NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 October 2016

The International Space Station has been flying over Hurricane Matthew all week as the storm hit the Caribbean Sea and makes its way towards Florida. While the citizens of Florida braced for the hurricane’s impact, the crew researched how living in space impacts the human body.
Astronauts Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi collected their blood samples, spun them in a centrifuge and stored the samples in a science freezer. The samples will be examined on Earth to understand the detrimental effects of living in space on bone marrow and blood cells.

Rubins also joined Commander Anatoly Ivanishin for eye checks today to explore the headward fluid shifts astronauts experience during long-term space missions. These fluid shifts increase pressure on the brain and eyes, potentially causing vision problems. The duo used a series of tools including an ultrasound to examine their eyes.

Finally, Onishi researched how microgravity affects microbes living inside humans, possibly upsetting the immune system. The Japanese astronaut also worked on a device that enables materials to burn safely at high temperatures for combustion research.

On-Orbit Status Report

Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts): Following yesterday’s Dilution Measurements, today, the ISS CDR performed Day 2 of his Final Fluid Shifts collection. With assistance from FE-6, the crew performed various collections and measurements including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE), Tonometry, and Ultrasounds. Today’s sessions concluded the CDR’s Fluid Shift activities, as the crew will not be performing Cerebral and Cochlear Fluid Pressure (CCFP) measurements or Chibis/Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) measurements. The CCFP measurement device was returned on SpaceX-9 for failure analysis, and due to the shortened 47S increment duration, it was determined that the LBNP would not be required. Both instances of science loss were reviewed and accepted by the payload teams. 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.

Marrow Blood Collection: FE-5, with the assistance of FE-6, performed the fourth and final blood collections in support of the Return minus 30 day (R-30d) requirement. The samples were spun using the on-board refrigerated centrifuge then stored in Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return on a later flight. The MARROW study (Bone Marrow Adipose Reaction: Red Or White?) (Marrow) investigation looks at the effect of microgravity on the bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on the bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the bone marrow. The extent of this effect, and its recovery, are of interest to space research and healthcare providers on Earth.

Multiomics Collections: FE-5 performed sampling in support of the JAXA MultiOmics experiment. Various samples are collected and stowed in MELFI four times throughout the crew’s on-orbit duration in addition to a questionnaire and ingestion of fructooligosaccharide (FOS). The objective of MultiOmics is to understand the gut ecosystem of astronauts in the space environment, especially focusing on the immune dysfunction, and to evaluate the impact of fructooligosaccharide (FOS).

Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) Troubleshooting: FE-5 performed an ELF Sample Holder exchange to troubleshoot the friction problems seen with previous Sample Holders. The Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) is an experimental facility designed to levitate/melt/solidify materials by containerless processing techniques using the Electrostatic Levitation method. With this facility, thermophysical properties of high temperature melts can be measured, and solidification from deeply undercooled melts can be achieved. The ELF is located in the JEM Multipurpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) in Kibo.

Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL) Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) Exchange: FE-5 performed a sample exchange in the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) MSL facility. The crew installed the Batch-2b of the MSL SCA, which serves two projects investigating how different phases organize in a structure when metallic alloys are solidified. The crew observed a scratch on the liquid-metal ring, which allows for controlled cooling of the sample. Ground controllers had the crew continue with the operations, and they will initiate the experiment run the week of 17 October. The project Metastable Solidification of Composites (METCOMP) studies the phase formed by the reaction of the remaining liquid phase with an already formed solid, to form a second solid phase on cooling. For this purpose, Bronze (Copper-Tin Alloys) of different compositions will be processed. The other project, Solidification along a Eutectic path in Ternary Alloys (SETA), looks at how two phases that form together organize into lamellar, or fibre, structures when cooling Aluminum (Copper-Silver Alloys). Both projects will provide benchmark samples that will enable to test numerical models that aim to predict these structures.

Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Slosh Preparations: FE-6 continued charging batteries and review On-Board Training (OBT) materials in advance of tomorrow’s experiment run. The crew conducted a conference with the SPHERES-Slosh team. The SPHERES-Slosh investigation examines the way liquids move inside containers in a microgravity environment. The phenomena and mechanics associated with such liquid movement are still not well understood and are very different than our common experiences with a cup of coffee on Earth. Rockets deliver satellites to space using liquid fuels as a power source, and this investigation plans to improve our understanding of how propellants within rockets behave in order to increase the safety and efficiency of future vehicle designs.

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

CSA Generic Frozen Blood Collection
CSA Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Configure
ENERGY Diet Log of Breakfast
SPHERES Battery Swap
CSA Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) /Group Combustion Module (GCM) Component Activation 2
Download of BRI log from RSS1
Video Recording of Greetings
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) WSTA Fill
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Full Fill
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) Hard Drive
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)
FLUID SHIFTS. Ultrasound 2 Power On
In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Full Fill
FLUID SHIFTS. OCT Setup
FLUID SHIFTS. Donning CardioLab Holter
SPHERES Payload OBT
FLUID SHIFTS. Baseline Ultrasound Scan
SPHERES Battery Swap
SPHERES Slosh OBT
Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Baseline Scan
Multi Omics Fecal Sample Operations
Multi Omics Fecal Sample MELFI Insertion
XF305 Camcorder Setup
Electrostatic Levitation Furnace(ELF) Sample Holder Install
ISS N2 Repress from Progress 432 [AO] ???? Section 2 (start)
Verification of Kit #1contents for Komparus
Fluid Shifts OCT Baseline Exam – Operator
FLUID SHIFTS. Assisted Test, Subject
FLUID SHIFTS. OCT Equipment Stowage
SPHERES Battery Swap
ISS N2 Repress from Progress 432 [AO] ???? Section 2 (end)
SPHERES Crew Conference
ENERGY Diet Log of Lunch
FLUID SHIFTS. Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) Baseline Test, Subject
Fluid Shifts Tonometry Baseline Setup
MELFI Ice Brick Insert
Fluid Shifts Tonometry Baseline Exam – Operator
FLUID SHIFTS. Tonometer Test, Subject
Material Science Laboratory SCA Exchange2B #3
FLUID SHIFTS. Hardware Removal and Stowage
FLUID SHIFTS. Tonometry Equipment Stowage
??? maintenance
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Download data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (????) HDD
Multi Omics Item Gathering
European Modular Cultivation System Thermal Control System Sponge Replace
SPHERES Battery Swap
CSA Generic Frozen Blood Collection Conclude And Stow
Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Troubleshooting Gather
Habitability Human Factors Post-Questionnaire PI Conference – Subject
Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference
ISS HAM Columbus Pass
SPHERES Battery Swap
Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

Completed Task List Items
Node 1 Starboard Hatch Seal Cleaning
Node 3 Port Feedthrough Hardware Located

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Battery 4B2 Reconditioning
Lab MCA Zero Calibration

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Friday, 10/07: SPHERES-Slosh Run, MSPR Leak Check, Emergency OBT Delta Review
Saturday, 10/08: Weekly Housekeeping, HAM Radio Pass, ENERGY Experiment
Sunday, 10/09: Crew Off Duty, ENERGY Experiment

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – On
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Standby
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Reprocess
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up