{"id":23903,"date":"2024-12-27T19:42:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T11:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/international-space-station-finishes-challenging-year-as-plans-are-made-for-its-retirement\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T13:01:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:01:24","slug":"international-space-station-finishes-challenging-year-as-plans-are-made-for-its-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/international-space-station-finishes-challenging-year-as-plans-are-made-for-its-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"International Space Station finishes challenging year as plans are made for its retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The International Space Station continues to act as humanity\u2019s outpost in low-Earth orbit, a role that began at the turn of this century. However, the ISS is showing its age and plans are being advanced for its retirement around 2030. Several events on the Station in 2024 underlined just how the ISS program was dealing with several challenges.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>A Changing Crew<\/p>\n<p>2024 began with the Expedition 70 crew on orbit aboard ISS, with Crew-7 members Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen, Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov on board along with Soyuz MS-24 crewmembers Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Loral O\u2019Hara. Danish astronaut Mogensen was the Station commander for Expedition 70.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Can The International Space Station Make It Until 2030?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UfSZWFrulx8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-13=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli (L) and Loral O\u2019Hara (R) wearing headbands packed with health monitoring sensors. (Credit: NASA)The Expedition 70 crew received visitors aboard the Station soon after the year started. On Jan. 18, the Axiom-3 private mission to ISS launched. Shuttle and Station veteran Michael Lopez-Alegria, a retired NASA astronaut now working for Axiom, commanded this flight.<\/p>\n<p>The first Turkish citizen in space, Alper Gezeravci, Swedish and ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt, and Italian Walter Villadei joined Lopez-Alegria aboard Crew Dragon <em>Freedom<\/em>, which docked with the ISS at the Harmony module\u2019s forward port on Jan. 20.<\/p>\n<p>Recovery weather issues kept the Axiom-3 crew in space until Feb. 9, when <em>Freedom<\/em> finally splashed down off Daytona Beach, Florida. While the Axiom-3 astronauts only spent a few weeks in space, ISS commander Kononenko and Chub were destined for a stay of nearly 374 days in orbit, caused by a reshuffle of Soyuz flight crews made necessary by a coolant leak on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to ISS.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-97964\" class=\"size-full wp-image-97964\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Marcus Wandt in Superman pose in the Columbus laboratory (Credit: ESA)\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ax03e001441-Marcus-Wandt-Credit-ESA-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-97964\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marcus Wandt in Superman pose in the Columbus laboratory. (Credit: ESA)<\/p>\n<p>Their fellow Russian cosmonaut, Borisov, came home with Moghbeli, Mogensen, and Furukawa aboard Crew Dragon <em>Endurance<\/em> on March 12, splashing down off Pensacola, Florida. <em>Endurance<\/em> undocked from Harmony\u2019s zenith port, which it had occupied since it docked to the Station on Aug. 27, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Before Crew-7 returned to Earth, they needed to complete the handover process with the Crew-8 astronauts. Crew-8 launched to the Station on March 4 aboard Crew Dragon <em>Endeavour<\/em>, with NASA\u2019s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.<\/p>\n<p>Crew-8 docked to the ISS Harmony module\u2019s forward port on March 5. <em>Endeavour<\/em> switched from the forward to the zenith port of Harmony on May 2 to make way for Starliner <em>Calypso\u2019s<\/em> docking to the Harmony forward port, which took place on June 6.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102157\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102157\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505-350x233.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505-526x350.png 526w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7505-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-102157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Closeup of Crew Dragon Endeavour during its relocation to the zenith port of Harmony. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>Crew-8 was not the only crewed launch to ISS in March 2024. On March 23 Soyuz MS-25 launched to the Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, and Belarusian Marina Vasilevskaya.<\/p>\n<p>However, only Dyson would stay aboard ISS for the next six months. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya returned to Earth along with Loral O\u2019Hara on April 6 aboard Soyuz MS-24, landing on the steppe in Kazakhstan before being taken to their respective countries.<\/p>\n<p>Cosmonauts Kononenko and Chub had launched aboard MS-24 but would return aboard MS-25 in September along with Dyson, while Expedition 71, with Kononenko still commanding the Station, started when MS-24 undocked. Expedition 71 started with Dominick, Barratt, Epps, Grebenkin, Kononenko, Chub, and Dyson aboard ISS.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-98950\" class=\"size-full wp-image-98950\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-350x233.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-526x350.jpeg 526w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-768x511.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-1920x1278.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-1170x779.jpeg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-585x390.jpeg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/53497239715_0372aabc26_o-263x175.jpeg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-98950\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soyuz MS-25 Prime Crew GCTC Portrait: Tracy Dyson, Oleg Novitskiy, and Marina Vasilevskaya. (Credit: Andrey Shelepin)<\/p>\n<p>However, those seven people would be soon joined by two other astronauts, who would stay aboard ISS far longer than they expected. The Station would end up flying with a crew of nine for an extended period in the summer and fall of 2024, due to issues with Starliner Crew Test Flight (CFT) mission that launched to ISS.<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program has long been trying to develop \u201cdissimilar redundancy\u201d that would ensure the ability to launch astronauts from American soil even if a problem occurred that grounded a crew spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>While the SpaceX Crew Dragon has performed very well in flying astronauts to ISS since 2020, the Boeing Starliner that was also developed for crew rotation to the Station has had a far more checkered history, with the uncrewed first orbital test flight in 2019 not making it to ISS. The second uncrewed orbital test flight suffered long delays before flying in 2022.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-101802\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2047\" height=\"1150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750.webp 2047w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750-350x197.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750-623x350.webp 623w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750-768x431.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750-1920x1079.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_5750-1170x657.webp 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\">After multiple delays, the Starliner <em>Calypso<\/em> \u2014 the first Starliner that launched back in 2019 \u2014 launched with two veteran astronauts and test pilots on board on June 5. However, the spacecraft began to have issues with its thruster system soon after it arrived on orbit. The CFT mission kept being extended while tests were made on the thrusters.<\/p>\n<p>While <em>Calypso<\/em> was able to dock with the Station, the issues ultimately forced NASA to keep CFT crewmembers Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on ISS while <em>Calypso<\/em> ended up returning safely to White Sands on Sept. 7 without them. Although <em>Calypso<\/em> returned safely, NASA\u2019s decision was grounded in its process for ensuring flight safety.<\/p>\n<p>The crew assignment for the next rotation flight \u2014 Crew-9 \u2014 had to be changed from four to two while arrangements were made to accommodate the CFT astronauts aboard the Crew-8 spacecraft if an emergency return was needed. Astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson are presumably available for future flight assignments after being taken off Crew-9.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102175\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102175\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/54018952011_8c9c150c0b_k-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-102175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew Dragon Freedom prior to launch of the Crew-9 mission. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov launched on Sept. 28 aboard Crew Dragon <em>Freedom<\/em>, which had flown the Axiom-3 mission in January. After <em>Freedom<\/em> docked with ISS at Harmony\u2019s forward port, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were able to use that spacecraft as their emergency return spacecraft, since they will return to Earth aboard <em>Freedom<\/em> with Hague and Gorbunov.<\/p>\n<p>Soyuz MS-26 launched to the Station shortly after <em>Calypso\u2019s<\/em> return to White Sands. On Sept. 11, MS-26 launched from Baikonur with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexsey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner along with NASA\u2019s Don Pettit. They conducted a handover period with the Soyuz MS-25 crew before Kononenko, Chub, and Dyson departed ISS and returned to Earth on Sept. 23.<\/p>\n<p>The departure of MS-25 marked the end of Expedition 71 and the beginning of Expedition 72, which will continue until Ovchinin, Vagner, and Pettit depart ISS aboard Soyuz MS-26 sometime in the spring of 2025. Crew-8 members Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin returned safely to Earth aboard Crew Dragon <em>Endeavour<\/em>, splashing down off Pensacola on Oct. 25.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103997\" class=\"size-full wp-image-103997\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/20D32BFD-5C69-4521-9657-D89146126703.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/20D32BFD-5C69-4521-9657-D89146126703.jpeg 740w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/20D32BFD-5C69-4521-9657-D89146126703-350x195.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/20D32BFD-5C69-4521-9657-D89146126703-630x350.jpeg 630w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-103997\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew-8 splashes down off Pensacola, Florida on Oct. 25, 2024. (Credit: NASA+)<\/p>\n<p>Crew-8 became the longest Crew Dragon mission flown to date, staying in space for just over 235 days. Normally, Crew Dragon missions last around 210 days, but NASA extended the allowed mission length to 240 days. Hurricane Milton and other storms caused further delays in returning Crew-8 to Earth.<\/p>\n<p>After Crew Dragon <em>Endeavour\u2019s<\/em> return to Earth, the Crew-8 members were flown to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital for additional evaluation after one of the NASA astronauts experienced what was only described as a \u201cmedical issue\u201d after splashdown. That astronaut, not identified for privacy reasons, was hospitalized as a precautionary measure but released the following day, described as in \u201cgood health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Suni Williams is now the Station commander, marking the second time she has performed this duty. Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexsey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Don Pettit are the current Expedition 72 members aboard the ISS, and this is the crew that will finish 2024 aboard the ISS.<\/p>\n<p>Spacesuit Issues<\/p>\n<p>Crew shuffling was not the only challenge the Station endured this year. The aging shuttle-era Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) on the US segment for ISS suffered issues that ended up preventing any scheduled EVAs from being successfully conducted by NASA in 2024. Roscosmos fared better with its Soviet-era Orlan suits, being able to complete two spacewalks totaling 11 hours and 53 minutes this year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101348\" class=\"size-full wp-image-101348\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4303.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4303.png 900w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4303-350x197.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4303-623x350.png 623w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4303-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-101348\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">CFT astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams posing with Expedition 71 astronauts Tracy Dyson and Michael Barratt during EVA preparations. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>The only EVA NASA managed from the US segment in 2024 was ended after 31 minutes due to a water leak in Tracy Dyson\u2019s spacesuit service and cooling umbilical unit. This occurred shortly after the airlock was depressurized, and there have been no US EVA attempts since. The last successful US EVA on ISS was on Nov. 1, 2023, when Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O\u2019Hara completed US EVA-89.<\/p>\n<p>The first US EVA for Expedition 71 was originally scheduled for June. EVA-90 was intended to retrieve an S-band antenna electronics box \u2014 fulfilling a task that had to be deferred from EVA-89 \u2014 and to collect samples from the exterior of the Station for signs of microbial growth. Another task was to prepare a new end effector joint for installation on Canadarm2 on a later spacewalk.<\/p>\n<p>On June 13 Matthew Dominick and Tracy Dyson started to prepare for the EVA. However, the EVA had to be scrubbed about an hour before the scheduled start due to what NASA termed \u201cspacesuit discomfort\u201d for Dominick. EVA-90 was rescheduled for June 24 with Tracy Dyson and Michael Barratt, and this time the astronauts donned their suits and depressurized the airlock in the Quest module.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102159\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102159\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506-350x233.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506-526x350.png 526w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7506-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-102159\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson in her spacesuit during the shortened spacewalk on June 24, 2024. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>Dyson and Barratt opened the airlock\u2019s external hatch, but Dyson\u2019s service and cooling umbilical unit leaked water, and EVA-90 ended far earlier than had been hoped. The astronauts had to close the hatch and repressurize the airlock with none of their tasks even started.<\/p>\n<p>EVA-90 was the first of several US segment spacewalks planned for 2024, but all of the tasks have now been pushed into 2025 or beyond. On the Russian segment, Russian EVA-62 was successfully performed on April 25. Cosmonauts Kononenko and Chub spent 4 hours and 36 minutes outside the Station\u2019s Russian segment.<\/p>\n<p>This EVA\u2019s objectives included deploying a mini radar unit and installing experiments. The cosmonauts also retrieved Biorisk canisters for return to Earth, removed or repositioned other experiments, and wiped down handrails on the Nauka and Poisk modules. This activity was done to check for microbial growth and hydrazine contamination on the modules.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103996\" class=\"size-full wp-image-103996\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DC9CE037-3CE2-493E-BEE8-B84FBDEFA420.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DC9CE037-3CE2-493E-BEE8-B84FBDEFA420.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DC9CE037-3CE2-493E-BEE8-B84FBDEFA420-350x197.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DC9CE037-3CE2-493E-BEE8-B84FBDEFA420-623x350.jpeg 623w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DC9CE037-3CE2-493E-BEE8-B84FBDEFA420-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-103996\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin outside the Russian segment\u2019s Poisk module on Dec. 19. (Credit: NASA+)<\/p>\n<p>On Dec. 19 cosmonauts Ovchinin and Vagner conducted Russian EVA-63 and stayed outside for 7 hours and 17 minutes. The cosmonauts installed an X-ray experiment on the Zvezda service module, retrieved several space exposure experiments, replaced patch panels, and jettisoned equipment no longer needed. A task to move a control panel for the European Robotic Arm on Nauka was moved to a future spacewalk due to time constraints.<\/p>\n<p>ISS Operations<\/p>\n<p>The Station received its regular cargo flights with experiments, food, clothing, water, spacesuit parts, and other supplies throughout the year. The first cargo delivery to ISS in 2024 launched on Jan. 30 when the Northrop Grumman Cygnus S.S.<em> Patricia Hilliard Robertson<\/em> spacecraft flew atop a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).<\/p>\n<p>The Cygnus, loaded with 3,726 kg of cargo, was berthed to the Unity module nadir port at ISS on Feb. 1. Among the experiments flown aboard the spacecraft was a European 3D metal printer as well as a semiconductor manufacturing in space experiment and a remote robotic surgery demonstrator.<\/p>\n<p>These experiments were just some of the hundreds of experiments and demonstrations conducted aboard ISS this year. The Cygnus was unberthed on July 12 before a destructive atmospheric reentry, being loaded with trash for disposal as well as an atmospheric reentry experiment.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-98549\" class=\"size-full wp-image-98549\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Feb.-14-2024-Progress-MS-26-arriving-at-ISS-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-98549\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Progress MS-26 arriving at the ISS over a cloudy Earth. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>The next cargo delivery to the Station was performed by Progress MS-26, launching from Baikonur on Feb. 15. The Progress cargo spacecraft, derived from the Soviet\/Russian Soyuz crewed spacecraft, delivered 2,518 kg of cargo to the Station and its Zvezda service module aft port. The Progress spacecraft deorbited on Aug. 13 prior to its destructive reentry after being loaded with trash.<\/p>\n<p>CRS-30, using Cargo Dragon C209, launched to ISS from SLC-40 at CCSFS on March 21, docking on March 23 at the ISS Harmony module\u2019s zenith port. This Cargo Dragon carried 2,841 kg of cargo including a cubesat to be deployed along with photosynthesis and particle experiments plus other science. C209 splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico on April 30, returning experiment samples and other down mass cargo to Earth.<\/p>\n<p>Progress MS-27 launched from Baikonur on May 30 with another 2,504 kg of supplies, docked to the Poisk module, and reentered the atmosphere on Nov. 19. Cygnus NG-21, the S.S. <em>Francis R. Scobee<\/em>, was launched by a Falcon 9 from CCSFS on Aug. 4 and berthed on the ISS Unity nadir port by the Canadarm2 on Aug. 6. The spacecraft was loaded with 3,857 kg of cargo, including additional supplies to support a nine-member crew on the Station as well as stem cell and DNA repair experiments along with other cargo.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102164\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102164\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7507.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7507.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7507-350x197.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7507-623x350.png 623w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7507-768x431.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-102164\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cygnus cargo ship S.S. Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee approaches ISS for the Canadarm2\u2019s 50th berthing of a spacecraft. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>This Cygnus is the second of three to be launched by the Falcon 9 pending the availability of the Antares 330, currently in development by Northrop Grumman and Firefly Space. S.S. <em>Francis R. Scobee<\/em> is still berthed to the Station prior to its scheduled January 2025 deorbit.<\/p>\n<p>Progress MS-28 is also currently docked to the Station after launching with 2,621 kg of cargo on Aug. 15 from Baikonur. This Progress spacecraft is currently docked to the Zvezda aft module, which allows it to participate in reboost and collision avoidance maneuvers. The ISS has performed 40 debris avoidance maneuvers since 1999, the last one being on Nov. 25 of this year.<\/p>\n<p>CRS-31 was launched on Nov. 5 atop a Falcon 9 from Pad 39A at KSC and docked with the Station\u2019s Harmony forward port later that day. Cargo Dragon C208 was loaded with 2,762 kg of cargo, including 171 kg of spacewalk equipment as NASA looks to resume EVA operations from the US segment. Solar wind and Antarctic moss experiments headlined science on board to be done by the ISS crew.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103546\" class=\"size-full wp-image-103546\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_3033.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_3033.png 740w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_3033-350x262.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_3033-468x350.png 468w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-103546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cargo Dragon C208 performing its ISS reboost test on Nov. 8. (Credit: NASA+)<\/p>\n<p>CRS-31 also became the first Cargo Dragon to perform a reboost of ISS, demonstrating the capability on Nov. 8. Prior to the reboost test, Crew Dragon <em>Freedom<\/em> was moved from Harmony\u2019s forward port to its zenith port on Nov. 3. Reboosts using Dragon spacecraft will always use the forward port.<\/p>\n<p>This test will inform the development of the US Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) that SpaceX is developing for the end of life of the Station. C208 deorbited and splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico on Dec. 17.<\/p>\n<p>The final logistics mission to ISS of 2024 occurred on Nov. 21 when Progress MS-29 launched from Baikonur. This Progress vehicle is also docked to ISS, being attached to the Poisk module, and the spacecraft carried 2,487 kg of cargo to the Station. It is planned to remain on the Station until May 2025. Progress MS-28 is also to stay on ISS until sometime in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The Path Ahead<\/p>\n<p>The ISS is planned to continue being crewed and operated until 2030, but preparations are being made for the end of its life. There were some developments this year that could impact those preparations and the future of the orbiting complex.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101352\" class=\"size-full wp-image-101352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-350x179.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-630x322.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-768x393.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-1920x981.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_4308-1170x598.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-101352\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The prototype of a planned new spacesuit for low-Earth orbit operations. (Credit: Collins Aerospace)<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s spacesuit issues this year underline the need for a replacement, and a new spacesuit is in the works. Collins Aerospace was forced to end its involvement in the replacement suit program in June due to issues with the development timeline, while Axiom Space is developing a new spacesuit for Artemis missions.<\/p>\n<p>Axiom received a task order from NASA in July 2023 to study making a version of its spacesuit for use on the ISS. It is not currently publicly known when or if new spacesuits from this effort will be tested on the Station. Collins Aerospace had previously planned to have their suits ready for testing on the ISS around the middle of this decade.<\/p>\n<p>An issue that could negatively affect the Station\u2019s lifetime \u2013 particularly the Russian segment\u2019s lifetime \u2013 is an air leak on the Zvezda module, which was launched in 2000. This leak is in a vestibule connecting the aft docking port to the pressurized portion of the module, and NASA has placed it on a \u201c5\u00d75\u201d risk matrix.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102749\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102749\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9738.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"910\" height=\"985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9738.png 910w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9738-323x350.png 323w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9738-768x831.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-102749\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Zvezda module, as seen by the STS-97 astronauts in late 2000. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>This means that the leak, in NASA\u2019s view, has the highest risk potential for likelihood of occurrence and consequences, though Roscosmos is confident that they can monitor the leak and close the hatch permanently before the situation becomes catastrophic. If the hatch is closed permanently, the Russian segment will lose one of its docking ports.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement between NASA and Roscosmos to operate the ISS extends to 2028, while NASA wants to extend operations to 2030. This year NASA selected SpaceX to develop the USDV, which will be derived from the Dragon spacecraft, to deorbit the Station around 2030-31 and dispose of it in a remote point of the Pacific Ocean away from shipping lanes.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond that date, NASA is planning on procuring low-Earth orbit space station services from the private sector, though a final downselect has not yet taken place. Axiom Space, VAST, Blue Origin, and other companies are working on private space station designs, though there are financial challenges and questions about the viability of the market.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102745\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102745\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1055\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-350x144.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-630x260.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-768x317.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-1920x792.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_9728-1170x482.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-102745\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cutaway diagram of the final design of Haven-1. (Credit: VAST)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The International Space Station continues to act as humanity\u2019s outpost in low-Earth orbit, a role that began at the turn of this century. However, the ISS is showing its age and plans are being advanced for its retirement around 2030. Several events on the Station in 2024 underlined just how the ISS program was dealing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1395,717,233,971,1302,316],"class_list":["post-23903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-dragon","tag-international-space-station","tag-iss","tag-sierra-space","tag-soyuz","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23903"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23903"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33970,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23903\/revisions\/33970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}