NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 4 April 2017 – One Crew Returning, One Crew Set for Launch

Three Expedition 50 crew members are getting ready to end their stay aboard the International Space Station and return to Earth April 10. Two Expedition 51 crew members, who will replace them, are in Russia finalizing their mission preparations before they launch April 20.
Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko have been living in space since October 19. The trio will enter the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft on Monday and undock from the Poisk module at 4 a.m. EDT. They will land in Kazakhstan at 7:20 a.m. ending their mission after 173 days in space. The crew departure and Soyuz landing will be televised live on NASA TV.

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will take over command of the station the day before Kimbrough and his crewmates leave. Staying behind with Whitson will be European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos. This will be Whitson’s second stint as commander of the orbital laboratory having last led the Expedition 16 crew in 2008.

Back in Russia, two Expedition 51 crewmates, Jack Fischer of NASA and Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, have completed their final qualification exams. They will fly to Kazakhstan on Wednesday for ceremonial duties, check out their Soyuz MS-04 rocket and wrap up mission training before launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

On-Orbit Status Report

Return minus 15 (R-15) Human Research Program (HRP) Collections: The 48S returning crewmember performed a fasting blood draw followed by urine collections. Both blood and urine samples were stowed in Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for freezing and storage for return and analysis. The Biochemical Profile experiment tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight. Specific proteins and chemicals in the samples are used as biomarkers, or indicators of health. Post-flight analysis yields a database of samples and test results which scientists can use to study the effects of spaceflight on the body. The repository is a storage bank used to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. This repository supports scientific discovery that contributes to our fundamental knowledge in the area of human physiological changes and adaptation to a microgravity environment and provides unique opportunities to study longitudinal changes in human physiology spanning many missions.

Habitability: The crew completed two Habitability activities, both the fifth in the series. The first activity was a walk-through video of areas used for recreation activities, explaining what activities are performed and where, and focusing on considerations for designers of future vehicles. The second activity was a Narrated Task Video of the Node 3 ventilation cleaning, capturing details such as volume needed to perform task, vehicle planning considerations, and systems interface issues, as well as any other human factors concerns. The Habitability investigation collects observations about the relationship between crewmembers and their environment on the ISS. Observations can help spacecraft designers understand how much habitable volume is required, and whether a mission’s duration impacts how much space crew members need.

Lighting Effects Meter Reading: The crew set up and configured the Light Meter hardware and took readings in the Node 3 and US Lab. Both modules still use the legacy General Luminaire Assembly (GLA), while the lights in Node 1 have been upgraded to the Solid State Lighting Assemblies (SSLAs). The Lighting Effects experiment hopes to better quantify and qualify how lighting can effect habitability of spacecraft. The light bulbs on the ISS are being replaced with a new system designed for improved crew health and wellness. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance. Results from this investigation also have major implications for people on Earth who use electric lights.

Node 2 HMU 220 Power Cable Re-route: Today the crew completed re-routing an existing power cable (HMU 220) from Node 2 to a previously routed wire harness. HMU 220 previously provided power to the Node 2 Zenith berthing port through the HTV Node 2 Jumper. The power cable was routed from the Node 2 Forward Endcone toward the Node 2 Deck Crew Quarter Standoff and mated to wire harness W8553 to support a redundant power feed for the previously installed Node 1 Galley Rack. During the HMU 220 task, Shell Heater temperature sensor 1B in Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) 2 failed high. Wire harness HMU 671, adjacent to HMU 220, provides data routing for the failed sensor. The crew was directed to inspect the harness for damage but none was reported. There is sufficient redundancy on shell heater 1A. Grounds teams are reviewing telemetry.

On Board Training (OBT) Soyuz Descent Drill: In preparation for departure from the ISS scheduled for next Monday, April 10th, the 48S Crew completed this nominally planned descent drill.

N3 Deck Starboard Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Fan Inlet Cleaning: The crew cleaned this location to remove Foreign Object Debris (FOD) from IMV fan inlets and silencers.

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

Soyuz 732 Stowage Ops
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
URAGAN. Observation and photography
EKON-M. Observations and photography
Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry
Acoustic Dosimeter Reminder
ARED Photo/TV Reminder
Reminder HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection
HRF Generic Urine Collection
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection
VHF-2 Emergency Communication Check Out from 49S over US Ground Sites
SPHERES Battery Swap
EHS Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis
Acoustic Dosimeter Setup Day 1
HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
Habitability Walk-through Video
ISS Crew departure preparation
Soyuz 732 Descent OBT
Photography of Glass on SM Windows No.1,12 and ??2 in in DC1
Node 2 Power Cable (HMU 220) Reroute
SPHERES Battery Swap
Vascular Echo Flashdrive Install
Closing Shutters on windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14.Note 6
Lighting Effects Light Meter Readings Alternate 1
Maintenance activation of Atmosphere Purification System Emergency Vacuum Valves [??? ???] from the Spares Kit (??1??_3_321_1, bag II-1/256-1, cover for [???] (007223R)))
USOS Window Shutter Close
DAN. Experiment Ops
HRF Generic Urine Collection
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Node 3 Deck Starboard Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Cleaning
Brine transfer to Progress 435 Rodnik H2O Tank 1, flushing connector B1
Habitability Narrated Task Video Setup
Node 2 Power Cable (HMU 220) Rerouting
Soyuz 732 ??? Test prior to undocking
Soyuz 732 [???] Activation
Habitability Narrated Task Video End – Subject
External Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS) Network Control Unit (NCU) Power On
KORREKTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Experiment
Rodent Research 4 Clean up 1
Vascular Echo Software Transfer
EHS Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
External Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS) Network Control Unit (NCU) Power Off
Dose Tracker Data Entry Subject
NEUROIMMUNITET

Completed Task List Items
Manufacturing Device Print Removal, Clean and Stow
Remove Lamp Housing Assembly NOD3FO2 and Replace with Light

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Node 2 (N2) Power Cable re-routing support

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 04/05: Galley PWD install, EMU loop scrub, Crew Quarters cleaning, crew departure prep
Thursday, 04/06: Rodent Research inventory, Google Street View image acquisition, 48S prepack, VEG03 install
Friday, 04/07: Crew off duty

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 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 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up