NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 October 2015
Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly has been in space longer than any other NASA astronaut. Today he exceeds Michael Lopez-Alegria’s record of 215 days on a single spaceflight. He passed Michael Fincke’s record of 382 cumulative days in space on Oct. 16.
Kelly also completed his first spacewalk along with Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren on Wednesday. The duo worked outside for seven hours and 16 minutes on a series of tasks to service and upgrade the International Space Station. They wrapped a dark matter detection experiment in a thermal blanket, lubricated the tip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm and then routed power and data cables for a future docking port.
Meanwhile, the crew is back at work today on advanced space science and routine laboratory maintenance. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui explored how plants grow without gravity to guide them. Kelly recorded his impressions of the space station’s living and working space for the Habitability study. Lindgren trained for the VIABLE experiment that researches microbe development on station surfaces.
The cosmonauts including Sergey Volkov, Mikhail Kornienko and Oleg Kononenko worked on scheduled tasks in the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory. They explored Earth photography techniques, the physics of plasma crystals and controlling a rover on the ground from space.
On-Orbit Status Report
Post Extravehicular Activity (EVA): Due to the EVA yesterday, the US crew was scheduled for a half duty day. This morning, Kelly and Lindgren completed post-EVA health assessments. Kelly, Yui and Lindgren then participated in an EVA debrief session with ground specialists. Later, Kelly remated wire harness W0142 to the Node 1 Starboard Gore Panel. The wire harness was demated to provide an upstream physical inhibit for the EVA installation of W2289 during EVA #32. Lastly, Lindgren completed a refill of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) feed water tanks and an ullage dump on EMUs 3003 and 3010.
Plant Gravity Sensing 2 (PGS2) Investigation: Yui retrieved a Seed Paper Kit from a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI), prepared the Seed Papers for 4 Culture Dishes and then returned the culture dishes to the MELFI. Tomorrow the seeds will be inserted into the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) to start the second of two runs for PGS2. The PGS2 investigation supports the study of cellular formation of the plant’s gravity sensors and the molecular mechanism for gravity sensing in plants grown in microgravity conditions.
Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4) Investigation: Kononenko performed closeout activities for the first run of PK-4, completed today, and prepared the equipment for the next run. He then replaced the data hard drives with new ones, and then filled the PK-4 Chamber first with cleaning gas and then with Neon gas. PK-4 is a scientific payload for performing research in the field of ‘Complex Plasmas’: low temperature gaseous mixtures composed of ionized gas, neutral gas and micron-sized particles. The micro-particles become highly charged in the plasma and interact strongly with each other which can lead to a self-organized structure of the micro-particles: so-called plasma crystals. Experiments in the facility aim to study Transport Properties, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Statistical Physics and Non-linear waves and Instabilities in the plasmas.
eValuatIon And monitoring of microBiofiLms insidE the ISS (ViABLE) Experiment: Kelly touched the palm of his hand to experimental materials located on the top covers of ViABLE bags. He also blew on experimental materials located on those covers. This activity is performed approximately every 45 days and the bags are photographed at 6 month intervals. ViABLE involves the evaluation of microbial biofilm development on metallic and textile space materials located inside and on the cover of Nomex pouches. Microbial biofilms are known for causing damage and contamination on the Mir space station and the ISS. The potential application of novel methodologies and products to treat space materials may lead to improvements in the environmental quality of confined human habitats in space and on earth.
Habitability: Today, Kelly documented his recent observations related to human factors and habitability for the Habitability investigation. Habitability assesses 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.
Sleep Log: Kornienko recorded a Sleep Log entry today. The Sleep ISS-12 experiment monitors ambient light exposure and crew member activity and collects subjective evaluations of sleep and alertness. The investigation examines the effects of space flight and ambient light exposure on sleep during a year-long mission on the ISS.
Environmental Sampling: Yui deployed a formaldehyde monitor in the US Lab. It will remain deployed for 2 days. He also collected air samples in the US Lab and Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM) using Grab Sample Containers (GSCs). These samples will be returned to the ground on 43S for post-flight analysis.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Hematocrit Test
Hematocrit Hardware Stowage
Repair of SM Interior Panel 322 by Installing Overlay Panels – Day 1
PLAZMENNIY KRISTALL. Hard Drive Exchange
Counter Measure System (CMS) Harmful Contaminant Measurements in SM
Periodic Health Status (PHS) Post EVA Evaluation
Analysis of SM Atmosphere for Freon Using Freon Leak Analyzer/Detector (???)
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
PGS2-ELT2 – Cable Reconfig
Post-EVA crew health status – data transfer
PGS2 – Sample Retrieval from MELFI
VIZIR. Calibration of ???-? Hardware
PGS2 – Sample Insertion into MELFI
PLAZMENNIY KRISTALL. Filling Chamber with Cleaning Gas
Columbus video power up for HAM Radio session
Pille Dosimeter Reading after USOS EVA
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill from EDV
HABIT – Experiment Ops
US post-EVA Debrief Conference
CONTUR-2. P/L Assembly Setup on panel 418
Treatment of SM structural elements and shell areas with Fungistat
Re-mate wire harness W0142
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill from EDV
Progress 429 (SM Aft) Transfers and IMS Ops
CONTUR-2. Experiment Session
HAM Radio session from Columbus
FMK Deployment Ops
CIR Rack – Equipment Setup
Grab Sample Container (GSC) Sampling Operations
Initiate Condensate Sampling
VIABLE – Kit Inspection
COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops
HMS – Food Frequency Questionnaire
On-orbit Hearing Assessment using EARQ
EMU Water Refill
Evening Work Prep
Terminate Condensate Sampling
??? Maintenance)
RWS Teardown
Evening Work Prep
IMS Delta File Prep
CONTUR-2. De-installation of master arm with adapter from panel 418
PLAZMENNIY KRISTALL. Gas Exchange in the Chamber to Neon
VELO Exercise, Day 1
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops
Start EMU METOX Regeneration
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
PLAZMENNIY KRISTALL. Hardware De-Installation and Stowage Prepack
Crew Discretionary Conference
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
ECON-M. Observations and Photography
Completed Task List Items
P/TV Battery Charger Swap
Air Quality Monitor Reposition
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
MT Translation from WS2 to WS4
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 10/30: EVA Preparation, JEMAL ExHAM install
Saturday, 10/31: Weekly Cleaning, Crew Off Duty
Sunday, 11/01: Crew Off Duty
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – Off
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – On
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Off
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) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up
