Free-flying robotics and science maintenance topped the work schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 72 crew also analyzed station air and water quality and set up a student-controlled camera for Earth observations.
NASA engineers are using the weightless environment of the orbital lab to study how robots might capture objects in space and remove debris and service satellites in low Earth orbit. Station Commander Suni Williams contributed to that investigation on Tuesday by activating the Astrobee robotic free-flyer and outfitting it with tentacle-like arms containing gecko-like adhesive pads. She monitored the toaster sized Astrobee, with the experimental grippers attached, as it demonstrated autonomously detecting and grappling a “capture cube”, like she did previously in December. Results may expand the space infrastructure and extend the life of assets such as satellites.
NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit worked throughout the day on sample analysis and science maintenance. Pettit first collected station water samples and analyzed them using the Total Organic Carbon Analyzer to assess the on-orbit water quality. Next, he swapped fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack that enables safe fuel and flame research in microgravity. Finally, Pettit relocated an airborne particulate monitor to measure air quality in the Zvezda service module.
NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague spent Tuesday primarily on lab upkeep. Hague worked inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter transferring cargo in and out of the spacecraft that has been berthed to the station since Aug. 6, 2024. Afterward, he installed new software on an EXPRESS rack laptop computer that supports research operations. NASA Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore continued stowing tools inside the Quest airlock used during last week’s spacewalk then wrapped up his shift with orbital plumbing duties inside the Tranquility module.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov installed the EarthKAM Earth observation hardware inside the Harmony module, pointed the camera out a window toward Earth, and focused its lens. The camera can be remotely controlled by students on Earth to target and photograph Earth landmarks.
Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner partnered together throughout Tuesday on maintenance activities inside the Zvezda service module. Ovchinin also deployed gas analyzers monitoring carbon dioxide near crew work areas and crew quarters in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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