As the International Space Station (ISS) continues its journey around Earth, crew rotations and handovers remain a crucial part of maintaining operations aboard the orbiting laboratory. On August 31, the station was abuzz with activity as four astronauts neared the end of their six-month research mission, and four newcomers settled into their daily routines in microgravity.
The current crew shift involves two teams swapping places, ensuring the continuous operation of the ISS. NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg and Stephen Bowen, alongside UAE Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev, spent most of their day conducting a meticulous handover process. This involved training the new crew members on station procedures and familiarizing them with the use of station exercise equipment.
This crew transition began when NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov arrived at the ISS on August 27. Their arrival was facilitated by the SpaceX Dragon Endurance Spacecraft, which successfully docked with the Harmony module. The quartet from various nations is now swiftly adapting to life in microgravity and engaging in a wide range of scientific and maintenance activities scheduled for their six-month stay.
One of the first tasks on Moghbeli's agenda was a series of eye exams, conducted with the assistance of NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, Commander Sergey Prokopyev, and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos. Later in the day, Moghbeli continued to unpack Dragon, which will remain docked to the station for the duration of Crew-7's mission. Meanwhile, Mogensen placed dosimeters in the Columbus Laboratory Module, instruments that will monitor radiation levels inside the station. Furukawa performed maintenance on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), a critical piece of equipment for astronauts to maintain their physical health in the weightlessness of space.
The four departing members of Crew-6, including Hoburg, Bowen, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev, are in the final stages of their six-month research mission. In preparation for their return to Earth, they spent the afternoon packing the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. The departure is currently scheduled for no earlier than September 2, which will reduce the station's population to seven occupants until further crew rotations occur in September.
NASA and SpaceX have postponed the scheduled departure of the agency's Crew-6 mission from the International Space Station on September 2, due to adverse weather conditions in the vicinity of the splashdown locations off the Florida coast. The next possible time for undocking is not before 7:05 a.m. EDT on September 3, and the earliest potential splashdown time is 12:07 a.m. September 4, pending further weather assessments.
During the afternoon, Alneyadi made time for maintenance activities, which included the installation and inspection of the station's new Potable Water Dispenser. Hoburg collected biological samples as part of the ongoing Standard Measures investigation, while Bowen carried out cargo-related tasks in the Cygnus spacecraft, which has been docked to the station since August 4.
The crew's transition activities are not limited to the newcomers. Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin, who arrived at the ISS on September 21, 2022, are approaching a remarkable milestone – a year in space. They are currently preparing for their return to Earth, scheduled for late September, and they continue to contribute to the smooth handover process while also conducting station maintenance tasks.
As the ISS maintains its presence in orbit, the constant flow of crew members ensures that critical research, experiments, and maintenance activities are carried out effectively, contributing to humanity's ongoing exploration of space and our understanding of life beyond Earth.
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