Crew Studies Microbes, Tests Tech and Congratulates Artemis III Crew

Microbiology and human research were the main scientific focus aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as Expedition 74 worked to protect health on and off the Earth. The crew also advanced hardware tests and sent down a congratulatory message to the Artemis III crew, who were named during an announcement from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Flight engineers Jack Hathway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA explored antibiotic-resistant organisms inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox and the Harmony module’s maintenance work area, processing microbial samples and preparing them for DNA extraction and analysis.

Some common bacteria have shown an increased resistance to antibiotics in the space environment, potentially affecting an astronaut’s ability to fight an infection; doctors will use the data to understand how microbes adapt to microgravity and to inform countermeasures that could reduce risk to astronaut health and protect patients on Earth.

United States, Houston

iss, expedition 74, microbiology, human research, antibiotic resistance, kibo, glovebox, dna extraction, microgravity, artemis iii