Space life

NASA astronauts (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, both Expedition 70 Flight Engineers, partner together removing and replacing components inside the Cold Atom Lab aboard the International Space Station. The space physics device enables observations of atoms chilled to temperatures near absolute zero allowing scientists to study fundamental behaviors and quantum characteristics not possible on Earth. The Expedition 70 crew members kept busy Friday as they look ahead to an off-duty weekend. The International Space Station is back to seven residents after one NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts departed early Wednesday morning. The seven members spent time today preparing spacesuits for upcoming spacewalks and closing out maintenance procedures they began earlier this week. Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) and Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara of NASA both worked on spacesuit preparations ahead of a round of spacewalks that will take place ...

The Expedition 70 patch is designed around the central yin-yang symbol representing balance; first and foremost, the balance of our beautiful planet Earth that is encircled by the yin-yang symbol and which forms part of the Expedition number. Expedition 70 is well underway aboard the International Space Station after yesterday’s departure of three long-serving station residents, including NASA astronaut Frank Rubio , who returned to Houston this morning. The seven crew members who are still living and working in microgravity completed an array of maintenance activities today. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli , who arrived to the station a month ago, spent her morning in the Columbus Laboratory Module performing maintenance and testing the connectivity functions of power outlets. After lunch, she switched gears, working with the Cold Atom Lab . An ongoing activity for the first-time station resident this week, Moghbeli inspected cables and ports to gear up for tomorrow’s comp...

The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft deploys its parachute for landing in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA TV NASA astronaut Frank Rubio ended his record-breaking time in space with a parachute-assisted landing in the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, at 7:17 a.m. EDT (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) Wednesday, Sept. 27. Rubio, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, began the journey back to Earth at 3:54 a.m. when the Soyuz undocked from the International Space Station. Rubio arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, spending 371 days in low Earth orbit, and breaking the previous American record held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei by 16 days. During his 371 days aboard the station, Rubio experienced: Approximately 5,936 orbits of Earth Approximately 157,412,306 statute miles traveled (equivalent of approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back) Fifteen spacecraft visiting the Int...

(From left) NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin are pictured. The three have undocked from the space station and are headed back to Earth. NASA Television coverage of NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two Roscosmos cosmonauts’ return to Earth is underway. Rubio, along with Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, began the journey back to Earth in the early morning hours when the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station’s Prichal module at 3:54 a.m. EDT. The trio are heading for a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, at 7:17 a.m. (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time). Expedition 70 officially began aboard the station at the time of undocking with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and new station commander Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmo...

The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, docked to the station’s Prichal module, orbits Earth as crew prepares to undock. Credit: NASA TV NASA Television coverage of NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two Roscosmos cosmonauts’ departure from the International Space Station is underway. Rubio, along with Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, closed the hatch to the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft about 12:41 a.m. EDT. The Soyuz spacecraft will undock at 3:54 a.m. from the Prichal module, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 7:17 a.m. (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan. Rubio arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, spending 371 days in low Earth orbit, and breaking the previous American record held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei by 16 days. While clocking the single longest spaceflight by a NASA astronaut, Rubio has contributed to dozens of scientific studies. Rubio helped nurture and monitor vegetabl...

The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft is docked to the station’s Prichal module as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two cosmonauts prepare for departure. Credit: NASA TV At 12:41 a.m. EDT, the hatch closed between the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to undock their Soyuz spacecraft at 3:54 a.m. to begin their journey back home. Mission coverage will continue live on NASA TV, the agency’s website , and the NASA app at the following times (all EDT): 3:30 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins (undocking scheduled at 3:54 a.m.) 6 a.m. – Deorbit burn and landing coverage begins (landing scheduled at 7:17 a.m. / 5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) The Soyuz will undock from the Prichal module, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 7:17 a.m. (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazga...

The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship approaches the International Space Station’s Prichal docking module after undocking earlier from the Poisk module. NASA Television coverage of NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two Roscosmos cosmonauts’ end of mission aboard the International Space Station is underway. Rubio, along with Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, will close the hatch to the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft at 12:40 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 27, to begin the journey back to Earth. The Soyuz will undock from the Rassvet module, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 7:14 a.m. (5:14 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan. Mission coverage will air live on NASA TV, the agency’s  website , and the  NASA app  at the following times (all EDT): 3:30 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins (undocking scheduled at 3:51 a.m.) 6 a.m. – Deorbit burn and landing coverage begins (landing scheduled at 7:14 a.m. / 5:14 p.m....

NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer Frank Rubio peers through one of the seven windows in the cupola, the International Space Station’s “window to the world.” A change of command is underway aboard the International Space Station as three crew members are preparing to depart the orbiting laboratory in the early hours of Sept. 27 after spending 371 days in space. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is set to return home on Wednesday, Sept. 27 following a record-breaking mission on orbit. The hatch will close on the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft at 12:20 a.m. EDT with Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin aboard. Following hatch closure, the spacecraft will undock from the Prichal module at 3:55 a.m., beginning the trio’s short ride back to Earth and starting Expedition 70 for those still aboard the station. Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin will take a two-hour ride aboard Soyuz MS-23 before deorbit burn at 6:24 a.m. and landing around 7:17 a.m. in Kazakhstan. Rubio, now...

The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship approaches the International Space Station’s Prichal docking module after undocking and moving earlier from the Poisk module on April 6, 2023. Aboard the MS-23 during the 37-minute relocation maneuver were, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. The ten residents living aboard the International Space Station have a jam-packed Monday as three Expedition 69 crew members are completing their final duties before departure and others complete an array of health exams and repairs to orbital payloads. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio began his day replacing clogged pumps on the BioFabrication Facility . After lunch, he moved on to collecting biological samples for the Food Physiology investigation, which assesses if an enhanced diet helps astronauts better adapt to spaceflight. Near the end of the day, Rubio continued departure prep ahead of his journey back home to Earth. Rubio, along with Roscosmos Commander Se...

Expedition 69 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, and Frank Rubio, all NASA astronauts, pose for a portrait aboard the International Space Station’s Unity module. All three crew members were selected as part of the NASA astronaut class of 2017. Friday sees a busy day for the Expedition 69 crew ahead of their off-duty weekend aboard the International Space Station . Preparing for upcoming crew departures and October spacewalks, health exams, and space gardening topped the ten crew members’ research schedules today. Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA started her day with orbital plumbing and maintenance on the EXPRESS racks, payloads used for storing research experiments. After lunch, she continued station upkeep tasks, removing and troubleshooting lights and inspecting the station’s cupola , or “window to the world.” Later in the day, Moghbeli was joined once again by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Ex...

NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio is pictured conducting maintenance tasks inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module. As the Expedition 69 crew members near the end of their work week, the ten orbital residents completed a variety of cleaning and maintenance tasks on Thursday aboard the International Space Station . After arriving to the orbital outpost on Sept. 21, 2022 , NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has reached one full year in space today. His record-breaking mission has included dozens of scientific investigations that have helped researchers better understand how humans thrive while living and working in space. Rubio spent most of his 365 th day on station upkeep, performing maintenance on the Human Research Facility , removing and replacing its pressure sensor block. In the evening, he collected biological samples for the ongoing Standard Measures investigation. Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara of NASA began their...

This mosaic depicts the International Space Station pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a fly around of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021. NASA has released a request for proposal from U.S. industry for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), a spacecraft meant to safely deorbit the International Space Station as part of its planned retirement. To maximize value to the government and enhance competition, the acquisition will allow offerors flexibility in proposing Firm Fixed Price or Cost Plus Incentive Fee for the Design, Development, Test and Evaluation phase. The remainder of the contract will be Firm Fixed Price. Since 1998, five space agencies (the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the State Space Corporation “Roscosmos”) have operated the International Space Station, with ...

Earth’s atmosphere glows as the International Space Station soared roughly 260 miles above Egypt. Ten orbital residents are keeping busy Wednesday with a variety of tasks including eye exams, station maintenance, and training. While new members of the Expedition 69 crew familiarize themselves with hardware and equipment, others are completing more prep work ahead of their departure from the International Space Station next week. After donning the Sleep in Orbit hardware overnight, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen started his day filling out a questionnaire that helps researchers gain insight into astronauts’ sleep in space and compare that data to sleep on Earth. Midmorning, he was joined by NASA astronauts and first-time station residents, Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli , to make adjustments to their spacesuits that will be used on future spacewalks. After lunch, Mogensensen and Moghbeli were joined by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astrona...

iss069e085932_alt (Sept. 4, 2023) — NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli collects water samples for microbial analysis inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module. It’s a full house aboard the International Space Station as 10 residents are living on orbit following Friday’s arrival of a new crew. Tuesday saw a variety of tasks split amongst the residents as three members continue to adjust to life in weightlessness, and another prepares for their journey back home to Earth next week. First-time orbital residents, Loral O’Hara of NASA and Nikoali Chub of Roscosmos are taking on some of the firsts of many maintenance tasks they’ll complete throughout their stay. O’Hara processed water samples to help determine water quality aboard the station, while Chub partook in an experiment that assesses cardiovascular and respiratory function. Last Friday brought the arrival of the two to the station, along with Flight Engineer Oleg Konon...

The Moon’s image is refracted due to Earth’s atmosphere in this photograph from the space station as it orbited above the Pacific Ocean. Ten people are living aboard the International Space Station following Friday’s arrival of three crewmates aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft. However, at the end of the month another trio of orbital lab residents will return to Earth after a year in space. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara is in her first week aboard the space station along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko . O’Hara and Chub are getting used to life in space for the first time as they familiarize themselves with station operations and systems. O’Hara also worked throughout the day on life support tasks while Chub installed Earth imaging hardware in the Harmony module . Kononenko is beginning his record fifth mission as a space station crew member. The experienced cosmonaut spent Monday on a variety of activities including charging video camera batteries and...

The 10-person Expedition 69 crew is now aboard the space station. Front row from left are, Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Nikolai Chub, and Oleg Kononenko, and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara. In the back are, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, and JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. Credit: NASA TV The hatches between the International Space Station and the newly arrived Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft officially opened at 5:16 p.m. EDT. The arrival of three new crew members to the existing seven people already aboard for Expedition 69 temporarily increases the station’s population to 10. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub joined the space station’s Expedition 69 crew of NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Frank Rubio, Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin, Konstantin Borisov, and Sergey Prokopyev, as well ESA (European Space Agency) a...

The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub aboard approaches the space station for a docking. Credit: NASA TV NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station at 2:53 p.m. EDT while the station was traveling 260 miles over Ukraine, south of Kiev. Coverage of hatch opening will resume at 4:45 p.m. and will be available on NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency’s website . Once aboard station, the trio will join the space station’s Expedition 69 crew of NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Frank Rubio, Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin, Konstantin Borisov, and Sergey Prokopyev, as well ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. O’Hara will spend six months aboard the orbital laboratory, while Kononenko and Chub ...

The Soyuz MS-24 rocket with one NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts aboard blasts off toward the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub are safely in orbit on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft after launching at 11:44 a.m. EDT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (8:44 p.m. Baikonur time). The Soyuz will dock to the space station’s Rassvet module at 2:56 p.m. A short time after docking, hatches between the Soyuz and the station will open. NASA coverage of docking will begin at 2 p.m. on NASA TV, the NASA app , and the agency’s website . Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on X, as well as the  ISS Facebook  and  ISS Instagram  accounts. Get weekly video highlights at:  https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/ Get the latest from NASA delivered every we...

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara walks to the launch pad where she will launch aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. NASA coverage now is underway for the launch of a crewed Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:44 a.m. EDT (8:44 p.m. Baikonur time). Launch and docking activities will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency’s website . After a two-orbit, three-hour journey, the Soyuz will dock to the space station’s Rassvet module at 2:56 p.m. A short time later, hatches between the Soyuz and the station will open and the crew members will greet each other. Once aboard station, the trio will join the space station’s Expedition 69 crew of NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Frank Rubio, Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin, K...