Science was in full swing aboard the International Space Station on Friday, with astronauts focusing on heart health and testing how artificial intelligence could make life in orbit more efficient. To cap off the week, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft also gave the station a small but important orbital boost.
NASA astronaut Chris Williams spent much of his day studying how the human heart and blood vessels respond to life in space. Working inside the Columbus laboratory, he used an ultrasound device and wore electrodes to monitor his heart’s electrical activity while scanning blood vessels in his neck, chest, and legs. With doctors guiding him from the ground, Williams then hit the COLBERT treadmill and later exercised on the station’s weight-lifting-style machine, all while sensors tracked how his body responded.
The data will help researchers understand how months in microgravity affect astronauts’ cardiovascular health.
Over in the Russian segment of the station, cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev explored how artificial intelligence could speed up and simplify everyday crew tasks. They tested AI-powered tools that turn spoken words into text and improve the handling and sharing of data with mission control. Scientists hope these tools will reduce paperwork and errors during space missions.
The cosmonauts also tackled routine maintenance. Kud-Sverchkov serviced the station’s oxygen-generating system, collected air samples for analysis, and cleaned ventilation fans inside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft. Mikaev wrapped up his day by shutting down physics experiments that study crystal growth, plasma, and radiation, and by organizing computer and electronics equipment.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Jan. 23, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft fired its engines for just over 26 minutes, gently raising the station’s orbit. The maneuver boosted the ISS by a few miles, placing it on a slightly higher, more stable orbit around Earth.
The Dragon spacecraft arrived at the station in August as part of SpaceX’s 33rd cargo delivery mission for NASA. After completing several orbital boosts over the past few months, this latest burn was its final one. The spacecraft is now set to return to Earth with important research samples and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California.