NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 14 February 2019 – New Space Clothing for Astronaut Health

The three residents onboard the International Space Station today worked with a diverse array of science hardware.
The trio continues to explore what living in space is doing to their bodies and helped scientists promote healthier humans in space and on Earth.

Astronauts have reported increased head and eye pressure during long-duration space missions. The Expedition 58 crew is researching that phenomenon today to help doctors reverse the upward fluid shifts that affect space residents.

One solution being studied is a special suit that draws fluids such as blood and water toward the lower body to prevent swelling in the face and elevated head and eye pressure. Astronaut Anne McClain tried that suit on today and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques used an ultrasound device to scan the activity. Commander Oleg Kononenko assisted the duo inside Russia’s Zvezda service module.

Afterward, McClain glided to the opposite end of the station in Japan’s Kibo lab module to work on the Two-Phase Flow fluid physics experiment. She set up and installed the research hardware inside Kibo’s Multi-purpose Small Research Rack. The experiment may enable engineers to design advanced thermal management systems for use on Earth and in space.

Saint-Jacques returned to biomedical studies today collecting and stowing more breath, blood and urine samples for later analysis. The ongoing research is helping scientists understand the long-term space impacts to bone marrow, red blood cells and the overall human physiology.

Saint-Jacques finally reviewed instructions to install a docking station on Friday for new cube-shaped, free-flying robots that will arrive at the station later this year. The Astrobee autonomous assistants may free up more science time for astronauts and allow mission controllers better monitoring capabilities.

On-Orbit Status

Marrow: Today the crew collected breath, ambient air, and blood samples in support of the Marrow investigation. Marrow looks at the effect of microgravity on bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on the bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the bone marrow. One of the impacts seen on the ground is fat cells growing at the expense of blood-producing cells during prolonged stays in bed. Blood-producing cells share the same confined space with fat cells within the bone marrow.

Fluid Shifts: The crew performed a repeat of the Fluid Shifts Chibis imaging session originally performed on 21-January-2019. The 21-January session experienced firewall-related video issues on the ground which resulted in a loss of ~33% of the science. Fluid Shifts is a NASA investigation, divided into Dilution Measurements, Baseline Imaging, and Baseline Imaging with Chibis (Lower Body Negative Pressure). The Fluid Shifts experiment investigates the causes for severe and lasting physical changes to astronaut’s eyes. Because the headward fluid shift is a hypothesized contributor to these changes, reversing this fluid shift with a lower body negative pressure device is being evaluated as a possible intervention. Results from this study may help to develop preventative measures against lasting changes in vision and prevention of eye damage.

Treadmill 2 (T2) Six-Month Maintenance: The crew completed the 6-month T2 inspection. During this task, the crew inspects the treadbelt slats and screws, cleans the treadmill drive shaft, and vacuums inside the rack and around the treadmill. An unmanned activation and checkout was completed succesfully. Engineering reviewed the data from this checkout and T2 is a Go for operations.

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Yesterday afternoon, Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and walked the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to the LAB Power and Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF). Then the SSRMS released Node 2 PDGF and the SSRMS was positioned for the MRM1 survey. At the same time, additional imagery was obtained for the Node 1 Nadir Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) Bolt 1-3. Once the MRM1 inspection was completed, the team maneuvered the arm to grapple Node 2 PDGF and released LAB PDGF, then parked the SSRMS and powered it down.

Completed Task List Activities:
SpX-DEMO1 Crew Dragon Mission Overview for ISS Crew

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
LSR Troubleshooting

Two-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 02/15

Payloads:
Astrobee docking port installation
Cubesat deployer removal from the JEMAL
HRF PC2 deploy
Refabricator hardware checkout
Team Task Switching
Time Perception
USND Data Transfer

Systems:
None

Saturday, 02/16 (Crew off duty name)

Payloads:
None

Systems:
None

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

Nikon still camera sync with station time
Marrow Breath And Ambient Air Sample Collection – Subject
Reminder 2 Fluid Shifts Imaging Measures With Chibis Service Module
Reminder 2G HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection
Reminder HRF Generic Urine Collection End
HRF Generic Urine Collection Male
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Retrieval And Insertion Operations
CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection 30 Minutes Subject
CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Operator
ISS Crew and ???? (RSA Flight Control Team) weekly conference
CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Configuration
ORLAN-MKC NO.5 – Prep
ORLAN-MKS #5 Sleeve Adjusting Assembly Check
CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Spin Conclude
MELFI Retrieval and Insert for JAXA Blood Samples
CSA Generic Sample MELFI Retrieve/Insertion
XF305 Camcorder Setup
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
PCG Temp Cntlr Setup
Post-EVA Orlan-ISS Spacesuit No.5 Equipment Stowage
FLUID SHIFTS. Comm Config for the Experiment
FLUID SHIFTS – Gathering and Connecting Equipment for TV coverage
ACTIVATION OF ??? OUTLET FOR ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT
Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Power On And Preparation
FLUID SHIFTS. Don Chibis
FLUID SHIFTS – Assistance During Operations with Chibis and KMA-01
Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Scan
FLUID SHIFTS. Doff Chibis
Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)
FLUID SHIFTS – Deactivation of ??? and USND P/L from ???
FLUID SHIFTS. Power Off Crew Onboard Support System (????) and Close Applications on SSC1
Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Stow
FLUID SHIFTS. Restore Nominal Comm Config
Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Hardware Transfer
Multi purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Work Volume (WV) Cold Plate (CP) condition check
Two-Phase Flow Experiment Equipment Setup to MSPR
Transfer Brine from EDV to Rodnik Water Tank #1 in SM Aft Progress #440 and Flush B1 Connector on Water Tank #1
Fluid Shifts Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Setup And Power On From Cargo Transfer Bag
Fluid Shifts Hardware Stow
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
Multi purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Video compression and Recording Unit 2 (VRU2) Cable Reconfiguration
IMS Edit
Atmospheric Control System (ACS) Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Oxygen Transfer to Low Pressure O2 Tank
Saibo Rack Video Survey
Multi purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Work Bench (WB) Cable Demate and Mate
Refabricator Installation Completion
EXPRESS Rack 10 Payload MTL Flow Rate Adjust
Refabricator Hardware Power up
CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Conclude And Stow
HRF Generic Urine Collection Stow
Astrobee OBT Review