The Expedition 24 crew of Commander Alexander Skvortsov and Flight Engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko completed some maintenance and science tasks along with their daily physical exercise during a light-duty workday aboard the International Space Station Thursday.Skvortsov performed some maintenance tasks in the new Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 including activating the Multifunction Indicator Panel, testing communication channels and replacing a dust filter cartridge. The module, also known as Rassvet ("dawn" in Russian), provides additional storage space, room for conducting experiments and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.
Caldwell Dyson worked in the Columbus laboratory with the VO2max experiment. The experiment involves recording the oxygen intake of exercising crew members before, during and after their stays aboard the station to evaluate and document the changes in their aerobic capacity.
Kornienko spent time in the Russian segment of the station testing and replacing smoke detectors and performing preventive maintenance activities.
Throughout the day, the crew members had time set aside to perform their daily exercise routines. Station residents are required to exercise for 2.5 hours daily to stave off the effects of long-term exposure to the microgravity environment aboard the orbiting laboratory.
After 163 days in space, Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers T.J. Creamer and Soichi Noguchi landed their Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft in Kazakhstan Tuesday wrapping up a five-and-a-half-month stay aboard the station.
