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{{Short description|52nd Long-duration mission to the International Space Station}}

factoids

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.WEB,weblink Station Changes Command Before Friday Crew Return, 18 June 2017, NASA, 1 June 2017, Garcia, Mark, Due to a decision to cut down the number of participating Russian cosmonauts in 2017, only two crew members were launched on Soyuz MS-04, which brought the ISS total crew down to five people.WEB,weblink NASA, Russia Set Flights for Trimmed-Down Space Station Crew, Irene Klotz, 16 November 2016, space.com, 21 November 2016, However, it was later decided that Peggy Whitson would stay on board longer, transferring from Expedition 51 to maintain a full crew of six astronauts over the summer, after the arrival of three new members on Soyuz MS-05.WEB,weblink Whitson to stay on the ISS for an additional three months, NASASpaceFlight.com, 5 April 2017, 9 April 2017, Expedition 51 officially ended on September 2, 2017 11:47 UTC, with the undocking of Soyuz MS-04.WEB,weblink Expedition 51 Duo Undocks and Heads to Earth, 28 February 2018, NASA, 2 June 2017, Garcia, Mark,

Crew{| class"wikitable"

!Position!First part(June to July 2017)!Second part(July to September 2017)!Commander{{flagiconFyodor Yurchikhin, Roscosmos>RSAFifth and last spaceflight!Flight Engineer 1 {{flagiconJack D. Fischer>Jack Fischer, NASAOnly spaceflight!Flight Engineer 2{{flagicon|USA}} Peggy Whitson, NASAThird spaceflight!Flight Engineer 3|{{flagicon|USA}} Randy Bresnik, NASASecond spaceflight!Flight Engineer 4|{{flagiconSergey Ryazansky, Roscosmos>RSASecond and last spaceflight!Flight Engineer 5|{{flagiconPaolo Nespoli, European Space Agency>ESAThird and last spaceflight(File:ISS 2017.06.05.jpg|thumb|ISS Configuration after swapping Dragon for Cygnus, 5 June 2017)

Mission highlights

June 2017 – Expedition 52 begins

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson handed over command of the International Space Station to Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikin in a traditional Change of Command ceremony, which began at 15:50 UTC on June 1.

Expedition 51 duo undocked and landed

After spending 194 days aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 51 crew members Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and Thomas Pesquet undocked from the station at 10:47 UTC, officially marking the start of Expedition 52.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 2 June 2017, Expedition 51 Duo Undocks and Heads to Earth, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink {{PD-notice}} Novitskiy and Pesquet landed their Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft in Kazakhstan at 14:10 UTC on June 2.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 2 June 2017, Expedition 51 Crew Back on Earth After 196 Days, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink {{PD-notice}}

Supply ship swap

On June 3, a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off with a Dragon resupply ship as part of SpaceX mission CRS-11 from Cape Canaveral pad 39ANEWS, Garcia, Mark, 3 June 2017, Dragon Launches to Station, Cygnus Departs Sunday, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink with supplies and a new Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA) prototype.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 19 June 2017, Station Kicks off Week with Solar Array Study and Biological Research,weblink WEB, Banik, Jeremy, Roll-Out Solar Array,weblink nasa.gov, Jack Fischer undocked the Cygus OA-7 dubbed "SS John Glenn" from the station on June 4 to make room for the Dragon resupply.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 4 June 2017, Cygnus Departs Station Day Before Dragon Arrives, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink Fischer and Whitson grappled the Dragon cargo craft on June 5 with the Canadarm2 and docked it on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module on the Pirs docking compartment.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 5 June 2017, Dragon Attached to Station for Cargo Transfers, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink The Roscosmos Progress MS-06 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 14, carrying more than 3 tons of supplies.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 14 June 2017, Russian Rocket Launches on Two-Day Cargo Delivery to Station, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink The Progress MS-06 docked on June 16 to the aft port of Zvezda.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 16 June 2017, Russian Cargo Craft Delivers Over Three Tons of Supplies, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink

June research

Fischer and Whitson performed observations of mold and bacteria samples for student-led biology experiments and protein crystal sample experiments.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 15 June 2017, Crew Researches Mold, Rodents and Stem Cells as Cargo Ship Chases Station, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 8 June 2017, Station Trio Works New Science Delivered Aboard Dragon, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink Whitson cared for rodents in the Rodent Habitat Facility to understand healing mechanisms and the efficiency of osteoinductive drugs in low gravityWEB, Hammamieh, Rasha, Tissue Regeneration-Bone Defect,weblink 11 September 2021, nasa.gov, and performed experiments for a cardiac stem cell study to understand the effects of microgravity on the aging process.WEB, Kearns-Jonker, Mary, Functional Effects of Spaceflight on Cardiovascular Stem Cells,weblink nasa.gov, Fischer and Whitson set up a seedling growth botany study to investigate the effects of light and microgravity on Arabidopsis thaliana.WEB, Medina, Franciso-Javier, Seedling Growth-3,weblink nasa.gov, Fisher was also the subject of a Vascular Echo studyNEWS, Garcia, Mark, 23 June 2017, Crew Explores Cardiac Research and Tiny Satellites Today, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink that examined changes in blood vessels and the heart while in space and their recovery back on Earth.WEB, Hughson, Richard Lee, Cardiac and Vessel Structure and Function with Long-Duration Space Flight and Recovery,weblink nasa.gov, Yurchikhin studied pain sensation in space to help researches develop proposals to improve health care in orbit.WEB, Algometriya Experiment,weblink energia.ru, 2021-09-11, 2019-10-15,weblink dead, Yurchikhin, Whitson and Fischer also took body measurementsNEWS, Garcia, Mark, 26 June 2017, Crew Preps for Solar Array Jettison and Dragon Departure, blogs.nasa.gov, for the in-flight conditions that could be compared to pre- and post-flight conditions.WEB, Rajulu, Sudhakar, Quantification of In-Flight Physical Changes - Anthropometry and Neutral Body Posture,weblink nasa.gov, Whitson started a cancer studyNEWS, Garcia, Mark, 24 July 2017, Launch Preps in Kazakhstan; Cancer Therapies Researched on Station, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink to evaluate antibody-drug conjugates, which can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy while reducing its side effects.WEB, Sinha, Sourav, Efficacy and Metabolism of Azonafide Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in Microgravity,weblink nasa.gov,

July 2017 – Full crew after Soyuz MS-05

Dragon CRS-11 departs

Fischer and Whitson released the SpaceX Dragon CRS-11 on July 3 at 6:41 UTC.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 3 July 2017, Dragon Cargo Craft Flies Away From Station, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink

July research

Whitson tested her ability to work on interactive tasks as part of a Fine Motor Skills studyNEWS, Garcia, Mark, 6 July 2017, Crew Studies Space Impacts on Humans and Tech, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink to measure how motor skills are affected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of adaptation and recovery after returning to Earth.WEB, Holden, Kritina, Effects of Long-Duration Microgravity on Fine Motor Skills: 1 year ISS Investigation,weblink nasa.gov, Fischer finished operations with a Group Combustion Module experiment, where droplets of decane were arranged on a thin-fiber lattice so that the flame and temperature distribution could be measured as the flame spreads.WEB, Mikami, Masato, Elucidation of Flame Spread and Group Combustion Excitation Mechanism of Randomly-distributed Droplet Clouds,weblink nasa.gov, Whitson and Fischer also collected their own blood, urine and saliva samples for the Fluid Shifts experimentNEWS, Garcia, Mark, 7 July 2017, New Crew in Final Training Before Late July Launch, blogs.nasa.gov, that measured how much fluid shifts from the lower body to the upper body in microgravity and the effects on the human eye.WEB, Stenger, Michael, Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment,weblink nasa.gov, Whitson started the Mag3D experimentNEWS, Williams, Catherine, Crew Starts Week with Emergency Drill and Magnetic Cell Study, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink that magnetizes cells to make them easier to handle in microgravity.WEB, Souza, Glauco, Magnetic 3D Cell Culture for Biological Research in Microgravity,weblink blogs.nasa.gov, Whitson also setup gear for a Two Phase Flow experimentNEWS, Williams, Catherine, 12 July 2017, Crew Researches Exercise, Protein Crystals and High Temps, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink that studied interfacial behaviors of perfluorohexane, an electronic coolant, under different conditions.WEB, Ohta, Haruhiko, Interfacial behaviors and Heat transfer characteristics in Boiling Two-Phase Flow,weblink nasa.gov, Fischer used the exercise bike to research the effectiveness of high intensity, low volume exercise, which showed that maximum intensity exercise appears better for aerobic capacity than normal intensity exercise in microgravity.WEB, Moore, Alan, Evaluation of Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Submaximal Estimates of VO2max Before, During, and After Long Duration International Space Station Missions,weblink nasa.gov,

Station maintenance

Fyodor Yurchikhin maintained the life support system on the Russian side of the station by preplacing pumps and hoses and re-pressurizing the cabin.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 7 July 2017, New Crew in Final Training Before Late July Launch, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink Jack Fischer replaced a failed water separator inside the Tranquility module that was part of the Common Cabin Air Assembly that controls the stations humidity and temperature.NEWS, Williams, Catherine, 11 July 2017, Magnetic Cell Studies and AC Repairs on Orbit Today, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink Fischer also installed new equipment in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF).NEWS, Garcia, Mike, 13 July 2017, New Science Gear Installed, Cargo Craft Packed for Disposal, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink

New crew

(File:Exp. 52 circular crew portrait.jpg|thumb|Clockwise from top right: Nespoli, Fischer, Whitson, Ryazankiy, Bresnick and Yurchikhin)On July 28, the Soyuz MS-05 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with Randy Bresnik of NASA, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Italian Paolo Nespoli of ESA.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 28 July 2017, New Crew Blasts Off to Station, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink They docked later that day while both spacecraft were over Germany.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 28 July 2017, New Crew Docks to Station, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink

August 2017 – Research and resupply

August research

Nespoli and Bresnik recorded their experiences with space headaches,NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 2 August 2017, Astronauts Look at Ways to Prevent Space Headaches and Bone Loss, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink researches later concluded that changes in cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure caused them, opposed to the theory that it was space motion sickness.WEB, Vein, A., Space Headaches,weblink nasa.gov, Fischer and Whitson studied a new drugs effects on mouse bone atrophy, current therapies cannot restore lost bone, but the new drug from the University of California at Los Angeles had the potential to rebuild bone and block further bone loss.WEB, Soo, Chia, Systemic Therapy of NELL-1 for Osteoporosis,weblink nasa.gov,

SpaceX delivered supplies

On August 16, Fischer and Nespoli captured the SpaceX CRS-12 Dragon using the station's robotic arm and installed it on the station's Harmony module.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 16 August 2017, Robotic Arm Reaches Out and Grapples Dragon, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink The Dragon delivered more than 6,400 pounds of supplies including an ice cream treat for the astronauts.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 16 August 2017, Dragon Installed to Station for Month of Cargo Swaps, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink

Spacewalk

Yurchikhin and Ryazankiy exited the Pirs Docking Compartment on August 17.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 17 August 2017, Cosmonauts Begin Spacewalk, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink They manually deployed 5 nanosatellites and collected test containers from various locations outside the Russian segment of the space station.NEWS, Whiting, Melanie, 17 August 2017, Spacewalk Comes to a Close, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink

September 2017 – Mission close out

Peggy Whitson, Jack Fischer and Fyodor Yurchikhin touched down on September 3 at 1:21 UTC southeast of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan,NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 2 September 2017, Touchdown! Expedition 52 Back on Earth, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink in their Soyuz MS-04 capsule.NEWS, Garcia, Mark, 1 September 2017, Record-Setting NASA Astronaut, Crewmates Prepare for Return to Earth, blogs.nasa.gov,weblink Whitson completed a 288-day mission, her third long duration mission which brought her career total to 665 days in space, a new record for U.S. and 8th on the all time list of days in space. Fischer and Yurchikin completed 136 days in space, giving Yurchikin a total of 673 days in space, placing him 7th of all time at that time. bgcolor"#cfccfc"EVA #">

Spacewalks{| class"wikitable" bgcolor"#cfccfc"EVA #

SpacewalkersStart (UTC)End (UTC)Duration1.RUS}} Fyodor Yurchikhin{{flagicon|RUS}} Sergei Ryazanski|August 17, 201714:36|August 17, 201722:10DATE=18 AUGUST 2017WORK=BLOGS.NASA.GOV,weblink Retrieved the "Restavratsiya" (Restoration) Experiment Hardware, Launched 5 Nano Satellites one of them being a Sputnik 1 satellite named "Zerkalo" which was launched to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the original Sputnik and the birth of rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Cleaned the windows on the Russian segment and installed "Test" containers on the hatches of the Pirs Docking Compartment and the Poisk Module, Retrieved CKK 9M9 cassettes from Zvezda, Installed Struts, Gap Spanners, and Handrails on Zvezda in preparation for the arrival of Nauka (ISS module)>Nauka in the future, Installed the "Impact" trays by the Zvezda thrusters, and photographed the aft end of Zvezda and the "OHA" Antenna, Installed Struts, Gap Spanners, Handrails, and Ladders on Poisk, Photographed the Russian Segment.

Uncrewed spaceflights to the ISS

Resupply missions that visited the International Space Station during Expedition 52:{| class="wikitable" width="100%"! style="text-align: center;" | Spacecraft- ISS flight number! style="text-align: center;" | Country! style="text-align: center;" | Mission! style="text-align: center;" | Launcher! style="text-align: center;" | Launch(UTC)! style="text-align: center;" | Docked/berthed(UTC) {{ref|dock_berth|†}}! style="text-align: center;" | Undocked/unberthed(UTC)! style="text-align: center;" | Duration (docked)! style="text-align: center;" | Deorbit| SpaceX CRS-11 – CRS SpX-11United States}}| Logistics| Falcon 9| 3 Jun 2017, 21:07:17| 5 Jun 2017, 16:07| 3 Jul 2017, 06:41 2017-06-05 16:07show=dhm|abbr=on}}| 3 Jul 2017| Progress MS-06 – ISS 67PRussia}}| Logistics| Soyuz-2.1a| 14 Jun 2017, 09:20:13| 16 Jun 2017, 11:37 | 28 Dec 2017, 01:03:302017-06-16 11:37show=dhm|abbr=on}}| 28 Dec 2017| SpaceX CRS-12 – CRS SpX-12United States}}| Logistics| Falcon 9| 14 Aug 2017, 16:31:00| 16 Aug 2017, 10:52| 17 Sep 2017, 08:402017-08-16 10:52show=dhm|abbr=on}}| 17 Sep 2017

References

{{Reflist}}{{ISS expeditions}}