NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 19 September 2016

The three Expedition 49 crew members orbiting Earth right now are moving ahead today with human research and the upkeep of the International Space Station.
In the meantime, Roscosmos officials have decided to postpone the Sept. 23 launch of NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko aboard the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft.

Expedition 49 Commander Anatoly Ivanishin worked throughout the station’s Russian segment Monday working on life support systems, checking computers and testing video gear. He also set up an electrocardiogram to begin recording data for 24 hours for the Cosmocard blood circulation study.

Astronauts Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi partnered up for the Body Measures experiment exploring how living in space changes body shape and size. The study involves video-taping, photographing and tape measuring the circumference of a crew member’s arms, legs and chest and comparing it with data recorded before, during and after a space mission.

The pair also performed a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet for the Fine Motor Skills study. That experiment explores how astronauts interact with new technologies which may help engineers design new spacesuits and spacecraft for future long-term space missions.

On-Orbit Status Report

Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI)-2 Auto-Stop Transition: On Sunday, ground teams received notification that MELFI-2 in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) transitioned to Auto-stop. The Brayton Motor powered off, and the rack maintained power and good Low Temperature Loop (LTL) flow. The Cold Stowage team noted that the way the MELFI monitoring software is coded that the software may pick up on an Auto-Stop condition and take action before it’s reported in telemetry that is broadcast to the ground. Based on the state of the rack prior to the Auto-Stop, Cold Stowage is confident that is what happened. Due to all other rack parameters being in a good state, the Brayton Motor was repowered and the total time for the Brayton Motor to be off was 1 hour 16 minutes 5 seconds.

Body Measures: FE-6, with the assistance of FE-5 as the operator, conducted a Body Measures data collection session. The crew configured still cameras and video, then collected the Neutral Body Posture video and stow the equipment. 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 a tape measure is used to measure segmental length, height, depth, and circumference data for all body segments (chest, waist, hip, arms, legs, etc.) from astronauts before, during and after their flight missions.

Fine Motor Skills (FMS): Both FE-5 and FE-6 performed their weekly FMS sessions. The crew each performed a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet were 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. The crewmember’s 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.

Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL) Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) Exchange: The crew changed out the SCA in the Solidification Quenching Furnace (SQF), removing the calibration cartridge and inserting the first test sample. Ground teams will initiate the runs next week. The Batch-2b of the Materials Science Laboratory Sample Cartridge Assemblies serves two projects investigating how different phases organize in a structure when metallic alloys are solidified. The project Metastable Solidification of Composites (METCOMP) studies the phase formed by the reaction of the remaining liquid phase with an already formed solid, to form a second solid phase on cooling. For this purpose, Bronze (Copper-Tin Alloys) of different compositions will be processed. The other project, Solidification along a Eutectic path in Ternary Alloys (SETA), looks at how two phases that form together organize into lamellar, or fibre, structures when cooling Aluminum (Copper-Silver Alloys). Both projects will provide benchmark samples that will enable to test numerical models that aim to predict these structures.

Eli Lily Hard to Wet Surfaces: FE-6 charged batteries in support of the Hard to Wet Surfaces experiment. After the battery charging, the crew verified the setup of the camera and flash that will be used in the experiment run starting tomorrow. In chemistry, wetting refers to spreading of a liquid over a solid material’s surface, and is a key aspect of the material’s ability to dissolve. The Hard to Wet Surfaces (Eli Lilly-Hard to Wet Surfaces) investigation studies how certain materials used in the pharmaceutical industry dissolve in water while in microgravity. Results from this investigation could help improve the design of tablets that dissolve in the body to deliver drugs, thereby improving drug design for medicines used in space and on Earth.

Hatch Seal Inspection: FE-5 cleaned and inspected the COL, N2 port, N2 Stbd, A/L, N2 Stbd, JLP, JPM Stbd, JPM Zenith and PMM hatch seals, hatch plate sealing surface and hatch handle mechanism for FOD or damage. This is standard preventative maintenance performed every 180 day.

Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Latching End Effector (LEE) Survey: The SSRMS was powered up and maneuvered to allow for an inspection of the LEE B using the new High Definition cameras.

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

Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test
Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) Ground Connection
Auxiliary Laptop Computer System (???) Virus Definition File Update
Hard To Wet Surfaces D2Xs Battery Charge
CO Partial Pressure Measurement on ISS RS (SM Central Post) using USOS Portable Gas Analyzer CSA-CP (located on the SM Central Post, Panel 208). Battery replacement (as necessary)
Body Measures Equipment Gather
COSMOCARD. Setup. 24-Hour EKG Recording (start)
Body Measures Experiment Operations
EML Reprogramming Cable installation
Transfer of Brine and Urine from EDV-U into DC1 Progress 433 Rodnik ??2 Water Tank
Hatch Seal Inspection
Habitability Narrated Task Video Setup – Subject
Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Collect
Quick Disconnect Screw Clamps Tightening on DC1-Progress 433 Interface
Habitability Narrated Task Video End – Subject
Soyuz 731 Samsung Tablet Charging (start)
Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis
Material Science Laboratory SCA ExchangeA2 #5
??? maintenance
Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform Water Processing
Soyuz 731 Samsung Tablet Charging (term)
IMS Delta File Prep
Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Termination
EML Reprogramming Cable removal
Hard To Wet Surfaces Hardware Gather
Profile of Mood States (POMS) Questionnaire
TV Downlink Test via Ku-band in MPEG-2 Prior to Soyuz 732 Docking to the ISS (Ku+S-band).
Hard To Wet Surfaces Set Up Check
Exercise Data Downlink via OCA
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
Completed Task List Items

JAXA Try Zero G Experiment (Completed Saturday)
Personal CO2 Monitor Payload On Board Training (Completed Saturday)
Personal CO2 Monitor iPad Application Install (Completed Saturday)
Personal CO2 Monitor Sensor Calibration (Completed Saturday)
Remove and replace the Solid Waste Container [KTO]. (Completed Saturday)
Remove and Replace Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) ???-Y (Completed Saturday)
A/L Equipment Procedure Print (Completed Sunday)
JAXA Video Taking Part 5 (Completed Sunday)
Plug-in Plan USB Charger Deploy to NOD2 UOP1 and NOD3 UOP1 (Completed Sunday)
Personal CO2 Monitor Sensor Charge (Completed Sunday)
ARED Cable Arm Rope Measurement
Columbus SSD USB Connect
Velcro Attachment to Manufacturing Device

Ground Activities
All activities completed unless otherwise noted.
MCA Full Calibration
SSRMS LEE B Survey
Battery 4B1 Reconditioning

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 09/20: Vision Test, HTWS sample, CMO OBT, MMS sample, iPIP USB Charger deploy
Wednesday, 09/21: Ocular Health, Personal CO2 Monitor, Clean Bench Valve Checkout, MSPR Combustion Chamber Adapter Plate
Thursday, 09/22: Ultrasound Scan, WHC Water Maintenance, MMS sample

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 – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Reprocess
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up