NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 8 January 2016

Two astronauts were back at work today preparing the spacesuits and tools they will use next week during a maintenance spacewalk. The crew also wrapped up some plumbing work while continuing a wide variety of space science.
Flight Engineers Tim Kopra and Tim Peake checked out their U.S. spacesuits ensuring a good fit and readied their spacewalk tools. The duo from the United States and Britain will exit the International Space Station Jan. 15 to replace a failed voltage regulator and work on other maintenance tasks.

The station’s restroom, the Waste and Hygiene Compartment, is back in operation after some parts and cables were replaced. That work was completed after a leak was discovered.

Commander Scott Kelly joined his fellow One-Year crewmate Mikhail Kornienko for the ongoing Fluid Shifts study. That experiment explores how microgravity increases brain pressure pushing back on a crew member’s eye possibly affecting their vision.

Kelly observed a moment of silence this morning to mark the 5th anniversary of the shootings in Tucson, AZ. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, married to Kelly’s twin brother and ex-astronaut Mark Kelly, was gravely wounded that day. Kelly, who was in space that day as commander of Expedition 26, was joined by his crewmates today for the silent moment.

On-Orbit Status Report

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Status: Following yesterday’s pretreated urine leak discovery and cleanup, today Peake worked to successfully change out the WHC Pump Separator, Wring Collector (COT), Air Filter, Liquid Indicator and Electrical cables. WHC has since been activated and is operating nominally.

Robotics Refueling Mission (RRM): Last night, ground controllers transferred RRM Task Board 4 and Robotic Micro Conical Tool (RMCT)-1 from the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to the JEM Airlock Slide Table. Peake then retracted the slide table back into the JEM Airlock. Taskboard 4 and RMCT1 are planned for return on SpX-8.

Biological Rhythms 48 Hours: Today Kopra removed the Holter Electrocardiogram and transfer data from the Holter and Acitwatch to the Medical laptop. This JAXA 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.

Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts): Kornienko 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. Kelly 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.

Integrated Resistance and Aerobic Training Study (Sprint) Volume of Oxygen Utilized (VO2) Max: For his Flight Day 15 Sprint VO2 Max session, Kopra attached Electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes to himself, set up and donned Heart Rate Monitor hardware, performed Portable Pulmonary Function System calibrations, and then performed the VO2 protocol. The Sprint VO2 investigation evaluates the use of high intensity, low volume exercise to minimize loss of muscle, bone, and cardiovascular function in ISS crewmembers while reducing total exercise time during long-duration space missions. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: In preparation for the Sequential Shunt Unit (SSU) EVA next Friday, Peake and Kopra performed a checkout of the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) System and configured EVA tools.

Elektron Status: Ground Specialists in Moscow worked with the Russian Crew to troubleshoot Elektron today. The crew flushed the Elektron primary and backup pumps with water and ensured various valves were configured correctly, and successfully activated the system. Elektron had been deactivated since December 24th for the high beta period.

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

Reaction Self-Test (Wakeup)
Morning Inspection, Laptop RSS1,2, Reboot
WHC Pump Sep R&R
WHC COT R&R
WHC Filter R&R
WHC Fan R&R [Aborted]
SPRINT – Hardware Setup
Fluid Shifts
SAFER Checkout
VIBROLAB. Monitoring hardware activation
IMS Tagup (S-band)
CIR – Valve Closure
Handover / Handover Recommendations (???)
BLR48 – Saving Experiment Data
USND2 – Hardware Activation
HAM radio session from Columbus
JRNL – Journal Entry
Fluid Shifts – Donning Holter Arterial BP
VEG-01 – Plant Photo
Fluid Shifts – Ultrasound Scan – Subject
BAR. Video
BLR48 – Saving Actiwatch Data
Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion (CSA-CP) Checkout – Part 2
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – Food Frequency Questionnaire
SPRINT Experiment Ops
WHC Fill
JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JEF side
Battery Charging for EVA Camera setup
Elektron troubleshooting
FGB Interior Panel Vent Screen Cleaning (panels 201, 301, 401)
CIR Valve Open
SHD – Questionnaire
Video Footage of Greetings
Preparing SSC17 Client for loading
USND2 Hardware Deactivation
USOS EVA Tool Configuration
OTKLIK. Hardware Monitoring
MRM2 comm config to support the P/L Ops
GREAT START. Algometria Video
ALGOMETRIA. Experiment Ops
Kulonovskiy Kristall Experiment Run
PFE Video Setup
VECHO – Measurement Ops
IMS and Stowage Conference
GREAT START. Algometria Experiment Reporting
IMS Delta File Prep
VIBROLAB. Copy and Downlink Data
MRM2 Comm Reconfig for Nominal Ops
KULONOVSKIY KRISTALL. Copy and Downlink Data
SPRINT – Equipment Stowage
Periodic Fitness Evaluation
Stowage of Equipment Used for PFE Video Shoot
Post-Exercise Hygiene Procedure
SPRINT – Closeout Ops
Reaction Self-Test (Sleep)
Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media
Video Recording for All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (?????)
ECON-M. Observation and Photography

Completed Task List Items
None

Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Task Board 4 and RMCT-1 transfer to JEM Airlock Slide Table

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday: 01/09: Crew Off Duty, Weekly Cleaning
Sunday: 01/10: Crew Off Duty, Reboost
Monday, 01/11: Fluid Shifts, Equipment Lock Prep, ARED Quarterly Maintenance, EMU OFV, NeuroMapping

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 – 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