NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 January 2016
Two astronauts are preparing a pair of U.S. spacesuits to get ready for next week’s spacewalk to continue the maintenance of the International Space Station. In the midst of those preparations, the six-member Expedition 46 crew is proceeding with ongoing space science to improve life on Earth and benefit future astronauts.
Tim Kopra from NASA and Tim Peake from the European Space Agency will be the spacewalkers on Jan. 15. They will work outside for about six-hours and 30-minutes to replace a failed voltage regulator, rig cables for future International Docking Adapters and perform other maintenance tasks.
The station residents also worked throughout the day on a variety of experiments exploring human research, physics and other advanced subjects.
Commander Scott Kelly joined cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko for the Fluid Shifts study. That experiment observes how microgravity increases brain pressure which may push back on a crew member’s eyes, resulting in changes to their vision. Peake and Kopra also participated in life science experiments exploring heart function during long-term space missions and the efficacy of medications in space.
On-Orbit Status Report
Kubik-6 Ebox Exchange: Yesterday, Kelly unstowed the European Space Agency (ESA) Kubik-6 facility and exchanged the centrifuge and thermal eBoxes in preparation for the Kubik-6 commissioning. Today he activated and checked out the facility. Kubik is a small controlled-temperature incubator / cooler used to study biological samples in a microgravity environment. It is equipped with removable inserts designed for self-contained, automatic experiments using seeds, cells, or small animals.
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock Operations for Robotics Refueling Mission (RRM) Task Board 4 Retrieval: Peake depressurized and vented the JEM Airlock today in preparation for the retrieval of RRM Task Board 4 (TB4) from the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-4 (ELC-4), located on the ISS Starboard 3 (S3) Truss.
Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts): Kelly continued his Return-45 (R-45) multi-day session with baseline imaging collection, including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE), Tonometry, and Ultrasounds. Kopra assisted him as the operator. Fluid Shifts investigates the causes for severe and lasting physical changes to astronaut’s eyes. Because the headward fluid shift is a hypothesized contributor to these changes, reversing this fluid shift with a lower body negative pressure device is investigated as a possible intervention. Results from this study may help to develop preventative measures against lasting changes in vision and eye damage.
Biological Rhythms 48 Hours: Kopra donned the Holter Electrocardiogram to support JAXA’s Biological Rhythms 48 Hours investigation. He then synchronized data between the Actiwatch and Holter. This investigation studies the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on heart function by analyzing an astronaut’s electrocardiogram for 48 hours. While the ISS schedule follows Greenwich Mean Time, it is not known whether a separate biological rhythm is imposed on long-term flight crews. To study this, astronauts wear an Actiwatch for 96 hours and a Holter electrocardiograph for 48 hours.
Dose Tracker: Kopra and Peake completed entries for medication tracking on an iPad. This investigation documents the medication usage of crew members before and during their missions by capturing data regarding medication use during spaceflight, including side effect qualities, frequencies and severities. The data are expected to either support or counter anecdotal evidence of medication ineffectiveness during flight and unusual side effects experienced during flight. It is also expected that specific, near-real-time questioning about symptom relief and side effects will provide the data required to establish whether spaceflight-associated alterations in pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD) is occurring during missions.
Russian Pilot-T Experiment: Kelly performed a session of the Russian experiment Pilot-T today. The goal of Pilot-T is to improve methods and develop equipment to assess and predict crewmember performance reliability during the execution of complex operator tasks (such as piloting a space vehicle or controlling transport and robotic equipment on the surface of a spacecraft) during various stages of long-term spaceflight.
Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: Kopra and Peak worked together to remove arm sizing rings from Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) 3005 in support of resizing activity later in the day. EMU 3005 was then uninstalled from the Aft EMU Don/Doff Assembly (EDDA) and EMU 3011 was installed in its place. Later, EMU 3008 was resized for Peake and EMU 3011 for Kopra. The crew also manually removed gas from the payload water reservoir, recharged the EMU feed water tank, filled a dry Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG), and performed a tether inspection. The SSU EVA is scheduled to occur next week on January 15th.
Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Yesterday evening, the Robotics Ground Controllers continued reconfiguring tools and adapters on RRM TB4. This afternoon, TB4 was removed from RRM using the SPDM Robot Micro Conical Tool 2 (RMCT2). Tomorrow, the Mobile Transporter will be moved to Worksite 7 to allow access to the JEM Airlock Slide Table. TB4 will be placed on the Slide Table Thursday night, along with the failed RMCT1, in order to bring both items inside the ISS for return on SpX-8.
Russian Treadmill (??-2): The Russian crew reported a rubber shock absorbing belt in the ??-2 was torn. Photos have been downlinked for ground analysis.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Sprint Portable Pulmonary Function System (PPFS) Partial Setup
Fluid Shifts Experiment
USOS EVA – Enhanced Caution and Warning System (ECWS) On-Board Training
SM Ventilation System Preventive Maintenance. Group ?
Photo/TV Battery Charge Initiation
Soyuz 718 Samsung Tablet Recharge – Initiate
Audit of Docking and Internal Transfer System (????) accessories, kits
COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops
Portable Power Supply (PPS) – Settings
BLR48 – starting measurement
PPS – Settings Adjustment
PILOT-T. Preparation for the experiment
VCA1 Camera Adjustment
JEMAL – Depress and Vent
USND2 – Hardware Activation
ARED Flywheel Cylinder Evacuation
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
Fluid Shifts – Ultrasound Scan (assistance)
MRM1 Fan Screen Cleaning (Group C)
Fluid Shifts – CCFP Measurement Ops
Battery Charger Battery Swap
USND2 – Hardware Deactivation
Start BSA Battery Charge
JEMAL – Closeout Verification
Complete the Dose Tracker application (Subject)
Soyuz 718 Samsung Tablet Recharge – terminate
JEMAL – JEM Airlock Vent Confirmation
Complete the Dose Tracker application (Subject)
Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
MRM1-FGB Screw Clamp Tightening
Repair of SM Interior Panel 335 by Installing Overlay Panels – Day 1
EMU backpack replacement
PPS – Hardware Checkout
Repair of SM Interior Panel 335 by Installing Overlay Panels – Day 1
PPS – KUBIK6 deactivation and stowage
EMU Resizing
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
Comm config for conference from MRM2
Kulonovskiy Kristall Experiment Run
Photo/Video Battery Charger Battery Swap
EMU Payload Water Recharge Bag (PWR) De-gas
EMU Water Refill
PILOT-T. Experiment Ops
MRM2 Comm Reconfig for Nominal Ops
KULONOVSKIY KRISTALL. Copy and Downlink Data
EMU LCVG Water Fill
IMS Delta File Prep
USOS EVA Tool Config
PILOT-T. Closeout Ops
??? Maintenance
Terminate Photo/Video Battery Charge
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
Video Recording for All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (?????)
ECON-M. Observations and Photography
Completed Task List Items
None
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Continuation of Robotics Refueling Mission (RRM) Taskboard 4 Retrieval
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 01/07: Sprint VO2 ops, EVA procedures review/conference, MT Translate (WS4 – WS7)
Friday, 01/08: Fluid Shifts Ultrasound, Sprint VO2 ops, EVA tool config
Saturday: 01/09: Crew Off Duty, Weekly Cleaning
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”) – 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 – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off
