Starliner astronauts tested their SpaceX suits and conducted emergency drills in preparation for the return journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft. The crew conducted scientific experiments and began assembling on Earth, including testing equipment to reduce the effect of weightlessness.

Expedition 72 commander Suni Williams and flight engineer Butch Wilmore, both astronauts
On Tuesday, October 1, NASA tested SpaceX Dragon spacesuits for the first time with the help of new NASA crew member Nick Haig. NASA trio tested their sealed suits, tested the suits’ sound configuration, and tested the fit of the seat inside
While wearing the suits of the Dragon Freedom spacecraft.

Emergency training and preparation for takeoff

The three astronauts then joined Flight Engineer Oleksandr Gorbunov and conducted emergency drills inside the Dragon docked in the forward port of the Harmony module. Williams and Wilmore, who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft in June, will return to Earth with Haig and Gorbunov on the Dragon spacecraft in February.

End of space exploration mission

Meanwhile, the other four members of the Expedition 72 crew are nearing the end of their space exploration mission, which began March 5. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominique will command the SpaceX Dragon Endeavor spacecraft, which will return pilot Mike Barrett and mission specialists Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin to Earth. The date will soon be determined by NASA and SpaceX mission managers. The returning SpaceX Crew-8 quartet packs personal belongings and other station cargo aboard Endeavor for the journey home.

Routine investigations and emergency protocols

NASA flight engineer Don Pettit and Roscosmos flight engineers Oleksiy Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner, who have been at the orbital outpost since September 11, spent Tuesday working on various physics and biology studies. Pettit worked in the Microgravity Science Glove Box, testing advanced life support hardware that could be used on future space missions operating in various gravitational environments. Ovchinin wore a helmet with sensors that measured his reactions and practiced futuristic techniques of planetary and robotic piloting on a computer. Wagner helped Grebenkin experiment with a special suit that could neutralize the effects of life in weightlessness.

At the end of Tuesday’s crew shift, all 11 members of the space station crew met and reviewed their roles and responsibilities in the event of an unexpected emergency. Orbital crews coordinated with mission controllers from around the world to familiarize themselves with the use of personal protective equipment and fire extinguishers. Astronauts and cosmonauts also learned about necessary actions and evacuation in case of fire, chemical leak or pressure.