NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 3 February 2020 – Three Crew Members Coming Home Thursday

NASA astronaut Christina Koch and two fellow Expedition 61 crewmembers are in their final week aboard the International Space Station.
The other three lab residents are gearing up for next week’s arrival of a U.S. space freighter.

Koch will wrap up a 328-day mission aboard the orbiting lab on Thursday. Koch blasted off to join the station crew on March 14 with Expedition 59-60 crewmates Nick Hague and Alexey Ovchinin. Hague and Ovchinin have since returned home on Oct. 3.

Koch will land in Kazakhstan Thursday at 4:12 a.m. EST (3:12 p.m. Kazakh time) aboard the Soyuz MS-13 crew ship with Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency). Skvortsov and Parmitano began their mission with NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan on July 20. Morgan is due to return to Earth in April.

When Koch lands, her mission-stay will be second only to former astronaut Scott Kelly. He lived aboard the station for 340 continuous days for the single longest spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut.

She and her two homebound crewmates prepared today for the flight back to Earth. The trio familiarized themselves with the return procedures and the gravity loads they will experience upon reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

Expedition 62 officially begins when Koch and her crewmates undock Thursday at 12:50 a.m. Morgan and fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir will continue their stay in space with Commander Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos.

Meir and Morgan are getting ready for the next Cygnus space freighter and its cargo of several tons of science experiments and crew supplies. Cygnus will launch Sunday at 5:39 p.m. and rendezvous with the station two days later for a robotic capture at 4:30 a.m.

On-Orbit Status Report

Mobile Companion (CIMON): Over the weekend, the crew updated software to the CIMON hardware and then performed a Mood test as part of activation and checkout steps. The Pilot Study with the Crew Interactive MObile companioN (Cimon) is a technology demonstration project, and an observational study, that aims to obtain the first insights into the effects on crew support by an artificial intelligence (AI), in terms of efficiency and acceptance during long-term missions in space. Spaceflight missions put the crew under a substantial amount of stress and workload, and it is thought that AI could provide operational support to crew members.

NanoRacks External Cygnus CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD): The crew reviewed procedures for the upcoming CubeSat Deployer installation. The crew also installed the MPEP adapter plate and Capture Mechanism onto the JEM Airlock Slide table. The NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer is a stackable, modular, ground loaded launch case. Each NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer accommodates up to eight launch cases are stacked for each JEM Airlock opening. The NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer meets the growing demand to deploy CubeSat format satellites from the International Space Station for a variety of customers.

Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG): The crew stowed the LSG Work Volume. LSG is a sealed work area that accommodates life science and technology investigations in a “workbench” type environment. Due to its larger size design, two crew members can work in the LSG simultaneously.

Bio-Monitor: The crew performed the setup and donning of the Bio-Monitor Hardware garment and data collection unit as part of a 48hr measurement session. Although the ISS is equipped with health and life sciences research tools, the existing instrumentation for continuous and simultaneous recording of several physiological parameters is lacking. To tackle this issue, the Bio-Monitor Commissioning activity tests the Bio-Monitor facility; a wearable garment capable of monitoring relevant physiological parameters for up to 48 hours in a non-invasive and non-interfering way. The physiological parameters which can be monitored consist of heart rate, respiration rate, ECG (Electrocardiogram), skin temperature, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, etc.

Systems:
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle Remove and Replace (R&R): Today, the crew removed and replaced the WHC Urine Receptacle and Insert Filter. After replacement, a functionality test of the WHC was performed and the WHC was declared operational.

On Board Training (OBT) Soyuz Descent Drill: In preparation for their departure from the ISS on Wednesday evening, the 59S Crew completed a nominal descent and landing drill earlier this morning. During this training, the crew was inside their Soyuz spacecraft reviewing and practicing undock and landing procedures.

Cygnus Rendezvous On-Board Training (OBT): In preparation for NG-13 launch currently planned on February 9 and berth on February 11, today the crew completed this proficiency training covering the mission profile, rendezvous crew procedures and crew interfaces for monitoring and commanding the Cygnus.

Completed Task List Activities:
Remove and Replace Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) ???-Y

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
MT Translation from WS4 to WS6
MSS Maneuver for SSRMS Walkoff Node 2 PDGF
MT Translation from WS6 to WS7

Tuesday, 2/4 (GMT 035)
Payloads:
Bio-Monitor wearable changeout (CSA)
Cerebral Autoregulation measurement and closeout (JAXA)
Probiotics Saliva collect and questionnaire (JAXA)
JAXA PCG-17 samples (2) retrieve B for 59S return (JAXA)
HRF Saliva collect and Blood and Urine setup for SM and repository (NASA)
Functional Immune (HRF) dry Saliva collect (NASA)
Standard Measures Body and Fecal sample collect an Cognition test (NASA)
SABL CO2 incubator installation (NASA)
NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Install onto MPEP and JPM retract (NASA)
Food Physiology Fecal sample collect (NASA) –
Food Acceptability (NASA)
Food Consolidate (NASA)

Systems:
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Crew Quarters (CQ) Overhead & Port Cleaning
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Session 1

Wednesday, 2/5 (GMT 036)
Payloads:
BioMonitor wearable removal and stow (CSA)
Probiotics Capsule stow (JAXA)
HRF Saliva, urine, and ambient blood collect (NASA)
Food Physiology sample collect (NASA)
Confined Combustion Ops (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
AWP Watch Doff (NASA)

Systems:
59S Soyuz Undock/Landing
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Self Study Session
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub

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

Record EPO Paxi script
ISS Experience Mid-Mission Debrief
ISS Experience Presleep OPS
Data Prep for Return – 59 Soyuz Commander
Data Preparation for Return – 59 Soyuz Flight Engineer 1&3
EPO crew message recording
Columbus photo-video
HRF Generic Saliva Collection 10 Minutes
Preparation of reports for Roscosmos website and social media
URAGAN. Observation and photography using photo equipment
SCENARIY. Observation and photography of catastrophic events and their aftermath
ECON-M. Observations and photo (Task List)
HRF Generic Saliva Collection 10 Minutes
Reminder 2 Vascular Aging 72-Hour Bio-Monitor Measurements
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations
Cerebral Autoregulation Data Measurement Item Gathering
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) and Insert Filter (IF) Remove and Replace
Standard Measures Fecal Collection Setup
Soyuz 746 SM-AGAT-U55 batteries (two pieces) charge , Initiate charge
FENIKS. Bioecology” kits Removal and Transfer to Soyuz 746
Cerebral Autoregulation Equipment Setup
LSG Work Volume Stow
Regeneration of ??? ?1 Micropurification Cartridge (start)
Food Consolidation
ISS Crew departure preparation
Monitoring shutter closure on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14. Note 9
LBNP Training (FINAL), Operator assistance
LBNP training session (FINAL)
Systems Operations Data File (SODF) Update
NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Installation Procedure Review
NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Hardware Gather
HISUI Mission Data Recorder Relocation
Bio-Monitor Hardware Setup
PILOT-T. Preparation for the experiment
Bio-Monitor Wearables Setup
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Calibration Check
MPEP and Passive Capture Mechanism Installation to JEM Airlock Slide Table
Descent Private Medical Conference (PMC)
Payload Laptop Terminal 3 (PLT3) Troubleshoot
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
??? toilet activation in ?? ?746
Soyuz 746 pre-undock [????] (motion control system) test No. 2 (VHF2)
MPEP Installation to JEM Airlock Slide Table Support
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side
Onboard Training (OBT) Robotics On-board Trainer (ROBoT) Setup
PILOT-T. Closeout Ops
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Robotics Review
Soyuz 55S (No. 746) Descent OBT
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Rendezvous Review
MATRYOSHKA-R. PCG kits disassembly and preparation for return to the ground on Soyuz 746
MATRYOSHKA-R. “Tritel” Hardware Monitoring and Data transfer from interface unit to USB flash drive. USB flash drive preparation for return to the ground on Soyuz 746
On-Board Training (OBT) CYGNUS OBT Conference
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Experiment setup.
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Assistance with ??-3 Test
Probiotics Item Gathering
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Calibration Check Data Record
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Experiment Ops on ??-2 Treadmill (MO-3 Test in Passive Mode)
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Closeout Ops
Soyuz 746 SM-AGAT-U55 batteries charge(2 pieces), Terminate charge
Kidney Cells Pump Removal
Soyuz 746 Samsung Tablet Recharge after training session, Initiation
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Hygiene procedure
Descent Private Medical Conference (PMC)
Crew Discretionary Event
Micropurification Unit (???) ?1 Absorption Cartridge Regeneration (termination)