NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 14 March 2016
The three residents onboard the International Space Station are busy today researching space science to benefit life on Earth and future crews. The trio is also ramping up to welcome a new set of Expedition 47-48 crew members when they arrive at the end of the week.
Scientists are researching how astronauts perform complex and detailed tasks before, during and after their long-term space missions. Commander Tim Kopra contributed to that study today, known as the Fine Motor Skills experiment, by conducting a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet. Kopra is also getting ready for another experiment that observes the impact of microbes on a crew member’s immune system.
British astronaut Tim Peake started the day conducting the final experiment run for the Magvector electromagnetic study. He then moved on to Japan’s Kibo lab and replaced Payload Data Handling hardware required to run future life science experiments.
In the Russian side of the orbital lab, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko is preparing for the arrival of three new crew members. NASA astronaut Jeff Williams and cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin will launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft Friday at 5:26 p.m. EDT/9:26 p.m. UTC and dock less than six hours later to the Pirs docking compartment.
On-Orbit Status Report
MAGVECTOR: Peake activated the 8th and final MAGVECTOR run for Increments 47 and 48. The experiment will run for the next 5 days with completion planned for Friday, March 18. MAGVECTOR qualitatively investigates the interaction between a moving magnetic field and an electrical conductor. The expected changes in the magnetic field structure on the ram and wake side of the electrical conductor are of interest for technical applications as well as for astrophysical research.
Multi-Omics: Peake checked the remaining Flight Operations System (FOS) packages and stowed the samples for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Multi-Omics investigation. The Multi-Omics analysis of human microbial-metabolic cross-talk in the space ecosystem, evaluates the impacts of space environment and prebiotics on astronauts’ immune function, by combining the data obtained from the measurements of changes in the gut microbiological composition, metabolites profiles, and the immune system.
Fine Motor Skills: Kopra and Peake each completed a session of the Fine Motor Skills experiment, performing a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet. This investigation is the first fine motor skills study to measure long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity.
Microbiome: Kopra completed a questionnaire, set up body sampling collection equipment, and printed the reference guide to support a Microbiome session tomorrow. Microbiome 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).
Payload Data Handling (PDH) Remove & Replace (R&R): Peake successfully R&Rd PDH2 with PDH that was originally installed. PDH2 was an enhancement to the original, however, when it was installed in January, it did not perform as expected and could not be activated via the ground. Troubleshooting steps revealed that it could not be repaired on orbit, therefore the original PDH was reinstalled today. The PDH provides redundancy and is required for JAXA life science experiments arriving on SpX-8. Nominal operations can be conducted with the PDH that was re-installed today. PDH2 will return on SpX-8 for ground assessment as future experiments will require the enhancements provided by PDH2.
Waste & Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Hydraulic Components R&R: Kopra completed this preventive maintenance that is scheduled yearly. He R&Rd the WHC urine valve block, urine lines, urine pressure sensors and WHC Flush Water Tank Empty Pressure sensor.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Configure WHC for internal use of ???-? for IFM-WHC-URINE R&R.
On MCC GO Regeneration of ?1 ??? cartridge (start)
Fine Motor Skills – examination run
BIOME – questionnaire fill out
MO- preparation of the kit for experiment
FINEMOTR- equipment prep
MO – equipment stow
VCA1 camera adjustment
Photo and video coverage of life at the station / r/g 1650
MAGVEC- equipment prep and adjustment
Troubleshooting of Sleep Actiwatch Spectrum
MAGVEC- data transfer with USB
PDH2 tear down and PDH setup
I Pad Samsung ?? ?719 charge – start
NAPOR-mini [???]. Clean ventilation orifices in [???-?] / r/g 1648
HRF – equipment setup
C2V2 – cargo transfer from rack LAB1P5
SM ventilation equipment preventive maintenance. ?2 group
Retrieve SSD from REC2 port
I Pad Samsung ?? ?719 charge – term
Update anti-virus base on [???] laptops / r/g 8247
Urine tract components R&R in WHC
WRM – condensate transfer – start
Test of TV MPEG-2 signal transfer via Ku-band before Soyuz ?720 docking to ISS
COZh maintenance
WRM – condensate transfer – term
EXPRESS Rack 4 drawer repair
Ham radio pass from Columbus
D/l data on exercise via ???
IMS update
BIOME – preparation for sampling
“GEMATOKRIT”. Equipment prep r/g 1647
On MCC GO Regeneration of ?1 ??? cartridge (term)
Preparation for anti-virus scanning on [???] laptops / r/g 8247
Completed Task List Items
None
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Nominal ground commanding
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 03/15: Ocular Health, OASIS experiment run, Hatch seal inspection
Wednesday, 03/16: Ocular Health, Fundoscope, OBT Cygnus RoBOT #1
Thursday, 03/17: Ocular Health, Hatch seal inspection, T2 6-month maintenance
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – Off
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Override
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Idle
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
