Key events in the ISS’s 25-year history, including spacewalks, cargo arrivals, and departures, reported in roundup.

The International Space Station (ISS) recently reached a major milestone, celebrating its 25th year in orbit. Despite the occasion, the crew of Expedition 70 continued their ongoing work and experiments on board the orbital laboratory. Throughout the final quarter of 2023, cargo spacecraft arrived at the ISS to deliver supplies and fresh experiments while also departing with scientific results, redundant equipment, and trash.

On October 25, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub embarked on a spacewalk to install a synthetic radar communications system, release a nanosatellite to test solar sail technology, and inspect and photograph an external backup radiator on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Kononenko wore an Orlan spacesuit with red stripes while Chub wore one with blue stripes. This marked Kononenko’s sixth spacewalk and Chub’s first. It was also the 268th spacewalk for Station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. The successful spacewalk, designated Russian EVA-61, concluded on October 26th after seven hours and 41 minutes.

NASA followed the Russian spacewalk with another one on November 1, led by astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara. Moghbeli wore a suit with red stripes, serving as extravehicular activity (EVA) crew member one, while O’Hara wore an unmarked suit as extravehicular crew member two. During this spacewalk, they replaced a trundle bearing assembly on a solar alpha rotary joint, removed a handling bar fixture in preparation for the installation of a roll-out solar array, and properly configured a cable that was previously interfering with an external camera.

Although they planned to remove and stow a communications electronics box called the Radio Frequency Group, there was not enough time to complete the task. However, they were able to assess the job and defer it to a future spacewalk. Unfortunately, one tool bag was inadvertently lost during the spacewalk, but it was determined that the risk of re-contacting the Station was low and no further action was required.

In terms of cargo arrivals, the ISS received the CRS-29 mission from SpaceX on November 11. The Cargo Dragon capsule docked autonomously with the Station’s Harmony module and brought supplies, holiday treats, and various science experiments. Notable investigations included ILLUMA-T Laser Communication, which tests enhanced data communication capabilities on the space station, NASA’s Atmospheric Wave Experiment (AWE) to measure atmospheric gravity waves, and Gaucho Lung, which studies how mucus in the respiratory system affects drug delivery. Additionally, Aquamembrane-3 from the European Space Agency continued the evaluation of a membrane-type water recovery system.

On November 29, Progress MS-23 departed from the ISS, making way for the arrival of Progress MS-25 on December 1. The uncrewed spacecraft delivered food, fuel, and supplies to the Expedition 70 crew. Progress MS-25 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and manually docked with the orbital complex after a slight deviation from its expected orientation.

December 6 marked the 25-year anniversary since the first modules of the ISS, Zarya and Unity, were joined during the STS-88 mission. To commemorate this achievement, the Expedition 70 crew spoke with NASA’s Associate Administrator Bob Cabana and ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano to discuss the station’s accomplishments since its assembly began. The crew recognized and celebrated all the individuals involved in designing, building, and operating the ISS.

Among other activities, two Japanese cubesats, BEAK and Clark, were deployed on December 18 to test future planetary probe technologies and explore voice and imagery transmissions. BEAK aims to demonstrate technologies for nano-sized planetary probes, including orbital maneuvering and propulsion systems, while Clerk-sat1 transmits voice messages and image data recorded by high school students.

Lastly, on December 21, CRS-29 departed from the ISS, and its splashdown was postponed due to bad weather. Four astronauts packed over 1,588 kilograms of science and hardware into the Dragon capsule for retrieval and analysis on Earth. Another resupply ship, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, is scheduled to depart from the ISS and burn up over the Pacific Ocean with its cargo of trash.

As the ISS continues its journey in space, these recent activities and achievements highlight the ongoing dedication and hard work of the international crew and the significant contributions made to scientific research in microgravity.