NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 April 2017 – Two Rockets Poised for Launch
Two rockets on opposite sides of the world rolled out to their launch pads today ready to blast off to the International Space Station.
An American rocket rolled out to its pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A Russian rocket was carted by train and raised to its vertical position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft is stacked atop the Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance and ready for its Tuesday launch at 11:11 a.m. EDT from Florida. The seventh contracted Commercial Resupply Services mission for Orbital ATK will deliver over 7,600 pounds science gear and crew supplies to the Expedition 51 crew. Cygnus is due to arrive Saturday morning for a robotic capture and installation to the Unity module.
Two new Expedition 51 crew members will be seated in the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft when it lifts off from Kazakhstan Thursday at 3:13 a.m. Just six hours and 10 minutes later the duo will dock to the Poisk module to begin a mission expected to last about 4-1/2 months.
Meanwhile, the orbiting trio of Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Thomas Pesquet and Oleg Novitskiy are getting ready for the new arrivals and continuing space research. Whitson explored how the brain adapts to microgravity while Pesquet set up hardware to collect body fluid samples for later analysis. Novitskiy focused on systems maintenance in the station’s Russian segment.
On-Orbit Status Report
Lighting Effects: On Saturday the 49S subject provided a sleep log entry and downloaded data from their Actiwatch for the Lighting Effects investigation. The light bulbs on the ISS are being replaced with a new system designed for improved crew health and wellness. Fluorescent bulbs are being replaced with solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that have adjustable intensity and color. Investigators will determine if the new lights improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance. Results from this investigation also have major implications for people on Earth who use electric lights.
JEM Airlock (JEMAL) Operations: In preparation for the NanoRacks External Platform (NREP) activities planned for next week, the crew pressurized the JEMAL and completed a leak check.
Veg-03 Operations: The crew checked and photographed the Chinese cabbage growing in the Veggie facility. The goal of Veg-03 is to further demonstrate the proof of concept for the Veggie plant growth chamber and planting pillows. Future long-duration missions into the solar system will require a fresh food supply to supplement crew diets, which entails growing crops in space. Previous investigations focused on improving productivity in controlled environments but the limited quarters of the space shuttle and ISS made it difficult to conduct large-scale crop production tests. Veg-03 expands on previous validation tests of the Veggie hardware to grow cabbage, lettuce and other fresh vegetables. Tests determine which types of microorganisms are present in space-grown cabbage, providing baseline data for future crop-growing efforts. Behavioral health surveys assess the impact of growing plants on crew morale and mood.
NeuroMapping: The crew set up the NeuroMapping hardware and executed testing in both a “strapped in” and “free floating” body configuration. During the test, the crewmember executed three Behavioral Assessments: mental rotation, sensorimotor adaptation, and motor-cognitive dual tasking. The NeuroMapping investigation studies whether long-duration spaceflight causes any changes to the brain, including brain structure and function, motor control, and multi-tasking abilities. It also measures how long it would take for the brain and body to recover from possible changes. Previous research and anecdotal evidence from astronauts suggests movement control and cognition can be affected in microgravity. The NeuroMapping investigation performs structural and functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI and fMRI) to assess any changes that occur after spending months on the ISS.
JAXA Freezer-Refrigerator Of STirling cycle 2 (J-FROST2) Troubleshooting: Following installation of the facility in the JEM Pressurized Module (JPM) on March 1st of this year, anomalies in the telemetry system were experienced. Today the crew performed troubleshooting steps to verify cable connectivity and functionality. FROST2 will be used to provide conditioned stowage capability for the Moderate Temperature Protein Crystal Growth (MT PCG) experiment scheduled to arrive on SpX-11.
Fluid Shifts Hardware Preparation: In preparation for Fluid Shifts activities to be performed this week the crew set up hardware required for blood, urine and saliva collections and processing.
On-Board Training (OBT) Cygnus Rendezvous: In preparation for OA-7 launch, the crew performed this proficiency training on the Cygnus profile including rendezvous crew procedures and crew interfaces for monitoring and commanding the vehicle. Cygnus is scheduled to launch tomorrow at 10:11 am CDT with capture and berthing Saturday, April 22.
OBT Emergency Descent Drill: All three crew members performed this Emergency Descent Drill. The training session focuses on off-nominal procedures that would be used in the event the crew needs to egress the ISS and perform an emergency descent. The drill is scheduled 12-14 weeks aboard the ISS, then once every 2.5 months.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
IMS Delta file prep
Auxiliary Laptop Computer System Virus Definition File Update
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
URAGAN. Observation and photography
EKON-M. Observations and photography
JEM Airlock Press
Meteor Shutter Open
FROST2 Troubleshoot Part 1
JEM Airlock Leak Check
ISS Emergency descent drill
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Rendezvous Review
Robotic Workstation (RWS) High Definition (HD) Monitor Downlink
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Robotics Review
Fluid Shifts Dilution Measures Setup
Manufacturing Device Cleaning of Extruder Nozzle & Print Tray
800? Unit (pos. ?103) R&R ????-1? Unit (pos. ?405) R&R
NeuroMapping Experiment Neurocognitive Test – Subject
N1 Nadir Hatch to Unlatch Hard stop
VEG-03 Plant Photo
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Remote Workstation Monitor HD Video Downlink Deactivation RWS.
Meteor Hard Drive Swap out
Photo TV 4K Downlink Setup
Crew Medical Officer (CMO) Proficiency Training
Photo TV High Definition (HD) Video Setup
????-1? Unit (pos. ?405) TLM connectors mating
Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup
800? Unit (pos. ?103) R&R. ????-1? Unit (pos. ?405) R&R
Photo/TV 4K Downlink Deactivation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Completed Task List Items
Countermeasures System (CMS) Cycle Ergometer w/Vibration Isolation & Stabilization (CEVIS) Control Panel Time Synch [Completed GMT 106]
ESA Active Dosimeter Area Monitoring [Completed GMT 106]
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Resize [Completed GMT 106]
EVA RET and Tether Inspection [Completed GMT 106]
EveryWear Smarthirt Gateway charging [Completed GMT 106]
JLP Cleanup Part 3 Follow-up [Completed GMT 106]
PFS Gas Delivery System Portable PFS Photography [Completed GMT 106]
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
JEMAL pressurization/leak check
4K encoder test
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 04/18: OA-7 launch, Fluid Shifts, MPEP removal from SAM, SAM removal from JEMAL ST, OBT Cygnus Offset Grapple
Wednesday, 04/19: Fluid Shifts, OBT Cygnus RoBOT, EVA EMU swap
Thursday, 04/20: 50S launch/dock, OBT Cygnus vehicle ops review, CBCS install/checkout, WHC pre-treat tank R&R
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”) – Off
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 – Standby
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off
