NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 14 October 2020 – Three New Crew Members Arrive

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos joined Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner aboard the International Space Station when the hatches between the Soyuz spacecraft and the orbiting laboratory officially opened at 7:07 a.m. EDT.
The arrival temporarily restores the station’s crew complement to six for the remainder of Expedition 63.

Expedition 64 begins Wednesday, Oct. 21, with the departure of Cassidy, Vagner, and Ivanishin in the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft that brought them to the station on April 9. Cassidy will hand command of the station to Ryzhikov during a ceremony with all crew members that is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 and will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

The Expedition 64 crew will conduct research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research and more. During Rubins’ first spaceflight in 2016, she became the first person to sequence DNA in space. Research conducted in microgravity helps NASA prepare for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, and contributes to improvements for life on Earth. Follow Rubins during her space mission on Facebook and Instagram.

This is the second spaceflight for Rubins and Ryzhikov. Kud-Sverchkov becomes the 241st person to visit the unique microgravity laboratory, and the trio will be aboard to celebrate the 20th anniversary of uninterrupted human presence since the Expedition 1 crew arrived Nov. 2, 2000. Humanity’s home in space has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from people in 108 countries and areas.

During Expedition 64, the arrival of Crew-1 aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon on the first operational commercial mission to the space station will bring four more crew members, expanding a long-duration Expedition crew to seven people for the first time. Crew-1 is currently targeted for launch in November.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

ISS HAM: The crew initiated an ISS HAM radio contact with Ramona Lutheran School in Ramona, CA. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground HAM radio units.

Actiwatch Plus: The arriving US crewmember donned on the Actiwatch Plus hardware. The Actiwatch is a waterproof, nonintrusive, sleep-wake activity monitor worn on the wrist of a crewmember. The device contains a miniature uniaxial accelerometer that produces a signal as the subject moves. The data are stored in nonvolatile memory within the Actiwatch until they are downloaded for analysis.

Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL): The crew removed and stowed the Soft Matter Dynamics (SMD) sample and hardware. The crew then installed the Multi-Scale Boiling Experiment Container (EC) into the FSL facility. The FSL is a multiuser facility designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for conducting fluid physics research in microgravity. It can be operated as a fully automatic or semiautomatic facility and can be controlled onboard by the International Space Station (ISS) crew or from the ground in tele-science mode.

Systems

63 Soyuz Launch/Dock: 63S launched on Wednesday, October 14, from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:45 AM CT carrying Kate Rubins, Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov to the ISS. Docking to the MRM1 port occurred at 3:48 AM CT with hatch opening at 6:07 AM CT. Following hatch opening, all six crewmembers performed the ISS Crew Safety Briefing during which the 62S crew familiarized the 63S crew with potential hazards and available safety measures. Plans were reviewed for emergency actions, roles and responsibilities in response to depressurization, fire and toxic release hazards.

Completed Task List Activities:

62S Pre-Pack (ongoing)
Cygnus Cargo Ops (ongoing)
Today’s Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Ground Support for Soyuz Docking Ops
Look Ahead Plan

Thursday, 10/15 (GMT 289)
Payloads:

Handhold Experiment Platform Adapter on MPEP Install (NASA)
STaARS-12 Kit-ambient stow, Exp Containers into Facility (NASA)
Rhodium Space Rhizosphere Chamber Photo (NASA)
Rhodium Space Rhizosphere Chamber to POLAR (NASA)
MSG PBRE-2 Cleanup (NASA)
Systems:

ZBook Client Swap
EHS TOCA Run
WHC PreTreat Tank R&R
Friday, 10/16 (GMT 290)
Payloads:

VECTION Session (CSA)
DOSIS 3D PDP Swap (ESA)
MVP Module Photo/Install (NASA)
HRF Saliva Setup (NASA)
STaARS-12 Sample MELFI Insert (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
Systems:

CQ Port Clean
EMER Roles/Resp Review
HMS IMAK Unpack
Saturday, 10/17 (GMT 291)
Payloads:

Food Physiology-Saliva Collect (NASA)
Systems:

OBT Soyuz Nominal Drill
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

ТБУ (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat). Checking ТБУ-В No.07 thermostat temperature and unobstructed area near ТБУ-В inlet/outlet vents
Operation using TПK onboard data files
ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Down in Columbus
ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Service Module
USOS Window Shutter Close
Checking cover closure on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14. Note 8
Gas Analyzer Activation in Soyuz 745
FSL Facility Core Element locking at the end of scientific operations
MPEG-2 Transmission Channel Test via Ku-band (Activation of MPEG2 multicast and MPEG unicast TV and video streaming)
FSL Soft Matter Dynamics Experiment Container Sample Cell Unit Exchange
[СТТС] configuration for Soyuz 747 docking to MRM1.Comm check with Soyuz 747 in RSA-S/G2
Preparation for Soyuz 747 Docking
Monitoring Soyuz 747 approach to ISS (MRM1)
FSL SOFT MATTER DYNAMICS Experiment Container Deinstallation
Activation of mpeg2 multicast and unicast video recording mode
Moding MRM1-Soyuz PEV to ELECTR CONTR position
Comm reconfig after Soyuz 747 docking
Pressurization of Elektron-VM Liquid Unit before Activation
FSL MultiScale Boiling experiment container feedthrough panel reconfiguration
Turn off TV systems monitoring equipment, close applications and downlink Mpeg2 multicast and Mpeg2 unicast recorded data via OCA
Soyuz 747 – MRM1 interface leak check
FSL MultiScale Boiling Experiment Container Installation
Hardware setup in SM for ISS Expedition 64 Arrival TV coverage from SM
Crew Departure Prep
Disconnecting КЛ-153М TV camera from MRM1 TV system
Hardware setup in MRM1 for Hatch Opening from MRM1 TV coverage
FSL Facility Core Element release in preparation of SMD or RUBI operations
Soyuz 747-MRM1 hatch opening
ТПК-63S hatches open and PAO-TV-rep. Hatches open
Comm reconfig for nominal
Closing applications, deactivation of camcorders and TV data monitoring equipment
[РО]-ПрК hatch opening in SM
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) High Calibration
Connecting КЛ-153М TV camera to MRM1 TV system
Drying of gloves and spacesuits (Soyuz 747)
ISS Safety Briefing
ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Up
Crew Quarters (CQ) Onboard Training
Stow spacesuits and gloves in Soyuz 747 after drying
Actiwatch Plus Watch Don
Soyuz 747 Deactivation (without Gas Analyzer deactivation) Transfer Atmosphere Purification & Filtration Unit (АФОТ-2М), ИПК-1М gas mask, and Portable Repress Tank (БНП) from MRM1 to Soyuz 747 БО
MICROVIR. Hardware transfer from Soyuz 747, setup to stow in ТБУ-В thermostat
MSK-2. Hardware transfer from Soyuz 747 and setup
ISS HAM Columbus Pass Kenwood
MSK-2. Hardware setup and powerup
CASKAD. Transfer of BOP kit from Soyuz
CASKAD. Connection BOP with БКУ keyboard to Cascad thermostat at +29 °С
MELFI 2 Icebrick Inserts
MATRYOSHKA-R. Transfer and Setup of Passive Detector Assemblies (PDA). Photography
Health Maintenance System (HMS) Personal Medication Stow
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
REFLEX. BB-MKS Kits Transfer and Setup (with photo ops)