Key Takeaways
- NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir conducted a biotechnology investigation in the Harmony module, using a spectrophotometer to analyse DNA-like engineered materials and their ability to form stable structures in microgravity, with data downlinked to support development of cancer-targeting nano-therapies.
- ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot tended alfalfa plants in the Columbus module's Veggie facility as part of the Veg-06 plant-microbe study, which examines how plants source nitrogen and produce food in microgravity for long-duration missions.
- NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway serviced a cooling unit inside the Cold Atom Lab (CAL), a quantum research device that chills atoms to near absolute zero to study wave functions, general relativity, and dark matter.
- NASA flight engineer Chris Williams continued removing research hardware inside the Kibo module for loading aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft due to arrive next week.
- Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev conducted respiratory research using acoustic sensors before spending the remainder of their shift unloading the Progress 95 resupply ship.
The crew of the International Space Station's Expedition 74 devoted Thursday to a broad range of scientific and maintenance activities, with DNA nano-therapy research and space agriculture experiments leading the day's schedule. Crew members also serviced a quantum physics facility, a spacesuit, and life support hardware across multiple laboratory modules.
DNA Nano-Therapy Research in Microgravity
NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir worked inside the Harmony module on a biotechnology investigation examining how tiny engineered materials that mimic DNA behave in microgravity. Meir directed a spectrophotometer at DNA-like samples housed in small transparent containers to analyse their capacity to form stable structures. The resulting data was transferred to a computer for downlink to researchers on the ground, who aim to use the findings to refine nano-therapies capable of targeting cancer cells more precisely.
Space Agriculture: The Veg-06 Plant-Microbe Study
ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot watered alfalfa plants growing inside the Columbus laboratory module‘s Veggie facility as part of the Veg-06 plant-microbe experiment. The study is investigating how plants access nitrogen and sustain growth in microgravity, with the goal of informing food production strategies for long-duration space missions. Adenot also had her eye pressure measured by Meir using a tonometer, part of the station's routine monitoring programme to detect and counteract space-related vision conditions.
Cold Atom Lab Servicing and Spacesuit Work
NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway began his shift in the Destiny laboratory module, servicing a cooling unit inside the Cold Atom Lab (CAL). CAL cools atoms to temperatures near absolute zero, trapping them for observation to generate insights into atomic wave functions, general relativity, and dark matter. The facility received a new quantum physics module on April 13 when Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft arrived at the station. Hathaway later moved to the Quest airlock to swap components on a spacesuit scheduled for return to Earth.
Cargo Operations and Health Data Collection
NASA flight engineer Chris Williams continued removing research hardware from the Kibo laboratory module for packing inside a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft scheduled to arrive next week. He later rearranged cargo aboard the Cygnus XL and removed the sensor-equipped Bio-Monitor vest and headband he had worn for two days of continuous health data collection.
Roscosmos Activities: Respiratory Research and Resupply
Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev began their shift taking turns wearing acoustic sensors around their necks and recording rapid exhalation patterns to help researchers understand how microgravity affects the human respiratory system. The two then spent the remainder of the day unloading cargo from the Progress 95 resupply ship. Separately, Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev replaced hoses, connectors, and valves responsible for carrying water extracted from the station's air by the Zvezda service module‘s dehumidifiers.
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