NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 July 2016

The Expedition 48 crew is beginning work on new science delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon space freighter. More cargo is also being unloaded from the new Russian Progress 64 resupply ship.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins has begun work on the new Heart Cells study that will observe how heart muscle tissue adapts to microgravity. Rubins also partnered with Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi for the Body Measures experiment that researches how the body shape changes in outer space. Onishi later setup Mouse Epigenetics gear that will enable research into genetic expression and DNA in mice and their offspring.

Commander Jeff Williams worked on plumbing activities in the U.S. segment of the International Space Station. He also worked on biological research hardware before moving on to cargo transfers from the new Dragon cargo craft.

Cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin are unloading gear from the new Progress cargo craft today. The duo also looked at cell cultures for the Kaskad study. Fellow cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka worked on Russian maintenance tasks and joined Ovchinin for the Korrektsiya bone loss study.

On-orbit Status Report

Thermolab Deinstrumentation for Circadian Rhythms: The crew removed the double sensors and Thermolab Unit before cleaning and stowing the equipment following completion of the European Space Agency (ESA) Circadian Rhythm experiment. The measurement process took 36 hours to complete.

Biological Rhythms 48 Hours Actiwatch Preparation: Today, the crew configured and donned the Actiwatch to commence the Biological Rhythms data collection. Operations will continue with the holter donning activity on Monday. Biological Rhythms 48 hours studies the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on heart function by analyzing an astronaut’s extended electrocardiogram.

Heart Cells Media Change Preparation: The Heart Cells Media was relocated from Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus -4 (CGBA-4) to the Space Automated Bioproduct Lab-2 (SABL-2), and one bag containing three Heart Cells Media for ops was removed and temp stowed. The crew also changed the media in the Multiwell BioCells for Heart Cells in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Work Volume. The Heart Cells investigation studies the human heart, specifically how heart muscle tissue, contracts, grows and changes (gene expression) in microgravity and how those changes vary between subjects. Understanding how heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, change in space improves efforts for studying disease, screening drugs and conducting cell replacement therapy for future space missions.

Body Measures Operations: Today two crewmembers began the Flight Day (FD) 15 Body Measures data collection session, one as the subject and the other as operator. However, due to schedule constraints, not all of the objectives were completed. The remaining tasks will be rescheduled in the near future. NASA is collecting in-flight anthropometric data (body measurements) to assess the impact of physical body shape and size changes on suit sizing. Still and video imagery is captured and measurements are taken of segmental length, height, depth, and circumference data of all body segments (chest, waist, hip, arms, legs, etc.) from astronauts before, during and after their flight missions.

Biological Research In Canisters (BRIC) 23 Operations: The crew performed actuation of all four BRIC 23 canisters by inserting a rod into the BRIC – Petri Dish Fixation Unit (PDFU) Actuator Tool and using the Actuator Tool to mechanically force a growth medium into the Petri dishes. After a 24-hour growth period two of the four canisters will be transferred to the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for freezing of the samples and the remaining two canisters will be transferred into the MEFLI after a 48-hour growth period. The BRIC-23 investigation studies Bacillus subtilis spores and Staphylococcus aureus cells to understand how they respond to the stressful environment of space. Results from this investigation improve the understanding of how microbes adapt to spaceflight including whether their adaptations change antibiotic effectiveness, which benefits efforts to maintain crew member health.

Fine Motor Skills: A series of interactive tasks was completed for the Fine Motor Skills investigation. This investigation is critical during long-duration space missions, particularly those skills needed to interact with technologies required in next-generation space vehicles, spacesuits, and habitats. Crew fine motor skills are also necessary for performing tasks in transit or on a planetary surface, such as information access, just-in-time training, subsystem maintenance, and medical treatment.

Dose Tracker: The crew completed entries for medication tracking on an iPad. This investigation documents the medication usage of crewmembers before and during their missions by capturing data regarding medication use during spaceflight, including side effect qualities, frequencies and severities. The data is expected to either support or counter anecdotal evidence of medication ineffectiveness during flight and unusual side effects experienced during flight. It is also expected that specific, near-real-time questioning about symptom relief and side effects will provide the data required to establish whether spaceflight-associated alterations in pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD) is occurring during missions.

Dragon Transfer Operations: The crew has unloaded the entire center stack and port rack, all of the coldbags, a large portion of the soft-stow cargo, all powered cargo including both powered Polars and the JAXA Mouse Habitat Unit Transportation Cage Unit with 12 mice from Dragon to the ISS. Fifty seven percent of the launched cargo has been transferred.

Dragon On-Board Training (OBT): With the arrival of SpX-9, all 6 crew members participated in an Emergency Response review including emergency hatch closure. The USOS crew also participated in a capture debrief with ground teams.

Water Processor Assembly (WPA) Successful Process: Overnight the WPA successfully completed a process run. Recently, the WPA has been continuously reprocessing due to high conductivity but has faulted out due to high pressure faults of the Microbial Check Valve (MCV). The MCV is tentatively scheduled to be removed & replaced (R&Rd) next week.

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

NEUROIMMUNITET. Saliva Collection / r/g 2857
NEUROIMMUNITET. Closeout Ops / r/g 2857
NEUROIMMUNITET. Saliva Sample. Psychological Testing (Session 1) r/g 2876
Reading Circadian Rhythms Experiment Reminder
CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Blood Collection r/g 2876
CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Venous blood sample processing using Plasma-03 centrifuge / r/g 2876
NEUROIMMUNITET. Venous blood sample processing (smear) r/g 2876
RUEXP Blood Sample Insertion into MELFI
CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Handover to USOS for MELFI Insertion / r/g 2876
CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Closeout Ops / r/g 2876
On MCC GO Regeneration of БМП Ф2 Micropurification Cartridge (start)
PHS Evaluation Setup
BRIC23. OnBoard Training (OBT)
ISS crew and ГОГУ (RSA Flight Control Management Team) weekly conference r/g 2838
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) – CMO
Periodic Health Status – Subject
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) – CMO
Fine Motor Skills (FINEMOTR) Experiment Test
IMS Tagup
BODYM Experiment Ops [Partially completed]
Progress 433 (DC1) Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 2834, 2835
CASKAD. Removal from Thermostat (+ 4 deg C) and Setup in Glovebox r/g 2878
BRIC23. Activation of BRIC-23 canisters А,В,С,D
BRIC23. Photo Documentation
DATA TRANSMISSION RADIO LINK (РСПИ) – ONBOARD MEMORY DEVICE (БЗУ). Mother Board Replacement r/g 2872
BODYM -Experiment Ops
Terminate transfer of water to water storage tank via MRF filter
Photo/Video Setup for ARED Exercise
CASKAD. Activate Glove Box Cleaning / r/g 2878 [Aborted]
24-hour ECG Monitoring (termination) / r/g 2855
24-hour BP monitoring (terminate) / r/g 2856
iPAD Troubleshooting r/g 2875
Activity with personal hygiene items / r/g 2877
CASKAD. Reconfigure Glove Position in the Glove Box / r/g 2878 [Aborted]
CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS – Thermolab Deinstrumentation
HRTCEL. Cell Relocation
NEUROIMMUNITET. Psychological Test / r/g 2876
XF305 Camcorder Settings Adjustment
TCU. Cable Connection
NEUROIMMUNITET. Hair Sample / r/g 2876
Food Frequency Questionnaire
CASKAD. Deactivate Cleaning / r/g 2878 [Aborted]
PAO Hardware Setup
CASKAD. Fill Bioreactor, Remove from Glovebox-S, and Setup in Thermostat at +26°С deg C r/g 2878
CWCI (Iodinated Contingency Water Container) Degas
CASKAD. Photography during filling / r/g 2880
Crew Prep for PAO
PAO Event
CASKAD. Photography During the Insertion into Thermost / r/g 2880
HRTCEL. Media Change
Water Recovery System (WRS) Drain Waste Water Tank, initiate
On MCC GO Purging Elektron-VM Liquid Unit (БЖ) after Shutdown [Deferred]
Replacement of urine receptacle (МП) and filter-insert (Ф-В) in АСУ
SM IVA IFM
[АСУ] Activation after replacement / Life Support System
Purging Elektron-VM Liquid after Shutdown, Handover [Deferred]
CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS – Hardware Stowage
STRATA Hardware Checkout
Food Frequency Questionnaire
IMS Conference
СОЖ Maintenance
Periodic Health Status (PHS) Data Entry and Stowage of All Hardware Used during the PHS
FLUID SHIFTS Big Picture Words Review
Water Recovery System (WRS) Drain Waste Water Tank, terminate
Gecko Gripper Operations
CASKAD. Glovebox-S Closeout Ops / r/g 2879
DOSETRK iPad data entry
Photo/TV, Camcorder Activation Check
DRAGON Transfers
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
Food Frequency Questionnaire
HABIT Data Recording to iPad
Bringing ODF up to date using Progress 433 delivered files / r/g 2837, 2860
Photo/TV, Camcorder Activation Check
Dragon Cargo Operations Conference
FLUID SHIFTS Hardware setup to work with Dilution Measures Setup
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops / r/g 2871
Biological Rhythms Actiwatch Preparation
ARED Exercise PHOTO/VIDEO Stowage
Onboard Training (OBT) Dragon Ops Conference
NEUROIMMUNITET. Saliva Sample Psychological Test / r/g 2876
On MCC GO Regeneration of БМП Ф2 Absorption Cartridge (end)
NEUROIMMUNITET. End of ECG Recording. Close-out Ops and Data Downlink / r/g 2876

Completed Task List Items
None

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Dragon ops
Nominal ground commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 07/23: Crew off duty, housekeeping, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval
Sunday, 07/24: Crew off duty
Monday, 07/25: Mouse cage maintenance, vision testing, FMK deploy, EMU swap/launch reconfig/return prep, PWD filter R&R

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Standby
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) – Norm
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up