Produced by: Tarun Mishra
The Expedition 72 crew, led by Commander Sunita Williams aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is gearing up for the return of critical scientific experiments to Earth. The crew is utilizing the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for transport, focusing on studies like antibiotic resistance and space botany.
Astronauts, including Williams and Flight Engineer Don Pettit, transferred frozen research samples into portable Polar freezers. These freezers will be installed in the Dragon capsule for safe transit back to Earth.
Williams worked alongside NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague to secure additional cargo for retrieval. Their efforts ensure the safe return of valuable materials for scientific analysis.
Pettit and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore conducted experiments within the Kibo and Harmony modules, analysing bacterial samples to understand why pathogens often exhibit increased resistance in microgravity. Genetic analysis techniques are being used to identify antibiotic-resistant organisms.
Williams is setting up equipment in the Advanced Plant Habitat for an upcoming experiment. The study aims to understand how water levels impact plant growth in microgravity, with potential applications for sustainable food production in space and on Earth.
The Dragon spacecraft is set to undock from the ISS's Harmony module on Thursday, December 5. It will carry research samples and cargo for a planned splashdown near Florida the following day.
The cargo includes crucial data that will advance research into medical and agricultural challenges. Studies conducted in microgravity provide unique insights unattainable in Earth's environment.
As Expedition 72 wraps up its work, the return of Dragon highlights the ISS’s ongoing role in conducting groundbreaking science and its collaboration with private industry to enhance space exploration efforts.