ISS crew explores bone loss, brain adaptation, and spacesuit safety
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The Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station is conducting new experiments to safeguard astronaut health during long-duration missions.
The research includes studies on bone deterioration, brain adaptation, spacesuit safety, and eye health, while the station also prepares for its next Cygnus cargo resupply mission.
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is leading a study on bone stem cells inside the Kibo laboratory’s Life Science Glovebox. NASA notes that astronauts lose bone mass more rapidly in space than on Earth, making bone health a major concern. Kim’s work aims to protect skeletal systems in orbit and could also help treat bone diseases on Earth.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov is investigating how the brain adjusts to weightlessness using virtual reality. His study focuses on balance and spatial navigation, providing data that could support astronaut training for future deep-space missions.
NASA astronaut Zena Cardman tested spacesuit jetpacks in the Quest airlock. These devices could help spacewalkers safely return to the station if they become untethered. She also managed canisters to remove carbon dioxide from the environment.
Later, Cardman joined NASA astronaut Mike Fincke and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui for ultrasound eye scans. Doctors on Earth monitored the scans in real-time, tracking changes in the optic nerve, cornea, and lens.
Commander Sergey Ryzhikov carried out maintenance on the Zvezda module’s ventilation system. He also captured images of landscapes across Australia and South America.
Cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky unloaded navigation equipment from the Progress 92 cargo ship. He later teamed up with Platonov to record an educational video demonstrating motion in microgravity.
