Ongoing Operational Support

August 30, 2003 - Spanish Soyuz Mission Cervantes

A second progress was launched on to the International Space Station, delivering nearly three tons of food, fuel, water, supplies and scientific gear to the Expedition 7 crew aboard the complex and for the next crew to be launched in October. Stowed in the Progress are replacement parts for Station systems, tools, a satellite telephone and Global Positioning System hardware, next generation laptop computers, educational demonstrations, science experiment gear and office supplies.

The Progress also carried to the ISS science equipment for ESA's Spanish Soyuz Mission with astronaut Pedro Duque. Equipment and components of life science experiments NEUROCOG and CARDIOCOG flew to the ISS on this Progress. Belgian ESA astronaut Frank De Winne has already performed both successfully, during the Odissea mission in October 2002. His results need to be followed up by more investigations.

CARDIOCOG looks into changes in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of humans in weightlessness.

NEUROCOG aims at understanding how humans perceive space, the role that the sensory information of sight, balance, motion and position plays in this, and how their perception is affected by weightlessness.