NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 5 May 2014

Today: Advanced Plant Experiments (APEX)-02-2: On Saturday, Flight Engineer (FE)-3 Swanson installed the first of ten APEX-02-2 microplates into the Plate Reader to start spectral analysis.
On Sunday, Swanson swapped APEX-02-2 microplates to start analysis on the second of ten microplates. Today Swanson removed the second microplate and stowed it in Glacier. When reviewing data from the first sample, ground teams saw unexpected data and have paused operations to reassess. APEX-02-2 investigates how cells adapt to the unique environment of space. Using the common research model of brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the investigation identifies specific changes in genetic expression that result from microgravity conditions. This enables scientists to identify the signaling pathways and molecular activity involved in how cells adapt to the space environment.

Threshold Acceleration for Gravisensing (GRAVI)-2: FE-5 Mastracchio hydrated sixteen GRAVI-2 sample chambers on the MWA. He then assembled sixteen GRAVI-2 culture chambers and eight GRAVI-2 fixative units into the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) experiment containers using the BioLab glove box. The aim of GRAVI-2 is to subject lentil seedling roots to different centrifugal acceleration levels in microgravity, in order to determine the threshold of acceleration the roots respond to. The seedling roots are stimulated by means of a centrifuge for several hours, and the gravitropic response (root curvature) is followed by time-lapse photography or video observation during this centrifugation; making it possible to determine precisely the threshold acceleration at which the root responds to the gravity stimulus. After the stimulation period, the roots are chemically fixed in glutaraldhyde, formaldehyde, and RNALater to determine the movement of amyloplasts under the influence of the stimulation.

Hybrid Training Post Measurement: Commander (CDR) Wakata collected post Hybrid Training measurements, measuring the circumference of his non-dominant arm and measuring muscle strength. These measurements will be compared to the pre-investigation measurements Wakata took prior to twelve Hybrid Training sessions. Hybrid Training provided electrical impulses to Wakata’s non-dominant arm during concentric and eccentric arm motions. The electrical impulses helped to simulate the resistance gravity would provide on the ground. Hybrid Training was used for Wakata’s upper limbs (the non-dominant arm) for four weeks, and his muscular strength and bulk will be compared to those of his dominant arm to examine its orbital operation capability utility, as well as the preventive for muscle atrophy. Hybrid Training can become a useful back-up for the standard training device on the ISS. It can also be a useful training device in small space ships for the exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Petri Plants: Swanson inserted a Petri Plate into the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) Auxiliary Fluids Container (AFC) in the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR). The ground team downlinked live video from the FIR for analysis. Petri Plants investigation focuses on the growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in the spaceflight environment, with a specific focus on how a root knows which direction to grow in when gravity is absent. Plants are grown in agar, a nutrient solution with a gelatin-like consistency, and exposed to light or dark conditions. Plants are harvested on-orbit, preserved with a chemical preservative, and returned to the ground for post-flight evaluation.

Circadian Rhythms: Wakata donned the Circadian Rhythms equipment and will wear it for 36 hours. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the “biological clock,” and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle of light and dark affects crewmembers’ circadian clocks. The investigation also addresses the effects of reduced physical activity, microgravity and an artificially controlled environment. Changes in body composition and body temperature, which also occur in microgravity, can affect crewmembers’ circadian rhythms as well. Understanding how these phenomena affect the biological clock will improve performance and health for future crewmembers.

SpaceX-3 Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS): Last Thursday, attempts to extract OPALS from the Dragon trunk were unsuccessful due to the inability to obtain a good grapple indication. The Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) software verifies the gripper position before applying a preload to the micro square fixture. Review of the data found that the software limits did not account for all the manufacturing tolerance used by the various providers of micro square fixtures. New payload files were uplinked to increase the software limits for the grip position. Today robotics ground controllers successfully extracted OPALS and are in the process of installing it on the SPDM Enhanced On-orbit Replacement Unit (ORU) Temporary Platform (EOTP). Tomorrow, controllers are scheduled to walk off the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to Mobile Base System (MBS) Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) 4, unstow SPDM and translate the MT from Work Site (WS)-6 to WS-7. On Wednesday, controllers will install OPALS on Express Logistics Carrier (ELC)1.

Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway-2 (PEHG-2) – Over the weekend, payload science data stream became intermittent thought PEHG 2. Ground controllers reconfigured racks and payloads to PEHG-1 to recover the data stream. High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) was unsuccessful in connecting to PEHG-1. Teams are assessing data before attempting to power cycle PEHG-2.

37S and SpaceX Cargo Operations. The crew spent a portion of the day conducting cargo packing operations for both 37S and SpaceX. 37S undocking is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13. SpaceX unberth is scheduled for Sunday May 18.

Today’s Planned Tasks

SM ??? Test / Manual Controls [???], [Complete]
Laptop RS1(2) Reboot / Onboard Computer System (???), [Complete]
Laptop RSS1,2 Reboot / r/g 1009 [Complete]
ARED P/TV Reminder [Complete]
GRAVI – Camcorder Setup [Complete]
Daily Planning Conference (S-band) [Complete]
GRAVI2 – Culture Chamber Hydration [Complete]
PETRI – Light On [Complete]
Items Pre-pack For Return on Soyuz 711/ r/g 5463, 5266 [Complete]
ARED Exercise Video Setup [Complete]
on MCC GO ??? ?1 absorption cartridge regen (start) [Complete]
[???] Sampling from [???-?2?] Upstream ??? Using Russian Samplers – start r/g 5552 [Complete]
HMS – Profile of Mood States (POMS) Questionnaire [Complete]
CONSTANTA. Prepare and Execute Experiment Run 6. r/g 5541 [Complete]
GRAVI2 – Hardware Assembly for Experiment Run 1 [Complete]
CO2 Filter unit (??) ??0501 Replacement [Complete]
URAGAN. [??] ??? Photo Spectral System Science Equipment Battery Charge (start) / r/g 3620 [Complete]
LBNP OBT (PRELIMINARY). r/g 5545 [Complete]
HYBRID – Post-Training Measurements [Complete]
MOTOCARD. Experiment Ops. r/g 5543
Items Pre-pack For Return on Soyuz 711 / r/g 5463, 5266 [Complete]
Progress 427 (DC1) Cargo Transfer Ops with IMS Update r/g 5317 [Complete]
BLR48 – Actiwatch Preparation [Complete]
FIR – Rack Doors Open [Complete]
EMCS – Container Replace [Complete]
LMM – LMM Rotate [Complete]
PETRI Plate Check [Complete]
SOKOL Leak Check (Soyuz 711) [Complete]
LMM – Hardware Configure [Complete]
ARED Exercise P/TV Camcoder Setup Verification [Deferred]
DRAGON. Cargo Ops
SOKOL Drying – Set Suits 1 and 2 for Drying [Complete]
LMM – LMM Rotate [Complete]
FIR – Rack Doors Close [Complete]
Video Footage of Greetings / r/g 5534 [Complete]
Journal Entry [Complete]
WRM – Condensate Pumping Initiation [Complete]
KENTAVR Adjusting [Complete]
Progress 427 (DC1) Cargo Transfer Ops with IMS Update r/g 5317 [Complete]
Refill (separation) of EDV (KOV) from EDV ##1143,1145-1149 for ELEKTRON. [Complete]
APEX – GLACIER Sample Retrieve [Deferred]
APEX – Sample Swap [Complete]
APEX – GLACIER Sample Insertion [Complete]
SOZh Maintenance [Complete]
WRM – Condensate Pumping Termination [Complete]
Space Suits 1,2 Drying Termination/ [Complete]
FE3 Audio Journal Entry [Complete]
Space Suit 3 Drying – Initiation, and 1st Pair of Gloves Setup for Drying [Complete]
ISS Crew Departure Preparation [Complete]
Hardware Transfer / r/g 5520 [Complete]
First Pair of Gloves Drying Termination, Second Pair of Gloves Setup for Drying [Complete]
FGB ???? (Onboard Complex Control System) and ??? (EPS) equipment setup for diagnostics. r/g 5513, 5520 [Complete]
Deploy SODF delivered by Dragon [Complete]
BRIC-MELFI – Insertion [Complete]
URAGAN. Observation and Photography using [??] ??? Equipment / r/g 5544 [Complete]
Second Pair of Gloves Drying Termination [Complete]
Microbial Analysis T + 5 [Complete]
DRAGON. Cargo Ops [Complete]
URISIS Hardware Setup [Complete]
Exercise Data Downlink / r/g 2639 [Complete]
Radiation Area Monitors (RAM) Retrieve [Complete]
Dragon – Cargo Ops Conference [Complete]
IMS Ops [Complete]
Space Suit 3 Drying – Termination, Third Pair of Gloves Drying Initiation [Complete]
Third Pair of Gloves Drying Termination [Complete]
Space Suit and Gloves Stowage Post Drying
PETRI – Light Off [Complete]
Task List

ARED Cylinder Evac
WHC KTO Replace
WHC EDV R&R
Roscosmos Report
Uragan Photo
Ekon Photo
37S US prepack [In work]
XFER Dragon Cargo Ops [In work]
Magnify visor locate [Complete]
MELFI1 tray inspect
SSC12 recovery [In work]
Crew departure prep [In work]
Data prep return (FE-5) [In work]
FPS tool gather
NOD1OS2 LHA R&R
ST ISS Read
Ground

Nominal commanding
OPALS transfer from SpaceX trunk to EOTP [In Work]
Three-Day Look Ahead:

Tuesday, 05/06: OBT Soyuz drill 1, Sprint Ultrasound, OBT ISS Emergency Drill/Review/Conference, Gravi2 ops, crew departure prep
Wednesday, 05/07: Gravi2 ops, Thermolab deinstrumentation for Circadian Rhythms, IFM CBM Bolt R&R, Veggie ops, crew departure prep
Thursday, 05/08: CsPINs, OBT Soyuz drill 2, Petri Plate ops, Veggie experiment start, crew departure prep
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:

Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – On
[???] 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 – Stop
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