NASA Expedition 74 performs space physics experiments post-spacewalk

Space physics experiments, eye examinations, and maintenance of workout equipment occupied the schedule for the Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. Three cosmonauts also performed cleanup tasks after participating in a spacewalk the day before. NASA flight engineer Chris Williams replaced sample hardware inside the Destiny laboratory module's Microgravity Science Glovebox to support semiconductor crystal research. He later conducted eye exams on NASA flight engineers Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, operating medical imaging gear to examine their retinas, lenses, and corneas while doctors on the ground monitored the procedures. The resulting biomedical data supports research into space-caused vision issues and treatments to protect eye health. Hathaway inspected an advanced resistive exercise device in the Tranquility module. Meir removed temporary hardware from the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device in the Columbus laboratory module. The two astronauts also transferred cargo to and from a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot swapped combustion research samples in the Kibo laboratory module's Electrostatic Levitation Furnace. She then replaced cables powering the E4D workout device and photographed the completed work for engineers on Earth. Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev slept in after their six-hour and five-minute spacewalk on Wednesday. They cleaned their Orlan spacesuits, reconfigured the Poisk airlock, and contacted Roscosmos mission controllers to review the previous day's activities. Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev, who monitored the spacewalkers and operated the European robotic arm, also slept in on Thursday. He later activated air purification units in the Zvezda and Nauka modules and restored Roscosmos systems to their pre-spacewalk settings.