New science experiments are getting underway aboard the International Space Station after a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft delivered about 6,500 pounds of cargo on Sunday, May 17. The Expedition 74 crew spent Monday unloading the new supplies, kicking off new research, and gearing up for a spacewalk.
NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway was the first crew member inside Dragon on Sunday when he opened its hatch just a couple of hours after the spacecraft’s docking. Shortly afterward, his crewmates Chris Williams and Jessica Meir, both from NASA, and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) followed him and began transferring time-critical research samples packed inside Dragon’s portable science freezers and stowed them throughout the orbital outpost’s research facilities.
The newest investigation delivered aboard Dragon will explore how living in microgravity affects blood-making cells, or blood platelets, at the cellular and genetic level. Meir started the experiment on Monday inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox preparing samples for incubation and growth after Hathway had thawed and spun them in the BioServe centrifuge. Adenot assisted with the research then uninstalled the centrifuge after the samples were processed and handed over to Meir. Researchers will observe the cells growing into platelets to understand how weightlessness affects a crew member’s blood clotting and immune function.
Williams worked in the Harmony module activating sample-containing tubes shipped on Dragon for a variety of student-designed experiments. The tubes were filled with biological samples including plant seeds, bacteria, and mold, as well as material samples such as iron and aluminum. Observations will expand the knowledge of space phenomena and inspire junior high and high school students to consider scientific, technical, and engineering careers.
The next mission event the orbital residents are focusing on is a spacewalk planned for the end of the month. Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev have spent the last several days, including Monday, preparing spacewalking tools and configuring Orlan spacesuits inside the Poisk module’s airlock. The pair also took time out on Monday collecting their blood pressure measurements helping doctors understand how weightlessness affects a crew member’s blood vessels.
Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev focused primarily on maintenance, first updating laptop computer hardware and software. Next, Fedyaev wrapped up his shift inspecting and testing the functionality of electronics systems on the Zarya module.