Science hardware and spacesuit maintenance were the main tasks aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 75 crew members also filmed and photographed daily life inside of the station for audiences on Earth.
Station commander Jessica Meir of NASA configured the new NEMO microscope in the Destiny laboratory module. Meir assembled the biology research microscope, installed tissue samples inside for viewing, set up hardware that monitors and controls sample carbon dioxide levels, then verified its power and functionality. NEMO, or Nikon Experimentation Microscope in Orbit, enables automated imaging of growing cells to study microgravity’s effects on disease, tissue development, and drug responses.
Afterward, she disconnected and stowed physics hardware that supported crystal growth research that took place inside Destiny’s Microgravity Science Glovebox. Insights may advance semiconductor manufacturing and related industries on and off the Earth.
Meir also assisted NASA flight engineer Anil Menon in the Quest airlock as he swapped radio communications gear between a pair of spacesuits. Next, Menon powered up and the tested the communication system, checked multiple frequency bands, and confirmed data transmission with mission controllers on the ground. Meir then inspected and stowed tethers used during four spacewalks that took place from Aug. 6 to Sept. 1.
NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway began his shift checking the operation and charging of laptop computers. Next, Hathaway stowed cargo in a hatch above the Unity module and installed protective window covers. He spent the second half of his shift on orbital plumbing maintenance in the Tranquility module.
Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) spent her shift filming and narrating a series of tours inside the orbital outpost as she floated from one module to another. The videos were recorded in both French and English with the purpose of keeping kids and adults interested in space topics.
In the Roscosmos segment of the space station, flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina took turns inspecting and photographing the condition of stowage areas inside the Zarya and Nauka modules. Dubrov also photographed and videotaped his fellow crew members documenting their daily activities for audiences on Earth. Kikina worked on ventilation maintenance inside the Zvezda service module.
Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev checked out a tablet computer, inspected its cables and battery, then monitored its recharging and rebooting operations. Afterward, Fedyaev replaced dust filters inside the Nauka science module before ending his shift jogging on Zvezda’s treadmill then working out on Tranquility’s advanced resistive exercise device.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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