NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 18 June 2015

The International Space Station got an orbital boost this morning after a docked Russian resupply craft fired its engines for four minutes and eight seconds. One more reboost is scheduled for July 10 when the station will be at the proper altitude for a new Soyuz crew to dock at the end of July.
The crew onboard the orbital laboratory conducted a wide array of experiments today looking at such things as radiation, liquid crystals and life science. The trio of station residents also continued more eye checks with assistance from specialists on the ground.

One-Year crew member Mikhail Kornienko participated in the Matroyshka and RADI-N studies monitoring space radiation and exploring how it affects station crew members. Commander Gennady Padalka explored the behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity for the OASIS experiment with results potentially benefitting future space helmets with small display screens. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly worked in the Microgravity Science Glovebox cleaning up after earlier work with the Rodent Research study.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko are the next crew preparing to launch to the space station and join Expedition 44. Their launch aboard a Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft is planned for July 22 when they will take a six-hour ride to their new home in space.

On-Orbit Status Report

Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Cleanup and Reconfiguration: Kelly completed the second and final MSG cleanup session following the completion of RR2. Following cleanup, Padalka installed the Observation Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) experiment hardware. The sample installation, final connections and camera checkout will be scheduled on another day. OASIS studies the unique behavior of liquid crystals in microgravity, including their overall motion and the merging of crystal layers known as smectic islands. Liquid crystals are used for display screens in televisions and clocks and they also occur in soaps and cell membranes. The experiment allows detailed studies of the behavior of these structures, and how microgravity affects their unique ability to act like both a liquid and a solid crystal.

Ocular Health: Kelly and Kornienko executed their Flight Day 90 Ocular Health activities today including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to measure retinal thickness, volume, and retinal nerve fiber layer and Fundoscope measurements to collect retinal images. For these operations, Padalka assisted Kelly and Kelly was the Crew Medical Officer for Kornienko. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the risk of microgravity-induced visual impairment/intracranial pressure in ISS crewmembers.

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons (RADI-N): Kelly retrieved the eight RADI-N detectors from their deployed locations and handed them over to Kornienko for downlink of the data. The objective of this investigation is to better characterize the ISS neutron environment and define the risk posed to the crewmembers’ health and provide the data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future space flight.

ISS Reboost: The ISS performed a reboost at 5:59 am CDT today using 58P thrusters. This reboost was added to the timeline as the result of 43S Soyuz launch date moving from July 24 to July 22. A second reboost is planned for July 10 to finalize setup for 43S Soyuz 4-orbit launch. Delta-V was 0.5 meters/second and burn duration was 4 minutes, 8 seconds.

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

Closing USOS Window Shutters
Closure of outer shutters on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 for ISS Reboost
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Setup
Rodent Research (RR) – Hardware Removal and Cleaning
Preparations for Replacement of ??-50-1? No.4 and No.1 (?204, ?211).
OCT Exam
OASIS – Hardware Gathering
MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements.
OASIS – Setup
RADIN – Retrieval of dosimeters from deployed locations
MATRYOSHKA-R. Receiving BUBBLE-dosimeter detectors from USOS.
RADIN – Handover of Dosimeters to the Russian Crew
MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements.
Manual synchronization of the time on the CEVIS Control Panel with the LS1 server
OCT Exam
OCT Equipment Stowage
OASIS – Setup
??? Maintenance
VZAIMODEISTVIYE-2. Experiment Ops
Cleaning of TVS LIV voltage converter vent grille
VZAIMODEISTVIYE-2. Experiment Ops
Fundoscope Setup and OCT Laptop Configuration
Ocular Health – Fundoscope Prep
IMS Delta File Prep
HABIT – iPad S/W Update
Fundoscope – Eye Exam
Tightening of Progress 425 SM (Aft) QD Screw Clamps
Preparing for Fundoscope Exam
Fundoscope – Eye Exam
Fundoscope Removal and Stowage
Completed Task List Items

None
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Ocular Health ops
OASIS hardware setup
Three-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 06/19: Ocular Health, CUCU/CCP checkout, SPX-7 OBT RoBOT training
Saturday, 06/20: Crew off duty, housekeeping
Sunday, 06/21: Crew off duty
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 – Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up