NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 25 July 2018 – Astronaut Medical Research
Expedition 56 crewmembers collaborated for the second day in a row studying how living in microgravity impacts rodents.
The space research onboard the International Space Station is helping doctors keep astronauts healthy in space and while developing advanced therapies for humans on Earth. Rodent research, and a variety of other life science studies observing organisms in space, has been ongoing for years aboard the orbital laboratory. The latest experiment, Rodent Research-7, looks at how microbes affect the physiology of mice. The mice and research gear were delivered July 2 aboard the SpaceX Dragon. Scientists are seeking to understand how microbes affect the gastrointestinal, immune, metabolic, circadian, and sleep systems.
Astronauts Drew Feustel and Alexander Gerst collected blood samples and measured the bone mass of the rodents today. Flight Engineers Ricky Arnold and Serena Auñón-Chancellor contributed to the research work stowing biological samples in science freezers. The samples will be returned to Earth Aug. 3 when Dragon splashes down in the Pacific Ocean for retrieval and analysis by scientists on Earth.
On-Orbit Status Report
Rodent Research-7 (RR-7): Today the crew completed the second of two days of rodent operations for the RR-7 investigation today. Crewmembers performed bone densitometer scans, blood draws, fecal pellet collections, and sampling operations. Following these operations, the crew performed clean-up activities in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) to prepare the facility for upcoming science. RR-7 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 effect on multiple physiological systems known to be effected 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.
Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) #1 Robotics Operations: Last night the robotic specialists in Tsukuba used the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) with the Small Fine Arm (SFA) to remove the Handhold Experiment Platform (HXP) from the JEM Airlock Slide Table and install it on the JEM Exposed Facility handrail.
Today’s Planned Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
VHF-2 test from Soyuz via US ground sites
Rodent Research Node 2 Camcorder Video Setup
Rodent Research Animal Transfer
Rodent Research Dissection 1A
SREDA-ISS. NIKON D5 Battery Charging
PK-4 Experiment Run 1/1
Pressurization of Elektron-VM Liquid Unit before Activation
DAN. Experiment Session
Rodent Research Bone Densitometer Scan
Rodent Research Dissection 1B
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 1
PK-4 Experiment Run 1/2
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
Rodent Research Bone Densitometer Scan
Rodent Research Dissection 1B
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 1
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
ESA Weekly crew conference [Cancelled]
Rodent Research Bone Densitometer Scan
Rodent Research Dissection 1B
Progress 438 [AO] Cargo Transfers and IMS Ops
Health Maintenance System (HMS) – ESA Nutritional Assessment
Rodent Research Centrifuge Setup
PK-4 Experiment Run 1/3
Rodent Research Centrifuge Configure
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 1
Rodent Research Hand Over
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
HRF Centrifuge Spin Conclude
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 3
Rodent Research Dissection 2A
Rodent Research Bone Densitometer Scan
Rodent Research Dissection 2B
Preparation of protective Bubble Wrap Bags for PK-4 Hard Drives return stowage on Soyuz
PK-4 Experiment Run 1/4
Aerosol Samplers Cartridge Removal
ISS O2 Repress from Progress 438 [AO] СРПК Section 1, start
СОЖ maintenance
SREDA-ISS. NIKON D5 Prep and Installation on SM window No.7
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 1
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
ISS O2 Repress from Progress 438 [AO] СрПК Section 1, terminate
PCG8 MELFI Retrieval
Rodent Research Bone Densitometer Scan
IMS Update
Rodent Research Animal Transfer
PK-4 Chamber Gas Exchange
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
Rodent Research Bone Densitometer Stow
Rodent Research Dissection 2B
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 1
Rodent Research MELFI Insert
Rodent Research Centrifuge Configure
HRF Centrifuge Spin Conclude Final
Rodent Research MELFI Insert 3
Completed Task List Activities:
EVA Tool Stow
JEM ISPR MTL Isolation
AC Vacuum Hazard Level One Configuration
Ground Activities:
All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.
STP-H5 Troubleshooting
JRMS SFA Install
Three-Day Look Ahead:
Thursday, 07/26: AC Inverter Deploy, BCAT, Micro-11, PK-4 Ops, MSG Cleanup, MICS, CPA4 Cable C/O, EarthKAM, BEST, Potable Water Flush, Reboost
Friday, 07/27: Micro-11, MICS, Dragon Cargo Ops, EHDC Camera Stow, Eye Exams, RR-7 Access Unit cleanup, MSFO stow, ESA EPO GV-Earth, LMM Biophysics Plate Removal, Pretreat Tank R&R, JEMAL Leak Check, AngieX Operations, Aerosol Samplers Deploy, PK-4 Ops
Saturday, 07/28: Housekeeping, Micro 11 Operations, 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) – Standby
Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) – Standby
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab – Full Up
Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 – Off
