NASA Space Station Status Report 7 July, 2022 – The GRIP Experiment
The International Space Station continues hosting an array of advanced science experiments and spacewalk preparations.
The seven Expedition 67 residents also ensured the ongoing operation of research gear and electronics equipment while auditing station office supplies.
The lack of an up and down reference in microgravity may affect the human nervous system potentially impacting how crew members interact with spacecraft instrumentation. NASA Flight Engineers Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines continued working on the GRIP experiment in the Columbus laboratory module on Thursday to study how weightlessness influences an astronaut’s ability to grip and manipulate objects. Watkins and Hines took turns conducting the investigation while lying flat on their backs as scientists monitored from the ground. The pair had performed research operations from a seated position earlier in the week.
Watkins then spent the rest of the day working on electronics gear and connections inside the Harmony module. Hines swapped air supply hoses ensuring the proper airflow inside the Quest airlock.
NASA Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren began his morning in the Kibo laboratory module servicing a specialized microscope that uses spatial filtering techniques to observe cellular and tissue structures. Afterward, Lindgren moved on to a space manufacturing study observing a run of the Intelligent Glass Optics study that incorporates artificial intelligence into its methodology.
Two veteran station crew members, ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti and Roscosmos Commander Oleg Artemyev, resumed their preparations today for an upcoming spacewalk. The duo from Italy and Russia will exit the station Poisk airlock at 10 a.m. on June 21 and spend approximately seven hours continuing to outfit the European robotic arm attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.
Cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev inventoried station supplies, including printing paper, ink cartridges, and batteries, throughout the station’s Russian segment. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov configured nanosatellites that will be deployed during the June 21 spacewalk.
On-Orbit Status Report
Payloads:
Grip: The crew performed the third and final day of the experiment session, transferred the data, and stowed the experiment hardware. The Grip experiment studies the long-duration spaceflight effects on the abilities of human subjects to regulate grip force and upper limbs trajectories when manipulating objects during different kinds of movements: oscillatory movements, rapid discrete movements and tapping gestures.
Standard Measures (SM): A pre-sleep questionnaire was filled out in support of the SM investigation. Spaceflight Standard Measures (Standard Measures or simply SM) collects a set of core measurements related to many human spaceflight risks from astronauts before, during, and after long-duration missions. The aim is to ensure consistent capture of an optimized, minimal set of measures from crew members until the end of the ISS Program in order to characterize the adaptive responses to and risks of living in space. These measures populate a data repository to enable high-level monitoring of countermeasure effectiveness and meaningful interpretation of health and performance outcomes, and support future research on planetary missions.
Universal Intelligent Glass Optics (UNIGLO): The furnace probe was removed and one of the repaired preforms was installed in preparation for a subsequent sample run. A preform is a cylindrical rod of raw material from which the glass fiber is pulled as it’s passed through the ring-shaped furnace. UNIGLO tests the effects of microgravity on a glass optics module capable of processing various types of complex glasses. The module uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help adapt materials processing techniques to the microgravity environment and a sensor based on laser-Doppler interferometry to measure the effects of microgravity on processing complex glasses for a variety of applications in space and on Earth.
Systems:
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record: The crew performed an analysis of the Water Processing Assembly (WPA) using the TOCA. The TOCA unit oxidizes organic carbon species present in the water to carbon dioxide gas and measures the concentration using nondispersive infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the potable water using the TOCA occurs on a weekly basis.
In-Flight Maintenance Activities: An audit of the Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) consumables was performed to determine whether there is a shortage or excess of supplies. The crew also cleaned up the cabling and electronic equipment in the Lab to reduce clutter and snag hazards and increase habitability.
Regenerative ECLSS Recycle Tank Drain/Fill: The recycle tank was set up to drain via the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Fill Drain Valve into a Brine EDV using the Urine Transfer System (UTS). Following the setup, the ground performed the tank drain using the UTS. The EDV is intended for short-term storage and manual water transportation between facilities and to store water and urine for disposal. Once the ground specialists completed the transfer, the crew verified the recycle tank was empty, terminated the drain, repositioned the fill/drain valve to force fill the recycle tank using UTS, and configured for nominal processing operations. The crew also swapped the EDV in the offload EDV spot of the UTS.
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Airlock Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Flow Correction: In preparation for the Galley Rack swap, the crew powered down the Airlock Utility Outlet Panel (UOP) and downstream hardware and performed Airlock power safing actions prior to ground powerdown. The swap from the Lab MTL to Node 3 MTL cooling is to support the Oxygen Generator System (OGS)/Life Support Rack (LSR) rack swap. The crew then corrected the flow to the Airlock by dekeying and swapping the Node 1 Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) supply and return hoses.
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
MSS SpaceX-25 External Cargo Operations
N3 MTL RFCA Close
N3 MTL STBD RFCA Close
Look Ahead Plan
Friday, July 8 (GMT 189)
Payloads:
Acoustic Diagnostics
Biolab Laptop Removal
CAL MTL Jumper Check
SpaceBorne Computer-2 Cartridge Swap
UNIGLO
Systems:
IWIS CTB Reorganization
Crew Handover Recordings
Setup Water Transfer Station
EVA HECA Stow
SAFER Checkout
ISS USOS Food Audit
Saturday, July 9 (GMT 190)
Payloads:
XROOTS
Systems:
Crew Off-Duty
Sunday, July 10 (GMT 191)
Payloads:
No Utilization Activities
Systems:
Crew Off-Duty
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Confocal Space Microscopy (Microscope) Item Gathering
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis/Data Record
Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Audit
Confocal Space Microscopy (Microscope) Lens Removal
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain/Fill
Intelligent Glass Optics Bungee Replace
Confocal Space Microscopy (Microscope) Thermal Container Installation
MDM On-Orbit Tester (MOOT) Version 10.1 EEPROM Refresh Gather
GRIP Science Performance in Supine Position
Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap
MDM On-Orbit Tester (MOOT) v10.1 Upper Spare EEPROM Refresh
JAXA Payload Laptop Terminal 5 (PLT5) Relocation
Crew Starts Transfer of Files of the Session to Perspectives Zbook
Intelligent Glass Optics Probe Exchange
Crew Retrieves Data from Perspectives Zbook and Plugs Hard Drive to SSC
ESA Crew Conference with Two-Way Audio and Video
Intelligent Glass Optics Sample Exchange
Plug in Plan (PiP) Airlock (A/L) UOP Hardware Power Down
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Airlock MTL Flow Correction Prep Activities for Powerdown
GRIP Stow
Intelligent Glass Optics Crew Observation
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS EveryWear (EVW) Nutrition Tracking
Prep of EVA Portable Equipment and Tools. Tagup with Specialists
Crew stows GRIP Supine Bag in COL1O0
EPM GRIP Switch Restore
Lab Cable Management
Columbus Bay Restow
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Airlock MTL Flow Correction
Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – ESA Nutritional Assessment
[from GMT 189] MDM On-Orbit Tester (MOOT) Version 10.1 EEPROM Refresh Stow
