NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 15 November 2016

NASA announced today the crew members chosen to launch on four upcoming missions to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, three Expedition 50 crew members are orbiting Earth today working on cargo operations, human research and awaiting the launch and docking of three new crew members this weekend.
New space station crews were officially announced today that will launch to the station in 2017. Four NASA astronauts, four Roscosmos cosmonauts and one astronaut each from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are scheduled to launch in March, May, September and October of next year.

Commander Shane Kimbrough is nearly complete with Cygnus cargo transfers and will close the hatch this weekend. The Cygnus space freighter from Orbital ATK is on track to be released early next week from the Unity module. NASA TV will cover the event live when the Canadarm2 grapples Cygnus and releases it for departure Monday at 8:20 a.m. EST.

Flight engineers Andrey Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov recorded their food and medicine consumption again today for the Morze hormone and immune experiment. Borisenko then moved on to transferring cargo from the Progress 64 resupply ship while Ryzhikov checked lights and cleaned vents and fans.

Back on Earth, two veteran station residents and a new space flyer are two days away from launching aboard a Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft to begin a five-month mission on the orbital complex. First-time European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet will join NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who will be on her third mission, and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, who will be on his second mission, Nov. 17 when they lift off and take a two-day trip to their
new home in space.

On-Orbit Status Report

Human Research Facility (HRF) Software Upgrades: The crew initiated the first of three days of HRF software transitions. Today’s upgrade were made to the HRF Rack 1 Personal Computer (PC). The new software loads will support new experiments and on-board capabilities. Although the load and checkout of PC1 was successful, ground teams discovered that several of the common software fixes were incompatible with the current Rack Interface Controller (RIC) software. Ground teams are looking into work-arounds for and do not expect any impacts to the crew or science. Over the next two days, the HRF Rack 2 PC and HRFPC3 will be updated as well, without expected impacts from the newly discovered issues. The HRF Racks provide 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 the capabilities within the racks provide data to help scientists understand how the human body adapts to long-duration space flight.

NanoRacks Science Box installation: The crew installed the NanoRacks Science Box into the EXpedite PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack 4, located in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Currently, ground teams are troubleshooting a data connectivity issue. The NanoRacks Science Box is an EXPRESS Rack locker payload, designed to operate in mission cycles and will be launched and returned on a regular basis. Each mission will host a number of customer payloads and a multitude of science objectives. The Science Box installed today houses five individual payloads, each with their own mission objective ranging from robotic arm proof of concepts to seedling microgravity exposure experiments.

Node 3 to Node 1 Inter-Module Ventilation (IMV) Cone Screen Installation and Cleaning: Today the crew installed an IMV Cone Screen in the Node 1 to Node 3 vestibule to prevent FOD from entering the Node 3 Starboard Zenith IMV fan when operating in IMV Split Atmosphere Configuration. After the installation, the crew performed cleaning of the N1 to N3 IMV ducting.

Station Support Computer (SSC) Server 2 Deploy: Today, the crew replaced ISS-Server1 (T61p Laptop) with SSC Server-2 (ZBook), which will act as a backup in the event of a failure of the already-deployed SSC Server-1.

Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) Stow: Last night (GMT 319-320), the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to stow the SPDM on Mobile Base System (MBS) Power Data Grapple Fixture 2 (PDGF2). After MSS Software version, Mt Thor, uplink (completed on GMT 313), SPDM LEE capture of MBS PDGF2 was successfully performed for the first time using Gear Box Limping (GBL) feature, also called Active limping of SSRMS. After completing the SPDM base change, SSRMS was maneuvered to park position in preparation of the re-grapple of Cygnus Wednesday (GMT 321), before Cygnus unberth and release Monday (GMT 326).

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

MORZE. Evaluation using SPRUT-2.
MORZE. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake
Network Information for JSL Administration (NINJA) SWAP
Measuring CO partial pressure at Central Post using CSA-CP analyzer (Location: SM Central Post panel 208). Battery replacement (as necessary)
MORZE. Psycho-physiological Evaluation: Tsentrovka, SENSOR Tests
Vacuum cleaning ventilation grille on FGB interior panels (201, 301, 401)
HRF1 PC 1 USB Load Installation Preparation
CONTURE-2. Setup and Experiment Session.
??? maintenance
CONTURE-2. Experiment session and Closeout Ops.
MORZE. Psycho-physiological Evaluation: SUPOS Test
MORZE. Psycho-physiological Evaluation: Strelau Test
CONTURE-2. De-installation of master arm with adapter from panel 418
FSL MPCC Laptop Relocation, Powering On & Software Image Installation
FSL MPCC1 USB Stick move from SSC11 Laptop to MPCC Laptop
MORZE. Closeout Ops
Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test
Plug-in Plan (PiP) – Deploy AC Inverter to NOD2 UOP3-J3.
SSC (Station Support Computer) Server-2 Deploy
Agat-2 Audio/Video Hardware Setup (monitor, speakers, and USB cables)
MORZE. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake
Cleaning panel vent screens (panels 116, 316, 231, 431)
Node 3 Starboard Overhead Intermodule Ventilation Fan Cleaning
Progress 433 (DC1) Transfers and IMS Ops
Intermodule Ventilation (IMV) Cone Screen Installation
RS lighting system audit (SM, MRM1, MRM2, DC1)
Science Box Installation
Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Full Fill
HRF1 PC 1 USB Load Installation Conclude
Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products (CSA-CP) Extended Maintanence
MORZE. Experiment setup
MORZE. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake

Completed Task List Items
None

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
SSC Server 2 Transition

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 11/16: TOCA Analysis, Ipad Air 2 Deploy, Cygnus Depart OBT
Thursday, 11/17: DoseTrack, STRATA Card, Cygnus Egress
Friday, 11/18: Cygnus Vestibule Demate, Node 1 CPA Install, RWS Setup

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 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 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Idle
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up