The Expedition 72 crew spent the week aboard the International Space Station (ISS) preparing for upcoming spacewalks to service scientific equipment and station hardware. Alongside these preparations, the crew continued vital biotechnology and human research aimed at improving health both on Earth and in space.
Two spacewalks are planned for January 16 and January 23. These missions will focus on maintaining astrophysics research equipment, upgrading advanced communications systems, and investigating potential microbial life on the station’s exterior.
The first spacewalk will feature NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams, who are scheduled to spend approximately six and a half hours addressing multiple tasks. These include repairing a light leak on the NICER X-ray telescope, preparing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future upgrades, and replacing key orientation and navigation equipment. On Friday, Hague and Williams reviewed procedures with NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Butch Wilmore while consulting with engineers on the ground.
The second spacewalk, involving two astronauts yet to be announced, will involve exiting the station’s Quest airlock to replace an antenna assembly, search for microbes outside the ISS, and conduct a systems check on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Both spacewalks are set to begin at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET, with NASA+ providing live coverage starting at 5:30 a.m.
Hague began his day on Friday, January 10, processing samples of micro-algae that may be able to produce food to sustain crews and oxygen to support spacecraft life support systems. Next, he downloaded his health data collected for analysis after he jogged on the COLBERT treadmill and worked out on the advanced resistive exercise device.
The other three NASA astronauts including Commander Williams and Flight Engineers Pettit and Wilmore spent the first half of their day on a variety of orbital maintenance. Williams checked out components on a fluorescence biology microscope while Pettit and Hague serviced electronics, plumbing, and life support systems.
Working in the station’s Roscosmos segment, cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner took turns exploring how a crew member living in weightlessness uses vision to adapt their sense of balance and orientation. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov inspected piloting and navigation gear throughout his shift on Friday.
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