NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 17 March 2015

Expedition 43 Commander Terry Virts and Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti and Anton Shkaplerov practiced emergency procedures Tuesday, preparing the three crew members for the actions they would take in the unlikely event that they must evacuate the International Space Station.
Cristoforetti went back to work on the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System (MARES). She will be setting up MARES hardware inside the European Columbus lab module over the next two days. Virts assisted her with the MARES deployment just before lunchtime.

– Read more about the MARES

Virts later moved to the U.S. Destiny lab module to pack up a physics experiment in the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The commander stowed the Coarsening in Solid Mixtures-4 (CSLM-4) experiment, an investigation studying solid-liquid mixtures, which will be returned on a future SpaceX Dragon mission.

– Read more about Coarsening in Solid Mixtures-4

Meanwhile, Soyuz TMA-16M Commander Gennady Padalka and One-Year crew members Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko are preparing for launch on March 27, when they will join Expedition 43 at the orbital laboratory. Kelly and Kornienko will stay in space until March 2016. Padalka will return to Earth Sept. 11.

On-Orbit Status Report

Node 3 Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA): Overnight the Flight Control Specialist’s attempt to repower Node 3 CDRA failed due to both CDRA bed heaters reporting as failed. The ppCO2 levels remain low and preliminary assessment level will remain below limits with no CDRA for a couple days. The team has been able to override the failed heater indication and are currently working on repowering the Node 3 CDRA.

Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System (MARES) Checkout: With assistance from Virts, Cristoforetti performed the first of two days of activation and deploy setup of the MARES facility. She deployed the MARES facility into its operational configuration. She then activated the European Physiology Module (EPM) laptop and charging the battery followed by verification of the integrity of the spare MARES hard drive. Preliminary data shows the battery state of charge exceeded the minimum charge requirement of 60%, and was determined to be between 82-84%. Tomorrow, Cristoforetti will perform a functional test of the MARES facility. The MARES hardware is made up of an adjustable chair and human restraint system, a pantograph (an articulated arm supporting the chair, used to properly position the user), a direct drive motor, associated electronics and experiment programming software, a linear adapter that translates motor rotation into linear movements, and a vibration isolation frame. The MARES facility will be used for research on musculoskeletal, biomechanical, and neuromuscular human physiology to better understand the effects of microgravity on the muscular system.

Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixture (CSLM)-4 Stow: Virts removed CSLM-2 from the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) in preparation for its return on SpaceX-6 (SpX-6). The next user of the MSG will be Rodent Research-2 which launches on SpX-6.

Emergency Egress Drill On-Board Training (OBT): All 3 crew members participated in this OBT to refresh and maintain crew skills should an emergency warrant the need to immediately depart the Station. The training is scheduled after a crew has been on board for 12-14 weeks, then every 2 ½ months thereafter.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Verification of anti-virus scan results on Auxiliary Computer System (ВКС) laptops
WRS Water Sample Analysis
ISS Emergency OBT Drill (Soyuz 715 Descent).
TOCA Data Recording
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module
MAR. Payload Deployment for Commissioning
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill
MAR. Laptop Activation
MAR. Battery Charge Initiation
MSG – Glovebox Powerup
ПФ1-4 Dust Filter Cartridge Replacement in SM
CWC Fill
Crew Discretionary Conference
MAR. Battery Charge Process
СОЖ Maintenance
CSLM2 – Equipment Stowage
MSG – Powerdown
Screw Clamp Tightening on MRM1-FGB Interface
URISYS Hardware Setup
MAR. Battery charge status check
MAR. Hard Drive Exchange and Test
Installation of ТВМ-1Н SW.
Thermolab – Instrumentation Ops for Circadian Rhythms
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill
Completed Task List Items

None
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Solar Array Maximum Power Output Test
Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 03/18: MARES checkout/commissioning part 2, IFM hatch seal inspection, MSG inspect/clean
Thursday, 03/19: Triplelux, WHC urine hydraulic components R&R
Friday, 03/20: Triplelux, Dragon pre-pack, Centralized Cabin Filter R&R
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component – Status
Elektron – Off
Vozdukh – Manual
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Startup in Progress
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up