NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 31 March 2015

The three newest Expedition 43 crew members joined Commander Terry Virts for emergency hardware familiarization Tuesday.
Later, new cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko with NASA astronaut Scott Kelly got together for communication training with ground controllers while wearing emergency masks. The trio also worked throughout the day on station orientation and familiarization activities.

Kelly is beginning his One-Year mission so doctors can learn how the human body adapts to long-term space missions. Doctors are comparing his body with his twin brother former astronaut Mark Kelly for the Twins study and will analyze biological samples from the duo during the mission.

Meanwhile, Expedition 43 will welcome its first space freighter April 12 after SpaceX launches its sixth Dragon mission for NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract April 10. Virts began prepacking gear that will be returned on Dragon May 21.

On-Orbit Status Report

Human Research Program (HRP) Collections: Kelly performed a suite of blood and saliva collections for the Microbiome, Salivary Markers, and Twins Study experiments. He collected saliva and placed the collections into Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for a week in support of Microbiome and Salivary markers. Today’s blood collection satisfies both the Flight Day 7 (FD7) and FD10 requirements for both experiments.

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 is 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).
Gene, Immune and Cellular Responses to Single and Combined Space Flight Conditions-B (Triplelux-B): Following the successful completion of the Triplelux-B experiment, Cristoforetti removed the Biolab video tape, uninstalled the Automatic Ambient Stowage (AAS), and the Experiment Containers (ECs) from the Biolab facility. The video tape will be returned for ground analysis. Biolab will be configured for Triplelux-A which flies on SpaceX-6 launching next week. The objective of Triplelux-A is to investigate and compare the ability of hemocytes (from the blue mussel) to kill pathogens under normal gravity and microgravity condition. The goal is to quantify the anti-microbial action of the hemocytes, using the chemical reaction that results in emission of light. This light will be detected with photomultipliers. The experiment might lead to a better understanding of immune system depression in spaceflight.

Image Processing Unit (IPU) Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Remove and Replace (R&R): Cristoforetti R&Rd the IPU in the Ryutai Rack. On GMT 84 (March 25, 2015) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) ground controllers encountered a problem downloading Dynamic Surf-2 images. Initial troubleshooting steps included rebooting the hardware and rack. Ground teams are evaluating the status of the R&R and will have more data by GMT 92 (April 2).

Aniso Tubule: Cristoforetti retrieved the Aniso Tubule from the +4°C MELFI drawer and initiated a light treatment, exposing the sample to the cabin’s ambient light environment. She then inserted the Aniso sample into the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF). The Aniso Tubule investigation seeks to understand the mechanisms that plants use in growing stems of the right thickness to support them against gravity. Microtubules, part of a plant cell’s molecular skeleton, align themselves with the local gravity field and thus produce short, thick bodies in hypergravity. This research will germinate Arabidopsis hypocotyls in space and then use a fluorescence microscope in the Kibo module to analyze the directions taken by tubules in the stem just below the leaves of new seedlings.

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons 2 (RADI-N2): Cristoforetti collected the eight neutron bubble detectors and returned them to Shkaplerov. This investigation is to better characterize the ISS neutron environment and define the risk posed to the crewmembers’ health and provide the data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future space flight. For each session 8 detectors are initialized and deployed in predetermined locations for measurements: a set of 6 spectrometric detectors and two control ones are placed on a wall in the ISS Segment. After 7 days the detectors are collected and read using the BUBBLE reader.

Node 3 (N3) Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Status: Yesterday N3 CDRA shut down when Air Selector Valve (ASV)104 failed to transition from position A to B. Attempts to manually command the valve were unsuccessful. The Ground ran an Active Cool Down procedure for 30 minutes. ASV104 is now responding to commands and nominal N3 CDRA operations have been resumed.

On-Board Training (OBT): Virts and the newly arrived 42S crew reviewed portable emergency equipment locations for gas masks and fire extinguishers. When finished, they demonstrated/evaluated the ability to communicate with Mission Control Centers (MCC) while wearing emergency masks.

SpaceX-6 (SpX-6) Preparation: In preparation for SpX-6 launch scheduled for April 13, Robotics Ground Controllers are currently performing a Mobile Transporter (MT) translate from Work Site (WS) 2 to WS4.

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

TWIN – Sample Collection and Prep for Stowage
HRF – Sample MELFI Insertion
HRF – Preliminary steps before blood sample collection
HRF – Blood collection assistance
Verification of anti-virus scan results on Auxiliary Computer System (ВКС) laptops / r/g 8247
BIOSIGNAL. Temperature check in Cryogem-03 / r/g 8342
HRF Refrigerated Centrifuge Configuration
Regeneration of БМП Ф2 Micropurification Cartridge (start)
Periodic fitness evaluation – subject
Private Exercise Conference with exercise specialist
CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 8358
TPLXB. Unstow Hardware
HRF – Blood Sample Collection Closeout Ops
Locating unit 800А No.2395121201
Deactivation of ТК 716 Gas Analyzer
CARDIOVECTOR. Experiment Ops. / r/g 8374
HRF – Urine Sample MELFI Insertion
HRF Blood Collection Hardware Stowage
ТК 716 Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 8356
CIR Alignment Guide Installation
CARDIOVECTOR. Photography of the Experiment Ops / r/g 8373
Image Processing Unit (IPU) System Hard Disk Drive R&R
Installation of Easily Detachable Cargo r/g 8371
Deactivation of ТК 715 Gas Analyzer
ANISO – Retrieval of Ziploc bags with samples from MELFI
Medical Ops OBT
MATRYOSHKA-R. r/g 8372
SEISMOPROGNOZ r/g 8267
ANISO – Attaching Ziploc bags with samples for exposure
VHF1 Comm check from RS with MCC (Houston, Huntsville, Munich, Tsukuba, Moscow) via US Ground Sites)
TV Greetings r/g 8376
OBT Emergency Hardware Familiarization
IDENTIFIKATSIYA r/g 8239
TPLXB. Video Tape Removal
TPLXB. Insert Removal and Reconfiguration
TPLXB. Container Reconfiguration
CUCU – Activation
Emergency Mask Drill
NANO – Routing Ethernet Cable
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill [Aborted]
CUCU Check
MATRYOSHKA-R. Installation r/g 8370
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter collection and measurements. / r/g 8369
TPLXB. Hardware Stowage for Final Experiment
Stem Cell Differentiation (SCD) – Hardware Temperature Check
RADIN – Removal of Bubble-Detectors
IMS Delta File Prep
MATRYOSHKA-R. Handover of BUBBLE-dosimeter detectors from USOS. / r/g 8369
RADIN – Handover of Bubble-Detectors
MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter collection and measurements. / r/g 8369
CUCU – Temporary Stowage
WRS Sample Collection
Photo of a scuff mark left by the Active Docking Mechanism probe on the MRM2 r/g 2664
Docking Cone Internal Surface Photos Downlink
WRS – Recycle Tank Fill [Aborted]
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
Dragon Pre-pack for disposal
Preventive maintenance of MRM2
TOCA Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis
ISS Crew Adaptation
Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation
Hematocrit Hardware Setup
HMS Defibrillator Inspection
Water processing using MCD
SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module r/g 8267
ANISO – Sample Insertion into bags
CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 8358
TOCA Data Recording
Regenegation of Micropurification unit
Completed Task List Items

CHeCS hardware relocate
Ground Activities
All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

CUCU checkout
MSS powerup
MBS camera checkout
MT pre-translation checkout
MT pre-translation survey
MT translation from WS2 to WS4 [In Work]
MSS powerdown [Planned later this evening]
Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 04/01: Ocular Health, water quality monitoring, T2 quarterly inspection, SSRMS walkoff to N2
Thursday, 04/02: Ocular Health, CIR imaging reconfig, WHC manual fill
Friday, 04/03: Ocular Health, ER7 cable connection, Rodent Research s/w load, Recycle tank QD reconfig
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) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Off
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Full Up