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| The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship approaches the station above the Indian Ocean near Madagascar on March 16, 2023. |
On Tuesday, the International Space Station Expedition 69 crew members focused their attention on cardiac research in an effort to advance human health both on Earth and in space. The main research objective of the day was the Cardinal Health 2 experiment, which is taking place inside the Kibo laboratory module. This study aims to prevent space-caused heart conditions and Earth-bound cardiac disorders.
Flight Engineers Woody Hoburg of NASA and Sultan Alneyadi of UAE took turns supporting the Cardinal Health 2 experiment, treating engineered heart tissue samples inside Kibo’s Life Sciences Glovebox to help doctors understand gravitational stresses on cardiovascular cells and tissues. Observations from this experiment may lead to potential treatments advancing heart health for both astronauts and Earthlings.
The samples from the Cardinal Health 2 experiment and other experiments will soon be packed inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft for analysis by researchers on the ground. NASA Flight Engineers Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen partnered together to ready the Dragon for its departure on Saturday, April 15, when it will undock from the Harmony module’s forward port at 11:05 a.m. EDT. The duo packed a variety of research gear and station hardware, securely strapping them inside Dragon. The U.S. space freighter will parachute to a splashdown off the coast of Florida several hours later for retrieval by SpaceX and NASA support personnel.
Meanwhile, two cosmonauts continued gearing up for a series of spacewalks set to begin on Tuesday, April 18. Commander Sergey Prokopyev and Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin will work over three spacewalks to maneuver an experiment airlock and a radiator from the Rassvet module to the Nauka science module. The duo spent the day readying their Orlan spacesuits inside the Poisk module, checking for pressure leaks, and installing suit batteries and other components.
At the beginning of the day, Prokopyev took part in a cardiac study with assistance from Flight Engineer Andrey Fedyaev. Fedyaev attached sensors to Prokopyev and photographed the experiment activities that monitor a cosmonaut’s blood circulation in microgravity. Fedyaev then spent the rest of his day on computer maintenance, station window inspections, and a fitness test on a treadmill.
In conclusion, the Expedition 69 crew members aboard the International Space Station are working hard to further our understanding of the impact of microgravity on the cardiovascular system. The research being conducted aboard the station has the potential to improve heart health for both astronauts and people on Earth. Additionally, the preparation for the upcoming spacewalks and the return of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft demonstrate the constant activity and productivity of the ISS crew.
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