Did you know humans have been living in space for almost 18 consecutive years aboard the International Space Station (ISS)? Members of the most recent ISS crew, expedition 56, are scheduled to return to Earth Oct. 4.
The expectation 56 crew includes NASA astronauts A.J. (Drew) Feustel (commander), Ricky Arnold and Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, Roscomos Oleg Artemyev and Sergei Prokopyev and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst.
Feustel, Arnold and Artemyev, who launched to the ISS March 21, will leave the space station heading for a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan.
The crew is completing a 197-day mission spanning 3,152 orbits of Earth and a journey of 83.4 million miles. The expedition included investigations focusing on navigation, microbiology, physics and a variety of other science.
During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew carried out science experiments ranging from physics to biological studies and conducted tests to expand navigation capabilities in preparation for future travel far from Earth.
Education on station
The crew also participated in NASA’s Year of Education on Station, which links students on Earth directly to astronauts aboard the space station. While aboard the ISS, Arnold spoke to students at Space Center Houston.
The mission patch
The Expedition 56 patch portrays a dove carrying an olive branch on its beak. The patch includes images of the Soyuz launch vehicle for the crew and the space station. The Expedition 56 astronauts’ names are displayed on the dove’s wings and along the limb of Earth at the base of the patch.
The dove’s tail is firmly planted on Earth to represent the strong link between our home planet and the humans who are sent into the cosmos. The patch illustrates hope for peace and love in the world, and the innate human desire to spread our wings and explore into the future, building on the wisdom of the past, for the betterment of humanity. The patch was designed by astronaut Drew Feustel’s son.
Top tweets
Space station astronauts share their unique perspectives on social media, including breathtaking photos of Earth. Check out some of our favorite Expedition 56 tweets below.
Expedition 56 Crew Portrait in space. It is an honour to be working together on @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/hqCYgiySIe
— A.J. (Drew) Feustel (@Astro_Feustel) September 6, 2018
#SpaceArt compliments of @GrandCanyonNPS. The river does not cut deeper into the rock, rather the continent lifts around it. pic.twitter.com/Xi2UDgqoYe
— A.J. (Drew) Feustel (@Astro_Feustel) August 28, 2018
From Dusk until Dawn on @Space_Station. #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/pNiKQtrPft
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 24, 2018
Lunch in #Space (beef goulash and asparagus) is a bit different than lunch on #Earth (fresh food). Looking forward to lunch on Earth!? #spacefood pic.twitter.com/rlc7OnBlkZ
— A.J. (Drew) Feustel (@Astro_Feustel) September 25, 2018
Vortices trail behind Isla Guadalupe near Baja #Mexico #California. pic.twitter.com/mcbqJcZeYb
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) August 28, 2018
Orion rises over the dancing aurora. pic.twitter.com/ZNFjq1BTfp
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) August 31, 2018
“…. All he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of #Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that there was where he was going.” -Ernest Hemingway #Tanzania pic.twitter.com/jKIfZFh31S
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 4, 2018
The Great Barrier Reef of #Australia which may be on the verge of ecological collapse due to warming seas. pic.twitter.com/75khInJ3si
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 5, 2018
The coolest part about riding a bike in space is that you don’t need a seat! We use the CEVIS for cardio workouts on @Space_Station. Since we don’t use our legs in space as much as we do on the Earth, the CEVIS bike helps us maintain our leg muscles. #MondayMotivation #Fitness pic.twitter.com/SFFcBJ8jiu
— A.J. (Drew) Feustel (@Astro_Feustel) September 10, 2018
#HurricaneFlorence this morning with Cape Hatteras #NorthCarolina in the foreground. The crew of @Space_Station is thinking of those who will be affected. pic.twitter.com/XsQ7Zwurfa
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 12, 2018
“First there was the sky, high, pure and of a darker blue than he had ever seen. And then there was the sea, a lighter, immensely luminous blue that reflected blue into the air, the shadows and the sails.” – Patrick O’Brian #Pacific #FrenchPolynesia?? pic.twitter.com/OQT7WeEA4X
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 14, 2018
Water filtration is a key part of surviving aboard the @Space_Station. In this STEMonstration, @Astro_Feustel discusses the water recovery system used to recycle crew waste water into consumable water. Visit https://t.co/oEPb5ogPOZ for lesson plans & more videos. #TeacherOnBoard pic.twitter.com/Ffv0nCSbYd
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 17, 2018
The wondrous interplay of the lightning below and heavens above. pic.twitter.com/22T6qQAZew
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 17, 2018
Charles Darwin called it “the most remarkable reef in the West Indies”. I am inclined to agree. #Belize?? Barrier Reef pic.twitter.com/mCVnL4e87v
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 18, 2018
Iconic Uluru or Ayers Rock in the Outback of #Australia?? pic.twitter.com/A6lPrGRnML
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 19, 2018
Microgravity allows researchers to observe how particles cluster over long time scales without gravitational settling, which complicates measurements taken on Earth. See how what they learn could benefit planetary studies on Earth and in space: https://t.co/ZNsu0cauQT pic.twitter.com/Opcyu5zh79
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) September 19, 2018
The timeless Pyramids of Giza #Egypt?? pic.twitter.com/9FVop7vFAP
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 20, 2018
Goodnight from @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/V3eQ846Gon
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 21, 2018
The Exp 56 crew started off the week with biomedical studies and human research to understand how living in space impacts their bodies. https://t.co/ZzdsJl1QKi pic.twitter.com/4s4JNgjWh1
— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) August 27, 2018
