Crew Works Advanced Exercise and Space Tech, Gets Ready for Thursday Spacewalk
A new exercise system, spacecraft fire safety, and advanced life support gear were the main research priorities aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 72 crew is also ready for a spacewalk to conduct science and robotics work on Thursday.
Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore, both from NASA, were back inside the Columbus laboratory module continuing to install futuristic exercise gear for space crews. The duo is spending the rest of the week assembling the workout hardware in Columbus where it will be tested by the station crew using its advanced bicycling, rowing, and resistive capabilities. The small and compact European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device will be evaluated in the orbital outpost's microgravity environment before being used on longer term missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Working from the Destiny laboratory module, NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague swapped samples of thin plastic sheets inside the Combustion Integrated Rack. Those samples are being observed for how they burn in weightlessness to learn how to prevent fires on spacecraft. NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit spent his day in the Harmony module setting up the Microgravity Sediment Trap hardware. The advanced technology demonstration gear will test new filters to protect and extend the life of spacecraft cooling systems.
Two cosmonauts are ready to exit the space station's Poisk airlock at 10:10 a.m. EST on Thursday for a planned six-hour and 40-minute spacewalk to remove science experiments and relocate robotic hardware. The duo from Roscosmos wrapped up their spacewalk procedure reviews, completed the installation of Orlan spacesuit components, and finished charging the video cameras they will wear on their suits to record their spacewalk activities. NASA+ will begin its live spacewalk coverage at 9:45 a.m. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will assist the spacewalkers in and out of the airlock as well as their Orlan spacesuits on Thursday. Gorbunov will also be at the controls of the European robotic arm as the spacewalkers relocate a robotics control panel on the device attached to the Nauka science module.
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