NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 23 May 2016
The Expedition 47 crew is getting a new module recently attached to the Tranquility module ready for expansion later this week. The International Space Station residents are also running experiments today exploring a wide variety of phenomena and checking station gear.
BEAM, or the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, is scheduled to expand to full pressurized volume Thursday morning. In preparation, the crew is installing computer cables, checking connections and verifying hardware prior to BEAM deployment. NASA TV will televise the BEAM expansion activities live. Crew entry into the new module is scheduled for next week but will not be televised.
The Rodent Research-3 (RR-3) experiment was completed last week and the astronauts are cleaning up and inventorying the gear today. During the wrap up work, the crew also collected station air and astronaut breath samples for the Marrow bone study sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency.
Some of the station hardware that helps run and monitor equipment and experiments is getting new gear and upgrades. The Microgravity Science Glovebox, which housed the RR-3 activities last week, is being prepared for video equipment upgrades. A new laptop computer is being loaded with software to demonstrate control of station assets from both the orbital lab and the ground.
On-Orbit Status Report
Marrow: Upon waking this morning, the crew took breath and ambient air samples for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Marrow experiment which investigates the effect of microgravity on human bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the marrow. The extent of this effect and its recovery are of interest to space research and healthcare providers on Earth.
Auxin Transport Run #2: The crew conducted the first day of the second Auxin Transport experiment run by gathering hardware and retrieving the samples from the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) before preparing and installing the samples into the Cell Biology Experiment Unit (CBEF) for incubation. The incubation process takes 3 days and will be followed by fixation, sampling and closeout on day 4. This Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) investigation clarifies the role of auxins in pea and corn seedlings grown in microgravity, leading to new insight into how gravity, or the lack of gravity, affects plant development. This study may contribute to increasing the efficiency of plant cultivation in plant factories. The data obtained from the second experiment run will provide evidence of spaceflight alterations in auxin polar transport and endogenous levels of auxin, resulting in automorphogenesis.
Rodent Research (RR-3) Audit and Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Cleanup: Following the completion of RR-3 operations last week, the crew audited the remaining RR-3 equipment and supplies. They also removed the hardware and cleaned the Life Science Ancillary Hardware (LSAH) in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG).
MSG Video Upgrade Equipment (VUE) Hardware Gather and Overview: In preparation for upcoming MSG Video Upgrade Equipment (VUE) setup, the crew gathered and powered the hardware and routed video signals using the HD Video Drawer Graphical User Interface (GUI). Ground teams then successfully performed a two hour checkout of the recording functions of the drawer.
Telescience Resource Kit (TReK) Hardware Set Up: Today the crew set up the TREK Demonstration hardware, but was unable to install the flight demonstration software load due to communication issues with the network attached storage (NAS) at the planned rack location. After changing the Ethernet routing to the WORF rack; connectivity was verified but subsequent file transfer attempts resulted in a series of errors on the laptop. The crew took photos of the errors and was asked to stand down for the day. The ground teams are assessing the error messages. TReK is a suite of software applications and libraries that can be used to monitor and control assets in space or on the ground.
Material Science Laboratory (MSL) Calibration Cartridge Insertion: The crew inserted the calibration cartridge of MSL Batch 2B for calibration. The MSL can accommodate one Furnace Insert (FI) at a time for experiment processing. Two ESA-developed FIs are presently available: the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) and the Solidification and Quenching Furnace (SQF). Sample-Cartridge Assemblies (SCAs) for science programs.
Bigelow Expandable Aerospace Module (BEAM) Preparations: In preparation for vestibule outfitting activities and inflation, today the crew completed the following:
– Installation of N3 BEAM laptop cable to allow BEAM laptop connection to N3 Aft bulkhead and BEAM sensor systems,
– Verification that the BEAM Deployment Controller passes BIT check prior to deployment,
– Emergency procedure refresher On-Board Training (OBT) session (all 6 crewmembers).
Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Last Friday, Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and performed Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) Latch End Effector (LEE) checkouts. They then maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to stow SPDM on Mobile Base System (MBS) Power Data Grapple Fixture 2 (PDGF2). While SPDM LEE was capturing MBS PDGF2, SSRMS Force and Moment Sensor (FMS) Coarse Characterization was performed. SSRMS was maneuvered to translate configuration and the Mobile Transporter (MT) was translated to Worksite 6 (WS6).
Cygnus Cargo Operations: The crew has completed approximately 31.5 hours of cargo transfer operations with approximately 15 hours of transfer remaining.
62 Progress (62P): On Sunday, the crew reported seeing flakes of a substance floating away from 62P and provided photographs of the small white particles. Moscow worked with the crew over the course of the day to check the pressure of the air reserve section of Rodnik tank ??-2. Since Thursday evening, Moscow has observed lower than expected readings from this section of the tank. The Russian crew took readings from that tank with a manual pressure gauge and confirmed that it is at a lower pressure and the telemetry is accurate.
The main section of the tank is currently full of urine for disposal and is in an unpressurized section of 62P. No change in operations is being recommended at this time. Moscow will continue to monitor tank telemetry and will ask the crew to check occasionally with the manual gauge. Undock is planned for July 5.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
HRF – urine sampling
HRF – sample insertion into MELFI
HRF – blood sampling (subject)
HRF – blood sampling (assistant)
HRF – centrifuge config 1
HRF – centrifuge config 2
AUT – hardware prep for stowage
HRF – sample insertion into MELFI
AUT – samples extraction from MELFI
[???-?2?] reactor filter R&R / r/g 2316
MSG – hardware prep for stowage
ARED photo/video setup
RR – camcorder install
KOSMOKARD. 24hr electrocardiogram recording prep + init / r/g 2311
RR – equipment inventory
VIZIR. ??? ???? battery charge init / r/g 2320
HRF – blood samples extraction and refrigeration prep
HRF – sample insertion into MELFI
Record [???] service data from RSS1 / r/g 2052
[??-1?] air sampling in SM and FGB r/g 2312
On MCC Go Post-deactivation ELEKTRON purge
Photo-TV camcorder setting c/o
HRF – urine sampling
AUT R2 – water sampling
HRF – sample insertion into MELFI
Equipment transfer for removal to DC1 Progress #431, IMS updates / r/g 2234, 2315
Rodent access unit retrieval
Rodent access unit cleanup
HRF – post-sampling equipment stow
WRS – EDV fill of the treatment tank
AUT R2– science ops
RR – module stow
BEAM – sensor cable install
WRS – water sampling
VIZIR. [?????] h/w science r/g 2321
MSG – science ops procedure review
BEAM – vestibule jumper install, forward bulkhead deployment controller install
??? maintenance
Cargo transfer to Cygnus
HRF – closeout ops.
URAGAN. Observation and photography using [?? ???] r/g 2318
Cygnus – cargo transfer conference
MARROW – air sampling equipment installation
RR – module cleanup
MARROW – photographic documentation
ISS HAM – ham radio pass
VIZIR. ???? battery charging / r/g 2320
Rodent research-related cable connection
TOCA – data recording
TREK – h/w install [Deferred]
(RJR – Surface sample and Petri cup examinations
RR – h/w cleanup and transfer
Connect DC1 Kurs-P to SM [?2-???] container and connection area photography r/g 6896
Regular health protection – sprint exercises – at crew discretion
SM Window #3 and #5 photography / r/g 2319
MSL – cartridge install
MSG deactivation
Downlink exercise data via ???
RR – equipment inventory
On-orbit life photography and video / r/g 2000
VIZIR. ???? battery charging / r/g 2320
RJR – SSK and MAS samplers handover
??? activation, TV signal monitoring / r/g 2314
EHS – SSK and MAS – sample bag
IMS update
VELIKOYE NACHALO. Video feature scenario review r/g 2322
MORZE. Science ops setup / r/g 2313
Beam emergency procedure review
DPC (S-band)
??? deactivation / r/g 2314
Completed Task List Items
Cargo ops
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
BEAM activities
Nominal ground commanding
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 05/24: BEAM vestibule outfitting and leak check, Cygnus cargo transfer, N3 Aft PPRV sample port cap removal, Ocular Health
Wednesday, 05/25: BEAM vestibule outfitting, EHS SM water collect/MCD, CFM process, RR habitat stow, Ocular Health
Thursday, 05/26: BEAM leak check, inflation, deploy, EMCS water pump tube install, Cygnus cargo transfer
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
