On Aug. 6, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon concluded a 6-hour, 27-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Meir and Menon successfully completed their primary objective of preparing the 3B power channel for the future installation of a roll out solar array. Toward the end of the spacewalk, a carbon dioxide sensor on Menon’s spacesuit indicated an unexpected data reading. Menon reported no other issues during the spacewalk.

Although the sensor returned to normal readings following removal of the suit, engineers on the ground will continue to evaluate over the coming days whether to change suits for the next spacewalk. As a result, NASA will move the next spacewalk to replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the space station to Tuesday, Aug. 18. As of now, the third planned spacewalk this month remains scheduled on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The agency will provide additional spacewalk details early next week.

On Friday, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway of studied Canadarm2 robotic arm operations planned to support the next spacewalk. NASA will soon name the spacewalkers who will replace a space-to-ground antenna to maintain high-speed data and communication transmissions between Mission Control Center and the space station.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot was back on exercise research working out with new and advanced gear to inform countermeasures that may improve muscle and bone health in microgravity. She first wore the EasyMotion-2 suit that sent electrical impulses and triggered muscle contractions to supplement her workout session on the advanced resistive exercise device in the Tranquility module. Afterward, she moved into the Columbus laboratory module and performed rope pull exercises on the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D). Researchers are evaluating the E4D’s effectiveness for use on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Numerous science investigations and lab maintenance tasks also kept the three Expedition 75 cosmonauts busy at the end of the week. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev started his shift measuring his blood pressure while wearing a series of cuffs on his arm, wrist, and fingers for a circulation system study. He wrapped up his day inspecting and cleaning smoke detectors in the Rassvet module. Flight engineer Pyotr Dubrov set up an automated Earth photography session to capture European and Asian landmarks then tested artificial intelligence tools to improve crew operations. Flight engineer Anna Kikina worked in the Zarya module photographing areas to identify optimal stowage locations and locate hardware.

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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The post Space Station Crew Wraps Busy Week, Plans New Date for US Spacewalk 97 appeared first on NASA Science.

The post EAGLE appeared first on NASA Science.

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NASA and its partners will discuss the upcoming crew rotation mission to the International Space Station during a pair of news conferences on Monday, Aug. 3, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Mission leadership will provide an overview of NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission at 12 p.m. EDT. Next, crew members will discuss their training and mission preparations at 2 p.m. This is Crew-13’s final media availability prior to traveling to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch.

NASA will stream these events live. Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

The Crew-13 mission will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to the orbiting laboratory. The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida no earlier than mid-September.

International media attending in person must email the NASA Johnson newsroom at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov by 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 21. United States-based media attending in person must respond by 5 p.m., Thursday, July 30. Media joining virtually must respond by 10 a.m. the day of the event. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

Briefing participants are as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

12 p.m.: Mission Overview News Conference

• Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
• Dana Weigel, manager, Low Earth Orbit Program, NASA Johnson
• Mathieu Caron, director, Astronauts, Life Sciences, and Space Medicine, CSA
• Julianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science and Dragon Programs, SpaceX

2 p.m.: Crew-13 News Conference

• Jessica Watkins, commander, NASA
• Luke Delaney, pilot, NASA
• Joshua Kutryk, mission specialist, CSA
• Sergey Teteryatnikov, mission specialist, Roscosmos

Following the news conference, crew members will be available for limited media interviews. All interview requests must be submitted by 5 p.m. on July 30, to the NASA Johnson newsroom at: jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.

This will be the second flight to the space station for Watkins, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. Watkins grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and earned an undergraduate degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University, as well as a doctorate in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a geologist, she studied the Martian surface and was a member of the Curiosity rover science team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Watkins first launched to the space station as a crew member aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, spending a total of 170 days in space across space station Expeditions 67/68 in 2022. She will be the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Delaney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of North Florida and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School. The Florida native is a distinguished naval aviator who participated in exercises throughout the Asia Pacific region and conducted missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As a test pilot, Delaney evaluated developmental aircraft systems and served as a test pilot instructor. He also worked as a research pilot at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where he supported airborne science missions. This is the first spaceflight for Delaney.

The Crew-13 mission also is the first spaceflight for Kutryk. Prior to his selection as a CSA astronaut in 2017, he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot, flying missions in support of Canada’s NATO, U.N., and North American Aerospace Defense Command commitments. A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Kutryk also worked as an experimental and operational test pilot at the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment in Cold Lake, Alberta. Kutryk received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and he is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot school in Edwards, California. He has master’s degrees in space studies, flight test engineering, and defense studies.

This mission will be Teteryatnikov’s first trip to the orbiting laboratory. He graduated from the Naval Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2011 as an engineer specializing in ship power plant operations. Before his selection as a test cosmonaut, Teteryatnikov served in various naval engineering roles, including undersea vessels and specialized engine room operations. He was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Corps in 2021 and has served as a test cosmonaut since 2023.

For more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-13

-end-

Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Leah Cheshier / Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

Spacewalk preparations filled the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as a pair of astronauts gear up for next week’s external robotics repair job. CubeSat maintenance and eye checks rounded out the day for the Expedition 74 crew.

NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir will once again wear their spacesuits and work together in the vacuum of space to repair a wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm starting at 7:35 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 30. The duo will spend about six hours and 40 minutes on the outside of the orbital lab replacing the malfunctioned wrist joint on Canadarm2 that has been in operation for over 25 years. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) analyzed the issue and determined a spacewalk was necessary to replace the wrist joint with a spare already on the station. NASA and CSA officials will preview the upcoming spacewalk tasks during a news conference on NASA’s YouTube channel at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 25.

Williams tried on his spacesuit Tuesday and tested the suit in its powered configuration with assistance from flight engineer Sophie Adenot from ESA (European Space Agency). The duo worked inside the Quest airlock checking the pressurized suit’s comfort and mobility and its communications and life support systems while engineers on the ground monitored.

Williams then joined Meir and reviewed on a computer a 3D interactive animation of the procedures and maneuvers they will use to return the Canadarm2 to full motion. Afterward, the pair took turns servicing emergency jet packs that will be installed on the spacesuits the day the spacewalk begins. Meir also installed batteries inside the pistol grip tools — designed especially for microgravity — they will use to work on the robotic arm.

Adenot and NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway, who will monitor the spacewalkers from inside the orbital outpost, studied their spacewalk support roles including carefully adjusting the Canadarm2 into position during the repair work. Hathaway also had time for CubeSat work first removing a small satellite orbital deployer that was stowed inside the Kibo laboratory module’s airlock. Next, he installed a set of CubeSats inside the NanoRacks CubeSat deployer that will soon be placed outside Kibo’s airlock for deployment into Earth orbit. The tiny satellites were designed by university students for a variety of communications and technology investigations.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov joined flight engineer Sergei Mikaev in the Harmony module for eye checks using standard medical imaging hardware. Doctors on the ground were examining how living in space affects the retina, lens, and cornea. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev continued testing artificial intelligence tools to boost crew efficiency and communications in space.

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

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The post NASA Announces Spacewalkers for Robotic Arm Repair Work appeared first on NASA Science.

The Expedition 74 crew explored how weightlessness affects cartilage growth and the digestive system on Thursday to protect crew health and improve patient care on Earth. The orbital residents are also gearing up for a robotics maintenance spacewalk at the end of the month on the International Space Station.

Conducting research in the microgravity environment of the orbiting laboratory provides unique insights unobtainable in Earth’s gravity. This helps scientists, doctors, and engineers develop space-influenced therapies, medicines, and products leading to advances in human health, industrial processes, spacecraft designs, and more.

Cartilage cells are growing aboard the orbital outpost that may inform new ways to treat disabilities and repair injuries. NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams worked together on the biotechnology investigation using the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox. Williams retrieved the cartilage cell samples preserved in a science freezer then thawed them to begin scientific operations. Next, Meir nourished the cell samples inside the glovebox and stowed them inside a research incubator so they could begin growing. Manufacturing cartilage tissues in space could lead to self-repairing implants on Earth and advanced fitness techniques for astronauts on a long-term spaceflight.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev joined each other after breakfast and scanned their abdominal region using an ultrasound device for a digestion study. The real-time biomedical data will give doctors insight into how microgravity affects the blood flow and shape of a crew member’s digestive organs after a meal. Results may help advance methods to monitor and improve digestive health both on Earth and in space.

Meir and flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) also conducted ultrasound scans using ESA’s EchoFinder-2 device to image the major blood vessels and key organs in their abdomen. The human research experiment uses augmented reality to assist with the scans and artificial intelligence to recognize organs. The lightweight, easy-to-use gear may enable independent crew health monitoring on spacecraft travelling to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Adenot then joined NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway and studied procedures necessary to prepare astronauts for a spacewalk. The duo reviewed spacesuit handling techniques, Quest airlock pressurization and depressurization steps, and emergency responses. Adenot also partnered with Meir and Williams and serviced the lithium-ion batteries that power the spacesuits. NASA will soon announce the two astronauts who will exit the space station on June 30 to repair a wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev had a busy day of science and maintenance beginning his shift downloading and reading data collected from a station radiation detector. Afterward, Fedyaev transferred water from the Progress 94 resupply ship into tanks inside the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment. Finally, the two-time cosmonaut wrapped up his shift testing artificial intelligence tools to boost crew efficiency and communications in space.

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

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The post Advanced Tech on Station Informing Space-Designed Health Treatments appeared first on NASA Science.

Biomedical tests using augmented and virtual reality tools to advance space health dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 74 crew is also turning its attention to a spacewalk at the end of the month following the departure of a U.S. cargo spacecraft.

NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway began their shift in the Columbus laboratory module conducting vein scans with guidance from doctors on the ground. The duo took turns scanning each other with the EchoFinder-2 ultrasound device that collects health data using augmented reality and artificial intelligence tools. The medical hardware provided by ESA (European Space Agency) provides a screen using augmented reality to guide the operator’s probe motion and artificial intelligence software to detect the subject’s organs. The lightweight, easy-to-use gear may enable independent crew health monitoring on spacecraft travelling to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Afterward, Hathaway moved to the Harmony module and loaded bacteria samples into a portable DNA sequencer to read their genetic code. Scientists will use the knowledge to understand bacterial resistance to antibiotics in the space environment potentially affecting an astronaut’s ability to fight an infection.  

Meir assisted NASA flight engineer Chris Williams who wore virtual reality goggles for a test measuring his ability to detect balance, movement, orientation in microgravity. The goggles recorded Williams’s eye movements as he responded to visual stimuli generated by computer software operated by Meir. The vestibular system investigation, just one part of the CIPHER suite of 14 human research experiments, is studying how astronauts neurologically adapt to weightlessness to improve crew training and safety.

ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot helped her crewmates with the digital health science on Wednesday first setting up the EchoFinder-2 hardware, connecting it to a computer tablet, and installing a camera to track the vein study. Next, Adenot configured Harmony’s maintenance work area and retrieved a mini-cold bag to house the bacteria samples for the antibiotics study. Finally, she took pictures of the Moon to observe Earth’s light reflecting off the lunar surface.

All four astronauts gathered together at the end of their shift for a conference call with spacewalk experts on the ground. The quartet and the engineers discussed the tools and procedures necessary to repair a wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm during a spacewalk planned for June 30. NASA will soon announce the spacewalkers and provide a live televised briefing for more details before the end of the month.

Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev conducted another neurological study while wearing a virtual reality headset and responded to computerized stimuli as electrodes measured brain activity and tracked eye movement, testing his sense of direction, movement, and position. Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev, both from Roscosmos, started their shift in the Nauka science module checking the operation of components supporting the Elektron oxygen generator. Kud-Sverchkov then tested communications gear inside the Soyuz MS-28 crew spacecraft. Mikaev took a computer quiz documenting his mental state before terminating a 24-hour heart and blood pressure monitoring session.

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is back on Earth following its undocking from the orbital outpost on Tuesday and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 5:11 a.m. PDT/8:11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday. Dragon returned sensitive scientific samples from investigations studying stem cell manufacturing, cartilage tissue printing, and more to treat a range of conditions from blood diseases, cancers, and cartilage injuries.

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

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The post Advanced Health Research on Station Using Augmented, Virtual Reality Tools appeared first on NASA Science.

At 5:11 a.m. PDT (8:11 a.m. EDT), the unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of California near Oceanside, marking the return of the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA.

Dragon undocked at 12:25 p.m. EDT on June 16, carrying samples that could shape future space exploration and life on Earth.  Research returning includes bioprinted organ and cartilage tissue, data on improving cryogenic fuel storage for future space missions, and DNA‑inspired materials to develop new cancer treatments. The returning hardware includes an ocular imaging device used to monitor crew members’ eye health, an absorbent bed that filters trace contaminants from cabin air, and a separator pump from the waste and hygiene compartment.

The spacecraft arrived at the space station on May 17 after launching two days earlier on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

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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The post SpaceX Dragon Splashes Down in Pacific, Completes Cargo Mission appeared first on NASA Science.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have switched on NASA’s newly upgraded Cold Atom Lab, a one-of-a-kind facility designed to improve how scientists explore the fundamental workings of matter and develop new quantum technologies. By leveraging the unique environment of microgravity in space, the lab can accomplish cutting-edge science impossible to do anywhere else.

Quantum science is the study of matter at the smallest scales, like atoms, electrons, and single particles of light. While it’s easy to imagine atoms as billiard balls bouncing off one another, they also exhibit wave-like behavior, can exist simultaneously in two places at once, and may even pass through one another.

About the size of a minifridge and operated from Earth, the Cold Atom Lab chills atoms to temperatures below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 237 degrees Celsius). At this extreme cold, just above absolute zero, atoms form a large quantum object called a Bose‑Einstein condensate, or BEC, a collection of matter waves that is a fifth state of matter beyond solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. This object follows the rules of quantum mechanics despite being much larger than subatomic particles, and the microgravity of low Earth orbit helps make the waves even larger.

“At the coldest temperatures, matter behaves drastically different from anything we have experienced,” said Jason Williams, project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which built the facility. “The wavelike nature of matter dominates, and ultracold matter can behave in ways that are not only unexpected, but that also enable extremely precise measurements of time, gravity, and motion. The lab has lots of tools — especially with this latest upgrade — to let us probe the nature of the universe.”

The project supports five international teams studying fundamental physics. It also tests the space-readiness of quantum tools that could support future Earth science and space exploration missions.

How it works

The heart of the Cold Atom Lab is a complex set of instruments called its science module. An upgraded module launched on April 11 as part of a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station, enabling new kinds of experiments.

For each experiment, a strip of rubidium or potassium metal is heated to as high as 750 F (400 C) — hot enough to form a gas within the facility’s vacuum chamber. Lasers tuned to specific frequencies are then fired at the gas, draining the energy from these atoms, and cooling them by slowing them down. Once this gas has completed the laser-cooling stage, a magnetic trap captures and holds the gas in place. Through a series of complex techniques, the laboratory reduces an atom cloud’s energy further, bringing it close to a standstill and maximizing its time in microgravity.

While facilities for studying ultracold gases exist on Earth, the Cold Atom Lab can study quantum gases in microgravity for longer periods of time and at even lower temperatures. Conducting these experiments in low gravity allows scientists to study larger quantum waves that also interact for longer times with gravity. To harness these benefits, the Cold Atom Lab essentially shrinks an atom physics lab, typically the size of an entire room filled with lasers and tabletop mirrors, to fit within an experiment rack aboard the space station.

“As the first project to create Bose-Einstein condensates in orbit, we’re demonstrating that we can make quantum technology work reliably in space,” said Ethan Elliott, deputy project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at JPL. “In the previous century, there was a quantum revolution that led to lasers, cellphones, and MRIs for medical imaging. We’re performing quantum 2.0 — direct manipulation of large quantum states — and we hope for similar gains in quantum tech by advancing this science in orbit.”

The latest upgrade is the fourth since the Cold Atom Lab arrived at the space station in 2018. Key improvements include a newly designed magnetic trap that changes the shape of the quantum gas clouds, allowing scientists to test different properties related to their atoms. The upgrade also features redesigned metal strips that act as sources for those gas clouds.

“It’s the closest thing we have to controlling the boundary of the quantum world,” said Kamal Oudrhiri, project manager of Cold Atom Lab at JPL, referring to those low temperatures. “This new upgrade pushes that boundary even further.”

The upgrade, Oudrhiri added, “demonstrates NASA’s ability to maintain U.S. leadership in space-based quantum technologies while maturing future quantum instruments, such as matter-wave interferometers for fundamental physics missions, positioning, navigation, timing, and gravity sensing of Earth, the Moon, and beyond.”

More about Cold Atom Lab

Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL designed, built, and operates the Cold Atom Lab, which is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. The division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations that are not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomena under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefiting life on Earth. 

To learn more about Cold Atom Lab, visit:

https://nasa.gov/cold-atom-laboratory/

Media Contact

Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-2433
andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov

2026-039

The post NASA’s Quantum Lab Aboard Space Station Gets Chilly Upgrade appeared first on NASA Science.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have switched on NASA’s newly upgraded Cold Atom Lab, a one-of-a-kind facility designed to improve how scientists explore the fundamental workings of matter and develop new quantum technologies. By leveraging the unique environment of microgravity in space, the lab can accomplish cutting-edge science impossible to do anywhere else.

Quantum science is the study of matter at the smallest scales, like atoms, electrons, and single particles of light. While it’s easy to imagine atoms as billiard balls bouncing off one another, they also exhibit wave-like behavior, can exist simultaneously in two places at once, and may even pass through one another.

About the size of a minifridge and operated from Earth, the Cold Atom Lab chills atoms to temperatures below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 237 degrees Celsius). At this extreme cold, just above absolute zero, atoms form a large quantum object called a Bose‑Einstein condensate, or BEC, a collection of matter waves that is a fifth state of matter beyond solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. This object follows the rules of quantum mechanics despite being much larger than subatomic particles, and the microgravity of low Earth orbit helps make the waves even larger.

“At the coldest temperatures, matter behaves drastically different from anything we have experienced,” said Jason Williams, project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which built the facility. “The wavelike nature of matter dominates, and ultracold matter can behave in ways that are not only unexpected, but that also enable extremely precise measurements of time, gravity, and motion. The lab has lots of tools — especially with this latest upgrade — to let us probe the nature of the universe.”

The project supports five international teams studying fundamental physics. It also tests the space-readiness of quantum tools that could support future Earth science and space exploration missions.

How it works

The heart of the Cold Atom Lab is a complex set of instruments called its science module. An upgraded module launched on April 11 as part of a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station, enabling new kinds of experiments.

For each experiment, a strip of rubidium or potassium metal is heated to as high as 750 F (400 C) — hot enough to form a gas within the facility’s vacuum chamber. Lasers tuned to specific frequencies are then fired at the gas, draining the energy from these atoms, and cooling them by slowing them down. Once this gas has completed the laser-cooling stage, a magnetic trap captures and holds the gas in place. Through a series of complex techniques, the laboratory reduces an atom cloud’s energy further, bringing it close to a standstill and maximizing its time in microgravity.

While facilities for studying ultracold gases exist on Earth, the Cold Atom Lab can study quantum gases in microgravity for longer periods of time and at even lower temperatures. Conducting these experiments in low gravity allows scientists to study larger quantum waves that also interact for longer times with gravity. To harness these benefits, the Cold Atom Lab essentially shrinks an atom physics lab, typically the size of an entire room filled with lasers and tabletop mirrors, to fit within an experiment rack aboard the space station.

“As the first project to create Bose-Einstein condensates in orbit, we’re demonstrating that we can make quantum technology work reliably in space,” said Ethan Elliott, deputy project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at JPL. “In the previous century, there was a quantum revolution that led to lasers, cellphones, and MRIs for medical imaging. We’re performing quantum 2.0 — direct manipulation of large quantum states — and we hope for similar gains in quantum tech by advancing this science in orbit.”

The latest upgrade is the fourth since the Cold Atom Lab arrived at the space station in 2018. Key improvements include a newly designed magnetic trap that changes the shape of the quantum gas clouds, allowing scientists to test different properties related to their atoms. The upgrade also features redesigned metal strips that act as sources for those gas clouds.

“It’s the closest thing we have to controlling the boundary of the quantum world,” said Kamal Oudrhiri, project manager of Cold Atom Lab at JPL, referring to those low temperatures. “This new upgrade pushes that boundary even further.”

The upgrade, Oudrhiri added, “demonstrates NASA’s ability to maintain U.S. leadership in space-based quantum technologies while maturing future quantum instruments, such as matter-wave interferometers for fundamental physics missions, positioning, navigation, timing, and gravity sensing of Earth, the Moon, and beyond.”

More about Cold Atom Lab

Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL designed, built, and operates the Cold Atom Lab, which is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. The division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations that are not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomena under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefiting life on Earth. 

To learn more about Cold Atom Lab, visit:

https://nasa.gov/cold-atom-laboratory/

Media Contact

Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-2433
andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov

2026-039

At 12:25 p.m. EDT, the unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the forward‑facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module after a command from SpaceX ground controllers. Flight controllers delayed the undocking slightly to power‑cycle a navigation sensor and restore full redundancy before departure.

Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, June 17, before splashing down off the coast of California at approximately 5:08 a.m. PDT. NASA will not stream the splashdown but will post updates on its space station blog.

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

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The post Dragon Undocks to Return Science Experiments to Earth appeared first on NASA Science.

NASA’s live coverage of the undocking and departure of 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA is underway on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

The unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will undock at approximately 12:05 p.m. EDT from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module and fire its thrusters to move safely away from the orbital complex.

On Wednesday, June 17, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere before splashing down off the coast of California at approximately 5:08 a.m. PDT. NASA will not stream the splashdown but will post updates on its space station blog. 

Dragon will return to Earth with thousands of pounds of cargo in one of the most research-packed returns in commercial resupply mission history, carrying samples that could shape future space exploration and life on Earth. Research returning on this mission includes bioprinted organ and cartilage tissue, data on improving cryogenic fuel storage for future space missions, and DNA‑inspired materials to develop new cancer treatments. The returning hardware includes an ocular imaging device used to monitor crew members’ eye health, a sorbent bed that filters trace contaminants from cabin air, and a separator pump from the waste and hygiene compartment.  

Loaded with nearly 6,500 pounds of crew cargo and science experiments, Dragon arrived at the station on May 17 after launching two days earlier on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

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

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The post SpaceX Dragon Prepares for Undocking and Return to Earth appeared first on NASA Science.

Scientists await a big splash in the Pacific Ocean as one of the most research-packed Dragon spacecraft to date returns, completing the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. Biological and materials samples, along with tested hardware, are heading back to research teams on Earth for further analysis, advancing NASA’s work to prepare humans for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to deliver benefits back home.

Tiny cells, huge health insights

Some samples returning are for NASA’s Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion in Space: Pathfinder Investigation (InSPA-StemCellEX-H2), which seeks to use the microgravity environment to scale up the production of stems cells. On Earth, lab-produced blood stem cells lose their ability to form different cell types, like red and white blood cells that are critical to treating patients with certain blood diseases and cancers. In microgravity, researchers believe this ability will be better preserved while also growing these stem cells in greater numbers. The returning samples will undergo further analysis to determine if space-based efforts produce larger quantities of enhanced stem cells suitable for clinical use.

The team behind NASA’s Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) Infection of Cardiac Tissue (MVP Cell-09) experiment is awaiting the return of stem cell-derived heart tissues that were intentionally infected with a pneumonia-causing bacterium as part of ongoing microgravity research. Pneumonia increases the risk of heart disease, which is not fully understood. Because bacteria tend to become more active and virulent in microgravity, this experiment could amplify their effects, making it possible to detect cellular responses that cannot be observed on Earth.

NASA’s Megakaryocyte Flying-One (MeF1) samples are returning to Earth to help understand how large cells found in bone marrow, known as megakaryocytes, and the platelets they produce adapt to spaceflight. Megakaryocytes and platelets play important roles in the formation of blood clots and immune responses. The returning samples, including those taken from astronauts, could show us how the human immune system reacts aboard the space station and help prepare for future exploration missions.

Driving design enhancements

Many spacecraft use cryogenic fuels for propulsion, but temperature swings in space can cause these extremely cold fuels to slowly evaporate and escape their tank, reducing fuel efficiency and complicating mission planning. NASA’s Zero Boil-Off Tank Noncondensables (ZBOT-NC) investigation aboard station studies how gases that do not condense into liquids at cold temperatures affect pressure control and fluid behaviors in propellant tanks. Hardware returning aboard Dragon, including drives containing fluid-physics data, could help validate models and contribute to the design of more efficient cryogenic fuel storage systems for long-duration missions.

Semiconductor research samples as part of NASA’s In-Space Production of Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite Bulk Crystals in Microgravity (SUBSA-InSPA-SSCug) investigation are returning to Earth for further analysis. This study manufactured semimetal-semiconductor composite alloy crystals in space, which have applications in many electronics, including sensors and lasers. Researchers believe microgravity could enable the production of significantly greater and higher-quality crystals, supporting the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies.

Innovative medical research mix

NASA’s DNA Nano Therapeutics-3 research team will receive tiny, space-assembled DNA-inspired materials that are combined with medicines to create active cancer treatments. Producing these treatments in microgravity can improve how well they perform in the body. This research could improve patient outcomes by helping therapies reach tumors more effectively, stay in the body longer, and improve medicine release.

Tissue models of the brain, heart, liver, and kidney that were tested with novel RNA-based medicines as part of NASA’s InSPA-Sachi Nanoligomer investigation are also returning. Microgravity can accelerate aging and disease processes, giving researchers a unique environment to better observe how well these new drugs work on different organs ahead of clinical trials.

Samples from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Green Bone investigation are returning to Earth to help understand how bone cells grow and develop on a new scaffold made from wood. Designed to mimic real bone, this scaffold was tested in microgravity to understand its ability to heal defects and fractures. Because living in microgravity simulates conditions like osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder which affects millions of people worldwide, the results could help treat patients with these fragile bone conditions. 

NASA’s 3D Bone Marrow Analog research team will analyze the returning 3D-printed tissues that mimic parts of the bone marrow. Spaceflight can cause aging-like changes, including bone and muscle loss. To investigate potential countermeasures, these tissue models were exposed to small vibrations aboard the space station to simulate exercise. After the samples return to Earth, researchers will measure bone-like mineral formations and observe cellular and genetic changes. Findings from this investigation could help develop new strategies to maintain astronaut bone and muscle health during future long-duration missions.

In the United States, more than 900,000 knee cartilage injuries occur annually, with many requiring surgery. NASA’s InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter-Cell Printing is investigating how to treat these injuries and is returning 3D-printed cartilage tissue samples from space station. This investigation uses the orbiting laboratory’s unique microgravity environment to bioprint cartilage tissues with more evenly distributed cells compared to those printed on Earth. The results could help produce higher-quality cartilage prints to treat joint injuries.

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Scientists await a big splash in the Pacific Ocean as one of the most research-packed Dragon spacecraft to date returns, completing the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. Biological and materials samples, along with tested hardware, are heading back to research teams on Earth for further analysis, advancing NASA’s work to prepare humans for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to deliver benefits back home.

Tiny cells, huge health insights

Some samples returning are for NASA’s Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion in Space: Pathfinder Investigation (InSPA-StemCellEX-H2), which seeks to use the microgravity environment to scale up the production of stems cells. On Earth, lab-produced blood stem cells lose their ability to form different cell types, like red and white blood cells that are critical to treating patients with certain blood diseases and cancers. In microgravity, researchers believe this ability will be better preserved while also growing these stem cells in greater numbers. The returning samples will undergo further analysis to determine if space-based efforts produce larger quantities of enhanced stem cells suitable for clinical use.

The team behind NASA’s Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) Infection of Cardiac Tissue (MVP Cell-09) experiment is awaiting the return of stem cell-derived heart tissues that were intentionally infected with a pneumonia-causing bacterium as part of ongoing microgravity research. Pneumonia increases the risk of heart disease, which is not fully understood. Because bacteria tend to become more active and virulent in microgravity, this experiment could amplify their effects, making it possible to detect cellular responses that cannot be observed on Earth.

NASA’s Megakaryocyte Flying-One (MeF1) samples are returning to Earth to help understand how large cells found in bone marrow, known as megakaryocytes, and the platelets they produce adapt to spaceflight. Megakaryocytes and platelets play important roles in the formation of blood clots and immune responses. The returning samples, including those taken from astronauts, could show us how the human immune system reacts aboard the space station and help prepare for future exploration missions.

Driving design enhancements

Many spacecraft use cryogenic fuels for propulsion, but temperature swings in space can cause these extremely cold fuels to slowly evaporate and escape their tank, reducing fuel efficiency and complicating mission planning. NASA’s Zero Boil-Off Tank Noncondensables (ZBOT-NC) investigation aboard station studies how gases that do not condense into liquids at cold temperatures affect pressure control and fluid behaviors in propellant tanks. Hardware returning aboard Dragon, including drives containing fluid-physics data, could help validate models and contribute to the design of more efficient cryogenic fuel storage systems for long-duration missions.

Semiconductor research samples as part of NASA’s In-Space Production of Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite Bulk Crystals in Microgravity (SUBSA-InSPA-SSCug) investigation are returning to Earth for further analysis. This study manufactured semimetal-semiconductor composite alloy crystals in space, which have applications in many electronics, including sensors and lasers. Researchers believe microgravity could enable the production of significantly greater and higher-quality crystals, supporting the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies.

Innovative medical research mix

NASA’s DNA Nano Therapeutics-3 research team will receive tiny, space-assembled DNA-inspired materials that are combined with medicines to create active cancer treatments. Producing these treatments in microgravity can improve how well they perform in the body. This research could improve patient outcomes by helping therapies reach tumors more effectively, stay in the body longer, and improve medicine release.

Tissue models of the brain, heart, liver, and kidney that were tested with novel RNA-based medicines as part of NASA’s InSPA-Sachi Nanoligomer investigation are also returning. Microgravity can accelerate aging and disease processes, giving researchers a unique environment to better observe how well these new drugs work on different organs ahead of clinical trials.

Samples from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Green Bone investigation are returning to Earth to help understand how bone cells grow and develop on a new scaffold made from wood. Designed to mimic real bone, this scaffold was tested in microgravity to understand its ability to heal defects and fractures. Because living in microgravity simulates conditions like osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder which affects millions of people worldwide, the results could help treat patients with these fragile bone conditions. 

NASA’s 3D Bone Marrow Analog research team will analyze the returning 3D-printed tissues that mimic parts of the bone marrow. Spaceflight can cause aging-like changes, including bone and muscle loss. To investigate potential countermeasures, these tissue models were exposed to small vibrations aboard the space station to simulate exercise. After the samples return to Earth, researchers will measure bone-like mineral formations and observe cellular and genetic changes. Findings from this investigation could help develop new strategies to maintain astronaut bone and muscle health during future long-duration missions.

In the United States, more than 900,000 knee cartilage injuries occur annually, with many requiring surgery. NASA’s InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter-Cell Printing is investigating how to treat these injuries and is returning 3D-printed cartilage tissue samples from space station. This investigation uses the orbiting laboratory’s unique microgravity environment to bioprint cartilage tissues with more evenly distributed cells compared to those printed on Earth. The results could help produce higher-quality cartilage prints to treat joint injuries.

The Expedition 74 crew members packed a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft on Monday with sensitive science experiments and lab hardware for return to Earth. The orbital residents also configured spacewalking tools and conducted cardiac research to kick off the week aboard the International Space Station.

A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is scheduled to undock from the Harmony module’s forward port at 12:05 p.m. EDT on Tuesday ending its stay at the orbital laboratory that began on April 17. NASA+ will begin its broadcast of Dragon’s undocking and departure at 11:45 a.m. Dragon’s parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California the following day will not be televised.

The astronauts are partnering together transferring portable science freezers loaded with critical research samples and packing lab equipment into Dragon following a month of intense research into a variety of space-designed therapies to protect human health. The freezers house the results of investigations into stem cell manufacturing, cartilage tissue printing, and more to treat a range of conditions from blood diseases, cancers, and cartilage injuries. Doctors on the ground will analyze the preserved samples to gain advanced health insights unobtainable in Earth’s gravity environment.

NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway started the cargo work early Monday packing and securing station hardware inside Dragon for the ride back to Earth. Next, flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) installed the sample-packed freezers in Dragon where they will stay powered on preserving the biomedical specimens for retrieval on the ground. Finally, NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir capped off Monday’s shift with more scientific transfers then cleaned and inspected hatch seals on Harmony’s port where Dragon is docked.

Meanwhile, preparations continue for a spacewalk planned for June 30 to replace a wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Adenot began her shift in the Quest airlock charging lithium-ion batteries that power spacesuit gloves, helmet cameras, and pistol grip tools. Williams and Meir joined each other during a break in their Dragon packing and inspected tethers that secure astronauts to the orbiting lab during spacewalks.

Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev, both from Roscosmos, took turns wearing a series of arm, wrist, and finger cuffs measuring how living in space affects their blood pressure. Next, Kud-Sverchkov attached electrocardiogram sensors to his chest that will monitor his cardiac activity for 24 hours. Mikaev turned his attention to Earth observations, pointed a camera out a station window, and photographed landmarks across the Pacific Ocean including islands and volcanos.

Flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev began his shift transferring fluids and disinfecting tanks throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment. Fedyaev wrapped up his shift working on ventilation system maintenance and checking station lighting conditions and illumination levels.

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

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Space agriculture, stem cells, and cargo operations wrapped up the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew also conducted blood tests and installed a new food processor as a U.S. cargo spacecraft nears the end of its mission.

Launching a spacecraft on Earth packed with enough food for a yearslong crew mission or sending resupply ships to replenish a crew beyond low Earth orbit is prohibitive. Therefore, growing plants aboard a spacecraft is key to sustaining crews on long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As a result, NASA and its international partners have been exploring growing crops in space to enable crews to feed themselves without support from Earth. NASA flight engineer Chris Williams contributed to the ongoing space agriculture research at the end of the week and configured a microscope to observe plant cell division in microgravity. Insights may lead to improved methods of growing food in space as well as on lunar and planetary surfaces.

Low Earth orbit may also be the next frontier for biomedical manufacturing as doctors seek to overcome the limitations of gravity on the ground. NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir harvested blood stem cells inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox (LSG) that have been growing aboard the orbital outpost since the arrival of a SpaceX Dragon cargo craft on May 17. Next, she looked at the density and viability of the live cells using the KERMIT fluorescent microscope. Researchers are exploring space-designed cell therapies to treat serious medical conditions such as blood cancers and immune diseases.

Dragon is due to depart the International Space Station at 12:05 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 16, to return the stem cell samples, including several tons of completed science experiments and lab hardware, for analysis on Earth. Live coverage of Dragon’s undocking and departure begins at 11:45 a.m. on NASA+.

Williams and Meir also partnered with flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) packing Dragon with return cargo together throughout Friday. The quartet will intensify their cargo transfers early next week when they begin loading Dragon with sensitive research samples packed inside portable science freezers for preservation, retrieval, and analysis on Earth.

Williams and Meir began their Friday shift collecting blood samples for spinning in a centrifuge then stowing in a science freezer for future analysis. Hathaway removed a research freezer from inside Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox used the day before to preserve bacteria samples for genetic and chemical analysis. Adenot also spent some time assisting Meir during the stem cell operations then tested a new food processor in the Columbus laboratory module by cooking a Mediterranean dish.

The station’s three cosmonauts, station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineers Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev enjoyed an off-duty day on Friday.

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

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Microbiology dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Thursday helping doctors protect health on Earth and in space. The Expedition 74 crew also tested a new spacesuit, packed a U.S. cargo spacecraft, and kept up lab maintenance throughout the orbital outpost.

Scientists are comparing bacteria samples grown onboard the orbiting lab to similar samples living in simulated microgravity chambers on Earth to learn how microbes respond to space-like conditions. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot kicked off the Odyssey biotechnology investigation processing microbe samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox (LSG) to document their genetic function. Next, NASA flight engineer Chris Williams collected the microbes for preservation and cleaned the research hardware inside the LSG for continuing operations. Finally, NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir took over and completed the day’s genetic study treating the sensitive samples to observe their chemical response. She immediately stowed the microbes for preservation afterward inside the LSG’s science freezer that she had installed the day before. Insights gained from the new study may lead to new ways of protecting humans and equipment exposed to harsh conditions on and off the Earth.

After completing her microbe work, Adenot moved to the Columbus laboratory module and tried on a prototype spacesuit designed by ESA to be worn inside a spacecraft. She tested the EuroSuit for its ease of donning on and off, as well as its comfort and mobility, then documented her experience for engineers to review. Results will inform the final design of the suit to meet the ergonomic requirements of living and working in space.

Williams also continued packing cargo inside a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft with assistance from NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway. Dragon is being loaded with several thousand pounds of station gear and science experiments that will be returned to Earth for analysis by engineers and scientists. Hathaway spent the majority of his shift inside the Tranquility module swapping orbital plumbing components and transferring water between tanks for life support maintenance.

Meir began her shift servicing fluid-containing sample processing hardware that is supporting the observation of pharmaceutical crystal growth to promote the production of advanced cancer therapies in weightlessness. Next, she activated tubes filled with microbial and botanical samples for a variety of student-designed experiments inside the Harmony module.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov inspected and cleaned ventilation equipment then repaired a thermal sensor inside the Zvezda service module. Flight engineer Sergei Mikaev disinfected surfaces inside the Zarya module and checked the functionality of video hardware. Flight engineer Andrey Mikaev spent his shift on orbital plumbing and oxygen generator maintenance in the space station’s Roscosmos segment.

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

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A soccer ball floats in microgravity in this March 2, 2026, picture from the International Space Station. The space station crew tested soccer balls to study how internal mass affects motion and stability in microgravity. The findings have improved understanding of how embedded technologies, including match-ball sensors, can influence performance during play.

Through research aboard the International Space Station and technology developed for exploration, NASA continues to demonstrate how discoveries made for space can benefit people on Earth—including athletes and fans participating in the world’s most popular sport.

Image credit: NASA

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A soccer ball floats in microgravity in this March 2, 2026, picture from the International Space Station. The space station crew tested soccer balls to study how internal mass affects motion and stability in microgravity. The findings have improved understanding of how embedded technologies, including match-ball sensors, can influence performance during play.

Through research aboard the International Space Station and technology developed for exploration, NASA continues to demonstrate how discoveries made for space can benefit people on Earth—including athletes and fans participating in the world’s most popular sport.

Image credit: NASA

Scientific hardware installations and biomedical monitoring topped the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 74 crew members also adjusted a spacesuit to prepare for a spacewalk and explored space physics to round out their day.

A series of shoebox-sized CubeSats will soon be deployed outside the Kibo laboratory module into Earth orbit for public and private research. One of the satellites, Hokushin-1 CubeSat, will test space technologies such as radio frequency, propulsion, and solar arrays. NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway finished installing a small satellite orbital deployer, packed with the CubeSats, into Kibo’s airlock where it will soon be placed in the vacuum of space and grappled by the Japanese robotic arm. The deployer will be maneuvered with the robotic arm and positioned away from the orbital outpost to safely release the tiny satellites into Earth orbit.

Onboard the orbital outpost are a variety of research freezers—large, small, portable, and permanent—that house and preserve station research samples for analysis both on Earth and in space. One of them, a smaller glovebox freezer, is being installed inside Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox (LSG) by NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir for upcoming experiment operations. The freezer’s location inside the LSG allows the samples to be stowed and frozen immediately after processing to prevent degradation and preserve integrity during sensitive biology research.

Meir also assisted flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) as she set up wearable devices for a pair of biomedical tests on Wednesday. Adenot first measured her blood pressure to calibrate the PhysioTool technology demonstration gear. Next, she wore head and body sensors that measured her brain oxygen and blood flow levels as she performed cognitive and mental tasks on a computer. Researchers are testing the portable device onboard the station to potentially monitor crew health on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Meir also had time to help NASA flight engineer Chris Williams pack cargo inside a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft that will undock from the Harmony module’s forward port and soon return to Earth. Williams then maneuvered into the Quest airlock and adjusted a spacesuit’s legs, arms, and helmet, then ensured the suit’s switches and valves were correctly configured ahead of an upcoming spacewalk.

On May 27, during routine operations of the International Space Station’s Canadarm2, the system demonstrated an elevated motor current in a wrist joint and arm motion did not occur as expected. NASA worked alongside CSA (Canadian Space Agency) to understand the issue and determined a spacewalk will be required to replace the joint using a spare already aboard the orbital complex. The Canadarm2, which is designed to be repaired in orbit, is in a safe configuration and standard operations using the arm have been paused. In the coming weeks, NASA will host a news conference to discuss the repair and preview the planned Tuesday, June 30 spacewalk. NASA will share more on the spacewalkers closer to the activity.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev joined each other and explored space physics in the Zvezda service module. The duo observed how two different sized spheres drift freely in microgravity with no pushing movement from the crew. Results may lead to the design of newer space tools, improved robotics, and a deeper understanding of crew motion. Roscosmos flight engineer Andreu Fedyaev focused primarily on maintenance testing computer operations, cleaning ventilation systems, and transferring water between station tanks.

Finally, the space station is orbiting higher today after the Progress 95 cargo spacecraft fired its thrusters for over eight minutes early Wednesday raising its altitude by 1.9 miles. This adjusts the orbital outpost’s altitude ahead of the launch and docking of the Soyuz MS-29 crew spacecraft planned for mid-July.

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

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Microbiology and human research were the main scientific focus aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday to protect health on and off the Earth. The Expedition 74 crew members also worked on advanced research hardware and sent down a congratulatory message to the Artemis III crew, who were named during an announcement from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Some common bacteria have shown an increased resistance to antibiotics in the space environment potentially affecting an astronaut’s ability to fight an infection. Flight engineers Jack Hathway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) explored the antibiotic-resistant organisms inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox and the Harmony module’s maintenance work area by processing the microbial samples and preparing them for DNA extraction and analysis. Doctors will use the data to understand how microbes adapt to microgravity possibly informing countermeasures to reduce the risk to astronaut health and protect patients on Earth.

NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams partnered together loading a CubeSat-packed small satellite orbital deployer into Kibo’s airlock that will soon be placed into the vacuum of space. The Japanese robotic arm will grapple the deployer and point it away from the orbital outpost where it will safely deploy the shoebox-sized satellites into Earth orbit. A series of tiny satellites will be released for public and private research, including the Hokushin-1 CubeSat that will test space technologies such as radio frequency, propulsion, and solar arrays.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Andrey Fedyaev worked on a pair of different investigations on Tuesday to continuously monitor how weightlessness affects the human body. Kud-Sverchkov, the orbital outpost’s commander, strapped an acoustic sensor around his neck that recorded his rapid exhalation to learn how living in space affects the respiratory system. Fedyaev wore a set of cuffs attached to his arms, wrist, and fingers measuring his blood pressure for a microgravity cardiac experiment. Roscosmos flight engineer Sergei Mikaev was back on artificial intelligence research studying new tools to boost crew efficiency and communications aboard a spacecraft.

Four of the station’s astronauts also sent down a message congratulating the four new Artemis III crew members commander Randy Bresnik of NASA, pilot Luca Parmitano of ESA, and NASA mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas. The four flight engineers each spoke a few inspiring words with Meir stating, “Congratulations, Artemis III and godspeed on the journey ahead.” Watch the crew message on @Space_Station X.

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

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