NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 11 January 2016

Astronauts Tim Peake and Tim Kopra continue to prepare for their 6.5 hour spacewalk on Friday of this week. During the spacewalk they will be replacing a failed voltage regulator which will return power to one of the eight power channels.
Meanwhile, Commander Scott Kelly is gathering hardware for the fluid shifts experiment. Tomorrow, he and his one-year mission crewmate Mikhail Kornienko will be putting on the Russian Chibis suit, a lower body suit which redistributes fluids back to their legs. During this part of the experiment, they will be taking ultrasounds of their eyes to explore the correlation between body fluid distribution and potential changes in vision.

Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov has been taking readings for the Vibrolab experiment. Monitoring micro vibrations can help to understand how tiny movements affect science experiments on station.

On-Orbit Status Report

Neuromapping: Kopra completed a NeuroMapping Neurocognitive test on a Human Research Facility laptop. The Neuromapping experiment studies whether long-duration spaceflight causes any changes to the brain, including brain structure and function, motor control, and multi-tasking; as well as measuring how long it takes for the brain and body to recover from those possible changes. Previous research and anecdotal evidence from crewmembers returning from a long-duration spaceflight suggests that movement control and cognition are affected in microgravity.

Skin-B: Peake completed a session today for the European Space Agency (ESA) Skin-B investigation. He took Corneometer measurements of the hydration level of the stratus coreum (outer layer of the skin), Tewameter measurements of the skin barrier function, and Visioscan measurements of skin surface topography. The Skin-B investigation aims to improve the understanding of skin aging, which is greatly accelerated in space. The data will also be used to verify the results from previous testing for the SkinCare investigation on the ISS.

Veg-01 Observation: Ground experts identified in downlinked photographs potential mold on one of the three remaining plants for the Veg-01 experiment. Yesterday Scott trimmed all the area with spots, double bagged them and placed them into Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). The Veg-01 investigation is used to assess on-orbit function and performance of the Veggie facility, focusing on the growth and development of seedlings in the spaceflight environment and the composition of microbial flora on the plants and the facility. For this run, Zinnias will be grown for 60 days and are expected to produce flowers.

Cognition: Kopra performed his Flight Day 27 session of the Cognition experiment today. The Individualized Real-Time Neurocognitive Assessment Toolkit for Space Flight Fatigue (Cognition) investigation is a battery of tests that measure how spaceflight-related physical changes, such as microgravity and lack of sleep, can affect cognitive performance. Cognition includes ten brief computerized tests that cover a wide range of cognitive functions, and provides immediate feedback on current and past test results. The software used allows for real-time measurement of cognitive performance while in space.

Habitability: Today Kopra documented his recent observations and Kelly recorded a walk-through video of an area or activity and provided insights related to human factors and habitability. The Habitability investigation results will be used to assess the relationship between crew members and their environment in order to better prepare for future long-duration spaceflights to destinations, such as near earth asteroids and Mars. Observations recorded during 6 month and 1 year missions can help spacecraft designers determine how much habitable volume is required, and whether a mission’s duration impacts how much space crew members need.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: The USOS Crew prepared the Equipment Lock, Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU), and ancillary hardware to support upcoming Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) EVA scheduled for Friday, January 15th. In addition, they conducted an EMU On-Orbit Fit Verification (OFV) for Peake in order to confirm the correct sizing on EMU 3008.

ISS Reboost: ISS performed a reboost Sunday night using the Progress 61P thrusters. The delta-V for the burn was 1.65 meters per second. This reboost is the first in a series of reboosts to target the planned conditions for the Soyuz 44 landing on March 2nd, Soyuz 46 four orbit rendezvous on March 19th, and Progress 63 four orbit rendezvous on March 31st.

Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

WRS – Recycle Tank Fill
MO – Saliva collection equipment setup
WHC – fill
SKNB- Experiment Ops
FLUID SHIFTS. USOS H/W Gathering
ISS Crew Handover / Handover Recommendations (???)
WRS Water Sample Analysis
Physical Fitness Evaluation (on the treadmill)
FLUID SHIFTS
VIBROLAB. Monitoring hardware activation
Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
UDOD. Experiment Ops with DYKNANIYE-1 and SPRUT-2 Sets. Tagup with specialists
EVA – Equipment Lock Preparation
IFM Deep Socket Relocate [Aborted]
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD
Download Pille Dosimeter Readings
UDOD. Photography of the Experiment Ops
MRM1 Fans Screen Cleaning (group B). Cleaning behind panels 405, 406
MELF2 – Temperature Data Recorder (TDR) Battery Swap
WRS Maintenance
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill
TOCA Data Recording
WRS Maintenance
TOCA Waste Water Bag (WWB) Changeout
IDENTIFICATION. Copy ???-? micro-accelerometer data to laptop
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD (end) and start backup. Tagup with specialists
HABIT – Video during the experiment
Replacement of ??251? (???4?2)
Life On The Station Photo and Video
??? 431 (DC1) Transfers and IMS Ops
NMAP. Test Ops
Countermeasure System (CMS)
HABIT – Questionnaire Completion
EMU On-Orbit Fitcheck Verification
Physical Fitness Evaluation (on the treadmill)
Exercise Data Downlink via OCA
Photography of Plume Impingement and Deposit Monitoring Unit (????) position on MRM2 through SM window No.13
VIBROLAB. Copy and Downlink Data
Evening Work Prep
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Relocation of Intravehicular Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (IV-TEPC)
IMS Delta File Prep
Evening Work Prep
Hematocrit Hardware Setup
COGNITION – Experiment Ops and Filling Questionnaire
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
Video Recording for All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (?????)
ECON-M. Observation and Photography

Completed Task List Items
None

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
UHF Activation in support of EMU OFV activity

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 01/12: Fluid Shifts using Chibis, MSPR2 ELF, EVA Tool Config, IMV Flow Measurements
Wednesday, 01/13: Fluid Shifts, Sprint Ultrsound, Circadian Rhythms, Medical Emergency Training, Cygnus Cargo Ops
Thursday, 01/14: EVA Procedure Review, EVA Tool Audit, Equipment Lock Preparation

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 – Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off