Four Expedition 74 crew members are preparing for their return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. Amid departure preparations, the International Space Station residents also conducted spacesuit maintenance, space biology research, and an artificial intelligence study.
Mission managers have decided to move up the return date for the four SpaceX Crew-11 members living and working aboard the orbital outpost. No departure date has been announced, though the crew has begun checking the fit and operability of their Dragon pressure suits. Fit verification is necessary because the spine lengthens and body fluids shift toward the head in microgravity, affecting torso and limb dimensions. The quartet also tested the suits’ audio and video communication systems.
Dragon Commander Zena Cardman will lead Pilot Mike Fincke, both NASA astronauts, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos back to Earth inside Dragon. The foursome began collecting their personal items and packing them for stowage aboard the spacecraft.
Cardman also worked on a pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock on Friday. She cleaned and flushed the suits’ internal water-cooling loops that regulate a spacewalker’s body temperature. Afterward, she powered down and inspected the suits, then uninstalled suit hardware, components, and batteries.
Yui wrapped up his shift by swapping sample cassettes holding protein crystal samples inside the Advanced Sample Experiment Processor-4 in support of the Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory experiments. NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams photographed Yui during the scientific operations. This research promotes the development and manufacturing of medicines in space, as the lack of gravity enables more pristine results.
Platonov explored vascular health while wearing chest electrodes and blood pressure cuffs on his arms, wrists, and fingers for the Endothelium human research experiment. He studied how the inner lining of blood vessels works to keep blood flowing smoothly, regulate pressure, and prevent clots in crew members. Doctors are monitoring how weightlessness and space radiation affect a cosmonaut’s arteries, blood pressure, and heart during spaceflight.
Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev continued testing artificial intelligence as a way to transcribe audio files, document daily crew activities, and improve operations aboard spacecraft. Earlier, the duo videotaped Platonov’s blood study activities, inventoried hardware in the Rassvet and Nauka modules, and packed trash and obsolete gear inside the Progress 93 cargo craft.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.