NASA astronaut Jessica Meir processes samples for the StarSteel experiment

iss074e0364909 (March 6, 2026) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Jessica Meir works inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory, processing samples for the StarSteel materials research experiment. Meir investigated stainless‑steel spheres produced in Kibo’s Electrostatic Levitation Furnace to observe and understand metallic solidification behavior in microgravity, potentially benefiting Earth‑based and space‑based metallurgy and manufacturing techniques. Credit: NASA/Jessica Meir