ISS - Expedition 61 Mission patch.
December 27, 2019
The Expedition 61 crew is learning how to live and work in space and researching ways to adapt to long-term human spaceflight. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is orbiting higher today to support Russian spacecraft activities planned for 2020.
Rodents are being studied aboard the orbiting lab today since their physiology is similar to humans and reacts the same way to microgravity. NASA Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan set up the Life Sciences Glovebox to research therapies that may prevent space-caused muscle and bone loss in mice. Commander Luca Parmitano and Flight Engineer Jessica Meir supported the research activities cleaning the rodent habitats and feeding the mice.
Image above: NASA astronaut Christina Koch handles media bags that enable the manufacturing of organ-like tissues using the BioFabrication Facility, a 3-D biological printer. Image Credit: NASA.
Safety in a spacecraft is crucial for the success of long-term mission to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Combustion research on the station helps scientists understand how a variety of materials burn and how flames expand in weightlessness. NASA Flight Engineer Christina Koch used the Microgravity Science Glovebox today observing how different fabrics burn under controlled conditions. Results could improve fire safety on Earth and in space.
Veteran cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka conducted a variety of space research in the orbital lab’s Russian segment. The duo partnered together in the morning for an exercise study. Skvortsov also explored ways to detect micrometeoroid impacts on the station. Skripochka routed and installed cables supporting a study to observe and forecast Earth catastrophes.
International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: NASA
Overnight, a docked Progress 74 cargo craft fired its engines in a sequence of two burns raising the space station’s orbit. The orbital maneuvers set the stage for upcoming Soyuz crew ship and Progress cargo craft missions scheduled in 2020.
Astronaut Christina Koch Poised to Make History Again
NASA astronaut Christina Koch makes observations from the International space Station's cupola. Koch has already made history once in her stay aboard the orbital laboratory. In October 2019 she was part of the first all-female spacewalk and now she is poised to make history again. On Dec. 28, 2019, she will break the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, when she surpasses former Station Commander Peggy Whitson's record. When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, she will have spent more than 300 days in space.
Related article:
Russian Space Freighter Docks Automatically to Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/russian-space-freighter-docks.html
Related links:
Expedition 61: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition61/index.html
Rodents: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8075
Life Sciences Glovebox: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7676
Combustion research: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7886
Microgravity Science Glovebox: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=341
Exercise study: https://www.energia.ru/en/iss/researches/human/26.html
Micrometeoroid impacts: https://www.energia.ru/en/iss/researches/develop/17.html
Earth catastrophes: https://www.energia.ru/en/iss/researches/study/09.html
Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia/Yvette Smith.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
