Expedition 70’s crew completed a week of astrobiology and pharmaceutical research that continues their ongoing efforts to improve health on Earth and in space. The three crew members are also starting to focus on departing from the International Space Station and returning to Earth later next week.
The main purpose of conducting scientific experiments in zero gravity is to discover phenomena that would not be possible in Earth’s gravitational environment. New insights will allow researchers to understand how the human body adapts to life in space, both physically and mentally. The ever-increasing amount of biomedical data obtained from space allows doctors to design and test new therapies to treat conditions originating in space and even on Earth.
The heart study was scheduled for Friday, with NASA flight engineer Matthew Dominick operating an Ultrasound 2 machine to scan the chest of NASA flight engineer Mike Barratt. Barratt also wore electrodes, measured her blood pressure and took blood and urine samples for analysis. The heart study is part of the CIPHER suite of 14 human studies, including one investigating cardiovascular health risks in space.
Prior to this, Dominic pedaled through an exercise cycle while attached to sensors for cardiobreath research, which assesses astronauts’ heart activity, breathing, and blood pressure regulation. Barratt worked on the Harmony module, which processes protein crystal samples inside a portable glove bag, to learn how to produce personalized medicines in space for astronauts.
NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Tracy C. Dyson took turns feeding mice and cleaning their habitat Friday for a study testing gene therapy to improve eye health in space. I did it. NASA flight engineer Janet Epps began the day with Barratt collecting and storing saliva samples for later analysis. Epps then worked out on advanced resistance exercise equipment and a treadmill before taking the rest of the day off.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and Belarusian spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya will return to Earth with O’Hara aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on April 6. The three teamed up on Friday afternoon to test for air and pressure leaks in the Sokol suits worn by Soyuz crew members as they parachute to land in Kazakhstan.
Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubut will remain at the orbiting outpost until early autumn, giving them just over a year in space. Meanwhile, on Friday, the pair investigated the biochemistry of the human body in space and how magnetic and electric fields affect fluid physics. Kononenko also updated the Soyuz spacecraft’s data files, and Chubut checked the Zvezda service module’s power system.