NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 1 December 2015

A trio of International Space Station residents is getting ready to return to Earth while a new crew in Kazakhstan is preparing to replace them. Meanwhile, a pair of space freighters, the Orbital ATK Cygnus and Russia’s Progress 62 (62P), is being readied for liftoff as another docked cargo craft is being packed before it’s undocking.
The Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft will launch Thursday at 5:55 p.m. EST to the station. The 61P is scheduled for a Dec. 21 liftoff. While mission managers are preparing three different spacecraft for launch this month, the Expedition 45 crew is performing research to help scientists benefit life on Earth and crews in space.

The next home-bound astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui checked their vision and blood pressure today for the Ocular Health study. The duo will return home with Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko Dec. 11 officially ending the Expedition 45 mission. Kononenko participated in a pair of blood circulation experiments, Cosmocard and Cardiovector, and prepared the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft for its departure in less than two weeks.

Commander Scott Kelly, who is staying in space until March with Flight Engineer Sergey Volkov and fellow One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko, sampled and tested the station’s water quality. Volkov and Kornienko explored veins in the lower body to understand blood flow during a long-term space mission.

The next crew to live on the space station, Expedition 46, is at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site counting down to its Dec. 15 liftoff inside the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket. First-time British astronaut Timothy Peake is joining veteran station crew members Timothy Kopra and Yuri Malenchenko for the six-month mission aboard the orbital laboratory.

This entry was posted in Expedition 45, Expedition 46, One-Year Crew and tagged cygnus, European Space Agency, Expedition 45, Expedition 46, International Space Station, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, ocular health, One-Year Crew, orbital sciences, progress, Roscosmos, Soyuz on December 1, 2015 by Mark Garcia.

On-Orbit Status Report

Ocular Health: Crewmembers Yui and Lindgren completed vision tests, tonometry tests, and blood pressure measurements as part of their Flight Day 120 Ocular Health testing. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the risks of microgravity-induced visual impairment and increased intracranial pressure in ISS crewmembers. Researchers believe that the measurement of visual, vascular and central nervous system changes over the course of this experiment and during the subsequent post-flight recovery will assist in the development of countermeasures, clinical monitoring strategies, and clinical practice guidelines.

Cognition: Yui performed his Return minus 10 day session of the Cognition experiment later today. The Individualized Real-Time Neurocognitive Assessment Toolkit for Space Flight Fatigue (Cognition) investigation is a battery of tests that measure how spaceflight-related physical changes, such as microgravity and lack of sleep, can affect cognitive performance. Cognition includes ten brief computerized tests that cover a wide range of cognitive functions, and provides immediate feedback on current and past test results. The software used allows for real-time measurement of cognitive performance while in space.

Window Observation Research Facility (WORF) Laptop Software Load: Kelly supported the ongoing software updates to payload laptops by copying a software load to the WORF laptop. These software updates include enhanced security with the Windows 7 operating system, new features and support for new capabilities.

Sleep Log: Kelly recorded a Sleep Log entry today after waking. The Sleep ISS-12 experiment monitors ambient light exposure and crew member activity and collects subjective evaluations of sleep and alertness. The investigation examines the effects of space flight and ambient light exposure on sleep during a year-long mission on the ISS.

Service Module (SM) Water Sample Collection: Kelly obtained samples from Service Module potable water dispensers today. Some of the samples will undergo microbial analysis onboard ISS and others will be prepared for return to the ground for post-flight analysis.

Soyuz 43 (43S) Prepack Transfer Operations: Lindgren prepared and transferred US cargo that will be returning to the ground via 43S on December 11th.

Cygnus Attached Phase Training: Kelly and Lindgren conducted onboard training in order to familiarize themselves with Cygnus hardware, stowage, and attached phase vehicle configuration.

Crew Departure Preparation: Yui continued to pack his personal items in preparation for his crews return to earth onboard 43S.

Today’s Planned Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

HRF – Sample collection and stowage
Calf Volume Measurement
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
HRF Urine Sample Collection
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
On MCC Go Regeneration of ??? ?1 Micropurification Cartridge (start)
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD (start)
Soyuz 717 Prepack Ops
Eye Exam (Ocular Health) – Vision Test
Collecting condensate water samples from ???-?2? before Gas-Liquid Mixture Filter (???) into Russian Samplers – start
Eye Exam (Ocular Health) – VIS Questionnaire
Scheduled Maintenance of Compound Specific Analyzer- Combustion Products (CSA-CP)
Study of veins in lower extremities
Eye Exam (Ocular Health) – Vision Test
ER1 – Software Installation
Potable Water Collection in SM for In-Flight Chemical and Microbial Analysis
JAXA Video Conference Preparation
Eye Exam (Ocular Health) – VIS Questionnaire
JAXA Video Conference Preparation
HRF Urine Sample Collection
Filling (separation) EDV-SV No.1209 (00067500R, ???1???_1_108). For separation use EDV No.1192 (00065120R, ???1???_1_107)
JAXA Video Conference
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
Ocular Health (OH) Blood Pressure Operations
?3 Fan Screen Cleaning in MRM2
??? Maintenance
JAXA – Deactivation of Video Camera
Ocular Health (OH) Blood Pressure Operations
Ocular Health (OH) – Tonometry Test Configuration
Eye Exam (Ocular Health) – Tonometry Test
ER1 – Computer Software Load
COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops
WRS Sample Collection
Vacuum Cleaning of ??1 and ??2 air ducts in MRM2
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill
Eye Exam (Ocular Health) – Stow Tonometry Hardware
CARDIOVECTOR. Experiment Ops
Prepack US items to be loaded inti Soyuz 717 (43S)
TOCA Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis
PCS Relocation
Assisting with LBNP Exercise
LBNP Exercise
HRF Urine Sample Collection
PAO Hardware Setup
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
HRF Blood Collection Hardware Setup
Personal Medication Stowage
JRNL – Journal Entry [Deferred]
JEM Terminal Computer Reboot
Cygnus Ops Review
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Download data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD (end) and start backup
EDV Transfers from US to Russian stowage areas
JAXA. Video Conference Preparation
Tightening of Progress 429 (Aft) QD Screw Clamps
JAXA. Video Ops
HRF Urine Sample Collection
TORU Test with Docked Progress 429 (SM Aft)
Video Footage for Roscosmos TV Studio
JAXA. Post Video Conference Closeout Ops
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
Study of veins in lower extremities
Crew Departure Prep
Video Footage of Greetings
TOCA Data Recording
Water Processing using MCD
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill
IMS Delta File Prep
INTERACTION-2. Running Experiment Session
IDENTIFICATION. Copy ???-? micro-accelerometer data to laptop
ER1 – Hardware Removal
COGNITION – Experiment Ops and Filling Questionnaire
On MCC Go Regeneration of ??? ?1 Absorption Cartridge (end)
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
ECON-M. Observations and Photography
Video Recording for All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (?????)
Installation of inserts to ease opening of SM interior panel locks
Personal Data Prep for Return

Completed Task List Items
None

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Nominal System Commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 12/02: Ocular Health, CBCS Install, Cygnus Cargo Ops Conf, Crew Departure Prep, Fundoscope
Thursday, 12/03: Orbital ATK 4 Launch , Ocular Health, CARDOX, Soyuz Descent OBT
Friday, 12/04: 1/2 Duty Day, Cygnus Robotics OBT, Crew Departure Prep, RAM Retrieval, Biome

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component – Status
Elektron – On
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) – Normal
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off