Stem cell research, a student robotics challenge, and spacesuit maintenance dominated the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 74 crew also rounded out its shift with Earth observations and cargo transfers throughout the day.Repairing damaged organs or tissues is a key objective for a technology demonstration taking place onboard the orbital outpost that seeks to transform stem cells into any human cell type that are superior to those manufactured on Earth. The stem cells are reprogrammed from adult skin or blood cells and may lead to advances in regenerative medicine and cancer therapies. Station Commander Mike Fincke treated samples for the stem cell tech demo inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox then prepared them for preservation in cold stowage. The experiment hardware and research samples were launched to the station in October aboard JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo craft.JAXA Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui spent his shift testing a pair of small robotic helpers ahead of an upcoming student challenge to program and maneuver the free-flying devices on the station. The main objective was a technical rehearsal of the toaster-sized Astrobee’s ability to identify and find hidden objects throughout the Kibo lab. The second objective was to monitor the Int-Ball 2, a small sphere-shaped robotic camera designed by JAXA, as it autonomously worked alongside Astrobee and recorded its search activities. Code written by student teams will operate the two robots together and will be judged for its accuracy, speed, and efficiency.NASA Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Chris Williams partnered together during the first half of their shift on Tuesday and resized a pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock. The duo adjusted the suits’ arms, legs, and waist ahead of a pair of maintenance spacewalks planned for early 2026. Afterward, Cardman moved on and cleaned and inspected hatch seals throughout the space station’s U.S. segment. Williams assisted Fincke and Yui during the second half of their shift as they loaded the HTV-X1 cargo craft with obsolete science hardware before the resupply ship’s departure in late January.Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Platonov and Sergei Mikaev took part in a pair of Earth observation activities documenting the effects of natural and man-made conditions on the ground. Platonov turned off and uninstalled imagery hardware that automatically photographed landmarks from Asia to Africa during the crew’s sleep shift. Mikaev set up a digital multi-spectral camera linked to hardware that automatically operates and aligns the camera to target specific locations on Earth.Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, on his second spaceflight, spent Tuesday inside the Nauka science module cleaning smoke detectors ensuring the safety gear operates in tip-top shape. Kud-Sverchkov also spent a few moments with his cosmonaut crewmates Platonov and Mikaev reviewing procedures for unlikely emergency events such as a depressurization, a chemical leak, or a fire onboard the orbital outpost.
Two new micropropulsion technologies are being tested in space onboard a CubeSat called DUPLEX (Dual Propulsion Experiment) that deployed into low Earth orbit from the International Space Station on Dec. 2. The CubeSat is fitted with two thruster systems that use spools of polymer fibers to provide performance levels of propulsion comparable to existing systems but with greater safety during assembly and more affordability. One of the propulsion technologies is a fiber-fed pulsed plasma thruster system which employs an electric pulse to vaporize Teflon material and uses the resulting ions to deliver strong, efficient thrust while using very little fuel. The other propulsion technology is a monofilament vaporization propulsion system – inspired by 3D printers – which heats and vaporizes a common polymer material known as Delrin to create continuous thrust. On orbit, DUPLEX will test its advanced propulsion systems by raising and lowering its orbit over two years, demonstrating the systems’ capabilities to maintain a vehicle’s orbit over time. Micropropulsion solutions enable a variety of cost-efficient capabilities necessary for operators in a bustling low Earth orbit economy, including maintaining and adjusting orbits to avoid debris or nearby spacecraft, and coordinating maneuvers between spacecraft to perform maintenance, inspections, and other critical activities. The systems tested on DUPLEX can also make spacecraft capable of lower cost extended missions in areas that are farther from Earth, such as the Moon and Mars.
Exercise and physics research were the top scientific duties aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday advancing human health and industries both on the ground and in space. The Expedition 74 crew members also continued working on spacesuits and practiced an emergency drill.Doctors continuously monitor astronauts’ health using sensors, tests, and sample collections to understand the long-term effects of spaceflight, helping to keep crews fit for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond while also advancing medical treatments on Earth. A key part of this effort is exercise to prevent space-caused muscle and bone loss. During workouts and daily activities, astronauts periodically wear the sensor-packed Bio-Monitor vest and headband that monitors heart health, respiratory health, and more for up to 48 hours. The data can be monitored by doctors on Earth in real-time or downloaded to the ground for later review.NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams put on the Bio-Monitor wearables early Wednesday beginning a two-day health monitoring session. Afterward, he exercised on the advanced resistive exercise device (ARED)—that mimics free weights on Earth—then jogged on the COLBERT treadmill helping counter the effects of microgravity and providing doctors insight into his heart, lung, muscle, and bone health in weightlessness. The Bio-Monitor, a Canadian Space Agency-designed biomedical device, has been in operational use aboard the station since January 2019.Williams later assisted NASA Flight Engineer Zena Cardman inside the Quest airlock as she installed charged lithium-ion batteries into a pair of spacesuits.Station Commander Mike Fincke worked throughout Wednesday servicing a variety of exercise gear and science hardware. He first installed kinematics hardware on the ARED that monitors the muscle and bone forces crews experience when exercising in space. Researchers use the visual data to adjust workout programs to maximize crew fitness in microgravity. Next, he swapped a pair of hard drives and injected gas into the experimental Zero Boil-Off Tank being tested for its ability to preserve cryogenic fluids in spacecraft fuel tanks.Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) started his shift inside the Kibo laboratory module checking for gas leaks inside combustion research hardware. Next, he powered on a fluorescence microscope to observe changes in the formation of flat liquid crystal films in microgravity. Results from the study may advance screen displays for touchpads and instrumentation panels benefitting both Earth and space hardware.At the end of their shift, all four astronauts joined the cosmonauts from Roscosmos—Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and Oleg Platonov—and conducted an emergency drill. The orbital septet practiced their responses to unlikely events such as a depressurization, a chemical leak, or a fire onboard the orbital outpost. The seven crewmates used computer tablets and reviewed the procedures and communication protocols they would use in coordination with mission controllers on the ground.
The Expedition 74 crew’s research schedule was filled with biomedical duties and artificial intelligence on Thursday to promote crew health and spark innovation on and off the Earth. Spacesuit tailoring and advanced science hardware maintenance rounded out the day for the seven residents aboard the International Space Station.Flight Engineer Chris Williams of NASA began his day collecting his blood and urine samples, processing them, then stowing them in a science freezer for later analysis. He also swapped out a sensor-packed Bio-Monitor vest and headband for a dry set and began a second day of health monitoring for the long-running CIPHER human research study. Doctors will examine his biomedical samples after they are returned to Earth and analyze his downlinked heart and lung activity to understand how microgravity is affecting his body.Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev took turns testing a voice-based artificial intelligence system that records crew members vocally documenting their activities for more efficient reporting. The cosmonauts also each spent an hour in a quiet portion of the station wearing noise-reducing headphones for a computerized hearing test and responding to pre-programmed tones.Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) spent his shift working on a pair of scientific instruments supporting a variety of experiments ranging from biology to physics. He started inside the Kibo laboratory module and set up a biology research imaging system that uses luminescence to observe tissues and genes in microgravity for deeper insights into disease mechanisms. Next, he moved into the Destiny laboratory module and powered on the KERMIT fluorescence microscope to image flat liquid crystal films to help engineers design advanced screen displays for touchpads and instrumentation panels.Station Commander Mike Fincke of NASA spent most of his day working on spacesuits in the Quest airlock. Fincke began his shift adjusting the length of the arms and legs on one spacesuit. Next, Fincke practiced installing emergency jet packs on the spacesuits with assistance from Williams and Yui. The jet pack, officially called Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue, or SAFER, is attached to the back of the spacesuit and enables a spacewalker to safely maneuver back to the station in the unlikely event they become untethered from the orbital outpost.NASA Flight Engineer Zena Cardman worked primarily on computer and life support maintenance throughout Thursday. Cardman first worked in the Columbus laboratory module setting up a laptop computer and adjusting its settings so it can run specialized science experiment software. Afterward, she worked in the Tranquility module replacing atmospheric cleaning components that remove harmful contaminants from the air, such as ammonia, that can cause eye, skin, or respiratory irritation.Flight Engineer Oleg Platonov worked throughout Thursday inside the station’s Roscosmos segment servicing a variety of life support equipment ensuring the orbital outpost operates in tip-tip shape. Platonov spent the first half of his shift replacing atmospheric monitoring hardware in the Zvezda service module and filling a water processing assembly tank. After lunchtime, the first-time space flyer cleaned the ventilation system inside the Nauka science module.
