After taking part in Thursday’s daily planning conference with flight control teams on Earth and performing some routine morning inspections, the Expedition 24 crew members worked on a variety of science experiments.

Commander Alexander Skvortsov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Kornienko worked with the Russian KASKAD (Cascade) experiment that investigates cultivation processes of microorganism, animal and human cells in microgravity.

The pair also worked with the Bioemulsion experiment which looks at the biomass of microorganisms and biologically active substances. Researchers hope to use the observations to produce microorganisms, biomasses and biologically active substances in highly efficient and ecologically safe ways.

Flight Engineers Doug Wheelock and Shannon Walker began work in the Columbus laboratory to install the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System, or MARES. Delivered during the STS-131 mission earlier this year, MARES will be used to study the effects of microgravity on the skeletal system and can be used as an additional exercise machine for the crew.

Flight Engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin completed extensive work on three Russian Orlan-M spacesuits, removing and replacing their display panels.

Flight Engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson spent time installing alignment guides in the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) in support of ground-commanded microgravity rack testing. The FIR is a fluid physics research facility designed to host investigations in areas such as colloids, gels, bubbles, wetting and capillary action and phase changes including boiling and cooling.

As the end of Expedition 24 draws near, Skvortsov, Caldwell Dyson and Kornienko conducted preparations for their return to Earth aboard the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft. The trio will depart the station the evening of Sept. 23, U.S. time, signaling the start of Expedition 25 under the command of Wheelock.

The crew members also continued to keep a close eye on the hurricanes churning through the Atlantic Ocean, taking photographs of the storms as part of ongoing Earth observation.

› View Hurricane Igor photo taken from station at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=45780
› Watch video of Hurricanes Igor and Julia captured from station at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=18388412