Space to Ground_ Homeward Bound_ Feb. 09, 2024

Welcome to Space to Ground, I'm Jaden Jennings. The third all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station came to a close this week after spending time in low Earth orbit. All hooks are open. The Axiom Mission 3 crew successfully undocked from the station's Harmony module on Wednesday, February 7th while living and The Axiom crew conducted research, outreach, and educational activities as well as several science experiments. The Expedition 70 crew has been busy with new cargo and science brought to them by the station's newest visitor after last week's successful launch, capture, and berthing of the Cygnus NG-20 cargo vehicle. The crew wasted no time diving into the 8,200 pounds of supplies and science packed inside. Speaking of science, astronauts can face bone loss in space, though a rigorous exercise routine does help combat this loss. On average, astronauts lose 1 to 2 percent of their bone mass a month while in space. One research investigation is looking into how this number can be decreased. The MABLA investigation assesses the effects of microgravity on bone MSCSs are known to play a role in making and repairing skeletal tissues. With the expansion of spaceflight duration and future expeditions beyond low Earth orbit, results could provide a better understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms of bone loss caused by spaceflight and normal aging on Earth. Four crew members are now assigned to launch on NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission for a rotational mission aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Zena Cardman will serve as commander, along with fellow NASA astronauts pilot Nick Haig and mission specialist Stephanie Wilson. Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov will finish the ensemble of four as mission specialist. Their mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than August from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. You can keep up with the science and current crew on board by following us on social media at nasa underscore astronauts at space underscore station and at ISS underscore research. And that's Space to Ground for now. Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you next week.