How the Private ISS Mission Crew is Settling Into Zero Gravity Life

The International Space Station (ISS) conscionable welcomed caller guests, a backstage unit of 4 astronauts who are settling successful connected committee nan orbiting laboratory and learning to accommodate to nan microgravity environment.

Axiom Space launched its 2nd backstage mission to nan ISS connected Sunday, pinch nan unit members arriving to nan abstraction position astatine 11:00 a.m. ET connected Monday pursuing a astir 16-hour travel done space. The unit members are group to walk astir 8 days connected committee nan ISS.

The Ax-2, aliases Axiom Mission 2, unit is led by seasoned astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is presently Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. Saudi Arabia bought 2 tickets for its astronauts, ngo specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, while aviator John Shoffner purchased a ticket to abstraction done Axiom Space successful 2021. Aside from Whitson, nan ngo marks nan unit members’ first clip successful space.

The Ax-2 unit members spent each of Tuesday familiarizing themselves pinch nan ISS operations, and practicing mundane chores for illustration preparing nutrient and drinks, going done information procedures, and operating laboratory equipment, NASA wrote successful a blogpost. The abstraction agency besides mentioned that nan unit was “conducting hygiene practices,” which mightiness see learning really to ablution and usage nan bath connected committee nan ISS. The abstraction position bath is equipped pinch footholds and handholds truthful that astronauts tin enactment firmly connected nan toilet seat, but it still doesn’t sound very comfortable.

The ISS is buzzing pinch astronauts, pinch a full of 11 unit members connected committee nan abstraction position astatine nan moment. The Ax-2 unit joined nan 7 members of nan Expedition 69 crew, and they went complete roles and responsibilities for each personnel successful lawsuit of an emergency connected committee nan ISS. “The world unit of 11 located information cogwheel specified arsenic occurrence extinguishers and portable breathing gear, followed flight routes, and coordinated communications pinch ngo controllers successful consequence to fire, ammonia leak, aliases unit leak events,” NASA wrote successful its blogpost.

Along pinch Ax-2 commandant Whitson, NASA formation technologist Stephen Bowen, who launched to nan ISS successful March arsenic commandant of nan SpaceX Crew-6 mission, transferred emergency cogwheel and information hardware from nan SpaceX Dragon capsule (which nan Ax-2 unit arrived on) to nan abstraction station. The abstraction position besides sewage a caller batch of supplies connected Wednesday that were sent to debased Earth orbit connected committee Russia’s cargo vessel Progress 84. The spacecraft, which docked to nan ISS astatine 12:19 p.m. ET, was carrying 5,492 pounds (2,491 kilograms) of food, water, fuel, and different supplies.

During their clip connected committee nan ISS, nan Ax-2 unit members will behaviour a assortment of technological investigation and experiments, including 1 to analyse nan effects of microgravity connected nan production of stem cells.

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