Author Topic: Expedition 73 thread  (Read 59417 times)

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #380 on: 06/13/2025 07:10 pm »
A few more photo's from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/54584990493/in/photostream/

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers checks out a spacesuit in the Quest airlock

iss073e0175956 (June 10, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers checks out a spacesuit stowed inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim works on spacesuit maintenance operations

iss073e0118752 (May 29, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Jonny Kim works on spacesuit maintenance operations inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers cleans and services life support components

iss073e0118757 (May 29, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers cleans and services life support components that are part of the Oxygen Generation System rack located inside the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers tests imaging operations of a 3D research microscope

iss073e0134904 (June 5, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers works inside the Kibo laboratory module to test imaging operations of a 3D research microscope, also known as the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System, or ELVIS. The specialized 3D imaging device, located in Kibo's Life Science Glovebox, could be used to monitor water quality, detect potentially infectious organisms, and study liquid mixtures and microorganisms in space and on Earth.

Offline StraumliBlight

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Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #381 on: 06/13/2025 08:13 pm »
Ars Technica: There’s another leak on the ISS, but NASA is not saying much about it [Jun 13]

Quote
However, multiple sources have confirmed to Ars that the leak is a serious concern for the space agency as it deals with hardware that is approaching three decades in orbit.

[...]

However, the overall air pressure in the space station at large continued to drop, according to two sources. So if the PrK module was not leaking, as it had been doing for half a decade, why was the space station still losing air pressure?

No one is certain. The best guess is that the seals on the hatch leading to the PrK module are, in some way, leaking. In this scenario, pressure from the station is feeding the leak inside the PrK module through these seals, leading to a stable pressure inside—making it appear as though the PrK module leaks are fully repaired.

At this point, NASA is monitoring the ongoing leak and preparing for any possibility. A senior industry source told Ars that the NASA leadership of the space station program is "worried" about the leak and its implications.

[...]

In the meantime, the space agency has not been forthcoming with any additional information. Despite many questions from Ars Technica and other publications, NASA has not scheduled a press conference or said anything else publicly about the leaks beyond stating, "The crew aboard the International Space Station is safely conducting normal operations."

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #382 on: 06/14/2025 03:31 am »
大西卓哉 (JAXA宇宙飛行士)Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Along with the eye exam I had the other day, ultrasound exams are an area where skills improve rapidly during long-term stays.
Today I had the blood vessels in my neck examined, and since this is my third time, I was able to easily find the necessary veins myself.
Also, I think that on the ground they apply gel to the test, but on the ISS they just use water. It sticks to the body by itself.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1933651902312354264

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #383 on: 06/14/2025 01:24 pm »
大西卓哉 (JAXA宇宙飛行士)Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
I feel very lucky when there's a food or drink that I like but isn't popular with others.
For me, it was a mysterious drink called Tropical Punch, which was probably not popular with the previous crew, so I've been drinking a bunch of it almost every day and working hard to get it down 😁
Everybody happy w

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1933837130792591511

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #384 on: 06/14/2025 07:09 pm »
NASA, Partners Review Axiom Mission 4 Launch Opportunities

Mark A. Garcia
June 14, 2025

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are reviewing launch opportunities no earlier than Thursday, June 19, for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.

On June 12, NASA and Axiom Space delayed the mission as the agency continued to work with Roscosmos to understand the most recent repair efforts to seal small leaks. The leaks, located in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module, have been monitored by flight controllers for the past few years.

Following the most-recent repair, pressure in the transfer tunnel has been stable. Previously, pressure in this area would have dropped. This could indicate the small leaks have been sealed. Teams are also considering the stable pressure could be the result of a small amount of air flowing into the transfer tunnel across the hatch seal from the main part of space station. By changing pressure in the transfer tunnel and monitoring over time, teams are evaluating the condition of the transfer tunnel and the hatch seal between the space station and the back of Zvezda.

It is not uncommon for the agency and its international partners to adjust launches around changes in operations aboard the space station. Teams are making progress evaluating the transfer tunnel configuration, resulting in an updated launch opportunity for the private astronaut mission.

In addition, SpaceX teams have repaired a liquid oxygen leak identified during post-static fire Falcon 9 rocket inspections. Following the repairs, the company completed a wet dress rehearsal of the Falcon 9.

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/2025/06/14/nasa-partners-review-axiom-mission-4-launch-opportunities/

The Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, crew (from left) with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Axiom Space

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #385 on: 06/15/2025 06:18 pm »
大西卓哉 (JAXA宇宙飛行士)Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
JAXA has signed a partnership agreement with the Japan Sports Agency to explore new possibilities through the "Sports x Space" initiative.
So I tried out the "paper balloon exercise" in space, which the Sports Agency released a video of 💪
In space, where gravity cannot be utilized, training methods are limited, so this seems like it could be put to good use.

The video I used as a reference is here ↓

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1934227706507374690
« Last Edit: 06/15/2025 06:19 pm by ddspaceman »

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #386 on: 06/15/2025 07:26 pm »
Not really just an Exp 73 thing but I'm putting it here anyway.

A. Pettit
@PettitFrontier
The length of the ISS as shared by a cosmonaut.

Super Grover
@Super_Grover
A previous cosmonaut's end-to-end trip through the ISS at a more leisurely pace...

Oleg Artemyev
@OlegMKS

Let us explore together the longest route of the @Space_Station 🚀

https://twitter.com/Super_Grover/status/1934286095480770776

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #387 on: 06/16/2025 05:01 pm »
ISRO
@isro
@NASA, @Axiom_Space & @SpaceX are targeting no earlier than June 19 for the #Ax4 mission to the @Space_Station. Indian Principal Investigators & @isro are coordinating with @Axiom_Space to refresh time-sensitive experimental specimens. #Space #AxMission4 #ISRO #ISS

https://twitter.com/isro/status/1934456847660171750

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #388 on: 06/16/2025 05:12 pm »
大西卓哉 (JAXA宇宙飛行士)Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Good morning 😃
Aurora borealis timelapse.
The curtain was clearly visible to the naked eye.
We today have a vague understanding of how this works, but I can't help but think that it must have been very frightening for people in ancient times.
By the way, from the ISS you can see both the aurora and shooting stars facing down towards the Earth.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1934509424170750306

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #389 on: 06/16/2025 06:38 pm »
Jonny Kim
@JonnyKimUSA
Space sushi isn’t quite the same as the fresh stuff on the ground, but it’s not bad! We had a crew celebration recently and one of our crewmates expressed how much they missed sushi (as do I). So we collected and pitched in our personal supplies of fish, spam and rice, coupled with a dash of gochujang and wasabi, which made for a great meal.

One thing you’ll notice that is different about our dinner table is that we orient tape such that the sticky side is facing up. This allows us to stick food, utensils and condiments to our table. Otherwise, everything would float away.

https://twitter.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1934636973731303602

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #390 on: 06/16/2025 06:52 pm »
Nichole “Vapor” Ayers
@Astro_Ayers
Sometimes we see lightning strikes that illuminate an entire city at once. This is Singapore last night, and that was a huge thunderstorm. It’s hard to believe, but these pictures were taken all in the span of 1/40 of a second!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1934651788877303850

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #391 on: 06/16/2025 06:59 pm »
ARISS - Amateur Radio on the ISS
@ARISS_Intl
Here's a fun STEM activity for the summer, and it involves a current crew member on the ISS!

@AstroAnnimal reads one of our favorite books from the station.  You can find the video on the Story Time From Space website:
https://storytimefromspace.com/ada-lace-part-1/

https://twitter.com/ARISS_Intl/status/1934632055247388707

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #392 on: 06/16/2025 07:37 pm »
Science Maintenance and Window Inspections Kick Off Week

Mark A. Garcia
June 16, 2025

Science maintenance supporting physics research gear and window inspections kicked off the beginning of the week for the seven-member Expedition 73 crew living and working aboard the International Space Station. Meanwhile, NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are reviewing launch opportunities no earlier than Thursday, June 19, for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.

A fluid physics study on the orbital outpost is testing computer models that may predict the behavior of high-concentration protein fluids in microgravity. NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers swapped syringes containing protein samples and installed test cells inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The hydrodynamics investigation explores using surface tension to contain liquids and study proteins without contacting solid walls. Results may benefit pharmaceutical manufacturing and 3D printing techniques on and off the Earth.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim began his shift opening up the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) and removing a sample cartridge from the physics research rack. The MSL located, in the Destiny laboratory module, uses two different furnaces operating one at a time to discover new applications for existing materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and new or improved materials. Kim later installed tags throughout the station testing their use for a radio frequency identification system that may improve inventory management in space.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain started her day with a cognition test to understand how her brain function and structure is adapting to weightlessness. Next, she jogged on a treadmill as a heart rate monitor measured her cardiac activity. At the end of her shift, McClain inspected and photographed the condition of windows inside Destiny.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) also inspected and cleaned windows spending his day inside the Kibo laboratory module. He first opened up Kibo’s multipurpose small payload rack where the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace is located and cleaned glass windows on the research device’s sample cartridges. The ELF uses containerless processing techniques to observe the thermophysical properties of material samples exposed to high temperatures in microgravity. Next, he inspected and photographed the condition of Kibo’s internal and external windowpanes during nighttime orbital passes for clearer imagery.

Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy joined each other at the beginning of their shift attaching acoustic sensors to their necks measuring the sound as they exhaled rapidly for a respiratory study. The duo then split up and inventoried hardware and searched for extra stowage space inside the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov spent his day servicing a variety of computer hardware and life support gear before pointing his camera toward Earth and photographing the mountainous area of North America near the Pacific coast.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/16/science-maintenance-and-window-inspections-kick-off-week/

City lights dot the U.S. landscape looking southeast toward the southern Atlantic coast of the United States in this photograph from the International Space Station. In the foreground, is a set of the orbital outpost’s main solar arrays (lower left) and a partially obscured SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft (lower center).
NASA

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #393 on: 06/16/2025 07:48 pm »
ISS National Lab
@ISS_CASIS
"Teamwork is one of the most important ingredients of success."
- NASA astronaut NASA Astronaut @JonnyKim

Jonny Kim's very first mission to the @Space_Station began back in April and we were thrilled to speak to him live shortly after he arrived at the orbiting lab. Check out "I'm not on Earth anymore", Episode 2 of our #podcast "Between A Rocket & A Hard Space" to hear his thoughts on living and working about 250 miles over the home planet, how he went from #NavySEAL to medical doctor to astronaut, research he is looking forward to and more: https://issnationallab.org/podcast/

#BetweenARocketAndAHardSpaceWhen

https://twitter.com/ISS_CASIS/status/1934695976960139328

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #394 on: 06/17/2025 02:38 am »
大西卓哉 (JAXA宇宙飛行士)Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
There is almost no fluctuation in temperature or humidity inside the ISS, and the passage of time can only be measured by relying on the clock, so there is no sense of the seasons.
Although we don't do it by agreement, many crew members change into new shirts every Sunday, and 😅 Mondays feel fresh.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1934730705415930047

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #395 on: 06/17/2025 04:52 pm »
The Space Pirate🏴‍☠️🥷🏻🚀
@TheSpacePirateX
The Moon slipping behind the horizon, captured from the ISS by Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. 🌕🌌

https://twitter.com/TheSpacePirateX/status/1934856849486213484

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #396 on: 06/17/2025 04:57 pm »
大西卓哉 (JAXA宇宙飛行士)Takuya Onishi
@Astro_Onishi
GT:
Yesterday we cleaned the cartridge of the ELF electrostatic levitation furnace.

There has been some dirt accumulated that cannot be removed by the cleaning that is done every time a sample is changed, so today I will try a different method.

We took the time to clean the glass window for observing inside the furnace.

A clean window is essential for good data acquisition.

https://twitter.com/Astro_Onishi/status/1934859281951805677

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #397 on: 06/17/2025 06:29 pm »
COL Anne McClain
@AstroAnnimal
So, when I took this aurora, at first I thought that my settings were not correct because the aurora appeared white. I thought maybe the ISO was off, or I picked the wrong lens. Turns out, what I thought was white is actually light pink, and this led me down a path of learning.

Aurora colors are the result of solar particles (think: microscopic sun bullets) interacting with Earth’s magnetospheric electrons (think: a bunch of charged particles which act like a force field around Earth that protect us from direct hits from the sun bullets). When there is a strong solar storm, which is basically a grouping of solar particles headed in our direction, the magnetospheric electrons get bombarded.

While they still do their job of protecting us, they get super energized and are accelerated toward our poles. These now high-velocity electrons then hit different gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, mainly oxygen and nitrogen. When this happens, the gas molecules get excited, jump to a different energy level, and emit light at different wavelengths when they return to their original state. The color of that wavelength depends on the collision impact, type of gas molecule, atmospheric density, and altitude.

Green is the most common aurora color, and it occurs when the electrons hit oxygen molecules between 60-150 miles altitude. If the solar particles hit oxygen but at a higher altitude, above 150 miles, the resultant color is red. This only happens under intense solar storm activity because of the lower density of atomic oxygen at higher altitudes. At lower altitudes during these intense storms, below 60 miles, auroras can appear purple or blue due to electrons hitting nitrogen molecules or pink when they hit slightly higher nitrogen around 60 miles. Auroras can appear other colors due to mixing of these phenomena.

Now when I watch this video, I am amazed by the color variations. This one was very pink-hued!

https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1935015074558611665

Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #398 on: 06/17/2025 07:16 pm »
Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With U.S. Air Force Academy Association – Tuesday, June 17, 2025


Offline ddspaceman

Re: Expedition 73 thread
« Reply #399 on: 06/17/2025 09:44 pm »
Crew Works Exercise and Earth Studies, Spacesuit Checks, and Lab Inspections

Mark A. Garcia
June 17, 2025

Exercise research and spacesuit checks were the top duties aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 73 crew also continued inspecting the orbital outpost’s windows and photographing Earth landmarks.

An astronaut spends less energy moving around in space than they do walking in Earth’s gravity environment. As a result, muscles and bones begin to atrophy since crew members do not use a lot of effort when living and working in weightlessness. Daily two-hour exercise sessions on the space station are critical and help offset the effects of weightlessness. Researchers monitor the crew exercise sessions to protect crew health and prepare astronauts for the return to Earth’s gravity.

NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim strapped on a sensor-packed vest and headband measuring his health data during a two-hour workout session on Tuesday. He first pedaled on an exercise cycle then simulated lifting weights on the advanced resistive exercise device. The Bio-Monitor wearable hardware comfortably collected Kim’s physiological parameters as he exercised that will help scientists refine space exercise programs and learn how to keep crews healthy on long term missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers was back in the Destiny laboratory module exploring surface tension to contain liquids and study proteins without contacting solid walls. Containerless liquid systems remove the effects of gravity providing more accurate computer models of fluid behavior in weightlessness. The fluid physics study takes place inside Destiny’s Microgravity Science Glovebox may benefit pharmaceutical manufacturing and 3D printing techniques on and off the Earth.

NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain spent her day inside the cupola, the orbiting lab’s “window to the world,” inspecting its seven windows. The cupola is attached to the Tranquility module’s Earth-facing port and is very important for observing spacecraft operations, monitoring spacewalkers, and imaging the Earth. McClain was photographing the condition of the windows to document smudges, particles, and scratches caused by crew activities, spacecraft plumes, or micrometeoroids.

Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) was also inspection duty examining hatches throughout the orbiting lab’s U.S. segment. Onishi examined and cleaned hatch seals and surfaces, interlocking components, and crank handles removing dust and stains. He also photographed the condition of the hatches and downlinked the images for analysis by ground engineers.

Working in the station’s Roscosmos segment, cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy partnered together inside the Poisk module and worked on a pair of spacesuits. The duo activated the suits then checked and cleaned life support components. Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov watched as Ryzhikov and Zubritskiy serviced the spacesuits to familiarize himself with spacesuit operations. Peskov later continued his Earth observations pointing a hyperspectral camera out a station window and photographing North American mountains and lakes in different wavelengths.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/17/crew-works-exercise-and-earth-studies-spacesuit-checks-and-lab-inspections/

The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft that launched three Expedition 72-73 flight engineers to the International Space Station on April 8, 2025, is pictured docked to the Prichal module. 261 miles below the orbital outpost is the state of Florida and the island country of the Bahamas.
NASA

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