Expedition 74 begins cryogenic storage and cardiovascular studies aboard ISS

Space physics and cardiac research kicked off the week aboard the International Space Station for the three-person Expedition 74 crew. NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams set up the Zero Boil-Off Tank investigation inside the Destiny laboratory module’s Microgravity Science Glovebox on Monday.

He injected gas into the experimental hardware to test ways to control spacecraft tank pressure caused by cryogenic fuel propellants evaporating from surrounding heat; results may lead to lighter, more efficient cryogenic storage facilities for Earth and space industries. Williams later joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev in the Columbus laboratory module for vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 device, taking turns scanning neck, shoulder and leg veins with real-time assistance from doctors on the ground to look for potential space-caused blood clots.

Earlier, Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev explored vascular health by wearing electrodes and cuffs that measured blood pressure in the arm, wrist and thumb to study cardiovascular adaptation. The outlet said long-term spaceflight induces fluid shifts that increase thromboembolism risk and that doctors are researching how endothelial cells behave in weightlessness because they regulate blood flow, pressure, clot prevention and inflammation.

Key Topics

Science, International Space Station, Zero Boil-off Tank, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev