National Aeronautics and Space Administration

International Space Station

EXPEDITION 57 began in October 2018 and ended in December 2018. This expedition hosted a variety of investigations and technology demonstrations spanning the physical, biological and 

chemical sciences to leverage the unique microgravity test environment available aboard the International Space Station. One spacewalk 

occurred during Expedition 57. 

Soyuz MS-09 Launch: June 6, 2018 • Landing: December 20, 2018

THE CREW:

Soyuz MS-11 Launch: December 3, 2018 • Landing: June 2019

Expedition 57 investigations looked at everything from observations of 

Earth’s forests to helping us understand how carbon processes affect 

climate change to studying endothelial cells in microgravity to improve 

testing methods for cancer treatment on Earth.

THE SCIENCE:

What are 

some of the 

investigations 

the crew 

operated?

Born: Türkmenabat, Turkmenistan

Spaceflights: Exp. 17, 30/31, 44/45

Bio: https://go.nasa.gov/2QviZ3S

Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer

[MISSION SUMMARY]

Born: Spokane, Washington

Interests: weightlifting, rugby, golf, biking, crossfit 

and running

Spaceflights: First flight 

Bio: https://go.nasa.gov/2s8ryrB

Twitter: @AstroAnnimal

Anne McClain (NASA) – Flight Engineer

Born: Saint-Lambert, Quebec

Interests: mountaineering, cycling, skiing and sailing

Spaceflights: First flight 

Bio: https://go.nasa.gov/2VBcqAu

Twitter: @Astro_DavidS

David Saint-Jacques (CSA) – Flight Engineer 

Born: Künzelsau, Germany

Interests: fencing, swimming, running, skydiving, 

snowboarding, hiking, mountaineering, climbing and 

scuba diving

Spaceflights: Exp. 40/41

Bio: https://go.nasa.gov/1oMphcb

Twitter: @Astro_Alex

Alexander Gerst (ESA) – Commander

Born: Sverdlovsk, Russia

Spaceflights: First flight

Bio: https://go.nasa.gov/2LKHGrW

Sergei Prokopyev (Roscosmos) – Flight Engineer

Born: Indianapolis, Indiana

Interests: volunteering as a doctor in a free clinic, 

watching baseball and practicing martial arts

Spaceflights: First flight 

Bio: https://go.nasa.gov/2LJJkd6

Twitter: @AstroSerena

Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor (NASA) – Flight 

Engineer
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 

Houston, Texas 77058

www.nasa.gov

NP-2019-02-003-JSC

International

Space Station

Mission

Summary

GEDI

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) provides highquality laser ranging observations of the Earth’s forests and topography

required to advance the understanding of important carbon and water

cycling processes, biodiversity and habitat. GEDI is mounted on the

Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) and provides

the first high-resolution observations of forest vertical structure at a

global scale. These observations quantify the aboveground carbon stored

in vegetation and changes that result from vegetation disturbance and

recovery, the potential for forests to sequester carbon in the future, and

habitat structure and its influence on habitat quality and biodiversity.

■ Angiex Cancer Therapy

The investigation Endothelial Cells in Microgravity as a Model System for 

Evaluation of Cancer Therapy Toxicity (Angiex Cancer Therapy) aims to 

culture endothelial cells (ECs) in a space environment to improve testing 

methods for cancer treatment on Earth. Angiex has developed 

a treatment that targets both tumor cells and vasculature, but needs 

a better model on which to test it. The study may facilitate a costeffective method that does not require animal testing and which may 

help develop safer and more effective vascular-targeted drugs.

Cimon 

The pilot study with the Crew Interactive MObile companioN (Cimon)

is a technology demonstration project, and an observational study, that 

aims to obtain the first insights into the effects on crew support by an 

artificial intelligence (AI), in terms of efficiency and acceptance during 

long-term missions in space. Spaceflight missions put the crew under a 

substantial amount of stress and workload, and an AI may help provide 

operational support to crew members.

Humans are explorers. We live on a cosmic island. Setting sails towards new worlds 

has always been our nature, and it is key to our survival. As soon as our ancestors 

learned how to build ships, they not only used them to sail up and down the coasts, but 

ultimately they set out to travel beyond the horizon, to discover new continents. The 

time of space exploration has just begun, a mere blink of an eye in the eon-long history 

of human exploration. And yet we already have successfully built great ships to sail the 

black heavenly seas, and we have dared adventurous journeys into the unknown.

The Expedition 57 patch is a tribute to human exploration. It depicts an explorer’s 

ship leaving for the unknown as our early ancestors did, and is shaped like an arrow, 

heading out to new cosmic horizons. It highlights the purpose of the International 

Space Station as a world class science laboratory for the benefit of mankind and 

international cooperation, as well as humanity’s flagship in space, preparing us for the 

amazing voyages ahead. 

The Expedition 57 patch is dedicated to all those thousands of humans who make this 

journey possible through the contribution of their passion, hard work and courage to 

one of the most fascinating projects in human history. 

THE MISSION PATCH: