NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 16 January 2015

Today: External Thermal Control System (ETCS) Loop B Recovery Status: Ground teams continue working towards incrementally re-pressurizing ETCS Loop B.
Last night’s re-pressurization resulted in a 1% decrease in Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA) tank quantity. Ground teams are targeting a total of 7% decrease (0.63 c.f. NH3) before a Loop B restart is attempted. The Loop B Interface Heat Exchangers (IFHX) remain bypassed and isolated, preventing internal heat rejection on Loop B. Due to the loss of heat rejection for the Node 2 Low Temperature Loop (LTL), half of the power loads in the Node 2, JEM and Columbus modules remain powered down. ETCS Loop A continues to operate nominally.

Conjunction with Object #27317: Overnight, ground teams evaluating tracking data for a possible conjunction with object #27317. The concern level on the item was found to be low, and work on a potential Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) was cancelled.

Wearable monitoring: Cristoforetti doffed the Wearable Monitoring Vest, transferred data and stowed hardware from the second Wearable Monitoring session. Wearable Monitoring validates a new cloth vest that monitors astronaut heart rates and breathing patterns during sleep. It collects data to investigate whether changes in heart activity are related to astronauts’ poor sleep quality. Current technology cannot check astronauts’ heart activity while they sleep because the test wakes them up. The Wearable Monitor is a lightweight vest with silver wires and sensors embedded into the fabric, making it more comfortable to wear.

Micro-5: The Micro-5 bacteria activation activity was divided into a morning session and an afternoon session. In each session, Virts performed the same actions using different serial number hardware. During each session, inside Microgravity Science glovebox (MSG), Virts activated the bacteria in each bacteria growth bag using the inoculum syringe. After activation, the bacteria growth bags and inoculum syringes were placed back into the bacteria kit and then that kit placed inside Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-4 (CGBA-4) for incubation. The Investigation of host-pathogen interactions, conserved cellular responses, and countermeasure efficacy during spaceflight using the human surrogate model Caenorhabditis elegans (Micro-5) investigation aims to better understand the risks of in-flight infections in space explorers during long-term space flight using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (roundworm) with the microbe Salmonella typhimurium (causes food poisoning in humans).

SPHERES Zero Robotics: Wilmore, Serova and Cristoforetti welcomed hundreds of students from North America, Europe and Russia to the Zero Robotics competition aboard the ISS and engage in the operations associated with the SPHERES Zero Robotics event broadcast LIVE to the participants on the ground. The SPHERES Zero Robotics investigation establishes an opportunity for high school students to design research for the ISS. As part of a competition, students write algorithms for the SPHERES satellites to accomplish tasks relevant to future space missions. The algorithms are tested by the SPHERES team and the best designs are selected for the competition to operate the SPHERES satellites on board the ISS.

Biological Research In Canisters-20 (BRIC-20): Wilmore reviewed onboard Training (OBT) materials and then actuated the BRIC-20 canisters. Cristoforetti took digital stills for Historical Documentation Photography of the BRIC actuation. The Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) hardware has supported a variety of plant growth investigations. The BRIC-20 investigation will focus on the growth and development of samples in microgravity. Samples will be preserved with a chemical fixative and returned to the ground for post flight evaluation.

Airway Monitoring: Cristoforetti worked to set up and power on the Airway Monitoring equipment in the US Lab. Some hardware issues delayed the activation of the setup, and remaining activities were deferred from today’s plan. The experiment operations are expected to be rescheduled soon.

Remote Power Control Module (RPCM) Switch Failure: RPCM LAD11B_A switch 04, which provides power to Video Switching Unit 1 (VSU1) had failed open this past Wednesday. Attempts to reclose the switch were unsuccessful today. VSU1 is required for processing 3 of 6 possible external camera views and is also needed for sending video to the Lab Robotics Work Station (RWS) monitors. Ground teams are preparing procedures in order to replace the RPCM as early as next week.

Russian Treadmill (BD2) Control Panel Change Out: Russian crew successfully replaced the control panel associated with BD2. The control panel had failed in November 2014 and a replacement was subsequently manifested onboard SpaceX-5.

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

WEARMON – Data Transfer and Hardware Stowage
Biochemical Urine Test [Aborted due to hardware issue]
URISYS Hardware Stowage
MICRO5-P/L-REVIEW2
ISS Crew Weekly Conference with ???? Management Team
Crew activates Portable Power Supply (PPS) 1 power outlet 1
IMS Tagup
PROBOY. RS?1 Station Laptop Activity
PROBOY. Penetration Simulator Ops
Checkout of ??-2 Pilot’s Sight and Comm Interfaces
MICRO5 – Early Ops.
AIRMON – Hardware Activation and Calibration. [Deferred due to hardware issues]
??-2 Control Panel Replacement
PROBOY. Copy and Downlink Data
Water Recovery System (WRS): WPA Waste Water Tank Offload into CWC. Start
Checkout of the Wide Angle Vertical Sight (????)
URAGAN. Photo Spectrum System Battery Charge (start)
EPGN – Removal from the module
Water Recovery System (WRS): Terminate WPA Waste Water Tank Offload into CWC
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill from EDV
MICRO5 – MELFI Sample Insertion
AIRMON – Experiment Ops Measurements [Deferred]
RGN – Initiate drain into EDV
ARED Flywheel Cylinder Evacuation
Soyuz IRIDIUM phone charging
TOCA Calibration
Cleaning ??1 and ??2 Air Ducts in MRM2
Regenerative ECLSS. Termination of Recycle Tank Drain
SPHERES – Students Welcome in the comm session
SPHERES – Camera Setup and Test Start
Scheduled PUMA Checkout
MICRO5 – Closeout Ops
Changeout of cartridges in SM dust filters ??1-4.
URAGAN. Hub replacement and test activation
OTKLIK. Hardware Check
AIRMON – Experiment Ops Measurements [Deferred]
SPHERES – Hardware power off, battery replacement, and stowage.
TOCA Calibration
TOCA Waste Water Bag (WWB) Changeout
MICRO5 – MELFI Sample Insertion
BRIC20 – Experiment Ops
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – Food Frequency Questionnaire
AIRMON – Hardware Deactivation and Removal [Deferred]
Completed Task List Items

IMAX SpaceX-5 scene [In work]
Ground Activities

Loop B Recovery [In Work]
Three-Day Look Ahead:

Saturday, 01/17: Weekly Cleaning, Epigenetics Sample Preparation, Crew Off duty
Sunday, 01/18: MICRO-5 Sampling, Crew Off duty
Monday, 01/19: EMUs 3010 & 3011 Loop Scrub, Micro5, Cardox, CSLM2, Drain Brain
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – On
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[???] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) – Off
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab – Operate
Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 – Deactivated
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Normal
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full up