NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 November 2019 – BioFabrication Facility Test

Today – BioFabrication Facility (BFF): The crew installed a test print cassette (without Cells) into the BFF. Ground teams will then initiate a test run with the cassette sample.
The BFF is dedicated to manufacturing human organs and tissues in space, primarily for use by patients on Earth. Besides printing tissue, the BFF also can help maintain the health of deep space exploration crews by producing food and personalized pharmaceuticals on demand.

PK-4 (Plasma Krystall-4): The crew initiated a PK-4 session which involves catching cloud of particles with Neon Gas inside the PK-4 chamber using related software. Plasma Krystall-4 (PK-4) is a scientific collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), performing research in the field of “Complex Plasmas”: low temperature gaseous mixtures composed of ionized gas, neutral gas, and micron-sized particles. PK-4 investigates how micro-particles become highly charged in plasma and interact, leading to a self-organized structure of the micro-particles: so-called plasma crystals. Experiments in the facility aim to study Transport Properties, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Statistical Physics, and Non-linear waves and Instabilities in the plasmas.

Rodent Research-14 (RR-14): The crew restocked the Rodent Habitats with water and food bars and checked for leaks. Rodent Research-14, Microgravity as a Disruptor Of The 12-hour Circatidal Clock (RR-14), uses mice to test the hypothesis that disruptions in a microgravity environment to the circadian rhythm sleep/wake cycle will affect the body on a cellular and key organ level. The importance of this 12-hour clock has been established as a mechanism that controls stress-responsive pathways. The unique environment of the ISS provides an ideal setting to challenge this. In short, exposing cellular systems in mice to the stress of microgravity provides an opportunity to study the response of the 12-hour body clock from cellular adaptation and its effect(s) on organismal behavior.

Space Biofilms: The crew activated Group Activation Packs (GAP) to initiate the Processing of the experiment and placed the GAPs into an incubator. The Characterization of Biofilm Formation, Growth, and Gene Expression on Different Materials and Environmental Conditions in Microgravity (Space Biofilms) investigation characterizes the mass, thickness, structure, and associated gene expression of biofilms that form in space by analyzing different microbial species grown on different materials. Biofilm formation can cause equipment malfunction and human illnesses, and could be a serious problem on future long-term human space missions

Systems:

Potable Water Dispenser: Last week, ground teams and the crew performed troubleshooting on the electrical system of the Galley Rack and determined that the Rack Power Supply was causing a trip. The crew replaced the Rack Power Supply with an on-board spare. Over the weekend, the crew relocated the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) from Express Rack 8 to the Galley Rack thereby, restoring the Galley Rack back to its nominal configuration.

Mobile Support System (MSS): On GMT 314, the Robotics Ground Controllers maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) from the park position to the Materials on ISS Experiment (MISSE) – Flight Facility (FF) located on the Express Logistics Carrier-2 (ELC-2). Ground robotic specialists are currently using the MSS to exchange MISSE Sample Containers (MSCs) with the MISSE-FF. SPDM Arm 2 – loaded with the Robo Micro-Conical Tool 2 (RMCT 2) – executed the following sequence of maneuvers:

Extract the MISSE Sample Container-9 (MSC-9) from the MISSE-FF slot Z1
Insert the MSC-9 in the MISSE Transfer Tray (MTT) – held by the SPDM Arm 1 – slot T1
Extract the MSC-6 from the MTT slot T3
Insert the MSC-6 in the MISSE-FF slot Z1
Today, the MSS robotics team will complete the fourth and final day of the MSCs exchanges. Next, the MISSE Transfer Tray (MTT) will be installed on the JEM JOTI.

Cygnus Cargo Transfers: The ISS crew continued with the NG-12 cargo transfers from the Cygnus vehicle to the ISS.

Completed Task List Activities:
FIT App Update IPAD S/N 1003 (GMT 313)
S&M Rack T/S Galley (GMT 313)
P/TV EVA Go Pro Charging (GMT 313)
AMS-Cable-TRNG (GMT 313)
Astro PI SD XFR-SSC (GMT 314)
ESA-PAO EU Parliament (GMT 314)
ESA-PAO EURONEWS W46 (GMT 314)
ESA PAO Skylight W44 (GMT 314)
ESA PAO Skylight W46 (GMT 314)
PWD Relocate (GMT 314)
P/TV EVA GoPro Charging (GMT 315)
AMS Cable Trng (GMT 315)
FIT APP Update iPad S/N 1006 (GMT 315)

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Payload Operations Support
MISSE MSCs Transfer

Tuesday, 11/12 (GMT 316):

Payloads:
VEG-04B check (NASA)
ECHO Maintenance (ESA)
RR-14 HAB restock and access clean (NASA)
Space Biofilms Sample GAP Term and MELFI insert(NASA)
SAIBO CE2 Troubleshooting (JAXA)
FIR LMM reconfiguration for ACE-T5 (NASA)
RSD MELFI Retrieval (NASA)
BFF Test Removal and Cleaning Syringe (4) Swap (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
PK-4 chamber gas Exchange and HD swap (RS Joint)

Systems:
Lab P6 Snorkel Install
SSC-16 HD swap and SW load

Wednesday, 11/13 (GMT 317):

Payloads:
VEG-04B Harvest and consumption and taste test(NASA)
RADIN- Detector (8) Handover and Deploy (CSA)
NUTRISS-BIA measurements (ESA)
Space Biofilms Sample GAP Term and MELFI insert (NASA)
RSD sample syringe swap (NASA)
MISSE MTT-2 hardware removal and stow (NASA)
JOTI removal (JAXA)
Standard Measures Pre-Sleep (NASA)
PK-4 HD swap (RS Joint)
ISS HAM (NASA)

Systems:
FGB Acoustic Monitor Survey
Water Balance
Snorkel Cond Wipe

Thursday, 11/14 (GMT 318): Half Off-Duty

Payloads:
ECHO Hardware Deploy for Ground maintenance (ESA)
BFF Test Install #1 and #2 and Syringe swap(NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
Standard Measures Post-Sleep (NASA)
BEST Sample transfer from Media kit to Tubes (NASA)
Food Physiology Crew Diet Briefing (NASA)
PK-4 HD swap, Chamber Cleaning and Monitor De-install (RS Joint)

Systems:
THC IMV Flow Measurement
Snorkel Cond Wipe

Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

ARED Photo/TV Reminder
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
URAGAN. Observation and photography using the camera
SCENARIY. Observation and photography of catastrophic events and their aftermath
ECON-M. Observation and Photography
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations
HRF Generic Saliva Collection Stow
ARED Photo/TV Reminder
??-4 Experiment – Session 1
JEM Micro-G Measurement Equipment (MME) Connection
PLAZMA CRYSTAL. Photography during the Experiment
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Equipment Lock Preparation Part 1
Auxiliary Laptop Computer System Virus Definition File Update
Checking Condition of ??-2 Treadmill Belt
Anti-Virus Definition File Update on RSE2 Laptop.
Physical Fitness Evaluation (on the treadmill)
Placeholder for EVA CUFF PRINT
Temperature measurements on battery modules No.1-No.8 of ???? case and connectors (before mating circuit connectors).
Temperature measurements on battery modules No.1-No.8 of ???? case and connectors, assistance
Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification
??? maintenance
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
AMS Clean Cut Training
AMS Cut/Swage Training
EDV Build for Water Balance
Temperature measurements on battery modules No.1-No.8 of ???? case and connectors, assistance
Temperature measurements on battery modules No.1-No.8 of ???? case and connectors (when ???3 responds).
Onboard Training (OBT) Station Support Computer (SSC) Relocate Part 1
Onboard Training (OBT) Robotics On-board Trainer (ROBoT) Setup
Change-out [???1] (???) heat exchange unit.
Prepare for the diagnostics of FGB [???] hardware.
IMS Delta File Prep
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations
BioFabrication Facility Procedure Review1
Change-out [???1] (???) heat exchange unit.
Space Biofilms Polar Sample Removal Operation 1
Space Biofilms Glacier Sample Retrieval Operation 1
Space Biofilms MELFI Sample Retrieval Operation 2
BioFabrication Facility Test Print Without Cells Install
Space Biofilms GAP Activation
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring
BioFabrication Facility Historical Photo 2
Photo/TV Lab Standard Definition (SD) Reconfiguration
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review
Change-out [???1] (???) heat exchange unit. Rodent Research Habitat Restock
VEG-04B Plant Check/Watering for each Plant Pillow
On MCC GO Replacement of Heat Exchangers (???) in Air Conditioner System [???1] – mating telemetry connector.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Suit Intravehicular (IV) Review
Change-out [???1] (???) heat exchange unit.
Exercise Data Downlink via OCA
PAO Preparation
PAO Setup. Video and Audio check
TV-Session with ISS Online Project Participants
HRF Veg Profile of Mood States Questionnaire