NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 28 July 2015

Two cosmonauts are getting ready for the first spacewalk from the International Space Station since March. Two NASA astronauts are also working to bring a U.S. spacesuit back to service.
The three newest Expedition 44 crew members joined Commander Gennady Padalka during their afternoon for a familiarization session with emergency equipment inside the orbital lab. Having arrived just last week, new flight engineers Oleg Kononenko, Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui are still getting used to their new home in space.

Padalka and One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko checked out Russian spacesuit gear ahead of an Aug. 10 spacewalk. The duo will replace external experiments and photograph the exterior condition of the space station’s Russian segment.

Lindgren and One-Year crew member Scott Kelly worked on a U.S. spacesuit replacing internal parts to return the unit to service. Kelly also continued more research for the Twins study comparing him to his Earth-bound twin brother and ex-astronaut Mark Kelly.

On-Orbit Status

Human Research Program (HRP) Operations: Yui and Lindgren performed their Flight Day 7 (FD7) saliva collection, both in support of Microbiome, and Yui collected for Salivary Markers. Throughout the day Kelly collected urine samples for Biochemical Profile and Twins Study. He also completed his FD120 Cognition session and along with Kornienko, performed the final Reaction Self-Test for the 43 Soyuz sleep shift.

– The Biochemical Profile experiment tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight.

– Twins Study is an integrated compilation of ten different studies led by multiple PI’s at multiple centers. The studies take advantage of a very unique opportunity to look at the effects of space travel on identical twins, one of whom experiences space travel for one year; the other mains earth-bound for that same year.

– The Microbiome experiment investigates the impact of space travel on both the human immune system and an individual’s microbiome (the collection of microbes that live in and on the human body at any given time).

– Individualized Real-Time Neurocognitive Assessment Toolkit for Space Flight Fatigue (Cognition) is a battery of tests that measure how spaceflight-related physical changes, such as microgravity and lack of sleep, can affect cognitive performance.

– Reaction Self Test aids crewmembers to objectively identify when their performance capability is degraded by various fatigue-related conditions that can occur as a result of ISS operations and time in space (e.g., acute and chronic sleep restriction, slam shifts, extravehicular activity (EVA), and residual sedation from sleep medications).

Plant Circumnutation and Its dependence on the Gravity Response (Plant Rotation) Run 3: Yui retrieved rice plants from the Freezer-Refrigerator Of STirling cycle (FROST) and prepared Plant Rotation Chamber B of the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF). He then installed Plant Experiment Unit into the 1G rotor and Measurement Experiment Unit into the microG rotor. For Run 3, the plants will undergo microgravity rotation first followed by 1G rotation. Many species of climbing plants grow upward in a spiraling shape, a process known as circumnutation. Plant organs, such as stems, leaves, and roots also grow in a spiraling, helical shape. This spiraling process can take many forms, including very tight loops and broad curves. The Plant Rotation experiment verifies the hypothesis that this type of plant growth requires gravity.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) 3011 Return To Service (RTS) Activities: Today Lindgren and Kelly continued tasks to return EMU 3011 back to service. Lindgren finished gathering tools and hardware in preparation for tomorrow’s Fan Pump Separator (FPS) Remove & Replace (R&R). Kelly and Lindgren R&Rd the gas trap and Kelly R&Rd the Water Line Vent Tube Assembly (WLVTA).

On-board Training (OBT) ISS Emergency Hardware Familiarization: Padalka and the 43S crew reviewed where emergency hardware is located on the ISS. Items covered include US Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBAs), US and Russian fire extinguishers, emergency masks, fire/ammonia cartridges and ammonia measurement kits. The crew then practiced emergency mask don/purge technique as well as demonstrated their ability to communicate with ground teams from the Soyuz while wearing emergency masks.

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

Self-Reaction Test (morning)
HRF – Sample Collection and Prep for Stowage
Biochemical Urine Test
TWIN – Urine Sample Collection
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
Self-Reaction Test. Reaction Time Test (morning)
URISYS Hardware Stowage
CORRECTSIA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake
CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor
CARDIOVECTOR. Experiment Ops.
Plant Rotation (PRT) – Plant sample Retrieval from FROST
RGN-REC TK – Transfer and Swap (Handover)
Gathering of spacesuit replaceable elements, service and personal gear.
Plant Rotation (PRT) – Plant sample collection
EMU FPS R&R Tool Gathering
EMU swap
TWIN – Equipment Stowage
?? 717 Transfers and IMS Ops
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
DC1 and ??? preparation for EVA
??? Maintenance
TOCA Waste Water Bag (WWB) Changeout
Plant Rotation (PRT) – Sample Setup
WRS Water Sample Analysis
EMU backpack replacement
EMU – Gas Trap R&R
Plant Rotation (PRT) – Plant Sample Insertion into FROST
HAM radio session from Columbus
CORRECTSIA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake
Initiate condensate tank offload to CWC
ISS Emergency Hardware Familiarization OBT
Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
DC1 and ??? preparation for EVA
Termination of Condensate Tank Offload to CWC
Emergency Mask OBT
EMU – Water Line Vent Tube Assembly (WLVTA) R&R
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
SHD – Weekly Questionnaire
On-orbit Hearing Assessment using EARQ
SHD – Weekly Questionnaire
TOCA Data Recording
COGN – Experiment Ops and Filling Questionnaire
CORRECTSIA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake
Self-Reaction Test. Reaction Time Test (evening)
CORRECTSIA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake
Completed Task List Items

iPad swap
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

EMU R&R support
Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 07/29: FPS install, JEM stowage consolidation part 1, CFE prep
Thursday, 07/30: CFE ops, EMU flush, N1 stowage reconfig
Friday, 07/31: N1 stowage reconfig, Microbiome
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

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