NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 17 August 2017
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was berthed to the Harmony module of the International Space Station at 9:07 a.m. EDT. The hatch between the newly arrived spacecraft and the Harmony module of the space station is scheduled to be opened as soon as later today.
CRS-12 is scheduled to deliver more than 6,400 pounds of supplies and payloads to the station, including a sweet treat for the astronauts: ice cream. The small cups of chocolate, vanilla and birthday cake-flavored ice cream are arriving in freezers that will be reloaded with research samples for return to Earth when the Dragon spacecraft departs the station mid-September.
For more information about the SpaceX CRS-12 mission, visit www.nasa.gov/spacex. Join the conversation on Twitter by following @Space_Station.
On-Orbit Status Report
Russian Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #43: Yurchikhin and Ryazanskiy performed a seven hour 30 minute EVA. Completed activities include manual deployment of 5 nanosatellites, collection of research samples and structural maintenance. During EVA ingress timeframe, Whitson and Fischer were isolated in 50 Soyuz. Bresnik and Nespoli had access to the FGB and USOS modules.
Multi-Omics-Mouse: The crew transferred mice for the Multi-Omics-Mouse investigation from the Animal Transfer Transportation Cage Unit that arrived on SpX-12 to Mouse Habitat Cage Units in the Glove Box. The Cage Units were then installed in the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) to start the experiment. The crew also transferred data from the Compact Flash Memory Card to a Station Support Computer (SSC). Several studies have reported space flight effects on the human immune system, but the relationship between microbiota and immune dysfunction during flight remains unclear. In the Multi-Omics-Mouse investigation, food with and without fructooligosaccharides (FOS) will be used as prebiotics, to determine if they improve the gut environment and immune function. After the flight, researchers will analyze the gut environment (microbiota and metabolites) and immune system of the mice by multi-omics analysis.
Kubik: The Crew installed Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Biomission Experiment Containers into the Kubik 5 facility in the Columbus module. They also removed one of those containers and inserted it into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) to preserve the scientific samples. Kubik 5 is supporting Biomission investigations by providing a small controlled-temperature incubator / cooler for the study of biological samples in a microgravity environment. Kubik is equipped with removable inserts designed for self-contained, automatic experiments using seeds, cells, and small animals.
NanoRacks Module 9: The crew activated mixture tubes for NanoRacks Module 9 in support of the NanoRacks-National Center for Earth and Space Science-Casper (NanoRacks-NCESSE-Casper) investigation. NCESSE supports various schools and student-designed experiments that address challenges of living and working in space. The program is also a key initiative for U.S. science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that strives to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to work on the space program.
Miniature Exercise Device (MED-2): A crewmember set up cameras to capture the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) work volume, placed markers on their body, powered on MED-2 and performed dead lifts and rowing. The microgravity environment of space weakens muscle and bone, so orbiting crew members spend significant amounts of time exercising with equipment that is large and bulky. MED-2 aims to demonstrate small robotic actuators can provide motion and resistance for crew workout sessions during long-duration space missions with exercise equipment that is smaller in size and mass.
Space Tango MultiLab Locker (TangoLab-1): The crew removed one investigation from a Card in the TangoLab-1 facility and attached two new ones to it. TangoLab-1 is a reconfigurable general research facility designed for microgravity research and development and pilot manufacturing aboard the ISS. TangoLab provides a standardized platform and open architecture for experimental modules called CubeLabs. CubeLab modules may be developed for use in 3-dimensional tissue and cell cultures.
Space Tango TangoLab-2 Locker (TangoLab-2): The crew installed the TangoLab-2 facility into Express Rack (ER) 6 but ground controllers were unable to establish communication with the facility. Ground experts are investigating the anomaly.
NanoRacks Platform-1: The crew installed Modules 67 (NanoRacks-NDC-Ames for Space-Bacteria Testing) and 72a (Quberider-1) into Nanoracks Platform-1. Module-67 determines whether bacteria mutate at a different rate in the microgravity environment of space. The experiments extend previous work on virulence in space by exposing different batches of bacteria to toxins known to cause mutations. Automated equipment tests and photographs batches of bacteria contained within different concentrations of toxins so that the observed mutation rates can be compared with those observed from control groups on Earth. Module-72a has a Raspberry Pi Zero board and several sensors. This is an educational payload that allows students to code their own software experiments and have them collect data on the ISS.
Fine Motor Skills (FMS): A crewmember completed a series of interactive tasks for this investigation which studies how fine motor skills are effected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal of the investigation is to determine how fine motor performance in microgravity varies over the duration of six-month and year-long space missions; how fine motor performance on orbit compares with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance varies before and after gravitational transitions, including periods of early flight adaptation and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.
Node 1 Port Hatch Unlatch Position: During Hatch Seal Inspections the crew was asked to recheck several of the USOS hatches for proper latch indicators. The crew confirmed that the Node 1 Port Hatch indicator was not in the “unlatched” position as expected. The crew cycled the hatch mechanism and confirmed it was physically in the “unlatched” position while the position indicator was off. Engineering is assessing the latch indicator to determine if the hardware will need to be replaced
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
ASI Experiment Container insertion into MELFI
Experiment Container deinstallation
Experiment Container installation into KUBIK 5
Combustion Integrated Rack Manifold Bottle Valve Open
Combustion Integrated Rack Upper Rack Doors Open/Close
ISS HAM Radio Power Down
Crew Quarters (CQ) Door Closing
Cold Stowage Double Coldbag Unpack & Review
CSA Generic Frozen Blood Collection Setup
CTB Dragon Unpack
Dragon Locker Remove
Restow Vestibule Outfitting Kit (VOK)
Environmental Health System (EHS) Acoustic Dosimeters – Data Transfer and Stow
Removes CUCU inhibits post EVA. Leaves CUCU in expected quiescent config.
COTS UHF Communications Unit (CUCU) Inhibits for EVA
Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – ESA Nutritional Assessment
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) or ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
iPad Air 2 Charge & Troubleshooting
Miniature Exercise Device Hardware Gather
Miniature Exercise Device Operations Session
Multi-Omics-Mouse Compact Flash Memory Card 64GB data transfer.
Multi-Omics-Mouse Item Gathering
Multi-Omics-Mouse Pre-experiment Animal Transfer
NanoRacks Module-9 OBT
NanoRacks Module 9 Ops Session 1
NanoRacks Platform-1 Module Install
Photo/TV iPad Video Setup
Polar Samples to Cold Stowage
EVA-43 Tasks
Surface Tension Containment MWA Assist
Surface Tension Containment MWA Operations
Surface Tension Containment MWA Preparation
TangoLab-1 Card Cube Replace
TangoLab-2 Activation and Checkout
Utility Outlet Panel (UOP) Activation
USOS Window Shutter Close
XF305 Camcorder Setup
Cargo Transfer to Dragon
Dragon Message Update
Biochemical Urine Test
DC1 ??-3? Check
??? ??? checkout
??? Checkout in DC1.
Air duct disassembly in MRM2
Soyuz 735 Crew Isolation in MRM2 for RS EVA-43
MRM2-?? (SM) Hatch Closure/Opening
MRM2 Preparation and Soyuz 735 Activation before EVA
RS ISS Reconfiguration for Nominal Ops
RS reconfiguration to initial state after EVA
ISS Onboard System Configuration before EVA (part 1)
ISS Onboard System Configuration before EVA (part 2)
Post-EVA Equipment Ops.
??-???, ???-?? (SM) Hatch Closure
Air duct removal from DC1 (skip B3 fan removal)
Re-assemble air ducts in DC1 after EVA
Orlan Systems Check
Post-EVA Orlan-MKS No.4 servicing
Post-EVA Orlan-MK No.6 servicing
Final Inspection of Orlan and ???.
Orlan, ???, comm, and biomed parameter telemetry check.
Donning Gear.
DC1 and ??? config for EVA
Comm config before EVA, reconfiguring ??? (C&W) panel
Switching comm system to initial configuration, reconfiguring C&W indication from ??? [EVA Support Panel] in DC1 and ???
Soyuz 735 Deactivation, MRM2 Post-EVA Reconfiguration for Nominal Ops
Pre-EVA airlock operations
Post-EVA airlock operations
Post EVA Repress, assistance
Completed Task List Activities
None
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
RS EVA support
SpX cargo transfer ops
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 08/18: Rodent Research-9 (RR-9) transfer, Vascular Ultrasound, Mouse Habitat, RS EVA Cleanup
Saturday, 08/19: RR-9 access unit cleaning, TangoLab 2 installation/checkout, ADSEP cell transfer, Lung Media fixation, NanoRacks Module 9 ops, ADSEP cell transfer, POLAR desiccant pack swap
Sunday, 08/20: Crew off duty, ice brick/double cold bag stow
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”) – 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) – Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off
