Space life

This high exposure photograph from the International Space Station shows Earth’s atmospheric glow and a starry sky as the orbital complex soared above the Pacific Ocean. The Expedition 70 crew is looking ahead to the arrival of a U.S. cargo craft due to arrive at the International Space Station next week. Meanwhile, the Axiom Space 3 (Ax-3) crew finished its first week in orbit with a busy schedule of research, education, and media activities. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft will take its first ride atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket when it lifts off at 12:29 p.m. EST on Monday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The private space freighter will be carrying over 8,200 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and lab hardware to the orbiting outpost. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli is due to capture Cygnus with the Canadarm 2 robotic arm at 3:35 a.m. on Wednesday. She will be on duty that morning along with fellow NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara who will monitor Cygn...

Astronauts (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara are pictured inside the International Space Station’s cupola holding NASA’s first graphc novel, “First Woman.” Human research and space physics were the dominant science topics aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 70 crew is also preparing for a U.S. cargo mission targeted to launch next week. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov took turns as crew medical officer on Thursday and performed eye scans of their crewmates using the Ultrasound 2 device . Moghbeli operated the device imaging the eyes of Commander Andreas Mogensen and Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa . Borisov also scanned Roscosmos Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub’s eyes. Doctors on the ground monitored and assisted the diagnostic exam in real-time. The ultrasound scanning procedure uses high-frequency soundwaves to observe how microgravity affects a crew member’s eye structure. Afterward, Mogensen ...

Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa peers at the Earth from inside the cupola as the International Space Station orbited above the south Atlantic Ocean. Biomedical science and advanced technology topped the research schedule for the 11 crew members representing Expedition 70 and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) . The International Space Station residents are also gearing up for the arrival of a U.S. cargo craft next week. Cancer research and space botany were the focus of Wednesday’s biology work as the Ax-3 crew continued its busy space science schedule. Pilot Walter Villadei observed cancerous cell cultures inside the Kermit microscope to understand how microgravity conditions such as radiation affect cancer growth . Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı processed microbe samples growing in petri dishes for a study exploring using propolis , a natural antibacterial agent, on space station surfaces. Both experiments seek to improve health on Earth and in space. Robotics is an important part of the ...

The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts (front row) and the seven Expedition 70 crew members wave to the camera following a crew greeting ceremony on Jan. 20, 2024. Credit: NASA TV The Expedition 70 crew spent Tuesday on a host of research activities and spacesuit maintenance while assisting their Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) guests. The four Ax-3 crew members had their hands full as they explored cancer research, space botany, and robotics for Earth and space benefits. Astronauts Andreas Mogensen , Loral O’Hara , and Satoshi Furukawa dedicated part of their schedule on Tuesday to the Ax-3 mission. The trio helped the four private astronauts get up to speed with life on orbit as well as conduct advanced microgravity science. Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) spent a couple of hours ensuring the Ax-3 crewmates are familiarized with systems throughout the orbital lab. O’Hara from NASA set up the Life Science Glovebox (LSG) for an Ax-3 space botany investigation while Furukawa fro...

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying the Ax-3 crew is pictured approaching the space station above southern India. Eleven astronauts and cosmonauts from around the world are living and working together aboard the International Space Station today. The four Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) private astronauts met the seven Expedition 70 crew members on Saturday beginning two weeks of dual operations. The Ax-3 crew spent the weekend getting familiar with space station systems and emergency procedures before starting Monday with a full schedule of science and media activities. Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría joined Pilot Walter Villadei and studied how microgravity affects the biochemistry of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s to improve health on Earth and in space. The duo later inserted samples into a fluorescence microscope for a study seeking to prevent and predict cancer diseases to protect crews in space and humans on Earth. Mission Specialist Alper Gezera...

The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts (front row) gather with the Expedition 70 crew inside the International Space Station’s Harmony module. Credit: NASA TV Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci are now aboard the International Space Station following Dragon’s hatch opening at 7:13 a.m. EST, Saturday, Jan. 20. Ax-3 docked to the orbital complex at 5:42 a.m. while the spacecraft was flying 262 miles above the Pacific Ocean, west of South America. It is the third mission with an entirely private crew to arrive at the orbiting laboratory. The Axiom Space crew are joining Expedition 70 crew members aboard station, including NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Furukawa Satoshi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. Next up, the station crew members will ta...

The four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts enter the space station and meet the Expedtion 70 crew members. Credit: NASA TV Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci are now aboard the International Space Station following Dragon’s hatch opening at 7:13 a.m. EST, Saturday, Jan. 20. Ax-3 docked to the orbital complex at 5:42 a.m. while the spacecraft was flying 262 miles above the Pacific Ocean, west of South America. It is the third mission with an entirely private crew to arrive at the orbiting laboratory. The Axiom Space crew are joining Expedition 70 crew members aboard station, including NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Furukawa Satoshi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. Next up, the station crew members will take part in a welcome ceremony aboard the...

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying four Axiom MIssion 3 astronauts is pictured docked to the space station shortly after an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV Axiom Mission 3 astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci arrived at the International Space Station at 5:42 a.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 20. Dragon docked to the orbital complex while the spacecraft was flying about 262 miles over the Pacific Ocean, west of South America. Live coverage continues on the NASA+ streaming service, NASA Television, the  NASA app , and the agency’s  website for hatch opening and crew remarks. 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...

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts aboard the Dragon Freedom spacecraft launches from the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NASA/Chris Swanson The NASA+ streaming service, NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency’s  website are providing live coverage for the arrival of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) to the International Space Station. Ax-3 astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt and Alper Gezeravci are scheduled to dock as early as 5:40 a.m. EST Saturday, Jan 20, to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX teams are now conducting integrated operations which begins during the spacecraft’s approach to the International Space Station. NASA maintains mission responsibility during integrated operations, which continues during the crew’s stay aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting science, education, and commercial activities, and concludes once Dragon exits the area of the sp...

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Kennedy Space Center carrying four Axiom Mission 3 astronauts aboard the Dragon Freedom spacecraft. Credit: SpaceX The seven-member Expedition 70 crew will welcome the third private astronaut mission from Axiom Space to the International Space Station on Saturday. The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) mission lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday carrying four astronauts aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The foursome will conduct a two-week research and education mission on the orbital outpost. Station Flight Engineers Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli , both from NASA, will be on duty monitoring Dragon when it begins its automated approach and rendezvous. Dragon will dock to the forward port on the station’s Harmony module at around 4:19 a.m. EST on Saturday. About an hour-and-a-half later, the hatches will open and Ax-3 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria will enter the space station followed by Pilot Walter Villadei and...

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon crew ship atop blasts off on April 9, 2022, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying the first private astronauts to the space station during Axiom Mission-1. Credit: SpaceX Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is go for launch as four private astronauts gear up to head to the space station later this afternoon. Space botany and fluid research continue into Thursday for the Expedition 70 crew members as they await the arrival of Ax-3. The third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:49 p.m. EST today, Jan. 18. Ax-3 crew members, Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden, will launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Scheduled to arrive to the station at 5:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, the quart...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A ahead of Axiom Mission 3 launch. Credit: SpaceX As part of NASA’s efforts to open access to space, SpaceX and Axiom Space now are targeting no earlier than 4:49 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 18, for launch of the third private mission to the International Space Station . The date adjustment for Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) allows additional time for SpaceX to complete data analysis of the parachute system energy modulator—the straps that connect the Dragon spacecraft’s parachute bag to the parachute door. These straps are folded and stitched together such that when they pull apart, the connecting stitches intentionally break, allowing the straps to pull apart at a constant force. This regulates the amount of load applied to the main parachutes, which takes place as the parachute door and drogues extract the mains out of the spacecraft during the handoff from drogues to mains. F...

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space station on May 28, 2023, during Axiom Space’s second private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission-2. Four private astronauts are readying for launch to the International Space Station this week while the Expedition 70 crew ramps up microgravity research and maintenance tasks after yesterday’s off-duty day. The third private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), is scheduled to liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:11 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 17. Ax-3 crew members, Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden, will make the trek to the orbital lab aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, docking at 5:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19. The quartet will spend about two weeks conducting science and research in microgravity before headin...

The city lights of North America appear under Earth’s airglow and a starry night sky in this photograph from the International Space Station. The Expedition 70 crew is turning its attention to the third private astronaut mission from Axiom Space as it counts down to launch next week. Meanwhile, the seven International Space Station residents are also continuing their focus on human research, space botany, and life support maintenance tasks. The next spacecraft to launch to the orbital outpost rolled out to its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon Freedom crew spacecraft atop, is scheduled to launch four private astronauts at 5:11 p.m. EST on Jan. 17 on a day-and-a-half-long ride to the space station. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will be monitoring the arrival of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) as the Dragon approaches the Harmony module ’s forward port for an automated docking at 5:15 a.m. on Jan. 19. About...

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured docked to the space station on May 28, 2023, during Axiom Space’s second private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission-2. Advanced drug treatments, virtual reality care, and microbial analysis filled the science schedule for the Expedition 70 crew on Thursday. The orbital residents are also getting ready for the next private astronaut mission to the International Space Station . NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara worked in the Harmony module servicing samples for a study seeking to improve treatments for respiratory conditions. The Gaucho Lung investigation seeks to optimize the delivery of drugs into the human airways and may also benefit the health care and food industries. Fellow NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli set up the experiment gear, simulating the mucosal lining in the human lung, for O’Hara in Harmony’s maintenance work area. Moghbeli began her day sequencing DNA samples for the BioMole study demonstrating hardware that can...

JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa works on carbon dioxide removal hardware inside the Destiny laboratory module. The Expedition 70 crew focused its research on robotics, artificial organs, and eye checks aboard the International Space Station today. The orbital septet also worked on a variety of life support and science maintenance tasks throughout Wednesday. NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara began Tuesday configuring an experiment that will explore how CubeSats fitted with a robotic arm might be used to repair larger satellites. She set up hardware inside the Destiny laboratory module ’s Microgravity Science Glovebox for the experiment that seeks to demonstrate the on-orbit survey and repair of satellites. Afterward, O’Hara moved to the Kibo laboratory module and treated and stowed samples that will be analyzed to understand reproductive health and bone loss in microgravity. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli cleaned up Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox and stowed the researc...

(From left) Astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara wear Bio-Monitor headbands packed with sensors that monitor crew health. Space biology and life support maintenance were the main focus for the Expedition 70 crew on Tuesday. The orbital residents aboard the International Space Station also studied future piloting techniques and fluid physics rounding out the research schedule. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli joined Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) for biology research inside the Kibo laboratory module . The trio worked during the morning in Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox to learn how microgravity affects reproductive health and bone loss . In the afternoon, O’Hara removed the Bio-Monitor vest and headband she was wearing that are demonstrating the ability to comfortably monitor and record an astronaut’s health data. Moghbeli inspected orbital plumbing gear in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment. Mogensen ended his shift re...

(From left) NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmine Moghbeli talk to NASA and ESPN for an Instagram Live event. Credit: @ISS Instagram The work week kicked off with drug therapy research and DNA analysis aboard the International Space Station to promote health on Earth and in space. The seven Expedition 70 crew members also had time for advanced technology studies including robotics, fiber optics, and future piloting techniques. NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara explored ways to optimize treatment methods for breathing conditions on Earth. She treated samples inside the Harmony module for the investigation that may advance health therapies and prevent tubing contamination for liquid flows. NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli extracted DNA to identify bacteria collected from station water samples. Moghbeli’s work is demonstrating hardware that can analyze microbes to protect crew health and spacecraft life support systems on future missions. O’Hara and Moghbeli teamed up T...