Expedition 75 astronauts focused on preparing a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for its impending departure from the International Space Station (ISS) while also cleaning spacesuits. The crew’s efforts on Thursday included packing research materials and conducting studies on topics such as space agriculture and artificial intelligence.
The Dragon spacecraft is set to conclude its mission, having delivered over 6,300 pounds of science, supplies, and hardware on October 15. These deliveries included a variety of experiments, and equipment such as bacterial DNA and 3D-printed blood vessels are now being prepared for return to Earth for further analysis. A lighting system that has been tested for over three years to help regulate sleep cycles aboard the station is also among the items being sent back.
NASA flight engineers Anil Menon and Jessica Watkins collaborated on packing the payloads inside Dragon. The packing process is expected to finalize the day before the spacecraft’s departure, when the crew will load critical research samples stored in portable freezers and incubators. Later, Menon and Canadian Space Agency flight engineer Joshua Kutryk arranged the Dragon’s cargo, ensuring proper weight distribution for safe reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Meanwhile, on the Kibo laboratory module, NASA flight engineer Luke Delaney set up the Life Science Glovebox for a forthcoming investigation on plant responses to disease under microgravity conditions. This study, titled MVP-Plant-02, aims to provide insights for future long-duration space missions. Delaney also maintained the cooling and ventilation systems of two spacesuits previously used during spacewalks on October 29 and November 5.
In a separate operation within the Roscosmos segment of the station, commander Pyotr Dubrov researched the production of high-purity semiconductor crystals in microgravity. He later teamed up with flight engineer Anna Kikina to practice using super intelligence systems designed to transcribe audio reports for mission control. Flight engineer Sergey Teteryatnikov documented the availability of stowage areas and updated the inventory management system during his shift.
For updates and more information about ongoing activities at the ISS, follow the space station blog and their social media channels.
