Robotics training and human research were the primary duties for the Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The orbital residents rounded out their shift with spacesuit work, cargo operations, and Earth observations.
NASA flight engineers Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway joined each other and trained to capture Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft using the Candarm2 robotic arm. The duo gathered inside the cupola and first practiced operating the robotics workstation’s display and control panel. Next, the astronauts simulated operating the Canadarm2 using the robotics workstation to practice capturing Cygnus XL in a variety of scenarios as it approaches the orbital outpost.
Cygnus XL is targeted to launch to the space station no earlier than Wednesday, April 8 at 8:49 a.m. EDT. Cygnus will be delivering advanced microgravity research gear to study quantum computing technology, test stem cell therapies, promote astronaut health, and more.
Williams earlier drew a blood sample and took a cognition test to help doctors understand how his physical and mental health are adapting to microgravity for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations. Hathaway used a sound meter and recorded noise levels in the station’s living and working areas to ensure a safe, comfortable hearing environment. Next, he checked the operation of the Exploration Potable Water Dispenser, a technology demonstration to advance water sanitization methods, reduce microbial growth, and dispense hot water into crew food and drink bags.
Flight engineers Jessica Meir of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) also trained to use the Canadarm2 to refresh their robotics skills. Mission rules require the crew to practice using Canadarm2 during simulated spacecraft capture scenarios every 60 days to maintain familiarity with the robotics workstation.
Meir also reviewed a new technology demonstration that removes humidity from a spacecraft then tested spare wireless hardware. Adenot checked out a spacesuit in the Quest airlock replacing its arm and leg components then testing the suit’s power cable connections.
The four astronauts also joined each other in the Columbus laboratory module for a short session of artery scans using the Ultrasound 3 device. Doctors on the ground monitored the scans in real time reading the advanced interpretation of acoustic echoes to stay current on the astronauts’ health conditions.
Roscosmos flight engineers Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev took turns continuing to unpack some of the nearly three tons of cargo the Progress 94 resupply ship delivered when it docked to the Poisk module on March 24. Mikaev also closed out an automated Earth photography session that captured imagery of mountains and volcanos across North America and Asia during the crew’s sleep shift. Fedyaev wore a series of cuffs on his arm, wrist, and finger measuring his blood pressure for an ongoing cardiovascular study.
Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov gathered obsolete cargo for disposal and packed it inside the Progress 93 cargo craft that is due to depart the space station later this month. Kud-Sverchkov then documented the location of a variety of personal items and lab hardware before inspecting video recording equipment throughout the station’s Roscosmos segment.
The seven-member Expedition 74 crew will be asleep when the launch window opens at 6:24 p.m. EDT today for the Artemis II mission slated to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a ten-day mission to fly around the Moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will test their Orion spacecraft’s systems and photograph the lunar surface on NASA’s first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
NASA’s launch day coverage has begun with live views and audio commentary of tanking operations, as teams loaded propellant into the SLS rocket, on NASA’s YouTube channel. Full launch coverage begins at 12:50 p.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. Updates during the launch countdown and throughout the mission will be posted on the Artemis blog.
Over 25 years of microgravity science at the International Space Station has provided a wealth of data informing NASA’s Artemis Program and mission to the Moon. The results of long-term crew medical data, space biology research, Earth observation techniques informing crew lunar observations, and CubeSat technology gained from the space station are contributing to Artemis II, and extending science to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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April 1, 2026 11:41AM
