Space life

NASA astronaut Bob Hines works inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox performing space biology research. The way skin heals and how plants grow in space are critical research topics aboard the International Space Station . NASA and its international partners glean insights from the scientific data to boost human health and plan successful crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Skin ages faster in microgravity and researchers seek to understand the space-caused molecular processes that may advance wound healing treatments for both astronauts and Earthlings. Expedition 67 Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins , both from NASA, spent the majority of Wednesday inside the Kibo laboratory module continuing the ongoing skin healing research . The duo, with partial assistance from astronauts Bob Hines of NASA and Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), performed the biomedical research inside Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox practic...

The seven-member Expedition 67 crew poses for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module. Vein scans and human research samples comprised the majority of the research schedule for the Expedition 67 crew members on Tuesday. Spacesuit work is also ongoing aboard the International Space Station as the cosmonauts prepare for a spacewalk. Three astronauts took turns on Tuesday morning using the Ultrasound 2 device to scan each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins. NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren , Bob Hines , and Jessica Watkins started the day inside the Columbus laboratory module with researchers on the ground remotely guiding the biomedical study. The ultrasound scans produce an echo that bounces off human tissue converting it to a video signal that is downlinked to Earth in real-time for analysis. Scientists view the imagery to observe how microgravity affects crew health. The crew members also regularly collect their own blood, saliva, and urine ...

The sun’s glint beams off the Indian Ocean in this photograph from the space station as it soared 260 miles above. Space biology kicked off the week for the Expedition 67 crew on Monday to help NASA and its international partners support astronauts on long spaceflight missions. Two cosmonauts are also preparing for a spacewalk to continue outfitting the International Space Station ’s third robotic arm. NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines began Monday morning with muscle measurements inside the Columbus laboratory module . Using the Myotones device the pair measured the biochemical properties of their neck, back, and leg muscles. By understanding how weightlessness impacts muscular tone, stiffness, and elasticity , doctors can better evaluate crew health and develop effective space fitness strategies. Lindgren downloaded the muscle data captured from the Myotones device to a laptop computer connected to Columbus’ European Physiology Module , a research rack that s...

An orbital sunrise illuminate’s Earth’s atmosphere silhouetting the cloud tops as the space station soared 264 miles above South America. Biomedical research topped the science schedule for the Expedition 67 crew members at the end of the week. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is ramping up for another spacewalk to configure its third robotic arm. An astronaut’s skin experiences accelerated aging in microgravity and scientists are exploring if the space-caused molecular processes affect the way wounds heal . Observations of the skin healing biological mechanisms may inform advanced wound treatments and therapies for astronauts and Earthlings. Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren , Bob Hines , and Jessica Watkins , all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), have been supporting the biomedical experiment taking place inside the Kibo laboratory module this week. On Friday, the quartet continued practicing surgical techniques such as biopsies, s...

The SpaceX Crew-5 crewmates pose for a portrait. From left are, Anna Kikina of Roscosmos; Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, both from NASA; and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Credit: SpaceX NASA and SpaceX have announced the date for the upcoming Crew-5 launch to the International Space Station . The space station is also orbiting higher today to prepare for next month’s Soyuz crew vehicle swap. The fifth crewed operational mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has been given a launch date of Oct. 3 from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The four SpaceX Crew-5 crewmates, Commander Nicole Mann , Pilot Josh Cassada , and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata and Anna Kikina will dock Dragon Endurance to the forward port on the station’s Harmony module about 24 hours later. Several days after that, the four SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts will enter the Dragon Freedom crew ship and undock from Harmony’s space-facing port for a parachute-assisted splashdown off the co...

A waxing gibbous Moon is pictured on Aug. 11, 2022, from the space station as it orbited 258 miles above the Pacific Ocean north of the Hawaiian island chain. Life science continued dominating the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday to benefit humans living on and off the Earth.  The seven Expedition 67 orbital residents explored how living in microgravity affects tissue regeneration, crew psychology, and the human digestion system. Learning to heal wounds in space is critical as NASA and its international partners plan crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Four station astronauts have been partnering together this week for the skin healing study taking place inside the Kibo laboratory module . Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren , Bob Hines , and Jessica Watkins , all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), are studying surgical techniques such as biopsies, suture splints, and wound dressing, inside Kibo...

A brilliant aurora streams above Earth’s horizon in this photograph from the space station as it orbited 270 miles above the Indian Ocean. The orbital residents aboard the International Space Station continued exploring ways to heal wounds in space today. A host of other space research was under way on Tuesday to understand how living in microgravity affects humans. Four astronauts partnered together again today exploring how skin heals in weightlessness . Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren , Bob Hines , and Jessica Watkins , all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), studied surgical techniques such as biopsies, suture splints, and wound dressing, throughout Tuesday. The quartet worked inside the Kibo laboratory module conducting the medical research in the Life Science Glovebox . The advanced study seeks to identify the biological changes that affect tissue regeneration in space. Results may improve wound therapies and treatments for humans living...

The seven-member Expedition 67 crew poses for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module. International Space Station studies about wound healing and cardiology kicked off the week for the Expedition 67 crew following last week’s departure of a U.S. resupply ship. A variety of other space research, spacesuit cleaning, and maintenance rounded out the day for the seven orbital residents. Four astronauts spent the majority of the day on Monday exploring surgical techniques to heal wounds in microgravity . The quartet, including Kjell Lindgren , Bob Hines , and Jessica Watkins , all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), worked throughout the day inside the Kibo laboratory module conducting research operations in the Life Science Glovebox . The medical study may provide advanced skin healing therapies both in space and on Earth. Lindgren then installed an AstroPi science computer in the Harmony module where Cristoforetti wo...

Aug. 19, 2022: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom and Russia’s Soyuz MS-21 crew ship and the Progress 80 and 81 resupply ships. SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down at 2:53 p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 20, north of Cape Canaveral off the Florida coast, marking the return of the company’s 25th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft carried more than 4,000 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth. Some of the scientific investigations returned by Dragon include: Space’s impact on materials: The Materials International Space Station Experiment-15-NASA ( MISSE-15-NASA ) experiment tests, qualifies, and quantifies the impact of the low-Earth orbit environment on new materials and components, such as spacecraft materials and wearable radiation protection. Successful experiment results coul...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking from the Harmony module’s forward port during an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV At 11:00 a.m. EDT, flight controllers on the ground sent commands to release the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module. At the time of release at 11:05 a.m., the station was flying about 259 miles over the Pacific Ocean. The Dragon spacecraft successfully departed the space station one month after arriving at the orbiting laboratory to deliver about 4,000 pounds of scientific investigations and supplies. Tomorrow, ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, will command a deorbit burn. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida. NASA TV will not broadcast the de-orbit burn and splashdown, and updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog. Drago...

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship (at top) is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on the space station. Live coverage of the departure of SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA Television, the agency’s website , and the NASA app . Ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, will send commands at approximately 11:00 a.m. EDT for Dragon to undock from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module and fire its thrusters to move a safe distance away from the station. Tomorrow, controllers will command a deorbit burn. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida. NASA TV will not broadcast the de-orbit burn and splashdown. Updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on Tw...

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship approaches the space station on July 16, 2022, during an orbital sunrise above the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA TV The Expedition 67 crew will wait an extra day before seeing a U.S. space freighter depart the International Space Station . In the meantime, the cosmonauts are cleaning up following a shorter-than-planned spacewalk after a power issue on a Russian Orlan spacesuit. Mission managers representing NASA and SpaceX waved off Thursday’s undocking of the Dragon cargo craft due to adverse weather conditions at the splashdown site off the coast of Florida. Dragon is now due to leave the Harmony module ’s forward port at 11:05 a.m. EDT on Friday. Four of the station’s astronauts including Kjell Lindgren , Bob Hines , and Jessica Watkins , all from NASA, with Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), will finish packing Dragon with critical research samples early Friday morning before closing the commercial resupply ship’s hatch. Dra...

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship carrying over 5,800 pounds of cargo approaches the space station above the south Atlantic Ocean on July 16, 2022. At the conclusion of an early morning weather briefing, NASA and SpaceX are postponing the Thursday, Aug. 18 undocking of a SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions, including an elevated chance of precipitation at the splashdown sites. Mission teams now are targeting to undock the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft from the space station at 11:05 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 19. NASA will provide coverage of Dragon’s undocking and departure on NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency’s website beginning at 10:45 a.m. EDT. Watch online at: https://www.nasa.gov/live After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Saturday, Aug. 20. NASA TV will not broadcast the splashdown, and updates will be posted...

Spacewalkers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev are pictured during a spacewalk on April 28, 2022, monitoring the station’s new European robotic arm. Expedition 67 Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev, both of Roscosmos, concluded their spacewalk at 1:54 p.m. EDT after 4 hours and 1 minute. During the spacewalk, the two cosmonauts completed the installation of two cameras on the European robotic arm prior to Artemyev’s Orlan spacesuit showing abnormal battery readings about 2 hours and 17 minutes into the extravehicular activity. Mission Control-Moscow instructed Artemeyev to return to the Poisk airlock to connect to the space station’s power supply. Cosmonaut Sergey Korsakov, inside the station, placed the European robotic arm in a safe configuration, and Matveev safely returned to the Poisk airlock after completing some final clean-up activities outside of the International Space Station. The duo was never in any dange...

Flight Engineer Denis Matveev makes his way back inside the station after being instructed by Russian flight controllers to end the Aug. 17 spacewalk at the International Space Station due to a battery power issue on Artemyev’s Orlan spacesuit. Expedition 67 Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev, both of Roscosmos, were instructed by Russian flight controllers to end the Aug. 17 spacewalk at the International Space Station due to a battery power issue on Artemyev’s Orlan spacesuit. During the spacewalk, the two cosmonauts completed the installation of two cameras on the European robotic arm prior to Artemyev’s Orlan spacesuit showing abnormal battery readings. Mission Control-Moscow instructed Artemyev to return to the Poisk airlock to connect to the space station’s power supply. Cosmonaut Sergey Korsakov, inside the station, is placing the European robotic arm in a safe configuration, and Matveev has just returned to the Poisk airlock. The duo was never in any ...

The European robotic arm is seen attached to the Nauka module of the International Space Station, the worksite for today’s spacewalk by two cosmonauts. Expedition 67 Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev, both of Roscosmos, began a spacewalk at 9:53 a.m. EDT to continue outfitting the European robotic arm on the International Space Station ’s Nauka laboratory by opening the hatch of the Poisk docking compartment airlock. Coverage of the spacewalk continues on NASA Television, the  NASA app , and the agency’s  website . The duo is installing cameras on the European robotic arm, relocating an external control panel for the arm from one operating area to another, removing launch restraints near the two end effectors or “hands” of the arm, and testing a rigidizing mechanism on the arm that will be used to facilitate the grasping of payloads. Artemyev is wearing a Russian spacesuit with red stripes, while Matveev is wearing a Russian suit with blue stripes. This wil...

Spacewalkers Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos work outside the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module on the International Space Station while wearing Russian Orlan spacesuits. The duo continued outfitting the European Robotic Arm attached to Nauka during a spacewalk that lasted seven hours and five minutes on July 21, 2022. NASA Television coverage is underway of today’s spacewalk with Russian cosmonauts to continue outfitting the European robotic arm on the International Space Station ’s Nauka laboratory. Coverage of the spacewalk is on NASA Television, the  NASA app , and agency’s  website . Expedition 67 Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev, both of Roscosmos, will install cameras on the European robotic arm, relocate an external control panel for the arm from one operating area to another, remove launch restraints near the two end effectors or “hands” of the arm, and test a rigidizing mechanism on ...

The European robotic arm extends out from the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module during a mobility test. The Expedition 67 crew split up today with the astronauts studying wound healing techniques and the cosmonauts preparing for a spacewalk to prepare a new robotic arm for operations. A U.S. space freighter has also been given the “go” to return to Earth at the end of the week. Researchers are exploring tissue regeneration in the International Space Station ’s microgravity environment to develop new ways to heal wounds benefitting humans living in space and on Earth. The astronauts took turns throughout Tuesday investigating how spaceflight conditions, such as weightlessness and radiation, affect genetic expression that takes place during the healing process. NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins began the day’s first set of experiment operations taking place in the Kibo laboratory module ’s Life Science Glovebox . Astronauts Bob Hines of NASA and Samant...

The SpaceX Dragon space freighter approaches the space station during an orbital sunrise on July 16, 2022. Mission managers have given the “go” for the seventh spacewalk of the year scheduled to take place in the middle of the week. A U.S. cargo craft is also nearing the end of its mission with its undocking and return to Earth planned for the end of the week. Two cosmonauts are gearing up for a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk to continue setting up the European robotic arm (ERA) for operations on the outside of the International Space Station ’s Russian segment. Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev will exit the Poisk module ’s airlock on at 9:20 a.m. EDT on Wednesday in their Russian Orlan spacesuits. The pair will install cameras on the ERA, move its external control panel, remove the robotic arm’s launch restraints, and test the arm’s grasping mechanism. NASA TV , on the agency’s app and website, will begin its live spacewalk coverage at 9 a.m. Roscosmos ...

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship (at top) is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on the International Space Station. Skin healing processes and spacewalk preparations filled the work schedule aboard the International Space Station on Friday. The Expedition 67 crew members are also readying a U.S. space freighter for its return to Earth next week. Four astronauts aboard the orbiting lab practiced surgical techniques to heal wounds in microgravity on Friday in the Kibo laboratory module . The quartet split up in groups of two with NASA astronaut Bob Hines joining ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti for the first practice session during the morning. In the afternoon, NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins began their session studying how to take biopsies and suture wounds inside the Life Science Glovebox . During the middle of the day, the foursome had time set aside time for gathering frozen research samples ins...

Spacewalkers (from left) Denis Matveev and Oleg Artemyev configure the European robotic arm on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module on April 18, 2022. Healing wounds in space and growing crops in low-Earth orbit and beyond were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Expedition 67 crew is also packing a U.S. cargo craft and preparing for a Russian spacewalk next week. Two-time space station resident Kjell Lindgren of NASA set up hardware during the morning inside the Life Science Glovebox for a biology experiment studying how skin heals in weightlessness . He was joined in the afternoon by fellow astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins , both from NASA, and Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) for an experiment procedures review and a conference with the payload developer on the ground. Observations may provide insights improving wound healing techniques for astronauts and Earthlings. Hines and Watkins...

Astronaut Jessica Watkins sets up cell samples for viewing in a microscope for an immune system aging study. Human research, nanosatellites, and space physics topped the research operations aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 67 crew also continued packing a U.S. cargo craft while servicing Russian spacesuits. NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins peered at tissue stem cells through a microscope in the U.S. Destiny laboratory module today to understand how the human immune system ages in space. Observations may provide insights into the biological aging process and tissue regeneration possibly informing new ways to keeps astronauts healthy in space and treat medical conditions on Earth. Watkins then spent the afternoon readying cargo packed inside the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship for return to Earth in mid-August. A small satellite deployer loaded with CubeSats has been installed on an external science platform and placed inside the Kibo laborat...