Japanese Cargo Ship to Depart; Crew Studies Biology and Advanced Tech

Expedition 74 prepared to send off the Japanese HTV-X1 cargo ship after four months attached to the International Space Station. Flight engineers Chris Williams and Jessica Meir disconnected the vehicle’s power, installed electronic control units to command component detachment, and closed the hatches.

Robotics controllers will command Canadarm2 at 2:25 p.m. EST Thursday to remove HTV-X1 from Harmony’s Earth-facing port and place it in a parking position for an overnight laser-ranging sensor demonstration, then release it at 12 p.m. Friday into an orbit where it will remain for three months to conduct remotely controlled experiments.

Coverage of the release begins at 11:45 a.m. Friday on Amazon Prime and YouTube. Williams also configured experimental robotics hardware in the Kibo laboratory to automate tasks and reduce crew workload, then took a cognition test for the CIPHER suite of 14 human research investigations.

Japan

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