Monday’s Research Boosting Astronaut Health Amid Cargo Mission Preps

NASA astronaut Nick Hague processes samples for a biotechnology experiment that explores using microorganisms and cell cultures to produce materials and biomolecules on a commercial scale.

The Expedition 72 crew members began the week exploring the numerous ways living in space affects the human body to develop advanced therapies promoting health on and off the Earth. The orbital residents are also preparing for the departure of a cargo ship and the arrival of another this week at the International Space Station.

Preventing space-caused changes in eye pressure, inflammation, and blood clotting were the dominant research themes aboard the orbital outpost on Monday. The insights can be achieved only in the microgravity environment and may provide new strategies researchers can use to treat space-caused and Earthbound symptoms and conditions.

NASA Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore tested a thigh cuff as a way to draw body fluids into their extremities. In microgravity, the human body adjusts by eliminating fluids no longer needed in an astronaut's torso and head. The fluid shifts can apply pressure to an astronaut's eyes affecting eye structure and vision. Wilmore assisted Hague at the beginning of the day, imaging his eyes to measure his retina's thickness then attaching the tight-fitting, fluid-shifting thigh cuffs to both of his legs. Next, Wilmore conducted scans with the Ultrasound 2 device to observe Hague's cardiac activity and collected blood pressure measurements. Hague had a second round of the same tests at the end of the day before stowing the biomedical hardware. The data was downloaded for doctors on the ground to analyze the effectiveness of the thigh cuff that may help protect astronauts on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit serviced biology hardware in the Kibo laboratory module to prepare for an upcoming study exploring ways to prevent space-caused inflammatory changes. He installed components inside Kibo's artificial gravity-generating incubator to observe how weightlessness and radiation affect the immune system, bones, and muscles creating symptoms that are similar to age-related issues on Earth. Insights may lead to therapies counteracting the stresses of living in space as well as aging conditions on Earth.

Commander Suni Williams inserted cell samples inside a fluorescence microscope that scientists remotely controlled to observe inflammation and immunity response changes in microgravity. Researchers seek to identify genes regulated by gravitational forces and understand their impact on the human immune system to protect astronaut health on future missions.

A Roscosmos cargo mission swap is due to take place beginning at 7:53 a.m. EST on Tuesday when the trash-packed Progress 88 resupply ship undocks after six months attached to the Poisk module. The next cargo craft to replace it, the Progress 90, has already rolled out to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Loaded with about 5,500 pounds of cargo, the Progress 90 will launch at 7:22 a.m. on Thursday for a two-day trip to the station. The space delivery will arrive at 9:35 a.m. on Saturday for an automated docking to Poisk beginning another six-month cargo mission.

Cosmonaut Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner trained on Monday for the departure and arrival of the two Progress spacecraft. The Roscosmos duo practiced operating on a computer the telerobotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, in the unlikely event it would be necessary to remotely control the Progress spacecraft if they lost their automated capabilities. The duo then split up as Vagner closed the Progress 88 hatch and checked for leaks while Ovchinin serviced the treadmill inside the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov assisted Ovchinin with the treadmill maintenance and synchronized cameras with space station clocks.

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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