Vita

Abstract

Soyuz MS-04 was the first Soyuz to carry only two crew members since Soyuz TMA-2 in 2002 due to a Russian decision to temporarily cut back their number of station crew numbers from three to two. Because there would now be a spare seat on the return journey, Whitson’s mission was able to be extended by 3 months, and she returned to Earth together with Fyodor Yurichikhin and Jack Fischer.

Mission
ESA Mission Name:	Vita
Astronaut:	Paolo Angelo Nespoli
Mission Duration:	138 days, 16 hours, 56 minutes
Mission Sponsors:	ASI/ESA
ISS Milestones:	ISS 51S, 88th crewed mission to the ISS

Launch
Launch Date/Time:	July 28, 2017, 15:41 UTC
Launch Site:	Pad 1, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch Vehicle:	Soyuz MS
Launch Mission:	Soyuz MS-05
Launch Vehicle Crew:	Sergei Nikolayevich Ryazansky (RKA), CDR
	Randolph James Bresnik (NASA), Flight Engineer
	Paolo Angelo Nespoli (ESA), Flight Engineer

Docking
Soyuz MS-05
Docking Date/Time:	July 28, 2017, 21:54 UTC
Undocking Date/Time:	December 14, 2017, 05:14 UTC
Docking Port:	Rassvet nadir

Landing
Landing Date/Time:	December 14, 2017, 08:37 UTC
Landing Site:	near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan
Landing Vehicle:	Soyuz MS
Landing Mission:	Soyuz MS-05
Landing Vehicle Crew:	Sergei Nikolayevich Ryazansky (RKA), CDR
	Randolph James Bresnik (NASA), Flight Engineer
	Paolo Angelo Nespoli (ESA), Flight Engineer

ISS Expeditions
ISS Expedition:	Expedition 52
ISS Crew:	Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin (RKA), ISS-CDR
	Jack David Fischer (NASA), ISS-Flight Engineer 1
	Peggy Annette Whitson (NASA), ISS-Flight Engineer 2
	Sergei Nikolayevich Ryazansky (RKA), ISS-Flight Engineer 3
	Randolph James Bresnik (NASA), ISS-Flight Engineer 4
	Paolo Angelo Nespoli (ESA), ISS-Flight Engineer 5

ISS Expedition:	Expedition 53
ISS Crew:	Randolph James Bresnik (NASA), ISS-CDR
	Sergei Nikolayevich Ryazansky (RKA), ISS-Flight Engineer 1
	Paolo Angelo Nespoli (ESA), ISS-Flight Engineer 2
	Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Misurkin (RKA), ISS-Flight Engineer 3
	Mark Thomas Vande Hei (NASA), ISS-Flight Engineer 4
	Joseph Michael Acaba (NASA), ISS-Flight Engineer 5

The ISS Story So Far

Soyuz MS-04 was the first Soyuz to carry only two crew members since Soyuz TMA-2 in 2002 due to a Russian decision to temporarily cut back their number of station crew numbers from three to two. Because there would now be a spare seat on the return journey, Whitson’s mission was able to be extended by 3 months, and she returned to Earth together with Fyodor Yurichikhin and Jack Fischer.

Paolo Nespoli

The biography of Paulo Nespoli biography is taken from the previous book by the same author, In the Footsteps of Columbus: European Missions to the International Space Station. That book contains the details of his Esperia and Magisstra missions.

Paolo Nespoli was born on April 6, 1957, in Milan, Italy. He was drafted by the Italian army in 1977 and became a non-commissioned officer and parachute instructor at the Scuola Militare di Paracadutismo of Pisa. In 1980 he joined the ninth Btg d’Assalto ‘Col Moschin’ of Livorno, where he was a member of the Special Forces. From 1982 to 1984, he was assigned to the Italian contingent of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon. On his return to Italy he was commissioned as an officer and remained with the Special Forces.

Fig. 9.1. Paolo Nespoli (NASA)

Paolo resumed his education in 1985, graduating from the Polytechnic University of New York in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and following this up in 1989 with a master’s in aeronautics and astronautics. Having left the army in 1987, he returned to Italy to work as a design engineer for Proel Tecnologie in Florence, which manufactured ion propulsion units for satellites and spacecraft. There he conducted mechanical analysis and supported the qualification of the flight units of the Electron Gun Assembly, one of the main parts of the Italian Space Agency’s Tethered Satellite System. He was awarded the Laurea in Ingegneria Meccanica by the Università degli Studi di Firenze in Italy in 1990.

In 1991 Paolo joined the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, as an astronaut training engineer. He contributed to basic training for European astronauts and was responsible for the preparation and management of astronaut proficiency maintenance, as well as the Astronaut Training Database – one of the systems used in the training process. In 1995 he worked on the EuroMir project at ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, where he headed the team which prepared, integrated, and supported the Payload and Crew Support Computer that was used on the Mir space station. In 1996 he went to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and worked in the Spaceflight Training Division, training crews for the ISS.

In July 1998 Paolo joined the ASI astronaut corps and one month later he joined ESA’s European astronaut corps. He was promptly assigned to Houston as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Group 17, known as the Penguins, together with ESA astronauts Léopold Eyharts, Hans Schlegel, and Roberto Vittori. In 2000 Paolo qualified to fly on the Space Shuttle and to work on board the ISS. In July 2001 he completed the space shuttle robotics arm course and in September 2003 completed advanced skills training for spacewalks. In August 2004 he continued his training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow, learning to operate the Soyuz spacecraft.

After returning to the Johnson Space Center he was assigned to space shuttle mission STS-120 in June 2006.

In October 2007, Nespoli visited the station on board STS-120. This was his Esperia mission. He was a member of Expeditions 26 and 27 between December 2010 and May 2011 during his Magisstra mission.¹

The Vita Mission

Mission Patches

ESA explains that “the mission name, Vita, stands for Vitality, Innovation, Technology and Ability and was chosen by the Italian space agency, ASI, which was providing the mission through a barter agreement with NASA. In Italian, ‘vita’ means ‘life’, reflecting the experiments that Paolo will run and the philosophical notion of living in outer space – one of the most inhospitable places for humans.

The overall circle and blue shading evoke our planet, with the Third Paradise symbol by Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto linking the mission’s main messages. Three elements stand out: a strand of DNA as a symbol of life and science, a book as a symbol of culture and education, and Earth as a symbol of humanity. The Third Paradise is a reformulation of the symbol for infinity. The two opposing ovals contain elements of the scientific and cultural activities Paolo will perform in space. Their meeting in the center represents the evolution of Earth and benefits for humankind. The central shape of the symbol, together with the presence of the globe, can also be seen as an eye, giving an astronaut’s perspective over our planet. The logo features the colors of the Italian flag”.

The Soyuz MS-05 crew patch features a nose-on view of the spacecraft, as it prepares to dock with the International Space Station, with the Roscosmos logo just above it. In a protruding circle, the Greek god of the northern wind Boreas is shown, as this name is the call sign for the spaceship’s crew. In the foreground, the navigational device of the docking cross is shown, as seen by the crew during the link-up with the orbital facility. The constellation of Scorpion is shown in the background, as a reference to the spaceship commander’s star sign. Three stars in the background symbolize the crew members, whose names are shown in the border, with the corresponding national flags next to them. It was designed by Anastasia Timofeyeva, who won a competition with over 700 entries, and it was finalized by Luc van den Abeelen.

Fig. 9.2. Vita mission patch (ESA)

Fig. 9.3. Soyuz MS-05 mission patch (www.spacefacts.de)

Fig. 9.4. Expedition 52 mission patch (NASA)

Fig. 9.5. Expedition 53 mission patch (NASA)

The Expedition 52 patch is one of the busiest produced. It was designed by Luc van den Abeelen and Commander Fedor Yurchikin. It was originally to be the Expedition 53 patch but followed Expedition 52 as reassignments were made. As well the names and national flags of the crew in the border, it shows the ISS sharing an orbit of Earth with Sputnik. The roman numerals LII are highlighted in the solar arrays to indicate the mission number, 52. As well as stars of various colors and shapes, visible are the Moon, Mars, a comet, the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn. The stars can be seen to make simple shape of a house around the Earth to symbolise Yurchikin’s mission slogan of “Earth is our home.”

The Expedition 53 patch was designed by Tim Gagnon and Jorge Cartes. It shows the ISS on a flight path following the astronaut office symbol from Earth to the Moon and onwards past Mars. Earth is held in the number 5 and the Moon is in the number 3. Beyond both are stars, constellations and nebula.

Fig. 9.6. The Soyuz MS-05 crew with Paolo Nespoli on left (www.spacefacts.de)

Fig. 9.7. The Expedition 52 crew with Paolo Nespoli third from right (NASA)

Fig. 9.8. The Expedition 53 crew with Paolo Nespoli on right (NASA)

Timeline

Expedition 52, Week Ending July 30, 2017

On July 28, Soyuz MS-05 launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 11:41 a.m. EDT. On board were NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA. They docked at the station’s Rassvet module, at 6 p.m., and the hatches opened at 7:57 p.m. EDT. The new members of Expedition 52 were welcomed by Station Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA. This was Nespoli’s third spaceflight and his second long duration mission to the ISS.

Expedition 52, Week Ending August 6, 2017

Since the Russians reduced their crew from three to two, the USOS segment had increased its crew from three to four. The USOS segment is crewed by NASA, ESA, JAXA and CSA astronauts. Expedition 52 now had six members.

Nespoli took part in the Sarcolab-3 study using the Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System (MARES) chair in the Columbus module. This study continues the investigation of muscle loss, by recording data on the astronauts’ calf muscles.

Nespoli and Bresnik participated in the research on space headaches by writing down their experiences on 2 August and for the remainder of the week. Ryazanskiy, Nespoli and Bresnik familiarized themselves with the station’s emergency equipment and explored the station, taking note of safety equipment locations and escape paths.

Bresnik and Nespoli conducted ultrasound scans of their legs on August 3 to review how their leg muscles and tendons were changing in space, to be compared with pre- and post-flight data.

Expedition 52, Week Ending August 13, 2017

Bresnik and Nespoli started the week by returning to the muscle loss observations. Using electrodes and an ultrasound, they recorded muscle performance during exercise. Yurchikhin and Ryazanskiy prepared for their upcoming EVA.

The Russian Progress spacecraft fired its thrusters on August 9 to raise the orbit of the station to prepare for the following month’s crew arrivals and departures. Fischer and Nespoli trained for the arrival and grappling of the next SpaceX Dragon. Yurchikhin and Ryazanskiy performed leak checks, installed batteries and sized up their Orlan spacesuits before the EVA.

Expedition 52, Week Ending August 20, 2017

SpaceX Dragon CRS-12 launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 16:31 UTC on August 14. Fischer and Nespoli captured the Dragon spacecraft at 6:52 a.m. EDT using the Canadarm2 robotic arm, and it was then berthed at the Harmony module at 9:07 a.m. EDT. CRS-12 delivered more than 6400 pounds of supplies and payloads to the station, including small cups of chocolate, vanilla and birthday cake-flavored ice cream in freezers. The freezers were to be reused to house scientific samples for the return journey.

Yurchikhin and Ryazansky started their spacewalk at 10:36 a.m. EDT on August 17 in their Orlan spacesuits. They exited the Pirs docking compartment. Ryazansky released five nanosatellites, including the first 3D printed cubesat into Earth orbit, by ‘simply’ throwing them in the right direction away from the Space Station into orbit. Other tasks included retrieving external experiments and taking samples of materials that are subjected to the harsh conditions of space to see how they fare over time. External experiments like these and the joint ESA-Russian Expose facilities allow mission designers to test potential new materials and even understand the origins of life.

Nespoli helped them prepare for the spacewalk and helped them back inside when they were finished. Fyodor was wearing a new version of the Orlan spacesuit that offers better temperature control and was easier to use and more robust.

Expedition 52, Week Ending August 27, 2017

Overnight on August 22, ground-based robotics controllers extracted a new astrophysics experiment from the unpressurized segment of the SpaceX Dragon, ready to be handed to the Japanese robotic arm to be installed outside the Kibō module. This was the Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Investigation (CREAM) experiment, which observes a variety of cosmic rays and measures their charges. The experiment is an extension of what started as high-altitude, long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica. The orbital data was expected to be several orders of magnitude greater than that collected in Earth’s atmosphere.

The crew members watched solar eclipse from space on August 21. They used a multitude of cameras to photograph the eclipse.

Nespoli unloaded experimental equipment from the Dragon. These included the ESA incubator-centrifuge called Kubik, which combines a centrifuge with a heater element to keep samples at the right temperature. He plugged in the unit, ran tests and confirmed that Kubik was running at 37 °C. Also on board was the ASI experiment, SERISM, investigates on a molecular level why immune cells die more quickly in space. SERISM looks at human blood-derived stem cells from healthy donors on Earth that are transported to the Space Station in Experiment containers that slot into Kubik. Here they are reprogrammed to produce bone material in microgravity and preserved at different times using chemical fixatives for later analysis.

He also entered the BEAM inflatable module and took samples of areas to see if and how bacteria are growing on the new surfaces. In the afternoon he did a session with Aquapad to test the station’s drinking water and more eye exams, as well as taking a fecal sample for the Japanese ProBiotics experiment investigating how bacteria in astronauts’ gut changes during spaceflight.

Nespoli and Bresnik tested the effectiveness of the new Mini-Exercise Device-2 (MED2). The MED2 is smaller and less bulky than other space exercise equipment, providing more habitability room on a spacecraft.

Expedition 52, Week Ending September 3, 2017

Fyodor Yurchikhin handed over command of the station to Randy Bresnik on September 1 at 20:30 CEST in the usual formal ceremony. At 2:41 p.m. EDT on August 2, the hatch closed between the Soyuz and the station. Whitson, Fischer and Yurchikhin undocked their Soyuz MS-04 at 5:58 p.m. EDT and landed safely at 9:21 p.m. EDT southeast of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 53, Week Ending September 10, 2017

Nespoli checked out physics and life science equipment on September 6. He cleaned and installed handrails on the Electromagnetic Levitation device then swapped out equipment inside the Space Automated Bioproduct Lab. The following day, station commander Bresnik and Nespoli investigated the failed Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU). They replaced electronics and connected it to a laptop. Nespoli set up the Magvector magnetic field experiment ahead of experimentation the following week. This studies the Earth’s magnetic field and how it affects electrically powered experiments on the station. Nespoli also checked the Light Microscopy Module equipment that had to be verified after transport as it was fragile.

Expedition 53, Week Ending September 17, 2017

Soyuz MS-06 launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 5:17 p.m. EDT, September 12 with Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos on board. The Soyuz spacecraft docked to Poisk zenith port at 10:55 p.m. EDT while both spacecraft were flying 252 statute miles over the Pacific Ocean off to the west of Chile. Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA welcomed them on board the station.

Nespoli and Bresnik used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to release the SpaceX Dragon after it was detached from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module at 4:40 a.m. EDT on September 17. Dragon’s thrusters fired to move the spacecraft a safe distance from the station. Then SpaceX flight controllers in Hawthorne, California, commanded its deorbit burn. The capsule splashed down at 10:14 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean.

Expedition 53, Week Ending September 24, 2017

Nespoli and Ryazanskiy participated in the bone marrow study, looking at blood and breath samples with the blood being processed in a centrifuge. Bresnik also collected his blood and urine samples that scientists later analyzed for any physiological changes caused by microgravity. Nespoli assisted Ryazanskiy into the MARES chair and Bresnik collected ultrasound imagery of his leg. The data was readied for the Sarcolab-3 experiment that observes space-induced chemical and structural changes in muscle fibers.

On September 12 Bresnik and Vande Hei wore virtual reality headsets to train for emergency escape scenarios. They simulated using jet packs on their spacesuits in case they become untethered from the station.

Ryazanskiy and Nespoli continued the Sarcolab-3 study on muscle and tendon changes in weightlessness.

Expedition 53, Week Ending October 1, 2017

Bresnik and Nespoli worked out on the new Miniature Exercise Device-2 (MED-2). Vande Hei installed new lightbulbs in his crew quarters to help with circadian rhythms, sleep and cognitive performance. Acaba and Nespoli took blood and urine samples for the Biochemical Profile and Repository study which records changes to the body on long duration flights. Bresnik and Vande Hei prepared for an upcoming series of three spacewalks. They checked the spacesuit to station tethers and collected the required tools and equipment.

On September 26, Acaba set up the Veggie-3 experiment which grows lettuce and cabbage as a step in creating a sustainable food source in space. Bresnik and Vande Hei continued to check their emergency jet packs and they resized their spacesuits for the upcoming EVA.

Acaba installed radiation monitors in the U. S. segment on September 27 to record neutron radiation levels as part of the Radi-N2 study to examine the risk to crew members and develop advanced protection for future spacecraft.

Progress 67 fired its engines on September 28 for 3 minutes and 40 seconds to boost the station’s orbit. This placed the station at the correct altitude to receive Progress 68 mid-October and Soyuz MS-07 in December.

Expedition 53, Week Ending October 8, 2017

Ground controllers moved the Canadarm2 to the correct worksite on October 2 to allow the spacewalkers access to its Latching End Effector (LEE).

Nespoli prepared the Kibō laboratory for new science equipment on October 3. These were due to arrive on Orbital ATK’s Cygnus and SpaceX’s Dragon, both in November.

Bresnik and Vande Hei started the first of a series of spacewalks at 8:05 a.m. EDT on October 5. They replaced one of the LEEs on the Canadarm2. They also accomplished a couple of get-ahead tasks such as removing insulation from a spare direct current switching unit and preparing a flex hose rotary coupler for future use.

Expedition 53, Week Ending October 15, 2017

Bresnik and Vande Hei switched their spacesuits to battery power again at 7:56 a.m., EDT on October 10 for their second successive spacewalk. This time they lubricated components of the new latching end effector they had installed on the Canadarm2 robotic arm the week before and replaced a faulty camera.

The planned launch of the Progress 68 cargo craft was scrubbed on October 12. It was rescheduled for October 14. It launched on schedule at 4:46 a.m. EDT Baikonur, Kazakhstan. At the time of launch, the ISS was flying about 250 miles over the southern Atlantic Ocean north of the Falkland Islands.

Expedition 53, Week Ending October 22, 2017

Progress 68 cargo ship docked at 7:04 a.m. EDT on October 16 at the Pirs Docking Compartment. Bresnik set up a camera that photographs meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere. Acaba configured a microscope in the Fluids Integrated Rack and Nespoli set up the new Mini-Exercise Device-2 (MED-2).

Bresnik and Acaba reviewed procedures and configured tools on October 19, before their spacewalk. Vande Hei and Nespoli prepared to help the spacewalkers in and out of their spacesuits and guide the pair as they worked outside.

Bresnik and Acaba started their spacewalk at 7:47 a.m. EDT on October 20. They replaced a camera light assembly on the Canadarm2 latching end effectors (LEE) that the spacewalkers installed on the Canadarm2 on October 5. They also installed an HD camera outside the station. The EVA ended at 2:36 p.m. EDT. Some of the get-ahead tasks they completed include greasing the new end effector on the robotic arm, installing a new radiator grapple bar and Bresnik prepared a spare pump modules to make it accessible for future robotic replacement.

Expedition 53, Week Ending October 29, 2017

On October 23 the crew participated in the Lighting Effects experiment where LEDs replaced the fluorescent bulbs. The LEDs can be adjusted with choices of intensity and color. The effect of the lighting on circadian rhythms and sleep patterns were recorded by the crew.

At 11 a.m. EDT on October 25, Bresnik spoke with U. S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch and Ukrainian and U. S. embassy students.² Nespoli took part in second day of an 11-day study called the Astronaut’s Energy Requirements for Long-Term Space Flight (Energy). This examines the side effects of space travel. He collected water samples, urine samples and packed away the Pulmonary Function System equipment.

About 100 ml of freon leaked from a nanosatellite ready for launch from Kibō on October 27. There was no risk to crew health and safety nor to station hardware.

On October 26, the crew participated in a call with Pope Francis, who was in the Vatican. The Pope asked what motivated them to become astronauts/cosmonauts. Paolo Nespoli translated for the rest of the crew. From NASA blog October 26:

Nespoli indicated that while he remains perplexed at humankind’s role, he feels their main objective is enriching the knowledge around us. The more we know, the more we realize we don’t. Part of the space station’s ultimate mission is filling in those gaps and revealing the mysteries locked away in the cosmos. Ryazansky told the Pope that it was an honor to continue his grandfather’s legacy aboard the orbiting laboratory. Ryazansky’s grandfather was a chief engineer of Sputnik, the world’s first satellite to launch to space. Ryazansky said he is now part of the future of humanity, helping to open frontiers of new technology. Bresnik spoke candidly to Pope Francis, saying that one cannot serve aboard the space station and not be touched to their soul. From Bresnik’s unique vantage orbiting Earth, it is obvious there are no borders. Also evident: a fragile band of atmosphere protecting billions of people below. Pope Francis said that while society is individualistic, we need collaboration, and there is no better example of international teamwork and cohesiveness than the space station. It is the ultimate human experiment, showing that people from diverse backgrounds can band together to solve some of the most daunting problems facing the world. “The totality is greater than the sum of its parts,” Pope Francis observed. At the end of the call, the Pope thanked his new friends, offered his blessings and asked that they, too, pray for him in return.

Expedition 53, Week Ending November 5, 2017

The crew harvested some fresh lettuce, cabbage and mizuna from the Veg-03 investigation. This investigates how to grow food on long duration missions and in the harsh environment of space and Mars. They also set up EarthKAM in Node 2 for a week-long imaging session.

The crew also spent part of November 1 photographing their “home life” onboard the ISS for the Canadian At Home in Space study. This investigation “assesses the culture, values and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational crews during long mission time frames”. The crew answer questionnaires to investigate if they, and other crews, develop a “unique, shared space culture as an adaptive strategy for handling the cultural differences they encounter in their isolated and confined environment by creating a home in space”. Vande Hei and Acaba talked to pupils and teachers at Shaker Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

On November 1, the crew stayed up late to watch Game 7 of the baseball World Series, which was won by the NASA astronauts’ home team, the Houston Astros. They also won the series 4 to 3.

The station’s altitude was raised during a 3 minutes, 26 seconds firing of Progress 67’s thrusters.

On November 5 Nespoli captured a time-lapse video of a fireball falling to Earth over the Atlantic, off the South African west coast.

Expedition 53, Week Ending November 12, 2017

Vande Hei gathered saliva samples on November 6 as part of a study on the human immune system and metabolism. Bresnik took panoramic photographs inside the Kibō laboratory module in preparation for the Astrobee experiment. This consists of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots that should help the crew in their daily tasks and record their actions.

Fig. 9.9. Paolo Nespoli preparing to talk to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, November 2017 (ESA)

Nespoli wore a garment with water shielding the organs from radiation Vande Hei installed sensitive monitors to measure the crew exhaled air. Acaba replaced the hard drive and loaded software the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer laptop. Bresnik fixed an audio speaker in the Harmony module.

The launch of Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft was postponed on November 11 due to an aircraft infringing the no-fly zone. It lifted off at 7:19 a.m. EST on November 12.

Expedition 53, Week Ending November 19, 2017

At 5:04 a.m. on November 14, Nespoli and Bresnik successfully captured the Cygnus cargo spacecraft ‘Gene Cernan’³ using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Robotic ground controllers berthed it at the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. The craft was bolted into place at 7:15 a.m. EST.

Bresnik carried out troubleshooting on the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) in the Fluids Integrated Rack on November 16. He tried replacing cables on the LMM. Nespoli worked on space plumbing throughout the day in the Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC). He removed and replaced valves and sensors in the WHC as part of regular preventative maintenance. Acaba unpacked food, batteries and computer equipment from the Cygnus.

Expedition 53, Week Ending November 26, 2017

Cubesats were launched from the Kibō module on November 20, to investigate antibiotic resistance, astrophysics and space weather. Nespoli and Ryazanskiy used the Sarcolab-3 experiment to look at leg muscles. Nespoli was the subject in the chair.

Nespoli tested a sensor attached to his forehead to measure his temperature continuously over 36 hours. The Circadian Rhythms data is allowing researchers to understand how astronauts cope with living in unnatural day-night cycles.

Further cubesats were launched from the Kibō module on November 21. TechEdSat demonstrated spacecraft and payload deorbit techniques. OSIRIS-3U cubesat recorded the Earth’s ionosphere with the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

Bresnik, Nespoli and Acaba entered the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to start converting the module into a cargo platform by replacing old BEAM hardware with new electronics and stowage equipment.

One final cubesat group launched this week was the EcAMSat, which researches how the E. coli pathogen reacts to antibiotics in space.

Expedition 53, Week Ending December 3, 2017

Acaba and Misurkin tested a pair of SPHERES in the Kibō laboratory in preparation for a high school programming competition in January. Progress 67 fired its engines and raised the station’s orbit on November 20.

While Nespoli, Ryazansky and Bresnik prepared to depart the station, the next crew to launch was in Russia for the traditional ceremonies before heading to the launch site in Kazakhstan. Anton Shkaplerov, Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai were in Star City talking to journalists before heading to Moscow to tour Red Square and lay flowers at the Kremlin Wall where famed cosmonauts are interred. Meanwhile, the crew on the station packed the Cygnus craft with trash before it was to leave the station.

Expedition 53, Week Ending December 10, 2017

Ground controllers unberthed the Cygnus from the Unity module on December 5 and conducted communications tests as part of the Commercial Crew Program. They used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach the Cygnus spacecraft from the Earth-facing side of the station’s Unity module. It was then placed near the Harmony module to gather data overnight. Vande Hei and Acaba controlled the Canadarm2 to release Cygnus back into Earth orbit at 8:10 a.m. EST on December 6. Later Cygnus released 14 cubesats from an external NanoRacks deployer.

Bigelow Aerospace and NASA signed a contract extension to allow BEAM to stay attached to the station for another 3 years, with a potential to stay an extra year. BEAM would not yet transition to a cargo hold, as engineers study its ability to resist radiation, space debris and microbes.

Expedition 53, Week Ending December 17, 2017

On December 13, Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA handed over station command to Roscosmos’ Alexander Misurkin in an official Change of Command ceremony. At 9:02 p.m. EST, the hatch closed between the Soyuz spacecraft and the ISS in preparation for undocking. Bresnik, Nespoli and Ryazanskiy undocked 12:14 a.m. EST to begin their trip home. They landed safely at 3:37 a.m. EST southeast of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.

Postscript

At the time of writing, Vita was Paulo Nespoli’s last spaceflight.

Paolo Nespoli retired as an active astronaut at ESA in 2019 after his Vita mission to the ISS in 2017 as part of Expedition 52/53.

Fig. 9.10. Paolo Nespoli at Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland, July 2018. (CIT)Footnote

The author attended.

He has received the following honors:

• NASA Spaceflight Medal, 2007

• Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, 2007

• Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della solidarietà Italiana, 2009

During his three space missions, Nespoli accumulated 313 days, 2 hours and 36 minutes in space.