The Canadarm2 robotic arm, with its fine-tuned robotic hand Dextre connected, is envisioned as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above the city lights of the Arabian Peninsula. Credit: NASA
Monday, October 30, was filled with a flurry of activity for the seven Expedition 70 crew members. Their jobs ranged from spacesuit preparations to microgravity research and cargo operations. 2 astronauts are set to exit the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday for a vital maintenance spacewalk.
Training and Equipment Checks
On Monday afternoon, two astronauts and a cosmonaut teamed up to practice powering up spacesuits and assisting their spacewalking crewmates in dressing within the Quest airlock. This trio comprised of Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli from NASA, Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Nikolai Chub from Roscosmos. Together, they activated the fits life support and interactions elements, validated water and oxygen levels, and conducted a comprehensive suit fit check.
Moghbeli and NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHara are slated to start a spacewalk on Wednesday, beginning at 8:05 a.m. EDT. They prepare for spending around 7 hours on tasks related to communications and the solar array. The jobs include getting rid of an electronic devices box called the Radio Frequency Group, which forms part of an interaction antenna system, and replacing among the 12 trundle bearing assemblies located on the stations port solar alpha rotary joint. These bearings are important as they allow the ISSs solar selections to track the Sun.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral OHara pedals on an exercise cycle, likewise called CEVIS, or Cycle Ergometer Vibration Isolation System, inside the International Space Stations Destiny laboratory module. The CEVIS offers aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning and supports science activities, pre-breathe spacewalk activities, periodic fitness evaluations, and pre-landing fitness assessments. Credit: NASA
Space Botany and Cargo Operations
While preparations for the spacewalk continued, OHara moved her attention to space botany research and cargo management tasks on Monday. Her activities included changing elements in the Plant Habitat center in anticipation of an experiment that will explore how tomato plants ward off illness in microgravity. Later on, she handled cargo transfers to and from the Cygnus area freighter and decluttered cardiac and neuron cell research hardware, making room for an approaching SpaceX Dragon freight objective.
Preparations for Upcoming Missions
Commander Andreas Mogensen from the European Space Agency (ESA) had a complete day, organizing equipment destined for the soon-to-arrive Dragon freight spacecraft. Apart from preparing hardware that will be used throughout Wednesdays spacewalk, Mogensen likewise coordinated with Furukawa in the night, practicing Canadarm2 robotic arm operations on a computer system, a skill crucial for helping the spacewalkers.
Exploration 70 Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko from Roscosmos is envisioned throughout a spacewalk to examine a backup radiator, release a nanosatellite, and install interactions hardware on the International Space Stations Nauka science module. Credit: NASA
Other Activities and Experiments
Starting with a helmet full of sensors, he practiced piloting strategies for prospective use in future planetary expeditions. His day continued with upkeep on the Roscosmos Progress 85 freight craft, and a medical emergency drill together with OHara and Chub.
First-time space tourist, cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, dedicated an hour to photographing Earth. The rest of his day was filled with a range of life support upkeep tasks in the stations Roscosmos segment.
Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko started his day wearing a helmet packed with sensors practicing piloting methods crew members may utilize on future planetary missions. Afterward, he worked on Roscosmos Progress 85 cargo craft upkeep then practiced a medical emergency situation with OHara and Chub. Chub also worked on a 3D printing experiment screening production in space to decrease dependence on materials from Earth.
2 astronauts are set to exit the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday for a vital maintenance spacewalk.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral OHara pedals on a workout cycle, also understood as CEVIS, or Cycle Ergometer Vibration Isolation System, inside the International Space Stations Destiny laboratory module. While preparations for the spacewalk continued, OHara shifted her attention to space botany research study and freight management jobs on Monday. Later on, she managed cargo transfers to and from the Cygnus area freighter and decluttered cardiac and neuron cell research hardware, making space for an approaching SpaceX Dragon freight mission.
Chub likewise worked on a 3D printing experiment screening production in area to minimize dependency on products from Earth.
