Plant studies, biomedical research and cargo work close out the week on the space station
Crew members aboard the International Space Station spent Friday on plant biology, human health and materials research while also preparing a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for its return to Earth. The work by the Expedition 75 crew supports efforts to help future astronauts feed themselves and manage their own health farther from Earth.
Plant growth and disease resistance in microgravity
NASA flight engineer Luke Delaney studied how plants grow and defend themselves against disease in microgravity. He began by harvesting thale cress grown in the Multi-use Variable-g Platform in the Kibo laboratory module. He then treated plant samples in Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox so they could be preserved and returned to Earth.
According to the source material, the results could contribute to healthier plants on spacecraft. They could also lead to agricultural techniques that give crops on Earth stronger disease resistance.
Research hardware and crew health checks
Flight engineer Anil Menon serviced the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-4, which recently supported pharmaceutical and microbiology research. He exchanged sample-containing cassettes and hard drives. Flight engineer Jessica Watkins activated student-designed hardware that will examine how key physical, chemical and biological processes behave in microgravity. Findings from that equipment could inform space and terrestrial technologies, new research methods and crew health protection.
Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) started his shift by collecting a blood sample with Watkins’ help. The sample was spun in a centrifuge and placed in a science freezer for later analysis. Kutryk then completed two exercise sessions, using resistance and rowing modes, on the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) in the Columbus laboratory module. The compact E4D is being evaluated for how well it can support muscle and bone health on crewed missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Dragon loading continues
Some of the research samples are being readied to leave the station aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft that arrived on Oct. 15. Menon and Watkins spent part of Friday packing and securing cargo inside the vehicle. After Dragon splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, NASA and SpaceX support teams will retrieve the cargo. The source does not give a departure date.
Russian segment activities
Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina worked together on a study of super intelligence tools for transcribing crew audio reports, which mission controllers on the ground can then review. Dubrov also photographed the windows in the Zvezda service module as part of an inspection. Kikina measured her blood pressure with arm, wrist and finger cuffs to monitor how spaceflight affects her cardiovascular system.
Flight engineer Sergey Teteryatnikov tested a medical monitoring device by simulating a health check. He downlinked the data to doctors on Earth for review.
Source: www.nasa.gov
