NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 10 July 2019 – Safety Gear Checks and Lab Maintenance

The Expedition 60 crew configured a variety of science hardware today monitoring the brain and radiation exposure. The orbital residents also had a steady day of safety gear checks and lab maintenance on the International Space Station.
Astronauts experience blood flow changes caused by living in microgravity that may cause lightheadedness or fainting upon return to Earth. The Cerebral Autoregulation investigation is measuring the waveforms of these blood flows to understand blood pressure regulation in space. Flight Engineer Nick Hague set up the experiment hardware this morning that may help doctors treat and prevent these symptoms.

Hague next assembled hardware for a high definition camera that will be installed outside the station on an upcoming spacewalk. He and NASA astronaut Christina Koch also installed communication cables and conducted voice checks to support the arrival of future commercial crew vehicles.

Radiation exposure is another concern for crewmembers working in space for months or years at a time. Koch handed a set of dosimeters, or radiation detectors, to Commander Alexey Ovchinin during the afternoon for installation on the Russian side of the orbiting lab. Several studies are monitoring neutron radiation and the variation in the radiation environment as the station orbits Earth.

Koch started her morning inspecting breathing masks and fire extinguishers. She checked the emergency equipment for correct pressure measurements and any signs of physical damage on hoses and bottles. Ovchinin continued the replacement of more Russian life support system components during his morning.

On-Orbit Status Report

Cerebral Autoregulation: The crew gathered items and set up in preparation for experiment sessions on Thursday and Friday. As the body’s most important organ, the brain needs a strong and reliable blood supply, so the brain is capable of self-regulating blood flow even when the heart and blood vessels cannot maintain an ideal blood pressure. This investigation tests whether this self-regulation improves in the microgravity environment of space.

JAXA Education Payload Operation (EPO) Dry Run: In preparation for a late Increment 60 event with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) crew member, the JEM camera robot (ball camera) was set up and checked out. The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Internal Ball Camera is a free floating, remote-controlled panoramic camera that helps crews monitor operations in the JEM. Similar to current consumer-grade ball cameras, the JEM Internal Ball Camera is charged with a standard USB cable and provides real-time video and image downloads to remote operators.

Radi-N2 Retrieval: The crew retrieved all 8 detectors and transferred them to the Russian Segment for processing. The objective of this Canadian Space Agency investigation is to better characterize the ISS neutron environment, define the risk posed to the crew members’ health, and provide the data necessary to develop advanced protective measures for future spaceflight. It’s been recognized that neutrons make up a significant fraction (10-30%) of the biologically effective radiation exposure in low-Earth orbit. The bubble detectors used in the investigation are designed detect neutrons and ignore all other radiation.

Veg-04A Questionnaire: Following the successful harvest and crew consumption of the Mizuna leaves on Tuesday, the crew completed a questionnaire giving details of the activity. The research of Veg-04A focuses on the impact of light quality and fertilizer on leafy crop growth for a 28-day grow-out, microbial food safety, nutritional value, taste acceptability by the crew, and the overall behavioral health benefits of having plants and fresh food in space.

Redundant United States Crewed Vehicle (USCV) Communications (RUC) Cable: The crew successfully installed and checked out the new RUC cable today. RUC provides voice path redundancy during nominal and emergency USCV mission scenarios in the future. The new configuration converted the Shuttle era Docked Audio Interface Unit (DAIU) to a backup Russian Audio Interface Unit (RAIU) within the Audio Subsystem.

International Docking Adapter (IDA)3 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparations: In preparation for the IDA3 EVA which is planned no earlier than August 15, the crew assembled a boom and External High Definition Camera (EHDC). The crew also performed a checkout of the Node 2 Zenith IDA Control Panel during which they sent a series of commands to the panel and verified light statuses.

Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPS) Audit: The crew completed the annual audit and inspection of the PEPs including the Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA), Quick Don Mask (QDM), Pre-Breathe Mask, Extension Hose Tee Kit and QDM Harness maintenance. The audit and inspection ensures that each emergency provision is free of damage.

Completed Task List Activities:
Lab1S5 locker cleanup
WSS card gather/install

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
T2 power cycle
RUC cable routing support

Look Ahead:
Thursday, 7/11 (GMT 192)

Payloads:
Actiwatch
Cerebral Autoregulation
CBEF humidifier fill
CIR/ACME controller replacement and bottle exchange
Food Acceptability
Genes in space-6
GLACIER4 desiccant swap
The ISS Experience
SABL CO2 meter swap
Time Perception
Veg-04A deactivation

Systems:
Water Recovery Management (WRM) Water Balance Operations

Friday, 7/12 (GMT 193)

Payloads:
Astrobee
Cerebral Autoregulation
Genes-in-Space 6 stow
Two-phase flow closeout

Systems:
OBT Dragon Rendezvous

Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic Urine Collection Male
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Retrieval And Insertion Operations
Weekly monitoring of video recording equipment performance on the ISS RS
Cerebral Autoregulation Data Measurement Item Gathering
WRS Microbial Filter Terminate
Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPs) Audit
XF305 Camcorder Setup
JAXA EPO Dry Run
JEM Camera Robot Closeout
International Docking Adapter (IDA) Stowage Removal
Cerebral Autoregulation Equipment Setup
MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – JEM
Checkout of the Node 2 Zenith International Docking Adapter (IDA) Control Panel.
Radi-N Detector Retrieval/Readout
Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons Hardware Handover
MATRYOSHKA-R. Handover of BUBBLE-dosimeters from USOS
MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements
International Docking Adapter (IDA) Stowage Replace
External High Definition Camera Boom Build
??? maintenance
External High Definition Camera (EHDC) Boom Build Assist
RS comm config for Redundant USCV Comm (RUC) cable installation on the USOS
In Flight Maintenance Redundant USCV Comm Cable Route
ISS Experience Hardware Stow
HRF Generic Urine Collection Stow
Perform Redundant USCV Comm (RUC) Voice Checks
Return to nominal config after RUC cable installation on the USOS
HRF Veg Veggie Questionnaire