The NASA SpaceX Crew-11 mission has returned to Earth after completing a long-duration assignment aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew included NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
During their time on the ISS, Cardman, Fincke, and Yui collectively contributed over 850 hours to research efforts. These studies aim to advance humanity's preparations for lunar and Martian missions, as well as yield benefits for life on Earth.
One notable area of research involved bolstering bone resilience. NASA astronaut Zena Cardman conducted work with bone stem cells to enhance understanding of bone loss mechanisms during spaceflight. Investigating bone cell activity in microgravity could provide insights into managing bone loss for astronauts on future extended space missions and inform treatments for conditions like osteoporosis on Earth.