Stem cell research, a student robotics challenge, and spacesuit maintenance dominated the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 74 crew also rounded out its shift with Earth observations and cargo transfers throughout the day.
Repairing damaged organs or tissues is a key objective for a technology demonstration taking place onboard the orbital outpost that seeks to transform stem cells into any human cell type that are superior to those manufactured on Earth. The stem cells are reprogrammed from adult skin or blood cells and may lead to advances in regenerative medicine and cancer therapies. Station Commander Mike Fincke treated samples for the stem cell tech demo inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox then prepared them for preservation in cold stowage. The experiment hardware and research samples were launched to the station in October aboard JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo craft.
JAXA Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui spent his shift testing a pair of small robotic helpers ahead of an upcoming student challenge to program and maneuver the free-flying devices on the station. The main objective was a technical rehearsal of the toaster-sized Astrobee’s ability to identify and find hidden objects throughout the Kibo lab. The second objective was to monitor the Int-Ball 2, a small sphere-shaped robotic camera designed by JAXA, as it autonomously worked alongside Astrobee and recorded its search activities. Code written by student teams will operate the two robots together and will be judged for its accuracy, speed, and efficiency.
NASA Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Chris Williams partnered together during the first half of their shift on Tuesday and resized a pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock. The duo adjusted the suits’ arms, leg …