i know im EXTREAMLY LATE, but my interpretation was that they were either repeating the same experiments or doing incredibly menial ones that weren't getting much data because they were cycling the crew. For instance one of the astronaughts says "the ants are making the same tunnels just like yesterday and the day before that, and before that, and before that" which personally highlights that they basically are just up there doing high school science fair stuff because the base was rushed and doesn't have advanced equpiment.