NASA's Expedition 73 has yielded new insights into how microgravity affects human health and demonstrated advanced robotic control systems that could shape the future of planetary exploration.
City lights glitter across the southern United States in this photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited into sunrise, 260 miles above Florida. In the right foreground, part of the station’s main solar arrays is visible, alongside a smaller set of roll-out solar arrays that help power the orbital outpost. Image Credit: NASA
Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Expedition 73 crew conducted a series of studies examining the physical toll of extended spaceflight and testing robotic systems designed for remote planetary operations. The mission focused on understanding bone and cardiovascular changes in astronauts while evaluating new tools for controlling robotic vehicles in space environments.
Why Long Missions Are So Tough on the Body
Spending months in microgravity isn’t just disorienting; it rewires the body. Bones weaken, muscles shrink, and cardiovascular function shifts. For future missions lasting a year or more, these changes could pose serious risks.
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At the same time, astronauts will need to rely more on robotics. Whether it’s navigating a dusty Martian landscape or handling repairs far from home, robots can go where humans can’t—or shouldn’t. Expedition 73 combined both lines of research, using the ISS as a lab for testing countermeasures and new tech side by side.
Inside the Research: Biology Meets Engineering
Commander Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers led the Bone on ISS study, tracking how astronauts’ bones change over time. They collected and processed blood samples during the mission, preserving them for detailed analysis back on Earth.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Anne McClain worked on CIPHER, a suite of 14 experiments that monitor everything from bone and heart health to hormonal changes. By studying blood and urine samples, researchers are building a clearer picture of how the body adjusts to space and what it needs to stay strong.
On the tech front, Flight Engineer Jonny Kim ran a series of robotic control tests from the Columbus lab module. Using laptops, touchscreens, and VR goggles, he simulated what it would be like to control robotic rovers on a planetary surface from orbit—no spacesuit required.
What They Found—and Why it Matters
The biology side of the mission revealed key details about how bones break down in microgravity, including metabolic pathways that could be targeted to slow or stop bone loss. These insights won’t just help astronauts—they could also lead to better treatments for osteoporosis here on Earth.
CIPHER provided a deep, real-time view into how space affects multiple body systems. That kind of data is crucial for designing health plans tailored to long missions and shifting gravity environments.
The robotics tests proved that astronauts can remotely operate vehicles with precision, thanks to haptic feedback and VR tools that improve control and awareness. These systems could one day allow a crew in lunar orbit to run complex tasks on the surface without ever leaving their spacecraft.
Not Just for Space
Much of what was tested during Expedition 73 could have immediate value on Earth. Robotic control systems designed for space might improve search-and-rescue operations, disaster response, or remote industrial work in dangerous environments.
And the health research could lead to smarter monitoring and prevention strategies for people dealing with bone density issues, cardiovascular disease, or long-term immobility.
What’s Next
Expedition 73 made it clear that tackling space’s toughest problems will require both biological know-how and smarter machines. As NASA and its partners prepare for missions that will last longer and travel farther, research like this is laying the groundwork.
Next steps include refining countermeasures for muscle and bone loss, advancing real-time health tracking, and pushing robotic systems to be more responsive, more intuitive, and more capable in complex environments.
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Written by
Muhammad Osama is a full-time data analytics consultant and freelance technical writer based in Delhi, India. He specializes in transforming complex technical concepts into accessible content. He has a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in AI & Robotics from Galgotias University, India, and he has extensive experience in technical content writing, data science and analytics, and artificial intelligence.