NASA Space Station Status Report 14 June, 2022 – Studying Advanced Earth Photography Techniques
Tuesday aboard the International Space Station saw the Expedition 67 crew concentrate on an array of orbital maintenance tasks and cargo operations.
The septet from U.S., Russia, and Italy also had plenty of time set aside for a variety of biomedical activities, life science research, and Earth observations.
Flight Engineers Kjell Lindgren of NASA and Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) joined each other Tuesday morning for cable inspections inside four U.S. modules. The pair recorded and downlinked video while narrating the condition of the cable routing throughout the U.S. Destiny laboratory module and the Unity, Harmony, and Tranquility modules. The astronauts focused on key areas throughout the station where the cable work would need the most tidying up.
Lindgren then swapped samples from the Touching Surfaces antimicrobial study inside the Mochii electron microscope for analysis. Cristoforetti stowed one of the samples after its microscopic analysis then moved on to cargo work inside the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter before its departure at the end of the month.
NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines began his day replacing components inside the Combustion Integrated Rack before inventorying medical gear stowed inside Human Research Facility supply kits. Fellow astronaut Jessica Watkins of NASA worked on orbital plumbing gear, collected her blood and urine samples for stowage, while also assisting with the Cygnus cargo packing.
The three cosmonauts working in the station’s Russian segment focused on their complement of space research and orbital maintenance today. Commander Oleg Artemyev studied advanced Earth photography techniques before partnering with Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov on a long-running space exercise study. Korsakov also joined Flight Engineer Denis Matveev unpacking cargo recently delivered inside the Progress 81 resupply ship. Matveev started his day with atmospheric research before exploring ways international crews and mission controllers can communicate better.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads:
BioLab: A health check was performed on the Biolab Glovebox. The Biological Experiment Laboratory in Columbus (BioLab) is a multiuser research facility located in the European Columbus laboratory. The facility is used to perform space biology experiments on microorganisms, cells, tissue cultures, small plants, and small invertebrates. BioLab allows scientists to gain a better understanding of the effects of microgravity and space radiation on biological organisms.
Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR): The CIR chamber pump was removed and replaced by a spare unit. The CIR includes an optics bench, combustion chamber, fuel, and oxidizer control, and five different cameras for performing combustion investigations in microgravity.
Electromagnetic Levitator (EML): Both Argon valves were opened, and the Helium valve was closed in preparation for future operations. The EML is a facility composed of four inserts installed into the European Drawer Rack (EDR) for the electromagnetic levitation of samples. The experiment samples are installed in a dedicated sample chamber that is attached to EML and can be replaced by new sample chambers for new experiment batches.
Human Research Facility-1 (HRF-1): Video and photography was performed during the crew’s inventory of the HRF Supply Purple and Green kits for realtime ground instruction. HRF-1 provides an on-orbit laboratory that enables scientists conducting human life science research to evaluate the physiological, behavioral, and chemical changes induced by space flight. Research performed using HRF-1 provides data to help scientists understand how the human body adapts to long-duration spaceflight.
ISS Ham Radio: An ISS HAM contact was initiated with Istituto Tecnico Industrile “Alessandro Rossi”, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. Since the earliest space station expeditions, ISS Ham Radio has allowed groups of students in schools, camps, museums, and planetariums to hold a conversation with the people living in space. As the ISS passes overhead, students have about 9 minutes to ask crew members 10 to 20 questions.
Mochii: The Array Sample S/N 01 was metal coated and loaded into the Mochii miniature scanning electron microscope chamber for imaging. Mochii is a miniature scanning electron microscope (SEM) with spectroscopy to conduct real-time, on-site imaging and compositional measurements of particles on the ISS. Such particles can cause vehicle and equipment malfunctions and threaten crew health, but currently, samples must be returned to Earth for analysis, leaving crew and vehicle at risk. Mochii also provides a powerful new analysis platform to support novel microgravity science and engineering.
Touching Surfaces: The Touch Array S/N 01 was re-assembled upon completion of Mochii Imagery. Previous space research conducted during short-term flight experiments and long-term environmental monitoring on board orbiting space stations (such as MIR or the ISS) suggests that the relationship between humans and microbes is altered in the crewed habitat in space. This interdisciplinary project Touching Surfaces aims to investigate novel, laser-structured antimicrobial surfaces onboard the ISS. The realistic testing of the tailor-made nanostructured antimicrobial surface in space allows for the determination of the most suitable design for antimicrobial surfaces for terrestrial applications such as public transportation and clinical settings, as well as future human space mission and habitation design.
Systems:
Cable Routing Video Survey: Today, to decongest some of the clutter of cables built up across the ISS over the years, the crew took a video survey of key areas in Lab, Node 1, Node 2, and Node 3. Ground teams will take the survey and the crew recommendation for rerouting and will create a procedure to reroute and remove unnecessary cabling. The cable reroute should help the crew as they work on science and complete maintenance and increase the lighting onboard.
Hatch Seal Inspection: As part of periodic maintenance, the crew cleaned and inspected the USOS hatch seals and hatch plate sealing surface for the Node 1 Forward. The crew inspected the hatch seal beads for FOD, nicks, burrs, cuts, or gouges that would impair a proper seal. The crew also inspected the crank handle mechanism and hatch seal interlocking joints for foreign object debris (FOD) or damage.
Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) Trash Audit: The crew completed an audit of the PMM1 Endcone for all present trash to ensure Inventory Management System (IMS) is up to date with the latest configuration on orbit. The PMM was flown into space aboard the Space Shuttle and is primarily used for storage of spares, supplies and waste on the ISS.
Station Support Computer (SSC) Audit and Ethernet Cable Fix: The crew audited the SSC System laptops by snapping photos of the deployed configuration to assist ground teams with SSC tracking and support of any hardware-related anomalies. The crew fixed or replaced any broken Ethernet cables in use for SSC Clients.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
CIR Activation Commanding
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Support
PRO CHeCS Commanding
Look Ahead Plan
Wednesday, June 15 (GMT 166)
Payloads:
Actiwatch Setup (NASA)
CBEF Video Cable Reconfig (JAXA)
CEO Targets from WORF (NASA)
Fluidics run (ESA)
Repository Urine and Blood Collect (NASA)
SOUNDSEE Ops (NASA)
Systems:
Node 3 Aft Port Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Fan Cleaning
Station Reorganization
Cygnus Cargo Operations
Thursday, June 16 (GMT 167)
Payloads:
Fluidics runs (ESA)
HRF Centrifuge Spin Test and Tube Removal (NASA)
Lumina Reboot and Data Transfer (ESA)
Repository Urine Collect and Blood Setup (NASA)
XROOTS Plant Check, Fluid Recovery and Nutrient Fill (NASA)
Systems:
Node 3 Endcone Stowage Cleanout
CTB Cleanup Activity
Station Reorganization
COL1D2 and COL1D3 Stowage Containers Audit
Friday, June 17 (GMT 168)
Payloads:
ELF GBU Replace (JAXA)
Repository Blood and Urine Collect (NASA)
JEM Airlock CAP MEC Install (JAXA)
CEO PL ops (NASA)
Astrobee Undock Ops (NASA)
Cold Stowage QD Check and Jumper Leak Check (NASA)
ER4 Software Closeout (NASA)
Systems:
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit (SEMU) Launch Enclosure (SLE) Return Preparation
EVA Helmet Troubleshooting
Photo/TV D5 Camera Sensor Cleaning
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Biolab Glovebox Health Check
Cable Routing Video Survey
CIR Chamber Pumps Replacement
CIR Doors Open and Close
Crew Choice Event
EML experiment – Gas Valves Operations
Touch Array S/N 01 Reassembly
EXPRESS Record Message
HRF Rack 1 Supply Kit Guided Inventory
HRF1 Payload Drawer Install
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Hardware Setup
HRF Generic Urine Collection Setup
Hatch Seal Inspection
IMS Delta Pile Prep
ISS HAM Columbus Pass Kenwood
Mochii Metal Coating and Sample Exchange
Two Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in Columbus
PMM Trash Audit
Radio Frequency Identification Logistics Reader SD Swap
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain and Fill
Station Support Computer (SSC) Audit and Ethernet Cable Fix
Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap
Vent Closeout Inspection
Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations
