Three Expedition 74 crew members are packing up cargo and handing over their obligations with lower than one week to go earlier than returning to Earth. The Worldwide Area Station’s three latest crewmates are already within the second week of their mission getting used to life on orbit and researching how microgravity impacts the human physique.
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev are nearing the tip of their mission that started with a launch from Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on Nov. 27, 2025. The trio will undock from the Rassvet module within the Soyuz MS-28 over the weekend signifying the start of Expedition 75. They’ll take a brief experience again to Earth for a parachute-assisted touchdown in Kazakhstan contained in the Soyuz. NASA will quickly launch a Soyuz touchdown media advisory with official mission instances, dates, and hyperlinks to reside NASA+ protection.
Williams is handing over his mission obligations this week to NASA flight engineer Anil Menon who arrived on the orbital outpost on Tuesday, July 14 aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. Williams can be serving to Menon find meals, cargo, and medical provides, observe safely transferring across the area station, and function the multitude of lab {hardware} and methods.
Kud Sverchkov and Mikaev continued testing the decrease physique damaging strain go well with that my assist the duo adapt faster to Earth’s gravity after dwelling and dealing in weightlessness for eight months. The experimental go well with works by reversing the space-caused fluid shifts from a crew member’s head towards their ft serving to their blood strain modify to gravity. The cosmonauts may even spend the remainder of week packing the Soyuz MS-28 with cargo and handing over their obligations to Roscosmos flight engineers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, who started their mission with Menon final week.
Menon, Dubrov, and Kikina at the moment are transitioning from familiarization and orientation actions to full time area analysis and lab upkeep. Menon kicked off Monday with blood pattern collections, blood strain checks, and artery scans utilizing the Ultrasound 3 biomedical system. Dubrov and Kikina took turns carrying digital actuality goggles and responding to computerized stimuli testing how their sense of stability and course is adapting to microgravity. The human analysis helps docs preserve crews wholesome in area revealing how the physique adjustments throughout a long-term spaceflight.
NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir, who will turn into station commander when Expedition 75 begins, began her shift helping Menon together with his well being research. After lunchtime, Meir serviced an exterior high-definition digital camera that can be put in exterior of the orbiting lab. Flight engineer Jack Hathaway of NASA photographed tiny particles suspended in fluid that naturally prepare themselves into crystal‑like constructions for an area physics investigation. Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Area Company) tried on and examined two totally different fits on Monday—the EasyMotion-2 go well with goals to extend the effectiveness of figuring out in microgravity, whereas the EuroSuit seeks to enhance consolation and ergonomics aboard a spacecraft. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev assisted his departing crewmates with the decrease physique damaging strain go well with assessments.
Be taught extra about station actions by following the area station weblog, @space_station on X, in addition to the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
Get the most recent from NASA delivered each week. Subscribe here.
