Exciting Launches and Research on the International Space Station

Exciting times are ahead for the crew aboard the International Space Station as they prepare for the arrival of new crew members and a cargo spacecraft. Expedition 70 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps has been busy preparing tubes to collect samples for the Immunity Assay investigation, which looks at the impact of spaceflight on cellular immune functions.

Three crew members are set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday, March 21. NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, and Flight Engineer Marina Vasilevskaya will join the Expedition 70 crew in microgravity after a short ride to the station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft. Meanwhile, NASA’s SpaceX 30th commercial resupply mission is scheduled to launch from Florida, carrying new science and technology investigations, as well as supplies for the crew.

In addition to preparing for the upcoming arrivals, the crew members of the International Space Station have been busy conducting research and engaging with students on Earth. Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick collected samples for the Immunity Assay investigation, while Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps processed the samples. Other activities included reconfiguring cameras, conducting robotics demonstrations, and participating in a Ham Radio session with students in Greece.

The crew members have been hard at work in various modules of the space station, with tasks ranging from replacing air ventilation filters to practicing piloting techniques. Commander Oleg Kononenko is getting ready to monitor the autonomous docking of the Soyuz spacecraft when it arrives.

To stay updated on all the latest activities happening on the International Space Station, you can follow the space station blog, @space_station, @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts. You can also subscribe to receive weekly updates from NASA Johnson Space Center and the latest news from NASA.

Exciting times are ahead in space as the crew members of the International Space Station continue their important research and preparations for the arrival of new crew members and cargo. Stay tuned for more updates from space!