![\"A](\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20260513-PH-SPX01_0001\/KSC-20260513-PH-SPX01_0001~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\")
<\/a><\/figure>A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a cargo-packed Dragon spacecraft atop, stands ready to launch to the International Space Station<\/a> at 6:05 p.m. EDT today<\/a>, weather permitting, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Watch\u00a0NASA\u2019s live launch coverage\u00a0beginning\u00a0at 5:45 p.m. on\u00a0NASA+<\/a>,\u00a0Amazon Prime<\/a>, and the agency\u2019s\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n The uncrewed Dragon, packed with about 6,500 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and lab hardware<\/a> for the Expedition 74<\/a> crew, will approach the orbital outpost for an automated docking to the Harmony module<\/a>\u2019s forward port at 7:05 a.m. on Sunday. Flight engineers Jack Hathaway<\/a> of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) will be on duty Sunday morning monitoring Dragon during its approach and rendezvous with the space station.<\/p>\n Hathaway and Adenot joined NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir<\/a> midday on Friday and had a brief science conference with researchers on the ground. The trio discussed the numerous experiments taking place aboard the orbiting lab and how the research benefits humans living on and off the Earth. At the beginning of his shift, Hathaway finalized the installation of new science module in the Cold Atom Lab<\/a> quantum physics research facility. Adenot recorded a pair of video messages for ESA, her home space agency, targeting international scientists and French students.<\/p>\n NASA flight engineer Chris Williams<\/a> spent his day on lab maintenance first inspecting and cleaning hatch seals. Williams wrapped up his shift checking out the operation of the Ultrasound 3<\/a> biomedical device and its components, including computer cables and probes.<\/p>\n Mier followed up Williams\u2019 inspection work by installing hatch seal covers to protect them from damage and stains. She also staged cargo that will be packed inside the Dragon after its arrival for return to Earth next month.<\/p>\n Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergey Mikaev, both from Roscosmos, took turns at the beginning of their shift wearing heart sensors and testing their arm strength for a standard fitness assessment. Next, the duo worked on a pair of Orlan spacesuits ensuring their components were properly installed, checking their functionality, and staging them inside the Poisk module<\/a>\u2019s airlock.<\/p>\n Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev spent his shift on a pair of human research studies exploring how microgravity affects a crew member\u2019s blood flow and orientation. For his first experiment, Fedyaev wore arm, wrist, and finger cuffs that measured his blood pressure. The biomedical data helps doctors monitor how living in space affects blood flow, clot prevention, and inflammation responses. Next, he wore a virtual reality headset then responded to computerized stimuli as electrodes measured his brain activity and eye movement tracking his sense of direction, movement, and position<\/a> in weightlessness.<\/p>\n Learn more about station activities by following the <\/em>space station blog<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>@space_station<\/em><\/a> on X, as well as the <\/em>ISS Facebook<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>ISS Instagram<\/em><\/a> accounts.<\/em><\/p>\n Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. <\/em>Subscribe here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a><\/p>\n Mark A. Garcia <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a cargo-packed Dragon spacecraft atop, stands ready to launch to the International Space Station at 6:05 p.m. EDT today, weather permitting, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Continue reading