Orbital observation
On Monday (Sept. 22), NASA named its next class of astronaut candidates during a ceremony held at Johnson Space Center in Houston. In addition to recording a message to the new trainees, members of the Expedition 73 crew also shared a photo (below) of them watching Group 24 being introduced.
“To the newest astronaut class, from the crew of Expedition 73 onboard the International Space Station, congratulations and welcome to the Astronaut Corps!” wrote Jonny Kim, a fellow NASA astronaut.
The “ascans” will become eligible for flight assignments after about two years of basic training.
Science status
Among the research that was conducted by the Expedition 73 crew aboard the space station this week was:
Voyager DNA Decryption — NASA’s Jonny Kim sequenced DNA samples as part of a study into using the polymer to securely store and transmit data in space. The results of this research could help enable longer duration missions into deep space by replacing more bulky data storage techniques.
VIRTUAL —The Spatial Orientation and Interaction of Eisodic Systems Under Conditions of Weightlessness (Virtual) investigation collects data on crew members’ vestibular functions “on the disposition of gaze and visual tracking during the course of a long-duration space mission.” Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov wore virtual reality glasses and “responded to computer-generated visual stimuli as his eye movements and other physiological reactions were recorded,” according to NASA.
SPLANKH — Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, both Roscosmos cosmonauts, scanned each other’s bellies with an ultrasound device after breakfast on Friday (Sept. 26) to gather data on their digestion, metabolism and nutrient delivery as they adjust to the microgravity environment of space.
Station keeping
The Expedition 73 crewmates also took part in activities to maintain the space station’s systems and prepare for future research.
NG-23 Cygnus — Mike Fincke and Kimiya Yui on Friday (Sept. 26) continued to unload new science and supplies delivered aboard the S.S. William C. “Willie” McCool, an uncrewed cargo…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Latest from Space.com…