Research Intensifies on International Space Station Despite Crew-6 Return Postponement

The International Space Station was captured in an image from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour, which circled the station following its detachment from the Harmony module’s port facing outer space on November 8, 2021. Image Credit: NASA

The members of Expedition 69 are scheduled to part ways soon, as four flight engineers are set to descend to Earth in the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. In the interim, all astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been diligently conducting their ongoing orbital experiments and maintenance assignments.

Unsuitable meteorological conditions near Florida’s coastline have led to a minimum 24-hour delay in the planned disengagement and water landing of the four Crew-6 astronauts originally scheduled for Saturday. Mission coordinators from SpaceX and NASA have adjusted the disengagement timetable for the Endeavour, now aiming for a departure time of no earlier than 7:05 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday.

Endeavour Crew’s Homeward Voyage

The Endeavour, under the command of NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen and piloted by NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, is slated to make its water landing off the coast of Florida at 12:07 a.m. on Monday. Accompanying the NASA astronauts during their 19-hour return trip to Earth are UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The team of four will be concluding a six-month space research mission that was initiated with a lift-off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on March 2.

Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Woody Hoburg, Jasmin Moghbeli, and Frank Rubio, all representing NASA, were photographed on board the International Space Station. These astronauts were part of NASA’s 22nd astronaut group, colloquially known as “The Turtles,” selected in June 2017. Image Credit: NASA

Onboarding Engineers and Their Tasks

Newly arrived flight engineers, including Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency), Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos, have been acclimating to the ISS systems throughout the week. Their focus has now shifted to full-time scientific research, cargo management, and health monitoring, having resided on the ISS since August 27.

Moghbeli has moved research specimens to scientific freezers for transport back to Earth aboard the Endeavour with the outgoing crew. Mogensen installed two Kubik research incubators in the Columbus laboratory module to support studies on seeds, cells, and small mammals. Furukawa was engaged in the Kibo laboratory module, where he removed a microbiology experiment from a research incubator capable of generating artificial gravity. Borisov, meanwhile, unloaded supplies from the Roscosmos Progress 85 cargo vessel and explored methods by which future crews could operate spacecraft and robotics on celestial missions.

Additional Crew Activities

The ISS’s remaining three crew members are scheduled to vacate the orbital station at the end of September after spending over a year in orbit around Earth. During this period, the NASA and Roscosmos trio has persevered in their research and maintenance activities. Astronaut and Flight Engineer Frank Rubio prepared and stored emergency breathing apparatus and underwent eye scans administered by Mogensen using conventional medical imaging equipment. Cosmonaut and Commander Sergey Prokopyev collaborated with Borisov in the task of unpacking the Progress 85 cargo. Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin engaged in a cutting-edge piloting study, inspected the Zvezda service module’s windows, and took inventory of supplies in the Poisk module.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about International Space Station Activities

More about International Space Station Activities

• International Space Station Overview
• SpaceX Crew-6 Mission Details
• NASA’s Expedition 69 Information
• Weather Conditions Affecting Space Missions
• ISS Research and Experiments
• Roscosmos Space Agency Overview
• European Space Agency (ESA) Activities on ISS
• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) ISS Involvement
• Information on ISS Cargo Management and Supply
• NASA’s Kennedy Space Center