ISS - Expedition 43 Mission patch.
May 20, 2015
The Expedition 43 crew completed preparations on Wednesday to send SpaceX’s Dragon cargo vehicle back to Earth.
NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Terry Virts transferred samples from two of the station’s Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS, or MELFI, freezers for return on Dragon. These included samples from the Cell Shape and Expression, CASIS PCG-3, Nematode Muscles experiments along with human research samples.
Image above: SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule is seen here docked to the Earth facing port of the Harmony module. SpaceX’s sixth commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station launched on April 14th and arrived three days later. It will depart with over 3,100 pounds of research samples and equipment and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on May 21.
After final cargo loading was completed, the crew closed the hatch to Dragon and began preparing it for release tomorrow. Dragon has been grappled by the station’s robotic arm and is set to be released on Thursday, May 21 at 7:04 a.m. EDT.
Full Coverage Times: http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-us-cargo-ship-departure-from-international-space-station
Related links:
Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS, or MELFI: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/MELFI.html
Cell Shape and Expression: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex_six
CASIS PCG-3 experiments: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1289.html
Nematode Muscles experiments: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1012.html
For more information about the International Space Station (ISS), visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Image, Text, Credits: NASA/NASA TV.
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