Space life

The aurora australis streams above the Indian Ocean in this picture from the space station as it orbited 270 miles above the Earth. The Expedition 66 crew kicked off the week working on robotics, spacesuits, and advanced research equipment. The International Space Station is also orbiting higher to get ready for a crew swap at the end of March. Flight Engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) started Monday collecting their blood samples then stowing them for future analysis. The duo then split up, as Chari spent the afternoon studying robotics mobility using the cube-shaped, toaster-sized Astrobee free-flyer. The Astrobatics investigation explores using hopping maneuvers to minimize propellant to inform future robotic missions. Maurer set up the Fluid Science Laboratory for the PASTA experiment that has implications for commercial applications such as pharmaceuticals, oil and fuels, paints and coatings, and more. The crew is also revv...

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei harvests plants and collects samples to analyze later for a space agriculture study. Friday’s research schedule aboard the International Space Station included exploring how microgravity affects skin cells and cotton genetics. The Expedition 66 crew is also learning how to exercise more effectively in weightlessness. Living in space has been shown to accelerate the rate of skin aging and a new study delivered aboard the Cygnus space freighter seeks to understand why and protect astronaut’s health. NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn started the experiment on Tuesday and has been servicing skin tissue samples that will grow inside the Life Science Glovebox . The samples will be stowed later in a science freezer and analyzed back on Earth to evaluate the cellular and molecular changes that take place in microgravity. Weightlessness also affects how plants grow and Flight Engineers Kayla Barron of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) spent ...

This image shows immunofluorescence of breast cancer cells treated with a MicroQuin therapeutic. Staining shows a normal nucleus (blue) and the therapeutic (green) localized to the cell’s endoplasmic reticulum (red). The drug forces the cytoskeleton (yellow) to collapse, inducing cell death. Credits: Scott Robinson, MicroQuin. Spacewalk preparations and cancer research were among the activities scheduled aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 66 crew also unpacked a U.S. cargo craft and explored using virtual reality while exercising. NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron began readying the U.S. Quest airlock and collecting tools ahead of a pair of spacewalks planned for mid-March. The duo also reviewed step-by-step spacewalk procedures on a computer using 3D graphics. NASA is continuing to set up the space station’s truss structure for a third set of roll out solar arrays augmenting the orbiting lab’s power system. Chari earlier partnered w...

The Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments away from being captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm above northern Iraq on Feb. 21, 2022. New human research is underway aboard the International Space Station using the microgravity environment to gain unique insights into aging skin cells and cancer tumors. The Expedition 66 crew also continues to unpack cargo from a U.S. cargo craft while keeping up with eye checks to ensure the crew stays healthy in space. Weightlessness provides scientists a unique opportunity to observe phenomena not possible in Earth’s gravity. Biology including microbes, plants, and humans, changes in response to microgravity and observations are helping NASA plan longer missions farther into space. Doctors on Earth also use the information to improve numerous treatments and conditions on the ground. Two new biology experiments delivered on Monday aboard the Cygnus space freighter are already being activated on the orbital lab. NASA Flight Engineer Thoma...

Astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari harvest cotton cell samples to explore the genetic architecture of plant regeneration in microgravity. A U.S. cargo craft is being unpacked today following its robotic capture and installation at the International Space Station early Monday morning. The Expedition 66 crew also spent Tuesday activating new research and conducting eye checks. Three NASA astronauts, Mark Vande Hei , Thomas Marshburn , and Kayla Barron , along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer spent Monday unpacking research samples stowed in science freezers aboard the U.S. Cygnus space freighter. The quartet then loaded the frozen samples into research racks throughout the space station. Some of the new science samples delivered on Monday include skin cells and cancer cells being studied in the microgravity environment to improve human health on Earth and in space. Marshburn set up the Microgravity Science Glovebox during the afternoon to begin lo...

Feb. 21, 2022: International Space Station Configuration. Five spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon; Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter; and Russia’s Soyuz MS-19 crew ship and the Progress 79 and 80 resupply ships. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft installation on the International Space Station is now complete. Cygnus launched atop an Antares rocket at 12:40 p.m. EST Saturday, Feb. 19 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At about 4:44 a.m., NASA astronaut Raja Chari , along with NASA astronaut Kayla Barron as backup, captured Cygnus, carrying 8,300 pounds of research, hardware, and science experiments to the International Space Station. Highlights of  space station research  facilitated by this mission include: a  study that examines the effects of a drug on breast and prostate cancer cells a new  combustion facility an investigation from Colgate-Palmolive that will leverage the acceleration of...

The Cygnus space freighter is positioned by the Canadarm2 robotic arm to be installed on the space station’s Unity module. NASA Television coverage of installation of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft is underway. At 4:44 a.m., NASA astronaut Raja Chari , along with NASA astronaut Kayla Barron as backup, captured Cygnus, which launched Saturday at 12:40 p.m. on an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. NASA Television, the NASA app , and agency’s website will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s installation. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter, as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts. Get weekly video highlights at:  http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/ Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here:  www.nasa.gov/subscribe from Space Station https://ift.tt/csMy...

The Cygnus space feighter is pictured in the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm shortly after it was captured by NASA astronaut Raja Chari. At 4:44 a.m. EST, NASA astronaut Raja Chari , with NASA astronaut Kayla Barron acting as backup, captured Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft over the Indian Ocean. Mission control in Houston will send ground commands for the station’s arm to rotate and install it on the station’s Unity module Earth-facing port. Cygnus spacecraft launched Saturday on an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia at 12:40 p.m. EST. This is Northrop Grumman’s 17th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft is carrying a fresh supply of 8,300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The Cygnus spacecraft is named the S.S. Piers Sellers in honor of the late NASA astronaut who spent nearly 35 days across three missions helping to construct the space station. NA...

The Cygnus space freighter’s cymbal-shaped solar arrays are pictured in this photograph taken from the space station in August of 2021. NASA television is underway for the capture of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft which launched Saturday at 12:40 p.m. on an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. At about 4:35 a.m., NASA astronaut Raja Chari will capture Cygnus, with NASA astronaut Kayla Barron acting as backup. After Cygnus capture, mission control in Houston will send ground commands for the station’s arm to rotate and install it on the station’s Unity module Earth-facing port. This is Northrop Grumman’s 17th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft is carrying a fresh supply of 8,300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. This Cygnus mission is the first to feature enhanced capabilities that will allow the spacecraft to perform a reboost, using its engines to a...

The Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments before its capture with the Canadarm2 robotic arm in February of 2021. Tune in to NASA television beginning at 3 a.m. EST Monday, Feb. 21 to view the capture of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft which launched Saturday at 12:40 p.m. on an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At about 4:35 a.m., NASA astronaut Raja Chari will capture Cygnus, with NASA astronaut Kayla Barron acting as backup. After Cygnus capture, mission control in Houston will send ground commands for the station’s arm to rotate and install it on the station’s Unity module Earth-facing port. This is Northrop Grumman’s 17th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft is carrying a fresh supply of 8,300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The Cygnus spacecraft is named the S.S. Piers Sellers in honor of the late NASA astronaut who spent nearly 35 day...

The Cygnus space freighter’s cymbal-shaped solar arrays are pictured in this photograph taken from the space station in August of 2021. Following its launch earlier today, Cygnus’ solar arrays have deployed and the S.S. Piers Sellers is on its way to the International Space Station. The arrays deployed following launch on the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket at 12:40 p.m. EST from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, carrying 8,300 pounds of research, hardware, and supplies to the International Space Station. Solar array deployment completes the launch phase. The Cygnus spacecraft will arrive at the space station Monday, Feb. 21, for a capture at approximately 4:35 a.m. Coverage of the spacecraft’s approach and arrival at the space station will begin at 3 a.m. on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Cygnus spacecraft is filled with supplies and payloads including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that ...

The Cygnus space freighter blasts off on time atop the Antares rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. A fresh supply of 8,300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo is on its way to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft after launching on an Antares rocket at 12:40 p.m. EST Saturday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Cygnus is scheduled to arrive at the space station around 4:35 a.m. Monday, Feb. 21. NASA Television, the NASA app , and agency’s website will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s approach and arrival beginning at 3 a.m. NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron will capture Cygnus with the station’s robotic Canadarm2 upon its arrival. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. This is Northrop Grumman’s 17th contracted resupply mission under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. This is the first Cygnus mission fea...

Astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron train on the robotics workstation for the capture of the Cygnus space freighter when it arrives on Feb. 21, 2022. A U.S. resupply ship is poised to blast off Saturday morning on a day-and-a-half-long journey to replenish the International Space Station . While two astronauts train for its robotic capture, the rest of the Expedition 66 crew focused on maintaining science hardware and orbital lab systems. Weather at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is forecast to be 75% favorable for the launch of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter on Saturday at 12:40 p.m. EST. NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron will be on duty Monday morning observing Cygnus’s arrival from the seven-windowed cupola. Chari will be at the robotics workstation commanding the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture Cygnus on Monday at 4:35 a.m. when it reaches a distance of about 10 meters from the station. Barron will be monitoring the cargo craft’s syst...

The Cygnus space freighter is pictured launching atop the Antares rocket from Virgina to the space station in April of 2019. A U.S. rocket carrying Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is counting down to launch toward the International Space Station on Saturday. Meanwhile, Russia’s Progress 80 cargo craft completed a two-day space delivery mission to the Expedition 66 crew early Thursday. An Antares rocket stands at the Wallops Flight Facility launch pad in Virginia ready to boost the Cygnus cargo craft to orbit on Saturday. It will lift off at 12:40 p.m. EST placing Cygnus, carrying more than 8,300 pounds of station gear and science experiments, into space about nine minutes later. Once on orbit, Cygnus will deploy its cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays which will power the vehicle during its journey to the orbiting lab. NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron will be on duty early Monday monitoring Cygnus’ automated approach and rendezvous. When Cygnus reac...

Russia’s Progress 80 resupply ship approaches the station for docking on Feb. 17, 2022. Credit: NASA TV. An uncrewed Russian Progress 80 spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station ’s Poisk module at 2:03 a.m. EST, about two days after launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Progress is delivering almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station for the  Expedition 66  crew. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter, as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts. Get weekly video highlights at:  http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/ Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here:  www.nasa.gov/subscribe from Space Station https://ift.tt/TBQnNmI

Russia’s Progress 76 resupply ship is pictured approaching the station in July of 2020 packed with nearly three tons of food, fuel and supplies. NASA Television, the agency’s website and the  NASA app now are providing live coverage of the docking of a Russian cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station . The uncrewed Russian Progress 80 launched on a Soyuz rocket at 11:25 p.m. EST (9:25 a.m. on Feb. 15 Baikonur time) on Monday, Feb. 14, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter, as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts. Get weekly video highlights at:  http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/ Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here:  www.nasa.gov/subscribe from Space Station https://ift.tt/iJxdQFR

Russia’s Progress 76 resupply ship is pictured approaching the space station in July of 2020. A Russian resupply ship is targeting the International Space Station for a cargo delivery early Thursday. While two cosmonauts get ready to support the cargo craft’s arrival, the rest of the Expedition 66 crew juggled lab maintenance, space research, and robotics training ahead of a U.S. cargo mission due to launch on Saturday. Nearly three-and-a-half tons of food, fuel, and supplies are racing toward the orbiting lab today aboard the ISS Progress 80 resupply ship from Roscosmos. Station Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov will be monitoring the cargo craft’s automated approach on Thursday when it docks to the Poisk module at 2:06 a.m. EST. The duo continued training today on the tele-robotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, preparing for the unlikely event the Progress 80 would need to be manually docked. Another cargo craft rolled out to its launch pa...

From left, NASA’s Expedition 66 Flight Engineers Thomas Marshburn, Raja Chari and Mark Vande Hei pose for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module. Vein scans and hardware maintenance kept the Expedition 66 crew busy on Tuesday aboard the International Space Station . Meanwhile, Russia’s 80 th space station cargo mission is orbiting Earth and on schedule to arrive at the orbiting lab early Thursday. Three astronauts were scheduled on Tuesday afternoon for a series of vein and eye scans with doctors on the ground monitoring in real time. The station trio from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) gathered inside the Columbus laboratory module and used the Ultrasound 2 device to image each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins. NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Thomas Marshburn kicked off the biomedical work Tuesday afternoon. German astronaut Matthias Maurer joined them afterward wrapping up the vein and eye examinations. Doctors uses the dat...

Russia’s Progress 80 resupply ship blasted off on Feb. 14 at 11:25 p.m. EST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA TV. The uncrewed Russian Progress 80 is safely in orbit headed for the International Space Station following launch at 11:25 p.m. EST (9:25 a.m. on Feb. 15 Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The resupply ship reached preliminary orbit and deployed its solar arrays and navigational antennas as planned on its way to meet up with the orbiting laboratory and its Expedition 66 crew members. After making 34 orbits of Earth on its journey, Progress will dock to the station’s Poisk module on the space-facing side of the Russian segment at 2:06 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. Live coverage on NASA TV of rendezvous and docking will begin at 1:30 a.m. Progress will deliver almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station. The Russian space agency Roscosmos will determine a departure date for Progress 80. L...

Russia’s Progress 80 space freighter is seen prior to launch in Baikonur. It will deliver almost three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the Expedition 66 crew. Credit: Roscosmos. NASA Television, the agency’s website and the  NASA app now are providing live coverage of the launch of a Russian cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station . The uncrewed Russian Progress 80 is scheduled to lift off on a Soyuz rocket at 11:25 p.m. EST (9:25 a.m. on Feb. 15 Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to begin a 34-orbit journey to the microgravity laboratory. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Twitter, as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts. Get weekly video highlights at:  http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/ Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here:  www.nasa.gov/subscri...

The Nauka multipurpose laboratory module and the Prichal docking module are pictured as the space station orbited above Australia. A Russian cargo craft is at its launch pad counting down to a lift off tonight to resupply the International Space Station . Meanwhile, the seven-member Expedition 66 crew stayed focused on a variety of research activities while getting ready for another cargo mission due to arrive early next week. Russia’s ISS Progress 80 resupply ship stands at its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan loaded with nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies. The 80 th cargo mission from Roscosmos is due to launch tonight at 11:25 p.m. EST and automatically dock to the Poisk module on Thursday at 2:06 a.m. live on NASA TV and the agency’s website and the NASA app . A U.S. cargo mission is also on tap to launch on Saturday at 12:40 p.m. from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter will arrive at a point about...

(From left) Russia’s Progress cargo craft and the U.S. Cygnus space freighter are pictured approaching the station during previous cargo missions. The Expedition 66 crew is getting ready for a pair of cargo missions launching from Kazakhstan and the United States next week. The Progress and Cygnus resupply ships will be delivering several tons of food, fuel, and supplies to replenish the seven astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station . Russia’s ISS Progress 80 cargo craft will roll out this weekend at Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome and begin counting down to its lift off on Feb. 14 at 11:25 p.m. EST . The Progress 80 will orbit the Earth for just over two days before automatically docking to the Poisk module on Feb. 17 at 2:05 a.m. with nearly three tons of cargo. Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov trained today on a computer for the Progress 80’s arrival. The duo from Roscosmos will be at the controls of the tele-operated robotic unit, or...

Astronaut Kayla Barron works on a space agriculture experiment that explores how to grow fresh food in space. A host of human research activities dominated Thursday’s research schedule aboard the International Space Station . The Expedition 66 crew members explored how living in microgravity affects sense of orientation, visual function, and the spine. At the beginning of the day, NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron gathered again in the Columbus laboratory module for the GRIP study . The duo took turns strapping themselves in a specialized seat for the second time this week gripping a control device in response to dynamic events to explore how microgravity affects an astronaut’s sense of motion and orientation. They will have one more session on Friday for the experiment that may inform the design of future spacecraft interfaces. Chari later spent the afternoon on a series of spinal exams with Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency). The ...