Expedition 53
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Expedition 53 (September - December 2017) was the 53rd expedition to the
International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...
, which began upon the departure of
Soyuz MS-04 Soyuz MS-04 was a Soyuz spaceflight that launched on 20 April 2017 to the ISS. It transported two members of the Expedition 52 crew to the International Space Station. Soyuz MS-04 was the 133rd flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. The crew consisted o ...
on September 2, 2017 and concluded upon the departure of Soyuz MS-05 on December 14, 2017.
Randolph Bresnik Randolph James "Komrade" Bresnik (born September 11, 1967) is a retired officer in the United States Marine Corps and an active NASA astronaut. A Marine Aviator by trade, Bresnik was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 19 in May 2004. ...
,
Paolo Nespoli Major Paolo Angelo Nespoli (born 6 April 1957) is an Italian astronaut and engineer of the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2007, he first traveled into space aboard the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' as a mission specialist of STS-120. In December ...
and
Sergey Ryazansky Sergey Nikolayevich Ryazansky (russian: Серге́й Николаевич Рязанский; born November 13, 1974) is a Russian Astronaut, cosmonaut. He was selected as commander of the IMBP-6 cosmonaut group in 2003, but later transferred t ...
were transferred from
Expedition 52 Expedition 52 (June - September 2017) was the 52nd expedition to the International Space Station. It officially began on June 2, 2017 10:47 UTC, with the undocking of Soyuz MS-03. Transfer of Command from Expedition 51 was done on June 1, 2017. ...
, with Randolph Bresnik taking the commander role. Transfer of Command from Expedition 53 to
Expedition 54 Expedition 54 was the 54th expedition to the International Space Station, which began upon the departure of Soyuz MS-05 on December 14, 2017 and concluded upon the departure of Soyuz MS-06 on February 27, 2018. Alexander Misurkin, Mark Vande Hei ...
was done on December 13, 2017. Expedition 53 officially ended on December 14, 2017 5:14 UTC, with the undocking of Soyuz MS-05.


Crew

In March 2017, after agreements with RSA, NASA announced that Joseph Acaba will be assigned to Expedition 53 and 54 crews which previously included only Mark Vande Hei and Alexander Misurkin.
Shannon Walker Shannon Walker (born June 4, 1965) is an American physicist and a NASA astronaut selected in 2004. She launched on her first mission into space on June 25, 2010, onboard Soyuz TMA-19 and spent over 163 days in space. She returned to space for ...
trained as a backup for Acaba.


Mission overview


Expedition 52/53 launch and docking

Soyuz MS-05 launched on July 28, 2017, transporting
Randy Bresnik Randolph James "Komrade" Bresnik (born September 11, 1967) is a retired officer in the United States Marine Corps and an active NASA astronaut. A Marine Aviator by trade, Bresnik was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 19 in May 2004. ...
,
Sergey Ryazansky Sergey Nikolayevich Ryazansky (russian: Серге́й Николаевич Рязанский; born November 13, 1974) is a Russian Astronaut, cosmonaut. He was selected as commander of the IMBP-6 cosmonaut group in 2003, but later transferred t ...
and
Paolo Nespoli Major Paolo Angelo Nespoli (born 6 April 1957) is an Italian astronaut and engineer of the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2007, he first traveled into space aboard the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' as a mission specialist of STS-120. In December ...
, who would make up the Expedition 52/53 crew. MS-05 docked with the Rassvet module six hours later.


September 2017 - Research Mission Started


Expedition 53/54 launch and docking

Soyuz MS-06 Soyuz MS-06 was a Soyuz spaceflight which launched on 13 September 2017. It transported three members of the Expedition 53 crew to the International Space Station. Soyuz MS-06 was the 135th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. The crew consisted of a ...
launched on September 13, transporting
Alexander Misurkin Alexander Alexanderovich Misurkin (russian: Aлександр Aлександрович Мисуркин) (born 23 September 1977), a major in the Russian Air Force, is a Russian cosmonaut, selected in 2006. He flew aboard Soyuz TMA-08M on 28 ...
,
Mark T. Vande Hei Mark Thomas Vande Hei (born November 10, 1966) is a retired United States Army officer and current NASA astronaut who has served as a flight Engineer for Expedition 53, 54, 64, 65, and 66 on the International Space Station. Early life ...
and
Joe Acaba Joseph Michael "Joe" Acabá (born May 17, 1967) is a Puerto Rican educator, hydrogeologist, and NASA astronaut. In May 2004 he became the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to be named as a NASA astronaut candidate, when he was selected as a ...
. MS-06 docked with the (Poisk (MRM-2) module six hours later.


Dragon Brought Back ISS Experiments

On September 17, the
SpaceX CRS-12 SpaceX CRS-12, also known as SpX-12, was a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station launched on 14 August 2017. The mission was contracted by NASA and was flown by SpaceX using a new Dragon capsule. The Falcon 9 ...
Dragon cargo spacecraft was released by Bresnick and Nespoli using the Canadarm2, clearing the Harmony module's docking port. It touched down in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Long Beach, California. It landed with the Lung Tissue Experiment, which grew lung tissue using stem cells in microgravity, the CASIS PCG7 study, which grew larger versions of the protein LRRK2 to help study Parkinson's disease, and mice from the Rodent Research-9 study, that looked at cartilage loss in hip and knee joints.


September Research

Nespli and Ryazanskiy were the subjects of a
bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...
experiment that looked at the negative effects of microgravity on bone marrow and
blood cells A blood cell, also called a hematopoietic cell, hemocyte, or hematocyte, is a cell produced through hematopoiesis and found mainly in the blood. Major types of blood cells include red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), a ...
produced in bone marrow. Bresnik was the subject of a study on physiological changes due to microgravity, he is one of 33 astronauts that had signed on to participate in NASA's Biological Specimen Repository. Vande Hei worked on a camera for the Meteor experiment, which took high-resolution video and images of the earth's atmosphere for space-based observations of meteor chemical composition. Acaba installed a Fast Neutron Spectrometer that had a better suited technique for measurements in mixed radiation fields. Ryazanskiy, Nespoli and Bresnik took measurements of themselves for Sarcolab-3, to investigate the deterioration of the calf muscle where it joins the Achilles tendon. Bresnik and Nespoli also tested out a Miniature Exercise Device-2 (MED-2) that used small robotic actuators to provide motion and resistance for crew workouts in a smaller package than previous exercise devices. Acaba setup hardware for the Veggie-3 experiment that grew Extra Dwarf
Pak Choi Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English) or pok choi (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''chinensis'') is a type of Chinese cabbage, used as food. ''Chinensis'' varieties do not form heads and have g ...
, Amara Mustard and Red
Romaine Lettuce Romaine or cos lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'' L. var. ''longifolia'') is a variety of lettuce that grows in a tall head of sturdy dark green leaves with firm ribs down their centers. Unlike most lettuces, it is tolerant of heat. In North America, ...
to set the ground work to feed future long-duration missions to space. Ryazanskiy and Acaba installed radiation sensors on the U.S. portion of ISS to characterize the radiation environment aboard the station.


October 2017 - Three EVAs and a Progress


EVA 1 - Robotic Arm Work

On October 5, Bresnik and Vande Hei completed a 6 hour and 55 minute spacewalk. They replaced of the two Latching End Effectors (LEE) on
Canadarm2 The Mobile Servicing System (MSS), is a robotic system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in 2001, it plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, supp ...
. They also were able to get ahead by removing insulation from a DC switching unit and preparing a flex hose rotary couple. This was Vande Hei's first spacewalk and Bresnik's third of their careers.


EVA 2 - Lubrication and Camera Fix

For their second spacewalk in less than a week, Bresnik and Vande Hei completed a 6 hour and 26 minute spacewalk on October 10. They lubricated the LEE they installed on October 5, replaced a faulty camera system, replaced a smudged lens cover and removed two handrails outside the Tranquility module. This would be Vande Hei's second space walk and final one of this mission.


Progress MS-07 Resupply

After a scrubbed launch attempt on October 12, the Progress MS-07 resupply ship launched from Baiknour Cosmodrome on October 14 and docked with the station on October 16 about 252 miles over eastern China. The Progress had three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station.


EVA 3 - Canadarm2 Camera Install

On October 20, Bresnik and Acaba exited the station for their 3rd spacewalk of the mission. They installed a new camera system on the end of Canadarm2's LEE, an HD camera on the starboard truss of the ISS and replaced a fuse on the Dextre robotic arm. Bresnik also installed a new radiator grapple bar, prepped one of two spare pumps and started work on the second. This was Bresnik's 5th career spacewalk, bringing his total EVA hours to 32, and Acaba's third spacewalk, bringing his total hours to 19.


November 2017 - Science and Cygnus


Science Ambassadors, Space Culture and Research

In addition to their duties as researchers and maintenance technicians, astronauts Vande Hei and Acaba shared their science and technology studies with students from
Shaker Heights High School Shaker Heights High School is a public high school located in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The high school is the only public high school in the Shaker Heights City School District, which serves Shaker Heights and a small part of ...
in
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio. The crew also documented life aboard the station for the CSA's study called "At Home in Space", testing a hypothesis that despite their different backgrounds, due to the isolation and confined environment of the ISS, astronauts share a common space culture. Vande Hei also setup gear to analyze the air in the space station for dust to highlight any health impacts and maintain crewmember well being. Nespli participated in a Fine Motor Skills study and how those motor skills are affected by a microgravity environment. To monitor microgravity vision impairment, Misurkin, Ryazanskiy, Nespoli and Vande Hei examined each other's eyes.


Cygnus CRS OA-8E "S.S. Gene Cernan" Resupply

After a scrubbed launch attempt on November 11, the Cygnus resupply ship, named after
Gene Cernan Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. During the Apollo 17 mission, Cernan became the eleventh human being to ...
, launched atop an Orbital ATK
Antares rocket Development The NASA COTS award was for and Orbital Sciences expected to invest an additional $150 million, split between $130 million for the booster and $20 million for the spacecraft. A Commercial Resupply Service contract of $1.9 bil ...
on November 12 from the
Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is a rocket launch site on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and approximately north-northeast of Norfolk. The facility is operated by the Goddard ...
in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. The spacecraft docked with the ISS on November 14th with 7,400 pounds of research and supplies. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (or BEAM) was outfitted in late November for future stowage operations by removing excess gear including inflations tanks and sensors. The old gear from BEAM and trash was placed into the Cygnus resupply ship for disposal. The spacecraft was detached from the station on December 5th by Vande Hei, Acaba and ground controllers.


December 2017 - Station Handover to Expedition 54

On December 13, with an official change of command ceremony, Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik handed the station over to Expedition 54 Commander Alexander Misurkin. They undocked from the station on December 14, ending Expedition 53 and starting Expedition 54. They touched down later that day southeast of
Dzhezkazgan Jezkazgan, or Zhezkazgan ( kk, Жезқазған, translit=Jezqazğan ), formerly known as Dzhezkazgan (russian: Джезказган) until 1992, is a city and the administrative centre of Ulytau Region, Kazakhstan, on a reservoir of the Kara ...
in Kazakhstan. At the end of the mission, Bresnik had logged 150 days in space over two missions, Ryazanskiy had 306 days over two missions and Nespoli logged 313 days over three missions.


Spacewalks


Uncrewed spaceflights to the ISS

Resupply missions that visited the International Space Station during Expedition 53:


References

{{ISS expeditions Expeditions to the International Space Station 2017 in spaceflight