The Progress 95 cargo spacecraft from Roscosmos stands atop its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan counting down to a liftoff at ┬а6:21p.m. EDT on Saturday to resupply the Expedition 74 crew. Progress 95 will orbit Earth for two days before catching up to the International Space Station for an automated docking to the Zvezda service moduleтАЩs rear port at 8 p.m. on Monday delivering about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies.
Meanwhile, the seven orbital residents wrapped up the work week with a host of science investigations exploring human health and advancing space manufacturing.
NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway joined each other in the Columbus laboratory module for blood pressure measurements and Ultrasound 3 scans of their neck, shoulder, and leg veins. Doctors monitored in real time and will use the biomedical data to monitor crew health. Williams then checked out the performance of the new European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device. Hathaway unpacked new medical accessory kits and pharmaceuticals from inside the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft for stowage aboard the orbital outpost.
NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir trained to use the Health Maintenance System to care for sick or injured crew members and handle medical emergencies. Afterward, Meir assisted Hathaway with the Cygnus XL cargo unpacking and then replaced laptop computers inside the Destiny laboratory module.
Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) kicked off her shift photographing colloidal crystal samples, or microscopic beads that naturally line up into a crystalтАСlike pattern. The photography work is for the 3D Colloidal Crystals physics study seeking to enable space production of advanced materials for Earth and space industries. Adenot later watered seeds for a botany experiment designed to excite students about space-related career opportunities.
Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, both Roscosmos cosmonauts, took turns taking a computerized hearing test in the quiet environment of Quest airlock. Afterward, Kud-Sverchkov checked the operation of the Zvezda service moduleтАЩs Elektron oxygen generator while Mikaev jogged on ZvezdaтАЩs treadmill for a fitness test. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev cleaned vents in the Zarya module then replaced smoke detectors inside the Nauka science module.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_stationon X, as well as the ISS Facebookand ISS Instagram accounts.
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