Eyes in Space: ISS Crew’s Sci-Fi Week of Research and Unpacking

Orbiting nearly 260 miles above the Middle East, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli captured this image of the Persian Gulf. In the foreground, one of the International Space Station’s solar arrays is visible, detailing the intricate solar cells that make up the hardware. Credit: NASA

Science hardware, microbiology, and eye checks topped the research schedule aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, December 4. The Expedition 70 crew also serviced a spacesuit and began unpacking a new cargo craft.

NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli took turns working in the Life Science Glovebox on Monday morning. O’Hara first disconnected cables and cameras that record activities inside the biology research facility located in the Kibo laboratory module. Moghbeli then swapped out the gloves that crew members wear when conducting science operations inside the device.

This nighttime view of southern Europe looks northwest to southeast from Milan, Italy (bottom right), and across the Adriatic Sea to Split, Croatia. The International Space Station was orbiting 263 miles above eastern France at the time of this photograph. Credit: NASA

O’Hara also configured and stowed hardware supporting a space physics experiment that observes how microgravity affects the properties of metal alloys. Moghbeli inoculated cell samples for the Bacteria Adhesion and Corrosion study that is exploring how to identify and disinfect microbes that can contaminate spacecraft systems and affect crew health.

Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa started his day servicing a pair of science freezers before cleaning and connecting cables that support a 3D organ culture study. Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) then joined the NASA duo for eye exams at the end of the day with support from doctors on the ground. O’Hara operated the standard medical imaging gear viewing the optic nerves and retinas of Furukawa and Moghbeli.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli works in the Harmony module and calibrates an ultrasonic inspection device that uses high-frequency sound waves to analyze materials aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) reviewed procedures for an upcoming study to manufacture superior fiber optic cables in microgravity. Afterward, he uninstalled components on a spacesuit and prepared them for return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub began Monday unpacking the Progress 86 space freighter that docked to the Poisk module at 6:18 a.m. EST. on Sunday. Kononenko unloaded a new space biology experiment delivered inside the Progress and installed its egg samples inside a Nauka science module incubator. Chub worked on and photographed docking hardware inside Poisk. Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov updated data files documenting operations with the newly docked vehicle.