Space Stations

NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 12 September 2016

By Marc Boucher
Status Report
September 13, 2016
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NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 12 September 2016
Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA conducted a six-hour and 48-minute spacewalk on Sept. 1, 2016. The pair successfully retracted a thermal radiator, installed two enhanced high definition cameras (pictured) on the station’s truss and tightened bolts on a joint that enables one of the station’s solar arrays to rotate. The spacewalk was the second for Williams and Rubins in just 13 days, the fifth of Williams’ career and the second for Rubins.Credit: NASA.
NASA

Today: Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) reconfiguration: FE-6 performed the teardown and removal of the Heart Cell payload from the MSG.
Heart Cells was completed and returned to the ground on SpaceX-9. On Tuesday, the crew will install the Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument Experiment Diffusion Coefficient Mixture (SODI DCMix)-3 into the MSG work volume. The Heart Cell investigation studies the human heart, specifically how heart muscle tissue contracts, grows and changes (gene expression) in microgravity and how those changes vary among subjects. Understanding how heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, change in space improves efforts for studying disease, screening drugs and conducting cell replacement therapy for future space missions. The main purpose of the SODI DCMix-3 investigation is the measurement of diffusion coefficients of selected ternary mixtures taking advantage of the reduced gravity environment available on board the ISS.

Japanese Experiment Module Airlock (JEMAL) Preparation: FE-5 extended the JEMAL Slide Table into the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) volume and installed the Small Fine Arm (SFA) Attachment Mechanism (SAM) to the table. FE-5 installed the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) on the SAM. The crew reviewed the NanoRack Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) installation procedure ahead of tomorrow’s installation.

Fine Motor Skills (FMS): FE-5 and FE-6 performed their FMS sessions this morning. Performing a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet were completed for the Fine Motor Skills investigation. This investigation is critical during long-duration space missions, particularly those skills needed to interact with technologies required in next-generation space vehicles, spacesuits, and habitats. The crewmember’s fine motor skills are also necessary for performing tasks in transit or on a planetary surface, such as information access, just-in-time training, subsystem maintenance, and medical treatment.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Suit Maintenance: The crew performed maintenance tasks on EMU 3006 and EMU 3010 including an EMU swap, a loop scrub, a post-loop scrub water sample, suit and ion filter iodination and an EMU conductivity test.

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Network Storage (NeST) Mesh Replacement: The crew removed the NeST mesh cover that covers the NeST internal fan inlet, changed out the mesh and replace the cover. The old mesh was vacuumed and stowed. This is nominal maintenance.

Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Operations: Today, the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) and maneuvered the SSRMS to a park position clear of the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer #9 (NRCSD 9) deploy operations scheduled for next week. MSS Performance today was nominal.

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

Calf Volume Measurement
Fine Motor Skills (FINEMOTR) Experiment Ops
XF305 Camcorder Settings Adjustment
Study of veins in lower extremities
JEM Airlock Inner Hatch Open
HRTCEL Glove Box Teardown
JEM Airlock Slide Table Extension to JPM Monitor 1
JEMAL Hardware Removal
SAM Hardware Setup
??? Receptacle and Hoses Replacement
JEMAL Hardware Checkout
MPEP Hardware Setup
JEMAL Platform Installation
Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) Hardware Setup
EMU backpack replacement
JEM Airlock Monitor Slide Table extension
Equipment, work station setup, and Procedure Review for R&R of Replaceable Assembly Panel (???) in DC1 [?O??].
JEM Airlock Monitor Slide Table extension
Initiate EMU Cooling Loop Scrub Part 1
Soyuz 731 Samsung Tablet Recharge, initiate
Initiate EMU Cooling Loop Scrub Part 1
??? Maintenance
CUBESAT Experiment Procedure Familiarization
Start EMU cooling loop scrub
RS Photo Cameras Sync Up to Station Time
JEM Airlock Slide Table Extension to JPM Monitor 2
EMU Conductivity Test
JEM Airlock Inner Hatch Closure
JEM Network Storage Mesh Cleaning
Soyuz 731 Samsung Tablet Recharge – terminate
Exercise Data Downlink via OCA
EMU Cooling Loop Maintenance, Deconfiguration
Terminate EMU METOX Regeneration
Start EMU Metox Regeneration
Stow Syringes used in ?2? Conductivity Test

Completed Task List Items
ARED Cable Tension
JPM1OF7 BBA/LHA R&R
JPM1OF1 LHA R&R
ELF tool retrieve
STFS Flashdrive Scan

Ground Activities
All activities are on schedule unless otherwise noted.
P4 Maximum Voltage Output Test
MSS Mnvr clear for JEMRMS NRCSD Operation.
ACDU-RC Slide Table Validation

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 09/13: Lab MCA pumpdown, Hatch Seal Insp, Biomolecule Sequencer, NRCSD #9 install, SODI setup
Wednesday, 09/14: NORS O2 transfer, PCHx install, Asian Try Zero-G, ELF troubleshooting
Thursday, 09/15: ARED 6 month, JPM window inspection, MDCA H/W replace, ELF troubleshooting

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 – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up

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