Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi have now been living and working aboard the International Space Station for five days. Today the crew continued their work on science experiments, microgravity research, and technology demonstrations. The astronauts also participated in media engagements and STEAM events.
Whitson successfully completed the Axiom Imagery Processing Collection tech demonstration, which is an automatic, wireless transfer application tool for downlinking imagery. This demonstration will provide insight on the feasibility and efficiency of this tool for future use on Axiom Station to reduce crew and ground time on image transferring, allowing more time to focus on science and outreach.
Whitson and Shoffner worked on different biomedical research studies exploring ways to improve life on Earth and in space. For the Cancer in Low-Earth Orbit experiment, Whitson removed tumor cell samples from a research incubator and placed them in the fluorescence microscope for imaging to learn how cancers form and possibly develop ways to predict and treat cancer on Earth.
Shoffner exercised while wearing a specialized skinsuit to demonstrate its ability to attenuate microgravity-induced physiological changes. The Skinsuit is a potential spaceflight countermeasure, which aims to mitigate the effects of microgravity on the body, including spinal elongation, muscle atrophy, and sensorimotor changes.
Barnawi and Alqarni measured their blood pressure, blood oxygen, and heart rate levels, as well as performed some brain imaging studies for the Nebula Human Research investigations, which will look at how humans adapt and respond to spaceflight to better understand human health in microgravity. These human research studies are assessing tools that monitor brain and eye health and may offset the long-term effects of living in weightlessness.
Barnawi dedicated a lot of time today conducting studies on different cells in the life science glovebox. Firstly, she treated human immune cells with a substance that mimics an inflammatory response for a study on mRNA response and stability, which will inform researchers on the immune system’s response to microgravity. In addition, Barnawi serviced stem cell samples for the Stellar Stem Cell study to see how microgravity affects the way the cells divide, as well as their ability to absorb DNA – a crucial step in stem cell manufacturing. Earlier in the morning, Alqarni also supported the Stellar Stem Cell project by inserting the samples into a fluorescence microscope for imaging.
Whitson had a conversation and conducted a science experiment demonstration on surface tension with science TV host and aeronautics and astronautics engineer Emily Calandrelli, known as the Space Gal. During the event, Whitson talked about what it is like to live and work in space and her career as an astronaut. The event will be shared at a later date.
Shoffner announced the final selections of his International Space Art and Poetry Contest. He released a video showcasing a sample of the 930 entries from 26 countries from students who answered the question, “What would it look like if we lived in space?” Shoffner also hosted live STEAM outreach events with students from Middlesboro Middle School and MIT graduate and undergraduate students involved in the Skinsuit project. You can watch both events live on Axiom Space’s YouTube channel.
Tomorrow, Shoffner will host a STEAM event in coordination with the Odyssey Scholarship Program. He will conduct a science demonstration on inertia and Q&A with students ages 8-12 located in Miami, FL. The event will take place at 1:00 p.m. CDT. You can watch it live on Axiom Space’s YouTube channel.