The International Space Station rises into an orbital sunset 258 miles above the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. In the left foreground is the Soyuz MS-25 crew craft docked with the Prichal docking module. Credit: Issues.fr.com
Expedition 71 astronauts are ready to perform a spacewalk to perform hardware removal and study microorganisms in space. Other team members work on genetic sequencing and routine maintenance, while the cosmonauts have the day off.
The Expedition 71 crew is finalizing preparations for a science and maintenance spacewalk scheduled to begin on the morning of Thursday, June 13. The two astronauts on board NASAFlight test pilots from the Boeing crew spent their day aboard the International Space Station (ISS) performing genetic sequencing and orbital plumbing.
Spacewalk Details and Objectives
NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matthew Dominick are on their final day of preparation for a spacewalk scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. EDT Thursday. Once the astronauts have set their spacesuits to battery power, the spacewalkers will exit the Quest airlock into the vacuum of space for six and a half hours of maintenance and science work.
The duo will first remove the radio frequency group hardware from a pallet on the side of the Destiny lab module with the help of the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Next, spacewalkers will swab the surfaces of the Destiny and Quest modules to determine whether microorganisms released from the station’s vents can survive the external microgravity environment.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 flight engineer Tracy C. Dyson works inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock and checks procedures on a computer tablet to prepare a spacesuit for ‘a fit check. Credit: NASA
Spacewalk support and coverage
Dyson and Dominick prepared Quest, checked their spacesuits and organized spacewalk tools Wednesday morning. NASA flight engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps practiced on the computer the Canadarm2 maneuvers they will use during Thursday’s spacewalk. At the end of the day, the four astronauts called in mission controllers for a final spacewalk preparation conference.
NASA TV will begin broadcasting in space Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Live coverage will be broadcast on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV on various platforms, including social media.
Lakes Mansarovar (top) and Rakshastal, on the Chinese side of the Himalayan border with India, are photographed from the International Space Station as it orbits 260 miles above the Indian subcontinent. Credit: NASA
Maintenance and research activities
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent Wednesday maintaining the laboratory and conducting advanced biotechnology research. Wilmore began his day by checking the cargo stored in the Harmony module before replacing components in the station’s bathroom, known as the waste and hygiene compartment located in the Tranquility module. Williams extract DNA from microbes collected in water samples from the station and sequenced their genes for identification. The findings could shed light on ways to keep crews healthy and space habitats cleaner.
Leisure day for cosmonauts
The station’s three cosmonauts, Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin, had a day off Wednesday, spending time relaxing, exercising and performing light household chores.
