NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 4 September 2015

Soyuz crew members Sergey Volkov of Roscosmos, Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) and Aidyn Aimbetov of the Kazakh Space Agency joined their Expedition 44 crewmates when the hatches between the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft and the International Space Station officially opened at 6:15 a.m. EDT.
Expedition 44 Commander Gennady Padalka of Roscosmos, as well as Flight Engineers Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Mikhail Kornienko of Roscosmos, and Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) welcomed the new crew members aboard their orbital home, marking the first time since 2013 that nine people have been aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The crew will support several hundred experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science — research that impacts life on Earth.

The trip enables Roscosmos to rotate a crew member and a Soyuz spacecraft. Volkov will remain aboard the station for the next six months, returning in March 2016 with one-year mission crew members Kelly and Kornienko in the Soyuz TMA-18M. Padalka, who launched in March with Kelly and Kornienko in the Soyuz TMA-16M, will return to Earth in that spacecraft on Sept. 11 with Mogensen and Aimbetov, leaving Kelly in command of Expedition 45. Lindgren, Kononenko and Yui will remain aboard the station until late December. Each Soyuz remains in orbit for about six months.

You can follow the crew’s activities in space on social media. Follow space station activities via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Follow Twitter updates from Kjell Lindgren, Kimiya Yui, Andreas Mogensen, Sergey Volkov, and Scott Kelly, and follow Kelly on Instagram.

To join the online conversation about the International Space Station on Twitter, follow the hashtag #ISS. To learn more about all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

On-Orbit Status Report

44 Soyuz (44S) Docking: 44S, carrying Aidyn Aimbetov, Andreas Mogensen and Sergey Volkov to the ISS, successfully docked this morning at 2:42 am CDT followed by leak checks and hatch opening, increasing the ISS crew complement to nine members. Padalka and Kelly conducted a safety briefing with the newly arrived 44S crew, covering potential hazards and available safety measures on the ISS.

Microbe IV: Yui collected air and surface samples in different locations of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) using the Particle Counter and the Surface, Water and Air Biocharacterization Air Sampling Device (SWAB ASD). Additional samples using an adhesive sheet were collected and stored in MELFI for return on a future flight. The Microbe IV experiment researches microbial dynamics in a crewed habitat in space which is vital to understand for safe and healthy long duration space habitation. Research on this relationship in a space habitation environments is critical for success in long-duration mission, in order to reduce potential hazards for the crew and the spacecraft infrastructure.

Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack-2 (MSPR-2) Video Recording Unit (VRU) Checkout: Lindgren performed an end-to-end video communication between the ground and MSPR-2 and the function of MSPR VRU2 with the two primary ISS camcorders.

Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Mouse Habitat Unit (MHU) Removal: Following the completion of MHU checkout this week, Yui removed the MHU from the CBEF. Additional hardware will arrive on future flights in advance of the first planned use of the MHU. Samples are scheduled for arrival on SpaceX-9.

HTV Cargo Transfer Status: Yui completed about one hour of HTV-5 Cargo transfer operations today. A total of 22.3 hours remain to complete HTV-5 cargo operations.

ESA Short Duration Mission

AQUAMEMBRANE: Lindgren performed a pre?requisite activity with the Water Processing Assembly (WPA) Waste Water Tank, by filling 3 bags with 300mL of waste water condensate. These bags are kept at ambient temperature until the AQUAMEMBRANE activities planned on 05?September (GMT248). The AQUAMEMBRANE experiment will help validate an Aquaporin Inside Membrane (AIM) as a replacement to the ISS multi?filtration beds for water recovery by quantifying AIM efficiency to treat ISS condensate obtained from the ISS cabin atmosphere. This could lead to improved efficiency in ISS systems for reclaiming water for use as drinking water etc, which will help reduce upload mass of expendable media used in water processing.

SKINSUIT: The first height measurement of Mogenson, with support of Kelly, was completed. When astronauts are in space, they do not experience the effects of gravity and one result of this is that they do not have any body weight. We know that astronauts grow taller in space and we think the main reason for this is that, without the weight of their upper body pressing down on it, their spine ‘stretches’ – it becomes less curved and the discs that separate the bones of the spine fill with more fluid (fluid that is normally squeezed out by the weight of their upper body). This investigation will test a new piece of clothing called ‘SkinSuit’, which is designed to simulate the effect of body weight, to see if it can control this stretching.

ENDOTHELIAL CELLS: KUBIK FM5 was powered on from the ground. EC (Experiment Container) pouches were retrieved from 44S, and installation of the ECs was completed by Yui. Good temperature and centrifuge setpoints confirmed. Human subjects and experimental animal models returning from space have shown muscle?skeletal and cardiovascular problems accredited to injury of the endothelium: the system of cells lining the inner surface of all blood vessels. This project aims at understanding the reaction of cultured endothelial cells to spaceflight through cellular and genetic analysis.

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

Soyuz 718 ODF Ops. Start Drying two Orlan Suits
SLEEP. Completing Questionnaire
Vozdukh Deactivation
Closing window shutters 6,8,9,12,13,14
MPEG-2 Downlink Test via Ku-band
ISS HAM RADIO Power Down
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD (start).
Review TV PAO procedure “Hatch Opening from MRM2? and “Arrival of Expedition 45 and VC-18 from SM”.
Preparation for ?? 718 Docking
ISS Comm Config for ??? 718 Docking. Comm check with Soyuz 718 via RSA2-S/G2
Monitoring of Soyuz 718 Rendezvous with the ISS
Activation of TV Data and MPEG2 Multicast Monitoring Equipment
CBEF – Hardware Removal
Activation of mpeg2 multicast video recording mode
Video Footage for Nauka 2.0 TV Channel
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill from EDV
Life On The Station Photo and Video
Switching ??-?? PEV (MRM2) to ELECTR CONTROL
Closing Applications and Downlink of MPEG2 Multicast video via OCA
Activation of Gas Analyzer in ?? 717 (MRM1)
ISS RS comm. config after Soyuz 718 docking
MICB – Start Air Sampling
CBEF – Cable Reconfiguration
?? 718 – MRM2 Interface Leak Check
Crew Departure Prep
CBEF Door Open
IMS Delta File Prep
MICB – Sample Photos
MICB Sample Collection
Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
Hardware Setup in SM for “Expedition 45 Arrival” TV Coverage and Test Checkout from SM
CBEF Door Close
Vozdukh Atmosphere Purification System [???] Activation
MICB – Filter installation in MELFI
Hardware Setup in MRM2 for “Hatch Opening from MRM2? TV PAO Coverage from SM and Test Checkout from MRM2
Food Frequency Questionnaire
Soyuz-MRM2 Hatch Opening
TV coverage “Hatch Opening from MRM2? and “Expedition 45 and VC-18 Arrival from SM”
Installing Quick-Release Screw Clamps on MRM2 side
Closing Applications, Deactivation of TV data monitoring Equipment
MICB – Filter Removal
MICB – Filter installation in MELFI
???? reconfig for nominal ops
Terminate Drying of Suits 1,2
Start drying the 3rd space suit and set up the 1st pair of gloves for drying
Food Frequency Questionnaire
Finish drying the 1st pair of gloves and start drying the 2nd pair
CMS-KIT- Installation
VC FE Familiarization with the ISS
Daily measurements in SkinSuit and Filling Questionnaire
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Download data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD (end) and start backup.
EXPRESS Rack 4 – Laptop configuration
EXPRESS Rack 4 – Gateway and Laptop configuration
ISS HAM Radio Power Up
Terminate Drying the Second Pair of Gloves
Safety briefing after ?? 718 docking
MSPR2 – Cable Installation and Hardware Checkout
Familiarization of VC SFP with ISS
Photography of traces left by the Active Docking Mechanism Probe on the MRM2 Passive Mechanism Receiving Cone
VC FE Familiarization with the ISS
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops
Soyuz ?? 718 Deactivation (without Gas Analyzer deactivation)
Downlink of Docking Cone Internal Surface Photos via OCA
Finish drying the 3rd suit, start drying the 3rd pair of gloves
BIOSIGNAL. Activation of ???-? incubator No.2 at +29 deg ?
Soyuz ?? 718 Deactivation (without Gas Analyzer deactivation)
ENDO – hardware handover and relocation
?? 718 Transfers and IMS Ops
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
ENDO – Installation of Containers into KUBIK
Terminate drying the 3rd pair of gloves
Stowage of suits and gloves after drying
SDM – Bag gathering for equipment transfer
VC FE Familiarization with the ISS
CONYUGATSIYA. BIOEMULSIYA. BIOPLENKA. PRODUTSENT. Transfer and Setup in ???-? No.04
POLYGEN. DROZOFILA-2 Kit Transfer from ?? and Setup in SM
ESA Weekly Crew Conference
CALCIUM. Calcium- ? Kit Transfer from Soyuz and Setup in MRM1
POLYGEN. Kit deployment photo at exposure location
MATRYOSHKA-R. Transfer of PADLES detectors from ?? and Handover to USOS
MATRYOSHKA-R. Kit Handover Photography
Dosimeter Setup
?? 718 Transfers and IMS Ops
BIOSIGNAL. Hardware Transfer from Soyuz
BIOSIGNAL. Hardware setup at +29 degrees C.
Closing USOS Window Shutters
MATRYOSHKA-R. Questionnaire
VC FE Familiarization with the ISS
MSPR2 – Closeout Ops
SDM – Equipment transfer and stowage
Psychological Evaluation Program (WinSCAT)
JRNL – Journal Entry
MSPR2 – Reconfig for nominal ops
TWIN – Saliva Collection Hardware Setup
HRF – Hardware Setup
SHD – Weekly Questionnaire

Completed Task List Items
HTV Cargo Operations

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
44S docking support

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Saturday, 09/05: Emergency roles & responsibilities review, Change of Command Ceremony
Sunday, 09/06: OBT Soyuz drill, crew off duty
Monday, 09/07: USOS crew holiday (Labor Day)

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