Space Health Tops Station Research Schedule on Thursday

NASA astronauts (from left) Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps enjoy breakfast inside the International Space Station's Unity Module.
NASA astronauts (from left) Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps enjoy breakfast inside the International Space Station’s Unity Module.

Brand new science is underway at the International Space Station with two new crews and a cargo ship arriving in March to replenish the Expedition 70 crew. The orbital residents explored a variety of space health technologies and more on Thursday.

NASA Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson, who is on her third spaceflight, worked in the Columbus laboratory module swapping hardware for a new experiment seeking to demonstrate 3D printing of antimicrobial parts in space. The investigation named Copper Anti-Microbial Prints, or CAMP, is examining the effectiveness of producing medical devices on-demand and how microgravity affects their anti-microbial properties.

NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara processed messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein samples in the Life Science Glovebox for an experiment, recently delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft, to investigate nanomaterials that mimic DNA. The study, called DNA Nano Therapeutics-Demo 2, is exploring space-manufactured DNA nanomaterials in order to produce therapeutics that may benefit travelers in space and humans on Earth.

One space-caused phenomenon that concerns researchers is the headward fluid shifts that occur in astronauts. Once in space, a crewmember’s body fluids begin to flow upward affecting their eye structure and vision. Another more visible result is commonly called “puffy face.” NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps partnered together Thursday afternoon and tested a specialized thigh cuff that may counteract these fluid shifts. Dominick wore the cuff on his leg and took ultrasound scans with assistance from Epps and doctors on Earth. Results may also impact treatments for fluid accumulations caused by Earth-bound conditions.

NASA astronaut Mike Barratt spent his day on space biology participating in the CIPHER suite of 14 human research studies. He participated in a series of cognition and robotics tests then collected his blood and urine samples for analysis. Results from the expansive investigation may provide scientists insights into the physiological and psychological effects of living in space long-term.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, along with Dyson, are in their first week aboard the orbital outpost. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will return to Earth on April 6 bringing home O’Hara who has been aboard the station since Sept. 15. Dyson will stay in space until early fall.

Novitskiy joined his fellow cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and replaced hardware components inside the Soyuz MS-24 and MS-25 crew ships. Chub then teamed up with new cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and studied blood flow and cell respiration for a Roscosmos life science study. Vasilevskaya, with assistance from Chub, recorded her heart rate and tested a specialized suit’s theorized ability to help a crew member readjust to Earth’s gravity.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog@space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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Station Crew Expands to Ten, Begins Working Together

Astronaut Matthew Dominick receives a haircut from astronaut Loral O'Hara.
Astronaut Matthew Dominick receives a haircut from astronaut Loral O’Hara.

Ten crewmates now reside aboard the International Space Station after the arrival of the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship on Monday. They will live and work together the next several days before returning to a seven-member crew again and beginning the Expedition 71 mission in early April.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson arrived at the orbital lab on Monday with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya. Dyson will stay in space for about six months as a member of the station crew. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will return to Earth with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara on April 6.

The trio will return to Earth inside the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft that has been docked to the Rassvet module since Sept. 15, 2023. O’Hara will have lived and worked on the orbital outpost for six-and-a-half months having conducted advanced space research and one spacewalk.

Dyson and her two Soyuz crewmates will be spending the next few days familiarizing themselves with space station systems. Next, they will turn their attention to a host of science and educational activities before returning home while Dyson stays in space until later this year.

Station flight engineers Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin are in the first month of their mission having arrived at the station on March 5 aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour. They will stay in space until mid-summer researching a wide variety of phenomena including neurodegenerative diseases, the effects of microgravity and radiation on plants, and preventing space-caused fluid shifts in astronauts.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub are due to stay in space for just over a year helping doctors understand how living long-term in microgravity affects the human body. The duo will depart the space station inside the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft and bring home Tracy Dyson in early fall.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog@space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

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Soyuz Hatches Open, Expedition 70 Welcomes Crew Aboard Station

The Soyuz MS-25 crew joins the Expedition 70 crew aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-25 crew joins the Expedition 70 crew aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV

The hatches between the International Space Station and the newly arrived Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft officially opened at 1:26 p.m. EDT. The arrival of three new crew members to the existing seven people already aboard for Expedition 70 temporarily increases the station’s population to 10.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus joined NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, already living and working aboard the space station.

Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory.

Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, providing the ride home for O’Hara on Saturday, April 6, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. O’Hara will have spent 204 days in space when she returns.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Soyuz Spacecraft Docks to Station With Three Crew Members Aboard

The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft approaches the station for docking. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft approaches the station for docking. Credit: NASA TV

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station at 11:03 a.m. EDT.

Coverage of hatch opening will air live at 1:15 p.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Once on station, the trio will join Expedition 70 crew members including NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, already living and working aboard the space station.

Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory.

Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, providing the ride home for O’Hara on Saturday, April 6, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. O’Hara will have spent 204 days in space when she returns.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Three Crew Members Arriving to Station Soon Live on NASA TV

The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying three crew members approaches the International Space Station for a docking to the Rassvet module.
The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying three crew members approaches the International Space Station for a docking to the Rassvet module.

NASA+, NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app now are providing live coverage of the docking of Soyuz MS-25 to the International Space Station. The Soyuz is scheduled to dock at approximately 11:09 a.m. EDT.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus launched safely on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft at 8:36 a.m. March 23 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Crewed Soyuz Spacecraft Launches to Station

The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 23, 2024. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 23, 2024. Credit: NASA TV

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus are safely in orbit on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft after launching at 8:36 a.m. EDT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (5:36 p.m. Baikonur time).

The Soyuz will dock to the space station’s Prichal module about 11:09 a.m. Monday, March 25. About two hours after docking, hatches between the Soyuz and the station will open.

NASA docking coverage will begin at 10:15 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Three Crew Members Launching to Station Aboard Soyuz Spacecraft Live on NASA TV

Soyuz MS-25 crew members (from left) Tracy Dyson from NASA, Oleg Novitskiy from Roscosmos, and Marina Vasilevskaya from Belarusia pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. They will serve aboard the International Space Station as Expedition 71 crew members. Credit: GCTC/Andrey Shelepin
Soyuz MS-25 crew members (from left) Tracy Dyson from NASA, Oleg Novitskiy from Roscosmos, and Marina Vasilevskaya from Belarusia pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. They will serve aboard the International Space Station as Expedition 71 crew members. Credit: GCTC/Andrey Shelepin

NASA coverage now is underway for the launch of a crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus.

The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:36 a.m. EDT (5:36 p.m. Baikonur time). Coverage of launch will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

The Soyuz will dock to the space station’s Prichal module at 11:09 a.m. Monday, March 25. Shortly after, hatches between the Soyuz and the station will open and the crew members will greet each other.

Docking coverage will begin at 10:15 a.m. March 25 on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Once aboard station, the trio will join Expedition 70 crew members including NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin.

Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory.

Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, providing the ride home for O’Hara on Saturday, April 6, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. O’Hara will have spent 204 days in space when she returns.

NASA coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and are subject to change based on real-time operations):

Saturday, March 23

  • 8:36 a.m. – Launch

Monday, March 25

  • 10:15 a.m. – Rendezvous and docking coverage begins
  • 11:09 a.m. – Docking
  • 1:15 p.m. – Hatch opening and welcome remarks coverage begins
  • 1:40 p.m. – Hatches open

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Dragon Spacecraft Docks to Station With New Science, Supplies

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docks to the International Space Station's Harmony module at 7:19 a.m. EDT Saturday, March 23. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docks to the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 7:19 a.m. EDT Saturday, March 23. Credit: NASA TV

While the International Space Station was traveling more than 262 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to station’s Harmony module at 7:19 a.m. EDT, with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Michael Barratt monitoring operations from the station.

The Dragon launched on SpaceX’s 30th contracted commercial resupply mission for NASA at 4:55 p.m. EDT, March 21, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. After Dragon spends about one month attached to the space station, the spacecraft will return to Earth with cargo and research.

Among the science experiments Dragon is delivering to the space station are:

Monitoring Sea Ice Thickness and Wave Height

(Nanoracks-Killick-1) is a CubeSat that measures sea ice parameters using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry or reflected signals. This monitoring system could contribute to a better understanding of important ocean phenomena and improved weather and climate models.

New Sensors for ASTROBEE

The Multi-resolution Scanner (MRS) Payload for the Astrobee (Multi-Resolution Scanning) tests a new set of sensors to support automated 3D sensing, mapping, and situational awareness functions. These systems could support future Gateway and Lunar surface missions by providing automated defect detection, automated and remote maintenance, and autonomous vehicle operations.

Improving Efficiency of Quantum-Dot Solar Cells

The Nano Particle Haloing Suspension payload tests the controlled assembly of nanoparticles in a liquid solution. A process called nanoparticle haloing uses charged nanoparticles to enable precise particle arrangements that improve the efficiency of quantum-dot synthesized solar cells. Conducting these processes in microgravity provides insight into the relationship between shape, charge, concentration, and interaction of particles.

Observing Photosynthesis in Space

Advanced Plant Experiment-09 (APEX-09), also known as C4 Photosynthesis in Space, observes carbon dioxide capture and mechanisms in two types of grasses. Researchers hope to learn more about photosynthesis and plant metabolism changes overall in space. Knowledge gained could support development of bioregenerative life support systems on future missions.

These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations currently being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances in these areas will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis missions and eventually Mars.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Dragon Cargo Spacecraft Arriving to Station Soon Live on NASA TV

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship carrying over 5,800 pounds of cargo approaches the space station above the south Atlantic Ocean on July 16, 2022.
The SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft, carrying over 5,800 pounds of cargo, approaches the space station above the south Atlantic Ocean on July 16, 2022.

A SpaceX Dragon is on track to arrive at the International Space Station today, Saturday, March 23, with an expected docking of the cargo spacecraft about 7:16 a.m. EDT. Live coverage is underway on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

When it arrives to the space station, Dragon will dock to the station’s Harmony module. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Michael Barratt will monitor the arrival of the spacecraft.

Dragon successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 4:55 p.m. EDT, March 21, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying more than 6,000 pounds of research, hardware, and supplies to the International Space Station.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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Soyuz Crewed Launch Targets Saturday, Expedition 70 Awaits Cargo Delivery

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:55 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 21, on the company’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Glenn Benson
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:55 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 21, on the company’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

A Dragon cargo spacecraft is orbiting Earth and heading for a docking to the International Space Station. On Friday, the Expedition 70 crew members installed hardware, collected data for health investigations, and prepared for Dragon’s delivery.

NASA’s SpaceX 30th commercial resupply mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida on Thursday, March 21 at 4:55 p.m. EDT. The Dragon spacecraft, carrying more than 6,000 pounds of scientific research, food, and supplies, will autonomously dock to the orbital complex at approximately 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23.

To prep for the cargo arrival, NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Michael Barratt reviewed Dragon operation procedures on Friday. The duo will be on console to monitor the arrival of the spacecraft, which will stay docked to the zenith port of the Harmony module for approximately one month. They were later joined by NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominick for a conference with ground teams to go over cargo unstowing procedures.

Once Dragon arrives, the crew will quickly get to work unpacking the cargo, which includes an array of new science investigations. Some of the new science consists of a set of sensors for the free-flying Astrobee robots, a botany experiment that will examine how two types of grass capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and a CubeSat that will measure global sea ice parameters.

O’Hara also had some time to complete CIPHER activities. With assistance from Dominick, O’Hara had her eye and head movements examined to help scientists better understand the effects of spaceflight on an astronaut’s balance and eye health. CIPHER, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, is an ongoing suite of total-body experiments that will help researchers pinpoint how the human body reacts to long-duration missions in space.

Barratt also had some time for health research and spent the morning collecting samples for the Standard Measures investigation. Meanwhile, Epps refilled water in the Cell Biology Experiment Facility’s (CBEF) humidifier that was installed a few days ago. She then proceeded to install a second humidifier to CBEF to prepare for upcoming Space Organogenesis research.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the launch of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft is now scheduled for 8:36 a.m. Saturday, March 23. NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus will spend two days in orbit before docking to the station’s Prichal module at 11:09 a.m. Monday, March 25.

In the Roscosmos segment aboard station, the three cosmonauts—Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin—had the day off but did schedule in some time to clean the orbiting laboratory and complete their required two hours of daily exercise.


Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/

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