The crew of Expedition 73 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) continued their essential scientific research and maintenance activities this week, despite the ongoing U.S. government shutdown that began on September 30, 2025. The astronauts remained focused on their work in orbit, ensuring that critical experiments and operations proceeded without interruption.
On October 2, astronaut Kimiya Yui shared updates on social media about their busy day, stating, “Today was a busy day as well, but I was able to take some photos in between workouts.” Yui highlighted the view as the ISS passed over significant landmarks, including the Mediterranean Sea and Japan’s Honshu, engaging with those on Earth who might have spotted the spacecraft during its orbit.
Scientific Endeavors Continue
The Expedition 73 crew comprised astronauts from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos, who undertook various experiments designed to advance scientific understanding and technology for future space missions. Among the notable work was the activation of the State-of-the-art Humidity Removal in Microgravity Payload by Jonny Kim, which aims to recycle moisture from the spacecraft atmosphere.
Another important experiment, Heat Transfer Host 2, was installed by Mike Fincke. This experiment focuses on studying condensation processes, which could enhance thermal systems for crewed spacecraft on deep-space missions. Additionally, Zena Cardman set up new sample cassettes for the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4, contributing to research on pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity.
Maintenance and Preparations
Beyond scientific research, the crew also dedicated time to maintaining ISS systems and preparing for future experiments. Fincke and Kim worked on the Fluid Science Laboratory, a European Space Agency (ESA) apparatus, adjusting electrical components and assembling foam coarsening samples to support research into fluid dynamics in microgravity.
Fincke further installed the TransAstra Fly Trap Capture Bag Demo into the NanoRacks Bishop airlock. This demonstration aims to evaluate the bag’s ability to remain airtight in space, potentially providing a solution for capturing and disposing of space debris. Meanwhile, Yui modified hardware for the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace, which utilizes lasers to heat materials to extreme temperatures, helping researchers gather data on the properties of various samples.
As of October 3, 2025, there are seven astronauts aboard the ISS: Expedition 73 commander Sergey Ryzhikov from Roscosmos, cosmonauts Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov, along with NASA’s Kim, Cardman, and Fincke, and JAXA’s Yui. The station also hosts two crewed spacecraft—SpaceX’s Dragon “Endeavour” and Roscosmos’ Soyuz MS-27—as well as four cargo vehicles.
The ISS has been continuously crewed for an impressive 24 years, 11 months, and 1 day as of this report, showcasing the enduring commitment to human presence in low Earth orbit. The activities of Expedition 73 illustrate the resilience of space exploration efforts, even as challenges arise on the ground.