Human Research, a series of ongoing research to understand how to keep astronauts healthy while living in space for a long time, was the main science topic that rode the International Space Station on Thursday. Expedition 72 residents also conducted emergency drills to continue packing the cargo ship for future departures and remain familiar with response, communication and coordination procedures.
Four NASA astronauts used Ultrasound 2 devices by alternating veins in their neck, shoulders and legs at the Columbus Laboratory module on Thursday morning. Flight engineers Butch Wilmore and Nick Haag have begun their biomedical work as Wilmore strengthened their human research facilities and their ultrasound hardware. Wilmore then scanned the Hague veins as doctors on the ground were monitored with real-time guidance.
The Hague then controlled ultrasound 2 and scanned the veins of station commander Snie Williams while relaxing in the Columbus lab. The Hague then handed over the ultrasound device and scanned Wilmore’s vein with flight engineer Don Pettit as the crew’s medical officer, remote guidance from experts on Earth. Using downlinked medical data, doctors gain insight into crew health and learn how the human body can live and adapt to working in zero gravity.
After a venous scan, Pettit began connecting hardware and electrical gear for a new muscle stimulation experiment to combat cosmic muscular atrophy of crew members’ feet with improved exercise methods . The Hague collected urine samples and stored them in the science freezer for future testing. Wilmore completed radio communications hardware that was removed from outside the orbital post base during the spacecraft on January 30th.
Williams also activated the Astroby Robot Free Flyer piloted within the Kibora Laboratory module, demonstrating the ability to bring live video back to Earth and stream it. Williams then retrieved engineering yeast samples from the incubator, stored them in a science freezer, and determined their ability to produce on-demand nutrients on future missions for later analysis.
Roscosmos Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov pointed the camera from the window of the Zvezda service module to photograph the Earth’s landmarks at various wavelengths. Flight engineer Alexey Ovchinin collected garbage and outdated gear to be disposed of ongoing 89 cargo ships before departing at the end of February. Flight engineer Ivan Vagner worked on ventilation maintenance for the Nauka Science module.
At the end of their shift, the entire crew of seven expeditions gathered together to practice regular scheduled emergency drills. Orbital septet worked in conjunction with mission controllers around the world and followed the simulated emergency drill steps of computer tablets. The crew then considered procedures to follow in unlikely events of suppression, chemical leaks, or fire on the space station.
Follow the Space Station Blog, @Space_Station, @Iss_Research on X, and ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts to learn more about station activity.
Get the latest from NASA, which is streamed every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe
February 13, 2025
