Cargo Dragon Comes Home as Expedition 57 Continues Work Aboard ISS

New experiments have been keeping the crew of Expedition 67 busy, with studies on cardiology, wound healing, and health in microgravity taking place after the recent departure of the station’s 34-day guest, the SpaceX Dragon.

The Dragon completed its uncrewed cargo mission on August 20th, splashing down north of the coast off Florida’s Cape Canaveral. The milestone mission marked the 25th contracted cargo resupply mission to the ISS, bringing more than 2 tons of experiments and cargo back to Earth. As it returns with its batch of experimental work in tow, the Expedition 67 crew begins work on the next group of scientific studies.

The first experiment bolstered by the Dragon’s arrival pertains to the Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment, which aims to improve space suit cooling capability for upcoming Artemis missions. The experiment sought to leverage water evaporation to improve heat transmission from suits in EVA, analyzing the effects of microgravity on contamination and corrosion in a closed system. 

Second, a materials science project quantified the impact of the low-Earth orbit environment on new materials. This time around, it evaluated spacecraft material for suitability, with additional pieces evaluating wearable radiation protection. 

Finally, the ESA sponsored investigation for Bioprint FirstAid was returned to Earth aboard the Dragon. Their Handheld Bioprinter is designed to rapidly form band-aid patches containing the same cells from a patient, printed on a “bio-ink” for rapid wound dressing. The process allows for a 10-minute patch to be created, but the program says better tissue and organ modeling is where their greater interest lies. Once successful, the system should boast improved tissue generation and longevity. 

FMI: www.nasa.gov