictured in front of the Microgravity Science Glovebox, located in the Destiny laboratory module, where the investigation took place that may lead to the space-based production of pharmaceuticals and advances in human health.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain celebrates her 46th birthday with a cake

iss073e0134965 (June 7, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Anne McClain celebrates her 46th birthday with a cake, gifts, and cards aboard the International Space Station's Unity module.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim stows research samples inside a cryogenic storage unit

iss073e0135008 (May 29, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim stows research samples inside a cryogenic storage unit for installation inside a science freezer for preservation inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. Offically called the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS, or MELFI, the ultra-cold storage unit enables space biology research by preserving biological samples for analysis including blood, saliva, urine, microbes, and more.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim replaces orbital plumbing components

iss073e0136234 (June 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim replaces orbital plumbing components inside the International Space Station's restroom, also called the waste and hygiene compartment, located in the Tranquility module.