New science experiments continue to be unpacked from inside SpaceX’s newly arrived Dragon resupply ship. The seven members of the Expedition 67 crew also ensured that the International Space Station (ISS) will continue to orbit the Earth in tip-top shape. The Dragon spacecraft, which launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 39A, at 8:44 p.m. the station’s Harmony section at 11:21 a.m. EDT (8:21 a.m. PDT) on July 16, while the ISS was traveling more than 267 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines spent Monday, July 18, unloading some of the more than 5,800 pounds of crew supplies and science experiments delivered Saturday inside the Dragon cargo ship. The duo of Flight Engineers transported time-critical research samples to the orbiting laboratory to begin exploring a variety of space phenomena for the benefit of humans on and off Earth. Some of the new experiments include a study of the human immune system, a protein production research and a cancer treatment experiment. Kjell Lindgren, a NASA flight engineer, helped Watkins and Hines move science freezers inside Dragon to access cargo pallets. Lindgren also tended to growing radishes and mizuna greens using hydroponic and aeroponic methods for the XROOTS space botanical study. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti tested the computer connections within the European Physiology Module that supports neuroscience, cardiovascular and physiological research within the Columbus Laboratory Module. The station’s three cosmonauts focused primarily on life support maintenance tasks. Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev serviced Russian ventilation systems by replacing air ducts and filters. Flight engineer Sergey Korsakov performed orbital hydraulic installation work inside the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.
