International Space Station

Spacewalk preparations filled the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as a pair of astronauts gear up for next week’s external robotics repair job. CubeSat maintenance and eye checks rounded out the day for the Expedition 74 crew.

Bioengineering cartilage tissues and manufacturing advanced materials kicked off the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew members also ramped up preparations for a spacewalk and conducted vision tests on Monday.

The Expedition 74 crew explored how weightlessness affects cartilage growth and the digestive system on Thursday to protect crew health and improve patient care on Earth. The orbital residents are also gearing up for a robotics maintenance spacewalk at the end of the month on the International Space Station.

Biomedical tests using augmented and virtual reality tools to advance space health dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 74 crew is also turning its attention to a spacewalk at the end of the month following the departure of a U.S. cargo spacecraft.

At 5:11 a.m. PDT (8:11 a.m. EDT), the unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of California near Oceanside, marking the return of the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA.

At 12:25 p.m. EDT, the unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the forward‑facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module after a command from SpaceX ground controllers. Flight controllers delayed the undocking slightly to power‑cycle a navigation sensor and restore full redundancy before departure.

The unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will undock at approximately 12:05 p.m. EDT from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module and fire its thrusters to move safely away from the orbital complex.

The Expedition 74 crew members packed a U.S. cargo spacecraft on Monday with sensitive science experiments and lab hardware for return to Earth. The orbital residents also configured spacewalking tools and conducted cardiac research to kick off the week aboard the International Space Station.

Space agriculture, stem cells, and cargo operations wrapped up the week aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 74 crew also conducted blood tests and installed a new food processor as a U.S. cargo spacecraft nears the end of its mission.

Microbiology dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Thursday helping doctors protect health on Earth and in space. The Expedition 74 crew also tested a new spacesuit, packed a U.S. cargo spacecraft, and kept up lab maintenance throughout the orbital outpost.