Hovering 262 miles above the Northeastern seaboard of Australia, Andreas Mogensen, an astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA), took a photograph from the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, docked with the station since August 4, 2023, is visible to the right of the frame, showcasing its distinctive cymbal-like solar panels. Photo Credit: NASA
The International Space Station is currently hosting a full complement of 10 astronauts following the recent arrival of a new crew last Friday. Activities on Tuesday, September 19, were divided among the station’s occupants; three are acclimating to the microgravity environment, while another prepares for their return journey to Earth in the coming week.
New Occupants and Assigned Duties
Newcomers to orbital residence, Loral O’Hara of NASA and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, are engaged in initial maintenance tasks slated for their tenure. O’Hara conducted water quality assessments through sample analysis, while Chub participated in a study evaluating cardiovascular and respiratory performance.
Their arrival last Friday was in the company of Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, who has commenced his fifth mission on the orbiting research platform. The trio reached the station aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft, which will remain docked for the upcoming year. Kononenko dedicated part of his day to transferring supplies from the Soyuz spacecraft and adjusting to yet another term in low-Earth orbit.
NASA’s Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli undertook water sampling for microbial scrutiny within the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA
Departure Preparations and Daily Responsibilities
NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio, Commander Sergey Prokopyev, and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos allocated some time to prepare for their impending departure scheduled for September 27. Rubio aided his newly-arrived colleagues in familiarizing themselves with orbital living conditions. Meanwhile, Prokopyev and Petelin underwent training for manual control of the descent of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft they will use for their return. Prior to these preparations, Rubio devoted his morning hours to the inspection and cleaning of overhead vent diffusers in the Tranquility Module.
Other Activities of Expedition 69
Additional members of Expedition 69 have swiftly adapted to their altered routines since their arrival in August and are fully engaged in a range of orbital activities. Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA focused on collecting blood pressure metrics, while ESA’s Flight Engineer Andreas Mogensen assessed an innovative lighting system designed to assist astronauts in maintaining their circadian rhythms. Mogensen also set up a culinary apparatus for creating chocolate mousse, a treat he taste-tested later. In the evening hours, Moghbeli completed an ophthalmic exam to evaluate intraocular pressure.
In further tasks, Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) committed his morning to servicing the Internal Ball Camera within the Japanese Experiment Module. Post-lunch, he proceeded to mend and replace cables in the Life Support Rack. Concurrently, Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos was occupied with tasks related to the station’s plumbing system.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about International Space Station Activities
What is the International Space Station (ISS)?
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space laboratory and habitat situated in low Earth orbit.
2 comments
Some sentences need commas, like, “Prokopyev and Petelin are undergoing training for manual controlled descent.”
international space station is a cool lab in space. they have 10 astronots in it. amazin stuff hapen there.