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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3] Expedition 51 officially ended on September 2, 2017 11:47 UTC, with the undocking of Soyuz MS-04.[4]
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.[1]
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.[5] Novitskiy and Pesquet landed their Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft in Kazakhstan at 14:10 UTC on June 2.[6]
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 39A[7] with supplies and a new Roll Out Solar Array (ROSA) prototype.[8][9] Jack Fischer undocked the Cygus OA-7 dubbed "SS John Glenn" from the station on June 4 to make room for the Dragon resupply.[10] 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.[11] The Roscosmos Progress MS-06 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 14, carrying more than 3 tons of supplies.[12] The Progress MS-06 docked on June 16 to the aft port of Zvezda.[13]
Fischer and Whitson performed observations of mold and bacteria samples for student-led biology experiments and protein crystal sample experiments.[14][15] Whitson cared for rodents in the Rodent Habitat Facility[14] to understand healing mechanisms and the efficiency of osteoinductive drugs in low gravity[16] and performed experiments for a cardiac stem cell study[14] to understand the effects of microgravity on the aging process.[17] Fischer and Whitson set up a seedling growth botany study[8] to investigate the effects of light and microgravity on Arabidopsis thaliana.[18] Fisher was also the subject of a Vascular Echo study[19] that examined changes in blood vessels and the heart while in space and their recovery back on Earth.[20] Yurchikhin studied pain sensation in space[19] to help researches develop proposals to improve health care in orbit.[21] Yurchikhin, Whitson and Fischer also took body measurements[22] for the in-flight conditions that could be compared to pre- and post-flight conditions.[23] Whitson started a cancer study[24] to evaluate antibody-drug conjugates, which can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy while reducing its side effects.[25]
Fischer and Whitson released the SpaceX Dragon CRS-11 on July 3 at 6:41 UTC.[26]
Whitson tested her ability to work on interactive tasks as part of a Fine Motor Skills study[27] to measure how motor skills are affected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of adaptation and recovery after returning to Earth.[28] Fischer finished operations with a Group Combustion Module experiment,[27] 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.[29] Whitson and Fischer also collected their own blood, urine and saliva samples for the Fluid Shifts experiment[30] that measured how much fluid shifts from the lower body to the upper body in microgravity and the effects on the human eye.[31] Whitson started the Mag3D experiment[32] that magnetizes cells to make them easier to handle in microgravity.[33] Whitson also setup gear for a Two Phase Flow experiment[34] that studied interfacial behaviors of perfluorohexane, an electronic coolant, under different conditions.[35] Fischer used the exercise bike to research the effectiveness of high intensity, low volume exercise,[34] which showed that maximum intensity exercise appears better for aerobic capacity than normal intensity exercise in microgravity.[36]
Fyodor Yurchikhin maintained the life support system on the Russian side of the station by preplacing pumps and hoses and re-pressurizing the cabin.[37] 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.[38] Fischer also installed new equipment in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF).[39]
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.[40] They docked later that day while both spacecraft were over Germany.[41]
Nespoli and Bresnik recorded their experiences with space headaches,[42] researches later concluded that changes in cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure caused them, opposed to the theory that it was space motion sickness.[43] Fischer and Whitson studied a new drugs effects on mouse bone atrophy,[42] 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.[44]
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.[45] The Dragon delivered more than 6,400 pounds of supplies including an ice cream treat for the astronauts.[46]
Yurchikhin and Ryazankiy exited the Pirs Docking Compartment on August 17.[47] They manually deployed 5 nanosatellites and collected test containers from various locations outside the Russian segment of the space station.[48]
Peggy Whitson, Jack Fischer and Fyodor Yurchikhin touched down on September 3 at 1:21 UTC southeast of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan,[49] in their Soyuz MS-04 capsule.[50] 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.[49] 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.[49]
Resupply missions that visited the International Space Station during Expedition 52: