Are astronauts working for free in space since US govt shutdown? Here's what we know
As of Oct 3, the seven-member Expedition 73 crew includes Commander Sergey Ryzhikov, cosmonauts Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, and JAXA’s Kimiya Yui.
Shutdown on Earth, Routine in Orbit
While the US government entered a funding shutdown this week, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) continued their packed schedules. NASA’s Expedition 73 crew remains active, conducting research and maintaining critical systems, even as many NASA employees on the ground are furloughed.
“Hello from Space!” – Life Continues Above the Mediterranean
JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui shared snapshots from orbit on Oct 2. “About 25 minutes after taking photos near the Mediterranean, we passed over Japan’s Honshu. Those who saw the ISS yesterday evening and waved, ended up waving to me while I was doing strength training,” he wrote. Even as operations on Earth slow down, crew life in orbit remains disciplined and lively.
Science Doesn’t Stop: SHRIMP, Heat Transfer & Space Medicine
This week, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim activated SHRIMP, a system to extract moisture from the station’s atmosphere for reuse. Mike Fincke installed Heat Transfer Host 2, studying condensation in microgravity for future deep-space missions. Meanwhile, Zena Cardman prepared experiments for the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4, supporting pharmaceutical research in space.
Station Maintenance Keeps Crew Busy
Alongside experiments, crew members worked on Fluid Science Laboratory upgrades, changing electrical cables and prepping foam coarsening studies. Fincke also installed the TransAstra Fly Trap Capture Bag Demo, a prototype designed to capture and contain space debris, an essential test for future orbital cleanup missions.
Electrostatic Levitation Furnace: Pushing Material Science
Yui configured JAXA’s Electrostatic Levitation Furnace, which uses lasers to heat materials to extreme temperatures in weightlessness. The experiment collects data on thermo-physical properties, helping scientists design better spacecraft materials and industrial processes back on Earth.
Who’s Aboard the ISS Right Now
As of Oct 3, the seven-member Expedition 73 crew includes Commander Sergey Ryzhikov, cosmonauts Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, and JAXA’s Kimiya Yui. They’re supported by two crewed spacecraft (SpaceX Dragon Endeavour and Soyuz MS-27) and four cargo ships, including SpaceX CRS-33 Dragon and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL.
ISS Keeps Running — No Matter the Politics Below
Despite NASA freezing most website updates and furloughing staff during the shutdown, critical mission operations continue. Astronauts aren’t “working for free”, their pay is guaranteed under essential operations but ground teams are operating with reduced capacity. The ISS has now been continuously crewed for 24 years, 11 months, and 1 day, proving that space doesn’t stop for politics.
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