Dragon packed with urine samples ahead of departure from space station

Thursday, July 8, 2021: Over 4,400 pounds (2,000 kilograms) of scientific samples and other material can be seen packed inside the Dragon cargo capsule ahead of its departure from the International Space Station today.

The European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet tweeted the image just as the crew was preparing to send off the spacecraft for its 37-hour-long return journey to Earth.

In another tweet, the French spaceman shared details about the contents of some of the experiments: “Just before closing the hatch, we pack it full of our frozen bodily fluids: blood, urine, saliva… and more that I won’t mention,” he wrote.

The return of the CRS-22 Cargo Dragon mission to Earth has been delayed since Tuesday (July 6) due to severe weather in Florida caused by tropical storm Elsa. — Tereza Pultarova