NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 18 July 2018 – Cancer Studies
Cancer and rodent studies were on the crew’s timeline today to help doctors and scientists improve the health of humans in space and on Earth. The crew also conducted an emergency drill aboard the International Space Station.
Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor examined endothelial cells through a microscope for the AngieX Cancer Therapy study. The new cancer research seeks to test a safer, more effective treatment that targets tumor cells and blood vessels. Commander Drew Feustel partnered with astronaut Alexander Gerst and checked on mice being observed for the Rodent Research-7 (RR-7) experiment. RR-7 is exploring how microgravity impacts microbes living inside organisms.
Astronaut Ricky Arnold and Gerst collected and stowed their blood samples for a pair of ongoing human research studies. Arnold went on to work a series of student investigations dubbed NanoRacks Module-9 exploring a variety of topics including botany, biology and physics.
During the afternoon, all six Expedition 56 crew members joined forces to practice a simulated emergency. The orbital lab residents went over escape routes and safety procedures while coordinating communication and decision-making with mission controllers in Houston and Moscow.
On-Orbit Status Report
AngieX Cancer Therapy: Today the crew performed microscope operations for the AngieX Cancer Therapy investigation. The AngieX Cancer Therapy investigation examines whether endothelial cells cultured in microgravity represent a valid in vitro model to test effects of vascular-targeted agents on normal blood vessels. AngieX has developed a treatment that targets both tumor cells and vasculature, but needs a better model on which to test it. This study may facilitate development of a cost-effective method that does not require animal testing and which may help develop safer and more effective vascular-targeted drugs.
Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS): The crew transferred a MICS ampoule kit to the ISS Portable Glovebag, broke the seal between the upper and center ampoules in each of the sample bags and mixed the contents in the ampoules with a spatula. They restowed the samples in the kit in the Glovebag. Tomorrow they will finish processing this sample. The MICS investigation supports the evaluation of microstructure and material properties of benchmark cement samples. Different responses to thermal and mechanical loading are expected and will be characterized in detail. Positive attributes found in the hardening process due to the microgravity environment aboard the ISS will be reported with the intent of improving Earth-based cement and concrete processing.
Rodent Research-7 (RR-7): Today the crew calibrated the Mass Measurement Device that was installed yesterday in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and took the tare weight of the empty Rodent Container. The mice were placed individually into the Container, loaded into the MMD and had three measurements performed on them. Fecal pellets and Food Bar swabs were collected and place into a Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI). Half of the mice went through this process yesterday and the other half went through it today. The RR-7 investigation examines how the space environment affects the community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of mice (also known as the microbiota). It also looks at microgravity’s effects on multiple physiological systems known to be affected by the microbiota, including the gastrointestinal, immune, metabolic, circadian, and sleep systems. These studies should help explain mechanisms underlying interactions between these systems and the role of the microbiota in these interactions
NanoRacks Module-9: The crew shook designated mixture tubes for the NanoRacks Module-9 investigation today. The experiments contained in these tubes support a variety of experiments sponsored by the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE). The student-designed experiments address real challenges of living and working in space. The program is also a key initiative for US science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, educating and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers to work on the space program. Findings from student experiments may contribute to future experiments that benefit the space program. The tubes handled today support the following investigations:
How microgravity Affects Reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Effects of Microgravity on Soybean Germination
Prevention of Muscle Atrophy in Microgravity: An Evaluation of L-carnitine in Planaria (Dugesia tigrina)
The Effects of Microgravity on Seed Germination in Sodium Polyacrylate
The Effects of Microgravity on the Germination of Kudzu seeds
The Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Rate of Regeneration in Microgravity
Planarian Worm Tail Regrowth
Broccoli Study
Growing Solanum tuberosum in Microgravity
Rust in Microgravity
What is the Effect that Microgravity has on the Development of Synthetic Brine Shrimp?
The Effect of Microgravity on the Growth of Golden Lake Artemia
Will Tardigrade Eggs Hatch and Develop in Microgravity?
Growth of Lacinato in Microgravity
Long Diffusion and Kidney Stones, No More!
Human Research Program (Biochemical Profile and Repository): A 54S crewmember collected Flight Day 120 blood and urine samples for the Biochemical Profile and Repository investigations today.
The Biochemical Profile investigation tests blood and urine samples obtained from astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight. Specific proteins and chemicals in the samples are used as biomarkers, or indicators of health. Post-flight analysis yields a database of samples and test results; which scientists can use to study the effects of spaceflight on the body.
Repository is a storage bank used to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. The repository supports scientific discovery that contributes to our fundamental knowledge in the area of human physiological changes and adaptation to a microgravity environment and provides unique opportunities to study longitudinal changes in human physiology spanning many missions.
Team Task Switching (TTS): A crewmember completed a TTS survey today. When crewmembers 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 crewmembers 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.
Food Acceptability: A crewmember completed a Food Acceptability questionnaire today. The Food Acceptability investigation seeks to determine the impact of repetitive consumption of food currently available from the spaceflight food system. Results will be used in developing strategies to improve food system composition to support crew health and performance on long duration missions.
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Live Events: Serena Auñón-Chancellor participated in an educational event with the St. Louis Science Center. The audience included students, from kindergarten through high school, from throughout the St. Louis area who are attending summer camps as well as guests of the Center.
Onboard Training (OBT) ISS Emergency Simulation: The full crew participated in an ISS emergency simulation to practice emergency response with the crew and ground based on information provided by simulator displays. They translated through ISS to appropriate response locations and practiced procedure execution and decision making based on cues from the simulator. Following the training, they conducted a review session with Houston and Moscow Control Centers.
Dragon Cargo Transfer: Today the crew continued packing and loading items slated for return on Dragon early next month and are approximately 2/3 complete with the second Dragon Cargo Ops Message. Ground specialists estimate 30 hours of work remain to completely pack the vehicle.
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
СОЖ Maintenance
HRF Generic Urine Collection
SPLANKH. Setup and Initiate EGEG Recording
HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection 30 Minutes Subject
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
Replacement of SM Caution & Warning Panel (ПСС)
TangoLab Hardware Pack
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Preparation for the experiment.
Rodent Research 7 Mass Measurement Device Restock
Rodent Research 7 Mass Measurement Device Restock 2A
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Experiment Ops on БД-2 Treadmill (Individual strategy test).
Food Acceptability Questionnaire – Subject
PEMS2 FIT Check
PROFILAKTIKA-2. Closeout Ops.
Cargo Transfer to Dragon
SPLANKH. Termination EGEG Recording and Closeout Ops.
Wireless Compose SD Card Data Deletion
Replacement of POTOK-150МК Air purification system [УОВ] in SM.
Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config COL Setup
Polar Desiccant Swap
MERLIN 1 Desiccant Swap
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) with MIRmedia company representative
Aerosol Samplers Cartridge Removal [Aborted]
SEPARATSIYA. Urine distillation with condensate loop cleanup.
JPM Window Shutter Close
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus
AngieX Cancer Therapy Microscope Operations
Training for Emergency Response On-board ISS
EMU 3008 Electrical Harness Comm. Cap Connector Inspection
Micro-11 Glacier Sample Removal 1
NanoRacks Module 9 Ops Session 3
Scheduled quarterly maintenance of Central Post Laptop
Food Acceptability Questionnaire – Subject
Team Task Switching Experiment Survey Subject [Aborted]
FSL soft matter dynamics experiment container feedthrough panel reconfiguration
Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS) Preparation
MSG Glove Swap
On-board Training (OBT) ISS Emergency Drill Conference
Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS) 3 Ampoule Mix Ops
Cargo Transfer to Dragon
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
Progress 439 (DC1) Cargo Transfers and IMS Ops
Nikon still camera sync with station time
INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops
BEST Hardware Gather
Dragon Cargo Operations Conference
Completed Task List Activities:
None
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
AngieX microscope ops
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 07/19: Micro11, Aerosol Samplers, BEST, ATED, FSL Install, EMU Water Dump/Fill, MICS, RADI-N, Polar Dessicant Ops
Friday, 07/20: Micro11, AML Sample Detach, N1 Bac Fltr R&R, BEST, Dragon Cargo Transfer, Microbial Tracking, Aerosol Samplers, MSL Gas supply exchange, Plant Habitat
Saturday, 07/21: Weekly Housekeeping, Crew Off Duty
QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – Off
Vozdukh – Manual
[СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – Off
[СКВ] 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) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off
