International Space Station Expedition 70 Is Underway

Expedition 70 is well underway aboard the International Space StationThe International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft in orbit around the Earth that serves as a research laboratory and spaceport for international collaboration in space exploration. It was launched in 1998 and has been continuously occupied by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts from around the world since 2000. The ISS is a joint project of five space agencies: NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles), and provides a unique platform for scientific research, technological development, and human space exploration.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>International Space Station (ISS) 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’s Activities

NASAEstablished in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>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 completion of replacing components of the payload. In the evening, she started training for upcoming spacewalks, reviewing spacesuit operations and procedures.

The patch for Expedition 70, designed by ESA graphic designers Hugo Simões and Hugo Dias, is based on ‘yin yang’, the well-known philosophical symbol of balance between two complementary forces— yin and yang —that make up all aspects and phenomena of life. In this depiction, the red and orange tones in the lower half of the patch represent science and the dark blue represents space exploration in the upper half. Credit: ESA

NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara’s Experiments and Training

NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara, who arrived to the station two weeks ago, started her day with ISAFE eye exams, as part of a new suite of experiments, called CIPHER. Eye exams of this kind examine changes in an astronaut’s eyes and brain due to fluid shifts in microgravity. CIPHER is an all-encompassing, full-body approach that investigates how multiple systems of the body react to spaceflight before, during, and after a mission. O’Hara is the first of up to 30 astronauts to participate.

Following eye exams, O’Hara trained for spacewalk emergencies in the unlikely event they would occur using SAFER, the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue. Before bed, she reconfigured the Microgravity Science Glovebox.

Animation of Astrobees on the space station. Credit: NASA

Activities of Other Expedition Members

Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space AgencyThe European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration and study of space. ESA was established in 1975 and has 22 member states, with its headquarters located in Paris, France. ESA is responsible for the development and coordination of Europe's space activities, including the design, construction, and launch of spacecraft and satellites for scientific research and Earth observation. Some of ESA's flagship missions have included the Rosetta mission to study a comet, the Gaia mission to create a 3D map of the Milky Way, and the ExoMars mission to search for evidence of past or present life on Mars.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>European Space Agency) spent his day completing some training with Astrobee, the station’s free-flying robots that help astronauts conduct daily duties. Afterward, he repaired the docking station the cube-shaped robots use for recharging.

Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) worked in the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, most of the day. In the station’s first expandable habitat, Furukawa stowed hardware and reconfigured sensors.

The three RoscosmosRoscosmos, also known as the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, is the Russian government agency responsible for space activities, including the development and operation of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and space stations. It was formed in 2015 through the merger of the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and the United Rocket and Space Corporation. Roscosmos is responsible for Russia's space program and works closely with other international space agencies on joint projects, such as the International Space Station. The agency is also involved in a wide range of space-related activities, including scientific research, earth observation, telecommunications, and manned spaceflight.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>Roscosmos Flight Engineers—Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub—had a light-duty day, completing their required two hours of exercise that helps combat the effects of bone and muscle loss in microgravity.