The crew of Expedition 73 on the International Space Station (ISS) has had a busy week. They spent their time doing a number of innovative experiments to protect the health of astronauts in the unique environment of microgravity. Their work was all on how space affects the human body, especially how long-term space travel affects bones and brain function.
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim did research on bone stem cells in the Kibo lab in Japan. The study is very important for keeping astronauts’ bones safe while they are in space, and it also has a lot of potential for people on Earth. NASA has said that astronauts lose bone mass much faster than people on Earth do as they become older. Kim’s research into the molecular causes of this bone loss could help us learn more about how to cure disorders like osteoporosis.
At the same time, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov looked into a new study about how the brain adjusts to being weightless. Platonov’s research uses virtual reality technology to look at the problems of balance and finding your way around in space. The results of this experiment should be very useful for making better training plans for astronauts who will be going on long trips to places like Mars and the Moon.
In addition to these concentrated research, the crew did a lot of other important things to get ready for the future of human spaceflight. On Tuesday afternoon, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman spent time in the Quest airlock carefully checking the jetpacks on her spacesuit. These gadgets are meant to be a very important safety element that lets spacewalkers get back to the station if they unintentionally become untethered.
Cardman also worked on canisters that remove carbon dioxide, which keeps the station’s life support systems running at their best. Later, she worked with other astronauts Mike Fincke and Kimiya Yui on a series of ultrasound eye exams. Doctors on Earth watched the scans in almost real-time and stopped them from time to time to see how microgravity affects the optic nerve, lens, and cornea. These discoveries are really important for figuring out how to help astronauts who have eyesight difficulties.
Commander Sergey Ryzhikov worked on the Zvezda module’s ventilation system on the Russian side of the station. He also used the chance to take amazing pictures of landscapes in Australia and South America from a distance. Cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky got navigation gear from the Progress 92 resupply ship that had just arrived. He then joined Platonov to make a video to teach people about motion in space.
All of these things, from complex cellular research to regular maintenance and safety checks, are part of a bigger, worldwide effort to make human space missions safer, more sustainable, and longer-lasting for future generations. The crew of Expedition 73 on the International Space Station (ISS) has had a productive week, spending their time on a number of groundbreaking experiments designed to protect the health of astronauts in the peculiar environment of microgravity. Their work was all on how space affects the human body, especially how long-term space travel affects bones and brain function.
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim did research on bone stem cells in the Kibo lab in Japan. The study is very important for keeping astronauts’ bones safe while they are in space, and it also has a lot of potential for people on Earth. NASA has said that astronauts lose bone mass much faster than people on Earth do as they become older. Kim’s research into the molecular causes of this bone loss could help us learn more about how to cure disorders like osteoporosis.
At the same time, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov looked into a new study about how the brain adjusts to being weightless. Platonov’s research uses virtual reality technology to look at the problems of balance and finding your way around in space. The results of this experiment should be very useful for making better training plans for astronauts who will be going on long trips to places like Mars and the Moon.
In addition to these concentrated research, the crew did a lot of other important things to get ready for the future of human spaceflight. On Tuesday afternoon, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman spent time in the Quest airlock carefully checking the jetpacks on her spacesuit. These gadgets are meant to be a very important safety element that lets spacewalkers get back to the station if they unintentionally become untethered.
Cardman also worked on canisters that remove carbon dioxide, which keeps the station’s life support systems running at their best. Later, she worked with other astronauts Mike Fincke and Kimiya Yui on a series of ultrasound eye exams. Doctors on Earth watched the scans in almost real-time and stopped them from time to time to see how microgravity affects the optic nerve, lens, and cornea. These discoveries are really important for figuring out how to help astronauts who have eyesight difficulties.
Commander Sergey Ryzhikov worked on the Zvezda module’s ventilation system on the Russian side of the station. He also used the chance to take amazing pictures of landscapes in Australia and South America from a distance. Cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky got navigation equipment from the Progress 92 resupply ship that had just arrived. Then he and Platonov made an educational movie showing how things move in space.
All of these tasks, from complicated cellular research to regular maintenance and safety checks, are part of a bigger, global effort to make space missions safer, more sustainable, and last longer for future generations.