(ORDO NEWS) — On Wednesday, the Expedition 69 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) dedicated its research activities to biotechnology. In addition, the cosmonauts continued work on the maintenance of laboratory equipment.
This research and maintenance is critical to understanding the effects of life in zero gravity on the human body and developing sustainable methods for future space missions.
Researchers on Earth use ISS equipment to study the effects of weightlessness on the human body. Some experiments are conducted remotely or autonomously, while others require the active participation of astronauts. NASA and its international partners are eager to learn how to support crews on future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
NASA flight engineer Yasmin Moghbeli began her work day by analyzing samples of microorganisms collected from the space station’s drinking water dispenser. Using a small commercial DNA sequencing device, she isolated samples to demonstrate the BioMole technology.
This research could help improve environmental monitoring systems on the station and future spacecraft traveling long distances from Earth.
JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa played a critical role in maintaining the BioFabrication Facility (BFF). He replaced components on a biological 3D printer that is currently being tested to print organ-like tissue in microgravity. These studies pave the way for the future production of entire human organs in space.
Human research and experiments at the Cold Atom Laboratory
ESA flight engineer Andreas Mogensen continued his work on human research, focusing on cellular immune functions in microgravity. He maintained blood samples placed overnight in a Kubik research incubator and then stored them in a freezer for later analysis. Mogensen’s work contributes to monitoring the human immune system in space.
NASA flight engineer Frank Rubio spent his second day working on space physics. It replaced experimental equipment at the Cold Atom Laboratory, a research facility that cools atoms to temperatures close to absolute zero. This allows scientists to study fundamental behavior and quantum characteristics with minimal motion.
Three station cosmonauts – commander Sergei Prokopyev, flight engineer Dmitry Petelin and flight engineer Konstantin Borisov – were engaged in servicing equipment on the ISS segment owned by Roscosmos.
They replaced pumps and installed batteries on the Orlan spacesuit, and became familiar with modern training equipment. In addition, Borisov checked the operation of the laptop computer in the Science module.
The research and maintenance performed by the Expedition 69 crew contributes to the understanding of the effects of weightlessness on the human body and paves the way for future space exploration. As NASA and its international partners continue to push the boundaries of space exploration.
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