This image captures the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship connected to the Rassvet module, seen from the International Space Station while orbiting 267 miles above the Tasman Sea, positioned between Australia and New Zealand. In the frame, on the left side, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter is visible, featuring one of its distinctive cymbal-like UltraFlex solar arrays. Image courtesy: NASA
Following the recent arrival of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft early on Saturday, the Expedition 70 crew is actively unloading its contents. Concurrently, the station’s inhabitants continue their scientific research and maintenance duties after executing a maneuver last week to avoid space debris.
Offloading and Setting Up Critical Experiments
Post Dragon’s Saturday docking, the hatches between it and the station were opened. NASA Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara supervised its docking and entered the spacecraft in under two hours post-arrival. Alongside Commander Andreas Mogensen and Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa, they dedicated the weekend to offloading crucial experiments for setup and commencement in the station.
As the station orbited into the night, 260 miles above the southern tip of Alaska, shadows cast upon a coral-colored cloud wall illuminated by the sun were visible. Image courtesy: NASA
Ongoing Unloading and Research Activities on Monday
Monday saw the team diligently moving science freezers filled with research specimens from Dragon to the station and initiating new experiments. Mogensen, representing ESA (European Space Agency), and Furukawa, from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), handled the setup of space biology apparatus and started the transfer of 6,500 pounds of fresh supplies and equipment.
Support and Maintenance Work by O’Hara and Moghbeli
During the morning, O’Hara and Moghbeli supported the international astronauts with science freezer tasks and cargo moving. O’Hara later devoted her afternoon to servicing components of the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), a biological printer experimenting with the printing of organ-like tissues in microgravity. Moghbeli was involved in setting up new life science equipment, aiding BFF operations, and maintaining essential life support and electronics.
Routine Review of Emergency Procedures
The day concluded with the four astronauts joining the station’s three cosmonauts to review updated emergency protocols while Dragon remains docked to Harmony module’s forward end. Dragon is scheduled to remain attached to Harmony until early December, post which it will return to Earth with station hardware and completed research for retrieval and analysis.
Activities of Russian Cosmonauts
Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko initiated his day in the Poisk airlock, examining pressurization equipment, then inspected Zvezda service module’s windows, and engaged in a fitness evaluation on Zvezda’s treadmill. Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub devoted his day to testing a 3D printer for tool and supply production, independent of Earth-based cargo missions. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov deactivated a student-controlled remote camera, reviewed Roscosmos laptops, and cleaned ventilation systems.
ISS Orbital Debris Evasion
On November 10, to avoid a projected collision path with orbital debris, the Zvezda service module’s engines were activated for five minutes and 16 seconds starting at 10:07 a.m. This action successfully moved the station away from harm’s path. This maneuver did not impact the docking of NASA’s SpaceX 29th commercial resupply mission with the space station, which occurred at 5:07 a.m. on November 11, following its launch two days earlier.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about SpaceX Dragon Unpacking
What was the main activity of the ISS Expedition 70 crew following the arrival of SpaceX Dragon?
The main activity involved the Expedition 70 crew unpacking the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, which arrived early on a Saturday. They managed time-sensitive experiments and transferred research samples for ongoing scientific investigations.
How did the ISS crew respond to the space debris threat?
The ISS crew executed a debris avoidance maneuver using the Zvezda service module engines. This maneuver, lasting five minutes and 16 seconds, effectively moved the station away from the predicted track of an orbital debris fragment.
What were the specific tasks undertaken by the NASA Flight Engineers post-Dragon’s arrival?
NASA Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara monitored Dragon’s docking, entered the spacecraft shortly after docking, and worked on unloading time-sensitive experiments. They also assisted in setting up new life science hardware and maintaining essential station systems.
What activities did the Russian cosmonauts engage in during this period?
Russian cosmonauts, including Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov, were involved in a variety of tasks such as checking pressurization gear, inspecting windows, fitness evaluations, testing a 3D printer for tool production, and maintaining the station’s ventilation systems.
How long is the Dragon spacecraft expected to be docked to the ISS?
The Dragon spacecraft is expected to remain docked to the International Space Station’s Harmony module until early December, after which it will return to Earth with completed research and station hardware for retrieval and analysis.
More about SpaceX Dragon Unpacking
- International Space Station’s Expedition 70
- SpaceX Dragon Cargo Spacecraft
- ISS Debris Avoidance Maneuvers
- NASA Flight Engineers on ISS
- Russian Cosmonauts’ Activities on ISS
- BioFabrication Facility in Microgravity Research
- ESA and JAXA Contributions to Space Research
- SpaceX Commercial Resupply Missions to ISS
4 comments
did anyone else get a bit anxious reading about the debris avoidance? space seems kinda dangerous, glad they managed it ok
wow, really cool to see how much work goes into these space missions, always thought it was just about floating around up there, but they’re actually doing some serious science!
SpaceX is really leading the way in space tech, every launch and mission seems to push boundaries further, kudos to them and NASA!
It’s amazing that they can do biological experiments in space like with the BioFabrication Facility? I wonder what kind of results they get compared to on earth