NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 1 April 2015
SpaceX is targeting Monday, April 13 to launch the next commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft is targeted for approximately 4:33 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m.
A Monday launch will result in the Dragon spacecraft arriving at the space station Wednesday, April 15. Expedition 43 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the station’s 57.7-foot robotic arm to reach out and capture Dragon at approximately 7:14 a.m. Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA will support Cristoforetti as they operate from the station’s cupola. NASA TV coverage of grapple will begin at 5 a.m. Coverage of Dragon’s installation to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module will begin at 9:15 a.m.
If the launch does not occur on Monday, the next launch opportunity would be at approximately 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, April 14.
This is the sixth SpaceX commercial resupply services mission and the seventh trip by a Dragon spacecraft to the station. Dragon is filled with more than 4,300 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to support science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 43 and 44. After about five weeks at the space station, Dragon will return to Earth filled with cargo including crew supplies, hardware and computer resources, science experiments, and space station hardware.
On-Orbit Status Report
Human Research Program (HRP) Collections: Kelly continued his week-long saliva collections for the Microbiome and Salivary Markers experiments and inserted the samples into Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI).
Salivary Markers experiment aims to identify if there are any risks of an adverse health event in crewmembers due to an impaired immune system. Maintaining a robust immune system during prolonged spaceflight missions (i.e., to other planets or asteroids) will be important to ensure mission success. If any impairment in immunity is found due to spaceflight, this will allow the development of appropriate countermeasures to help mitigate the risks.
The Microbiome experiment investigates the impact of space travel on both the human immune system and an individual’s microbiome (the collection of microbes that live in and on the human body at any given time).
Ocular Health: Kelly and Kornienko began their three days of operations of Ocular Health. Today’s sessions included a vision test and questionnaire, then with Virts as the Crew Medical Officer (CMO) for Kelly and Padalka as the CMO for Kornienko, eye pressure measurements were collected using the tonometer and blood pressure measurements. The Ocular Health protocol calls for a systematic gathering of physiological data to characterize the risk of microgravity-induced visual impairment/intracranial pressure in ISS crewmembers. Researchers believe that the measurement of visual, vascular and central nervous system changes over the course of this experiment and during the subsequent post-flight recovery will assist in the development of countermeasures, clinical monitoring strategies, and clinical practice guidelines.
Factors Contributing to Food Acceptability and Consumption, Mood and Stress on Long-Term Space Missions (Astro Palate): Virts executed the Day 4 Part A session of Astro Palate. He took pre and post meal blood pressure measurements and saliva samples which were inserted into MELFI. His midday meal was the same as he selected on for the Day 3 Part A session. The objective of Part A is to determine whether eliminating the need to choose menu items within a meal will reduce stress and improve mood. Crew members’ stress levels and moods are compared before and after a meal on four days with the crewmember choosing the meal on Days 1 and 3, and repeating the meal on Days 2 and 4. The changes in measures for days 1 and 3, when the crew members choose their meal components, are compared with the changes in the measures on days 2 and 4, when the crew members do not choose their meal components. Astro Palate studies the relationship among emotions, mood, stress and eating during spaceflight. The study explores ways to minimize stressful aspects of the eating situation so that individuals consume more food and are more satisfied with it. Additionally, the experiment examines ways to use the eating itself to reduce the stress or negative moods that crewmembers might normally experience in flight.
Fine Motor Skills: Kornienko and Kelly performed their Flight Day (FD) 5 session of Fine Motor Skills. In this experiment, crew members perform a series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet. This is the first fine motor skills study to measure long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal is to answer how fine motor performance in microgravity trend/vary over the duration of a six-month and year-long space mission; how fine motor performance on orbit compare with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance trend/vary before and after gravitational transitions, including the periods of early flight adaptation and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.
Sleep Log: Kelly and Kornienko entered their Sleep Logs into the SSC. Sleep ISS-12 experiment monitors ambient light exposure and crew member activity and collects subjective evaluations of sleep and alertness to examine the effects of space flight and ambient light exposure on sleep during a year-long mission on the ISS.
Utilization SpaceX-6 (SpX-6) Preparations: Virts loaded the Osteo-4 software onto the EXpedite PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack 8 laptop. He also inserted twelve -32°C Icebricks into MELFI to condition them for later use. Launching on SpX-6, Osteocytes and Mechanomechano-transduction (Osteo-4) studies the effects of microgravity on the function of osteocytes which are the most common cells in bone. These cells reside within the mineralized bone and can sense mechanical forces, or the lack, but researchers do not know how. Osteo-4 allows scientists to analyze changes in the physical appearance and genetic expression of mouse bone cells in microgravity.
Lab Internal Audio Controller (IAC) 1 Remove & Replace (R&R): The IAC-1 has degraded over the years and now has a consistent 1553 wraparound/AMP failure while operating in 1553 Channel A, taking part of the redundancy of the system. There is also the possibility of jeopardizing voice and Caution & Warning (C&W) capabilities during crucial events. Virts R&Rd the degraded unit today which restored nominal IAC functionality.
Air Quality Monitor (AQM) 1 Troubleshooting: Earlier this year ground controllers’ attempts to retrieve data from AQM S/N 1003 were unsuccessful. The crew power cycled the hardware but functionality was not recovered. Today’s troubleshooting steps were unsuccessful in restoring nominal AQM1 operations. Although there is one operational AQM onboard, two AQMs provide analysis of all target compounds required to properly assess the ISS air quality in near real-time. Teams are working a forward plan.
SpaceX (SpX)6 Preparations: In preparation for SpX-6 arrival, Kelly completed On-Board Training (OBT) Dragon Rendezvous Review covering the Dragon mission profile, Dragon rendezvous crew procedures and crew interfaces for monitoring and commanding the Dragon.
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRM) Operations: Today, the Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) and walked the SSRMS off Mobile Base System (MBS) Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) 3 onto the Node 2 PDGF. In the process they performed two Latching End Effector (LEE)-A captures and releases of the Node 2 PDGF prior to capturing this PDGF for the walk off. After mating LEE-A to the Node 2 PDGF, the Robotics Ground Controllers performed three derigidize/rigidize cycles. These capture/release and derigidize/rigidize cycles were performed to help characterize LEE-A performance post the lubrication that was done during USOS Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 30. After completing the walk off, the Robotics Ground Controllers maneuvered the SSRMS to the SpaceX-6 Offset Grapples start position. MSS performance today was nominal.
Today’s Planned Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
Hematocrit Test
TWIN – Sample Collection and Prep for Stowage
Hematocrit Hardware Stowage
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
BIOSIGNAL. Temperature check in Cryogem-03 / r/g 8342
CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 8358
Ocular Health (OH) Vision Test
OBSTANOVKA. r/g 8382
COSMOCARD. Preparation. Starting 24-hr ECG Recording / r/g 8387
Fine Motor Skills – Experiment Ops / See OSTPV for Procedure
Fine Motor Skills Experiment – Set up hardware for the experiment:
Replacement of Flow Indicators r/g 8386
FMK Deployment Ops
OSTEO4 – Software Load
GSC Sampling Operations
MELF2 – Ice Brick Insertion
Ocular Health – Vision Test
Ocular Health (OH) – Tonometry Test Configuration
Demate/mate ИП-1 telemetry connectors / r/g 8386
JEM SLT Laptop Reboot
Replacement of Flow Indicators ИП-1 on ГА-ПГО Hatch / r/g 8386
HAM radio session from Columbus
Removing yellow tag from Makita Drill Charger / r/g 8377
Environmental Health System (EHS) Air Quality Monitor (AQM) Troubleshooting
Vision Questionnaire
SLM data transfer
Replacement of SM unit 800А АБ Module No.5 – assistance r/g 8385
Post-Tonometry Stowage
Replacement of 800А SM Storage Battery No. 5.
Check if present and Replace Sealing cover mechanism screw / r/g 8385
Cleaning vent screens on FGB interior panels (panels 201, 301, 401)
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
Replacement of SM unit 800А Storage Battery Module No.5 – assistance r/g 8385
CALCIUM. Experiment session 2. / r/g 8388
Cleaning vent screens on FGB interior panels (panels 116, 316, 231, 431)
SLM data transfer
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
EXPANDER Exercise
T2 Monthly Inspection
T2 – Quarterly Inspection
Astro Palate (AP) – Survey Completion
Removal of СА1,2 TV Cameras and Light Units in ТК 716
CWQMK Water Sample Analysis
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
Filling (Separation) of EDV (KOV) for Elektron – Handover / r/g 8084
Internal Audio Controller 1 (IAC-1) Remove and Replace
MATRYOSHKA-R. Outfitting Phantom set with detectors, Transfer and Installation in KIBOr/g 8383
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
Cleaning ВД1 and ВД2 Air Ducts in DC1
Dust Filter Replacement and В1, В2 Fan Grille Cleaning in DC1
CEVIS Overview
Dust Filter Replacement and MRM1 Gas-Liquid Heat Exchanger
OBT – Dragon Rendezvous and Berthing Procedures Review
Dragon Pre-pack for disposal
Completed Task List Items
None
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.
MSS powerup
SSRMS walkoff to MBS3
MSS powerdown
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 04/02: Ocular Health, CIR imaging reconfig
Friday, 04/03: Ocular Health, ER7 cable connection, Rodent Research s/w load, Recycle tank QD reconfig
Saturday, 04/04: Housekeeping, Twin Study
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – On
[СКВ] 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 – Shutdown
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up
