Space life

The Cygnus space freighter is poised for release from the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm ending a four-and-a-half month space station cargo mission. Credit: NASA TV At 8:06 a.m. EST, Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station ’s Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the Atlantic Ocean. The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more than four months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory to deliver about 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations , commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA and its international partners. Following a deorbit engine firing in early January, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft – filled with trash packed by the station crew – will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Cygnus arrived at the sp...

The Cygnus space freighter and the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship (at right) are pictured attached to the station. At lower left, the Canadarm2 robotic arm prepares to grapple Cygnus. Live coverage of the departure of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA+ streaming, NASA Television, the agency’s website , and the NASA app , with its release from the robotic arm scheduled for 8:05 a.m. EST. Flight controllers on the ground sent commands earlier Friday morning for the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach Cygnus from the Unity module’s Earth-facing port, and then maneuver the spacecraft into position for its release. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara will monitor Cygnus’ systems upon its departure from the space station. Following a deorbit engine firing in early January, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft – filled with trash packed by the station crew – will safely burn up in Earth’s ...

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is seen departing the station after undocking from the Harmony module at 4:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 21. Credit: NASA TV Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon undocked at 5:05 p.m. EST from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module. At the time of undocking the station was flying at an altitude about 260 miles southwest of Chile. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Friday, Dec. 22. NASA will not broadcast the splashdown, but updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog. Dragon arrived at the space station Nov. 11 as SpaceX’s 29th commercial resupply services mission for NASA, delivering about 6,500 pounds of research investigations, crew supplies, and station hardware. It was launched Nov. 9 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Learn more about station activities b...

Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire automatically while adjusting the vehicle’s slow, methodical approach toward the International Space Station for a docking to the Harmony module’s forward port. Live coverage of the departure of SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station is underway on NASA Television, the agency’s website , and the NASA app . Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon will undock at 5:05 p.m. EST from the forward port of the station’s Harmony module and fire its thrusters to move a safe distance away from the station. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Friday, Dec. 22. NASA will not broadcast the splashdown, but updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog. Watch Dragon undock live on the NASA+ streaming service via the web  or the  NASA app . Docking covera...

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft (left) approaches the station on Nov. 11. The Cygnus resupply ship (right) awaits a robotic capture on Aug. 4. A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is targeting its undocking from the International Space Station for 5:05 p.m. EST today. The Expedition 70 crew finished packing Dragon on Wednesday with a variety of research samples and lab hardware for retrieval and analysis on Earth. The orbital residents now turn their attention to the departure of a second U.S. resupply ship set for 8:05 a.m. on Friday. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter was grappled with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and will soon be detached from the Unity module ’s Earth-facing port before being released into Earth orbit completing a four-and-a-half month stay at the orbiting lab. Cygnus will stay in space until early January when it will enter the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean for a fiery, but safe demise. NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX teams now are targeting no earl...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is pictured approaching the space station above the Indian Ocean on March 16, 2023. Following a weather review, NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 21, for the undocking of  the company’s 29th Dragon commercial resupply services mission  from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather in the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Coverage of Dragon’s departure Thursday will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA+ streaming service via  the web  or the  NASA app . Coverage also will air live on NASA Television,  YouTube , and on the agency’s  website . Learn how to  stream NASA TV  through a variety of platforms including social media. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down off the coast of Florida, which will not be broadcast on NASA TV. Follow updates on return plans on the agency’s  space station  blog...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the space station above Africa during a previous resupply mission on Nov. 27, 2022. The Expedition 70 crew will finish packing a U.S. cargo craft today before it departs the International Space Station . The seven orbital residents also collaborated on a variety of human research studies to learn how to keep humans healthy in space. Four astronauts worked together on Wednesday coordinating final cargo transfers inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. Dragon, which has been docked to the station since Nov. 11 ,  is slated to undock at 9:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday from the orbital outpost’s forward port on the Harmony module . The agency will provide live coverage of Dragon’s undocking and departure starting at 8:45 p.m. on the NASA+ streaming service via the web or the NASA app . Coverage also will air live on NASA Television, YouTube , and on the agency’s website . Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms inclu...

Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire adjusting the vehicle’s approach toward the station for a docking to the Harmony module’s forward port on Nov. 11, 2023. The Expedition 70 crew is packing a U.S. cargo craft ahead of its planned Wednesday departure. The seven residents aboard the International Space Station are also keeping up their regularly scheduled research and maintenance activities. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli worked together Tuesday morning removing biological specimens from the Destiny laboratory module , stowing them in transporters, then installing the science cargo inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft . Afterward, O’Hara wrapped up her day with a vision test reading characters off a standard eye chart found in a doctor’s office on Earth. Moghbeli treated brain cell-like samples to understand neurodegenerative processes at a molecular and cellular level. Astronauts Andreas Mogensen and Satoshi Furukawa continued the car...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking during an orbital sunrise on Aug. 19, 2022. Credit: NASA TV Crew health and space biology were the top research objectives for the Expedition 70 crew at the beginning of the week. The International Space Station residents also had their hands full with a host of standard lab maintenance tasks. Meanwhile, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft looks to Wednesday at the earliest for its departure. Observing the effects of weightlessness on a variety of life forms including humans is a priority for doctors and scientists as NASA and its international partners plan longer missions farther out into space. Researchers are learning how everything from the tiniest organisms, space-grown vegetables, to astronauts adapt and survive in the harsh environment of microgravity. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli kicked off her day strapping on the Bio-Monitor vest and headband to test their ability to comfo...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is pictured approaching the space station above the Indian Ocean on March 16, 2023. NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 20, for the undocking of the company’s 29th Dragon commercial resupply services mission  from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions. Joint teams continue to evaluate weather conditions as a cold front passes through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida to determine the best autonomous undocking opportunity. Coverage of Dragon’s departure Wednesday will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA+ streaming service via  the web  or the  NASA app . Coverage also will air live on NASA Television,  YouTube , and on the agency’s  website . Learn how to  stream NASA TV  through a variety of platforms including social media. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down off the coast of Florida, w...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is pictured departing the vicinity of the space station following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on January 9, 2023. NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Tuesday, Dec. 19, for the undocking of the company’s 29th Dragon commercial resupply services mission  from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions. Joint teams continue to evaluate weather conditions as a cold front passes through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida to determine the best autonomous undocking opportunity. Coverage of Dragon’s departure Tuesday will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA+ streaming service via  the web  or the  NASA app . Coverage also will air live on NASA Television,  YouTube , and on the agency’s  website . Learn how to  stream NASA TV  through a variety of platforms including social media. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, th...

The waning gibbous Moon is pictured just above Earth’s horizon in this photograph from the station as it orbited 262 miles above a cloudy central Asia. The Expedition 70 crew is continuing to pack a U.S. cargo spacecraft readying for its departure early next week. The seven residents living aboard the International Space Station also explored virtual reality while servicing a variety of science and life support hardware. NASA and SpaceX are postponing the Sunday, Dec. 17, undocking of a SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions as a cold front passes through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Joint teams continue to evaluate weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously undock from the space station with the next available opportunity no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Monday, Dec. 18. Weather permitting for the Monday undocking, coverage of Dragon’s departure will...

NASA and Sierra Space are making progress on the first flight of the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft to the International Space Station. The uncrewed cargo spaceplane is planned to launch its demonstration mission in 2024 to the orbital complex as part of NASA’s commercial resupply services. Credit: Sierra Space/Shay Saldana NASA and Sierra Space are preparing for the first flight of the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft to the International Space Station. Dream Chaser and its companion cargo module, called Shooting Star, arrived at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, for environmental testing, scheduled to start in mid-December, ahead of its first flight, scheduled for the first half of 2024. The Neil Armstrong Test Facility, part of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, is home to multiple test facilities, including the Space Environments Complex and the In-Space Propulsion Facility, both stops for Dream Chaser. The complex is home to the Mechanical Vib...

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the space station 261 miles above Indonesia’s Savu Sea. A U.S. cargo spacecraft is poised to undock from the International Space Station and return to Earth as mission managers monitor weather conditions at the return splashdown zones. Meanwhile, the seven Expedition 70 residents turned their attention to a variety of health activities and lab maintenance activities. NASA and SpaceX are postponing the Saturday, Dec. 16, undocking of a SpaceX Dragon CRS-29 cargo resupply spacecraft from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions as a cold front passes through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Joint teams continue to evaluate weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously undock from the space station with the next available opportunity no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Sunday, Dec. 17. Weather permitting for the Sunday undocking, coverage of Dragon’s departure will...

Astronaut Andreas Mogensen works on the Aquamembrane-3 investigation exploring the contaminant rejection and water transport capabilities of advanced life support equipment. The Expedition 70 crew continues packing the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft while also keeping up microgravity research for NASA and its partners to advance humanity on Earth and in space. NASA and SpaceX are postponing the Friday, Dec. 15, undocking of a SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions as a result of a cold front passing through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Joint teams continue to evaluate weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously undock from the space station with the next available opportunity no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 16. Weather permitting for the Saturday undocking, coverage of Dragon’s departure will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA+ streamin...

Thrusters on the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft fire adjusting the vehicle’s approach toward the space station for a docking on Nov. 11, 2023 . NASA and SpaceX are postponing the Thursday, Dec. 14, undocking of a SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions as a result of a cold front passing through the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Joint teams continue to evaluate weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously undock from the space station. An update will be provided once undocking is confirmed. After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down off the coast of Florida, which will not be broadcast on NASA TV. Follow updates on return plans on the agency’s space station blog. Learn more about station activities by following the  space station blog ,  @space_station  and  @ISS_Research  on X, as well as the  ISS Fa...

An aurora dances in the horizon of Earth’s atmosphere as city lights shine through clouds cast over Mongolia while the space station orbited 263 miles above. The Expedition 70 crew members are picking up the pace as they load a U.S. cargo craft for its upcoming departure. The seven International Space Station residents are also staying focused on an array of microgravity science to improve human health and commercialize low Earth orbit. The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is nearing the end of its stay docked to the Harmony module ’s forward port. Four astronauts will be packing over 3,500 pounds of science and hardware inside Dragon over next few days for retrieval and analysis back on Earth. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli and Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) removed science cargo freezers containing research samples from station EXPRESS racks and stowed them inside Dragon for the ride back to Earth. Astronauts Loral O’Hara and Satoshi Furuk...

Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli processes liver stem cell samples for the Space AGE investigation that is exploring the age-related loss of regenerative capacity. Space physics, aging research, and science hardware filled the schedule at the beginning of the week for the Expedition 70 crew. The International Space Station residents are also packing a U.S. cargo craft for its departure and return to Earth at the end of the week. Space manufacturing is the next big step toward commercializing low-Earth orbit. Researchers are taking advantage of the weightless environment to create advanced fiber optic cables that are superior to those manufactured on Earth. NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara worked in the Destiny laboratory module swapping optical fiber samples being produced and drawn inside Destiny’s Microgravity Science Glovebox . The samples are made from zirconium, barium, lanthanum, and aluminum sodium fluoride and provide unique optical transmission capabilities. Results may ben...