Table of Contents
ISS Receives Supplies, Awaits Arrival of SpaceX Crew-7
The celestial backdrop of the Moon and the star Antares adorned the sky as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, equipped with the company’s Dragon spacecraft, was situated at Launch Complex 39A on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
The International Space Station (ISS) received a cargo shipment during the nighttime hours, even as the scheduled takeoff for SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission has been delayed by a day. Crew members of Expedition 69 have initiated the process of unloading the newly arrived supplies and are concurrently maintaining various scientific instruments on board the station.
Resupply Operations by Roscosmos Progress 85
Cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin retired for the day in the early afternoon on Friday following the successful docking of the Roscosmos Progress 85 resupply vessel to the Zvezda service module’s aft port at 11:45 p.m. EDT the previous night. The duo conducted leak and pressure tests, opened the hatch of Progress 85, and devoted subsequent hours to transferring nearly three tons of essentials like food, fuel, and other provisions to restock the lab.
At the same time, the impending arrival of the Roscosmos resupply craft was paralleled by news for the four-member crew of SpaceX Crew-7 in Florida. They were notified that their journey to join Expedition 69 would be postponed by an additional 24 hours. The SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft, mounted atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, is now set to launch at 3:27 a.m. EDT on Saturday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The extra day has been allocated for mission overseers to evaluate the safety and life-support systems of the Dragon spacecraft.
The Falcon 9 rocket with SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is positioned at Launch Complex 39A, with the Moon visible in the sky, on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Crew-7 mission of NASA’s SpaceX constitutes the seventh crew rotation operation involving the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Scheduled to take off at 3:27 a.m. EDT on Saturday, August 26, are NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov. Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Forthcoming Voyage of Crew-7
Commander Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 will be joined by Pilot Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency), and Mission Specialists Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Konstantin Borisov from Roscosmos. The commercial crew aboard the Endurance is programmed to dock with the ISS’s Harmony module’s space-facing port at approximately 8:39 a.m. on Sunday. Following this, the newly arrived team will make their entry into the station, where they will be welcomed by the existing Expedition 69 crew and commence their six-month microgravity research assignment.
Current Undertakings on the ISS
Concurrently, the seven astronauts currently in orbit are fully prepared to greet their incoming colleagues. While Prokopyev and Petelin were concluding operations with Progress 85 and preparing for rest, the remaining five station inhabitants were engaged in specialized research. NASA Flight Engineers Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg busied themselves in the Tranquility module, getting the NanoRacks Bishop airlock ready for upcoming depressurization and detachment activities. The Canadarm2 robotic appendage is scheduled to extract Bishop from the Tranquility module in the early part of next week for a study aimed at gauging temperature, vibrations, and radiation at external payload sites.
Sultan Alneyadi, an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, was busy storing equipment and modifying the Microgravity Science Glovebox for future investigations aimed at fabricating advanced material structures in microgravity conditions. Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA conducted work in the Kibo laboratory, exchanging samples of stem-cell-based heart micro-tissues within the Life Science Glovebox. This research has the potential to aid in the development of novel treatment options for heart conditions originating in space, as well as those prevalent on Earth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about International Space Station Activities
What was the main reason for the delay of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission?
The launch of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission was postponed by 24 hours to allow mission managers additional time to review the Dragon spacecraft’s safety and life-support systems.
Who are the astronauts scheduled to be part of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission?
The Crew-7 mission will be led by NASA Commander Jasmin Moghbeli and will include Pilot Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as Mission Specialists Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos.
What cargo did the Roscosmos Progress 85 resupply ship deliver to the ISS?
The Roscosmos Progress 85 resupply ship delivered nearly three tons of essential items, including food, fuel, and various other supplies, to replenish the International Space Station.
What are some of the current research activities being conducted on the ISS?
Current research activities on the ISS include the study of stem-cell-based heart micro-tissues, which may lead to new treatments for heart conditions. Additionally, experiments are being conducted to measure temperature, vibrations, and radiation at external payload sites.
Which module will the SpaceX Crew-7 dock to upon their arrival at the ISS?
The SpaceX Crew-7 is programmed to dock with the Harmony module’s space-facing port on the International Space Station.
What is the expected duration of the Crew-7’s microgravity research mission on the ISS?
The Crew-7 is scheduled to commence a six-month microgravity research assignment upon their arrival at the ISS.
Who are the current Expedition 69 crew members engaged in unpacking and maintaining the ISS?
The article does not specify the names of all the Expedition 69 crew members currently engaged in unpacking the newly arrived supplies and maintaining various scientific instruments aboard the ISS.
When is the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft now scheduled to launch?
The SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft is now scheduled to launch at 3:27 a.m. EDT on Saturday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
What tasks were UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi involved in?
United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi was engaged in storing hardware and reconfiguring the Microgravity Science Glovebox for future scientific investigations.
What is the Commercial Crew Program?
The Commercial Crew Program is a NASA initiative involving crew rotation operations between Earth and the ISS, using commercial spacecraft like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket.
More about International Space Station Activities
- SpaceX Official Website
- NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- International Space Station Updates
- Roscosmos Official News
- European Space Agency (ESA) Activities
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Missions
- Kennedy Space Center Information
- Overview of Expedition 69
- Microgravity Research on ISS
- Safety and Life-Support Systems Review
10 comments
Wait, they delayed Crew-7 again? Come on, was lookin forward to the launch.
Beautiful imagery of the moon and rockets. Kudos to the photographer, NASA/Joel Kowsky.
Wow, never knew how much goes on at the ISS. it’s like a busy city up there!
Does anyone know why they needed an extra day to check the Dragon’s life support? Safety first I guess.
6 months in microgravity research? sign me up. but seriously, what’s the process to become an astronaut?
Fascinating to read about the research. The stem cell heart studies could be groundbreaking.
Expedition 69 seems busy. but whos gonna be on Expedition 70? Any info out yet?
can’t wait to see the Dragon Endurance lift off. SpaceX is just killing it!
Love that they’ve got an international crew. Truly a global effort for the advancement of science!
Article could’ve mentioned more about the UAE astronaut’s role. I’m curious about their contributions to the ISS.