NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 16 September 2019 – A Chat With Brad Pitt

The six Expedition 60 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station began the workweek exploring how microgravity affects a variety of biological systems.
Back on Earth, three new crewmates are in final preparations for next week’s launch to the orbiting lab from Kazakhstan.

Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan started Monday morning collecting and stowing their blood and urine samples for later analysis. Afterward, the pair joined fellow NASA astronaut Christina Koch for body mass measurements using a device that applies a known force on a crewmember. The resulting acceleration is used to accurately calculate an astronaut’s mass.

Hague spoke to actor Brad Pitt today who called up to the station from NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. They talked about Pitt’s upcoming movie and discussed what it is like to live in space.

Koch also assisted ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano with a bioelectrical sensor that measures changes in body composition to determine the effectiveness of space nutrition. The duo, along with Morgan, then turned to rodent research the rest of the day for insights into aging and disease therapies.

Commander Alexey Ovchinin collaborated with fellow cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov for cardiology research during an exercise session Monday morning. The commander then inspected hardware inside the Electromagnetic Levitator that enables the safe research of materials exposed to high temperatures. Skvortsov moved onto ventilation maintenance in the Zvezda service module. The duo wrapped up the day with an Earth photography session.

The next crew to launch to the station is at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final mission training. Expedition 61 crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos will blast off on Sept. 25 aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft with Spaceflight Participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. The trio from the U.S., Russia and the U.A.E. will take a four-orbit, near six-hour ride in space before docking to the aft port of Zvezda.

Almansoori will return to Earth on Oct. 3 aboard the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft with Hague and Ovchinin. Meir and Skripochka will orbit Earth until the spring of 2020.

Ground personnel are fueling the Soyuz MS-15 crew ship and integrating the spacecraft to its launch vehicle this week. The rocket with the Soyuz on top will roll out to its launch pad early in the morning on Sept. 23.

On-Orbit Status Report

Nutrition Monitoring for the International Space Station (NutrISS): The crew performed the Bioimpedance Assembly Measurement (BIA) setup, took measurements, and filled out the questionnaire. Historical photos were also taken. Long duration spaceflight induces relevant changes in body composition and a loss of body mass. In the NutrISS investigation, a periodic assessment of body composition (body weight, fat mass and fat-free mass) during spaceflight aboard the ISS is carried out using a dedicated bio-impedance analysis device to allow for the measurement of long-term energy balance modification over time. Based on this data, it is hypothesized that an adjusted diet maintaining a near-neutral energy balance, and/or increasing protein, intake can limit microgravity-induced bone and muscle loss of crew members.

Rodent Research-17 (RR-17): The crew perform day 1 of rodent operations. 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.

Waster & Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle/Inlet Filter (UR/IF) and Piping Removal & Replacements (R&Rs): The crew successfully R&Rd the UR/IF and WHC piping. Following the R&Rs, the crew cleaned the WHC power supply, reactivated WHC, and performed a leak check to close out the activity.

Service Module (SM) Reboost: On Saturday the ISS performed a nominal reboost using the SM Main Engine thrusters. The purpose of the reboost was to set up the proper conditions for the 61S 4-orbit rendezvous on September 25 and the 58S landing on October 3.

Completed Task List Activities:
Microgravity Crystals Microscopy Plate Set B, Session 4
Rodent Research setup
SSK with VEG part 2
Crew arrival prep
ESA PAOs: EURONEWS, Radio Capital FM UK, Science Museum, Skylight
MVP module move
WHC KTO replace

Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
Water transfer from resupply storage tank to WPA Waste Water Tank
Payloads Ground Support

Look Ahead:
Tuesday, 9/17 (GMT 260)

Payloads:
RADIN- Retrieve and handover to Russian crew (CSA)
ELF Gas bottle Unit air replacement (JAXA)
HRF-Repository Urine and Blood Collection (NASA)
Food Acceptability (NASA)
Express Rack 1 and 2 Acoustic Inspection (NASA)
Standard Measures presleep Questionnaire (NASA)
Rodent Research-17 Ops (NASA)

Systems:
Recycle tank drain

Wednesday, 9/18 (GMT 261)

Payloads:
Probiotics Gather (JAXA)
Standard Measures Presleep Questionnaire and Cognition troubleshoot (NASA)
HRF – Repository Urine collect (NASA)
Rodent Research-17 Ops (NASA)
NanoRacks Module 82 Photo (NASA)
MSG Illumination Unit check (NASA)

Systems:
Crew departure prep

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

Data Preparation for Return (Commander)
Data Preparation for Return (FE5)
Preparation of reports for Roscosmos website and social media
Photography of removable handrails covers inside RS
SCENARIY. Observation and photography of catastrophic events and their aftermath
Photography of space behind SM panels
ECON-M. Observations and Photography
HRF Generic Urine Collection Male
МО-8. Setup
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection 25 Minutes Subject
Body Mass Measurement – BMMD
Bioimpedance Assembly Measurement
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Operator
NutrISS Historic Photo Documentation
Body Mass Measurement – BMMD
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Configuration
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Spin Conclude
МО-8. Closeout ops
HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Conclude And Stow
MORNING PREPARATION WORK
KOSMOKARD. 24hr electrocardiogram recording setup + init
Orthostatic tolerance test under ОДНТ impact. Specialist conference
Orthostatic tolerance test under ОДНТ impact (assistance)
Rodent Research 17
Rodent Research Assist
Rodent Research Cryo Chiller Insert-3
Rodent Research Centrifuge Setup Configure
Study of the cardiovascular system condition under graduated VELO exercise Specialist conference
Study of the cardiovascular system condition under graduated VELO exercise
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
Rodent Research Cryo Chiller Insert-3
HRF Centrifuge Spin Conclude
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 3
MELFI PBR Trash
MELFI 3 Ice Brick Insert
Rodent Research Assist
Environmental Health System (EHS) – Microbial Air Sampler (MAS) Analysis
Rodent Research 17 Dissection
Rodent Research Assist
[ВКС] Laptops Virus Definition File Update
SM ventilation systems maintenance. Group A
EML. Sample chamber deinstall
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Hardware Setup
Rodent Research Cryo Chiller Insert-3
Probiotics Fecal Sample Operations
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
Inspection of O-Ring of EML Sample Chamber
Rodent Research Cryo Chiller Insert-3
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
Probiotics Fecal Sample MELFI Insertion
JAXA System Laptop Terminal 6 (SLT6) Battery Removal
Rodent Research Cryo Chiller Insert-3
Installation of EML Sample Chamber
JAXA Medical Laptop(MDLT) Battery Removal and Replace
Rodent Research Centrifuge Configure
HRF Centrifuge Spin Conclude Final
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 3
Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config LAB Setup
Prepare items for 58S return/removal
PAO Preparation
Rodent Research Assist-1
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – Lab
Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR)/Insert Filter (IF) and Piping R&R Preparation
RR Cryo Chiller Sample Transfer to MELFI
HRF Generic Urine Collection Urine Containment Bag Stow And Retrieval
Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR)/Insert Filter (IF) Route
Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Piping R&R
IMS update
3D magnetic bioprinter. Mode [ТБУ-в No.07] thermostate to +29°С
Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR)/Insert Filter (IF) Installation
Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR)/Insert Filter (IF) Piping R&R Activation
Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill
Exercise Data Downlink via OCA /
Standard Measures Pre-sleep Questionnaire
Reminder HRF Generic Urine Collection
Reminder HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection
Preparation for the Antivirus Scanning of [ВКС] Laptops