NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 13 July 2018 – EXPRESS Racks Issue

Today – Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Racks (ER) Health & Status: Yesterday, the Health & Status telemetry from ER 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 was reported to be toggling and extended telemetry from ER 7 and 8 was lost. Overnight, the Lab Joint Station LAN (JSL) firewalls were power cycled which cleared the issue. Specialists are currently discussing the signature and potential root causes.
Cygnus Vestibule Operations: In preparation for unberth of the Cygnus OA-9 spacecraft on Sunday, the crew configured the Node 1 vestibule for demate operations. This activity required removal of the Rigid Vestibule Closeouts and rotation of the Controller Panel Assemblies (CPAs). Once complete, the crew reinstalled the Inter-Module Ventilation (IMV) cap, removed 1553 jumpers, demated power jumpers, installed the Center Disk Cover, and closed the Node 1 Nadir hatch. Unberth is scheduled at 4:45 AM CT on Sunday.

Micro-11: During the 5th science session yesterday, a failure in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Video Upgrade Equipment (VUE) camera caused a loss of video, which invalidated much of the science in that run. Ground teams are assessing how the impacts of the 5th session will affect the overall investigation and if the remaining science sessions should be performed. Micro-11 examines whether spaceflight alters human sperm, by tracking the swimming patterns of human and bull sperm during spaceflight. This investigation also assesses other aspects of sperm functionality related to male fertility. As a result, Micro-11 provides fundamental data indicating whether successful human reproduction beyond Earth is possible, and whether countermeasures are needed to protect sperm function in space.

NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer-14 (NRCSD-14): This morning, robotics controllers in Tsukuba, Japan maneuvered the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) to the small satellite deploy position and began deploying the nine NRCSD-14 satellites. The crew supported the deployments as observers, taking photographs of the small satellites as they were deployed from the NRCSD-14 Triple Pack deployer. The cubesats include: RainCube (Ka-Band for CubeSats), Radix (laser communications), CubeRRT (radio frequency interference), HaloSat (astrophysics), TEMPEST-D (weather), EnduroSat AD (space communications for education), EQUISat (LED visibility on ground & LiFePO4 batteries), MemSat (memristive memory) and RadSat-g (computer radiation protection).

Aerosol Samplers: Today the crew completed troubleshooting activities to correct improper mode settings on Active Aerosol Samplers (AASs) in Nodes 1, 2 and 3 and the US laboratory to support the upcoming active experiment run next week. The battery-powered AASs actively pull in air and collect particles using the principal of thermophoresis. This is accomplished by flowing the sampled air through a large thermal gradient in a narrow channel. During this process, particles are driven to the cold side of the channel, where an electron microscope (EM) grid is held in place by a tiny magnet. When returned to Earth, these grids are easily removed and placed directly in an EM for analysis.

Active Tissue Equivalent Dosimeter Sensor (ATED): The crew deployed the ATED in Node 3 today. Crewmembers and instruments onboard spacecraft experience constant exposure to space radiation. The ATED investigation uses an active tissue-equivalent dosimeter to collect data on crew radiation exposure and to characterize the space radiation environment.

MagVector 3D: The crew exchanged a MagVector 3D sample today. There are twelve different samples that will be processed on the ISS (1 per day). ESA’s MagVector investigation supports a study of how Earth’s magnetic field interacts with an electrical conductor. Using extremely sensitive magnetic sensors placed around and above a conductor, researchers can gain insight into ways that the magnetic field influences how conductors work. This research is expected to help improve future ISS experiments and electrical experiments, and could also offer insights into how magnetic fields influence electrical conductors in general.

Team Task Switching (TTS): A crewmember completed a TTS survey today. When crew members are often required to switch their attention between tasks, performance on each of the tasks can be affected. The objective of the TTS investigation is to gain knowledge about whether or not crew members have difficulty in switching tasks and determine the impacts of these switches, in order to both reduce any negative consequences and improve individual and team motivation and effectiveness.

Cygnus Robotics On-Board Training (OBT): Today the crewmembers scheduled to release the OA-9 Cygnus vehicle performed a Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) session. ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback.

Eye Exams: This afternoon, the USOS crew completed a second day of routine eye exams using a Fundoscope. Ophthalmoscopy, also called funduscopy, uses the Fundoscope to see inside the back portion of the interior eyeball called the fundus. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmembers eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Dragon (SpX-15) Cargo Operations: Today the crew completed unloading of the Dragon vehicle and Cargo Message #1. Specialists on the ground estimate another 51 hours of crew time will be needed to complete packing and loading the vehicle for return to Earth. As of this morning, the crew had spent 21:00 hours total on SpX-15 cargo operations.

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Live Events: Ricky Arnold participated in an educational event this afternoon with students enrolled in the Sea Education Association Science on the Cape (SEASCape) program and college juniors and seniors interning in the Woods Hole Partnership Education Program. The event served to ignite students’ excitement in science and engineering.

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

NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Photos
IMS Tagup
iPad Update Prep
Node 1 Stowage Reconfiguration
Cygnus Ingress
MICROVIR. Photography of Cassette-M No. 5-1, No.5-2 cells.
Micro-11 Glacier Sample Insertion
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Manufacturing Device Manual Feedstock Feed to Extruder
MICROVIR. Removal of Cassette-M No.5-3 and No.5-4 from ???-? No.05
Exchange of the Magvector Boot Device
iPad test with a simulator for emergencies.
Columbus Video Camera Assembly 1 Adjustment
Environmental Health System (EHS) Water Sample Analysis 44+/-4 hrs post processing.
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3
At Home In Space Culture Photo
Cygnus Environmental Sensor Check
Payload Control Box (S/N001) Installation
Update Fire Port Labels
Download Pille Dosimeter Readings
Regul-OS Standby Mode Deactivation
MICROVIR. Photography of Cassette-M No. 5-3, No.5-4 cells.
Dragon Cargo Transfer
MICROVIR. Glovebox-S Removal
???? Configuration for MRM1
SEPARATION. Distillation in auto (manual) mode.
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Training Session Using ???-01-? Set
Dragon Cargo Operations Conference
NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Photos
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Review
LMM Biophys Stow
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Internal Wireless Instrumentation System (IWIS) Remote Sensing Unit (RSU) Troubleshooting
Magvector shutdown sequence
Preventive maintenance of DC1 ??? hatch sealing mechanisms and Progress 439 (DC1) [???] hatch
??? maintenance
On-board Training (OBT) Cygnus Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Release Session
Active Tissue Equivalent Dosimeter Sensor Deploy
Vestibule Depressurization Equipment Gather
Space Algae Bungee Inspection
BIOPLENKA. Retrieval of Constanta 2-4 cassette from Cryogem-03, film fixation and setup in ???-? No.05.
Progress 439 (DC1) Cargo Transfers and IMS Ops
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey Subject
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Leak Check
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – JEM
Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Controller Panel Assembly (CPA) Rotation and Closeout
Cygnus/Node 1 Vestibule Configuration for Demate – Part 1
Systems Operations Data File (SODF) Deploy
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Eye Exam – Fundoscope
Regul-OS standby mode activation
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops
Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup
US Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tools Stow
Actiwatch Spectrum HRF1 Ops
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Fundoscope Tear Down and Stow
Audio conference with Greece meeting of astronomers

Completed Task List Activities:
None

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
UPA PCPA Pumpdown
NRCSD Deploy
JEMRMS NRCSD stow

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Saturday, 07/14: Weekly Housekeeping, Crew Off-Duty, Cygnus Vestibule Depress
Sunday, 07/15: Crew Off Duty, Cygnus Depress/Unberth/Release
Monday, 07/16: CPA4 Cable R&R, RR7 MSG Setup, Dragon Cargo Transfer, HRF, MISSE MTT Bracket Rmv, Aerosol Samplers, MICS, Safety Video Survey, AngieX Cancer

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 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 – Standby
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab – Operate
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Idle
Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) – Process
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Process
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off