The International Space Station is witnessed at approximately 260 miles above Egypt, with Earth’s atmosphere shimmering in the background. Image courtesy of NASA.
Expedition 69’s team is in the midst of unloading the Cygnus cargo ship and getting ready to increase the ISS’s altitude. The crew’s responsibilities include continuous scientific research, maintenance, spacewalk aftermath cleanup, and preparations for upcoming events such as the arrival of a Roscosmos cargo and a crew exchange via Soyuz.
The Expedition 69 members are persistently working to empty a U.S. cargo vessel and ready the ISS for an elevation maneuver scheduled for Friday, August 11. Along with scientific pursuits and upkeep tasks, they are also managing the post-spacewalk cleaning.
On Thursday, NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen carried on with the unloading of several tons of scientific material and provisions from the Cygnus space transporter. Cygnus will initiate its engines on Friday to lift the station’s orbit, aligning it for the forthcoming Roscosmos cargo delivery in two weeks and a planned Soyuz crew transition in mid- to late September.
As the International Space Station orbits 261 miles above the Red Sea’s coastline in Saudi Arabia, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo vessel is captured on August 4, 2023. Photo by NASA.
Monitoring Science and Health
Rubio dedicated time to resolving computer electronics issues within the Combustion Integrated Rack, while Bowen monitored his blood pressure and changed samples for a space manufacturing study in the Microgravity Science Glovebox.
NASA Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg attended to in-flight maintenance by substituting charcoal filters in the Harmony module and implementing new software on a tablet. UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi arranged food parcels, aided Rubio in unloading the Cygnus, and finally exchanged window scratch panes.
Inside the space separating the Unity module from the hatch of Northrop Grumman Cygnus freighter, NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg is photographed. Image courtesy of NASA.
After Spacewalk Tasks
Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin are tending to their Orlan spacesuits and packing away spacewalking equipment after Wednesday’s six-hour-and-35-minute spacewalk. The two were busy installing orbital debris protection and moving a portable workstation in the Roscosmos area of the space station.
Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev is in the process of restoring the European robotic arm (ERA) to its storage position on the Nauka module. During the spacewalk, Fedyaev operated the ERA, shifting the workstation and trialing its capability to handle a spacewalker with Prokopyev attached.
Roscosmos Crew’s Day
After a well-deserved rest, the Roscosmos members started their day late on Thursday. In addition to their cleanup efforts, Prokopyev and Petelin communicated with mission control regarding the details of the previous day’s spacewalk.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Expedition 69
What is Expedition 69’s crew currently engaged in?
Expedition 69’s team is unpacking the Cygnus cargo ship, preparing to reboost the International Space Station, engaging in scientific research and maintenance tasks, cleaning up after a spacewalk, and preparing for upcoming missions, including the arrival of a Roscosmos cargo and a crew exchange via Soyuz.
Who are the NASA astronauts involved in unpacking the Cygnus space freighter?
NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen are involved in unpacking several tons of scientific materials and supplies from the Cygnus space freighter.
What are the post-spacewalk activities mentioned?
Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin are cleaning their Orlan spacesuits and stowing spacewalking gear. Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev is restoring the European robotic arm (ERA) to its stowage configuration on the Nauka module.
What will Cygnus’s engine firing achieve?
Cygnus’s engine firing will reboost the orbital outpost, raising the station to the correct altitude for the upcoming arrival of a Roscosmos cargo craft and ensuring proper phasing for a Soyuz crew swap mission planned in mid- to late September.
How are the health and science activities monitored?
Rubio is troubleshooting computer electronics inside the Combustion Integrated Rack, Bowen is monitoring his blood pressure and swapping samples for space manufacturing study, and Woody Hoburg is engaged in inflight maintenance, including replacing charcoal filters and loading new software on a tablet.
What were the Roscosmos crew’s activities and schedule?
The Roscosmos crew started late on Thursday after a restful night. They engaged in cleanup activities and communicated with mission control regarding the previous day’s spacewalk activities.
More about Expedition 69
- NASA’s Expedition 69 Overview
- International Space Station
- Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft
- Roscosmos State Corporation
- European Robotic Arm (ERA) on the ISS
5 comments
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo seems like a vital part of the mission. reboosting and aligning the ISS is no small feat!
Does anyone knw what’s inside the Cygnus freighter? Must be exciting to unpack all the new stuff for experiments.
Wow! I cant believe how much work the Expedition 69 crew is doin up there. Science, maintenance, and even unpacking. Hats off to them!
It’s so awesome to see all the collaboration happening up there. Even UAE is involved! space truly unites people.
Six hours and 35 minutes in space, thats crazy! I wonder how it feels to be in the vacuum of space for so long. hats off to the astronauts!