Crew Biology Research, Spacecraft Cargo Jobs Kick Off Week on Station - NASA

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A variety of human research encompassing body measurements, exercise monitoring, and breath rate recording kicked off the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 75 crew members also prepared for an upcoming crew swap, worked inside a pair of cargo spacecraft, and activated automated Earth observation hardware on Monday.

Station commander Jessica Meir and flight engineer Jack Hathaway, both of NASA, joined each other in the Columbus laboratory module for body measurements using a tape measure. The duo then entered the results into the EveryWear app on a computer tablet and downloaded the data for analysis by doctors on the ground. Results will help researchers understand how weightlessness affects an astronaut’s height and circumference for better suit sizing and health monitoring. Space-caused physical changes can include spinal elongation, circumference changes, and fluid shifts toward the head.

Meir later partnered with NASA flight engineer Anil Menon and transferred cargo in and out of the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft that has been berthed to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port since April 13. Meir and Menon also took turns packing and staging cargo that will return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft when NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 ends its mission next month. Menon then trained on the tools used to monitor the approach and rendezvous of a Dragon spacecraft. The next SpaceX Dragon is targeted to arrive at the orbital outpost when the Crew-13 mission launches as soon as early October.

Hathway assisted Meir and Menon with the Cygnus XL and Crew-12 cargo operations throughout his shift on Monday. He wrapped up his shift with scientific photography in the Harmony module imaging 3D colloidal crystals, or tiny particles suspended in a liquid, to help promote space-based manufacturing of advanced materials benefitting Earth and space industries.

Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) began her shift setting up a motion capture system to record her work out on the Tranquility module’s advanced resistive exercise system. She calibrated the research hardware, wore specialized markers, and performed a series of resistance exercises on the device that mimics the inertial forces of free weights on Earth. Researchers will analyze her movements to understand the muscle forces and bone stresses an astronaut experiences while exercising in microgravity. Insights may lead to more effective workouts to keep crews healthy on long-term missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Progress 96, the newest cargo craft that docked to the Poisk module on Saturday delivering nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies, is currently being unpacked by Roscosmos flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The pair also studied microgravity’s effect on the respiratory system and took turns wearing an acoustic monitor around the neck that recorded their rapid exhalation rate on Monday.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev tested the lower body negative pressure suit, with assistance from Kikina, that reverses space-caused fluid shifts from the head toward the feet. The specialized suit may offset the effects of microgravity and ease the adjustment to Earth’s gravity after a long-term spaceflight. Next, Fedyaev joined his cosmonaut crewmates and helped unload the Progress 96. Fedyaev also activated automated Earth-imaging gear to capture imagery from Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and North America during the crew’s sleep shift.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Mark A. Garcia

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