NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 22 November 2017 – Testing Cygnus as a Lab

The six-member Expedition 53 crew heads into Thanksgiving observing how living in space affects the human body and packing the Cygnus cargo craft. The orbital crewmates are also preparing for next month’s arrival of the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship.
Veteran space station residents Paolo Nespoli and Sergey Ryazanskiy were back inside the Columbus lab module today examining what microgravity is doing to their leg muscles. The duo took turns strapping themselves in a unique exercise chair and attaching electrodes to their knees. Next, the pair used magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound devices to observe the changes taking place in their legs in space.

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba transferred the TangoLab-1 multi-use science facility into the Cygnus space freighter for a demonstration today. TangoLab-1 is being tested inside Cygnus to determine the viability of using a cargo craft as a laboratory while docked at the International Space Station.

The next cargo craft to visit the station will be the SpaceX Dragon when it launches Dec. 4 aboard the Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei trained today for the rendezvous and capture of Dragon when it arrives two days after its launch. Dragon will carry new science experiments to explore the Sun’s impact on Earth and improve the accuracy of a new diabetes implant device.

On-Orbit Status Report

Sarcolab-3: This morning with Russian operator assistance, a USOS subject ingressed the Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System (MARES) chair in the Columbus module and adjusted pads and restraints for the Sarcolab-3 ankle protocol. The operator collected ultrasound images of the subject’s leg. Today’s activities conclude the 3-day ankle protocol that began on GMT 324. The crew will begin knee protocol operations later this afternoon, including setup and fit check in preparation for data collection operations tomorrow. The Sarcolab-3 data will be compared to pre and post flight measurements to assess the impact of hypothesized microgravity induced muscle loss. Myotendinous and Neuromuscular Adaptation to Long-term Spaceflight (Sarcolab) investigates the adaptation and deterioration of the soleus (calf muscle) where it joins the Achilles tendon, which links it to the heel and carries loads from the entire body. Muscle fiber samples are taken from crewmembers before and after flight, and analyzed for changes in structural and chemical properties. MRI and ultrasound tests and electrode stimulation are conducted to help assess muscle and tendon changes caused by microgravity exposure.

Miniature Exercise Device (MED-2): The crew set up cameras in Node 3 to capture video from multiple views of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) and MED-2 hardware, applied body markers, performed exercises and transferred the video for downlink. The ISS’s exercise equipment is large and bulky, while the MED-2 aims to demonstrate small robotic actuators can provide motion and resistance for crew workout sessions, reducing the size and weight of exercise equipment for long-duration space missions. The MED-2 investigation is a system to test key technologies needed to develop space based exercise equipment that may provide appropriate countermeasures to the adverse effects of microgravity. This technology is critical for the initial design and development of second and third generation Counter Measure Systems (CMS) hardware that is an order of magnitude lighter and smaller than existing ISS class of CMS hardware and that has significantly greater reliability.

TangoLab-1 Transfer to Cygnus (OA-8): The crew removed TangoLab-1 from EXPRESS Rack 4, and transferred the facility to Cygnus for a short demonstration of TangoLab-1 operations in Cygnus. This is being performed as a proof of the “extended lab” concept, wherein visiting vehicles can be used as an extension of the ISS laboratory volume while attached. TangoLab-1 is a reconfigurable general research facility designed for microgravity research and development and pilot manufacturing aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems (STaARS) BioScience-5 Transfer: Following 8 days of incubation, today the crew removed the STaARS BioScience-5 Nexus Lab from the STaARS-1 experiment facility and inserted it into a General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER). STaARS BioScience-5 studies how Staphylococcus aureus loses its harmful properties and changes color in microgravity. Automated culturing equipment grows S. aureus before delivering cultures to an observation chamber for data collection at predetermined time points. To understand the growth rates and morphology of the bacterium for an extended growth period, a microscope and spectrophotometer are both used.

Fine Motor Skills (FMS): Today a 51S crewmember conducted a Flight Day 118 FMS session where the subject performed a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet. The investigation studies how fine motor skills are affected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal of FMS is to answer how fine motor performance in microgravity trend/vary over the duration of a six-month and year-long space mission; how fine motor performance on orbit compare with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance trend/vary before and after gravitational transitions, including the periods of early flight adaptation, and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.

N1 Nadir Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Modification: Earlier today, the crew modified the N1 nadir Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) grounding straps with longer ones in an effort to allow the CPA to be folded out of the hatchway instead of having to be removed for each vehicle that docks to this port.

Fundoscope Eye Exam: FE-6 completed a routine fundoscope exam today. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crew health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Node 2 Overhead Port Inter-Module Ventilation (IMV) Diffuser Cleaning: Today the crew cleaned the overhead port diffusers and inspected internal ducting for additional Foreign Object Debris (FOD) buildup. The crew has noted that the overhead diffusers look dusty, which is consistent with IMV flow measurements showing less airflow.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities are on schedule unless otherwise noted.

Miniature Exercise Device Operations Session
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Two-Phase Flow Experiment Equipment Activation
Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test – Subject
MARES Ankle Shaving Preparation
VEG-03 Plant Photo
COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops
MARES Ultrasound session
ELECTRONIC NOSE. Experiment Session.
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Node 1 Nadir Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Gather
Columbus Video Camera Assembly 2 Adjustment
Node 1 Nadir Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Install
MARES subject electrodes equipment
NanoRacks Microbial Growth Experiment Imagery
Node 1 Nadir Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Modification Assist
EML High Speed Camera Lens Switch
Node 1 Nadir Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Modification Stow
Crew Medical Officer (CMO) Proficiency Training
Routine maintenance of air pressure [??], H2O [??] and drainage [??] Valves in SM Rodnik Tanks
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection
Node 2 Overhead Port Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Diffuser Cleaning
Countermeasures System (CMS) Treadmill 2 System (T2) Monthly Inspection
JEM Freezer-Refrigerator Of STirling cycle 2 (FROST2) Temperature check
ELECTRONIC NOSE. Experiment Session.
Soyuz 736 Kazbek Fit Check
Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems Nexus Lab Transfer into Glacier
On-Board Training (OBT) Dragon OBT Conference
STAARS BioScience-5 Nexus Lab Insertion into MERLIN.
ELECTRONIC NOSE. Photography of the Experiment Session
On-board Training (OBT) Dragon Robotics Review
PROBOY. RS?1 Laptop Ops.
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Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – Lab
On-board Training (OBT) Dragon Rendezvous Review
USOS Window Shutter Close
MARES knee configuration installation
Monitoring shutter closure on windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14.
PROBOY. Copy and Downlink Data
MARES Battery Charge control
EPM Laptop relocation for files downlink preparation
TangoLab-1 To Cygnus Move
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
Soyuz 736 ???? No.2 Test.
MARES Knee configuration fit check
EPM Laptop relocation to MARES
Health Maintenance System (HMS) CMO – Fundoscope
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Exam – Fundoscope

Completed Task List Activities
VEG-03 Plant Pillow Water

Ground Activities
All activities are on schedule unless otherwise noted.
51S thruster test
Node 3 Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Bypass Flow Characterization Test

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 11/23: Cygnus Transfer, MARES, Nanoracks VUZE camera mount, Veg-03, Vision exams, Education Imagery
Friday, 11/24: Crew Off Duty
Saturday, 11/25: Crew Off Duty, Housekeeping.

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 – Operate
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Standby
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 – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off