Expedition 73 kicked off the week with ultrasound scans for cardiac research and unloading new science experiments delivered last week aboard the Cygnus XL cargo craft. Spacesuit work and computer networking maintenance rounded out the day aboard the International Space Station.
NASA Flight Engineers Mike Fincke and Jonny Kim joined each other on Monday in the Columbus laboratory module to continue learning how living and working in space affects cardiovascular health. Fincke led the biomedical investigation scanning Kim’s chest with the Ultrasound 2 device to identify signs of space-caused plaque buildup or accelerated aging-like symptoms in the arteries. Kim also wore sensors that measured his cardiac activity during the scans for the CIPHER human research investigation. Doctors collect the health data from astronauts before, during, and after a spaceflight and compare it to data collected from other astronauts to gain clearer insights into crew health.
Earlier in the day, the duo partnered with NASA Flight Engineer Zena Cardman unpacking some of the 11,000 pounds of new science and supplies delivered last week aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL resupply ship. A pair of portable science freezers containing research samples were removed from Cygnus and installed in an EXPRESS science rack ahead of upcoming experiment work. Cardman also installed new cloud computing hardware in the Destiny laboratory module then relocated air monitors from Destiny to the Tranquility module.
Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) spent his shift inside the Kibo laboratory module installing new computer networking gear. The ethernet hub upgrades will transmit data quicker and more efficiently throughout the orbital outpost.
Station Commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos worked on an Orlan spacesuit in the Poisk module ahead of spacewalks planned for later this year. The three-time lab resident installed a variety of components inside the suit including a battery pack and a backup oxygen tank then conducted leak and pressure checks.
Flight Engineers Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov worked together throughout Monday unloading some of the nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies delivered aboard the Progress 93 cargo craft on Sept. 13. The duo also split up with Zubritsky working on the Roscosmos ventilation system and Platonov photographing landmarks in the Caspian Sea and the Amazon Delta.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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