Space Explorer Demonstrates Gaming Expertise Aboard International Space Station, From August 25-29, 2025

The International Space Station (ISS) continues to be a bustling hub of scientific research and supply deliveries, as demonstrated by the events of the past week.

Among the experiments conducted by the Expedition 73 crew was the Maturation of Vascularized Liver Tissue Construct in Zero Gravity, led by flight engineer Zena Cardman of NASA. This experiment aims to advance our understanding of organ development in microgravity, which could have significant implications for future space missions and even medical research on Earth.

Meanwhile, astronaut Jonny Kim, a former Navy SEAL and medical doctor, tested teleoperations with the Surface Avatar team at the European Space Agency. This test, conducted aboard the ISS, is a crucial step towards preparing for future missions on the moon and Mars, where astronauts may need to operate robots from a distance.

The supplies delivered on SpaceX Dragon CRS-33, which weighed approximately 5,000 pounds (2,300 kilograms), were unloaded by Jonny Kim. Among the cargo were a reboost kit, which was removed and inspected using the ISS's robotic arm, and frozen science samples, which were transferred to the freezers on the station by Kimiya Yui of JAXA and Mike Fincke of NASA.

In a unique collaboration, Yui and Fincke also aimed to test a possible countermeasure to the redistirbution of liquids in microgravity. This issue, which can lead to health problems for astronauts, was addressed by their experiment, Ultrasound 2.

To facilitate these tasks, Kim tested a joystick and advanced robotic arm controller that allowed him to mimic finger and wrist movements with precision. He was also able to enlarge a mini-map to see each robot's perspective and send parallel commands to different units, similar to a 'fog of war' in strategy games.

To ensure smooth operations, a heads-up display was used during the teleoperations test, providing Kim with battery levels, location data, and quick access to AI assistants or ground teams. In another instance, NASA engineers at Mission Control in Houston took remote control of the ISS's Candarm2 robotic arm.

As of August 15, there are 7 people aboard the ISS, including the crew from SpaceX's Dragon "Endeavour" and Roscosmos' Soyuz MS-27. The ISS has been continuously crewed for 24 years, 9 months, and 27 days as of the latest update.

Zena Cardman, a member of the Expedition 73 crew, also took to social media to share the arrival of SpaceX CRS-33, adding to the excitement on board. The ISS continues to serve as a testament to human ingenuity and cooperation in space exploration.

Space Explorer Demonstrates Gaming Expertise Aboard International Space Station, From August 25-29, 2025