Space life

This mosaic depicts the space station pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour on Nov. 8, 2021. The International Space Station Multilateral Coordination Board met Friday, July 29, to discuss the status of the combined work aboard the microgravity laboratory. Partner representatives from NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency,  the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan / the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Roscosmos discussed a variety of topics including space station utilization, operations, and research, and transition planning and partnership in low-Earth orbit in the post-space station era. The board, tasked with  coordinating the management of the space station, also discussed extension of space station operations beyond 2024. Each partner confirmed it will continue to work through respective government processes on station extension and utilization be...

Astronaut Kjell Lindgren processes samples to explore the immunological aging of cells in microgravity possibly informing immun system therapies on Earth and in space. Understanding how microgravity affects humans and plants is key to supporting not only astronauts on long-term space missions but also improving life on Earth. The Expedition 67 crew explored those very subjects today while also working on U.S. cargo activities and checking Russian spacewalking gear aboard the International Space Station . NASA Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines worked a pair of different experiments on Tuesday with benefits for humans living on and off the Earth. Lindgren processed samples and explored how the immune system ages in microgravity to learn how to keep astronauts healthy on long term missions and treat immunity conditions on Earth. The two-time station visitor conducted the unique research operations using the Life Science Glovebox located in the Kibo laboratory module ....

Spacewalker Samantha Cristoforetti works outside the space station to outfit the European robotic arm on July 21, 2022. The seven Expedition 67 residents kicked off a busy week of critical research benefitting humans living on and off the Earth. The orbital residents also continued supporting the International Space Station ’s vast array of flight, research, and life support systems. Astronauts Bob Hines of NASA and Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) took turns on Monday cleaning hardware and supporting samples for a biology study that is exploring skin healing in space . Observations may provide insights improving wound healing therapies for astronauts and Earthlings. Hines then spent the afternoon installing seed cartridges and root modules for the XROOTS space agriculture investigation to begin a 30-day growth period of radishes and mizuna greens. The research uses hydroponics and aeroponics techniques to learn how to produce crops on a larger scale on fut...

The sun’s rays begin to illuminate the Earth’s atmosphere as the International Space Station flew into an orbital sunrise 261 miles above Texas on July 16, 2022. The Expedition 67 crew wrapped up its week aboard International Space Station by scrubbing spacesuits, adjusting hardware, and transferring cargo. NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines spent portions of the day performing cooling loop scrubs for spacesuits, called Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), which enable astronauts to work outside the station. He then reconfigured the EMU loop scrub hardware for iodination. Loop scrubs and iodinates are required to remove contaminants from the EMU transport loop. NASA Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren and ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer  Samantha Cristoforetti worked together to remove and store sample carriers for a suite of experiments that test how space affects various materials and components. If these materials can withstand the harsh environment outside the s...

The sun’s glint beams off the Coral Sea northeast of Australia as the International Space Station orbited 264 miles above on July 11, 2022. Pictured in the right foreground, are a pair of the station’s main solar arrays and a radiator. The Expedition 67 crew’s midweek schedule aboard the International Space Station centered on installing equipment, inspecting for leaks, and a training exercise. NASA Flight Engineer  Jessica Watkins set up the drain for an installed recycling tank for the Environmental Control and Life Support System, a piece of hardware that provides the station with clean water and air. She also made configurations to the Plant Habitat Facility , which monitors plants grown in space. NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines completed a session for the  Cerebral Autoregulation  investigation, which assesses how the human brain regulates blood flow in microgravity. The experiment required him to wear electrodes and sensors that measured blood flow in his h...

The free-floating Astrobee robots perform flight maneuvers with support from university ground teams and the astronauts aboard the space station on December 9, 2021. Credit: ESA/NASA The Expedition 67 crew kept busy aboard the International Space Station today readying free-flying robots, preparing sample returns, and transferring cargo. NASA Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren set up Astrobee’s free-flying robots for a student robotics competition. For the competition, students write software to control one of the station’s Astrobee free-flying robots. Finalists have their code downloaded by NASA to the Astrobee platform and observe its performance. NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines made progress preparing and photographing sample returns for the  Genes in Space-9 study, which evaluates how cell-free technology could be used in microgravity. The technology may provide a portable, low-resource, and low-cost tool with medical and monitoring applications for future space miss...

NASA astronaut Bob Hines is shown performing Genes in Space-9 aboard the International Space Station on July 21, 2022. The Expedition 67 crew focused a portion of their time aboard the International Space Station today prepping equipment and samples for various science experiments. NASA Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren spent the latter part of the day changing the media for specific samples inside the Life Sciences Glovebox. He performed the task for an investigation studying the effects of microgravity on cell tissue regeneration and whether recovery occurs post-flight. Results could provide insight into whether the effects of the biological aging process can be reversed. NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines set up hardware and photographed samples for the  Genes in Space-9 study. The experiment evaluates two approaches for using cell-free technology in microgravity, including protein production and biosensors that can detect specific target molecules. NASA Flight Engine...