NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 21 February 2018 – Expedition 55 Crew Prepare for March Mission

As one crew is packing up for its return back to Earth another crew is training for its launch to the International Space Station. During the month long crew swap activities, human research is still ongoing aboard the orbital laboratory today.
Expedition 54 Commander Alexander Misurkin is getting the Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft ready for its undocking Feb. 27. He and Flight Engineers Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei will then take a three-and-a-half-hour ride back to Earth and parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan after 168 days in space.

They will be replaced by three new Expedition 55 station residents who are in Star City, Russia taking final crew qualification exams today. Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev will command the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft that will launch March 21 carrying him and NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel to the space station two days later.

Today’s research onboard the station is exploring the physiological changes that take place inside the human body while living and working in space. Astronauts Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai collected blood and urine samples and stowed them in a science freezer for later analysis as part of the Biochemical Profile and Repository studies. Kanai later checked and tested gear that will measure blood flow in the brain for the new Cerebral Autoregulation experiment.

On-Orbit Status Report

Lighting Effects: Upon wakeup, a 53S subject provided a daily sleep log entry to track his sleep patterns and wakefulness. The Lighting Effects experiment hopes to better quantify and qualify how lighting can effect habitability of spacecraft. The light bulbs on the ISS are being replaced with a new system designed for improved crew health and wellness. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance. Results from this investigation also have major implications for people on Earth who use electric lights.

Human Research Program (HRP) Collections (Biochemical Profile and Repository): A 53S crewmember completed his Flight Day 60 (FD 60) blood and urine sample collections to support the Biochemical Profile and Repository experiments. The samples were placed in the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI).

The Biochemical Profile experiment 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. This 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.
Mouse Stress Defense Checkout Operations: To prepare the CBEF facility for the Mouse Stress Defense investigation arriving on SpaceX-14, today the crew conducted checkout activities on the mouse habitat unit. This investigation will send genetically modified loss-of-Nrf2-function and gain-of-Nrf2-function mice to space and examine how Nrf2 contributes to effective prevention against the space-originated stresses. The CBEF is used in various life science experiments and consists of an incubator and control equipment for control and communications.

Cerebral Autoregulation Equipment Setup: To test the configuration and connection of the experiment equipment, today the crew performed checkout activities for the Cerebral Autoregulation investigation. The Cerebral Autoregulation investigation tests whether this self-regulation improves in the microgravity environment of space. Non-invasive tests measure blood flow in the brain before, during, and after a long-duration spaceflight, and provide new insights into how the brain safeguards its blood supply in a challenging environment.

Earth Imagery from ISS Target (EIISS): Using the RED camera, the crew captured images of the snow over Kazakhstan, the Philippine islands, and the southern tip of India. EIISS is used to support creation of a series of videos showcasing Earth views taken from space. The videos are taken with cameras on the ISS in 6K hi-resolution and are integrated into videos for screensavers for public enjoyment, exploration, and engagement.

Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM) Node 2 Lens Change: The crew performed a lens change out for the Sally Ride EarthKam equipment in Node 2, and reactivated the equipment. EarthKam allows thousands of students to photograph and examine Earth from a space crew’s perspective. Using the internet, the students control a special digital camera mounted on-board the International Space Station. This enables them to photograph the Earth’s coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique vantage point of space. The team at Sally Ride EarthKAM then posts these photographs on the Internet for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view.

Crew Quarters Cleaning and Fastener R&R: Today the crew cleaned the starboard crew quarters location, and replaced the access panel fasteners with Velcro for ease of access during future activities.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) loop scrub and conductivity test: As part of the deconfiguration from last week’s Extravehicular Activity (EVA), the crew performed EMU cooling loop maintenance, including loop scrubs, sampling, and iodinization. These activities are required for long term health monitoring and maintenance of the EMUs.

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Blower Testing: Ground teams continued their testing of CDRA blower speed capabilities in order to maximize carbon dioxide removal from the ISS atmosphere.

52 Soyuz (52S) Survey: Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) and walked the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) off the Lab Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) onto the Functional Cargo Block (FGB) PDGF. The SSRMS was then maneuvered into position to perform a survey of the 52S Soyuz. Additionally, some external Russian payload hardware was surveyed. The SSRMS was then walked back onto the Lab and maneuvered to park.

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

Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry – Subject
HRF Generic Urine Collection
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion Operations
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection
REGUL-PACKET reconfiguration to REGUL-OS String 2
HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Configuration
SSIPC Management Conference
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Air Lock Deconfiguration
HRF Generic Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin Conclude
RED Camera Setup.
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Insertion
Mouse Stress Defense Item Gathering
Installation of control software on ???-1? for Ikarus P/L.
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Conclude Stow
Earth Imagery from ISS RED Target Operations
COSMOCARD. Setup. Starting 24-hr ECG Recording.
Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth
LBNP Training (PRELIMINARY)
Mouse Habitat Unit Function Checkout part 1.
ISS HAM Service Module Pass
European Modular Cultivation System Gas Valve Close
VEG-03 Dual Facility Watering for each Plant Pillow
REGUL-PACKET reconfiguration to REGUL-OS String 1
Preventive maintenance of MRM2 ??? Hatch Sealing Mechanism and Soyuz 734 hatch
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub Initiation
HRF Generic Sample MELFI Retrieval Insertion Operations
Transfer of emergency equipment (???-1M, ???) from Soyuz 734 ?? to MRM2
Environmental Health System (EHS) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Collect
Soyuz 734 Transfer Ops
Control valve and the [???1] heating valve [??1] position adjustment.
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Post Scrub Cooling Loop Water (H2O) Sample
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Iodination
Crew Departure Prep
Cerebral Autoregulation Equipment Setup
EarthKAM. Lens changeout in Node2
Starboard Crew Quarters (CQ) Cleaning and Velcro Fastener Installation
Manufacturing Device ABS Print Removal, Clean and Stow
Station Support Computer 15 Hard Drive Reseat
Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform Water Processing
EVA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration
Replacement of Hotlink (HT2) cell in RSPI Onboard Memory Storage (???).
HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Setup
Transfer Operations – Prepack of US items to be loaded into Soyuz
Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) – Lab
??? maintenance
Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position
IFM LEE (Latching End Effector) Stowage Preparation
CONTENT. Experiment Ops
Soyuz 734 Transfers Completion Report
Cerebral Autoregulation Software Checkout and Closeout
Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record
RED Camera Deactivation.
Evening work prep, Current Temperature Check in ???- ? No.5
Increment 53 Plaque Hanging
Microbial Tracking-2 Reminder for Saliva Collection

Completed Task List Activities
BEAM Hardware Gather

Ground Activities
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
CDRA Blower Test Support
Standard Commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 02/22: Mouse Habitat, Microbial Tracking,Two Phase Flow, HRF-Sampling, Lighting Effects, BEAM Stowage, Soyuz Descent OBT
Friday, 02/23: Lighting Effects, Rock Candy, Earth Imagery, ISS-HAM, HRF-Sampling, EVA tool stow, WiseNet removal, crew departure prep
Saturday, 02/24: Ku Cable Swap, EIISS, HRF fluid collections, crew off duty

QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group:
Component – Status
Elektron – On
Vozdukh – Manual
[???] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) – On
[???] 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 – Idle
Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 – Operate
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