NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 July 2019 – More Myotones Muscle Study
The International Space Station is set to receive a few more crewmembers on Saturday followed by a new docking port next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the orbiting Expedition 60 residents serviced a multitude of science hardware today while maintaining communication and life support systems.
The Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft that will launch three new residents to the station on Saturday is being processed at its facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Astronauts Drew Morgan and Luca Parmitano and cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov inspected their spacecraft during a walk-through today. The trio will blast off Saturday at 12:28 p.m. EDT and take a six-and-a-half hour trip to their new home in space.
Another spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship, is being readied for its liftoff Sunday at 7:35 p.m. from Florida. It will arrive at the station Tuesday for its capture at 11 a.m. by NASA Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Christina Koch with the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
After Dragon’s installation to the Unity module, the crew will unload brand new science gear for advanced biology research to improve human health. Robotics controllers will detach the new International Docking Adapter-3 (IDA-3) from the back of Dragon and position it on the space-facing side of the Harmony module in preparation for its installation during a future spacewalk. The IDA-3 is another docking port supporting future commercial crew missions with Boeing and SpaceX crew vehicles.
Koch stowed and relocated a pair of biology and botany facilities today. She powered down several rodent habitats and packed them up for return on the Dragon space freighter. Koch then relocated the Veggie botany facility to the Columbus laboratory module after last week’s lettuce harvest in the Unity module.
Hague and Koch started the day with body measurements for the Myotones muscle study to benefit rehabilitation treatments for astronauts and Earthlings. Hague then set up and inspected a fluorescence microscope that can observe cellular changes in microgravity.
Commander Alexey Ovchinin set up a video camera in the Zvezda service module to record the arrival of his new crewmates on Saturday. He later checked air and temperature sensors and swapped out air filters on the Russian side of the orbital lab.
On-Orbit Status Report
Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR): The crew performed the Florescence Microscope setup and inserted a test sample in preparation for upcoming Space Moss activities following SpX-18 arrival. The MSPR is a multipurpose payload rack system used in the JEM. It has two workspaces and a worktable that can be used for wide fields of space environment utilization including science and educational missions.
Muscle Tone in Space (Myotones): The crew completed skin markings measurements to support the Myotones experiment. Myotones investigation observes the biochemical properties of muscles during long-term exposure to the spaceflight environment. Results from this investigation are expected to provide insight into principles of human resting muscle tone, which could lead to the development of new strategies for alternative treatments for rehabilitation both on Earth and for future space missions.
Rodent Research-17 (RR-17): The crew stowed Rodent Habitats 2, 3, and 4. RR-17 uses younger and older mice as model organisms to evaluate the physiological, cellular and molecular effects of the spaceflight environment. Some responses to spaceflight in humans and model organisms such as mice resemble accelerated aging. This investigation provides a better understanding of aging-related immune, bone, and muscle disease processes, which may lead to new therapies for use in space and on Earth.
Veg-04A: Veggie facilities 1 and 2 were relocated from Express Rack (ER) 3 to ER 9B. Veg-04A, Veg-04B, and Veg-05 investigation is a phased research project to address the need for a continuous fresh-food production system in space. A healthy, nutritious diet is essential for long-duration exploration missions, which means that the typical pre-packaged astronaut diet needs to be supplemented by fresh foods during flight. Veggie has begun testing onboard the ISS to help meet this need, and validation tests have demonstrated that leafy greens can be grown in spaceflight. 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.
Joint Station Local Area Network (JSL LAN) Version 12.0 Deployment: This afternoon, ground teams will load JSL Version 12.0 onboard ISS. This version of JSL will update IT security, incorporate manual changes since JSL 11.1, update new infrastructure to accommodate the subnet for External High Definition Cameras (EHDC) and High Definition EVA Camera Assemblies (HECA). Tomorrow Office 365 will be loaded onto the Station Support Computers (SSCs) in preparation for the Soyuz 59 crew arrival. The remaining ISS SSCs will be loaded with Office 365 next week.
Completed Task List Activities:
PMA1 screen clean
PWC charging
Thermal Amine power setup
MELFI 1, 2, 3 pressure check
Node 2 deck 2 cleanup
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
High Beta ops
Rodent Research habitat stow
JSL v12.0, Moxa firmware, O365 deploy
Look Ahead:
Wednesday, 7/17 (GMT 198)
Payloads:
CIR/ACME Igniter Replace (NASA)
Clean Bench relief Valve checks (yearly) (JAXA)
Express Rack 1 power switch photo (NASA)
ISS Experience LAB intro recording (NASA)
Standard Measures (NASA)
HERMES Facility install and Cassette insert and checkout (NASA)
Express Rack 4 Z-book setup and s/w load (NASA)
MELFI N2 pressure checks (NASA)
AMS Laptop Relocate to Columbus module (NASA)
PBR Power troubleshoot (NASA)
Systems:
ER1 rack power switch inspection
AMS laptop relocate
Thursday, 7/18 (GMT 199)
Payloads:
KUBIK (5,6) connect to portable power sply (ESA)
Florescence Microscope reconfiguration (JAXA)
Standard Measures (NASA)
ISS Experience Stow (NASA)
MSL ops review and Motor Valve R&R and water loop chk (NASA)
HERMES Vacuum vlv to open (NASA)
Systems:
Dragon OBT Offset Grapple
MSL motor valve R&R
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Myotones Device Setup with EPM Laptop
Myotones Measurements
Setting up and connecting Crew Onboard Support Kit (????) Equipment for MPEG2 TV coverage from SM
Russian Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event via Mpeg2
Myotones Device Data Transfer
Transfer of Sony PMW-200 camcorder to SM for Wide Band Comm System (???) MDM2 current measuring MPEG2 video area
EveryWear App Configuration
Measuring Wide Band Comm System (???) MDM2 current consumption
ER9B BSSPCM Config
Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup
Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config JEM Setup
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – JEM
Turning off camcorder, TV System control equipment
Multimeter setup. Installation, connection, and activation of ??? No.05 at +4 C mode
??? No.05 housing temperature check
LAB RWS Video Checkout
Microscope Item Gathering
Microscope (MS) Familiarization
Rodent Research Habitat Stow
Microscope Setup in Multi purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Work Volume (WV)
Rodent Research Habitat Stow
??? No.05 chamber left side wall temperature check. Securing the thermocouple on the right side wall inside ???-? No.05 chamber
Changeout of ??1 & ??2 Dust Filters
Rodent Research Habitat Stow
VEGGIE1 Facility Relocation into EXPRESS Rack
Changeout of ??1 & ??2 Dust Filters
VEGGIE Facility Relocation into EXPRESS Rack
??? No.05 chamber right side wall temperature check. Deactivation and Disassembly of ???-? No.05 Thermostat
Microscope (MS) Test Sample Install
Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
Telescience Resource Kit Laptop Troubleshooting.
USOS Airlock Depress Pump Test Init
USOS Airlock Depress Pump Test Term
ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE. HAM Radio Session with the participants of U.N. Sultanov Aerospace School
